W Design Studios

hey kids we've moved

2011-11-02T08:35:00.000-07:00

hello to anyone still reading W Design Studios blog or hello to anyone who has stumbled upon this blog in the last few months/weeks/days. W Design Studios is still around we are just taking a little sabbatical. I am now working for Corvidae Architecture and Design, a company my boyfriend and I created in conjunction with the project we are working on right now.

We are super excited to share with you our new blog Design House Love. We are building a house in Durango, CO and you can follow along with us as we blog about all of the adventures we are having. Please check it out we would love to have you!

You can learn more about us by clicking here and you can start from the beginning of our blog by clicking here.

A rendering of our house project- via Design House Love

Designer Spotlight: Sam Maloof

2010-03-31T20:58:00.000-07:00

Sam Maloof's House and Studio in California

Part of why I write this blog is simply as an excuse / motivation to learn more about design and architecture. Sam Maloof was virtually unknown to me before two years ago. Little did I know that I had seen his beautiful work many times before in glossy magazine spreads in Architectural Digest and in person at the Renwick Gallery in Washington DC.

Like Maloof I have an extreme appreciation for small details and the beauty of natural materials. Sam Maloof is considered to be one of the great American woodworkers. Maloof, grew up in California during the first part of the 20th century. In 1948, after serving in WWII and getting married, he returned to his native Ontario, California and set up a woodworking shop in the garage of his home. He started making furniture for his own home and wasn't commissioned to create a piece for a paying client until 1949. He moved to a bigger studio in Alta Loma, California in 1953.

He was working during the fabulous post-war period when modernism was emerging in the California desert. His designs in wood are so meticulous but the influence of modernism is seen in the simple elegance of his pieces. He is is known for the extreme delicacy in which he design his pieces, each as a living breathing piece of art. Completely self-taught, Sam Maloof his furniture exemplified the idea of modern practicality in conjunction with beautiful styling and craftsmanship.

Unfortunately we lost a great craftsman last year in May 2009, however his legacy lives on. His company Sam Maloof Woodworking has several talented craftsmen working, designing and using the techniques that Sam taught them over years of apprenticeship. His collection of work also lives on in the homes of many collectors and is often featured in exhibitions around the country.

"Craftsmen in any media know the satisfaction that comes in designing & making an object from raw material. Mine comes from working in wood. Once you have breathed, smelled & tasted the tanginess of wood, and have handled it in the process of giving it form, there is nothing, I believe, that can replace that complete satisfaction gained."

-Sam Maloof

Evolution, not revolution, is the hallmark of his style.

Each of his pieces whether an individual rocker or a group of dining chairs, each piece is individual & will have subtle nuances. Every chair is designed individually - "it's a living thing".

Other designers you might enjoy who work with wood:

George Nakashima

Thomas Moser

Gustav Stickley

brunch bunch

2010-03-29T19:30:00.000-07:00

As you may have noticed I am so happy to say that spring is here to stay, the days are getting longer and the weather is warmer. What better time to host a spring brunch? I love brunches, they are easy to pull together and it usually at a time when most people are free.

Buy some peonies or cherry blossom branches and place in mason jars as your centerpiece I just love this yellow inspiration board from Snippet and Ink

inspiration board from snippet and ink

The menu should be simple, I believe that a fresh simple brunch menu can be enjoyed by all especially the hostess.

W Designs Brunch Menu

Bread basket-

buy muffins and croissants or other delicious bread items from a local bakery Arrange them beautifully in a basket or on a tray Mix 1 tbsp. of honey, orange zest or strawberry jam with 1 stick of soft butter for a delicious spread

A Nice Fruit Salad-

my grandmother always has a nice fruit salad at any party (as opposed to those really mean fruit salads), she carefully cuts up melons, strawberries, pineapple, anything that is in season It couldn't be prettier or more delicious

Photo via Mango Power Girl Flickr

Yogurt Bar-

display plain yogurt in a glass serving bowl with sprigs of fresh mint, granola, and honey nearby so guests can make their own yogurt parfait including some of that great fruit salad

