Gingerbread Houses

An interior designer should be able to fabricate a pretty kick booty gingerbread house right?! Well my six year old daughter did much of the decorations on the above house which turned out great - while I was in charge of the construction aspects of it...note the gingerbread tree to the right...it became a support to the collapsing roof. I stuck it in the fridge to let the frosting harden and that helped out some, but we had fun anyways so that's what counts! A few more houses via Martha Stewart's website for some holiday inspiration...

I really like this one, it's fresh and different

Too cute...

Are you kidding me...it has LIGHTS! Who can do this...?


Gingerbread manse....maybe the gingerbread man from Candyland lives here off of his royalties?

Traditional gingerbread house, my inspiration for next years attempt...

I can't wait for the "snow" here in D-Town today...I will be traveling after Christmas where even more snow will accumulate so wish me luck in my travels!

God Bless America and send a prayer to the troops who sacrafice so much for all of us, while we aren't fighting the wars that they are in the physical sense we can continue to fight our own war here in America - the recession. We have to get back to the root of what America was built on in the first place...hard work, community, and plain old American values.

Merry Christmas and to a prosperous New Year for all of us!

My Journalism Debut

Plinth&Chintz editor and founder Laura McDonald Stewart, ASID, IIDA extended a much grateful invitation to me to contribute to this month's article. Plinth&Chintz fills a much needed void in the interior design industry with it's relevant content and always up to date info as to what is going on in both the residential and commercial sectors of interior design. The web has of course increased coverage to designers and resources, whether it be via blogging, twitter, or facebook - but Plinth&Chintz remains to offer a sound board for professional designers and industry partners alike.

As I become much more long winded when I write versus when I am speaking (well...some may say differently!) the article has been broken up in two articles - so be sure to check back for January's issue! I wanted to show people - students, aspiring designers, and even clients - that our job is not all glam and glitter. To be an interior designer (a profitable anyways) you can not afford to NOT be a detailed oriented, compulsive multi-tasker with a keen eye for fabulous interiors and a plus if you have a psychology major when dealing with, ahem...eccentric? clientele. It also doesn't hurt to have a thick skin, you work with big, burly contractors who think this little designer with her heels clicking down the driveway doesn't know dirt from mud. It didn't take long for them to find out otherwise...sorry, my "competitive spirit" will come out real quick...!

Feel free to send me a line if you want an even deeper understanding of what you can expect in the "glamorous" world of design - and hey, at the end of the day - I wouldn't want to do be doing anything else...

Click here to read the article

And thanks again Laura! :)

Longhorn Orange

As a tribute to the Texas Longhorns coming out on top of that nail biter game last night at Cowboy Stadium I am posting a few beautiful images of the color orange, a vibrant, showstopping color, it brings vitality and freshness to its medium without being too jarring. (Orange also happens to be Lady Luck's color of choice...hmmm, I find that interesting...) Anyways, enjoy!

Inked

What could be more glamorous or romantic than an ink black Murano glass chandelier, either dripping in embellished teardrops and arms topped with black silk shades or simply letting the silhouette speak for itself with its curvaceous, fluid lines?

Glass blowing became popular in Venice, Italy in the 9th century, with heavy influences from Middle Eastern countries. Due to the close proximity of the homes on the islands of Venice and fear of fire outbreaks, the glass blowers were sent to the island of Murano, a short ferry ride from Venice. Here, they perfected their craft and became prominent citizens of Venice, attaining wealth and popularity. Today, the craft is still revered as ever. Murano glass chandeliers and sculptures became envouge especially in America in the 1950's and 60's and are now showing face again.

The gorgeous piece above was used in the Palomar Hotel in Dallas at the Brut Champagne bar, after closing in 2007 the chandelier has now found it's way to Griffin Trading Company down in the Dallas Design district. This piece calls for a space like an entry way or any place you want to stop people in their tracks, measuring in at 52" in diameter. You are able to own this piece of art for a mere $5400. For more information contact Stephen by clicking the link above.

Renowned designer Larry Laslo created the above space for the Kips Bay Showhouse in New York. The chandelier marries both the femininity and masculine personas of this room. He used a Baccarat chandelier pricing in at over $80,000.

Another shot of the opposite side of the room. I love how Laslo choose to paint the ceiling stark white for a bold contrast.

This piece is from Cyan Designs, we used it recently on a design project for a plumbing and bath showroom in Fort Worth, Morrison Supply. We created the vignette below hoping to evoke a glamorous, Manhattan vibe. I simply sum it up as Audrey Hepburn embodied in a bathroom.

Another beautiful example of a more elaborate Murano and crystal chandelier.

Kravet has introduced a new lighting line - pulling out all of the stops with this modern Murano chandelier, utilizing both black and clear glass to create graphic, bold statement.

