Show House...In Progress

Checkin' in with you

on the latest for the 

BELLARMINE SHOW HOUSE...

Even though the show doesn't open until September,

the designers have to submit their concept boards to the design committee this week

for final approval.

There's so much to do between now and then!

For one thing, there's major renovation going on at the house 

and it will take every bit of three months to complete it.

As for the designers, once our boards are done, 

we then have to fine tune our designs and work on the details,

like finding the perfect lamps, mirrors and other accessories.

It also takes time to get things ordered, shipped and received by our deadline.

I can't tell you how many times over the years I've been stressed out about deliveries!

But today I checked one important detail off my list... 

Anabel's Oriental Rugs 

A rug can truly transform a room, don't you think?

And this one that I picked out from my friends at ANABEL'S ORIENTAL RUGS

 is GORGEOUS!

Just the right balance of grayish blue and cream, with a hint of orangey red.

It's going to look awesome with my chair fabric!

Can't give away too many secrets right now, 

since my concept board is on its way to the committee.

But stay tuned,  I'll be able to show you more in a few days.

Until then, 

"EMBRACE THE JOYS OF GOOD DESIGN!" 

FRIDAYfinds! - Show House Sneak Peak

Hard to believe... but it's that time of year again when 

the Bellarmine University Women's Council

unveils its location for their annual Show House.

And I have to say, this year's house is going to be a fabulous tribute to

the Women's Council who is celebrating their 40th Show House anniversary.

Located in Anchorage, KY (my little community)
"The Anchorage" was built in 1872 as the home of James W. Goslee, 

a retired riverboat captain.

Designers were invited to tour the house last week during a 

Wine and Cheese party.

This is when everyone had a chance to wander around 

and decide which spaces they would like to design.

The committee met the next day and
poured over the selections to decide which designers would participate this year

Not an easy process, especially when so many vie for the same spaces!

I was really excited when the call came from the committee and they offered me 

the upstairs sitting room!

It may not look very appealing right now, but oh...how the wheels are turning!

I've got so many ideas for this cute little space.

What do you think?  Should I keep that yellow valance on the window? lol :)

The fireplace wall has so much potential...

We are working overtime to get the concept board together
 by next week so it can be submitted to the committee for approval.

I'll keep you posted on our progress as we create this fun room

so check back with me.

I Love Show Houses!

"EMBRACE THE JOYS OF GOOD DESIGN!"

Walking the halls...

My Mother's Day was just that - 

a day when I could create my very own "day"!

And what fun I had visiting my daughter in Cincinnati.

What else was on my agenda, you ask?

Something was pulling me to return to my "Design Roots"!

This is the place where I spent my college years and MANY LONG HOURS,

my alma mater, the University of Cincinnati School of Design

or DAAP as it's called (Design, Architecture, Art and Planning)

I have a love/hate relationship with this place, 

as I'm sure many of you can relate to with your own college adventure!  

It's the place that challenged everything I knew (or thought I knew)

and pushed me to the limit,  both creatively and intellectually.

The teaching style was based on critiques,

a grueling process of design development that usually lasted a full 3 months 

and culminated in critical assessment of your project by all of the department professors.

I was beaten down, encouraged, beaten down some more

until the final project was something I was truly proud of.

This was my life for five years.

And this is where I spent it - Studio class.

Sitting on one of those very uncomfortable metal stools  brought back so many emotions...

tears, sleep deprivation, laughs and elation all wrapped together.

But in the end, I must have been smiling in this shot for a reason.

I was pulled here on Mother's Day for a reason - 

It was a sweet reminder of how my life has unfolded, from design student 

to mother of two beautiful, bright children.

It truly was a " Mother's" day for me :)

Thanks to my wonderful family.

"EMBRACE THE JOYS OF GOOD DESIGN!"

I certainly have.

Style Booster - What are you clinging to?

Is your living room turning into THIS???

It seems things come in spurts.
Lately, I've heard the same concern from many of my clients,

"WHAT DO I DO WITH ALL MY HAND-ME-DOWNS?"

Since we've been working so hard on making your home
"YOURS"
I just couldn't go another week without talking about this issue.

We've all been given family "heirlooms" with the expectation that we will
preserve and protect for the next generation.
The "issue" becomes when our heirloom stash starts to dictate the decisions in our homes.
This is so counter to the nurturing environment we are trying to create!

Are you guilty of moving all the furniture around in your living room
just to accommodate Aunt Gertrude's Victorian settee and matching chair?
Are you lining pieces up against the walls because there's no more room?

