Pardon My Dust - Facelift in Progress

As you can tell my blog is getting a much needed face lift -after all we are getting up there in years!

It's a difficult process and one wrong move could ruin it forever - so parden the mess while we tweak it to get it just right. I promise to try not to go too far! Triple D's might be a bit much - maybe I'll upgrade to just a single D cup with some serious lipo in the side.

Anonymous ~ Why I LOVE Blogging!

"Dear Anonymous,

You left me the following kind message today and it was so touching that I thought I would share it with all three of my loyal readers:


"Comment"

"You are at best a skinking f****ing cow. You've published a book on window treatments? Wow, what's next a book on faux (f**k) finishes.

Lard Ass.

Professionals don't comment on others work. Get it - pro. You pro-found hog."

"Anonymous"

(quote edited with * to protect the unprofessional)

Let us digest this deep and meaningful comment, shall we?

First: I believe you meant stinking with a T not "skinking" with a K unless "skinking" is some new form of insult that I am not aware of ~ very possible. However, I am glad to report that I do bathe daily and apply deodorant liberally so if you did mean stinking I may have to disagree.

Second: I was a bit of a cow the last few years ( Wow, do you actually know me?) But I am happy to say that I have lost 40 pounds since last October and am actually probably well out of the cow category at present. Thanks for your genuine concern about my health.

Third: I have actually published three books not one:

The first on window treatments ( it's only 585 pages and filled with 3000 original designs and illustrations done by myself so I can see how it is easily dismissed).

The Second on Bedding ( again only 580 pages and thousands of original designs and illustrations).

The third is a professional marketing manual and software system for the interior design trade. A mere 350 pages ( so embarrassing!)

I am currently writing two more, haven't decided on the finished length yet. I'll be sure to let you know.

Fourth: I do not presently plan on writing a book on faux, or as you so eloquently put it, "f**k" finishes but never say never. I did however spend many years doing decorative painting, murals and faux finishes for my clients during my scant twenty years as an interior designer.

Fifth: I believe the "Lard Ass" comment was referring to my "cow" like appearance to which I will again refer to my recent weight loss. I will admit to still having some excess lard on my ass but a bony ass is just unsightly, not to mention uncomfortable.

Sixth: Since you claim that "professionals do not comment" on the work of other "pros" I will have to defer to you because you are obviously hands down far more professional than I will ever be. You'd better alert all the other designers, writers, and publishers in the world though, I don't think they are aware of this highly professional rule.

Seven: In answer to your question "Get it pro?" I must say, Oh yes, I get it alright. It's crystal clear my friend, no need to remind again. You are the professional and I am a sad and underachieving amateur. After all anyone famous enough and as accomplished as yourself that they don't even have to identify themselves and can go by the name anonymous has to have a formidable resume of achievements.

Eight: As to your sweet parting words " You Pro-found hog" I must say that I am duly impressed with your use of the English language. Your verbiage is so very descriptive and visual. However, I must again refer you to my recent weight loss as I do not believe that I fit into the hog catagory either. I am well within my thin range. Not to say that I might not become a fat ass again at some point in my life. One never knows - does one?

I must tell you my dear "Anonymous" that you are the very reason that I love blogging. You just never know what you are going to find when you open up that comments page. Thankfully there are people like yourself who make the great personal sacrifice to police the internet in order to protect the "professional" out there from wanna be's like myself. I applaud your good work and please don't hesitate to come back over and over so you can keep me in line.

After all, without readers like you what would be the point of sharing a careers worth of hard earned knowledge and expertise with interested readers?

I don't want to keep you from your important work but I would like to leave you with one parting comment?

****** *** ******* ***** ****** *** ** ********** !

Till next time, XOXOXO

New Blogs for a New Year Part 2 - A SCHEMATIC LIFE

This is my second post dedicated to new blogs that I found last year and have grown to enjoy more and more every time I read them. My first post introduced you to designer Tobi Fairley's new blog.

Today, meet Michelle Morelan, the very talented artist and designer of A Schematic Life. She is an interior designer based in Vancouver, BC - what is up with these crafty Canadians? They seem to be hogging a lot of the talent out there along with the Aussies!

She has actually been blogging for a while but she blew me away with this rendering that she sent to Decorno in response to a readers design dilemma. I am absolutely in love with her rendering style - it evokes so much emotion and energy.

She works magic with drafting velum, pens, and markers which she uses to give just enough imagery to the space without making it look sterile and two dimensional. She obviously paid close attention in drafting class and must have had some fabulous teachers.

Even her quick renderings have a great flair to them which is hard to achieve on the spot. Good rendering is just as much about what you don't include as what you do and Michelle is very adept at using negative space.

Like many creative talents she sometimes makes remarks about her work in posts indicating that she is not satisfied with her level of competence but I have found that those artists who continually challenge themselves to become better are ussually doing it right in the first place. So many very talented people are truly unaware how remarkable their work is to others. They can't see past the imperfections that they would like to correct. I think her work is fantastic.

Here she is hanging out with some other talented blogging friends from North of the Border; Maria Killiam from Color Me Happy, Nancy Devries of Urban Aesthetics and my online buddy Patricia Gray. How awesome to be able to get a group of gals like this together - I'm so jealous.