Daily Dose - Shake the Tree

"Shake the tree of life itself and bring down fruits unheard of!"

- Edwin Arlington Robinson


Fall is my absolute favorite time of the year.
Photos from my iPhone taken this morning at a pond by my house

Happy Thanksgiving!

I have a lot to give thanks for this year...a beautiful happy, healthy daughter and wonderful family and friends and getting to do my obsession everyday and getting paid for it - working as an interior designer and writing this blog. Also this past year, my 17 year old nephew (who now is 18) had a terrible car accident and was in a coma for months, then to wake up and have no short term memory, couldn't walk or speak. A boy who his whole life was full of laughter, jokes, and energy - playing high school basketball and never met anyone who wasn't his friend. At the ICU he had so many people there, the staff said they had never seen that many people there for one person, it was so amazing to see how many people's lives he touched and continues to touch. I am happy to say that he now walks on his own, is back in school and his memory continues to improve each and every day. My family and I are so thankful for the miracles that he has been blessed with and his own will to overcome each and every obstacle that he faces. I love you Gabriel! Trying to find something good from that terrible event wasn't hard for me, I know in my heart he will be 100% one day. And sometimes when I feel tired or not myself - I think about him and how nothing in life is guaranteed, that this could be my last day on this Earth- or someone else's and push myself as hard as I can and take joy in the little things that we take for granted everyday. Stop and smell the roses, watch the sunset and most of all - give thanks to everyone...those who love you and those who don't, as those are the people who push me to do better to overcome their negativity and prove them wrong....

Ok, now go eat some turkey!! Happy Thanksgiving!

Psst....Nancy Corzine Book Signing

Any designer worth her weight knows who Nancy Corzine is. She is an inspiration to me - an entrepreneur who first brought beautiful, glamorous spaces to her clients. Then, as one of the first pioneers in our time who started designer branding. Amassing her own designs into furniture, fabric, and lighting collections sold at some of the most renowned designer trade showrooms, then on to print...publishing her own books, with the much anticipated "Glamour At Home". Corzine will be gracing her presence in a couple of weeks for a book signing at Allan Knight showroom in the International on Turtle Creek...if you are lucky enough to get an invite that is...

Designers can contact Candace Evans at Allan Knight for more information.

“It hasn’t been so difficult; all it takes is total devotion, boundless energy and the ability to reinvent yourself on a continuing basis," says Nancy Corzine of her work as a residential interior designer.

Design entrepreneur Nancy Corzine is one of America’s leading home design talents. Her innate design talent, strong determination and entrepreneurial spirit are the driving forces behind her success in the design world. Her keen understanding of how people live today, coupled with her talent for creating stylish and elegant designs have made the Nancy Corzine name synonymous with elegance, quality, and style. This commitment to excellence has enabled Nancy Corzine to not only design beautiful products for the home, but also manufacture and ensure their excellent quality.

Nancy Corzine’s design talent surfaced at an early age, at 6 years old, she was constantly redecorating the dollhouse her father had built for her. This God given talent is lifelong. While raising three children, Nancy Corzine decorated her own home on a very modest budget, yet with style and elegance. Venturing into other projects, including a large Seattle-based bank, she would put the children to bed and then spend 5 hours working at the drawing board. Business continued to thrive and Nancy Corzine moved to Los Angeles, where she eventually opened her own furniture and textile showroom.

The major step towards expansion came when she was contracted by designer Louis Catalfo to produce furniture for the Century Plaza Tower in LA. At this point, all of her manufacturing was done with outside contractors. Nancy saw the opportunity to have her own factories, maintaining not only creative control, but also quality control of her products. Over the past 23 years, her company has become a major success, encompassing 14 showrooms, two production facilities; and a textile line of over 2,000 selections. Nancy Corzine has attracted some of the country’s leading interior designers and celebrities including, President Clinton, Donald Trump, Madonna, Brad Pitt, Sharon Stone, Paris Hilton and Adam Sandler as clients.

Nancy Corzine marries her design talent and keen insight to current lifestyles. A keen observer of people’s needs, she has the ability to translate classic design elements to suit today’s homes; giving people products that incorporate both elegance and comfort. The responsiveness and understanding that Nancy Corzine provides her clients has led to solid, long-term relationships, and mutual trust. Through her hard work, Nancy Corzine has been able to achieve great success, yet feels the need to constantly challenge herself. “I believe we should always lead, and never follow trends.”

Nancy Corzine is always looking for design inspiration in all of her travels. Whether it is Asia or Europe the Corzine eye is always searching. It is this entrepreneurial spirit that makes Nancy Corzine able to see business opportunities, whether opening her own factories to ensure quality over her home products, or introducing new products and styles that her clients desire.

