SingleBubblePop

I'VE MOVED!

noreply@blogger.com (Niki McNeill Brown) — Tue, 24 May 2016 03:36:00 +0000

Come on over to singlebubblepop.com/blog and see what I'm up to!
-xo Niki

7 iPhone Apps Every Interior Designer Needs

noreply@blogger.com (Niki McNeill Brown) — Mon, 20 Jul 2015 13:00:00 +0000

First of all, let me apologize to all my Android loving readers. I know nothing about your phones, and I can't really apologize for it. I've been #teamApple since Apple was Macintosh and I fully admit to drinking the Koolaid; I'm hooked! All my devices are Apple products so I can only speak for iPhone apps.

Second, I have to admit that although I love my iPhone, it's an iPhone 5. I'm a couple generations behind, because I'm really frugal and refuse to go get the new phone version as soon as it comes out. But I do maximize the power of my little smartphone for what I do, and I think every designer should use these 7 apps on their iPhone.

TOGGL TIMER

As a designer, I'm constantly juggling multiple projects within a day. I may spend 15 minutes on the phone with a project manager, 3 hours on a schematic design plan and then 10 minutes talking to a client about paint colors. It's so hard to keep up with how much time you've spent on which project, but crucial to have an accurate account of time for billing purposes. Toggl Timer is awesome because it allows you to easily create a project and track your time with one click. The app also automatically sends you a report each week with the time you entered, making it easy to keep up with your projects.

GENIUS SCAN

Genius Scan turns your iPhone camera into a scanner for any document of photo that you want to save. I've used this app countless times to sign a document by hand, "scan" it and send it to someone via email. It's also great for handwritten notes or drawings that you make on the fly and don't want to lose. There is a free and paid version of this app and I've done just fine with the free!

COLOR SNAP by SHERWIN WILLIAMS

Inspired by the beauty of a sunset? Love the color scheme of a certain pillow? Color Snap allows you to take a photo and pick Sherwin Williams paint colors directly from it. A great resource for creating color palettes!

COMPASS

This is an app that comes with the iPhone but I don't think most people know that not only is it a Compass but it's a level! Swipe to the right on the compass and it brings your to the level feature! Having a level on my phone is so convenient for checking hanging frames or making sure horizontal surfaces are actually level.

5 CLICKS from MOMENTUM TEXTILES

For commercial designers, this app allows you to select fabric from the Momentum collection and place it on furniture from pretty much any commercial manufacturer. It narrows down the gigantic variety for you by grade, color and type of pattern. Once a fabric is selected, the app tells you the price per square yard, how much you'll need and it's availability. This saves me so much time and communication between myself and a fabric/furniture rep.

TRELLO

My friend Dana introduced me to Trello and it's such a great tool for organizing! Similar to Pinterest, you create boards, but instead of adding photos, you add cards. These cards are interactive and can "hold" photos, pdfs, hyperlinks and more. Super useful when you need a digital file of all the elements you're curating for a project. If you're like me, the less paper in your life, the better!

PINTEREST
If you are a woman, a frequent internet browser and reading this blog, more than likely you are a fan of Pinterest. This now $5 billion valued company has captured the attention of so many for keeping a virtual scrapbook of what you love, but have you used it for client projects? Recently at one of our team meetings, one of the architects raved about how one designer in our firm used a Pinterest board on her iPad to present to a major client. She printed off a screenshot of the entire Pinterest board and used that as handouts, and then talked about each pin while displaying them via her iPad through a projector. How cool is that? I challenge any designer to use this app for more than just your favorite photos.

The best thing about all these apps is that they are FREE. And I've included download links in each of the descriptions above. If you're reading this on your iPhone right now, simply click the link and it will lead you to the App Store on your phone to download. Do you have favorite iPhone apps that help you in your design business? Please share them below!

my 5 day hospital stay

noreply@blogger.com (Niki McNeill Brown) — Wed, 15 Jul 2015 14:00:00 +0000

So I told y'all a month ago that I would elaborate on why I spent 5 days at Piedmont Hospital last fall. My stay there really forced me to push pause on my life, and I can honestly say that I didn't leave the same. Disclaimer: There's no way to make this a short story, so grab a snack and get ready to read!

On the morning of October 23rd, 2014, I woke up to a pile of moving boxes and a messy apartment. I was excited about having lunch with my friend Ally (From the Right Bank) and dreading finishing up packing for the move back to NC that I was preparing for that weekend.

After doing some more packing, I threw my hair into a bun, wrapped a scarf around my neck and ran out the door to meet Ally at this cute lunch place in Buckhead. I remember driving to the restaurant and thinking, "Did I put my contacts in backwards? My eyes feel weird!" (I don't know if any of my fellow contact lenses wearers do this, but I've made the mistake of putting my left contact into my right eye and vice versa several times.) I shrugged it off as nothing, and planned to switch them later.

As Ally and I were catching up through lunch though, I realized that something else was going on. I noticed that my vision was more than blurred; there were spots within my field of vision that were just.... gone. I left lunch, called my eye doctor explaining what I was experiencing and they suggested coming in right away.

And because I am crazy, I drove myself there without first thinking, "Maybe it isn't a good idea to drive yourself around Atlanta with a vision impairment..."

Nevertheless, I made it to the doctor. On the way, I noticed that my vision was generally clear, but the "pockets" that I could not see were increasing. It's really hard to explain but, I noticed that I could clearly see the car in from of me, but the license plate was completely invisible. Or I looked at where the stoplight should be, and I could see all the clouds in the sky, but the stoplight itself? It was completely "gone" even though I knew it was there.

