Thursday, August 25, 2011

Life is NOT a HGTV Show


Shocking I know...Let me explain further...

1)  HGTV shows make remodels look easy and painless, weekend handyman be warned...If there is something that will go wrong it will....Costing you more money, time and of course your sanity and the sanity of those around you.


2)  HGTV shows make remodels look like they are done with a wiggle of the nose (remember Samantha from Bewitched?)  Those shows have large crews who planned everything out months in advance and have you heard of editing?  What is a wiggle of the nose to us takes time behind the scenes.



3)  HGTV shows make remodels look inexpensive.  I love it when I watch one of those shows and at the end they will say something like, "and this room only cost $1,000.00 to complete"...Who are they kidding?  Most of those shows don't factor in the lots of free product, labor, etc.


That said,  I do love having first meetings with clients, because most of them really have a pretty good grasp on design elements already, which in turn make my job easier.  Clients nowadays seem a lot more open and willing to experiment or step out of their comfort zones and I think it's because of shows on HGTV.


So at the end of the day, I think it's important to walk into your remodel with your eyes wide open and not be lulled by HGTV magic. Be prepared and buttoned up with your crew; ie: Architect; Designer; Contractor, BEFORE moving forward, I promise you will have a lot better experience that way.

Now back to my HGTV show...Ha!

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Suzanis, Suzanis, SUZANIS!


Do you know what Suzanis are?  They are large embroidered textiles originally from Central Asia.

Traditionally made by Central Asian brides as part of their dowry and were presented to the groom on the wedding day. They represent an artistic realization of prayers for blessing and happiness of the future young family.



My fav's are the antique Suzanis (hand embroidered)....A great source for these is over at ebay.

Now they seem to be popping up all over the place....Calico Corners has a Suzani inspired fabric....


I am crazy for these chairs...all 3 of them.  I have a favorite, the orange one, but seriously I want 1 of each..




How do you feel about Suzanis?  Do you feel the need to inject some color/life into your own color palette?