Deviled Eggs from Founding Farmers

Breakfast Protein-

a traditional charcuterie plate would make a wonderful option for breakfast,

your local butcher can recommend sausages, cheese and spreads. add hardboiled eggs and bacon to your own charcuterie tray to finish off this breakfast spread

Photo via Maggie Austin

Welcome Back

2010-03-22T18:51:00.000-07:00

photo by this is glamorous

So, I have been missing for a while. I went to Vermont skiing, then I got sick and finally I just couldn't bear to be indoors on the computer at all this weekend as spring has arrived in Washington. We have daffodils, magnolia trees blooming and the cherry blossoms are on the verge of explosion. But thats no excuse so its back to my regular posts this week.

What better time to re-introduce myself and my blog. I have been very busy working on developing my company's new look which I hope to debut to you very soon. For those who don't know me, and for those who do but may have forgotten, I am an interior designer, I have a BS in Interior Design and I have been practicing for five years. I work at Skidmore,Owings and Merrill, a huge international architecture firm, during the day but residential interiors, event planning and cooking are my real loves.

A sneak peek at my new look!

W Design, formally W Design Studios, is my company. And right now W Design is everything and anything that I love to do. I have residential clients that I work with on their apartments in the city, and their beach houses on the bay. I am also working on a couple of event planning projects including one of my best friend's baby showers. This blog is just my way of updating friends, family and hopefully potential clients what I am up to and things that inspire me.

I look forward to hopefully inspiring you too! And as always email me for anything at all, questions, comments, or if you are interested in finding out more about W Design and what I can do for you!

One of my projects { French Macarons }

photos by coe

Bon Weekend!

2010-03-11T20:27:00.000-08:00

Have a lovely weekend. Im running off to Vermont to go skiing with my best-ie friend!

photo via messy maisies

Spotlight: DC Designer / Architect / Photographer

2010-03-08T21:22:00.000-08:00

So I am working on re-developing my brand, or rather, developing my brand. It is a huge undertaking, I feel like there are so many decisions to be made and all of them seem so important. From what my company name is going to be, to what logo I should have, colors, wording, its overwhelming. Thank goodness I have some great friends helping me. One person in particular has been extremely helpful, Brian a native of Pittsburgh, PA and graduate of University of Maryland Architecture school, has been graciously working with me to create a new image. I told him I want to be the next Martha Stewart, only younger and a little more cutting edge, and he ran with it. Hopefully I will be unveiling my new look within a couple of weeks but until then everyone should check out some of Brian's other talents at his website.

Spring Fling

2010-03-04T17:32:00.000-08:00

I am itching to host a spring garden party and cannot wait until the grass turns green. The first signs of spring are all around Washington, we have snowdrop flowers poking up and the temperatures are getting slightly warmer. The sign for me that spring is really here is when the Cherry Blossoms around the Tidal Basin bloom. The full event calendar can be found here, its only a few weeks away!

Until then enjoy these great photos from past years blossoms!

A few inspiring images to host your own Cherry Blossom party

via Sugar On The Rock

Resources: Cherry Blossom Sky found on flickr ~ Cake found onMartha Stewart Weddings ~ Cherry Blossom close up ~ Candles available at Bridal Favorites ~ Asian fan available at Favor Studio ~ Cupcakes made by Hello Naomi ~ Centerpiece idea found on InStyle Weddings ~ Cherry Blossom print lanterns available atAmazon ~ Dessert Bar created by Amy Atlas ~

Photos via KHusley

Going for the Green

2010-02-28T07:34:00.000-08:00

The 2010 Vancouver winter Olympics are coming to a close today. It has been an amazing two weeks of triumph, sportsmanship, extreme dedication and fantastic performances from all of the athletes but especially from team USA, we kicked butt!!

I have always marveled at the architectural planning and design that occurs years before the games, but I am curious to know what the fate of these buildings are after all of the coaches, athletes and visitors go home. Vancouver did not build a "bird's nest" or "cube" as we saw in China for the Summer games. They didn't have an iconic architect design a monument to sports but instead focused on their city and created an olympic village to be proud of. Millennium Waters is only the second planned community to be awarded LEED Platinum status, the highest honor. Formally an industrial site along the beautiful False Creek, this development boasts, all LEED Gold buildings, a "net-zero" energy building, and a proximity to both nature and downtown.

