Read moreMay the holiday season fill your home with joy, your heart with love, and your life with laughter. Here’s to a healthy, peaceful and prosperous New Year.
Looking back at 2023, I’m grateful for working with wonderful clients on great projects, and for working with talented architects, builders and tradespeople to create beautiful results. Looking forward to a fulfilling 2024!
Read more“Kindness is a gift everyone can afford to give.”
– Unknown
How true! Kindness is so easy and so rewarding for both giver and receiver. Simple acts of kindness these days – holding the door for someone, calling a relative to say hello, baking cookies for neighbors, telling someone how much their efforts mean to you, giving an extra warm thank you to store owners or clerks – mean so much in these difficult times. And kindness is a gift to ones’ self. It feels good to be kind and generous, and it can make a big difference in someone’s life and outlook on things.
No act of kindness no matter how small is ever wasted – Aesop
Happy Holidays! Be Kind to One Another in 2021!
Read more“May your walls know joy, may every room hold laughter, and every window open to great possibility.”
– Mary Anne Radmacher
During the hectic holiday season, I value the “simple things.” Cooking nice meals, baking cookies, seeing friends, and shopping for meaningful and thoughtful gifts all take on a special meaning. I’ve learned to scale back on the excess and commercialization of Christmas. I’m blessed with a wonderful family that enjoys getting together, and with friends who take time to share holiday cheer. In terms of holiday decorating, I lean towards classic decorations with live spruce boughs, sprigs of holly and boxwood, plaid ribbon and lots of candles. And I love Scandinavian Nisse, Tomte and gnomes! They add a festive and humorous note to the holidays.
I hope everyone enjoys a peaceful holiday season filled with laughter and love.
“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart. Wishing you happiness.” Helen Keller
Read more“Form follows function – that has been misunderstood. Form and function should be one, joined in a spiritual union.”
– Frank Lloyd Wright, 1908
To me, I’ve always interpreted the phrase “form follows function” as meaning that the shape of something should come from its intended purpose and utility, usually as it relates to architecture, interior design, industrial design and the like. According to what I’ve read, the phrase originated from another famous (Chicago-based) architect, Louis Sullivan.
In my practice, I’ve generally always made design decisions based on how I think my clients will interact with an object. What will their reactions be upon first seeing it? What about each time they walk into the room? How will they use an object throughout the years, across different seasons, when at home alone, when entertaining guests? How does the object fit with the rest of the furnishings in the room?
My number one focus when selecting furnishings for a room is “Will my clients be comfortable and want to use the items I’ve selected?” After all, what’s the point of creating a beautiful design if it won’t be regularly used and enjoyed?
Read more“Color is the finishing touch on everything.”
– Marc Jacobs
No matter which project I’m working on, color is a finishing touch. But, it’s also part of a conversation and initial concept with clients, and a common thread from start to finish. I help clients discover which colors they’re drawn to, and coordinate colors and materials from room to room to establish a flow that looks and feels good. Once the overall color scheme is set, splashes of color in furnishings, art and accessories definitely add “the finishing touch” on any project!
Happy Spring!
Read more“The essence of interior design will always be about people and how they live. It is about the realities of what makes for an attractive, civilized, meaningful environment, not about fashion or what’s in or what’s out. This is not an easy job.”
– Albert Hadley
A great quote from Albert Hadley, a preeminent American interior designer (1920-2012). Interior design truly is about people and how they live, work and enjoy their surroundings. Interior design optimally supports peoples’ needs, preferences and interests, and creates environments that people feel good about day after day. Although trends come into play, successful interior design provides continuity, comfort and functionality.
Read more“Some think a decorator should change a house. I try to give permanence to a house, to bring out the experiences, the memories, the feelings that make it a home.”
– Sister Parish
Residential designers or decorators definitely help clients change their homes for the better in terms of function and appearance, but ideally also help support and enhance the experiences, memories, emotions, wishes and goals that make a house a home.
Read more“Rooms should be timeless.”
– Sister Parish
Timeless design elements rather than trendy features or fads always result in beautiful interiors with staying power.
Read more“Generally people think that good design is how it looks. It is how it looks, how it feels, the character it has, the whole thing in one package. To make something good, it takes all of those ingredients worked out.”
– Michael Graves
In tribute to Michael Graves, 1934-2015. From prominence as one of the “New York Five” to product design to universal/accessible design, Mr. Graves was key in increasing public awareness of architecture and design.
Read more“Design is a constant challenge to balance comfort with luxe, the practical with the desirable.”
– Donna Karan
To me, this is a meaningful quote because it’s so true that interior designers strive to achieve balance between aesthetics and functionality.