Yay! I finally received my copies of Central Coast Magazine. I was very flattered to be asked to be a contributing writer for the Home & Garden Section. This is their Style issue and they were featuring families so I wrote an article on trends in the juvenile decor industry. They were so kind to put one of my banners in the layout as well... Hopefully you can get a chance to read it!!!
On the home front, we were up bright and early! At 7 am we had several cement trucks pouring footings for my parents house we are building on our property. The machinery was fantastic to watch...
I received a nice email from my designer friend, Shelly, over at Trilogy Central Coast. www.trilogylife.com Trilogy is a beautiful community in Nipomo, CA. I was fortunate to meet Shelly when she came into my showroom a couple months ago. She was decorating one of the new models at Trilogy and needed a few finishing touches for a little girls room. We used my Cheetah and White Tiger Signature Banners above the bed and I also created a custom piece of art by painting the letter "A" on the glass of a frame. I used the fabric from the pillow sham behind the glass. I also used the fabric to create a custom foot stool in the vanity area, trimmed with pom pom fringe....so cute. We hung 2 gorgeous chandeliers from my friends at www.ilite4u.com. Here is the link to a virtual tour of the house Shelly did. The last room is where I was fortunate to work with her. Thank you Shelly! Virtual Tour
I was inspired by a client to create a new painting for her nursery. "You Are My Sunshine!" works well in a little boy or a little girl's nursery. It was the theme I used when my oldest was born and is still special to us to this day. Beneath the painting I used letters from http://damboisedesigns.blogspot.com to show how you can use her letters to customise them to your room. I chose "Shine", not only because it works with the painting, but because it's a special word we would say before our dance performances (back in the day) and is sentimental to me because it makes me think of my angel, Miss Pat!
I carry Deb's letters in my showroom and plan to be having a class with them soon. So let me know if you're interested!
Also, thank you so much all of you who came to my Mother's Day Trunk Show! It was a crazy, fun evening and once again, I was so busy that I didn't take any pictures! grrrrr! Julie's jewelry was a tremendous hit and it was so exciting to see the community support her and her art...so thank you, thank you my good friends! xoxox
I am so proud of my friend, Trish Poupard! She is mom extraordanare and owner of http://www.cottagedreams.net. I sell all her designs on my website and in my showroom. She and I also work closely together on creating custom, one-of-a-kind, bedding for my clients. Her work is top notch. The best fabrics and workmanship I have seen to date! She recently was featured in PoshTot's new catalog. Even though I somewhat compete with them, I am thrilled that more people will now have the opportunity to own her beautiful bedding....of course, you can always get it from me too....shameless, self promotion there... :-) Congratulations Trish! You are an inspiration to all of us Mom-Entrepeneurs!
Well, I started off the week a little silly so I'm going have to end it that way. Check out these adorable felt dot garlands avaiable at http://www.fredflare.com. Makes you just want to throw a party! Have a fun weekend everyone!
PS I was just interviewed by The Telegram Tribune HOME. They are doing a feature article on a home that I designed. It should be coming out in the next few weeks. I'll keep you posted!
I got to my showroom today and my neighbor handed me a Fed Ex box....from who? I thought...As I opened the box I could see bright pink tissue and ribbon....Not my birthday? Not Christmas? and who the heck do I know that lives in New Hampshire? Then inside, a beautiful little business card that says; "Thank You" on one side and a darling picture of a cut out letter on the other side....it was from my friend, I have yet to meet, Deb Damboise, all the way from the other side of the country....inside each precious little package were samples of her cut letters.... Of Course I Will Have To Carry Her Letters In My Showroom! I'm feeling a fun class is in order as well. What an artistic inspiration!!! Thank you Deb!!! http://damboisedesigns.blogspot.com
What a great website with excellent, contemporary design! I came across this site through http://www.idesigndistribution.com. They represent Israeli designers who make original, quality products. This is certainly worth a cup of coffee and looking around. I just loved the children's sofas at http://www.shanihay.com.