Dividing her time between homes in Manhattan, Bridgehampton, NY and Los Angeles, Nancy Corzine understands the importance of giving back to the community. Passionate about eliminating Alzheimer’s; the disease that took her mother, Nancy has devoted years to the Steering Committee of the Alzheimer’s Association Rita Hayworth Gala, raising funds to find a cure. She has also been appointed the President of the new Lauder Family public charity The Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation.

Two other passions close to her heart are education and animal welfare. In the past, Nancy funded a teaching scholarship at UCLA and even more recently she was honored with a degree from the Interior Design Institute in Orange County, where she has started a scholarship for deserving students. As if her time were limitless, Nancy continues to rescue animals and is a dedicated animal rights advocate.
Credits: IDI (Interior Design Institute)

Robert Allen Seminar - Color Forecast

Due to popular demand, Robert Allen will be hosting a 2nd seminar of it's color forecast presentation...what will be the next colors for 2010? More peacock, mauve even, or grays keeping in with the economic downturn?

A visual journey of re-discovery with stimulating imagery, and perceptive research from Sherwin-Williams' global color forecasting team. We will explore the key drivers of the color and design trends for the months and year ahead. This (.1) CEU-accredited presentation, given by Jackie Jordan, Director of Color Marketing for Sherwin-Williams, CMG Chairholder, will explore the key drivers of the color
and design trends for the months ahead.

Thursday, December 3, 2009, 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. (starts promptly at 2:30 p.m.)
Robert Allen | Beacon Hill Showroom, Suite 747

Light refreshments will be served

RSVP by December 1 to
dallasevents@robertallendesign.com or call 214.741.5454, ext. 113

Robert Allen | Beacon Hill
1025 North Stemmons Freeway
Dallas, TX 75207

AIA Tour Recap

I had the chance to catch the AIA Home Tour last Sunday to see some of the area's best examples of modern living and architecture. Unfortunately for you no photography was allowed, while I tried to get a few shots in with my iPhone, most of the more interior shots I could not get. It was interesting to see that while most of the homes were designed by different design firms, some of those also being "build" jobs (built for a particular client) or "spec" (built to sell) they all shared similar aesthetics.

1. GREEN

This means two things - the use of landscaping and the "green" products.

Each home demonstrates some use of "green" products - namely the Labron House, which has obtained LEED certification. You can check out their chronicles of building a LEED certified home here and also follow their blog and how owning a green home is going to pan out. I did see their first months energy bill was a mere $142.29 for a 3500 sq. ft. home, one that is two stories and has tons of windows AND they don't have solar panels.

At most of the homes, the landscaping was phenomenal. Some even incorporated landscaping on the roofs for optimal use of exterior living space.

2. GLASS

Most of the homes incorporate large amounts of glass, not only used for windows - but entrydoors, interior doors, countertops, staircases and tiles.

One of my favorites was the use of glass by architect Ron Womack in his Buena Vista townhomes. The floor had inserts of glass looking down into the below wine room. The wine room is probably one my favorite wine rooms I have seen - it featured a large room for entertaining with a large tasting table and then the whole back wall was encompassed in glass showcasing the homeowners fabulous wine collection. The wine racking system was simplified down to stainless steel pegs ejecting out of the wall where the wine was laid horizontally across the pegs - so every label was visible vs. most wine racking systems show only the cork side....it looked like a piece of artwork.

Also another favorite use of glass was used in conjuncture with 3Form products, where the interior doors where used on sliding tracks that had natural elements, like twigs. The process is very interesting where the twigs are stood up straight and then when the glass is extremely hot and liquid is poured over the twigs to create a 3D look.

3. LIGHT

This is used in conjuncture with the above glass - lots of windows to let in either the beautiful views of the Dallas skyline or greenery from exquisite landscape architects like David Rolston of Dallas gardens.

4. HEIGHT

The use of multistories...in one home there were 4 stories - wine room below, private areas on 1st, living areas on 2nd and rooftop access. A popular floorplan very similar to beach homes and scenic areas, was to place secondary bedrooms on the first floor and utilize the view of trees by placing the living areas on the second. I love the concept but find that it limits the homeowner's age group as it bypasses the needs of the up and coming baby boomer generation. The use of an elevator would eliminate this issue (and also of carrying bags of groceries up stairs)...maybe there is a "green" elevator company out there....? Note to self...start a "green" elevator company....

5. ART

Modern architecture was in the beginning, invented for the art collector in my mind. Where everything else is secondary and the art is the showpiece of the home. Most of the homes had amazing art showcased, even implementing areas for the homeowners own art studios - like Labron house homeowner, Robert Mateo who creates beautiful abstract artwork.