Once there, my ophthalmologist tested my eyes with every instrument and test that he could, and found nothing wrong with the anatomy of my eyes. At this point, I became really frustrated because the doctor basically insinuated that I was making this up, imagining my symptoms or so stressed that I literally couldn't see. He suggested that if I really was experiencing what I was experiencing, that it had to be neurological and that I should seek consult from a neurologist.

So after this, I'm sitting in the lobby of the doctors office, with no explanation and unable to drive myself home after getting my eyes dilated. While waiting for it to wear off, I called to confirm dinner plans with my friend Kelli and I mentioned that although I felt fine, I didn't think I should drive later because something was going on with my eyes.

Being the great friend that she is, Kelli was concerned and tried to get to the bottom of this situation with me, rather than go grab cocktails & sushi as we planned. After playing doctor ourselves, I called my dad and he suggested that I go to the ER. I do NOT like being a patient, so I did not want to go. Kelli and my Dad convinced me that if I didn't go that night, I could wake up blind, or worse, not wake up at all.

So, we went to the hospital.

Once there, they put me through triage at the ER and gave me the simple "stacked letter" eye test. I remember not being able to see the big E at all with my left eye but the rest of the chart was clear. With my right eye, I could barely see anything at all. Frustrated and tired, I felt that undeniable pit of fear my stomach. They gave me a quick CT Scan to see if anything showed up in my brain, but nothing came up. The doctor on staff suggested that I stay overnight so that they could give me an MRI in the morning.

Since Kelli was only in town for work, and had to be there early in the morning, she left and I was there with just the clothes on my back, what I had in my purse and the cell phone charger she most graciously left me. Seriously, I don't know what I would have done that night if Kelli wasn't there!

The next morning, I was given an MRI. For those of you who have never had one, you have to lay down in this big tube that sounds like pieces of metal are banging all around your head. I'm glad that I'm not claustrophobic, because you're in there for a while! At this point, I've called my parents back in NC to let them know what's going on and my dad is in route to GA.

After a couple hours, a neurologist visits me in the room and asks me a lot of questions and does a series of "tests" to determine what to do next. She shows me my MRI and explains that there are lesions on my brain that indicate I have Multiple Sclerosis (MS). She's a bit perplexed though, because I had absolutely no bodily symptoms or family history, but the inflammation of my brain and the lesions present were aggressive.

My MRI looked something like this, with more lesions (the white spots) present and a ring of inflammation that showed white around the perimeter of my brain.

In this moment, I was in shock and I really kind of went numb. The next step was for me to get another MRI on my spine, to make sure there were no more lesions in my spinal cord. And then I had a spinal tap (lumbar puncture); where they stick this really big needle in your back to get a sample of your spinal fluid. They wanted to make sure this wasn't cancer or an infection.

Another neurologist came in and explained to me that what I was experiencing is optic neuritis. Basically, my brain was so swollen that it was squeezing the optic nerves which supply information from my eyes to my brain. In order to get the inflammation down, I had to have a huge dose of steroids, by IV. So they hooked me up to a machine, and gave me my first dose of "the juice" and I wait.

By this time, my dad has arrived from NC and several of my wonderful friends came by the hospital to check on me. I'm still completely in denial that all of this is happening and thinking about how I need to pack because I'm moving and starting my new job on Monday! It hadn't sunk in yet that this was the beginning of an uphill battle and that my vision wasn't going to come back quickly. Being pumped with steroids sucks, and has all sorts of weird side effects, which I wasn't expecting.

Thankfully, my family and the guy I was dating at the time showed up and completely handled my move over the weekend. My mom came down and helped me wrap up the last details of my move and drove me up to NC. My dad pulled some strings back in Raleigh and got me an appointment with a neurologist right away. When I arrived back in NC, I could not see out of my right eye at all and my left eye had only improved to about 50%. I didn't feel comfortable driving myself anywhere, so my mom and my sister took me anywhere I needed to go.

I started my new job one day later than my originally planned start date and they had no idea why. I told them that I needed one more day to finish up my move. Starting a new job is always a little nerve wracking, but it's even more strange when your mom has to drop you off and you cannot see out of one eye. I can only attribute me being able to pull it off to the grace of God!

After a couple of weeks, I was able to see a neuro-ophthalmologist (a brain doctor who specializes in eye conditions) who gave me the go ahead to drive again, with caution. Once I was able to drive again, I felt like I could finally get started on my new normal. With some intentional adjustments, I was able to drive, get settled in my new place and my new job.

So what now? It's been 9 months since my first attack and I have not had another. MS is a hard disease to diagnose and treat, but I am thankful that I have an awesome team of doctors who have gotten me on a treatment plan that seems to be working. The vision in my right eye has not completely returned; I can see out of it, but it is still a bit blurred. I'm able to do everything I need to do though, so I cannot complain. My doctors are pretty confident that I will not have another incident like October as long as I stay on my treatment plan. According to my doctor, sometimes it takes years for the optic nerves to fully recover from attack like mine, so I am especially grateful for how quickly I have rebounded.

What I learned from all of this: Youth and knowledge allowed me to take my health for granted. I was so focused on my worldly goals that I neglected to appreciate the blessing that it is just to wake up, roll over and to be able to SEE. The whole ordeal, and the months following, really forced me to take stock of what's truly important to me and how I was caring for it.

If you've read this entire long story, thank you! I hope that sharing my story blessed you in some way and puts a different face on Multiple Sclerosis. Before being diagnosed myself, I only knew one person personally that had been diagnosed, and her story is completely different from mine. If you're reading this and have any questions about MS, have MS yourself and/or just want to connect further, please feel free to reach out! Comment below, email me, or tweet me. I'd love to hear from you! If you want to hear more about what it's like for one woman to live with MS for 20+ years, check out this great blog by Tricia Chandler - www.lovemymslife.com.