A view from False Creek; Millennium Waters is a Mixed Use Community, residential buildings with shops and restaurants integrated. There is also a community center on the water that houses a marina, a restaurant and a day care.

The residential buildings employ passive design decisions to allow the condos to be light filled reducing the need for artificial light.

This diagram shows other ways the architects designed the buildings for energy efficiency. Passive cooling such as blinds and shading devices and deep balconies allow the resident to control passive cooling and solar heat gain. Operable windows and an innovative building envelope provide fresh air circulation and heating efficiency.

All of the residential buildings feature courtyards as well as green roofs with community gardens, picnic areas and kids play areas. This allows residents to have that backyard feel and promotes community.

Planners and the city were very aware of the importance of the landscape and reinvigorating this once industrial site. Native and adaptive plants contribute to shoreline health and regrowth, and there are walking/biking paths, a timber board walk and a community beach.

The Historic Salt Building, built 1930, was integrated into the plan as a community center with a brew pub and a coffee grinder.

Millennium Waters all decked out for the Olympics.

The interiors of the residences also had to comply with LEED ideals. Energy efficient appliances and low-voc materials make this is healthy place to live.

I am sure there will be plenty of criticisms of this project in the future however, I find it inspiring that a major developer is willing to take the risk to design a community that strives to be a healthy place to live and a community that is deemed worthy of the LEED platinum status. Already the project was millions over budget, but I also think that Millennium Waters will become a very delightful place to live and that it will have great success.

You can read more about the project at:

Inhabitat

The Challenge Series

Millennium Water

Photos via: Inhabitat, The Challenge Series, Glotman Simpson Flickr, Kiwinky Flickr

Sleepy

2010-02-24T20:04:00.000-08:00

Zagg Frames by Warby Parker

I am so sleepy tonight that this post is going to be kind of short. I did want to share with all of you my find via Daily Candy. Warby Parker is a very cool company that is selling fabulous eyewear at an even more fabulous price! Almost every pair is $95.00 including your prescription! That is crazy, plus I just read that every time you buy a pair Warby Parker will give a pair to someone in need. I have a feeling this company is going to be flooded with good press in the coming months and I think I might just jump on the band wagon and get myself a new pair of frames!

How cute are these guys?!

The photography and look of the website is terrific. Plus there is a fun feature where you can upload a photo of yourself and "try on" a virtual pair of frames!

And I love that they are selling a monocle! It is $50.00 and as they say on their site "the Colonel is the perfect accessory for budding robber barons, post-colonial tyrants and super villains"

Nursery Know How

2010-02-22T19:55:00.000-08:00

I am so excited, one of my best friends is having a baby boy at the beginning of the summer, she looks so adorable and can't wait until he is here! Of course I am also a little crazed about what she is going to do with her nursery so I thought I would subliminally influence her with this entourage of awesome nurseries. I also have a list of my favorite sites for modern children's furniture and toys!

Jenna Lyons, creative director of J. Crew, black walls and yellow striped ceiling is fabulous.

via Domino

This little guy has a fireplace in his room and a mom with fabulous style!

via Domino

Another view of the room with the Oeuf crib converted into a toddler bed.

I love this crib!

Dwell Studios Transportation bedding

via Modern Nursery

I love how elegant this nursery looks, the colors are so soothing

and this lucky baby has a fabulous view!

via Friago flickr

This nursery is so simple but I love the antique looking map shade.

Maybe a future explorer lives here?!

via How Now Design flickr

The infamous Eames rocker, a staple in any modern nursery.

via Ella & Elliot

I thought this was such an interesting theme for a baby room, camels are hidden around the room!

