Decking the Halls while the Turkey is locked away

I hope you had a great Thanksgiving. Mine was one to remember. Since I had Thanksgiving with my family in Baton Rouge last weekend, I spent Thanksgiving day in Los Angeles. I enjoy having Thanksgiving at my place for my friends who were unable to be with their families. I usually hire a caterer to cook (I can design, but can not cook), however my friends thought it would be fun to do a potluck.

So here is where the drama begins. Picture this, 10 of us in the kitchen warming up side dishes, fixing drinks, and getting ready for the Thanksgiving sit down. At the last minute we decided to put the turkey back in the oven to warm it up. Just as we are all about to begin our salad, my oven made an alarm that I’ve never heard. Then, it made a vacuum noise and the door seemed to seal tight. The next thing I see is the self cleaning light go on near the controls. Before you know it, the door is in the locked self-cleaning mode with the Turkey stuck inside! After a few calls to the 800 number, reading the owner’s manual, shutting off the circuit breaker and unsrewing all visible screws, it became evident that this was going to be a turkey-less Thanksgiving.

A few things I was especially thankful for this Thanksgiving is that I have friends who love to laugh, that side dishes never tasted so good, and not having turkey made a lot of room for dessert.

So while the turkey was locked in the oven all weekend, I’d thought I’d move right onto the next holiday by getting a tree and decking the halls. I found a great 11 foot Noble Fir. Once the tree was in place, it took half a day to install 5000 lights. The trick to lighting a tree is to wrap each branch individually with the strand of lights. I start near the trunk and work my way out each limb and then back again until each limb is covered in lights. By doing this, your eye goes beyond the surface branches, adds depth and allows you to put ornaments inside the tree that refelct the light. I typically do white lights with colorful ornaments. But since Thanksgiving was so unique this year, I thought, why not be unique with Christmas too? So, I decided to go with blue lights and silver ornaments. Sometimes experimenting can yield beautiful results.

I installed lights from 10 till 2 and finished ornaments at 11pm Saturday

The turkey is still locked in the oven

I’ll keep you posted on the malfunctioning oven - the appliance repairman is scheduled to come tomorrow between 1-5.

Standing on the Otherside of the Podium

I took a quick trip down to Baton Rouge (my home town) this past weekend. With all of the new residents from New Orleans, the city is taking on a new urban vibe. I stayed at the newly restored Capital House in a revitalized downtown. My room had amazing views of the Mississippi River. With only 2 full days, my schedule was packed.

View of the Mississippi River and Bridge from my room

I spent Friday at LSU’s college of Design speaking with the students majoring in Interior Design. Returning to my college immersed in an academic environment is something I hope to do more often. Back when I was a student, I vividly remember listening to guest speakers talk about their design work. It’s hard to believe that was just 10 years ago. Time flies by so fast.

It was nice to be on the other side of the podium sharing my story and career experience since graduating. I hope I was able to inspire the students to chase after their dreams. With hard work and passion, they do come true.

After having lunch with the professors, I toured the design studios. As I met with each student, I enjoyed listening to them present their current project.

Later in the day I toured LaHouse (LSU Department of Agriculture’s current project). LaHouse is being built to demonstrate new construction methods which can withstand Hurricanes while also being environmentally conscious. It was a huge learning experience for me to see products that have been invented to ensure the safety of those during a hurricane such as Katrina. To learn more, Copy and Paste their website below to your web browser (especially if you plan to build or remodel in the near future)

http://www.lsuagcenter.com/en/family_home/home/la_house/

Part of the tour also included the discussion of furniture that will be placed in LaHouse. The focus on the furniture pieces will demonstrate how furniture can also be environmentally conscious and universally designed. I was so impressed with the project that I plan to donate furniture that I will design just for the house. I am very excited to be a part of this educational project.

The LaHouse under construction

With only a day left, I spent quality time with my family and also caught up with some old college friends.

The time flew by and before I knew it, Sunday was here. Most of Sunday was spent in airports and cars making my way back home.

What I realized once I got home is that time flies in various intervals of life. Whether it’s been 10 years since graduation or a quick 2 day trip, you can guage time by the amount of things you learn.

New Year’s Resolution….getting a head start

In the midst of doing multiple design projects (last year I completed 28), it’s easy to focus on the end result, forgetting all the fun stuff that happens beforehand. There seems to be a “looming” deadline hovering over my desk all the time. Don’t get me wrong, I love what I do. I eat, breathe and sleep design (some of my best design ideas hit me while I’m in the shower).

Today I started a project that reminded me how much fun it is at the beginning of a project. The fabulous Julie Pinson (Days of Our Lives) and her leading man Billy Warlock (Baywatch and Days of Our Lives) recently got married. They hired me to design a new kitchen and a new living room in their beautiful spanish style home. The excitement was contagious this morning as we talked about the details of new countertops, custom finishes, colors, furniture, floors, cabinets….all the fun decisions we get to make together.

So, I started thinking, maybe my New Year’s resolution this year will be to enjoy every step of the journey and remember it’s not just the end result that counts. What do you think? Maybe I’ll start today.

Billy Warlock & Julie Pinson

Photo by: Zach Lipp / Admedia

Thanks for all your comments and questions!

