Posts by month: October 2011

Art is subjective; at least in my world.  Although there are established parameters in which to appreciate and appraise art, any observer will tell you that loving or not loving a piece of art is a gut feeling; and often times hard to describe in actual words.

Whether it’s a painting, sculpture or photograph, I enjoy and employ art in a variety of ways.  As a designer, it’s the perfect way to inspire a space in the beginning of a design or to bring the entire room together in the end.  As a student of life, however, it’s a potential cue as to someone’s true self; revealing a hidden nuance longing to emerge.

One of my first pieces of original art was acquired in Soho in 1996.  Seen above, it’s called ‘Quiet Room II’ by Michael Babyak.

When I first met the struggling artist, I instantly felt a kindred spirit.  More than willing to pay $150 for an original work, only recently did I discover that Michael hails from my hometown of Cleveland, Ohio and that we both uprooted ourselves in pursuit of our artistic endeavors.  Turns out, Michael has done quite well for himself. Read more…

Despite U.S. mobility being at its lowest point since WWII, people still move an average of 12 times in their entire life.  I’ve moved 16 times in the past 25 years.  That’s a new place every 18 months.

In retrospect, I’ve moved just as many times based on pure boredom than I have based on circumstance or necessity; which means there was definitely something stirring on the inside.  Turns out, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

Seen here on a recent trip to LA, my Mom is an accomplished interior designer, restaurateur, prolific collector of all things fabulous and mother of four as well as grandmother of four.  I have no idea how she does it. Read more…

According to Feng Shui, you’re not supposed to hang large mirrors in your bedroom.  Tradition has it, a mirror facing the bed directly depletes your personal energy at nighttime when your body should be repairing itself.  A mirror facing your bed is also said to bring the energy of the third party into your relationship.

If you are inclined to use mirrors in your bedroom and are Feng Shui-conscious, it’s best to use small mirrors and position them over the bed as I did here for a couple from the East Coast.

But if you’re dealing with a headboard wall with only one window (asymmetrical architecture), let me teach you a little mirror trick that will go one step further and help restore the balance to the space. Read more…

Ever wish you could post a sign on your wall that tells people exactly how to react in your house?   A while back, a young couple asked that I find a way to tell guests entering their bedroom that all noise should be kept to a minimum.

Appropriately, I found a vintage sign that in no uncertain terms lets people know: QUIET PLEASE! DO NOT DISTURB THE RESIDENTS!

Truth be told, our design speak volumes about how we live.  Written words may not be actually displayed, but because our decor evokes reactions in others, it’s a form of communication whether we like it or not.

Now for the record, I do NOT believe how you live is who you are.  MEANING:  If your house is a mess, you are not a mess.  Equally so, just ‘cuz your house is fabulous, doesn’t mean you are fabulous.  I’ve met a lot of amazing people living in dumps and a lot of not-so-amazing people living quite stylishly.  So if for a second you believe how you live is who you are, I invite you to check out Chapter 3 of my book Take the U Out of Clutter. Read more…

When it comes to home furnishings, where do you splurge?

Since quality of living is first in my book, I always invest in the place where I sleep.  The perfect combination of a great bed, premium mattress and comfortable bedding allows me to rest peacefully.

Although most would say a sofa is next, I vote for a chandelier.  Because of where it’s typically positioned and its luminary influence, the right chandelier can make or break a room.  But a show-stopping fixture doesn’t have to break the bank.

In fact, the French crystal chandelier above was purchased at an estate sale for under $500 by a client who loves chandeliers.  To honor her eye for the ornate, I positioned it as a focal point in front of a fireplace resting an antique gilded frame on the mantel behind it to set it off. Read more…

Over the years, I’ve developed a battery of thought-provoking questions that I ask clients before taking on a design project.  With 33 questions in all, here’s one that always gets people thinking:

If your house were burning down, what’s the one thing you would grab?  And why?

Minus other family members, pets and all family pictures, if you were standing on your front lawn, what one object would you safely go in and grab knowing that you are leaving everything else behind?  It can be large or small, light or heavy, that doesn’t matter.  It’s more about choosing an item than it is about rationalizing the logistics of moving it.

Giving this question some serious thought, I thought it would be interesting to turn the tables and answer it for myself.  So here goes… Read more…

On a recent trip to the Pacific Design Center, I fell in love with a clever side table consisting of stacked wood in an hourglass silhouette.  Resisting the $1900 temptation, I wondered if I could craft this idea into a DIY project and make it for less money.  Way less!

First of all, when it comes to crafts, I suck.  Seriously.  I’ve never been a crafty person.  Despite designing actual craft rooms for a myriad of homeowners across America, I’ve never personally been able to master the art of cutting, gluing, sewing and bedazzling.  So I turned to the craft-master himself, Mr. Mark Montano.

Turns out, Mark’s new book THE BIG-ASS BOOK OF CRAFTS 2 (a cheeky sequel to his wildly popular first book) is hot off the press and contains the perfect solution to my DIY dilemma.

Read more…

I’m crazy about plums; not just for their incredible sweetness but mostly for their vivid array of intense colors.  Heart-shaped and encased in full, dark red to purple-blue skins, plums are the perfect muse of any designer… and baker.

For those of you who don’t know, my partner Eddie is what I call a dessertologist.  As an evolving master in the art of desserts, when these plums arrived at our house via the farm, Eddie saw them as an ingredient.  I saw them as inspiration. Read more…

A giant hug to all of you who subscribed to Mark Brunetz: My Life in Design.

As you know, I promised to send a free, autographed copy of my book

to the first 50 friends who signed up.

Envelope please!

Read more…

During a recent trip to NYC, I managed to slip into the Sirius XM studio to talk with Terri Trespicio, host of ‘Whole Living’ on Martha Stewart Radio about eco-fabulous design and organization!  Turns out, people were less interested in talking about jute, recycled rubber and sustainable bamboo, and more interested in kvetching about their husbands.

A lady named Karen got on the line and asked what advice could I give her concerning her husband who she describes as a slob.  As hard as she tries to keep the house tidy, her man is a tornado when it comes to clutter.  After 12 years of marriage, she was ready to throw in the towel (a dirty one off the bathroom floor I imagine).  Turns out, this isn’t the first time I’ve dealt with this topic. Read more…