Blog Update: Over the last 4 months, my blogging has taken a back seat to the design + development of the new www.milehighstyle.com. There have been many (too many) hiccups, but progress is being made and I’ll hopefully have it ready by mid Summer with updated pages, device compatibility, and an amazing Before + After feature! I can’t wait for you to see it.

My website and blog went live in April 2010, and one of my very first posts was on how much I love Lululemon. 7 years later, activewear is more popular than ever and Lululemon leads the pack. With so many new competitors flooding the market, I still consider Lulu to be the best in design, functionality, and fun. Yes they’ve had their screw ups (white see-through pants anyone?) and I’m not always happy with the changes in fit, but for my money no one else comes close.

Which is why I’m excited to recommend a new pant that is almost too fabulous to describe. The Align Pant II is soft and stretchy and made of a new ‘Nulu’ fabric (which they accurately describe as ‘buttery soft’) that is, simply, sublime. Plainly, you’ll feel like you’re not wearing pants. These non pants-pants have enough tech for Crossfit (or your chosen exercise cult) but too much for everyday street style; in other words, a home run.

As a one-woman enterprise over the last 7 years, I’ve come to understand that I am only as good as the people who work with me. A New York City babe, I am brassy and bossy and know that actualizing my vision can be challenging work. This post is a grateful THANK YOU to the following people who comprise my ‘team’ and all the sweet Google referral traffic that comes with it.

Sarah Kinn who makes art, places art, and can transform a pile of random stuff into a stunning gallery.

Kevin Stevens of KMS Woodworks who builds, renovates, trouble shoots, tinkers + toys, and is a true design McGuyver.

Homero Ocon of Champions Painting for making every room light and bright.

Dan O’Connor of Daniel O’Connor Photography & Digital Media for capturing and representing my work at its highest level.

Fiori Flowers + Sturtz & Copeland for creating orchid art, or a solar system out of succulents, and always having just the right something to finish the space.

Charlie Weisel for letting the light in.

Sondra Voss at Voss Art + Home and Michelle DeHaven at Haven Boulder who travel from coast to coast to discover cool, beautiful objects to bring back to Boulder.

Michael Auldridge Design Works whose creative savvy and collaborative spirit literally built an indoor forrest.

Like many Colorado residents, I am very dedicated to my dogs. I have special wood steps allowing them access to my (and their) bed, my shower was specifically designed to accommodate a detachable head (for bathing), and the car remains filled with hair and Mt. Sanitas dust no matter how often it’s cleaned. However, one place that I won’t allow to go ‘to the dogs’, is the inside of my home. Living with dogs and all that entails (shedding, toys, food bowls, beds) does not preclude your ability to live with style. The following details how to keep the style integrity of your home intact despite your 4-legged children.

TOYS– Like children’s toys, doggy playtime accoutrement need their own container, and unfortunately, dog store brand toy bins are eyesores. The solution is to take something created for humans and use it for dogs. In that vein, West Elm makes fabulous woven and braided baskets in a variety of styles designed to hold newspapers, throw pillow, logs, and (you now know) dog toys. If your pup is a scratcher or destroyer, Design Within Reach makes a stainless steel wire basket that won’t be nearly as tempting to their mouth and paws. Another great idea is repurposing a wooden wine crate. If you’re willing to go the extra mile, Etsy or Ebay lists vintage ones. Just make sure to pick a good year.

BED– Designing for canines (and their people) has become a huge industry, with the quality and variety of dog beds serving as its ambassador. While we know that dogs don’t give a lick where they sleep, we should care about how it looks. With options ranging from Corbusier inspired sofas to specially ordered chaises, I’m simply suggesting the popular and reliable donut bed in a chic (and always machine washable) neutral color or animal print, available at most pet ‘boutiques’. For some extra panache, go with the shag.

SUSTENANCE– Like everything else in the canine retail world, dog food and water bowls have become increasingly stylish, personalized, and fabulous. From simple ceramic to modern metal, breed-specific, name-specific, cute or kitsch, styles range from gothic to neo-classical, mid-century to mod. Even the most basic white painted ceramic is light years more stylish than the standard (and unsightly) stainless steel bowls. Set atop a placemat (doggy or human), if your dogs don’t appreciate the effort, your friends and guests certainly will. Manhattan’s Canine Styles offers the best selection.

Over the last 6 years working in interior design, I’ve realized that the worst stereotype of the industry does still apply: interior designers make you spend too much money. What’s worse is the corollary: interior designers make you spend too much money so they can make more money. While this is not true of all designers (or even most of them), I have been seeing it on some recent projects and it upsets me. Below is a guideline for anyone thinking of enlisting a professional, whether it’s an independent designer or one working for a store.

