Come June 3rd, I’ve decided to take a week away from my life in design and cycle from San Francisco to Los Angles to raise money for HIV/AIDS awareness. 

Let me start by saying that as of a month ago, I didn’t even own a bike. Nor am I fond of the idea of sitting on a seat measuring a fraction of my behind.  But with so many people today still struggling with HIV/AIDS, the idea of peddling 545 miles pales in comparison to the day-by-day challenges that many of our friends affected by this disease face.

Together, Eddie and I both will literally put the petal to the metal and ride from the city by the bay to the city of angels over the course of 7 days.  And so that none of this goes in vain, we are each committed to raising $5000 in the fight against AIDS.

Would I love it if you could help me reach my goal – YES!  I know it’s asking a lot, but I promise, I’ll will give a lot in return.

In fact, to show my immediate gratitude, if you decide to make a donation of $50 or more, I’ll send you a FREE autographed copy of my book ‘Take the U Out of Clutter’ just in time to cross spring cleaning off your to-do list.

Simply click here to go directly to the AIDS/LifeCycle website to make a donation.  And if you make a donation of $50 or more, I’ll be sending you a follow-up email to get your mailing address so I can send you a free book.

For all the people we know and all the people we don’t know dealing with HIV/AIDS, I consider this ride the least I can do.  And the way I figure it, if you start with the least you can do, we will have already moved a mountain.

So consider making a donation today and truly making this a ride to end AIDS.  Together, we can make a HUGE difference!

Thank you for your consideration and generous spirit; and for being a hero!

Until next time…

1.  Pillow Talk. Spring is the perfect time to change out decorative throw pillows, but whether you keep them out or store them, it’s also the best time to clean them. To remove winter stains and odors, take the covers off and gently wash or dry clean according to the care instructions on the label.

2.  Turn the Page on Old Magazines. A lot of us buy magazines over the holidays but less than 20% of them ever get recycled. If you want to remember something from a magazine, tear out the page and file it or scan it to your computer. This way, once you’ve read it, you can recycle or delete it.

3.  Baby Your Plants. Plants that live outdoors are naturally cleaned by rain and wind, but when indoors, they need their own spring cleaning. For real plants, get an old, clean t-shirt and use tepid water to gently wipe down the leaves. For artificial plants, gently wipe down the leaves with standard baby wipes to give them a beautiful shine.

4.  The Great Outdoors. An easy way to clean outside items is to buy an affordable power wash nozzle that hooks up to your existing hose. This is a simple way to wash down the outside of your house, clean concrete driveways and patios and give seasonal outdoor furniture a fresh, new look.

5.  Rest Assured. Most manufacturers recommend turning or flipping your mattress four times a year. Before you do, be sure to deodorize it and cover it with a mattress protector to prevent against dust mites, pollen and pet dander.

6.  Corralling Your Collectibles. A great way to deal with odd, decorative objects cluttering up the home is to group them together on a single tray or bookshelf to create a unified look. This will help keep your counter tops clear and make a wonderful design statement at the same time.

7.  Clean Underfoot. It’s important to clean all the area rugs in the home at least once a year. Vacuum and deodorize both sides of the rug as well as the floor underneath. And for wool rugs, place a cedar plank typically used for in the BBQ under all of your low sitting furniture to prevent damage from moths.

8.  Clean Sport. Before the kids get their hands on their summer sporting equipment that’s been stored up for the winter, wipe it down with a disinfecting bleach solution. This will not only help prevent infections, but the kids will look like All-Stars.

9.  A Fan of Cleaning. With the warmer months upon us, it’s the perfect time to adjust the direction of the blades on a ceiling fan so that they turn counterclockwise and cool the air below. Before you do, be sure to clean them with a rag and soapy warm water. This will help keep your rooms cool and dust-free as we move into the new season.

10.  Clean Your Cleaners. After your cleaners have done the dirty work, it’s important to give them a good cleaning. Sanitize all your rags and floor bonnets in the washing machine then run an empty cycle with a cup of bleach. Wash your sponges and scrubbers in the dishwasher then run a rinse cycle with a cup of vinegar.

Until next time…

I was in Las Vegas this week presenting at the International Design Guild Summit 12, talking about luxury design to a group of floor covering showroom owners and designers from around the country.  I also had the privilege of moderating a panel of leading designers which included Susan Anthony, Sally Wilson, Emily Winters & Greg Holmes.  In preparation for event, I was recently interviewed by IDG for their newsletter and thought I’d share those Q&As here.  Enjoy!

What, in your opinion takes a design from everyday to luxury?

Craftsmanship, originality and a employing a certain level of restraint.