And lastly, God is so faithful. And I can only attribute my continual healing to Him. I don't think it was a coincidence that this happened the very week that my friend Kelli was visiting Atlanta and I was planning to move back to NC, where I have the support of my family and friends. I could not have made it through without all of them and I am forever grateful!

the olive guide : summer edition

noreply@blogger.com (Niki McNeill Brown) — Mon, 13 Jul 2015 13:30:00 +0000

I had the privilege of contributing to The Olive Guide, a new quarterly online magazine! This magazine is the vision of my friend Quintel and it's full of bright, fun inspiration not just for your interiors but for your whole summer.

Can you believe that the chandelier on the cover is a DIY project? Interior Designer Saudah Saleem tells you exactly how to make your own inside this issue.

If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen me post my favorite photo from the issue, designed by Astral Ricks. I absolutely love the dark walls and bright artwork she used in this warm bedroom makeover.

There is so much more goodness inside this issue to see so please, check it out HERE!

Lessons from Linwood

noreply@blogger.com (Niki McNeill Brown) — Mon, 22 Jun 2015 12:30:00 +0000

It was so refreshing to scroll through social media networks yesterday and see all the love for fathers. With so much craziness going on in the world, I think we are all starving for a celebration of love. Personally, this year was the first year in a long while that I was able to drive 20 minutes down the road to see my dad on Father's Day, and I am so thankful for it!

I started to think about the lessons that I've learned from my dad that carry over into my career in design. Some of these lessons he instilled in me purposely, while others I gleaned from his example.

HAVE FUN
Linwood prioritizes having fun in life. He loves to cook and entertain, ride his motorcycle and hang out with his friends and family. I'm not as good as he is at making time to just have fun, but have realized that it truly does increase my productivity. If I don't take a break to laugh, enjoy some good food and people that I love, my work becomes dull.

DIVERSIFY
Even though my dad has been working in healthcare for half of his life, he also created businesses for himself outside of his formal education. He's previously owned several businesses all while maintaining his specialty in radiologic technology. His entrepreneurial spirit has made me think about how I can expand my design services to help more people in various ways.

KNOW YOUR SKILLS
Spend more than an hour around my dad, and I can guarantee that he will tell you that he has 756 skills. What exactly are all these skills? I'm not sure and I don't think anyone really is. The point is, HE knows. He knows what he's great at and what he's not so great at. (Most of the time) he sticks to what he does well so he's more beneficial to others. When I'm designing, I stick to what I'm great at and rely on a team of experts in areas I'm weak in to support my vision.

VALUE YOUR OWN CREATIVITY
I admire my dad's confidence in his own ideas and vision. When he comes up with something, he doesn't hesitate to share it and believes that people will love it. So many times as a creative we are our own worst critic. There have been so many great ideas that never came to fruition because they were cut from a vision before they were given a chance. Whenever I start to question whether my idea is "good enough" - I think of Linwood and at least take a second look!

WORK HARD(ER)
No professional can succeed without giving 110% to what they do. Growing up, my father taught me that nothing worth having comes easy and pushed me to keep going. Quitting was never an option, and being tired was not an excuse. I appreciate my dad teaching me this at a very young age, because it's definitely got me through when I felt like giving up.

What has your father taught you that helps you in your career? I hope y'all have a great Monday!

-Niki

what does an interior designer do?

noreply@blogger.com (Niki McNeill Brown) — Wed, 10 Jun 2015 13:00:00 +0000

If you've been following my blog for a while, then you know that I've had a bunch of jobs. I worked for various retailers, taught music lessons, interned for a hotel design & management company, etc. etc....

In all of these positions, no one questioned me about what my job duties entailed. It's pretty straight forward when you tell someone that you're a piano teacher; they know that you show someone how to play the piano and coach them on how to play more beautifully.

When I tell people that I'm an interior designer at an architecture firm, I'm usually met with a look of confusion and a slow nod. OR, my favorite response, "So you can help me decorate my living room!"

Well.... yes, I can help you with your living room, but that's not what I do at my firm. I love decorating and styling, but, there is very little of either in my job role. I realize that this confusion comes from a few things. First, the overall misconception of the general public that the titles designer and decorator and interchangeable. The two job roles overlap, but have distinct differences. Second, most people just don't know what it takes to actually build out the interior of a building. We inhabit them all the time, but most don't think about how they became what they are.

In my current role, I follow a process with every client to ensure they have a space that is both functional, boosts productivity & wellness and is beautiful too. Here's how it goes:

PROGRAMMING
Most of the time, my client is actually a commercial real estate broker who is hoping to occupy a space in a building with a tenant. That tenant has a list of requirements for that space, and my job is to assist the broker with creating a floor plan that will incorporate all their needs within an available vacancy in a building. But first, their needs have to be identified! How many people need offices? How much storage do you need? Does the tenant host visitors frequently? These are all questions that determine the program. Once the program is nailed down, then I create a schematic design plan.

SCHEMATIC DESIGN
For example, say a client needs 10 offices, has 8 workstations, needs a break room, conference room and work room, and there is a 5,000 square foot vacancy in a building. My job is plan out the space in a way that simultaneously meets the tenant's needs, adheres to building codes and stays under the broker's budget. Whenever a tenant fit-up is negotiated into their lease agreement, there is a cap on how much they can spend on building alterations within that lease without paying additional money beyond their rent. After a space plan has been finalized, the fun part starts!