And I love that chartreuse wall.

via OhDeeDoh

More animals done in a very fresh way, and I love the wall color.

via Decor Pad

This happy little room is great. And this little dachshund dog

shows up in many modern nurseries.

via mlcassid flickr

I wish this was my room, the light and the space is magnificent and this Noah's Ark is great!

via Oh Happy Day

I love all of the color in this nursery.

via OhDeeDoh

This shabby chic nursery is beautiful and would become a great little girls room.

via OhDeeDoh

I love this room, the reclaimed wood wall is fabulous and the

baby bedding with kangaroos is awesome!

via Decor Pad

My Favorite Sites

I Love Blue

2010-02-17T19:27:00.000-08:00

I have always loved blue, especially deep, nautical, navy blue. It always looks crisp and classic, especially paired with bright white accents or moody grey. I have completed a few home designs that utilized a dark navy palette. The pictures below are from House Beautiful's Kitchen of the Month section and I think it is an elegant example of how blue can be utilized. The white Carrara marble is so beautiful, albeit extremely high maintenance, but the simplicity of the design and the bold color makes this space worthy of the "kitchen of the month" title.

I love the size of this island and the huge window over the sink.

I also love having the extra wall oven for big baking jobs!

The square farm house sink takes simplicity to heart and is classic yet modern.

This kitchen is boasts traditional cabinetry and yet remains young and fresh because of the bold color and the minimalist detailing.

Photos via House Beautiful

Mad about Macaroons

2010-02-15T19:33:00.000-08:00

Okay, so many of you may have seen my Facebook post of the macaroons that I made last night for a cocktail soiree that we had tonight afterwork. I must say they turned out pretty darn good. I was just so excited that they actually looked like macaroons! My dream would be to go to Paris and take a class from the famous pastry chefs at Laduree. They are the premiere purveyors of these beautiful and delicious little treats and their shops are so beautifully decorated. The buzz is all about macaroons these days, move over cupcake.

So sweet

A view from the street

How exquisite are these colors?!

The interiors are so beautiful and French

And these are mine! They don't look to bad! I am so excited to continue experimenting

with new flavor combinations and colors!

Consider yourself kissed.....

2010-02-14T05:31:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentines Day

Hope you have a beautiful day.

xoxo

Photography via le love

Snow Tigers

2010-02-10T21:36:00.000-08:00

I love snow....I think it is beautiful and fun to play around it. It is great when you get off a day of school and you can play outside, go sledding with your friends, and come home and eat chicken noodle soup.

But this has got to end! We have be pummeled by 24+ inches of snow in the last 5 days and I know you don't need me reminding you. The news channels are running endless programming of snow conditions, snow reports, reports on power outages, reports on snowball fights, omg such and such place is open and delivering pizza, what a tragedy some idiot lost control of his car and is stuck in a snow bank. I can't take it anymore!!!!!

On that note I know everyone has been stuck in their homes for the past couple of days and are going a little bit stir crazy. But what a perfect opportunity to host a party!

I live in a condo community and the neighbors around here have each been hosting parties all weekend long. Some of them were quiet elaborate with multiple courses. Another was cocktails and appetizers and one neighbor had everyone over for bowls of delicious homemade soup and to sit in front of their fireplace and look at the beautiful snow from their patio windows.

So why not host a Chinese New Year party this weekend? It is the perfect time to have your neighbors over and a fun tradition to celebrate. Martha Stewart has some wonderful recipes on her site. And 2010 is the year of the tiger- or in our case a snow tiger!

Martha Stewart.com

For your party fill your home with paper lanterns and candles. The Chinese New Year is traditionally ends on the 15th day with a lantern festival. This will work especially well if you are still without power!! Anything red will invoke the feeling of the season. Its fun to have party favors such as party poppers with little treats or you could break out the 4th of July sparklers for the end of the evening.

Other Chinese New Year traditions include: covering your windows and doors with red paper cutouts with themes of wealth, happiness, and longevity. This seems like the perfect afternoon activity!

Chinese New Year is all about new beginnings. It is a time to spend with family and friends and it is also a time to reconnect with neighbors. I think one of the greatest lessons of Chinese New Year is that it is a time to forget old grudges and truly wish everyone a happy and healthy New Year!

Hopefully the snow will be melting away as you share your home with friends and family for your own Chinese New Year!

Wall Coverings Galore!

