Design Crush: Banner Day Consulting

May 22, 2017

Last week I shared this beautiful sunroom space with you. One click on this image led me to the designer that created the space, Clara of Banner Day Consulting.

Clara’s story of how she became a decorator is like so many other people these days…she followed her passion. After realizing that her legal career wasn’t satisfying her creative desires, Clara left that profession to follow her love of design. Today, she works with both corporate and residential clients helping them to create spaces that are comfortable and inviting.

In looking through the Banner Day portfolio, it’s obvious she has a knack for design and an art for infusing the rooms she works on with style and personality.

From statement wallpaper to the artful use of reclaimed wood, Clara adds unexpected touches that bring her work to life.

Design Profile: BANNER DAY CONSULTING

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To see more of the Banner Day design portfolio, click here and be sure to check out the blog here.

Design Crush: Kirsten Marie

June 16, 2015

I recently came across the design portfolio of designer Kirsten Marie and was immediately taken by the beautiful spaces she designs. Many of the homes she’s decorated speak to my personal design style which I identify as eclectic glam with a twist. Every space she has designed is the perfect mix of vintage and modern with an unexpected detail or pop of color that adds a distinct personality.

Kirsten is a California designer who stumbled into the design world but based on her incredible talent she was obviously meant to be a designer.

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On the Bookshelf: Design Books for 2015

January 15, 2015

Hi there! I hope you enjoyed the post on the trends I spotted at the Atlanta Gift & Home Furnishing show last weekend. Today I’m back to share something else from the show–books!

Checking out all of the soon-to-be published interior design books at market is one of my favorite things to do. And this market did not disappoint.

Here’s a round-up of my favorite design books that will be released in the first quarter of 2015!

{click on the image to read more about each book & pre-order}

No design library is complete without Barclay Butera!

If you read the blog Subtle Revelry (and you should) you’ll definitely want to get Materially Crafted written by Victoria, the creator of that blog.

India Hicks is a design icon and creates some of the most beautiful tropical inspired space. This book is filled with lots of design ideas you can use in the city too.

Another design icon, Barbara Westbrook is coming out with a book entitled Gracious Rooms. And every page is just that, photos of beautifully designed and gracious rooms.

Since I love shopping at flea markets, I’m excited about this book, Flea Market Secrets! It’s filled with shopping sources and shopping tips to turn you into a thrift market pro!

Bohemian style is really popular right now and this book provides lots of design inspiration if this is your design style. I love it for the creative and unique accessorizing ideas.

And the book that I am most EXCITED about is Modern Mix by Eddie Ross. I’m sure all of your know Eddie and love his style as much and I do. I’d give anything just to spend a day with him but until that happens I’ll be spending lots of time pouring over is his.

Great inspiration is at your fingertips!

top image source

I’ve Been Featured!

June 2, 2014

Hello there my friends! Today I wanted to share with you an exciting feature that the great folks over at Terrys Blinds did on yours truly.

If you are not familiar with Terrys Blinds, they are an international based window covering company offering a range of stylish and affordable window blinds. As a regular feature on their blog, their Designer Insights column spotlights individuals in different creative fields, ask their top picks of the season, and seeks business advice and career tips for the Terry Blinds readers. I am thrilled and honored to have been featured!

You can ready my full feature here!

Connect with Terrys Blinds on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest!

What I’ve Learned from Nate about design and about life

March 11, 2014

Have you ever been asked the question “what famous person would you like to have dinner with?” I have and my list of names includes a handful of people, one of which has inspired me in design and in life.

The first person on my list, Oprah, needs no explanation and I am grateful to her for giving the second person on my list the design opportunity of his life and making me aware of him.

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Inspiration Comes in Many Forms–A look at an Atlanta Artist

November 12, 2013

I am constantly amazed at the talent that some people posses. Those people who the can find creativity in the most unusual places and turn totally functional and mundane items into amazing works of art. Have you ever looked at a dryer duct in the hardware store and thought to yourself, I can turn that into something magnificent? What about gutter guards? Have those ever been on your DIY project supply list?

