Before you chop down or buy a Christmas tree that takes anywhere from 4 to 15 years to grow, think of alternatives to this Pagan or Christian tradition. The Paradise tree ( fir tree with apples ) represented the Tree of Knowledge in the Garden of Eden for the Christians version and the Pagans used the branches to decorate their homes during the winter solstice as a reminder that spring was coming soon. With the first recorded modern reference to a tree back in Germany 1531, i

We all can fall in love with summertime. Soft sand between your toes, faded swimsuits, grilling and being outside, palomas, summer concerts in the park, lying next to a handsome someone whispering sweet nothings in their ear (that is my favorite), lollipops and sticky ice cream fingers. Aaahhh but what about the summer love of design. Changing dark colors into cool colors. White sheets, dove grey pillows, silver and whites with a hint of walnut woods, a little California bohe

Design has so many styles and names, modern, retro, vintage modern, rustic, contemporary, transitional, It goes on and on. I believe that good design has many faces and if you can pull it all together well BRAVO ! The more client meetings I have the more I hear the same thing," I know what I like but I don't know what to call it or how to bring it all together, " and that is why you hire a designer... or just slow down and gather your thoughts. Pinterest is great inspiration

I have been working on a couple small interior design jobs and I am constanlty drawn to dark walls with gold finishes while using industrial fixutures. I am not sure if that means I am maturing (most likely not, ask my friends) or I am finding that it is a sense of comfort to be surrounded by warm colors and less vast open white spaces, hence insane asylum. It can be a scary thought to take a whole room and paint it in a charcoal grey so maybe start with an accent wall (perfe

Tis the season... Its been one of those years for most of us, we are dreaming of 2017 being the best year yet, because 2016 welllllllllllll Christmas is always a time to reflect for me, it usually is New Years Eve for most, but during the Christmas holiday I sit down at dinner with the three loves of my life (my children in case you were wondering, the Christian Dior red leather platform boots may be the forth) I think how fortunate I am. I have an amazing family, I have a j

I am constantly saying I need to have two or three houses just so I can have different styles of homes to design (yea right). A girly home that's super feminine, as in art deco meets vintage faded mirrors (see Miss Petitgrew Lives for a Day, Delysia's apartment is beautiful) , a beach or mountain home, and lastly a bachelor pad. I know that sounds funny, but I love the feel of a masculine space to get lost in, dark walls, plaids, brass, and all around cozy. I have worked on a

If I have said it once, I have said it a million times. One of the biggest changes you can make in your home is lighting. White walls, wood floors and a little (or big) piece of art hanging from the ceiling is the game changer. It does not need to be expensive but make it part of who you or your home will be. New, old, modern, funky or vintage, it will set the mood of what you are trying to accomplish. Take a look at some examples and really I could have posted a thousand but

It seems as if my big summertime plans lately keep being put on the back burner. I am not exactly thrilled about it, in the meanwhile I am accumulating little trips and well still pretty exciting. First up is Palm Springs, which has been an annual trip for us girls and the ankle biters. Besides liking the hotel we usually stay in, I am pretty exited to see all the design aspects of the city again. I guess I will have to leave the pool at some point and go on home tours becaus

We all have so many things to do, work, family, homes to take care of, personal relationships, finances, too much to list. Once in a while when I am caught up in it, I forget about the things that at one time were inspirational and made me find myself. Recently I went back to my musical inspiration of all time and if you have not discovered this woman, well you are missing out. I discovered her music when I was in my late teens and have been in awe ever since. One of the grea

A few years ago, it was time to purge the house, the garage, and so on. As I went through, cleaned out, got rid of things, there was a plethora of something that I found so hard to let go... the chairs, all the chairs I had collected over the years. My poor husband was patient of my collection and let me buy chairs that needed repair or recovering that sat in the garage that I never had a chance to get to. I used to be obsessed, actually it is what drove me to apply to desi