2010-02-08T20:57:00.000-08:00

You know how your mom/grandmother's wallpaper was dusty blue with a little pattern of geese holding baskets? Or perhaps it was dusty pink with a fleur de lis pattern? Anyway, the 80's ruined wallpaper for you and you swore up and down that wallpaper would never again be applied to any surface of your home, especially after countless hours of scraping the stuff off of walls and praying to the gods of design that paint would cover up the mess!

Well wall coverings are back in a big way (has been for a while actually), but don't worry the patterns are bolder, more vibrant and they aren't your grandmother's wallpaper! I have not even scratched the surface of what is out there but I hope I have provided enough of a variety to peak your interest.

Enjoy!

Julia Rothman for Hygge & West

Wallpaper available by the yard for those accent walls!

Julia Rothman Design

Stripes courtesy of bellemaison23

I love this wallpaper! The dinosaur bones glow in the dark!

From Paper Boy Wall Paper

Coordinating papers from Osborne & Little

I always love a menswear stripe. Photo courtesy of Fanfare Interiors

Osborne & Little "Genoa" paper

Ralph Lauren Home - Haberdashery Collection

Designers Guild- Amalienborg Collection

A Few Designers to Look For:

Brunschwig & Fils

Cole & Sons

Designers Guild

Osborne & Little

Nina Cambell

Thaibaut

Romo

F. Schumacher

Ralph Lauren Home

Mon Petit Chou...

2010-02-03T21:22:00.000-08:00

... my little cabbage, I remember my best friend Maria explaining to me this french term of endearment and thinking it was just perfect. Why is it that anything in French sounds like the most elegant, romantic proclamation of love? I am positive the French do not have a day dedicated to expressing ones feelings as we do, instead they practice the art of passion daily. Maybe that should be our new approach to love, practice makes perfect!

Photography by You Look Nice Today Photography via Snippet and Ink

Alas, we have Valentine's day and for me it is a fun day to remind my friends and family that I love them. I remember decorating shoe boxes in Elementary school, to create a "mailbox" for the many Valentines that I would receive from classmates. I can recall in second grade when a boy in my class made a card out of construction paper and white paper doilies. He had written "you are pretty" and his name, which shall remain anonymous, on the inside of the card. Why can't we all be that straightforward?

I admire that boy's direct approach as well as his homemade note, and I do enjoy a homemade Valentine card. There is something about getting a little note from a friend on February 14th or any day really that feels special. This Valentine's Day celebrate your friendships and the people who mean the most to you. A great place to find handmade cards and stationary that are both personal and fun is my great friend Melanie's etsy store, Verbage ! Melanie along with many of her graphic savvy friends have just launched their store selling one of a kind notes, postcards and stationary. Their collection of sassy, off-beat, non-traditional and "irreverent" valentines just came out and is ready to ship! Mel can guarantee shipping by Feb. 10th if you order by Friday at 5pm.

Office Love Mini Cards by Verbage

Consider Yourself... by Verbage

GIVE AWAY...

So to entice you all to share your most embarrassing, romantic or silly valentine's day memory I am going to give away a set of Melanie's XO mini cards for the best story! I encourage you to leave your comments here for everyone to enjoy and visit Verbage.

Happy Valentines Day!

Photography by Anna Kuperburg via Snippet and Ink

Book Review: The Glass Room

2010-01-27T21:24:00.000-08:00

"High on a Czechoslovak hill, the Landauer House shines as a marvel of steel, glass and onyx. Built specially for newlyweds Viktor and Liesel Landauer, a Jew married to a gentile, it is one of the wonders of modernist architecture. But the radiant honesty and idealism of 1930 that the house seems to engender quickly tarnishes as the storm clouds of World War Two gather. Eventually, as Nazi troops enter the country, the family, accompanied by Viktor’s lover Kata and her child Marika, must flee."