A high level of craftsmanship is imperative when it comes to evoking luxury in any space. The skill of an artisan and the quality of materials utilized are the difference between an item that looks mass produced and one that is a true masterpiece. The finished product should not only look good, it should feel good.

Second, a luxurious room always includes a statement piece; a one-of-a-kind object that’s as original as the client. It should tell a story that’s personal and interesting. 

Lastly, people today have a tendency to overdo and affluent clients can be equally as guilty. I’ve learned when to say when so that there’s less to see and more to appreciate.  When it comes to interiors, it’s about quality of living not quantity.

What is your favorite way to add luxurious style and organization to a home?

Include multi-functional, standard foundation pieces in every room.  I love using furnishings that are visually stunning yet organizationally accommodating.  Two high boy dressers flanking a living room fireplace are perfect for storing seasonal throws, magazines or extra candles whereas a vintage shirt trunk can effortlessly accommodate a martini on top and a chess board inside.  Stylish and multi-functional, these staple pieces adapt to today’s need for eye-catching organization.

What do you see as the biggest design trend for 2012?

The biggest design trend in 2012 will not be a color palette, a unique silhouette or a new space age material. Rather, it’s a movement towards personalization in all aspects of lifestyle; especially in the home.  Nowadays, anything and everything is available on-line.  Clients have one click access to endless inspiration and the ultimate in product mix; once available only to the trade.  This technology-supported drive towards personalizing everything will become more prevalent than ever in the coming year(s) as it continues to shape our industry; both for designers and clients alike.

Until next time…

IDG MEMBERS – SUMMIT 2012 PRESENTATION

Typically, the ending of a year sparks a lot of lofty goals; eat less meat, plan more vacations, practice more yoga, go to bed early, save more money; my list is often long and all-encompassing.  And most likely, you have a list of your own.

Well, it’s time to get real about that list.  Instead of hitching our desires to a list of hope and promise we make in haste once a year, how about we ground them to who we consistently know ourselves to be all year long?  The idea here is simple.  Seeing our goals as an expansion of what we already know versus starting something lofty and new new will not only give you the know how to move forward, but it will provide the perfect amount of oomph to get you moving.

So, if this year your goal is to finally pick paint a more vibrant color for your otherwise white walls; keep in mind, you’ve been choosing colors all along when you pick out your wardrobe every morning.  Or, if this is the year to follow your dreams and start a home business, keep in mind, you’ve already spent years supporting someone else’s professional dream.  Or, if this year you vow to organize that mystery room in your house; keep in mind, when you get out of bed every morning, make coffee and find your way to the front door; you’re the one who organized your life so all that could happen.

Regardless of your personal or professional intentions this year, I invite you to see the similarity between the skill set required to accomplish your 2012 goals and the skill sets you’ve already mastered elsewhere in your life.  Connecting these dots will bring you the instant confidence you need in order to take the first and last steps.  After all, how can you fail at something in which you already succeeded?

As the Chinese proverb says… ‘Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day.  Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime’.  I say… ‘You’ve known how to fish all along’.  What are you waiting for?

If you’ve yet to make your list, now is the time.  Start by answering the following question:

What will be different about your life this time next year?

I’d love to hear in the comment below.

Until next time…

First, I want share some of my holiday decorating tips that made their way into People Magazine’s Special Holiday Issue.

Simple, easy and affordable!  My ideas are sure to put a twinkle in your eye for no more than a swirl from your candy cane.  You know I love ornaments; designed a million of them for HSN shoppers a few years back, so the idea of studding fruit with cloves to make pomanders for the tree is right up my alley.

And in honor of my Cleveland roots, I had to recreate the look of ice in my Southern California home.  Check out my simple way to create Easy Ice Blocks below with nothing more than a glass decorative block, a handy drill and a string of lights.

With Christmas only 10 days away and Hanukkah in less than a week, presents are on everyone’s mind.  So how ’bout we let the word itself remind us that the best present we can give is being present to the ones we love.  If it’s important to them, it’s important to us.

And since I’ve always believed that how we spend New Year’s Eve is a glimpse into the impending year, I will be home with the ones I love thinking about new and exciting ways to decorate the world with love and joy.  And providing I survive 2nd and 3rd servings of my Mom’s oyster dressing and Eddie’s Banana Rum Caramel Cheesecake, I plan to delve into 2012 with an open hand and an open heart.

May we walk with compassion in our hearts, speak no complaints; and be truly grateful for everything that we have.

Until next year…

So give me 15 minutes of your time and I’ll give you a entire evening of fabulous food-inspired flame.

