Awesome Centerpiece

I saw this gorgeous centerpiece on the now defunct blog Faye and Greer-no need to link that one sadly :( I've got the rocks and the hurricane-vase thing, now I just need to get to The Outdoor Room (17311 W Sunset Blvd, Pacific Palisades - (310) 454-5509) to pick up a nice little succulent, an orchid and some grass. Voila! My own little Eco sphere.

The Glamorous Life of a Neophyte Business Owner

I picked up two piles of poop in my "office" this morning. I'm standing over my worktable, starting intently at the 100+ fabric samples in front of me attempting to pick a group of five or so to present to my client when my nose catches the offensive wiff. My friend's four month old puppy, that I enthusiastically agreed to watch this weekend, has unloaded about thirty minutes after I took her out. I grab the paper towels and the carpet cleaner and go to work. A minute later I'm back to my real work, where, after a few minutes of inner dialogue about whether or not this red is too intense for outdoor cushions, I look to my left and see another pile. This time my foster puppy Delilah has made her mark, probably trying to one up the guest.

To say that I am motivated to get more clients, to make more money, to get an office away from all this is the understatement of the year. Then again, nothing beats drafting in your pajamas.

Portland, OR- The designer's guide to...

I had the great fortune of being hired to work on a project in Portland, OR by a client who's house I completed in Hermosa Beach about 6 months ago. My client moved up there for work about a year, so I helped him set up his temporary digs at that time. He has moved again, so I had the chance to set up his new, and much improved, space. Located in the Pearl District, his loft like condo is fast becoming the hot new design template for the rest of the new construction. Luckily, the Pearl is also home to an abundance of amazing design shops, so I didn't have to go very far to score some excellent pieces. There also isn't any sales tax in Oregon, so my budget expanded quite a bit! So here's a list of some of my favorite spots in Portland. I highly suggest taking a trip there for everything from the food to the architecture and all the great design in between.

Bedford Brown- This garden/accessories shop is a spot that I could comb through all day and drop a lot of dough without feeling too bad about it :) They have an excellent selection of lamps, vases, and various decorative pieces that have a gorgeous handcrafted feel that works in a modern setting (my client) or a home full of antiques. I even took a bunch of photos of pieces I liked just in case they worked in a future project! Here's a shot of the lamp I purchased in the office of my client.

Cargo (380 NW 13th Ave Portland, OR 97209Phone: (503) 243-7804 )- This huge warehouse is filled with everything Asian. It's a treasure chest of antiqued painted furniture, funky Asian framed prints, endless accessories and a fun section of modern Chinese toys and party favors. If you're looking for a valuable antique, this isn't the place, but you can definitely find some fun pieces to bring a little life to your space. Below is a photo of a gorgeous blue dresser that, unfortunately, couldn't find its way into my client's space.

Hunt and Gather- I love love love this place! I'm a mirror freak (wow that sounds narcissistic), but only because they are usually less pricey than a piece of artwork and make for a very finished room (and it doesn't hurt to be able to check your teeth every once in awhile). This place is chock full of great mirrors, custom furniture, great accessories and art, and a totally relaxed vibe. I'm not sure why I didn't take any photos here, but below is a shot of a typical building in the Pearl.

This portion of The Designer's Guide to...is getting lengthy, and I work for a living, so I will leave you with this last important bit of advice. Go to Everett Street Bistro. Don't question it, why would you question it? Just order the clam chowder and the braised short ribs and call it a night, and if you must, add the flourless chocolate cake, and if you're trying to really enjoy yourself, order a glass of the A to Z Wineworks Chardonnay (local Oregon wine) or perhaps the entire bottle. Of course, I wouldn't suggest the Chardonnay in the fall or winter, but in the last days of summer, it just felt right...

Salivating over these lanterns!

I just saw this incredible paper lantern on Apartment Therapy Los Angeles' Blog, and you know how I love my light fixtures. I've got a bit of a love/hate thing with Japanese design, sometimes it's just too sparse for my taste, but I've always been really into beautiful handmade rice paper which this company uses and can even customize. You can check out this lantern and others on the Miyako-Andon website.