I've been working on a lot of new art lately. In designing children's rooms with the House, Inc. bedding line, I started to realize that there is no existing wall decor that looks beautiful with it. One of my client's asked me to do a piece around the Cherry Blossom room that we designed, so I did, and here it is. I chose to do it 16" × 20" because this is a very nice size for a child's wall. It's on canvas and has tiny crystals glued inside each white blossom. Each piece can be personalized too! I carry all the House, Inc. line in my showroom and have been creating the wall decor to go with it. I'm leaning towards a more sophisticated graphic like the one I did here so that it can be a peice of art that will have the longevity to work even as the child grows. PS Cherry Blossoms are the symbol of a new beginning....I just love that. http://www.houseinc.com
I can tell the design process has begun when I wake up in the middle of the night with my concepts flooding my mind. To update you, I am re-designing my daughter's bedroom. They are 7 and 8 years old and are ready to move out of Princess Pink into something a little more bold and graphic. We all agreed that we liked the "Lantern Festival" bedding from http://www.kukunest.com and we are using that as our inspiration. If you know me, I have no fear of color but I don't want to be too crazy in the room because it is supposed to be a restful place. I do, however, believe that one wall could certainly pop. What I'd like to do is paint one wall a deep shade of pink or Chinese blue and then hand paint in a white silhouette, lanterns and birds. Of course this idea will have to be approved by my two star clients first of all...more to come...PS I now carry the KuKuNest bedding line in my showroom too! 
The KuKuNest samples came today and they did not disappoint. I'm so excited to carry this new line in my showroom and even more excited to do my daughter's room with it. Now that's an endorsement! My daughter Raquel is so excited she did her own painting to put in her "new room". Pretty darn good, don't you think? I love incorporating children's art into their space. Not only does it add personality, it gives the child a sense of value of contribution to the overall design. Over the next few weeks you'll see this room evolve. I have lots of ideas to pull this all together!
I've designed a lot of things in my life. From graphic design to interior design, I am in love with what I do for a living. For the past few years, eleven years to be exact, my passion for designing children's spaces has evolved to a new level. A child's room is where my illustration, my love of color and fantasy, and joy of design all come together. Having this showroom has now added an extra bonus. I now meet, almost everyday, someone who is expecting and get to experience their happiness with them. I haven't written too much about this topic on my blog but have decided to add a new category solely focused on creating magical children's spaces.
As with most interior designers, we usually have an inspiration piece that we work off of. Although my three girls already have some pretty lovely bedrooms, they see all the great choices they have, so hence, I am in the throws of redesigning their rooms once again. Through a mutual friend I was introduced to http://www.kukunest.com. This is where my two youngest daughters, who share a room, actually found bedding they both were in love with. I have to admit I really like it too. So this is where we will begin...I'll keep you posted on the evolution of their room and would love any resources or ideas you want to share. Have a great weekend! 
Well, a very special thank you to the Tribune and Rebecca Juretic for writing such a lovely article on my new showroom! She really did her research and read my website as well as captured the essence of my passion for designing children's spaces. If you'd like to read the entire article you can here. http://www.sanluisobispo.com Have a great weekend everyone!
Don't forget, next Friday, Valentine's Trunk Show!!!
What a beautiful Sunday morning! I'm heading down to the showroom to continue my set-up. I have this stunning cradle by Bratt Decor going in the window. I've asked my friend, Ken, to join me. Ken & I did the Visual Design for Copeland's Sports back in the early 90's. Almost 10 years ago Ken passed away from AIDS. He was way too young and fabulous to die. He's now one of my Spiritual Team members I call on all the time. Ken taught me about planting bulbs and pinching back geraniums and how to use monofiliment (a very fun way to say fishing wire) in displays. So today he and I are going to set up something magical... I carry the entire Bratt Decor line which is beautifully crafted and designed! 4 days and counting!