Recently I had the pleasure of meeting Jessica, one of my blog readers and fellow Atlantan who just so happens to have the ability to look at dryer ducts and gutter guards and envision beautiful wall art and light fixtures. From her creative vision comes amazing hand-crafted Signature Piecez.

These beautiful wall décor piece are crafted from dryer vent and are really dynamic on a wall. I think the red or silver version would be a fun twist on a traditional Christmas wreath look.

Jessica makes a lot of commissioned pieces like this large art canvas which again is crafted from dryer vent.

Who knew gutter guards could be so chic?!

This table setting and chair décor was created for a local event, To Live and Dine.

One of my favorite pieces…tissue paper chandelier.

By day Jessica is an accountant but after hours she can be found walking the aisles of the hardware store looking for her next source of inspiration.

To learn more about Jessica, see more of her amazing work and learn more about Signature Piecez head here!

Inspiring Words from Sarah Richardson

October 17, 2013

The other day I attended a design presentation at ADAC Atlanta given by Sarah Richardson, a designer that is at the top of my design idol list. Sarah is the talented Canadian designer behind the popular HGTV shows Design Inc. Sarah 101 and Sarah’s House. In addition to designing fabulous rooms on her shows, Sarah shares the ins and outs of the design business and gives design advice that any homeowner can put to use. All this, along with Sarah’s charming personality are the reasons I admire her so much.

Seeing Sarah in person was pure joy and hearing her words of inspiration on building and growing a business was icing on the cake.

{cute as a button}

Before Sarah got started with her presentation she let us know that Tommy, her adorable sidekick was home sick in bed. She asked us all to wave and say hi as she took a video to send to him.

Once the presentation began, Sarah shared how she got started in the design business, showed images of her work and gave all the designers in the room some really simple but great design advice.

Here are the things that stuck out in my mind.

Every designer should define, understand and CREATE A SIGNATURE STYLE for themselves and KNOW YOUR BRAND. Knowing this will not only help you be a better designer, but it will help your clients understand who you are and how you approach business.

I also loved Sarah’s design philosophy…”Create rooms tailored to your clients and their interpretation of what home means to them.”

Another aspect that she spoke about that both designers and homeowners need to tap into is their INSPIRATION. Knowing what inspires you as a designer or someone who is decorating a home will help you create a space that is right for you. Sarah spoke about the things that inspire her…pattern mixing, color, rooms that have both a feminine and masculine point of view and mixing old with new.

Sarah has been designing for quite a few years and one of the things she really focuses on beyond the work is BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS. Building relationships with your clients, support team, painters, contractors and anyone you work with is key to developing and maintaining a successful business. She fully acknowledged that her business is a team effort and not a solo one. I couldn’t agree more!

And the final inspiration point that stood out to me was this…every designer should HAVE A POINT OF VIEW & UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE. To help with this process Sarah divides her work in to 4 key looks that form the starting point of every space she designs:

SHORE–Coastal colors, a soft palette, a relaxed vibe

BOULEVARD–City chic, refined color palette

SIDEWALK–Family friendly interiors, light-hearted, youthful

FARM HOUSE–Rich color palettes, warm, antiques

After the presentation we headed to the Kravet showroom where Sarah’s new line of fabrics were on display. I can’t begin to tell you how beautiful her collection is.

Each color grouping has the perfect mix of solids, textures, pattern scales and the looks can be mixed and matched in so many ways.

This is my favorite collection and the floral below is my favorite pattern.

If you’ve ever watched one of Sarah’s show you’ll recognize that these patterns are definitely her signature style…classic with a vintage feel.

Sarah loves blue color palettes which are heavily represented in her collection.

The fabric line is launching as we speak and you can already find many of the styles at Forsyth Fabric here in Atlanta or online at House of Fabric.

