Monday - Puerto Vallarta

Happy New Year - I’m currently in Mexico with a group of friends bringing in 2008.

Thanks for making my website a huge success in 2007. This year I plan to add a few new features to my site which will allow you to post photos of your rooms and get advice. We will also add a new page that features photos of entire Homes I have done (in addition to individual rooms currently on the Rooms page).

2007 was also a record breaking year for my firm as we doubled in size and designed over 300,000 square feet of interiors. In the coming year, I will be launching a home accessory line available in the fall and will continue working on my book series, furniture line as well as other specialty home products. Thanks again for all of the support you have shown - I appreciate it.

The home we rented this week is a beautiful example of Spanish Architecture. The roof tiles were all done by hand and the shape of each tile is dictated by the shape of the artisan’s thigh. Did you know that before machines, each roof tile was molded over the upper portion of the artisan’s leg. If you look closely, you can see how the upper part of the tile is more narrow than the bottom portion of the tile. It makes for an easy overlapping installation. This shape mimics the narrow part of your leg closer to your knee and the wider part of your leg closer to your torso.

Other beautiful details are domes (seen above and below) and vaulted ceilings.

The dome over the Kitchen viewed from inside looking up. The dome’s design allows for heat to rise and escape while creating a natural breeze to flow through the kitchen, keeping it cool. Beautiful and functional.

Because of the warm climate year-round, the vaulted colonnade subsitutes the traditional interior hallway we see in America. It also provides shade for the bedrooms which line this exterior corridor.

An modern infinity pool blends the edge of the pool with the horizon line over the Pacific Ocean.

I’m on the fence over the stone dolphins - the seem to take away from the Architecture, although they add a sense of being near the beach. Thoughts?

Waking up to this view gives me many reasons to be grateful.

Friday

Photoshoots are a crucial part of my Design Business. Without photo documentation, a designers work can be lost forever (plus they’re a great way to share ideas and inspiration). Once we get back the final images, I will post them to the Rooms section of my site. Here is a sneak preview of the Hammer residence on Mulholland Drive that I recently completed.

I like my rooms photographed from a lower point of view so that you feel as if you’re sitting in the room. It also feels more inviting and cozy this way. Thanks to John Ellis who does brilliant work www.johnellisphoto.com

I like to show vignettes which convey the mood of a room. In this case, the idea of having a spa-like bathroom with a view out to a tropical yard. These angles also highlight the smaller details such as the star light fixture, candle wall sconce and oil-rubbed bronze fixtures. Design is always in the details.

Wednesday

Hope all had a great Christmas. I enjoyed reading a blog entry on www.apartmenttherapy.com about my new place. Apparently they’re not the only ones asking why it’s taking so long with my new place. The closest thing I can relate it to is the old saying of the ‘Shoemaker who has no shoes’. I continue to find ways to put off doing my own place, especially when I am working on 8 other design projects.

The good news is that my plans are now with the City for approval. Once they sign off, I am going to hit it full steam ahead. Plus, I leased my current home and have to move out by Feb 1. God help me if I have to live in it during construction….I am going to need more than a dose of decisiveness if that happens.

Merry Christmas

From my family to yours, wishing you a very Merry Christmas!

Wednesday - San Diego

Today I collected holiday decorations for those who lost their home in the San Diego fires. As a youngster, my favorite thing about Christmas was decorating the house for Santa’s visit. This collection is the least I can do to help bring Christmas Spirit to those who lost everything in the fires.

Thanks to everyone who donated - we collected a truckload of decorations that will help bring Christmas Spirit to those living in temporary housing.

Thank you Lorrie Webb! Lorrie has been a wonderful inspiration to me. Not only was she my first client, but she is also an amazing general contractor. Some of you may notice her as the contractor who toured the house I bought on HGTV’s House Hunters 8 years ago. Lorrie volunteered one of her office buildings for a drop off location in San Diego.

Lorrie is the only person I know who goes hiking and ends up finding the perfect branch to hang ornaments from. No room for a tree in the entry to her office, she attached the branch to the wall - it adds the wow factor when you walk in

Always one step ahead, Lorrie is currently redoing part of her office with materials that are ‘green’ Here, she insulated walls with reclaimed, shredded blue jeans. I learn something new from her everytime. Thanks for your generosity today Lorrie!

Saturday

Yesterday I was honored to give the Commencement Speech to the graduating class of the Art Institute of California-Orange County. I want to thank Ronni Whitman for inviting me and giving me the opportunity to share my story. Along with Interior Design students, the Art Institute graduated students in Culinary Arts & Management, Game Art & Design, Graphic Design, Industrial Design, Interactive Media Design and Media Arts and Animation.

