Luxuries Large and Small

These lovely little luxuries are ring boxes from the Muse Collection by Charlotte Moss at London's Halcyon Days. For your dressing table, vanity or evening bag, they are "descended from the rare and beautiful enamels of 18th-century England. Prized by discerning collectors worldwide, both as tokens of taste and sentiment and as works of art, they are destined to become the antiques of the future."

Says the designer of her collection, which includes atomizers, handbag mirrors and tiny vanity trays, "I have bought these wonderful enamels as gifts, and received them as gifts, for years. It is a great pleasure and opportunity to be entrusted with creating designs for today. Once again I’ve chosen to invoke the muse - images and motifs from the lives of women who continue to inspire - myself and others."

You would be correct in assuming that these pretty little numbers come with price tags containing quite large numbers.

I received as a gift this Christmas my own tiny, shiny box. It is not fancy enamel nor is it covered in pretty patterns. It is plain, coral pink and heart-shaped. It is from the not so exclusive, one on every corner, Hallmark collection. And it is currently my most prized, sentimental and inspiring possession.

It came from my daughter and contains a photo she took of us (with the camera in her laptop) on Thanksgiving Day 2009. That's her, below, squeezing the life and love out of me. And though this box was a gift, it came at a very large price. Letting her go last year to live her own life was more difficult than anything I have done with or for or because of her in the last nineteen years of my life. But it was worth it.

I have proof in a priceless pink box.

"Every luxury must be paid for, and everything is a luxury, starting with being in this world."

Cesare Pavese, Italian poet, critic and novelist, 1908-1950

Thanks to Rosemary and her dentist's fancy magazines for the top image. It is quite a luxury to have a friend who thinks about you while waiting to get her teeth cleaned. Images and descriptions of Moss's Paris, Nantucket and New York boxes are from Halcyon Days' website. And to Katey, well, you know.

My Inquiring Mind Wants to Know

Before I dive headlong into the new year, babbling on about paint colors and upholstery, I have a question for you. For those of you who blog. I read something recently about blogging, design and decor blogging specifically—who's doing it and what motivates them—that stirred up this question I'm constantly asking myself :
Why am I doing this?

Bunny Williams, ahead of the trend, via House Beautiful.


Around and around in my head this question churns. Sometimes I can answer it easily, other times, not. My first answer is usually this: Because it's fun! I get to talk (well, write) about interior design and color and fabric and lighting and bedrooms to my heart's content knowing that there's a community of others out there who feel the same way I do. Except for the times I've been in school studying design or working closely with other creative people, it's an intense interest that I don't share in common with many in my immediate circle. I've found that blogging feels like taking a class that never ends—where it's perfectly acceptable, necessary even, to spend hours at a time looking at floor plans and room arrangements, talking about furnishings and window treatments, obsessing over the smallest details. Doing that with a group of like-minded people is more fun than I can explain to someone who doesn't share my enthusiasm for interior design.

Too-beautiful turquoise chandelier, via House Beautiful

My second answer to the question is interchangeable with the first because it is equally important to me. As a person who hopes to build a business helping others make their living spaces more beautiful and functional, I want this blog to be a place potential clients can visit to see what I'm about—to get a feel for who I am and how I approach decorating and design. True, there's not much of my own work yet on my blog. Largely because there hasn't been much work done outside my own home in the past year that's significant enough to document here. And I have shown only little bits of my own home because I don't want to give anyone the impression that what I do here within my own walls reflects the work I would do for them—not everyone likes so much color and pattern or the cottage/flea market/farmhouse/whatever-you-call-it that is my personal style. Besides, I have no intention of imposing my style on my clients. What makes me happiest is helping people realize their own style and the potential within their own homes.

A fun place to meet the Beatles, via Cottage Living

So, yes, I see my blog as a marketing tool as much as a creative outlet. That being said, I understand that it could use some tweaking and fine-tuning and requires regular maintenance like any other essential in my actual toolbox. Unlike a static website or portfolio, a blog is an interactive work in progress. That's what makes it so much fun. And so much work.

