TUESDAY: Inspiring Spaces by Dan Carithers

Ok, so how many of you saw this one coming? I couldn't help myself. When Joni of Cote de Texas posted her fabulous living room up-do, and showed the inspiring page from a 20-year old magazine, a home decorated by the inimitable Dan Carithers:

I immediately thought to myself, where have I been?? Now, granted, 20-years ago I was a 9-year old 4th grader more interested in playing the Sega Genesis my mother wouldn't dream of buying for my brother and me than looking at her design magazines. Thankfully rooms as beautiful as these are cataloged for days like today, when I'm more interested in beautiful rooms than just about everything else.

Dan Carithers is an Atlanta native, and his traditional design sensibilities make my heart flutter! Now retired after a 50-year career creating rooms photographed for shelter mags like Veranda, House Beautiful, Traditional Home and Southern Accents. In 2003, Carithers was named one of House Beautiful’s “Giants of Design”—the highest honor bestowed by the magazine; it’s only been given to a handful of honorees during its 100-year history.


But perhaps the most inspiring part of Carithers' story, is the beginning. A young boy from small town Jefferson, Georgia, who got started and gained notoriety as the design director for home furnishings at Rich’s Department Store. From design director to design icon, let's take a look at how he got the well deserved crown:

I wish I had more photos to share with you - but this is all I could dig up in the short time I had to get this blog post together. Suffice to say, if you really studied these, you'd be on the blog all day - and please, don't let me rush you off. I love having you here! Thanks so much for spending a little bit of your day with me, and of course, Mr. Dan Carithers.

A little Belgium in Kansas ...

When you think of Belgium, what comes to mind? Stone clad farmhouses with cedar shake roofs, jardiniere gardens with hedge rows of elm trees and crushed limestone walkways. Interiors of hardwood floors, light colors, linen, antiques, crystal, and seagrass. A little like this, right?

A Belgian dream, isn't it? Except, it's not in Belgium. In fact, it's not in Europe, or trendy California, or Veranda stationed Houston. It's the renovated antique school house of my friend Deserae, her husband and their furry family in the dusty plains of Kansas!  

Des and I really hit it off a few months ago when I emailed her about where she got a few pieces of her "old" furniture, and we've been friends ever since. Watching these rooms come together on her blog, and through email has been so much fun, and exceedingly inspiring. A collected mix of Belgian linen upholstered furniture, and fine antiques, Des has a beautiful design eye. Please enjoy this small collection of pictures of her rooms, and run over to her blog: Peeking Thru The Sunflowers and leave a comment! I know that she'll love having you!

Remember, Please take a second to pop  in over to Deserae's blog and leave her a comment letting her know what you think!

Million Dollar Decorators: My Thoughts - Season Finale

I have to say that I'm a little sad that it's over, aren't you? If you've been following along throughout the season, it's really been the only show for design savvy tv viewers like all of us. I really hope that Bravo brings back the show, but maybe with a few new designers - and some subtractions. I would personally love to see Michael S. Smith, and Ryan Brown (who we already know is great television from his first two seasons of Flipping Out).

Course, they could branch off, as they've done with the Real Housewives, and pull in designers from New York ... like Jeffrey Bilhuber, and Charlotte Moss.

Just my thoughts - and really, who do I think I am? Ok - so back to the finale. First Mary McDonald is designing the tent for the LA Antiques Show, something I was excited to see it come together. I love everything I've seen Mary do, and I think a tent like that is perfect for her make a statement, more-is-more style. As they hinted on the show, Martyn Lawrence Bullard did the tent last year, and here's what it looked like:

Very Martyn, right? Now, I have to say, that although his accent and demeanor isn't my fave, his design work is top notch. I love that he isn't afraid to use color, and has skirted the trends of going beige and greige, and stuck to his guns that color and pattern is the way to go. The tent at the L.A. Antiques show is really a very anticipated part of the show, and they market heavily the name of the designer who's working on the tent.

And the show itself does definitely attract Hollywood elite. So for a designer in charge of the tent, it's a way to find perspective clients that definitely have the money to spend on high-end design. So, back to Mary, she comes up with this chevron patterned wall/floor combo, with a mix of mid-century and modern antiques. Of course, there's drama, right? But at the end of all of it - it was gorgeous, right? (I wish there were pictures!)

