Unpacking

I've decided that unpacking is significantly more fun than packing. Something about a clean slate and a fresh start and the chance to purge excess stuff that has been weighing you down for, in my case, 8 years. I only took things with me to my new apartment that I really love and need. Everything else was given away to friends and neighbors or hauled away to Goodwill in one of my 5 different drop offs. 

I spent a good 2 hours putting my dishes into their proper place in my cupboards, mostly because I kept stopping to stare in amazement at how neat and organized everything was. (I'd show you a photo of the cupboards at my last home, but you would most definitely think less of me.)

My sister asked me to text her photos of my unpacking progress so these are 2 of the photos I took with my phone, all featuring things that I love and most definitely can't live without: vintage goblets and glasses, everyday glasses, cute serving bowls, industrial mixing bowls, my moccasins, and about 1/4 of my design magazine collection. 

Influencial Designer / Tim Clarke

If I was giving advice to someone trying to find their way in the interior design profession (not that I'm an expert), one thing I would suggest, that I didn't do and sort of regret, is to work for a designer that you really admire. There are so many designers out there that create such beautiful interiors, each with their own unique take on design. I got a little over-anxious to start my own business shortly after graduating from design school and didn't take the opportunity to intern or assist for one of my favorite designers. To make up for it I devour design magazines, books, and designers' online portfolios and analyze every detail. I note everything from the color palette to textures and finishes, to furniture styles and layout, to the overall feel of the space.

I can honestly learn something new from every designer, even if I don't relate to their personal style, but there are a few who stand out that I constantly go back to for inspiration. I want to highlight those who have been the most influential for me here on my blog.

Today I wanted to share a few interiors by Tim Clarke, a Santa Monica based designer. His interiors are so pretty - I just don't know how else to describe them. They are put together so well and his palettes are always so soothing, but his spaces are never boring. His rooms seem to always have a comfortable beachy feel, which is so applicable to me since so many of my clients' homes are along the coasts of Southern California.

interiors by Tim Clarke

I'm moving to a new apartment and couldn't be more excited at the thought of decorating my new home. My last place had fairly bold painted walls in both the main living area and in my bedroom. It was fun while it lasted but I'm ready for something completely different. My new abode was freshly painted white right before I moved in, and instead of busting out the paint deck... I'm embracing my bright and clean canvas.

I have BIG plans for these white walls. BIG I'm telling you. I almost can't sleep at night because I'm thinking about all of the wonderful things that I'm going to do with them. I've always been more of a product rather than a process kind of person. Don't get me wrong, I love the design process, but absolutely nothing beats an installation day when I get to see a room all come together. 

So yes, I am very anxious to have my apartment fully decorated, down to the vase of flowers on the coffee table (seriously, I can't sleep over this stuff), but I'm not going to make any hasty design decisions just because I can't wait to see the finished product. A lot of thought and time is going to go into what frame to put on what piece of artwork and where to hang it. Do I hang my oil seascape that I snagged at the flea market for $20, solo above my vintage sofa? Or do I hang it in a grouping? And is that grouping an organized grid? Or a mis-mash pattern that makes it look like I didn't think about the placement at all (when really, once again, I stayed up many a sleepless night thinking about it)? 

My blog is having an identity crisis, hence the lack of posting as of late. After attending the Alt blogger conference for designers in mid-January (won a free ticket!), I learned a ton about blogging, but perhaps the most important thing that I learned is that I'm not a blogger. I'm a designer. I like to write, and I like to collect and share my thoughts about design in a blogging format, and I especially love when that leads to an increase in design business, but I'm not a blogger; I'm a designer who blogs. I thought for a second that I was a blogger, or that I wanted to be, but I don't. I am, however, really really excited to have a place to share with you my design projects and my latest obsession of my new white walls. 

images 1, 2, 3

California Gift Show

I tried to post my progress of visual merchandising for the California Gift Show on Twitter and instagram, but here is a more complete documentation of the exhibit hall via my iPhone camera and its handy filter apps. During the Gift Show, the 2nd floor is full of exhibitor booths featuring all kinds of cool product. If you aren't a retailer who attends the show, many people wonder what the "gift" show is all about. The best way I know how to describe it is anything that doesn't fall into the categories of traditional clothing, food, or furniture, can be found at the gift show. It is where wholesalers bring their new product to show retailers, specifically more boutique type shops.

Beckman's is a handcrafted show that exhibits at the Ca Gift Show. It is for creative and artistic handmade wholesalers looking to connect with retail establishments. The exhibit hall is full of Beckman's participants, and I was given a few of those companies to work with to use their product for my displays in the lobby area. In these photos you can see that I had everything from hand made pottery to dog collars. It was such a fun mix of product!

Not gonna lie, it's a bit of a challenge to design and install a space like this. The ceilings are high and the space between the elevators is pretty wide. The space needed to feel inviting to make people want to get off the elevators, and my own personal requirement was for it to feel fun and cheery. At the same time the space couldn't be too cluttered or crowded because there is a lot of traffic in this space during the show and people need to be able to move around easily and the product  had to be displayed in a way that it wouldn't impede walking paths or get pushed or bumped on to the floor. 

Canopies seem to be my go to for an easy but big impact these days (see post here). Although they take some time to install, it really is a pretty easy project. The canopy was perfect for this particular project because it added a lot of drama to the space without getting in the way. 