This is the synopsis of the new novel by Simon Mawer, The Glass Room, which made the short list of The Man Booker prize in 2009. Written as historical fiction, this novel immediately caught my attention when I found out that it centered around the design, construction and habitation of one of Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe's most famous pieces of architecture, The Villa Tugendhat in the Czech Republic. This exemplary piece of modern architecture plays a central role in the lives of the fictional characters in the story, however, in real life this home was commissioned by a Jewish couple in Czechoslovakia between the two world wars. Mawer takes extreme artistic license to create a tale of art, architecture, sex and betrayal but the description of the house is accurate down to the very last detail. And as the review from The Guardian in the UK stated, "The Glass Room is not merely a piece of architecture within the book; it is the architecture of the book."

The Villa Tugendhat is Mies Van der Rohe's crowning jewel, the architecture is spectacular as are the interiors. It is amazing how keenly aware, architects of the past were of the little details of a project. From ones approach leading up to the property, to how you enter and exit rooms and the views you experience within the space. I remind myself that it is often an interior designers job to come in after the fact and work with the "architecture" of today to create these types of experiences, long after the "architect" of today has gone.

I look forward to reading this piece of fiction and hopefully someday soon visiting The Villa Tugendhat in the Czech Republic, until then...

"living inside a work of art is an experience of sublime delight - the tranquillity of the large living room and the intimacy of the smaller rooms . . . the most remarkable experience of modern living" (From The Glass House)

"Ever since man came out of the cave he has been building caves around him, he cried. Building caves!But I wish to take man out of the cave and float him in the air. I wish to give him a glass space to inhabit."

(Mawer channeling MiesVan der Rohe)

The slender columns are so elegant marching through the living room.

The sitting are in the Villa Tugendhat with the famous onyx feature wall behind.

The huge expanse of windows must have allowed the family fabulous views of the country side in Brno, Czechoslovakia throughout the seasons.

Critics of modern architecture cannot say that this space is cold, it exudes warmth through the use of exquisite materials.

A beautiful view of the approach of the residence and the surrounding landscape.

Old Dogs Can Learn New Tricks!

2010-01-25T19:56:00.000-08:00

I love animals, I have been dreaming of getting a dog, someone to greet me lovingly at the door when I get home every night. Alas, a dog is not in my near future. So instead I started thinking about how to add animals in to my decor. I also love vintage advertisements, a client of mine just chose the striking monkey above for his dining area. He commands the attention of everyone in the room (the monkey that is) and he adds a liveliness to the atmosphere. That is why I love the collection of prints below, these are just a few of the wonderful examples of vintage animal posters that are available with just a little internet searching. They make a great statement and can add a punch of color to an otherwise neutral space or some playfulness to set off a more serious room. And that best thing about these pieces are that they can be integrated into almost any type of design and they work well as a stand alone piece or grouped with other art / decorative objects.

These two prints are great examples of Charley Harper art. A graphic designer who was very prolific from the 50's through the 90's. He produced many pieces featuring animals, some advertisements and others simply beautiful graphic compositions.

I love this little licorice juggling dog. He is so lively and the colors and graphic style are classic!

A very famous print, Le Chat Noir, is wonderful. The colors are so rich and by changing your framing this will work in a multitude of spaces.

I adore this Good Housekeeping print, it would look fabulous in a very sophisticated little girls room

How cute is the schnauzer above? He adds a great pop of color and fun to a white on white room.

I have just started compiling my Amazon store online called The List. This will feature many of the great products that I review as well as my favorite books, design products and more including some of these posters. Check it out!

Rain Rain Go Away

2010-01-21T20:46:00.000-08:00

The Winter blues are here to stay. As I am writing this the weather has turned nasty, rain and sleet and everything terrible. It is the type of weather that makes you just want to stay in bed...FOREVER! And it is around this time of year that I start to feel really down, however its also a time when the little things can really brighten my day! Winter is a fabulous time to pick up on those projects that you didn't complete last year, filing photos, craft projects, recovering furniture. It is also a great time to do a little something for yourself, take a look at some things I have on my to do list for this winter!

Take a lazy Sunday!

Sit around in your underwear all day drinking cappuccinos, catching up on reading. Take a bubble bath. Make sure you have great easy food around, french toast for breakfast, fruit to snack on and perhaps a delicious seared tuna salad. The key it to eat light and relax, you will be amazed at how good you feel!

