Style.....

Often, prospective clients ask me, "what's your style?" My answer is that my goal is to find their style, and interpret it for them. Of course, in my own home, my "style" is completely mine..and in Parade Homes, (unless they have been sold before building) I could usually have Carte Blanche, as my builder's knew my work, and as long as I stayed within budget, I could express my style.
Many of you, who watched Seinfeld may remember "The Soup Nazi"....There are designers out there whom I refer to as, "Design Nazis"...as in "You Must", "You Will", and force their style upon people, who are too intimidated to stand their ground, or too confused by what they think they are getting, and then, disappointed in the end. I have actually had several clients, who came to me after spending a great deal of money, and told me they just hated their homes once the designer got through with them.
I try to give clients all their dreams come true..not necessarily my dreams, as above, with two, countem', two giant-screened televisions (there were a total of eight and a home theatre by the time we got through. They were two gentlemen, who were huge sports enthusiasts, and also a bit into "wretched excess". I do try to keep some clients from what I call, "running with scissors", as in "you may regret that decision"....If they insist, they get it, but I do all I can to offer alternatives.

These clients had a wonderful sense of style; prefering open spaces, interesting vistas, a touch of tradition, along with something a bit exotic, as in the florals.

This client is Chilean, and loves intense, saturated colors, as reflected inthe sink she brought back from Mexico. We glazed the powder room walls with a burnt umber over salmon...she loves it.

These clients live in Europe eight months out of the year (he's a hockey player), and she was greatly influenced by the architecture and the large, French-influenced fireplaces. Keep in mind this was Wisconsin, so with the long winters, a fireplace is a necessity. She loves coffered ceilings, as do I. Eventually, he got his flat-screen tv, instead of the sailboat.

I have had clients, who when traveling, will call me to say they've found a piece of art they love, and should they get it? I tell them that, if they love it, by all means get it, and why do they need my permission? We always make it work........

Finally, I designed this study for a mother of three children, all under the age of five...she needed a place that she could retreat to that was serene, a bit feminine, but not overly so, where she could regroup and possibly sneak a nap in on the cushy sofa...

We all have our own styles, and we can't push them off onto other's. I very much dislike it, when a client says, "well, I want to see what my mother/friend/boyfriend/whatever" thinks...It's your home, your haven, and your decision...I am just there to make the dreams come true.

Two in One Day!!!

It would seem I am in transition...from Interior Designer (for over twenty years), who loves design, everything visual...so much wonderful "eye candy" out there. I just asked my husband if he thought that "Eye Candy" would be a good name for my new Etsy shop, and he laughed(well, he sort of snorted), and said, "Eye Candy" usually has a sexual connotation to it...I told him, that to me, it was a nice window treatment, or a beautiful fabric...to each his own.

I suppose what I am saying is I am definately "branching out"...spent so many years in interior design, and I will never turn my back on it completely, but at my age - you will have to torture me to get it out of me, I am thinking about "options"...When one is a certain age, one thinks there are endless years ahead...I can see the horizon from where I stand, and I need to think about what my desires are for my future...Design? Art? Photograpy? Writing? I cannot imagine the people, who say, "I dont' knw what I want to be when I grow up"...I want to be it all.

I went back to a few days ago, and realized I was sort of posting the same old stuff as the other day....I have an excuse...I got up at 4 am, and hadn't had my coffee yet....Went out and walked three miles...it was still cool enough to do that. The roosters were crowing, the peacocks were making their wild baby screams (yes, there are wild peacocks, and noone knows from where they sprang)...the dogs came out and barked at me...a roadrunner went by me...I went "beep beep", but it totally ignored me. I said hello to several, very familiar deer, who when they saw me, hightailed it to my house to be fed.

I know that for awhile, I will be a Christmas Tree Lady...Then, I will be an Etsy Shop Owner, and I hope to publish a children's book soon...that's top secret, so don't tell anyone...

Okay, the chicken on the bbq is nearly done...the baker's are ready to come out, and the wine is waiting to be opened.

Life goes on.

What am I Doing Here????

Since it's against the law to strangle cats, I am up and about by 4am...My darling Raisenette Funicello Buttafuco (he head butts everything, including me) was screaming for me to get up and feed him, but I refuse to reinforce his behaviour by doing so. So, he goes into the powder room, and pees on my hand-painted floorcloth. So, I get out of my wonderful, Country French pine bed, (it is still dark out), get the 409, and scrub my floor and my floorcloth. The 409 gives me an asthma attack, so use my inhaler, and am wide awake....What does one do at 4 am, when the rest of the world is asleep....one blogs. Who would think this beautiful cat (Raisen is in front, Gussie behind) could be such a pain....

Gussie never gives us a problem...but he is our problem child.

This is Shadow...in the shadows..She shows up everyday, and follows me about...then, she comes to my back door, and looks wistful, until I cut up an apple (don't tell my husband, as he says they are too expensive to feed to the deer)..and take it out to her.

I just finished drawing her, and am transferring it onto a giant canvas - 5ftx40", and am going to paint her. I have a one-woman show coming in September, and had better add to my "body of work"...

This is "Zoomy" and her mama....we now have three other fawns, who along with their herd, are camping in our back yard...It hasn't rained for a month, it's triple digit temps, and I haul about 8 gallons of water out a day for them, along with corn...everything is dried up..The grass is toast, and the soil is now dust....Gotta love Texas. What does this have to do with Interior Design...not a thing...I am reinventing these days....Being a Gemini, I have an excuse....

It's now 5:18 am, and I've made coffee, and the British Open will be televised at 6 am...life is good...

I know I will be taking a nap by noon.....oh well...such is life.