Let The Debauchery Begin !

When I think of Absinthe, I think of the image from Bram Stroker's Dracula, where the count is seducing Mina with a drink from the "Green Fairy" as he delicately lets her lick the sugar cube, so sensual!

I imagine myself sipping this delightful and once illegal concoction while I lie draped across a recamier and then make heady and passionate love to my beau while Le Vie en Rose plays in the background and I bask in the warm glow of candles bouncing off the many gilded mirrors in my boudoir. - I have a great imagination, huh?

-"Consider the cast of mythological absinthe drinkers: the vulnerable painter and poet, too sensitive for this mean old world; the tormented soul, unable to snap out of his self-loathing; the rakish hedonist, seeking one big, lurid rush; the wealthy dilettante, dipping a toe in bohemia; and of course, all manner of willing women." From NY Times Article.

Check it out here.
Im off to plan my Absinthe themed soiree, full of decadence!

Your Home, Your Investment

Continuing on the tropic of Interior Design as an Investment. When you prepare to make any changes to your home, know that this is indeed not just for your comfort, but to add value to the actual investment.
In hiring a professional you take out the possibility of making costly mistakes. I can't tell you how many times I have come to a potential clients' home for a consultation to try to "fix" what the homeowner attempted to take on their own, or a perfectly capable contractor who had been made to wear 2 hats. -Not Cute people!!
Does anyone have any stories to tell, on either side? Please share.

Recession Proof Interiors

Most of us are feeling the pinch of the recession, some more than others. Everyday I hear the bad news on the radio, read about on-line and in black and white.Its not just here in the US either. Unemployment rates are on the rise all over the world. Mostly due to the fact that we are no longer an island and the real estate bubble has had a ripple effect causing a global crisis.

Those of us in the Design biz are by no means isolated by the current strain on the economy. This is much to the surprise of many people I speak to. This is partly due in large to the somewhat misinformed idea that Interior Designers and the services they offer are for a privileged few. I find myself time and time again explaining that this is so untrue.

You hire an accountant to prepare your taxes. This ensures you are paying the right amount and in some cases receiving your rightful return amount. When you visit the Doctor, he may send you to a specialist in order to get a second opinion on a diagnosis.

Interior Designers are the expert for a persons' largest investment, their home. Now more than ever it makes sense to spend your money wisely. To be smart about your investments and be mindful of the long term.

Over the next couple of weeks I will expand on this idea and share thoughts on how and where a professional Interior Design firm can be beneficial. I will also highlight and I invite you to share any DIY projects and budget friendly ideas that can be used to liven up your interior.
Stay Tuned...........

Beauty , A new vision ....

The dictionary defines beauty as the quality present in a thing or person that gives intense pleasure or deep satisfaction to the mind, whether arising from sensory manifestations (as shape, color, sound, etc.), a meaningful design or pattern, or something else (as a personality in which high spiritual qualities are manifest).

When we try to define something so deeply intimate, I fear we may ruin the very essence of and in turn strip what it is we hold very dear in the first place. Beauty for me is not what my eye can merely see, but instead it must create and stir my deepest emotion. I find those things that are not tangible tend to hold the most beauty for me, the essence of beauty is what I appreciate most.

The melody in your favorite song, the breeze as it sways through the trees as I lay on the grass enjoying the sun warming my skin. My sister’s infectious laughter. The wagging tails and licks I am greeted with by my three dogs, The purring and gentle caress from my cat, The smile from a child in the grocery store, The sunset, the full moon in the company of a star filled sky, the light streaming through a window at the beginning of the day, My mother’s loud laughter, flowers in the garden, a sumptuous and tactile fabric, a great wine. These are just some of the many “ordinary” things that I find to be beautiful for me.

overpowering colors and expensive materials. Much of what make a space or setting beautiful is the

harmonious blend of the raw natural material with that which is manmade, for example a well worn

wood farm house table top paired with a sleek and modern chandelier. Beauty can be found in the

details, in the subtle weave of handmade textile, the bubbles in hand blown glass, and the pits and

veins in natural stones. Imperfections are what make the most impact and give materials their best

character. I believe this also holds true for us as human beings. Not one person is perfectly symmetrical

and proportioned, nor are we devoid of character flaws and moments of imperfections.

Its these exact imperfections that make us and our surroundings beautiful. I take pleasure in life's

immaculate slip up's and I find that much like in life , happy accidents can be a blessing in disguise with regards to design.