I'm fascinated with this website and thoroughly intrigued by the graphics on their products. These metal birds are so unique and sweet. I also love the dish towels on this site. I think dish towels, especially ones like these, are simply lovely hostess gifts. So if you've been fortunate to be invited to be a guest at Thanksgiving dinner, please be considerate enough to bring something to contribute to the meal as well as a thoughtful hostess gift. Flowers, tea towels, lotions & soaps and always a hand written note. You'll be sure to be invited back. http://www.roseandradish.com
I've been doing a lot of playrooms lately and one thing I always like to incorporate into that type of space is an area for art. The challenge is what type of flooring to use. I'm always looking for fun designs that can wipe up easily. The thing with playrooms is, children grow up. You don't want to invest a great deal on flooring when you'll most likely replace it in a few years. So I came across this clever solution. It's called MIYO flooring. "Make It My Own" flooring. You choose the tiles, colors, and layout. It comes with a grid to help make installation a snap and changes even snappier (hmmm I don't believe that's a word...a new Marism). Durable, colorful, easy to clean, easy to install, and best yet, only $7 a tile. http://www.miyoflooring.com
I've run across this innovative company a few times and think it's such a fun idea. This London based company creates silhouettes of animals and even household items with wall paper. Cool retro graphics in great shapes create a whimsical space in a day. You have to love design made simple...groovy baby!
http://www.inke.nl
I'm pretty sure I was only six years old when my mom told me I could help redecorate my bedroom. I distinctly remember the orange butterfly wallpaper that she let me pick out. I loved that wallpaper! I would lie there in the morning and stare at it while pretending I was flying amongst them....so dreamy. Having a mom who let me make that choice became "the" defining moment in my life when I knew I was a designer. Thanks Mom!
So it came as no surprise to me that when my daughter turned six she somehow "genetically" started questioning me when she could redo her bedroom. Each week the design changes...each week the color changes too so when I came across this fun, paint-by-numbers, wallpaper border (I know, I know, I said I didn't like wallpaper....I'm slowly converting) I felt there may be some hope! I'm not sure if we'll use it but it sure looks like a fun way to have your child really be part of the creative design experience. Available at http://www.2jane.com.
One of my favorite websites lately is http://www.unicahome.com. They have an excellent collection of designer products. Currently I've been going through a "Silhouette" faze. I love this pendant with all the whimsical animal silhouettes. The designs by Tord Boontje are full of color and have a lovely graphic aesthetic. As most of you know, I love to design children's spaces and this multicolor pendant would be absolutely magical in a child's room. Just think of the fun ways you could carry the silhouette animal theme throughout the room...too much fun! Available here. http://www.unicahome.com
No really...What is blik? Blik is an I.D. Magazine award-winning* line of surface graphics created by and for people who like to change their mind. These self-adhesive wall decals (think stickers for grown-ups) allow you to easily transform the look of a living or office space in minutes. I haven't personally tried these yet but I am planning to. It appears that all you need to do is affix blik to any smooth, flat surface such as a wall, window, mirror, ceiling, tabletop or floor. Choose your space, plan the design you'd like to make, and literally, just peel and stick. What's great about that is it's an inexpensive way to make over a room...great for a growing child or a Gemini like myself who is constantly changing my interiors. The decals are easily removable...not like the two layers of wallpaper my girls and I removed at my friends Vera's house last week! We did it though, huh Vera?
Soooooooo....I digress.....What is blik? Blik is Color and Inspiration for a do-it-yourself make over!
http://www.whatisblik.com
I recently just put together the most stunning crib set with a nautical theme. It's very classic in red, white and blue minky and ticking stripe. We accented it with a simple navy, nautical ribbon....very classy! Once it's made I will have to share it with you so you can see how fabulous it is! So after putting the set together I was inspired to create a child's banner to go with it. I started surfing around to find some inspiration. I enjoy the Better Homes & Garden http://www.bhg.com website where you can get all kinds of ideas. There I came across this room by designer Jodi Mensing.
The wall treatment is something anyone could do but I think the beds steal the show. If it's not in your budget for custom made beds you can still get a nautical feel by using the following details.
You might try fishnet, rope, treasure maps, life preservers, and flags! I've also found unfinished wood paddles and anchors that you could paint yourself at Michaels http://www.Michaels.com (another one of my most favorite stores). I also suggest using red or blue ticking fabric for window treatments. You could thread rope through large grommets to hang.
So if your looking for a fun little boy theme, you may just want to go Nautical! 