In less time than it takes to peel an onion, I grabbed an extra bag of lentils, an odd number of juice glasses, orange votive candles and some raffia to design this fun and flavorful centerpiece that any holiday enthusiast would enjoy.

Turns out, it was chosen as centerpiece of the month for the Special Holiday Collector’s Issue of Rachael Ray Magazine.

For the bean counter in you, this self-explanatory project is an affordable way to let your next get-together shine while putting your table in the right light.  And, it’s as easy as pumpkin pie.

If not lentils, what food item would you showcase?  I’d love to hear in the comments below.

Until next time…

Because so many of you chimed in with great interest, I thought sharing another question with you would be equally as useful.  So here goes…

If you could anywhere in the world tomorrow, no worries, just hop on a plane, where would you go?  Why?

Over the years I’ve learned that the way in which people describe their ideal getaway spot is similar to how they would love to describe their own place.  Therefore, the answer to this question may very well provide you with some great insight into your personal style and preferences toward silhouettes, color schemes, textures and use of space.

Personally, Cinque Terre was always a place I wanted to go.  Pictured above, it’s a beautiful stretch of five villages on the Italian Riviera; charming yet rugged, they are quintessentially Mediterranean.  And despite several business jaunts to Italy, it was not until Eddie and I spent a week there on vacation that I realized how much this place was a part of me; even before I arrived.

Although we all know that happiness is not a destination; nor is it somewhere to be found.  Rather, it is something we must choose in each and every moment.  And since we’re always intending for something to happen in our lives, why not give happiness a chance?

So I ask the question in hopes that it will spark a connection between your happy place and your happiness…

If you could go anywhere in the world tomorrow, where would you go?  Why?

I’d love to hear in the comments below.

Until next time…

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.

After 25 years of acquiring other works of art, ‘Quite Room II’ continues to speak to me always reminding me of a place I call home.  Not the physical structure that Eddie and I inhabit but rather the spiritual place; free of time and space and all of life’s distractions where only I reside.  It is here that I am infinitely calm and laser clear about what’s important to me and where courage avails itself in complete and utter abundance.

If you’re interested in discovering this place I call ‘home’ for yourself, check out Chapter 1 of my book Take the U Out of Clutter where I talk about the ’Inner U’ as a foundation for living clutter-free.  It’s a place to dwell and manifest in what’s possible for your life and in your home.

Point being; our choice in art resonates on so many levels.  It can speak loudly about our love of a certain subject matter or whisper softly about our unspoken dreams or ambitions.  Regardless, choice in art is different for everyone yet shows that everyone is uniquely different.

So I’m curious, after viewing all of the art in your home, what would title would you give to the name of the exhibit?  One phrase that would sum up all of your art and what it ultimately means to you?

At first, a lot of different titles may come into frame, but in the end, only one will be as original as you.

I’d love to hear your answer in the comments below.

Until next time…

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.

A story I often tell is how every time I would come home from college to our house in Raleigh, it would look completely different.  I’m not talking about a seasonal change in throw pillows or a new lamp shade.  Think upholstery, painting, window treatments and Tetris-like rearrangement of furniture to accommodate new found pieces– you name it, my Mom did it!

In fact, one weekend I came home to visit (or do laundry and eat lamb stew) and an entire library and sun room had been added on to our house.  Seriously!  She’s no joke.  By now, you might start seeing the connection.  Whereas my Mom changes rooms; I change houses.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve lived in some pretty cool spots like Katherine Hepburn’s old studio off Sunset and a mountaintop ranch in Bel-Air just to name a few.  But despite living in sensational surroundings my entire life (the Raleigh home included), there always seems to be a sense of restlessness that wells up inside of me every 1-2 years.  And my way of dealing with it would be to change digs or as my Mom would say ‘get a new outlook on life’.  In essence, it was my way of moving forward.

We all have our thing.  It’s part of what makes us tick.  Seeing it as a blessing and not a curse, however, is the real gift.  And I have my Mom to thank for that.

What’s your thing?  That something something that’s unique to you.  I’d love to know in the comments below.

Until next time…

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.

In order to usher in aesthetic balance and be fair to both inhabitants, I hung the mirrors in a pattern that trails off to the right.  You will notice a few of the mirrors are hung directly over the bedside table on the right yet are still part of the overall collection.   A simple trick that works every time.

To create your trick mirror collection, find finishes or styles that coordinate, not necessarily match, then place them in your desired configuration.  You may want to determine the layout by placing them on the floor or bed before committing a nail to the wall.  Not only is positioning mirrors over the headboard good juju, it’s simple, easy and affordable.

Mirror mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest designer of them all?  OK, that may be a bit much.

Until next time…