Every year fashionistas hold out for the September fashion issue which is always chock full of the latest and greatest must haves. Those of us who can't afford to purge and entirely rebuild a new wardbrobe each season (oh, hello, everyone!), appreciate the few pages devoted to making the pieces you already have feel fresh again. Well fortunately that doesn't just work for fashion. It's also really effective for interior design.
There's something about our culture that just loves watching celebrities flounder like fish out of water. What else could possibly explain the popularity of Dancing With the Stars? But one of the fun parts of a show like that is seeing someone flourish in that strange environment. Like Emmitt Smith bustin' some fierce moves. Or Vanilla Ice (that's Robert Van Winkle to the government) flipping houses on his new show on the DIY network. The Times did a feature today on him and his continued success in a real estate market that went from white hot to...yeah, I'm gonna say it....ice cold. The show starts on October 14 and I plan to check out a few episodes to satisfy my curiousity. One of the design magazines, I think it's House Beautiful, has a feature that's titled "Why Don't You...." that offers some fun suggestions of things to try in your home. These aren't major investment items but instead small things that add a little flavor to what you've already got going on. Well, in the interest of avoiding a possible intellectual property conflict, I've tweaked it a bit. For instance, you know what you should try? Something purple. If you weren't able to attend the workshop on the 15th, you missed a great event! I walked attendees through different options for addressing their walls and explained some tips and tricks that I use to hang items safely. Several brought pictures of their rooms which we scanned and added items in digitally. It was a John Madden moment for me. In other news related to the "day job," I'll be transferring to the Long Island district in November so if you live in Stamford and have been considering CSD services, now is the time to make an appointment. One of the highlights of my recent road trip was a stop at the Edward J. Kaufmann house, better known as Fallingwater. It's one of Frank Lloyd Wright's iconic designs and totally worth the trip--even if you're not a design geek like me. I visited Oak Park during my trip to Chicago a few years ago and knew that my visit to Western PA would not be complete without seeing Fallingwater in person. While on my Midwest road trip, I got to visit a great vintage shop in Cleveland called Flower Child. I kept going from one great find to another exclaiming over the great deals. Perhaps my jaded New York City self is too use to the inflated prices because I found myself wishing I'd rented a Uhaul instead of a sedan. The fabulous Lucite dining set featured here? $600. And that wasn't even the best deal! If you're 17-21 years old, there's a good chance you're making final arrangments to get everything ready for the next year at college. Ah to be young and carefree--those were good times. And while those of us a few (or maybe 10ish) years removed from college can't enjoy all the spoils of collegiate life, we can take advantage of some great deals. Stores like Target, Walmart and Bed, Bath and Beyond are all offering savings on small scale furniture, kitchen items and storage. I grabbed several boxes of place settings of plain white dishes to use as display here at the day job for only $8 (for 4 settings). But for anyone who needs small kitchen appliances or some bed linens, now is a good time to pick them up. Throughout the hotel in Detroit, I noticed a similar floral arrangement that caught my eye, by being both attractive and simple. Tall glass cylinders with cut orchids perched in little niches or placed on tables. If you look closely, you can see the bottom of this arrangment is wrapped with a leaf to cover the cut edge. Those of us who are not so great with flowers could easily handle this arrangment. While in Detroit, I stayed at the Westin downtown, which is definitely one of the nicer hotels in the city. Let's just say the "Heavenly" moniker for the bed was certainly appropriate. The room features comfy beds, attractive lighting and a stylish bath. So why did it leave me feeling so cold? I have recently returned from terrifically fun three city tour through the Mid West. Or the "rust belt", to be more exact. Just one adventure in my mission to get to every baseball stadium in the Major League. It gives me the opportunity to visit some places in America that I'd probably never get to any other way. Like Detroit, for instance, which was the first stop. And that also means finding some some surprising design inspiration along the way. |
AuthorChristine Schwalm is an Interior Designer and Visual Merchandiser based in Los Angeles. This space will keep you updated on what's going on with CSD along with some ideas to inspire you. Go here for more information about pricing and services and here to make an appointment. Archives
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