Discover new views!

Spend the day walking around the city/town in which you live taking photographs. There is nothing like rediscovering your home town in a whole new way. You will be amazed at the shots you can get from seemingly mundane subjects.

Play dress up!

This is the perfect time to purge your closet. Experiment with mixing and matching things you never thought would go together. Think outside the box and be a little daring with your selections. When you can't buy something new the next best thing is to make something feel like new! Its not a bad idea to invite a friend over to help you look at things with a different perspective and it couldn't hurt to drink mimosas while you work!

Throw a party!

Not only will the planning keep your mind occupied for a few days, but hosting a party will allow you to see all of those friends that you couldn't squeeze in during the holidays. Chances are they too are experiencing the winter blues! Encourage your guests to dress up and really make it a special occasion.

Make your own Paris Sidewalk Cafe!

Turn your kitchen or living room into your very own Paris Sidewalk Cafe. Serve coffee and pastries and watch your favorite French movies.

Whatever you do this winter to get through, just remember spring is right around the corner and it will only be a few more weeks until those first flowers come pushing up through the snow!

Young Designers to Watch

2010-01-20T07:39:00.000-08:00

I am always slightly depressed when the lists of "young designers to watch" come out. I often feel like I haven't accomplished anything in the design world, but then I remind myself I am only 26 and have plenty of time to become one of these young designers. This particular list features 20 designers who have a more traditional flair, and in today's world it is refreshing to see young designers following in the footsteps of great designers of the past but at the same time "exploring what it means to be traditional in the 21st century." I pulled out a few of my favorite rooms but for more photos and the bios of these up and coming stars visit Decorati. Hopefully in a few years I will be on one of these lists!

Paul Corrie- Washington, DC

Meg Braff- New York, NY

Massucco Warner Miller- San Francisco, CA

Marshall Erb- Chicago, IL

Mark Roberts- Cedar Rapids, IA

Jessica Helgerson- Portland, OR

Garrow Kedigian- New York, NY

Elizabeth Bauer- New York, NY

Brad Ford- New York, NY

Sipping Toddies By The Fire

2010-01-08T19:27:00.000-08:00

All this week I have been obsessively checking out my new iPhone app, Ski Report. This very cool little program lists all of your favorite ski locations and gives you weather reports, new snowfall amounts and comments and pictures of the slope conditions. I am drooling over the fact that here in the mid-atlantic we have actually had some decent snowfall, including 5" of new snow at Wisp in Maryland just yesterday! Maybe I should go skiing tomorrow! Well, all of this cold weather and visions of snowy ski mountains makes me think about beautiful ski lodge design. After a long day of skiing or boarding there is nothing like cozy-ing up to a crackling fire, hot toddy in hand in a gorgeous lodge. I have found a variety of spaces some appropriately rustic and inviting and a few with a contemporary take. I hope you can enjoy these until you too can hit the slopes!

The Ritz Carlton Bachelor Gulch Beaver Creek, Colorado

The Main Living Room at The Ritz Carlton Bachelor Gulch. I hung out here for a few hours, took a nap and drank hot chocolate after a long day of skiing last year. It was such a warm and inviting place, complete with ski check at the door and slippers to wear by the fire!

Beautiful Idre Fjall ski lodge in Sweden.

Contemporary lodge at The Omnia in Switzerland

Ralph Lauren design with beautiful textures and that traditional rustic feel.

Ralph Lauren's rustic bedroom, wouldn't you like to just cozy up in this room with a good book?!

The Verbie r in Switzerland suites with in room fireplace and contemporary lodge feel.

I'm not sure where this great lodge is located but the view is spectacular as are those leather poof chairs.

I really enjoyed this photo because I thought it was a great example of how to apply lodge design to your own home with a contemporary flair.

Iron-ing Maiden

2010-01-05T19:22:00.001-08:00

I can't wait to have a real laundry room. Any house I someday own must have an actual room dedicated to the art of laundry. Now most of you are probably scratching your heads in confusion, don't get me wrong, laundry is NOT my favorite thing in the world and ironing is pretty much on the bottom of that list. However, if you know me at all you know I have perfected the art of folding, some say I fold clothes like origami! So having a beautiful room in which to make my paper crane clothing creations is a dream. Check out these gorgeous laundry rooms of which I am completely envious. And while you are at it invest in some great laundering products from The Laundress, it may just make doing laundry a little more glamorous!

