Bettinger Studio

Richard Bettinger is a capturer of light like most photographers, but in the most literal terms. Bettinger uses light as his medium to take the most ordinary of objects and transforms them into an abstract piece of art. His work is at once VIBRANT, ALLURING and SEXY. Bettinger’s line of photography and the newly launched furniture line that incorporates his artwork is rep’d at one of Dallas’ premier designer showrooms in the Dallas Design Center, David Sutherland.

Bettinger’s career into photography really took off with the technological advances of digital photography where his urge to realize the type of movement he can coax out a camera is immediately gratified. The just released “Moonshine” collection uses the contrast of the bright white moon against the dark void of the water and ink black night sky to create a visual that appears as if he has captured smoke with his lens. Bettinger’s work is showcased throughout the United States at various David Sutherland showrooms.

dallasDECORUM's Social Media Event

In an effort to help out my fellow Dallas Design District neighbor's and designers with the benefits of social media and how to incorporate the fastest growing type of marketing into their businesses, I am hosting a social media event with the help of the Leslie Taylor showroom on Slocum St. this Wednesday, June 16th from 6-8. There will be a nationally recognized speaker as well other designers who have benefited from this type of publicity and Lower Oaklawn staffer Kendall Schiffer whose job is use social media to get people excited about the Design District. Ah and of course a few refreshments! Learn the benefits and some tricks to get you up and running!

I hope to see you all there...here is the invite!

Co Sponsored By Administaff

Get Beachy

Design icon Kelly Wearstler created this Malibu beach home for her and close family friends to veg out by the sea. She called on direct, literal images, materials, and surfaces to ensure the home would be reminiscent of the sea and of course using her inimitable individual style to create the unexpected mix. The floors are a bleached wood, as if they have been aged by the sun and topped with linen covered chair wrapped in twine. While Wearstler's style is not for everyone, she has been the leader in using organic fabrics and materials for accessories and furnishings that many of us have purchased in the last 5 years. Think of those monkey wood tables and pots, the surge of grasscloth and the oversized statement pieces of "jewelery" for your home.

A huge ammonite fossil claims its spot

Here she mixes the black and cream graphic looking chairs with a stone topped table and base with a "seaweed-esqe" light fixture

The walls are wrapped in bamboo shoot wall cloth

The bathroom is encased in this rich stone material that looks like waves washing over the sand

Photo Credit: Metropolitan Home

Social Media Tour for Kravet

Lower Oaklawn was in attendence at the recent Social Media Tour hosted by Kravet in the Dallas Design Center and got a lot of great shots and verbiage for her recent post, there was a huge turnout - check it out and stay tuned for a post regarding another Social Media event in the Dallas Design District, save the date for June 16 from 6-8!

You can read about it here!

Photo Credit: Lower Oaklawn by Kendall

Daily Dose - Ego Check

“He who knows most, knows how little he knows.”

– Thomas Jefferson

Rodin - The Thinker

Palm Springs Meets The Big D

With the onset of high temperatures and humid weather the first place us Texans do is run for cover...and what a way to cool off in this light and airy home that looks as if it was the home of the ultra cool Rat Pack in Palm Springs. With its bright white interior with pops of vibrant color, designed by David Cadwallader, this Mid Century gem is one place I'd like to host a summer party, or two!

I love the left wall detail and the raised marble surround, however dinner guests might need to forewarned before partaking in too much vino to maneuver around this without causing serious injury to themselves...

These UFO inspired domes are actually skylights looking down into the below gallery. Very Jetson's, but very cool!

I love the use of white marble in baths, it is timeless, whether the design is modern or traditional

This reminds me of being in Kansas minus the red loungers, with the grain silo inspired staircase surround

The regimented floorplan

Photo Credit: Architectual Digest

Restoration Architecture by Buchanan Architecture/Interior Design by David Cadwallader, ASID


Read More http://www.architecturaldigest.com/homes/homes/2008/10/buchanan_slideshow#slide=9#ixzz0qGRWwTAC

Designers - Your TO DO Social Media Agenda

I was recently invited to sit and speak as a panelist for Kravet at the Dallas Design Center, along with two other social media mavens Shay Geyer of IBB Design Group/Designer Detective and Sally J. Hammond of Sally J. Designs, about the benefits of social media. It was quite interesting to see the various demographics of designers, young, experienced, men and women who are ready to take the bull by the horns and reap the rewards of social media.