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT
During design development, the details are laid out. This is when lighting plans are created, flooring is selected, paint colors and more! At this point, the tenant gets to choose what makes their space unique. I love this stage of the process because it really makes the space come alive for the tenant. I can show them actual carpet samples, paint samples and they start to visualize how the space will feel.

CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS
After the space plan has been defined, finishes have been selected and the tenant has signed off, I use AutoCAD to draft very detailed documents that instruct a general contractor on how to build out the space. This includes dimensions, millwork drawings, electrical details, lighting plans, and finish specifications. In order to receive a building permit, these drawings have to be reviewed and signed by an architect. Hence, why I work in an architecture firm! After I've prepared a set of drawings, my architect reviews them to make sure they are structurally sound and signs them. We pair our architectural sheets with drawings from engineers who at the same time have been creating drawings that dictate electrical, mechanical and plumbing requirements. That complete set is submitted to the city or town where the building is located in order to gain a building permit.

CONSTRUCTION OBSERVATION
After the permit has been received, construction starts! A general contractor and his crew comes in to tear down anything that needs to be removed and prepare the space for the new layout. I make periodic visits to the site to make sure everything is rolling according to plan. Subcontractors send submittals to me for review to make sure millwork is built correctly and lighting is installed properly, for example.

PUNCH LIST
When all the building is done, we walk through and make sure that all the details we specified are actually there. At this point, the tenant usually has begun moving in their furniture and the space starts to feel like "home".

So you see, there is no decorating involved in this process. Once a certificate of occupancy has been received and the tenant has moved in, they can choose to do what they like with the space. There are interior designers who specialize in decorating corporate office spaces, and do not do any of the process I just described. There are designers who do not do commercial office design at all, and only decorate homes where they wouldn't need to go through all or some of the steps I listed above.

I have been blessed to do both commercial and residential design and love both of them! By no means am I saying one is better than the other. In fact, I think having experience in both helps any designer serve their clients better. The thing I love the most about design is that it is a balance between creativity and structure. Working at an architecture firm allows me do what I love every day and no day is the same. Consulting for residential clients allows me to keep my hand in decorating. Both continually impact the lives of people in a positive way, which means so much to me.

Questions? Comments? Tweet me, or leave a comment on Facebook. I'd love to hear from you!

where i've been for the last year+

noreply@blogger.com (Niki McNeill Brown) — Mon, 08 Jun 2015 12:00:00 +0000

...It's been so long I forgot how to log into Blogger. Literally!

It's been quite a while y'all...

Where have I been for the last year or so? Well, "Where haven't I been?" is a better question. In 2014, I was working full-time and in-school part time, I lived in 3 different residences, had 3 different jobs and lived in 2 states. Yep, I moved back to Raleigh, North Carolina in November and I am loving being back in my home city & state.

I started off the year finishing up the last of 13 episodes of Elbow Room - and got to see my work on HGTV! What an amazing experience. I still miss the crew and the fast pace of TV all the time.

I (finally) graduated from Meredith College with my degree in Interior Design & Studio Art. I cannot even describe the level of emotion I felt when I put on my cap & gown that day to walk across the stage. I wrote a little about it on Instagram, which you can read here. I participated in the graduation ceremony on May 3rd, but I still had one class to finish over the summer. By this time, I'd found a Designer position at a small architecture firm in downtown Atlanta and was already working there. The first episode of Elbow Room Season 3 premiered a week later. Talk about an exciting week!

Transitioning into corporate office design was a dream of mine since returning to finish my degree in 2013. When I was hired last year, I was still in school part time and had an hour+ commute each way to my little cubicle Monday - Friday. Getting accustomed to a new field, while tackling school and Atlanta traffic everyday was a lot.

With my commute, every day was a 12 hour day and most of the time, I still had homework to finish for school. My last class met on Saturdays from 8AM to 1PM, so it felt like I had a part-time job until August, when I was finally done. I also became a small group leader for a toddler class at my church, so my Sundays were spent teaching babies about Jesus. :) Blogging just got lost in the shuffle!

In October of last year, after months of stretching myself thin and not taking the best care of myself, my body finally MADE me stop. I spent 5 days in Piedmont Hospital, which I'll tell you more about later. I got sick the same week I was supposed to move to Raleigh to start working for the firm that I am currently with. With God's grace, I made it through that rough patch and was able to start working back at home with my family & friends that I missed so much. Now that I have my head out of the fog of all that, I feel like I can share my evaluated experience with y'all and get back to my normal blogging routine. This blog has always been just as much about my life as it has been about design inspiration, so I feel it's only right for me to keep it an authentic reflection of who and where I am. Last year, I just wasn't in a place where I could do it.

But for those who missed it, I just want to apologize for neglecting this blog for so long. I wrote a similar "I'm back!" post last year and although my intentions were good, I just didn't have the capacity or focus at the time to do it. I've recharged, researched and refocused and I'm ready now!

So, what can you expect moving forward? You'll still hear about what's going on with me, design tips and inspiration, some new technical tips and highlights on the Raleigh area.

What did I miss in your world while I was away? Leave a comment and let me know.

the responsibility to lead

noreply@blogger.com (Niki McNeill Brown) — Mon, 20 Jan 2014 13:36:00 +0000

I thought this quote was so appropriate for MLK Day 2014. I hope that we all take some time to reflect on how Dr. King and others gone before us accepted responsibility to lead, and to think about how we can do the same thing.

interior design memories

noreply@blogger.com (Niki McNeill Brown) — Fri, 17 Jan 2014 13:30:00 +0000

My sister and I, back in the day. Yes, I know I'm missing some teeth there. :)

Some of my early memories of interior design come from my grandparents house in Mt. Airy, North Carolina. The house was small, and it was a 1960s ranch style that sat in the foothills of Pilot Mountain. It was completely unassuming from the outside, but was packed full of design details.