I really enjoy hearing from you. When I started this journal, I did not expect to get the overwhelming response I’ve received. It’s nice to know you keep checking in to see what’s new. As you can imagine, there is a lot going on (the TV show, my book, and the holidays are around the corner). As you can imagine it is not possible to answer back to everyone.

The good news is that we are working on a new and improved website that will launch in the first quarter ‘07. We hope our new and improved website will give you more access to the stuff you want to know. Until then, keep your questions and comments coming.

Hope y’all have a great weekend.

Photoshoot at my little place by the beach

I spent a good part of the day at my place by the beach for a photoshoot. The spread will focus on my little get-away in Santa Monica (another place to escape the stress of work) Believe it or not, I don’t even have a TV or phone there. The design is also a different look for me. Since my main home has a lot of dark earthy colors, I decided to play with a brighter palette with punches of bright color. Photoshoots are always a good way for me to critique my own work. Something happens when a room is captured on film that allows me to see things from a different point of view. It was a refreshing process.

The spread is slated to run in the February/March issue of Western Interiors & Design.

Nancy Smith, Art Director for Western Interiors and Design Magazine with me looking at polaroids before finalizing a shot.

A sneak peek of one of the photos that may appear in the spread. This is the view looking from the terrace toward the front door - how ‘bout that punch of color?

Men’s Vogue hosts a book signing for Joel Gray at Lacoste

Last night I attended a party at Lacoste in Beverly Hills. The event was sponsored by one of my favorite new magazines, Men’s Vogue. I can remember when Lacoste was called Izod and I would beg my mom for a shirt with a green alligator on it. That was back when I was in the 5th grade. Amazing how everything old is new again.

The event was for Joel Grey’s new book, Looking Hard at Unexamined Things - an amazing collection of his photography.

Joel Grey to the left of Larry Hagman (He was playing J.R. Ewing on Dallas back when I was wearing IZOD’s the first time)

Kara Rosen, Men’s Vogue Event Director, with me at the book launch

Fall Weather, College Football and Family

I ended up flying to Northwest Arkansas on Friday for a quick meeting. The meeting went very well and it was nice to experience some chilly Fall weather. Living in Los Angeles, I forget how amazing it is to see the leaves change on the tress and feel the brisk cold air on your face.

Saturday morning I was up early to catch a flight back to Los Angeles. As we drove to the airport through the countryside, I saw all the Arkansas Razorback College football fans heading into the city for early tailgating. Flags were flying from their cars as they raced by to spend a Fall Saturday afernoon with friends and family. I was a bit jealous because I remember when I would do the same thing with my family and friends on a Saturday in Baton Rouge.

LSU football was always a big part of my life and I remember those Saturdays very well. My Dad would start cooking 2 days before the game (he’s famous for his potato salad). My brother Phil, his wife Becky and my 3 nephews Landon, Payton, and Austin would get all excited and paint their faces with purple and gold tigers. My little sister Amanda was head cheerleader for LSU and my Mom always had the best sweet ice tea for everyone that came by our tailgating party. My family’s tailgating party was always a hit and those memories will always make me smile.

One thing I realized this weekend; no matter where life takes you and how busy you are with work, it’s nice to slow down and remember the times that make you smile.

As soon as I arrived home in Los Angeles Saturday afternoon, I turned on the TV to find the LSU vs. Tennessee game. So… Oliver, Benson and I had our own little tailgating party on my sofa. It was one of those “edge of your seat” games as LSU won in the last 6 seconds.

Although the weather outside may have been a hot 89 degrees in Los Angeles, inside it felt like Fall college football weather with my family.

My little sister Amanda My nephews Payton, Landon & Austin

Here’s some answers and black wallpaper for Dan’s wife

This week has been very busy. I was hoping to write more in my journal but found the time slipping away and it’s almost Friday! So I thought I would answer some questions that some of you have sent in:

Susan from Oklahoma City asked: What’s your favorite TV show (other than your own)? - I really like the new show Hero’s. I also like shows like Modern Marvels, and Extreme Engineering - learning how things work really amaze me.

Kelsey from Cleveland asked: I read that you have 2 dogs, what kind are they and what are their names? I have 2 Dachshunds named Oliver and Benson. Here’s a recent photo

Kevin from Miami asked: Do you ever stop working and if you do, what do you do in your free time? When I manage some free time, I drive 2 hours outside of Los Angeles to my house in Palm Springs. It is one of the only places where my brain stops running 90 miles an hour (it doesn’t hurt that my cell phone doesn’t get a signal there either). Oliver and Benson also like it because I have a big backyard for them to play. Because it’s in the desert, the weather is always nice and hot. I can lay in the pool and stare at the amazing view of the mountains for hours - see below

Carol from the East Coast: When do you plan to put out your book? I get this question more than any other. Writing a book is a long process. I want it to be a series unlike anything out there. So I carefully edit and re-write and sketch to create something that everyone can learn from and be inspired by. Having said that, I’d like to have it out by the end of 2007. I’ll share one of the cover concepts for the Kitchen and Bath series - see below

Dan from Atlanta asked: I recently saw one of your shows where you installed black grasscloth on the walls and I really like it for my home office. However, my wife (who did not see the show) thinks I’m crazy - do you have a photo of the room so I can show her? Dan - thanks for watching the show - I hope this picture helps convince your wife that you’re not crazy.