*If you’re interviewing independent interior designers, the key issue is transparency. You need to know from the very beginning how this person is being paid and by who. Most importantly, ask if the designer takes a commission or includes a mark-up on the items you buy. Many talented and ethical designers will do one or the other and would never recommend something wrong or unnecessary for the space simply to collect a check, so it certainly shouldn’t be a disqualifying issue; However, when I see a room with enough furniture and decor to fill out two rooms, I start to be suspicious. You should too.

*If you’re working with a designer employed by one of the big name home stores like West Elm, Crate & Barrel, etc. transparency can be a little trickier- their job is to sell so you can hardly fault them for pushing the product. My recommendation:

1. After completing the room’s plan (including everything they recommend you buy), ask them which 3 items they could remove and still achieve the desired functionality and style.
2. Ask where to cut price corners. In every room, there are big ticket items you should splurge on* as well as those you can find for much less. I’ll tell you right now that if a designer insists you should be splurging on side tables or lamps when you’re on a tight budget, I would be very suspicious.
3. Examine logically how many pieces of furniture they’re saying are necessary. A living room does not need a side table for every seat or multiple coffee tables (even if you have two sofas). A master bedroom does not need a seating area if you know it won’t get used. You don’t need a degree in design to know that 4 side tables in one room is excessive.

*Generally speaking, the largest piece in any room is where you should be spending the most money.

Disclaimer: All the things I’ve listed below I’ve happily incorporated into my work over the last 6 years. As I write this post, I am working on a project featuring a custom built-in day bed, upholstered in tones of taupe, white, cream and grey (with green) and featuring industrial accents. If you look through my Portfolio, you’ll see 4 out of these 5 trends featured prominently! I’m in no way suggesting to re-do rooms you recently designed and still love, just merely pointing out that within the next 5-10 years, these are the trends that will be rendered extinct. Maybe now is the time to start brainstorming what’s next.

Grey walls– When I bought my house 6 years ago and was choosing a color for the guest bedroom, I wanted something soothing, neutral, and very different from the dramatic dark brown of my Master. Grey, which was just breaking at that time, was a revelation. The perfect color to reflect our contemporary, cool, ‘anything but tan’ sensibilities. It’s as versatile as any other neutral but the best part? It was new. Great new things spread like wildfire and now it’s just too common, the ‘new tan’, and we need to find the next grey. I’m currently using white with undertones or a very cool off-white.

Reclaimed wood- I believe that in 20 years when we look back at the style of this time, reclaimed wood walls will be our mascot, like shag carpet + wood paneling in the 70s, dusty rose formica furniture in the 80s, funky track and pendant lighting in the 90s, granite countertops of the early 00s. Reclaimed wood echos our overall move in the direction of a more natural looking decor, but it’s worn out its welcome.

Farmhouse– Not to sound heighty and pretentious, but the popularity of this style fascinates me on a psycho-social level. We live in a modern world almost exclusively behind screens, yet we want our decor to reflect a time where people lived very hard lives. If I were a psychotherapist, I would surmise that we’re striving for the authenticity and simplicity we feel we’ve lost in and amongst the modernity and technology of our lives. Either way, farmhouse* really rings false.

Industrial lighting– It’s hard for me to include this because I really love the industrial look. I’ve loved it since stumbling into the most amazing antique store in Chelsea that features it prominently: Mantiques Modern. But like everything good, it begins the cycle which goes like this: common becomes popular which becomes overdone, and now you can’t walk through a stylish home without seeing one or more Edison bulbs. And that includes my home too.

Greige– Greige refers to the color combination of grey + beige and in the last 5 years, it became much more than simply a color combo; it became an identity aesthetic. There are hundreds of websites devoted exclusively to greige including a substantial portion of Pinterest’s real estate and a stylish online boutique bearing its name. Greige is a big deal.

*And I’m not talking about the ubitiquous ‘farmhouse sink’, which is the best thing to happen to kitchens since the dishwasher.

Boulder is a small enough town that you begin to hear the same names over and over again, and one name I’ve heard a lot in the last few years is Will Day. Will is an contemporary abstract painter, and a very talented one at that; I’m thrilled to include him in this series because I end up learning as much as you do- these are questions you don’t really get to ask in casual conversation but are so important in how they inform the artist’s work and life. In Will’s case, his entire other life in New York City finance, pre-9/11. Below he reflects on his work, process, inspiration, everything to explain how he ended up creating beautiful art.

How would you describe your art? I describe my art as an opportunity to bring forth a story in the moment and not as a sequence of events.  Many of my paintings have been commissioned, and for each, I try to connect to and relay the inner narrative of my patron. This has generated a body of work characterized by individual instances rather than series work with permutations of one concept or theme. Yet there is continuity to be found in my process of building a painting and experimenting with tools and techniques of applying oils and acrylics.

Each painting I approach with spontaneity and openness. The paintings are a reflection of my journey, representing the soul’s evolution and the expression of my spirit responding freely. There are no restrictions or rules.