The front yard had fragrant bushes, and my Papa always had his truck parked beside the garage. When you walked into the front door, a small chandelier hung from the 8 foot ceiling. To the right was a formal sitting room, complete with french provincial style furniture and silk sheers that lined the entire front wall of windows. To the left was a hallway that led to two small bedrooms, a full bath and a den. The bathroom was purple from top to bottom, complete with a purple vinyl floors, tile, tub and toilet, in true 1960s fashion. I often thought "Who decided to make this bathroom purple?" It certainly wasn't my overall-wearing, cigar-smoking, grandpa!

The den was his domain. There was a TV (you know the kind that was built into a piece of furniture!) a heavy tweed chair + loveseat and a little leather footstool. My favorite part of that room was the black velvet damask wallpaper.(You can see a peek of it on the left side of the photo above!) It was so indulgent compared to the rest of the home and I can't tell you how many times I sat in there with my Papa smoking his cigar and me running my fingers across that wallpaper.

I don't have a ton of photos of that home but the memories of the interior design details are happy memories in my head. What are some of your favorite interior design memories? We all have them, and it's further proof that design matters. Your environment leaves lasting impressions on you. What impressions are being made by your current environment? Have a great weekend y'all!

dig a little deeper

noreply@blogger.com (Niki McNeill Brown) — Wed, 15 Jan 2014 13:30:00 +0000

A recent dumpster rescue that I later discovered was quite similar to the latest Veranda magazine cover.
If you follow me on Instagram, you may see me post a find or two from my thrift store adventures. A lot of people ask me, "Where did you find that?" or "How do you do it?" Well my friends, I don't have any secrets to share. All I can tell you is that I am a frequent thrift store shopper and I don't discriminate. If it says THRIFT STORE (not ~~Goodwill~~ (see why here), not ~~consignment shop~~, not ~~antique market~~), I'm in there! It doesn't matter what part of town I'm in or even what state I'm in really, I'm always looking. If there is one "tip" that I could give you, it would be frequency is key.

Another thing that I believe gets me awesome finds is looking a little deeper. One of my most favorite pieces in my apartment is this brass etagere that I found literally buried under a mess of faux flowers. The store as a whole is not an easy one to shop. They have a ton of stuff, but the organization and display is less than spectacular. However, while circling the store, I spotted this beauty that wasn't even for sale and immediately asked the owner what their price was. Not only did they sell it to me for a reasonable price, they delivered it the next day! It had all of the glass shelves still intact and the brass was in near-perfect shape. I can't wait to show you how I've styled it now. I'm using it as a mini office! The left side is perfect height to pull up a chair and use my laptop. Ironically, I'd pinned the exact piece of furniture here and here months before.

I'll post a before shot as soon as I finish styling up this corner, but this is what it looked like once I got it into the space!

What was your best thrift store find? What are your tips for getting to the good stuff?

Check out The Knight Twins talking about their thrift store finds here:

tap tap is this thing still on?

noreply@blogger.com (Niki McNeill Brown) — Mon, 13 Jan 2014 13:30:00 +0000

Happy New Year y'all! I know... it's been a while! Since I last posted here, my life has, yet again, transformed! It's so amazing how no matter how much we plan, God can top your goals and dreams. If you have been following my blog for a while, you know that at the end of 2012 I decided to leave Atlanta and move back home to Raleigh, NC to finish my Interior Design degree full-time. Packing up my life and moving back in with my mom was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. I would need about half of the emoji keyboard to really illustrate all of the emotions I experienced during that move, but I pushed through them all because deep down I knew I was making the best choice for me. Being back at Meredith was surprisingly refreshing, my love for Raleigh deepened even more, and I scored an awesome internship for the summer. I started classes in the fall of 2013 with the intention of finishing the LAST 4 classes I needed to graduate and moving on to the next thing in 2014.

Well, when I was sitting in the first day of classes reading through my syllabi, I got a call from Chip Wade saying that he wanted to interview me for a full-time position with his show HGTV Elbow Room. I didn't apply for this position. Someone left the show for another opportunity and somehow my name was suggested as her replacement. You can imagine, I'm immediately excited because I absolutely love this show and isn't the whole point of getting an education to be then gainfully employed in your area of expertise?

...But wait...

The job starts in September? So... what about school? I was falling in love with my Raleigh again, and I wasn't ready to leave my family and friends! Once again, I was challenged to make a difficult decision based on faith. Well, I knew that this job was for me and I couldn't pass it up. So I have accepted the fact that I may not be able to finish my degree in 2013 after all, but would take the opportunity regardless, and plan to finish the classes when I can. I presented my situation to my awesome advisor, fully expecting to hear "Good luck with your job but I cannot help you..." and would you know that we work out a plan for me to stay enrolled in 2 of the 4 classes I needed. The other 2 I will be completing this spring and summer here in Atlanta.

I don't know which scenario gave me more joy; getting a dream job offer back in Atlanta or the reassurance that I would still be able to finish this degree. I truly felt an overwhelming sense of favor in both scenarios, as if God was literally hugging me. I am forever grateful to Chip & Cristi for giving me the opportunity to work with them and to my advisor Dr. Burpitt for believing in me.