The Laundress Sweater Care Gift Set

Soft soothing green

I absolutely love this beautiful contemporary room complete with large vessel sink for hand washing.

The built-ins in this laundry room are beautiful and I adore the black and white striped chair.

The wall paper in this cute laundry features vintage laundering scenes.

How lucky would we be to have a beautiful room and view like this in which to do our daily chores?!

I love how the washer and dryer are hidden behind folding doors for a seamless look.

One could spend all day in this room, although I'm afraid no laundry would get done!

Simple and chic by adding wallpaper and a chandelier.

Super sleek and wonderful with plenty of folding space.

It's Beginning to Look A lot Like Christmas

2009-12-19T12:55:00.000-08:00

I'm sitting here looking out of my kitchen window at 50 foot pine trees blanketed in snow. It still falling steadily and I feel truly surrounded by this wintry wonderland and I must say it really helps to get one into the Christmas spirit as I listen to Vince Guaraldi Trio Holiday radio on Pandora. The only downside to this beautiful weather is that it has caused us to postpone our family Christmas party tonight. It is a Christmas tradition that my entire family looks forward to all year, it is filled with food, family and fun. C'est la vie! We will have the party in a few days when the weather clears up and the roads are not so treacherous!

So here I am at home with nothing to do! (ha!) My plan is to spend the next two days sifting through all of my magazine clippings, photos and interesting new design discoveries so that come the new year I have a ton of great ideas to share with you! I also think I might cook something delicious for dinner & make a few more batches of cookies.

Until I post again, enjoy my photos of our first big snow of the winter!

Merry Christmas

Overwhelmed with Christmas Spirit

2009-12-16T06:57:00.000-08:00

I feel like I have abandoned you! I have been so busy in the last week getting ready for the impending holidays and on top of it all my cute little macintosh computer is having some major issues. It has decided that I should get a new computer for Christmas! So there goes my savings account!

Anyway, my cards are mailed cookies baked and presents are wrapped. I can't believe Christmas is only a week away and I really can't wait until I am free of work for a few days!

On Sunday I had a couple of girlfriends over for a Christmas cookie baking party. It was a ton of fun and so simple to throw together last minute. I served a delicious eggnog complete with Irish Whiskey, an assortment of cheeses and veggies and a friend made a fabulous Cidercar drink!

Here are some photos of what I have been up too!

Eggnog is so delicious. Check Martha's reciepe here.

The infamous kitchenaid mixer. A must have!

My Christmas wrapping! The brown paper came from my office and the cute birdy paper from Paper Source, so economical. For other wrapping ideas go here!

We made Gingerbread houses at work.
Being architects we went all out, yellow snow and all!

Our completed rustic cabin. For more gingerbread construction ideas you should buy the book The Gingerbread Architect

A very talented colleauge recreated a famous SOM building in gingerbread.
The Airforce Academy Chapel in Colorado Springs.

Fill You Home with Holiday Smells

2009-12-07T18:46:00.000-08:00

My favorite thing about Christmas are all of the wonderful smells that seem to fill the home around the holidays. From the fresh pine tree, sugar cookies and cinnamon baking in the oven and the woody smell of a log burning fire. All of these smells remind me of friends and family and being together during this special time of year.

One of my favorite things to make that really brings the best of holiday scents together are traditional Orange Pomander Balls. These decorative balls have a long history dating back to the 15th century when they were used to freshen closets or drawers. Even queens wore pomander balls on their wrists so that a wonderful aroma would follow them around. I like to make a half dozen of these and sit them in a beautiful bowl or add a ribbon and hang them from the most unexpected places~

I must admit, I haven't made my pomander balls yet so this picture is from one of my favorite blogs Habitually Chic

You can made your own gorgeous holiday aromatic using oranges, and whole cloves. Here are some simple directions.