Oh, I forgot to tell you that Sarah also mentioned she is working on a book. It’s in the early stages so there is no release date yet but I can’t wait to add her book to my design library.

Everyday I look to be inspired by something or someone and spending the afternoon with Sarah was inspiring beyond words.

To learn more about how Sarah got started in the design business head here and to see more of the beautiful spaces she and her team design head here.

Follow Sarah on FB and Instagram!

images via Sarah Richardson.com

Great Reads: New Books for the Library

August 6, 2013

I was down at the gift and furniture mart here in Atlanta last week and took a moment to stop by a few showrooms to check out some of the new design books coming out this fall. During the fall months, there are always a slew of new books being published which in turn means the UPS man will be stopping by once or twice.

I’m somewhat of a book snob and really don’t like to buy books unless I can take a sneak peek it be before hand. That’s one of the good things about have the mart here in Atlanta. While many of the books are in mock-up form I at least get to check out the cover and look at a few of the pages. The cover says a lot about a book and if it is mostly text heavy, and has little visual inspiration, it’s usually not at the top of my purchase list.

Anyhow, here are some of the books I was able to spy and I’ve noted the ones that will definitely be making their way to my home. All of these books are available for pre-order on Amazon so you too can start you book buying planning too! Enjoy and let me know which title(s) you’ll be adding to your bookshelf.

I am so excited that Mary Carol Garrity is coming out with a new book Nell Hill’s Rooms We Love. Like all of her books, this one is filled with beautiful images of comfortable, stylish rooms each with a distinct personality. Mary Carol, the owner of the specialty retail stores Nell Hill, shares her design tips, design approach and design tricks in this book. And you’ll get to look inside Mary Carol’s home which is a design dream. This one’s a definite!

p.s. All of the other Nell Hill titles are worth investing in too!

I hadn’t really followed the career and life of Aerin Lauder until I started seeing images of her home appear on Pinterest and saw this article on ElleDecor. Ever since them I’ve been in love with her style and her fashion sense. Her new book, Beauty at Home looks like it is going to be stunning and the cover alone should make you want to buy it. This one is getting added to my Christmas list!

Anything Veranda is worthy of a place on the bookshelf and I am definitely looking forward to reading this new title, The Art of Outdoor Living. This book looks like it will provide a photo tour of some of the most beautiful gardens and homes ever designs. Yes please, get here as soon as you can!

While Rachel Ashwell’s style is not totally in sync with mine, I am looking forward to reading Couture Prairie because it includes a tour of Round Top, Texas and the world-famous flea market that takes place there every year. I am also excited to get a look at Rachel’s home and see how you creates her signature style using flea market finds, salvage items and architectural treasures. I’m for sure getting this book and planning a trip to Round Top.

I love all things illustrations and know I will love this book filled with just for that reason. Fashion House is all about showcasing the interiors of design and fashion icons through hand-drawn images. When I can tap into my love of fashion and design I know I’ve found my happy place. On the Order List!

If you love beautiful illustrations too, you’ll also want to check out A Life of Style by Rebecca Moses. This book has been out for a few years but it one of my favorite design books of all times.

Suzanne Kasler is one of my favorite designers and just like her first book, Timeless Style is going to showcase her work from homes across the country. I’m looking forward to adding this classic design book to my library. On order!

I’ve never owned a Candice Olson design book before since I watch her shows and admire her style and design approach I’m looking forward to checking Everyday Elegance out. What I like most about Candice’s style is how elegant she can make a room look using simple and practical design ideas. I know the before and after photos of this book will offer up lots of design lessons. Another one added to the Christmas list.

And finally, while not a design book, I adore Ree Drummond so The Pioneer Woman Cooks a Year of Holidays is a must have book.

I’m a faithful viewer of the Pioneer Woman cooking show every Saturday morning and just love how easy and effortless Ree makes cooking look like. She is so down to earth and makes cooking look fun, which has even prompted a non-cooker like me to try a few of her dishes. And being from Oklahoma myself, I can’t help but love an Oklahoma gal!