Who or what influence you/your work? Where do you draw your inspiration? There have been many influences with my art. But I must thank my wife as one of the main influences to get me motivated and believe in myself. I have to tell this story because it changed the course of our family, our lives and me as an artist. After the trauma of 9/11 in which Aimee survived the collapse of the World Trade Towers, I left a career in finance and studied architecture, which turned out to be a way station for me to turn to painting. My architectural impulse carried over in the expressive actions of manipulating my implements, often those associated with construction — the cheaper the tools the better. With various surfaces serving as a field of operations, I create textures, layers, and effect layers, discovering relationships and using resulting edges to create structure.

Also, Wassily Kandinsky’s work has had a significant influence on my approach to painting. Kandinsky “devoted his art to inner beauty, fervor of spirit, and the spiritual desire of inner necessity;” it was a central aspect of his art. My hope is to disseminate joy and inspiration through my compositions/stories on canvas where every painting reflects an opportunity to search, pursue and live from the heart, contrary to the status quo.

Describe the process of creating your art? How do you begin? How long does it typically take to create a piece? How do you know when something is done? The process of creating art is unique with every canvas. Sometimes paintings take one day to create or four months. It is a special experience depending on the emotions and feelings of the day. In my heart, I will know when the painting is complete. Also, music is largely important to the creativity and flow for expression when I paint. I am always amazed when a painting has found its voice and balance on the canvas. It is a timeless feeling.

I enter each work as a path through the unknown to a self-overcoming experience.   It is the act of painting that drives each piece to where it wants to be. I start with a lone mark. I apply paint directly on the surface. Then struggle with the canvas and relent to the viscous material accepting and resisting my strokes. When I was young, I enjoyed playing many sports, and so my natural inclination is expression through physicality, but now it is the means by which I seek a higher power to tell a soul’s tale. Ultimately, I aim to embrace the divine spirit, which lives in all of us, leading the viewer on a journey of beauty and truth.

Which of you pieces are you exceptionally happy with/proud of? Why?  There are several painting experiences that have a played a major role in my life. The first one that comes to mind was a commission for the lobby space at The Balfour Senior Living Community in downtown Denver, Colorado. This was an 11 feet painting behind the desk, which is titled “Over the Rainbow.” The painting represents the idea that Life is still going on, and the rainbow is a metaphor that circulates color throughout everybody’s human soul, and try’s to remind us that God is with you.

The other painting is located in Steamboat Springs titled, “Heart” where I first got my start at the K.Saari Gallery by exhibiting my new work. It is a very important piece for me. It was my first horizon landscape painting, the first time I used different architectural tools like edges and squeegees and different materials like varnish. It was a new discovery for me. It was a painting experience where I discovered my heart.

What is your favorite part of being an artist? Least favorite? Waking up every morning knowing that I have the opportunity to create something new and make a visual impact on the world. Also, having the freedom to express myself on canvas without any limitations is truly a gift. One of the challenges and least favorite parts of being an artist for me is trying to stay motivated and not let the outside voices discourage you.

Fill in the blank: ‘I wouldn’t be caught dead putting ___ on my walls’? I wouldn’t be caught dead putting prints or fake art on my walls. I believe your space is a wonderful opportunity to use as place to inspire and rekindle memories. I don’t care what type of art you choose but I would say challenge yourself to include handmade and original works from your heart.

Which contemporary artists do you admire? I am always trying to learn about contemporary artists who are leading the way in new ideas and techniques. These are a few artists that I admire their work and story: Mark Bradford, Cecily Brown, Dan Colen and Christopher Wool.

What are some of your other interests/hobbies? Anywhere there is adventure, I want to be there. I love sports, hiking with the family, coaching lacrosse, playing golf and skiing. Also, traveling to new countries and learning about cultures keeps me young and motivated.

In a fantasy world where ALL the world’s art was available and price was no issue, what piece would you like to own? I would love to have Monet’s Water lilies paintings in my house somewhere. But if that was taken I would be happy to hold onto Leonardo DaVinci’s “Mona Lisa”.

If you’ve worked with me and are familiar with this blog, you know of my affinity for Chan Luu scarves. BCL*, I’d tried every make of designer scarf: Burberry, YSL, Faliero Sarti, Calypso to name a few but once I tried Chan Luu, I never looked back.

So for this Winter, I am giving one away in the perfect shade of holiday red! To be eligible to win, please visit my Facebook page here: www.facebook.com/milehighstyle/ and follow the instructions. Good luck!

*Before Chan Luu

A disclaimer: I am quite surprised to be recommending anything from Z Gallerie because, in my experience, the quality is often lacking. However, this chinchilla faux fur blanket is sublime. I don’t know why and I don’t know how, but it’s literally the softest thing I’ve ever felt. So gift it out or keep it for yourself!*

*Pictured above in a client’s guest bedroom.