Stay tuned for the photos of the displays that I designed and installed on the other floors for the gift show. I was so happy to have my photographer Stacey Sutherland take professional photos for me and I can't wait to share them with you!

featured product // J. Johnson & Co., cdd Silhouettes, Nell & Mary, Hilary Lamon, Jackpots!

Master Bedroom

The highlight of my week was completing this master bedroom install for one of my clients in Orange County. They aren't really the type to pick out that Navajo print used for their bed cover on their own, but that's what they have me for! They love neutrals and soothing tones, but I encouraged them to add in this one punch of color and pattern to give the room a little personality.

I love love love accessories. These small details can make or break a room. When I do an install and my client sees the room before it is properly accessorized, they are often underwhelmed. No matter how beautiful and expensive the upholstery is, or how exotic the wood on the coffee table may be...without interesting artwork and thoughtful accessories, the space feels sterile and unfinished. My number one favorite accessory if you couldn't tell from the photos above...books. My motto has become, "When in doubt, stack up some books."

I suppose my love of bookcases is probably a result of my love of books. They are such amazing avenues to display collections of anything. Built-in, leaning, open, wood, metal, you name it, I'm all about bookcases. 

I have the best clients. I love collaborating with them on their homes and designing rooms that neither of us would have come up with on our own.

Let's Build a Room / 01

2012 is (hopefully) going to be full of getting back to basics. There's something about putting a room together that puts a huge smile on my face. And as it is my profession, as well as my passion, I'm going to stay more focused on developing myself as a designer and sharing this growth with you throughout the year.

Soon I will be sharing with you some of my favorite projects that I completed in 2011, but I'm also going to start putting virtual rooms together specifically for my design journal. Here is the first installment: a room inspired by the artwork of Greek artist Konstantin Kakanias found here.

Lately I've been interested in single rooms that serve mutliple purposes, such as: a family room with a craft corner or game table, an office with a space for client meetings, or in this case a living room with a small work area. Learning how to find pieces that work together to create these multi-functional spaces is especially important for those of us living in smaller spaces, such as studio apartments, or a home with only one living space.

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Ink & Paper

January consists of getting the visual displays ready for the California Gift Show and splitting my time between Orange County and downtown Los Angeles. (Not to mention that my favorite TV shows are coming back from the winter break.) That doesn't leave a whole lot of time for me to find great blog content, so I get really excited when someone (in this case my little brother, thanks Jeff!) emails me something that they know I will love and that I can in turn post about. 

I almost started tearing up when Gary says, "couldn't pay the bill". I love that he loves paper enough to continue running a business that obviously doesn't have a very big pay off. I place a lot of value on unique paper and letterpress printing; this video makes me want to run out and support these 2 unique businesses. Come to think of it, I actually am due for new business cards and stationery...

McManus & Morgan Inc.

Aardvark Letterpress

My Definition of Classic

There are certain things that were never in style, contrary to popular belief (Lay-Z-Boy recliners, carpeted living rooms, those miniature backpacks circa 1995).  Then there are other things that are super cool one minute, and then so out of date the next (gray stained wood flooring, glass back splash tile, perms, anything from Z Gallerie). And lastly, there are things that were fabulous 50 plus years ago that are still just as fabulous today (marble, Mid-Century design, exposed cabinet hinges, chesterfield sofas, painted and non-painted brick) . As an interior designer, I feel like it is my responsibility to know the difference when specifying furnishings for my clients. While it's okay to add a little bit of trendy here and there, I like to keep it to things that can easily and inexpensively be swapped out if that fad fades in the next year or so (e.g. pillows, table top accessories, accent tables and chairs). I try to specify classic elements for the main pieces in a space to keep the look sophisticated and just a little bit timeless.

Every time I see a photo of Hans Wegner's wishbone chair (designed in 1944) I always think about how classic it looks. Definitely a chair that will never go out of style; it fits perfectly into any modern setting, or throw it in to a traditional space to mix things up.

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Art Is Always Inspiration

I came across a lot of interesting artists while cruising through the MOMA in NYC, many of which were new to me. Every time I visit a new exhibit in a museum or gallery, visit a new webpage, or pick up a new art book...it seems like there is another noteworthy artist that I want to catalog away in my mind. Each of the artists that catch my eye are talented and unique in his/her own way and I try so hard to remember their distinct style and technique, along with their name and country of origin. There are so many to keep track of that it is near impossible for me to remember every single artist that I admire. Thankfully I have a camera phone and internet bookmarks to help keep them all straight.

1 Ben Vautier / 2 Lazlo Moholy-Nagy / 3 Niele Toroni / 4 Cy Twombly

A Christmas Note

I'm so sad to see Christmas go. I love having life focus around the birth of Jesus Christ in all of the different forms that we choose to celebrate this time of year. From Christmas carols, to crafts and decorations, to service projects and everyone having goodwill toward men.

Christmas day for me has consisted of spending all day with my family going to church, changing back into our PJs, then opening presents, eating our traditional Christmas breakfast, taking our Christmas naps, and waking up to devour an amazing homemade apple pie. Now we're all watching Home Alone (my personal favorite) while I do a little net surfing, which is when I came across this very cool artwork by Christopher Broyles. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did and merry Christmas to you all!