A pretty turquoise surprise via DIYideas.com


I've been reading decor blogs for a year plus a few months now and writing my own for only six months. Some of you have been at it much longer. Some, maybe less. I admire those of you who have found your own unique voice while I still feel a bit all over the place. When I really think about it, what I would like to present myself as is an advisor of sorts. Someone who has ideas and information to share. With visual aids and resources. That's what I want my clients to see me as. But because most of you reading this blog are just as tuned in to interiors as I am, some with levels of expertise that surpass mine by miles, it often feels like I'm preaching to the choir. Perhaps if my posts took on the form of "discussions" rather than "lessons", I'd feel less "preachy". You see what happens when I start thinking about it? The reasons and whys begin to swirl.


Undoubtedly, you've figured out by now that the question I ask myself is the same one I've come here to ask you:
Why are you doing this?

Architectural salvage at Marburger Farms, source unknown

Your answer, if you choose to give me one—and I hope that you do!—can be as short or long as you like; in the comments here or emailed to me privately. Respond anonymously if you don't want to be "found out" for asking the very same question of yourself. Anything and everything you have to say will be welcome and greatly appreciated. I'm sure I'm not the only one who wants to know if you. . . blog to further your career as a designer?. . . seek fame and fortune in the world of blogs or magazines or home decor television?. . . simply love to share your own DIY projects? Or do you just like to chat about wool versus sisal as much as I do? I hope you don't mind that I've asked the question in such an "open forum" way. I considered asking all of the bloggers I admire individually, but there are just so many of you! Let me say too that what I'm looking for is not so much validation as direction and focus. Understanding why others do what I so enjoy doing will help me see whether I'm on the right track. Or not. Blogging is a lot of work. That feels more like frivolous fun. Maybe that's why I'm so conflicted.

Turquoise + Aqua + White&Bright = Happy via realsimple.com

So many nice things were said over the holidays about our "blogging community" by those who are a part of it. Before I joined it myself, I was skeptical that so much real, genuine niceness could be found in a virtual world. But it's true. It's really there. I experience and witness it every day. I've seen virtual camaraderie turn into real world friendships through actual meetings and exchanges away from the blogs. I hope in this new year to be involved in more of those myself. On the way to doing that though, could we get back to my question?

Why are you doing this?

I can't wait to see what you have to say.

UPDATED TO ADD: Thanks so much to every one of you who took the time to weigh in on this question, whether here in the comments or by email. I really appreciate and was so inspired by your thoughts and ideas. I'm sure others who read them were heartened as well to hear that not only do so many of us struggle with the same question— "why?"— but that the answer is fairly unanimously "the fantastic people". I could not agree more.

Top image is "Lost" by photographer Clark Little. Click on it to visit his gallery. All other images here were chosen from my photo files to represent my ideas for using a little or a lot of turquoise, the 2010 color of the year. How can we not look forward to a year filled with such a gorgeous, optimistic color?!

Crystal Balls

At this time of year, the New Year, crystal balls everywhere are working overtime, seeking answers to important questions. What will 2010 bring in the way of... celebrity weddings?... the economy?... World Series teams?... the jobs market?... the final season of "Lost"?... U.S. relations with China?...new apps for my iphone?... and on and on and on. I can't help you in any of those areas. But I can share a sampling of the predictions for interior design and decor I've happened upon. Here's what we have to look forward to in the next twelve months according to the crystal balls and those who are adept at gazing into them:

Anh-Minh Le, who writes for the San Francisco Chronicle, lists ten trends for 2010 in an article you can find here on SFGate. Among her predictions are layered floor coverings (rugs on rugs, love it), wallpapered ceilings (yep, that's what she said), decorating with artisinal goods (a fancier way of saying "handmade") and the well-traveled look. To illustrate this last one, she points to the Sundance Channel series "Man Shops Globe" in which Anthropologie buyer Keith Johnson visits country after country, looking for special pieces and inspiration for the company's stores. I almost can't stand it that my cable line-up doesn't include Sundance programming... or that Mr. Johnson could be so lucky as to have that job.

Man shops South Africa, encounters amazingly tame wildlife.

Patricia Gray, the Canadian designer with a fantastic blog of the same name, shows us in this post the color predictions from paint company Farrow & Ball. Most interesting, I think, is the way they sort their color choices into groups with distinct names and personalities. Unable to choose just one group (because more color is always better in my book), I would prefer a blend of "Urban Decay" and "Glitz and Glamour". Sounds like an identity crisis, I know. Go see for yourself which group you most closely identify with.

