Posts by month: September 2011

I have a confession to make.  When I was kid, I got caught in the act.  I’m not talking about singing ‘Sunrise, Sunset’ at my parent’s dinner parties while going through puberty.  It’s actually far more embarrassing.

I’ve often wondered how I turned out the way I did and I think it all started when I was 8 years old.

I remember playing with my best friend in the living room of our house in Cleveland, Ohio.  We were doing what most little boys do at that age, coloring in our Colorland coloring books.  We each had our own set of Crayola crayons, the 64-pack with built-in pencil sharpeners – a dream come true for any kid.  Right?

Aquamarine, Bittersweet, Burnt Sienna, Periwinkle, Orchid… so many colors, so little time.   Enamored by the kaleidoscopic cornucopia of colors, I got caught up in the moment and inadvertently slipped one of my friend’s crayons into my Crayola box.  I distinctly remember it being Goldenrod. Read more…

If I hear one more person say they don’t want to have me over for dinner for fear I’ll judge them, I got news for you.  I’m ALREADY judging you for not inviting me over for dinner.

Nowadays, I’m finding that more and more people are suffering from what is called C.H.A.O.S. or Can’t Have Anyone Over Syndrome.  It’s an irrational fear that if a friend or neighbor walks in your front door and sees anything out of place, or better yet, a disjointed color palette, that they will judge or admonish you.  It’s so Desperate Housewives!

Eddie and I have this plaque on our house that says ‘The most beautiful decorations in this house are the people who visit it’.  It was given to us by Eddie’s parents who bought it in Jalisco, Mexico; where they were born.

Read more…

As a designer, the number one question I get asked is how do I go about picking a paint color.  I wish there was a simple answer, but what I can tell you is there are some easy guidelines I’ve developed over the years that make spinning the color wheel much less dizzying.

In college physics at East Carolina University in Greenville, NC, I first experimented with a spectrophotometer, a device that measures color objectively.  It was only later as a designer that I realized color is much more subjective.  What looks sublime to you may look sub par to another and ultimately what matters most is how you feel about the color in your space.

So instead of telling you that red has been shown to raise your heart rate or that green can relax or rejuvenate you, I’m gonna walk you through the easiest way I know to go about picking a paint color so that you can do it for yourself.  Granted, there are so many things to consider when choosing a color, but this is a shortcut that always works in a pinch.  Easy peasy. Read more…

Welcome to Clutter Cocktail, a sparkling blend of useful information for living clutter free!

This week, Pat from Philly writes ‘I like to think if I de-clutter it, they will come.  I am trying to build relationships and I feel like I have this constant weight of clutter on my shoulders.  Please help!”

Pat, I love Philly… the city of brotherly love, cheese steaks and now clutter.  This calls for a Mojito!

For those of you haven’t ingratiated yourself to the 100 year old Cuban drink, I suggest you do.  I rely on it heavily to remind me that muddling, a process of blending the lime with the mint, is the key to its sweet success.  As Tito Bacardi once told me at Mandalay Bay, ‘If you don’t muddle it, no amount of white rum will make it right’.

Pat, it’s time to learn the art of muddling! Read more…

This was my first Polynesian-inspired design appropriately done for a family in Honolulu.  It’s a play on pattern that takes a modest-sized room of 10′ x 12′ and expands it visually.  The story between the strong graphic elements and the solid colors expand the space and put down the welcome mat.

Patterns are a great way to plus size your space but they can be tricky when overused.  The rule of thumb when it comes to how much pattern vs. solids to put into a space is generally no more than 30% pattern, but who likes rules?  Some may see this space as overkill whereas others may wish there was more.  For the family of four who resides here, the overall transformation from a lifeless, lackluster storage bin to a livable, lush, island-inspired den was well-received.

The key to its success?  Choose an odd number of strong patterns, evenly distribute them throughout the space then make sure they are framed with solid colors. Read more…

Today on The Nate Berkus Show, I team up with Nate to help a native New Yorker get out from under 20 years of clutter.  And like most abodes in the city that never sleeps, the space was modest in size.  Moving things around in one room only left a bigger mess in another.  A true Tetris puzzle of clutter.

In a bold move, Nate and I decided to move all of Laurie’s stuff out of her place making all of her clutter instantly more manageable.  This way, Laurie could take inventory of everything she had in order to pare down her stuff before we moved it back in.

But before Nate and I could create a beautifully designed, functional space, we first had to address Laurie’s compulsion to buy the things she didn’t need and get her to focus on the things that were actually relevant to her life today. Read more…

As many of you know, I traveled to South Africa with Design Without Borders to conduct the first ever ‘good will’ makeover for the offices of THE BIG ISSUE, a non-profit organization that provides marginalized South Africans with employment opportunities.

My mission was to makeover two spaces, a reception area and a vendor lounge for all the men and women who pick up magazines daily and sell them on the street.  These spaces had to function for a variety of people, and above all, reflect the promise of a brighter future.

What you may not know is that I videotaped the entire process so that I could one day share this incredible journey with you.  I’m proud to say, the video is finally complete and available for viewing here on my site. Read more…

My Life in Design is a celebration of what we all love to do — live, love and decorate!

I believe it’s your birthright to live in a place that inspires and nurtures you which is why I’m dedicating this blog to cultivating a true sense of place both in your home and in your life.  Not the one your favorite television decorator espouses or the one this week’s red carpet celebrity has envisioned for you; but the one you and only you are destined to inhabit.

I began a life in interior design for one simple reason: as a gateway into people’s homes, and ultimately their hearts.  As a self-taught designer, I never imagined I would have the eyes and ears of so many people from around the world.  From the U.S. to Uganda, the Baltics to Brazil; thousands of you have reached out through my website and social media to share your stories, your design dilemmas or just say hello.

Thank you for your all your emails and posts.  They have decorated my world with incredible joy.  And although I’ve responded to nearly every email, in many cases, I wish I could have said more.  More direction on your design challenges, more insight into your clutter issues and more words of encouragement when you needed it most.  This is why I decided to start this blog. Read more…