David Brinkley once said “A successful person is one that can lay a firm foundation with the bricks that others throw at him or her”

As Designers and Artist in all fields, we are faced with many challenges and have the unique opportunity to change the way people experience the world. It is a great gift that we have been given. Each time you walk into a room, each element has been selected to create an experience for you. We are also responsible for the safety of the public by designing spaces that have the proper number of exits, adequate lighting, and by selecting materials that will not produce toxic smoke should a fire break out. It is our responsibility to make our surroundings safe while creating a positive experience. The best way to do this is by taking the knowledge you gained in college, show passion in your work, have fun doing it and do it with all your heart.

I started out in a pre-med program until I realized my passion was for something else. It was 15 years ago when I changed my degree to Interior Design. I remember my biggest fear; how would I be able to make a living doing something that many people viewed as a hobby? But with all obstacles that came my way, I would tell myself that if I showed my passion for design, somehow I would make my degree work. Someone once told me that I am what I am today because of what I believed about myself yesterday. And I will be tomorrow what I believe about myself right now. This simple advice continues to work for me and I wish all those graduating the best life has to offer.

Dean of Academic Affairs Melinda Lester and President of the Art Institute Dan Levinson with me at yesterday’s commencement ceremony

The 2007 graduating class.

Tuesday

My friend Lorrie sent me this story yesterday and I had to share with you.

In a zoo in California, a mother tiger gave birth to a rare set of triplet tiger cubs. Unfortunately, due to complications in the pregnancy, the cubs were born prematurely and due to their tiny size, they died shortly after birth. The mother tiger suddently started to decline in health. The veterinarians felt that the loss of her litter had caused the tigress to fall into a depression.

The doctors decided that if the tigress could surrogate another mother’s cubs, perhaps she would improve. After checking with many other zoos, the depressing news was that there were no tiger cubs of the right age to introduce to the mourning mother. The vets decided to try something that had never been tried in a zoo environment.

Sometimes a mother of one species will take on the care of a different species. The only orphans that could be found quickly were a litter of weanling pigs. The zoo keepers and vets wrapped the piglets in tiger skin fabric and placed the babies around the mother tiger. Would they become cubs or pork chops?

Take a look…you won’t believe your eyes!

She gets my vote for mom of the year!

Monday

I saw one of my reDesign show clients at a holiday party Saturday night. You may remember Jeff’s living room that was inspired by his old leather boots and Mac laptop. His design project was one of the most dramatic make-overs.

Before we started, his living room had all white walls with odd angles. He wanted a warm living room with a modern, sleek edge.

By working with the angled soffit above, I created a furniture plan that enforced that angle. By doing this, we were able to add another seating area behind the main sofa. Lighting played a huge part in adding a dramatic edge. Large orange globes fill a voided space. I also selected reflective surfaces such as the hi-gloss laminate tv cabinet and metal tile on the fireplace.

Jeff with me over 2 years ago at the final taping of his episode

Saturday night Jeff and I enjoyed catching up (he still loves his living room)

Saturday

Check out Style Network’s show Ultimate Style tonight at 11pm. I shot a segment this week talking about Gwen Stefani’s design style. You will also see me create a piece of artwork inspired by Gwen’s own art. If you do not get the Style Network, the show will re-air next Saturday (Dec 15th) at 11am on E! entertainment

The challenge was to re-create Gwen’s abstract piece of art in 15 minutes and under $30

It’s winter, how am I supposed to have tan hands? Before taping the show, my hands go thru their own make-over. The producer wanted to make sure my very pale hands did not blend into the white canvas.

Wednesday

At this time of year the chocolate gifts roll in daily. It is no secret that I can not go a day without a piece of chocolate. When I taped reDesign, my producer would have a bag of Kit Kats on hand (along with Red Bull) - not the best diet, but it got me thru many long days of shooting.

So how do I survive on these poor eating habits? Thanks to Dale in my office (Dale is the go-to-guy for everything, ask him any question and he knows the answer, plus he is the healthiest person I know) for coming up with a way to keep me eating fresh fruit.

Instead of the regular box of chocolate that is waiting on my desk, Dale took a vase and filled it with Clementines. Not only did I like his ability to accessorize simply, but I found myself eating the vase full of fruit all day. Not a bad way to start eating healthier, especially when you can bring in a decorative punch of color at the same time. Thanks Dale - what’s tomorrow’s accessory going to taste like?