6. LIFESTYLE

A modern and green home is choice of lifestyle as well as aesthetics. Even while my personal home is not modern per se, my interior design choices are more minimal, even monochromatic - not a lot of color or pattern in my fabrics. Most of the color in my home is brought in with natural exotic flowers, artwork, and all of my books. I also saw this in the homes showcased. Most of the howeowners are creative types - graphic artists, textile and rug designers, architects and artists, where after a long day of seeing a million fabrics and colors - choose to "rest" their eyes and minds when they come home in a modern, clean space.

Photo Credits: AIA Dallas, Green Labron

Daily Dose - ACTION

PHOTO Kaler Blind via Flickr

The shortest answer is DOING.

~Lord Herbert

After all is said and done, a lot more will have been said than done.

~Author Unknown

Trust only movement. Life HAPPENS at the level of EVENTS, not of words.

Trust MOVEMENT

~Alfred Adler

Ad Campaign

Dallas Design Group, Interiors is launching it's new ad campaign! I have been hard at work on new marketing materials and ad designs for such publications as LUXE magazine and DHome. I implemented a simple layout while using a negative space grid so the photos are the focal point and speak for themselves. Next up is a complete website overhaul!

Special Invite - Dallas Portfolio Exchange

Join some of Dallas' best artist talent at the Magnolia Gallery on November 6 from 8-10 for an open portfolio exchange. Now in it’s eighth year, The Dallas Portfolio Exchange announces its annual exhibition to be held at the Magnolia Gallery, 3699 McKinney Avenue, Dallas,75204 214-764-9106 (located inside the Magnolia Theatre in the West Village) on November 6 thru January 6. An opening reception will be held on Friday, November 6 from 8 to 10 pm.

Featuring works by Danny Piassick (Betty Lou Phillips has him on speed dial for the photography of her numerous publications) and so many others...

David Lyles conceived the exchange in 2001 in an effort to collect and share fine art photography with his contemporaries in the Dallas commercial market. This year’s exchange includes several new photographers and the subject matter has become a commentary on our daily world.

Each of the 12 professional photographers selected submits 13 identical,archival, photographic prints from one single image; and each artist receives a portfolio of each others work with the 13th print being framed and displayed in various Dallas venues over the course of the year. All of the artists choose their own image to trade and exhibit. Although commercial assignment images are discouraged, none of the imagery is edited by David in an attempt to encourage total creative freedom.

“I’ve had the opportunity to collect some magnificent fine art prints over the last seven years through this exchange; I hope you can join me in celebrating our eighth season opening at the Magnolia Gallery, where you’ll have an opportunity to meet the talent and associate faces with all of these fabulous images.”

This year the twelve contributing photographers are: Fernando Ceja,Stewart Cohen, Adam Fish, Rusty Hill, Phil Hollenbeck, Scott Jenke,David Lyles, Scogin Mayo, Nancy Newberry, Danny Piassick, Hal Samples and Ken Smith.

For information on acquiring prints or exhibiting the collection, please contact

David Lyles at 214.653.1555.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Dallas Portfolio Exchange #8

Contact: David Lyles 214.653.1555

or Scott Horn 214.683.9134

magnoliagallery@gmail.com

Dallas Partner's Card 2009

Don't forget to get a start on all of your holiday shopping and purchase your annual Partner's Card, for $60 you will receive 20% off of your purchase at over 750 local retailers now through November 8, 2009. 100% of this years card sales will benefit The Family Place - assisting women and children of domestic abuse. Your single card purchase will keep an infant in diapers for 3 weeks and one night of shelter for a woman and her children.

Click here for a complete list of retailers and HURRY and purchase one today - you only have 5 days left of 20% off shopping left!

A few suggestions for Santa this year...

Lolo Jewels - SKy Blue Large Flat Agate Necklace
Available at Stanley Korshak

Loree Rodkin Gold Ring
Available at Stanley Korshak

For all your seasonal parties...

St. John Drape Shoulder Dress

Jimmy Choo


When you want to bring out your devilish side, f i e r c e ...
Jimmy Choo Grand Boot


For everyday winter wear...
Jimmy Choo Jinx Boot


For the man in your life...
Lombardo's Custom Apparel


THE perfect gift
Legacy Books


Pick this up at Legacy Books - be sure not to miss the ART/architecture room

FOR THE HOMEBODY...


For the gardening enthusiast...
GARDENS

The ULTIMATE resale shop, rare and unique finds...
Again & Again Consignment

Ceylon et Cie
Metropolitan Home's new IT designer Michelle Nussbaumer's furnishings showroom located on Dragon St. in the Dallas Design District

For the hostess...

Mojito Set From Z Gallerie

Z Gallerie Palmer Stool

Clean + classic = timeless style

WS Home

Represent your party...or not

William Sonoma Home

Stationary, gifts and of course - chocolate...

Paper & Chocolate