Thrilled to Announce

So, I am excited to announce today that I have taken a new Blogging position with a website that i am a HUGE fan of. I will start blogging in the next week or two over at PointClickHome it is the home site of Elle decor, Met Home and Home Magazine, and they have asked me to start a Blog over there. It should be up and running in a week or so. I will keep this site going to, some members of my team here, will start adding more regularly as well, so you can look forward to other information and some different points of view as well.

So things are changing, but we have some great topics we will be discussing, as well as a whole bunch of support from the magazines, so I hope you will check it out, and like what you see, in the meantime stay tune, there is always lots to say.

Traditional with an Edge

This is a house that I did a few years ago, that has never been published, but remains one of my favorite homes ever. It is Southern California and is done in a quiet Traditional style with a few twists that gives it some interest. This is the Living Room and you can see that it is a blend of textures with the rubble stone wall, antique plank ceiling and the solid bronze French doors. With all of this happening, I wanted to layer the room with some more old world pieces, so I used a cut Linen velvet on the sofa and some antique Bergeres adjacent to that. I also used an old rug too, that was a nice complement to the stone floor. The coffee tables though are a little bit more modern, and by using two I was really able to break up the scale a little bit too. Even the under scaled painting did a lot for the whole composition, and makes the painting feel more important.

I like mixing styles and directions, it creates a feeling that this is a collection that has grown over time, not a random selection of stuff that your designer has brought in. Here are some ideas that you may want to implement to help create that "lived in" look:

1. Don't be afraid to mix furniture periods, but if you do, pay close attention to scale and color, there should always be some unity between the pieces you choose.
2. Any painting will take on more importance if you place it on a wall by itself, so be sure it can stand up to the attention, if not place it in a grouping.
3. When contrasting textures try to go from extremes, hard to soft, rough to smooth. Almost smooth to smooth, just looks bland.
4. Don't be afraid of adding in more modern pieces to your collection, it will spice things up and make your older pieces look more special.
   

Some More Blogs to Check Out

There are so many Design Blogs out there, it is almost impossible to keep up. I try to make a daily ritual of going through the Blog Roll, and seeing what is out and about, but oh my goodness, that would take days.

So here are a few more sites that we will be adding to the list, I hope you find some things that interest you, I am sure you will:

Toast and Tables
The House of Beauty and Culture
Robin Sherwood Frecklefarm
Orange Beautiful
Oh Joy
Paris Apartments
Love Made Visible

....And for our Brazilian Readers

I am pleased to say that we are going Global. An interview that I did for a Brazilian site (www.morar.com) that you might want to check out. You can also go straight to the Blog of the writer as well, which will give you all the info you need. And to Ana, once again Thank You!

Sometimes You Just have to Chuckle at the Simplicity

I came across this great little device that will avoid sore thumbs for all you DIY types. Check out the link for more info, it made me smile, but I think I have to get one :)

Displaying Family Pictures

I am all about making the interior of your home a reflection of your personal values and priorities, but this is no license for bad design. Take your family photo collection for instance. There is no reason for it to take over the house and be displayed on every surface that is available. I like to create groupings that I can use to tell a story, they can then become compelling pieces or art as well. Take the example above for instance, we created an almost Mondrian-like grid that was able to contain a host of images of different periods and sizes, but it still works well within the modern background.

Here are some other ideas that you might want to consider:

• I like to use all one type of frame, to unify the collection, but maybe if they were all silver frames, that would be enough to pull everything together.
• If you don't want to group them on a wall, pick one surface where you will display the pictures, try not to let them creep all over the house.
• I like to mix in old pictures with new, it makes the groupings a bit more interesting.
• You might want to buy frames that are designed to allow you to change the images easily, then as the kids grow and the family changes its easy to keep it updated.
  

I'll Say it Again- I Love Canopy Beds

We all have our weaknesses, for some it is chocolate, for others it is fashion, for me it is canopy beds. I think very few things will create the drama and sense of presence that a canopy bed will. The one in the image above I did in a beach house, and I have always wanted to find a use for that Clarence House Seaside Toile, here, accented with persimmon it's the perfect choice. The good thing about doing a bed like this is that when you are done, the statement is made. You can see in the background, that on the windows, I just used a split bamboo shade, there was no competing with this bed.

This kind of thing is actually pretty easy to do on your own as well, just be warned though it takes lots and lots of fabric, and you may never leave your bedroom again. There are some great tips on About.com that will walk you through the process. But here are some tips from me to keep in mind:

• Try to find a strong color for the inside lining of the bed, it will make it feel even cosier.
• If you want something that is lighter and more exotic feeling, try making the bed out of a sheer fabric, it will be sheer and sexy.
• Don't be afraid of pattern, the bed is already making a big statement, now is no time to be meek.
• One of the beauties of a bed like this, is that it creates a room within a room, so don't be afraid of putting your bed in the middle of your room, it could be an amazing effect.