Beth Greene of Kravet gave a quick rundown of the most important social media sites, and I am going to expand on that list with some quick tips and tricks that I have gathered, along with some of my "learning experiences" aka mistakes one inevitably makes when trying anything new.

Social Media Sites To Get On TODAY

1. Linked IN

As a professionals "Facebook" site, it's a networkers dream. You can make a business page and your employees can sign up under it as well, posting what is in essence an online resume for all of your connections to see. I have my twitter and blog feed connected to it so it is not so stagnant. But this is an easy site to maintain, not a lot of upkeep. Set it up once and update your status now and then and your set.

2. Facebook - A personal Page and a Business Page - lot of information here so grab a cup of joe...

Most of you have a Facebook page already. TIP: If you want to connect to potential clients, do not make this personal page so personal that you wouldn't want certain people to see. I am in the process of tweaking mine - everything is a process in social media - you learn what works and what doesn't. The pros of having a personal page is that your not maintaining two separate pages and you already have your site set up with your closest friends so now you work on connecting with their friends, you will not have fans - or now "likes" with this type of page, only friends. By setting up a Business page, technically if you are selling or promoting something you need to set up a Business-type page. You will have to set up a personal page first however, it is an extension of your personal account. The pros are that you have "fans/likes" and ANYONE can "like" your page. You do not have to approve of them or be their friends. The one dilemma I have seen with this is when you post on other people's pages, your post is done under your personal page, which makes it hard for people to link back to your Business page easily, especially if they are under two different names. So you have to weigh out what will work for you and your business the best. Hope I haven't lost you yet!

Things to post on your Facebook page - I have my blog linked to my dallasDECORUM site, so it is updated every time a new blog post comes out, which is then linked to the below mentioned, twitter account so that is updated automatically, and finally that is on auto link to my Linked IN account, so my status is updated as well. TIP - Get everything on AUTO, it will make your efforts much more easy and save a ton of time! If you have questions, email me.

Your Facebook page is not a page where your constantly have yourself on blast 24/7, I would use the 80/20 rule, 80 is education/information about relevant info your readers would use and find interesting, ie - tips and tricks to updating their house/new tile ideas/cool antiques you came across in a showroom, something to that degree. The remaining 20 you can promote yourself, lightly, an award you recently won, a cool project you just scored, or a magazine your work was published in. Just think about your personal experiences - you don't want to be that pushy car salesman that everybody loathes.

3. Twitter

300,000 new users everyday - need I say more? 140 characters. That is what you get to publish on this site. It is a constant feed of people you follow of their random thoughts and links to their sites, or a site that they found interesting. You can follow anyone from Bill Gates to your favorite celebrity - it is like living vicariously through hundreds of people. I use this site to feed my blog post through and it links back to my blog/facebook page. I will also snap shots on my iPhone of something cool that I come across, sometimes it is something random like the shot of a tree changing colors to a piece of furniture I just received for a client that I want to share with the world. Sign up and try not to become an addict....that is the hard part. Actually, I am going through withdraw right now.

4. Blog - Blogger or Wordpress?

The first thing I want to mention is if you are an interior designer, you probably eat, drink and live it - so I will say that you must have a passion for the craft of design and also one of writing, though you don't have to be Pulitzer prize winner by any means and a photo speaks a thousand words, but to have a blog you must be dedicated to it as it is time consuming. If you are ready to commit at least several hours a week to this, start researching if a Wordpress or blogspot site is for you. I personally have not used Wordpress but know that its use is on the rise and it is easy to incorporate a "pre-fab" template into the site to give you a more personal image, but you can do the same for blogger as well.

TIPS TO DRIVE TRAFFIC TO YOUR BLOG

1.Read and link to other people's blog, they may link back to you. I am linked in Lower Oaklawn's and Kravet Inspired.talk's blog as well as others. It drives traffic to your site.

2. Leave comments on other people's blog. Writing your blog is half of it - you have to allow for time to network, so to speak, with the online world to make it count. This is something I admit I struggle with - it is very time consuming

3. Constantly research...go here for some more tips...

The final point is to have fun and show your client's your personal side!