Hand rendering is a dying art in our industry and it is a subject that I am very passionate about. Whenever I speak or lecture at trade shows, schools or design centers I try to encourage designers and students to develop their hand sketching skills alongside their CAD and graphic software skills. Both are necessary in our industry but many schools have lost site of teaching these critical fundamentals. It's like teaching math majors only to use a calculator and never showing them how to find the answer to their calculations with their minds.

When you see well done renderings you immediately understand the power that they can convey to the client.

In a recent post Michelle walks her readers through her rendering process, step by step, showing them how she completed the rendering above which features a Nierman Weeks chandelier.

Even her more formal renderings show her personality.

Michelle is also very adept at sketching as she shows by posting excerpts from her sketchbooks filled with images from her travels to Amsterdam.

She posts about other topics on design as well including sharing great sources, products, and personal stories but I am partial to her original renderings because they are so unique to her.

Thank you Michelle for sharing your images and for the inspiration that they have given to those who see them.

I can't wait to see what you draw next.....

New Blogs for the New Year

It's getting pretty crowded out there in cyberspace with new design blogs popping up almost daily. While they are all interesting in their own way and the product of much hard work and effort on the part of the authors, there are a few fresh bloggers who really stand out. Over the next couple of weeks I will share some of them with you.



The first of my new favorites is Tobi Fairley, written by the very talented interior designer of the same name based in Little Rock, Arkansas. Her designs are fresh and on trend but posses a timeless quality that will ensure their lasting beauty. She loves color and contrast and uses it to great effect in her work.

Fairley's own living room

All of her rooms are vibrant and full of energy. Her sense of scale and proportion is finely tuned and she plays these elements with precision.


Natural elements, geometric shapes and bold stripes seem to be a reoccurring theme in her designs.

She seems to be equally adept at traditional and modern styling and blends the two seamlessly in her interiors. I am in love with the drapery heading below - box pleats are extended into a seamed casing that forms a rod pocket casing on each beautifully tailored panel.



The sitting area in this room shows off her rug designing talents. Check out the area rugs in the rest of the pictures - stunning.



The bold geometric pattern on this rug below shows her signature use of large scale pattern.



In the picture below a smaller geometric is used on the sofa with wonderful yellow accents and yet another bold rug.


If you have a few free minutes check out her blog and be sure to scroll down to the posts of her amazing Christmas decorations in her home. Green apples never looked so good.

all images - Tobi Fairley

Bloggers Making News in 2008

While the rest of us ( meaning me) were procrastinating and dreading the onset of another year some of our fellow bloggers have been kicking same major butt out there in the big girl world!

A huge hug and congratulations are in order to Heather Bailey from Hello My Name is Heather.


Her new patented invention to control your luxurious locks has hit the stores! Yes, she's an inventor, an entrepreneur and a super model. Oh, did I mention she is also a fabric designer with her own line of fabrics? She's one of those "I can do it all" chicks. You can buy her Trash Ties on her website and check out more of her gorgeous photos taken by her equally talented husband. She plans to write about this new creative journey on her blog now that the cat's out of the bag. I can't wait to hear the details!



The lovely and uber-talented queen of Canadian modern design Patricia Gray is quoted in this months Canadian House and Home Magazine on her "Style Resolutions" for 2008.



Debbie Dusenberry of Curious Sofa Diaries is a super talented home decor and antique retailer with a flair for the dramatic! Her store is always decked out for the season at hand and her Halloween displays are not to be missed. Her lovely home is featured in Country Living Magazine.

If Only I Spoke Another Language

But alas I am but an ignorant American who can only manage to massacre her own English language. Europeans are so continental with their multi-lingual skills. If I spoke Scandinavian (Is that a language ?) or Dutch or Swedish or whatever the fabulous blog Dream House is written in I could figure out what the heck she is writing about. But since I am ignorant in the Nordic languages I can only look at the gorgeous pictures of her fabulous dream house. Please check it out even if you are, like me, lingually challenged.

Homage to The Peak of Chic

If you aren't already a devotee of the fabulous design blog The Peak of Chic, visit it immediately for a crash course in fine design theory and inspiration.

Today's Peak post shares some stunning paintings of interiors by James Steinmeyer and Jeremiah Goodman. Looking at these wonderful paintings I was reminded of the work of a talented artist, Page Laughlin, that I came across some time ago who uses images from shelter magazines as her inspiration for her paintings.




When I first saw her work I was awestruck. They are the most inspirational and thought provoking images of interiors that I have ever seen. She has the ability to capture the emotional resonance of the room.





When I look at these paintings I feel as if I am transported into the room.



Page is clearly an under achiever! She was named an Echols Scholar at the University of Virginia and received her MFA at the esteemed Rhode Island School of Design. She is currently a Professor, and Smith Young Family Research Fellow and Chair of the Department of Art at Wake Forest University. (Hope I got that all right)




This quote from Laughlin's website gives us a glimpse into the motivation behind her paintings.

"In the subject matter of my paintings, things are often not quite what they seem: lovely interiors, on closer consideration, lead to disquieting seduction; wallpaper details, luscious statuary, give way to recognition of issues of power and subjugation. I try to make work that has beauty to attract and complexity to sustain observation." Page Laughlin



I am so impressed by this kind of exceptional talent. I am looking forward to seeing her forthcoming works.

See Page Laughlin's work featured in Traditonal Home Magazine.

Images courtesy of www.pagelaughlin.com