SO... Now it's 2014 and I am back in Atlanta, working full time for Elbow Room. We're half way through 13 episodes that will make up Season 3. Man has it been a ride thus far, and I'm loving every minute of it. I am taking one class on Saturdays and will be DONE with this degree by August 2014. My timeline was delayed, but it's still unbelievable to me that I will be finishing this program that I started in 2007! Yes, 7 years ago! I'm living proof that no path is a straight shot to achieving your dreams.

With all that going on, I stopped blogging just so that I could ENJOY it. Another decision that I'm so thankful for because it allowed me to really focus on what is important to me, and find a proper balance. I think we (millenials, social media enthusiasts) can become slaves to online connectedness. I had to take a step back and ask "Who am I serving in all of this?" Your answer may be different from mine, but I think it's an important question to ask. Once I defined that for myself, I was able to prioritize my time and be more present.

I'm excited to get back to blogging and sharing some of my life and design inspiration with y'all again! I started this blog when I started design school, so it's only fitting that I bring you along for the last leg of it. I hope that 2014 has started off amazingly for you and even if it doesn't seem like it has, know that it will get better.

MEMPHIS: st. jude children's research hospital

noreply@blogger.com (Niki McNeill Brown) — Thu, 25 Jul 2013 12:30:00 +0000

On our second day in Memphis, Brizo brought the Blogger19 group to St. Jude Children's Reasearch Hospital. This was our chance to tour the amazing facilities set up for families and children being treated at the hospital for childhood cancer.

We had breakfast in this beautiful pavilion and learned about some of the incredible advances in treatment that the hospital is creating for children battling cancer. We also learned about Brizo's partnership with St. Jude in their Dream Home Program. They are a national sponsor for this huge fundraiser for the hospital!

Next we toured the Target House, which is where families of patients live for absolutely during their treatment at St. Jude. Target generously gifted two larger multi-family housing buildings to the hospital, and various celebrities have donated their time and design talent to filling the common spaces!

There is a wall of elephant drawings (the elephant is their "mascot") created by the 100s of celebrities that visit the hospital each year.

My favorite space in the Target House is the Shawn White lounge! He and his team created such a cool space for families to share.

The room was full of cool little details that made you want to stay in it forever.

After the Target House, we toured the actual hospital and the research facility. The team at St Jude has done an outstanding job of taking the stigma out of being in a hospital and really created a space where kids can still be kids.

I wasn't able to take very many photos out of respect to the patients and families that were receiving care, but here are some shots from the fun activities we did with the patients! Their little spirits just lit up the room. It was such a blessing to have a little time with them!

I got to do some coloring with the little lady on the left in this photo, and let me tell you, she is a future boss! haha She gave be very direct instructions on how to create the perfect masterpiece. So much fun.

We learned that it takes 1.8 Million dollars a day to operate this amazing facility. Make a donation to St Jude Children's Research Hospital now! CLICK HERE Thank you so much to Brizo for giving us this unforgettable experience!

MEMPHIS: the peabody hotel

noreply@blogger.com (Niki McNeill Brown) — Tue, 23 Jul 2013 12:32:00 +0000

Last week I was fortunate to attend a reunion of the Blogger 19 hosted by Brizo Faucet. All the guests were treated to a suite at the historic Peabody Hotel right in the heart of downtown Memphis.

The lobby at the Peabody has historic décor...

...everywhere you look there are beautiful details...

...this was just one of the vent covers!

The hotel is famous for its twice daily duck march and fellow attendee Chris got the best shot of them doing there thing. It was really cute!

Brizo set up workshops for us to learn about their newest product lines in the ballrooms (More on that later!)

And the guest rooms were surprisingly the cutest shade of lavender.

I loved this comfy king sized bed, and the headboard had reading lights that flipped out of it. Another cool feature of the room? Motion triggered LED lights underneath the bedside tables. No need to fumble for the light switch in the dark!

After we all checked in on Tuesday night, a group of us headed out on the town in Memphis. Brizo put together such an amazing group of bloggers and design professionals; it was awesome just to chat in person with the people I follow online everyday! Tomorrow I'll share what we all did at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and the Delta Faucet manufacturing plant!

*My stay at the Peabody was sponsored by Brizo.

raleigh: lunching with rachel stewart

noreply@blogger.com (Niki McNeill Brown) — Tue, 16 Jul 2013 13:45:00 +0000

As promised, I'm going to be featuring what's going on in the Raleigh area more on the blog! I thought it would be great to start of with a lunch date with my friend Rachel Stewart. We went to lunch a while back at this super cute grille called Rock Harbor Grille. The food was amazing! It's located just southwest of downtown in Apex. A little out of the city limits, but worth the trip.

I loved the tin tiled ceiling...

...Rachel being fabulous as usual!

Rock Harbor specializes in seafood, and this plate did not disappoint!

I was excited to see that they had a good selection of local craft beers too. I forgot which beer I'm drinking in this photo tho, oops!

And I had this amazing salmon burger with fire roasted tomatos, pesto and melty provolone cheese. So good!

By the way Rachel has a new collection up on her site! It is inspired by her favorite sci-fi novelist Octavia Spencer. I love the statement pieces, because they are a great way to dress up a simple outfit in this humid hot weather without adding more clothing.

Check out the rest of Rachel's new collection HERE.

a new sitting room

noreply@blogger.com (Niki McNeill Brown) — Tue, 09 Jul 2013 12:53:00 +0000

I am working with a client to transform her unused formal living room into a space where she can sit, relax and enjoy a great book. The space was full of old furniture and outdated paint colors and literally was just being used as a pass through to their dining room and kitchen.

My client is a judge for family court, and after the stress of a long day in the courtroom, she wants a space to unplug and destress. I came up with a calming color scheme of slate blue & chocolate with pops of red.