Also all about color is an article on Cosmoworlds.com. By now, most of us designery types know that Pantone has chosen turquoise as their "it" home interiors color for 2010. Their Fashion Color Report Spring 2010 tells us how clothing designers plan to bring the same color plus "splashes of sunshine" and "practicality as well as fun" to our wardrobes in the coming months. Sounds good to me. Download the full report at the bottom of the article for a fun look at what designers from Erin Fetherston to Tracy Reese to Badgley Mishka (and everyone in between) think we should be wearing come springtime, including their own signature color choices.

Textile design trends illustrated: "Futuristic" according to Heimtextil

And then, there's this report : "Heimtextil Trend 2010/2011 - UNI[RE]VERSE is the answer to universality". Huh? In a nutshell, the report, also found at Cosmoworlds.com, outlines the focus of the international trade fair for home and contract textiles, Heimtextil 2010/2011, to be held January 13-16 in Frankfurt. Exhibitors from some sixty countries will present products, designs and manufacturing methods all scouted and invited to represent new and emerging trends in home furnishings and textiles. Their concept for the show, UNI[RE]VERSE, encompasses four styles: Futuristic, Temptation, Hypernature and Intuition. It's all very intellectual and esoteric and, frankly, a bit over my head, but intriguing nonetheless.

Easier to apply (and comprehend) is House Beautiful's version of paint color predictions for 2010. Read about and see them here. Also featured on the magazine's website are their New Year's resolutions for your home—tips for organizing and decluttering every room can be found here.

Open-shelf storage is good according to House Beautiful,

but those Mimosa walls are so last year.

Of course, we need something to put all these new furnishings and fashions and textiles and colors into. Cyberhomes.com offers their 5 home-buying trends for 2010. What buyers want in new homes are often the same things those of us not planning a move will want to add to our existing spaces. So what will be hot in the new year? Smaller, greener, open floor plans that include dual home offices and easy transitions to outdoor living. Read here to find out why McMansions are out and dinners at home on the patio are in... two "trends" I've been on board with for, well, ever.

Plans for this Sheldon Designs cutie found at tinyhousedesign.com

Don't you love the crystal balls at the top of this post? They're not the kind that reveal the future, but I'll tell you, if I had the right kind of bathroom, I can imagine my future holding many languorous moments spent gazing up at them from my tub. Appropriately called H20, it's available at ziapriven.com and brings me to one last prediction. . . the chandelier's hammered canopy reminded me that Lauren at Pure Style Home says brass is back. Or will be back. Or should be back. No, not shiny Eighties brass. Better brass. Really great looking "new" brass. Read this post and you'll want her to be right.

Whew! That's a lot to keep up with, isn't it? But, you know, as many and varied as all of these ideas are, I've also repeatedly seen trend forecasters predicting that eclecticism and comfort and individuality in interiors will continue in 2010. What that says to me is this: Do what you want. Use what you like. Trends may inform manufacturers and momentarily entertain us, but in the end, I have to live in my home and you in yours. Make sure that yours pleases you, not the trendsetters. Make sure that it works for you and your lifestyle. And have some fun while you're at it. Even the trendiest of the trendies at Heimtextil advocate that. That I understood.

Lighten Up

That's it.

My one and only, multi-purpose,

one-size-fits-all

New Year's resolution.

Lighten up.

Allow me to elaborate: in 2010, I resolve to. . .

1) Lighten up my attitude. 2009 was a very serious year. Serious lifestyle changes took place that I wasn't entirely happy about—although it all worked out well in the end. Serious news about our bad economy was on the air and in the newspapers every day. Ugh. Some seriously dull work was done—not design work, but the other work I do that gets my bills paid til the decor biz gets "bizzier"—but it's my own fault that I didn't balance it better. In this new year, I resolve to have more fun. Live life lightly. Look on the bright side (which I really am pretty good at). Play more music. Eat pancakes for dinner. Or maybe a banana split! Make and paint and build and craft things just because I can. Reacquaint myself with my garden. I have a ping pong table. What's more fun than ping pong?

