Thursday

I’ve survived 2 days living in my place as I tackle the remodel. Part of me thought it would be fun to ‘rough it’ while experiencing the entire process.

The ‘roughing it’ phase is over as my sanity is much more valuable. Considering the month long delay with the city, I was fortunate to find a unit in my building for rent. Tonight will be the second move in a week and I could not be more excited. The benefit of not living here during the mess will keep me thinking more design and less about the dust in my cereal.

I did get a smile on my face today when my clients Dennis and Shawn sent over a beautiful orchid. The note read, “you may not have furniture, but at least you can have orchids.” And that about sums it up.

This weekend will be a nice way to start fresh as I am heading to Phoenix for the Superbowl. Monday will be a fresh start

Wednesday

It’s day 3 of construction at my new place. Just when it felt like smooth sailing, the city put up another roadblock. I’m doing my best to stay positive, but it is extremely aggravating to deal with the ridiculous paperwork they are requiring. I’d understand it if I were tearing down structural walls. I agree this would require drawings from a structural engineer. But all I want to do is add 3 walls, one for a guest room, one for a master and one for an entry. To add fuel to the fire, my contractor is building the walls to the same standards of the developer who recently completed the same type of construction. However, for some reason, the city needs 4 weeks to look at my plans to approve (after realizing this 3 weeks into the permitting process). At the end of this, I may understand why many people try to avoid dealing with the city at all cost.

Eventually, there will be a wall next to the guy on the ladder, creating a guest room.

My front door is the furthest to the right. One day, there will be a wall along the blue tape line on the floor which will create an 18’ long entry (where the 2 guys are). The other side of this wall (closest to camera) will be the kitchen.

Stay Tuned....

Monday

I have not even moved into my new place and I’m already living out of boxes.  Tomorrow is the last day in my current home.  As embarrassing as it is, I plan to share photos of my new place with the construction mess and the nightmare of living there during the process.  It’s a good way to put a fire under me and get the design complete.

Friday

Mark your calendars to pick up the April issue of Western Interiors & Design.  I was selected along with 2 other designers to feature our favorite kitchen project.  It was an easy choice for me.  The kitchen I designed for Ron and Euffe was a great project because they were willing to step outside of their comfort zone.  In the end, we were able to create a kitchen that blended their Spanish style with Craftsman accents to fit their homes architecture.  To top it off, Ron and Euffe made the project a lot of fun by getting involved with the design process - my favorite type of client.

Art Director Nanci Smith arranges a vignette shot.  Did you know magazines often work 5 months in advance?  Today’s shoot was pushing a deadline for this April’s issue of Western Interiors & Design

Photographer Lisa Thompson along with Nanci and me check out test polaroids before changing to film.  You often find yourself in a tight corner trying to get the perfect angle.

Sunday - Austin, TX

Thanks to everyone in Austin who came out to the show yesterday. I had a great time and hope to be back soon!

Thursday - New York

The past few days I’ve been in NYC meeting with manufacturers of my home accessory line. Today I took a little free time to find inspiration at one of my favorite stores, Charlotte Moss Townhouse www.charlottemoss.com

This 5 story landmark home is merchandised as if it were Charlotte’s own home.

My favorite find today was the custom wallcovering Charlotte created to mimic alligator skin (seen below). The green cut velvet pattern has a dramatic effect against the grey painted trim and casework. Grey’s are the big color this year, especially when paired with a potent dose of purple or green.

The library on the 2nd floor is my favorite room. I can not get enough books - they make a home feel like a home.

THIS WEEKEND IN AUSTIN TEXAS:

I leave for Texas tomorrow to speak at the Austin Home and Design show on Saturday. Austin Convention Center - 12:00 and 3:30 speaking times. I look forward to meeting those who have plans to be there - Kenneth

http://www.showtechnology.com/shows/Austin_spring/Austin_Spring.html

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.