One of the foundational pieces for the space is this sofa I found at World Market for a steal! This beautiful chocolate microfiber sofa was on clearance for $400. Perfect for a small space and really comfortable too.

I also had her existing artwork above her old sofa re-matted and framed. This is an excellent way to update any space: changing out dated framing came make a dramatic difference!

Last week the room was painted and what a difference that made already! The room seems so much brighter and larger. We began installing all the new furniture and accessories this weekend! Stay tuned to see the final space.

PS - That blue body pillow will NOT be staying. Ha!

why I will never support goodwill again

noreply@blogger.com (Niki McNeill Brown) — Wed, 26 Jun 2013 13:15:00 +0000

Sometimes we see something that bothers us enough to make us pause but not enough to make us speak up about it. Such was the case for me about a year ago when I was doing my normal rounds at a Goodwill store in the Atlanta area. As I was perusing one of the racks near the perimeter of the store, I heard what appeared to be a manager speaking very intensely to one of his subordinates. The store design was set up with a tall half-wall which separated the shopping area from the receiving and sorting area. What I heard was coming from this blocked off receiving area. The manager was speaking loud enough that his voice traveled over the wall and smacked me in the ear. I don't remember the exact words he said, but his tone was as if he was speaking to a disobedient dog and the words basically summed up to calling the intended recipient an idiot.

What I overheard was enough to make me stop what I was doing and frown. I did not, however, do anything about it. At the time, I thought, "Maybe that manager is just having a bad day..." and remembered that there is always a bad apple in the bunch. Since then, there have been a few more times when I went to a Goodwill store and behavior or working conditions stuck out to me.

But after seeing this video, posted by one of my Facebook friends, I have decided to no longer support Goodwill stores with donations or my money. I cannot support a company that calls themselves a non-profit and pays disadvantaged/disabled workers pennies per hour while their leadership makes 100s of 1000s (in some case millions) of dollars!

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

This really hit me deeply as I am such an avid thrift store shopper. (About 60% of my wardrobe is thrifted!) You may remember that I even dedicated a Design Talk webisodeto it. And being that Goodwill is probably THE most popular thrift store I feel like in promoting the fun of thrift store shopping I have inadvertently helped their business. What they are doing is disgusting to me. The gentleman in the video said it best, by paying these individuals next to nothing to come to work everyday, Goodwill is telling them that they are not worth it. Every human deserves to be compensated fairly for their work & especially those who have limited capacity to make more. I will no longer be supporting Goodwill, and I encourage you to do the same.

Here are some of my favorite thrift stores in Raleigh that you can enjoy instead:

Cause for the Paws (benefits SPCA)
1634 S Saunders St
Raleigh, NC 27603
(919) 755-8906
http://cfpaws.com/

Father & Sons Vintage
107 W Hargett St
Raleigh, NC 27601
(919) 832-3030
Father & Son on Facebook

monday motivation

noreply@blogger.com (Niki McNeill Brown) — Mon, 24 Jun 2013 13:00:00 +0000

We all have our own personal + professional goals that we work towards each day. If you've been reading this blog for a while you know that I have had many many attempts to find at what works for me. I've lived in different places, worked so many different jobs, left school and returned to school. If you're just getting to know me at this stage in life, you have no idea what trial & error process I've been through. The lessons I've learned from my missteps empower me and keep me motivated, so I'm thankful for them! I was reminded this weekend that I have the freedom to keep trying because nobody remembers your trys, they only remember your wins! It's an exhilarating feeling when you realize that when that one big break happens, your flubs are erased from the memories of those who care about you.

PS - Can we talk about how AMAZING Oprah's Next Chapter was last night? So many great take aways from this group of talented actresses. I really want to continue the conversation! Tell me your thoughts on it in the comments below.

gabriella sarlo in house beautiful

noreply@blogger.com (Niki McNeill Brown) — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 13:28:00 +0000

This spread featuring the home of Gabriella Sarlo designed by Stephen Shubel took my breath away! I love all the layers of color and pattern. They did an awesome job customizing catalog buys and mixing in vintage one-of-a-kind pieces to create a fun & sophisticated look.

For example, that green stripe chair is a Ballard Design piece that they reupholstered only partially.

I seriously want to live in this bedroom.

And I would spend hours and hours reading here!

Who is Ms. Sarlo? Well she's a curator of fabulous vintage finds. No wonder her home is so adorable. Find out more about her here.

monday motivation

noreply@blogger.com (Niki McNeill Brown) — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 12:53:00 +0000

How is it June 10th already? We're halfway through 2013 and this year has been nothing but surpise after surprise for me. So much so, that I've had to really evaluate what I choose to keep in my life in order to make room for the new. One lesson that I've learned over and over again is to give only major things major time. In the past I have spent too much time & energy on people or things that really don't add value to my life. Sometimes it's hard to recognize that fact, but in the end, focusing my energy on what matters to me the most always yields the best results for me & those around me.

This week let's remember not to give minor things major time!

monday motivation

noreply@blogger.com (Niki McNeill Brown) — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 12:52:00 +0000

I have a notebook that I write in. It could be called a journal, but I just call it a notebook. It's filled with thoughts and plans and notes. Sometimes I browse through it and wonder how I forgot some of the ideas and dreams I wrote down! Do you ever have moments where you remember and old idea of yours and become passionate about it again? Don't quit day dreaming! They don't expire, and you can always pick up where you left off.

Have a great Monday!

hey there

noreply@blogger.com (Niki McNeill Brown) — Thu, 30 May 2013 15:21:00 +0000

"Where have you been Niki?" Well last week was my birthday. And I actually took some time off!