I don't have a picture - but if you watched the show, I loved the entry she did with the desk and chair. Such a Mary McDonald moment, really! I have a feeling that Mary was in a bit of a camel and black moment this spring. First the office, now this. Both with pattern floors. Really great.

Kathryn Ireland is dealing with the Factor tragedy! How appropriate that someone with millions - and I mean, MILLIONS, wants someone with no responsibility for foundation issues on a house built 20-years ago, to pay for it. (I'm fuming by the way - as I have had this happen to me on a smaller scale ...) and Martyn gave her great advice ... "Part as friends, dahling!" But did she? Well, she didn't have a chance to. They got fired before it even became an issue. So there's no wonder it hasn't been something I could track down the final product for! You know what Kathryn, good riddance! She was certifiably nuts.

JAM and twinky ran into some problems with their contractor-ess? And end up actually having to work. Go figure! At the end of it, it really looked nice. I love that bar!

And Martyn, deservedly so, receives a great many accolades at the end of the season, which has me thinking he was pretty integral in the pitching of this idea to Bravo, how about you? Interational Designer of the Year, and Martyn Lawrence Bullard day in West Hollywood!

I really loved the group sort of hug/toast/two time kiss at the end. And what a great way to end the series with Kathryn saying: "this business is about the relationships." And it's true! It's really about who you know. Let's just hope we get to know all of them better in Season 2!

TUESDAY: Inspiring Spaces by Betty Lou Phillips

I'm so sorry I'm a little late posting this! Find my explanation, and a great link at the bottom!

She's written a dozen books on design, French and Italian predominantly, and has been bringing the sophistication of European style to design savvy (and high-end) clients throughout the United States. Her website: http://www.bettylouphillips.com/home.htm is filled with so much inspiration. Published in every design magazine imaginable, she continues to design spaces from her Dallas, Texas home-base. Enjoy:

Amazing, yes? Remember you can find more of her rooms on her website here: http://www.bettylouphillips.com/home.htm or on amazon.com in one of her many books!

On another note, I have to share with you something I've started and really believe in. After watching the documentary: fat, sick, and nearly dead, I've started a juice cleanse! My body is extremely grateful, and after dealing with the headaches from the caffeine withdraw, I'm finding it much easier to sleep, and I've lost some weight, too! I highly encourage you to watch the documentary (now available on Netflix Streaming) and check out the website, and hopefully reboot your life!

Do you Zhush?

We all say the word, but how do we spell it? Zchoosh? Zhoosh? Zhuzh? Zhush? The process of fluffing, fixing, realigning, and "vignetting" our houses. It's a fun word, to say, spell, and misspell ... try it, and I bet you'll find a way to say it more than once today! But have you ever shopped Zhush?

As you're all aware by now, maybe painfully so, I'm in the process of zhushing my decor at CDLV, and I have two clients (who are as far opposite as you can possibly imagine) that have me shopping for all sorts of fun and quirky things for two completely different spaces. So when I happened upon ZHUSH, I knew I had to share it with all of you!

One of the rooms I'm working on is a teenage girl's bedroom, and when I saw this tray on Zhush, I knew it was perfect for her! Available in LARGE and in SMALL the trays from the Jonathan Adler collection are a great price, and include custom monogramming in either a full name (perhaps a last name, or family name) or initials. Can't you just see this in a bedroom, filled with all those perfume bottles ... or perhaps in your dining room as a bar tray? Available in lots of patterns and color ways, these trays are a wonderful modern touch perfect for 1,000 different uses, really!

The mother of my teenager client is also the mother of two other younger girls, so as you can imagine (many of you being parents or designers, or both) she can't afford to spend thousands on the room of one and pennies on the room of another. So, these trays, full of color and style, oh and completely personalizable, are a great fit for her budget, and something that 'G' can take with her to college, use in her first apartment, and the list goes on really.

Oh, and if you're thinking of using the tray as a serving option, they carry these fabulous coasters, (a set of four) also from the Jonathan Adler line, which you could also have monogrammed.