You get the point.
Sometimes these old pieces, are just that...
OLD!

It's time to take a hard, objective look at your accumulated family treasures
and decide which ones are truly important to you
and which ones are NOT.

I'm not suggesting that you get rid of all your family ties,
just that you make a very conscious decision of what comes in to your home.
Ask yourself, "Am I taking this piece out of guilt or obligation?"
or
"Do I really love this now and forever?"
There are diplomatic ways to decline a well-intentioned gift.
Offer it to a sibling or close friend - someone who will truly enjoy it.

Charlotte Moss design - Courtesy of Traditional Homes Magazine

Imagine your home with ONLY the hand-picked, precious pieces that speak to you.
I love this room designed by Charlotte Moss
because it's the perfect blend of edited antiques, updated accessories
and comfortable upholstery.

Maybe you didn't have the good fortune to inherit a timeless coromandel screen like this one,
but the concept is still the same.
This room works because it's a finely tuned mix of new and old,
fresh and historic, colorful and muted.

Your home can be just as inviting.  Really!
It starts with a decision -
 "I'm only going to live with things I love!"

"EMBRACE THE JOYS OF GOOD DESIGN!"

Derby Fever has hit!

As the festivities of DERBY WEEK gear up...

Photo by Jacob Zimmer - special to The Courier-Journal

I'm winding down.

It's always a big push to make sure my projects come together in time for all the fun.

And now that the fluffing and tweeking is done, I can relax a little and join in too!

Photo courtesy of The Courier-Journal

Horse racing is just part of the story this week.

Tomorrow, a different type of race will take place on the Ohio River,

the Great Steamboat Race 

between the Belle of Louisville and Cincinnati's Delta Queen.

We used to take our kids to this event when they were little.  

Great time for families!

Photo by Sam Upshaw Jr.; The Courier-Journal

I plan to be part of the action on Thursday, when the 

Pegasus Parade

takes over downtown Louisville!

This year will be extra special with the 

NCAA National Champions, our own University of Louisville Basketball team, 

in the spotlight.

Photo by Bill Luster/Special to The Courier-Journal

But for me and many locals, nothing quite compares to the 

The Kentucky Oaks on Friday,

especially when you get to experience a "first" like this!

Last year, we cheered on Rosie Napranik who become the first woman to win the Oaks 

on a horse named (get ready for this)

"BELIEVE YOU CAN"

And this Saturday, Rosie will be the "first" woman to race in the Kentucky Derby!

Wonder who I'll be betting on?

"EMBRACE THE JOYS OF GOOD DESIGN!"

FRIDAYfinds! - The Small House Movement

Just read a great article from freshome.com

about the move toward smaller homes.

I'm not surprised, are you?

via southernhospitalityblog.com

They report that, "since 2007... new homes have shrunk 5%" and

"the average home size is expected to shrink another 10% by 2015".

In fact, when asked what their ideal home size would be, 

over 1/3 of homeowners say they want house plans smaller than 2000 sq ft!

Wow! Have we come a long way!

While this trend has definitely been influenced by the economy,

I prefer to think it's because we are becoming more aware of our "footprint".

We're realizing the cause and effect of living in a large space versus a small one

in terms of the costs of construction and the energy required to maintain it.

Do we REALLY need all that space?

As I've shared with you on a recent post, "Dining Room Dreams" I am a huge proponent

of using every square inch in your home,

making it multi-functional for ALL the activities your family enjoys.

This becomes much more essential in a smaller home,

but is it a bad thing?

I think this movement is a fabulous "correction of the market"!

It's forcing us to concentrate more on need-based design, 

where the end result is total functionality and comfort.

Whether you're staying where you are

or

considering building your dream home,

I hope you'll rethink what 

"DREAM HOME" 

really means to 

you.

Now more than EVER...

"EMBRACE THE JOYS OF GOOD DESIGN!"

Market Pulse - Just in!

Just had to share these new intros from High Point Market with you today!

I'm continually amazed at the manufacturers 

and their talented design teams.

Kudos!

Jonathan Charles Versailles Demilune TV cabinet

This is the PERFECT solution for hiding your TV in a formal area.

Imagine the delight of your guests, when you offer to turn on the game with after-dinner drinks!

This new collection from Studio A

is a testament to the enduring quality of classic forms.

Just beautiful!

Market is wrapping up so these daily emails from my vendors
will soon disappear...
but
until then, I'll keep sending them your way!


"EMBRACE THE JOYS OF GOOD DESIGN!"