On Thursday, I had dinner with some of my best friends and family at the Pit. I have been resisting the over abundance of carbs and fried food in NC since I moved back, but on my birthday, I indulged!

Then over the holiday weekend I visited Chicago for the first time...

Amazing city - I think I fell in love the first time I laid eyes on THIS. Frank Gehry is one of my favorite architects, and I'd never seen one of his works in person. Absolutely stunning!

And across the park from that amphitheater is the iconic "bean". Very cool, but it didn't wow me like the amphitheater!

I ate at some amazing restaurants and checked out Randolph Street Market, too. I wanted to live in that market and never leave. So much amazing vintage!

I'm sorry that I didn't take more photos, I was too busy gasping with excitement.

I did buy some "new" vintage navy cowgirl boots tho! ;)

I flew back to NC early Tuesday morning and went right back to work. I have to say that this may have been my best vacation yet. Can't wait to visit Chicago again.

Hope you had an awesome holiday weekend too!

design talk webisode 13: erika ward

noreply@blogger.com (Niki McNeill Brown) — Tue, 21 May 2013 12:50:00 +0000

Erika was one of the first interior designers that I met when I moved to Atlanta back in 2009. She has been such a great friend, mentor and inspiration to me since then! While I was in Atlanta a couple weeks ago I caught up with her to see what she's been up to.

For more on Erika, please check out her blog Blu Label Bungalow! And if you'd like more information on Room Service Atlanta, click here. Make sure you tell her Niki sent you! ;)

alicia keys manhattan penthouse

noreply@blogger.com (Niki McNeill Brown) — Wed, 15 May 2013 21:55:00 +0000

I've been meaning to share this since I first saw it on Aphrochic, and since my computer is not cooperating with me this week I can't deliver the Design Talk webisode I promised today! So instead, check out these photos of the recently sold penthouse of Alicia Keys.

The marble fireplace wall paired with the dritwood coffee table is so cool.

Baby grand + Keith Haring

Graffic printed pool table + Ali poster

And lastly this dramatic dining room with those greek key arm chairs!

What do you think? I have to say that the living room space is my favorite.

monday motivation

noreply@blogger.com (Niki McNeill Brown) — Mon, 13 May 2013 14:43:00 +0000

found on Get Togetha

While I was in Atlanta last week, I had dinner with my friends Ally and Dorothy Burke and something we were talking about made me blurt out, "I don't require myself to be perfect!" That may be the first time I have said that to anyone else, but it is the way I have been living my life for quite some time now. I am admittedly a retired perfectionist; at some point I realized that each morning God wakes me up, I am exactly how He wants me to be. No need to fret about what I think is "wrong". Once I let go of that annoying itch to FIX myself all the time, I noticed that the best of me effortlessly came to the surface.

I owe you guys a real recap of everything I've been up to!! I promise to fill you in this week! :)

Also, stay tuned for a new Design Talk webisode with Erika Ward tomorrow! She is truly one of my "sheroes" and I'm so happy to call her a friend.

Have a great Monday!

about high point market

noreply@blogger.com (Niki McNeill Brown) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 16:13:00 +0000

When I was growing up here in North Carolina, I never really got how much of a big deal it was that High Point Furniture Market #HPMkt was less than 2 hours away from my hometown. High Point is such a small little city with absolutely nothing going on. My mother is from Mt. Airy, which is not too far from High Point (and even smaller and slower), so I just had this impression of High Point as another town to be passed through on the highway. It wasn't until I became interested in interior design that I really grasped how influential the spring and fall markets at High Point really are. They are the Mercedes Benz Fashion Weeks of furniture. With that understanding came a strong desire to be apart! #HPMkt is exclusive to those within the furniture and design industry, and I have worked hard to position myself so that I can attend market, not just as a visitor but as a participant.

This is my gratuitous "I'm so happy to be here!" bathroom shot at Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams. :) Being able to attend this market was such milestone for me because I was able to do everything I have dreamed of doing. I visited exclusive showrooms, shook hands with the originators of huge brands. I was also really pleased to be a face of color in the almost completely "vanilla" market. I know it may not matter to some, but I'm always happy to represent those of us brown-skinned girls who love and work in design too.

I was able to choose from hundreds of fabric options and upholstery frames to design custom furnishings for the store. The showrooms themselves were inspiration overload! Imagine real life vignettes from Pinterest boards all jumbled together in one room.

Although I've been before, this time was significant for me because it reminded me that I'm exactly where I want to be in my career right now. I'm doing great in school, and looking forward to actually being DONE in December. I'm working for a great company that allows me to grow as well as practice the design skills I've learned over the last six years. PS - This little vignette reminded me so much of this space I did last year!

I'm so grateful to be at this point! And even though I'll always keep striving for more, it was nice to be able to just sit back and appreciate the moment. Have a great weekend y'all!

SingleBubblePop

I'VE MOVED!

Come on over to singlebubblepop.com/blog and see what I'm up to!-xo Niki

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interior design memories

dig a little deeper

*tap tap* is this thing still on?

MEMPHIS: st. jude children's research hospital

MEMPHIS: the peabody hotel

raleigh: lunching with rachel stewart

a new sitting room

why I will never support goodwill again

monday motivation

gabriella sarlo in house beautiful

monday motivation

monday motivation

hey there

design talk webisode 13: erika ward

alicia keys manhattan penthouse

monday motivation

about high point market

Come on over to singlebubblepop.com/blog and see what I'm up to!
-xo Niki

tap tap is this thing still on?