My other client is looking for a simple zhushing of her formal living room. A little tired of looking at the same ole' same ole', she and her husband have a modest budget to reupholster some gorgeous antique pieces of excellent quality and provenance,  new drapes and blinds, and buy some accessories to complement their non-negotiable must haves.

I'm really thinking that one of these gorgeous stone buddha heads will complement their existing Asian antiques, collected from three trips they've taken to separate parts of the continent over the past 22-years. And while I'm adding a little metallic sheen, why not give this set of brass alchemy trays some thought?

Gorgeous right? Perfect for their large antique English Steamer trunk we'll use as a coffee table. These trays are perfect as quality sculptural pieces, but could also be used as candy dishes, a place for antique rosary beads, or maybe ethiopian prayer beads. In a bedroom they could serve as a place for the daily jewelry you don't sleep with, or even work beautifully in a powder room as a soap dish. (One-wash monogrammed soaps of course!)

Now, you know me well enough to know that I couldn't possibly spend time shopping without seeing things I simply can't live without at CDLV, right? I fell in love with the idea of using this Charcoal Herringbone throw in the living room over the new white sofa.

I love the pattern of herringbone, and the size is fantastic. Hmmm. If I didn't go gray, I could go spicy orange or taupe.

Oh, I am in love with this horseshoe well hook, aren't you? We all know an equestrian who would just jump and down after getting this for a hostess gift, or birthday present, right? I'm not an equestrian, BUT, I do have some beautiful English hunting prints of Red Coat equestrians, (and now that I think about it, so do my antique loving clients) and a collection of these would be a wonderful and artful way of hanging the art, don't you think? A simple silk cord, tied to the hanger and looped over the hook, perhaps a collection of 5 or 7. (Thinking psuedo out loud here, but I think I love it!)

Anyway, absolutely filled with wonderful things for home, office, and gift, Zhush is a must-stop online source when you're looking for the fun, unique, and perfect items to show just how much you like to 'Color Outside the Lines'. Stop over, and tell them I sent you! And if you have a zhush favorite, or have a zhush item you're zhushing into your decor, send me pictures!

Million Dollar Decorators: My Take Episode 7

So I still cringe a little when I hear Martyn say: "Decorating is Totally Delicious!" I don't know why I have an aversion to his accent, but I really do. Maybe because it just seems so deliberate (i.e., Fake!), but if Bravo dedicated to an entire hour to just him, I'd turn the television off and never turn it back on. Seriously!

Ok, so my thoughts ... it looks like we might get to see the final product of the Malibu beach house that Kathryn is working on, right? It was so interesting to see the way they were working together now that the house is almost ready for the real "decorating" to begin. A complete 180 from the last couple of episodes where they literally looked like they were going to rip each others hair out. I can't wait to see it complete. (The room pictured above, is not of the Factor beachouse.)

I did get a little kick out of seeing JAM and twinky shopping in San Fran, didn't you? There were some amazing pieces there. But I have to tell you that I didn't think that the John Dickinson table was worth $17K for me. But that's the fun thing about interior design, and the art of collecting antiques and originals: they're only worth what you're willing to pay for them. Someday, that table is going to be worth $100K to someone, and JAM and twinky are going to go on a trip to South Africa on the profits, and I hope they have a great time!

Oh, and Suzanne Tucker! LOVE HER!

Were you as shocked as I was that our Millionaire Decorators were slumming it at the Comfort Inn? Oh, and even more shocked that they were sharing the room! Now, don't get me wrong, I don't have anything against the Comfort Inn - I have stayed there, heck, I've stayed at a Motel 6, but I also haven't gone on record saying that I don't get out of bed for less than a million dollars!

Anyway, loved Mary's lamps. There are a few that I certainly would buy if Scott didn't throw a fit over my buying a $1600 light fixture. And Nathan's furniture was beautiful, too.

That purple Pindler & Pindler Kira suzani candemir ottoman was my favorite piece (I love that fabric!) ... but any and all of it would be welcomed with open arms at CDLV!

Overall, fun episode. It was great to see them all at work, giving us inspiration. I think I might be framing some Suzanis in the near future!