It's Magic

I've always been a big fan of floating candles. I love putting them in my bathtub during parties even though it turns the facilities into a sauna! So this year for my birthday, I thought I would take it to the next level and put a bunch of candles in the pool. Great idea in theory except that it was windy, so....you know. Anyway, I came across these Magic Globes online...presto-problem solved!

Mini Job Flood

I say "mini" flood because it's not as if I'm taking on huge jobs right now, but I have picked up a handful of little guys and it's keeping me busy. Just had a meeting yesterday with a woman in Beverly Hills who had previously worked with my mentor Merlene Bryant, which is how I was referred, and it went well. Simple enough-get a set of dining room chairs reproduced and reupholstered, so she could sit the whole family around the table at Thanksgiving. I haven't actually had antique furniture reproduced before, so I'm going on a hunt today. My first stop is Steven Thomas Antiques in Santa Ana. I was tipped off to this guy about six months ago during a little resource exchange in my Business Strategies class. It's always a great idea to write down any resource that people are recommending because you never know when you'll use it!

My second little project is a trip to Portland this Thursday and Friday to set up the apartment of a client who's house I recently completed in Hermosa Beach. This is interesting because I haven't seen any photos of the apartment, so I'm basically winging it when I get up there. I am preparing for the trip by looking up local resources, so I can do a whirlwind shopping trip Monday and set everything up on Friday. This is exciting because I don't normally design in this way...I'll imagine that I'm on Design Star and Kelly Wearstler, etc will rip me apart if I don't get it right!

My third small project, the details of which are still being hammered out, is a referral from my next door neighbor who connected me to a friend of his that lives right up the street from me-gotta love the convenience factor there. The potential client rents, which I don't normally love to get involved with because you're so limited in what you can do to the place, but it needs a facelift nonetheless. The space is your typical bachelor pad, which is to say there hasn't been an extensive amount of thought put into the design, and it doesn't exactly scream "home aka Nest". I like the idea of doing this because I know that with minimal furniture and accessory purchases along with rearranging the furniture layout, this place can be 1000% better. The client also has his own clients and colleagues over to the space, which makes it even more imperative to clean up his act.

My "diary project" the SoCal Nest is still moving forward. An issue came up that I've dealt with before, which is how much input can you or should you give to a client who asks your opinion on another designer's designs. Let me lay the story out for you more specifically... SoCal Nest is doing an outdoor covered patio which includes a BBQ area. I don't have all the details, but the design of the BBQ area came from another designer who was already on the job when I was hired. I don't mean to say that there is another interior designer on the job-there's just me-but this person probably works specifically for a BBQ/Outdoor area company and designed the space through that company. When my client sent me the plan for this and some of the inspiration photos, I didn't want to step on any toes, but I put in my two cents.

The design is pretty simple-curved counter, sink, BBQ, etc.-but I didn't think the curved counted worked with the lines of the house, and I told her so. I feel a bit weird about it now because I've had people undermine my design opinion in the past, granted it was a client's girlfriend who didn't have a design degree or taste but....it is really irritating. Too many cooks in the kitchen really. I may be over thinking this as I tend to do, but I wonder if anyone has experienced this type of situation before?

Five Business Strategies to Live By

Anita Roddick ,the founder of The Body Shop, passed away on September 10th as I found out through my brother's blog at Plans For Us. This is significant because she based her business model on the following five points. This is significant to this blog because as a new business owner/developer these points can and should apply to what I do and what others should consider doing as well. It is also interesting that my brother posted this because our businesses could not be more night and day on the surface. He is starting and developing a web based business for teachers to collaborate on their lesson plans, and I am starting and developing an Interior Design firm. Just goes to show that we've all got more in common than we think. Again-network, network, network....with anybody!

1. Take your business personally: Business has, traditionally, addressed the world with profits in mind, which is to say: impersonally. We can no longer afford this. More than any other generation – [today’s] business people are in a position to lead in making the world a better place. We must take more responsibility, which is to say, take it personally.
2. Be daring. Be first. Be different: Or no one will notice.
3. Be good.: Because you can.
4. Business is not beyond morality. Business is no longer a cold-hearted, objective, pseudo-scientific project to manipulate customers…it can’t be that anymore. The future of the world depends on us doing business with heart. Without ‘heart’ the creativitiy of the human spirit dwindles, too.
5. Business is like activism: It is a way of saying what kind of world you want to live in. Protest is not enough. You need a vision.