2) Lighten my load. (No, I don't mean lose weight. #4 will take care of that.) What I mean is clear out the clutter that's been weighing down the progress of my projects whether personal, professional or home related. After fifteen years in this house, there is just too much accumulated, unnecessary "stuff". My College Girl was happy to benefit from some of our redundancies and we have plans to continue in that vein—starting with a big ol' yard sale at her house with the cast-offs from mine. She does all the grunt work and gets to keep the proceeds; I get de-cluttered. Win-win.

3) Light up my interiors. Literally. I have plans for new, much needed lighting in both the kitchen and living room. The colored walls that I've loved for so long are crying out to be white. Art in dark frames wants to be replaced with glinting, gilt-y frames or none at all... as in unframed canvases or found objects. And... anything that's begun to look more like clutter and less like decor, no matter how sentimentally attached I am, is being retired or repurposed (or yard-saled, see #2) in favor of light and space. My home wants to breeeathe.

4) Get light on my feet. Move more, sit less. (Easier said than done with both a job and a hobby that require hours at a time in front of a computer.) Take a walk, with or without the dog—but mostly with. I know he'd appreciate it. Do some actual heavy lifting (as opposed to the existential kind—there was enough of that nonsense in 2009). Garden. Hammer. Install. Paint. Move. Improve myself as I improve my home. Even an impromptu living room dance party does wonders for my attitude and, done more often, would surely work those same wonders on my waistline.

5) Bring more light to the blog. Were you wondering why it looks better—brighter— today? (please say yes) No more yellow background. Crisp, clean, light and bright white. Took a little more effort than you'd imagine as some of my sidebar images had drop shadows on a yellow ground blah, blah, whatever. It looks better and I'm happy with it. I hope my lighter attitude comes through in my posts too—not that I've ever been morose or dark here—what's dark about decorating? (well, yes, I know there's a trend toward black walls and dark rooms, but that's for another post—and, no, I'm obviously not embracing that trend). It's just that, if I'm writing this blog because it's fun for me, well, then, shouldn't it be fun for you too?

The rooms pictured here are some that have inspired me toward my decision to whiten the rest of my walls. I painted out the golden yellow accent wall in my living room about a year ago and have been very happy with all white. Next to go will be the yellow in my dining room, which opens onto my already-white kitchen. I'll continue to use my favorite bright, happy colors and patterned fabrics as accents, as did the designers of these rooms—Kathryn Ireland in the top three photos and Windsor Smith in this last one, above. (The four in between were not identified in my photo files. Irresponsible, I know, but still inspirational.) And I promise, any of my own lighter, brighter work deemed "blog-worthy", will appear here for your perusal.

Do you have a resolution (or several) for yourself

or your home?

Whatever they may be, I wish you luck and light and love.

Happy New Year!

A Lovely Post-Christmas Gift

Sitting here on my sofa, the hazy blur of Christmas (barely) Past still all around me (or maybe it's the NyQuil kicking in... I have a terrible cold), I received a wonderful, completely unexpected gift when I peeked into one of my must-read blogs. Maria Killam of the always educational, always entertaining, always stylish Colour Me Happy has published a list of her favorite posts of the past six months and one of mine is on her list!

My post titled "Collections, Part One: On The Wall" (as well as its follow-up post on how to hang a collection on your wall ) found its way into her favorites folder and reappeared among the most flattering company imaginable: posts on Cote de Texas, Design Ties, The Lisa Porter Collection, Pure Style Home, Things That Inspire, Velvet & Linen, La Dolce Vita, Belgian Pearls and Discover: Interior Design were the others in Maria's top ten. (click on the blog names to go to the posts Maria features) To say I'm blown away by being included among these talents is a crazy huge, can't-even-tell-you-how-enormous understatement.

Now, I'm extra-inspired to continue the series on collections I began before the holidays took over my life (and all the design blogs). The photo above is a sneak peek into the next one. Knowing that Maria may be watching, I'll be re-reading and rewriting and editing like mad hoping to continue to meet her high standards.

To read Maria's entire post, click here. While you're at it, if you're not already familiar with her fabulous blog all about color (or colour as she writes it... don't you love that?... she's Canadian), take some time to look around. You'll be glad you did, and I'm sure you'll learn a thing or two... I always do. Thank you so much, Maria!