Beautiful Green Classic Kitchens Interior Design

House Envy: London

On gray drizzly February days, it can be hard to muster up the willpower to actually get things done around the office. And so, on days like today, I often find myself perusing the "Great Homes and Destinations" section of The New York Times, wishing I were somewhere else. While I suspect the weather in London today looks a lot like Houston's does (but about 30 degrees colder), living in a

Interior Trends 2011 – Eco-Decorating and Technology

Neither of these are particularly new trends but both are rumoured to continue to play a large part of interior design throughout 2011. The main changes will continue to be the choice of materials used to construct homes as well as the materials chosen for interior designs from flooring to lighting and everything in-between. The use of sunlight and natural light is going to be emphasised with reflective surfaces and the clever use of glass to bring an abundance of natural light into all rooms of our homes. You should also expect to see elements that reflect nature come to the forefront of interiors, but to be really cutting edge and keep abreast of all the current and emerging trends this year keeps your eyes looking towards the environmental movement and the ways you can adopt their approaches and interior design ideas into your living space.

Technological advances are happening so fast that they are not only a trend they are fast becoming a way of life. The technological revolution has already encroached and affected most of our lives and its thought that it going to hit even harder this year. Unless you chose to 'opt out' completely of this technological way of living we'll soon be seeing home theatres and entertainment rooms as part of everyday living. Computer game exercise systems will undoubtedly be included into every home gym within a few years.

Image: Pure Contemporay Blog

Top office interior design - New office interior

If you own a business, you will at some point need to redesign Top office interior design - New office interior. This is not just for the sake of aesthetics, it is to render your office more functional, and this is without a doubt a rather worthy goal. The question at this point is, however, how you will go about redesigning that interior, and if you have already redesigned at some point you

Modern Home Office Furniture - Living Room Furniture

For business owners attempting to source affordable, yet good quality Modern Home Office Furniture - Living Room Furniture may often prove to be a somewhat daunting task. However, for online buyers, Mobile Tronics, an office system and computer desk superstore, has combined affordability and the widest range that is able to successfully meet the demands of any type of office. Mobile Tronics has

Top home interior design ideas

Top interior design - Best interior design school

Programs that are offered Top interior design - Best interior design school in Kansas will vary from those offered in other floral design schools located elsewhere. This is also true for set and fashion design schools. A set design school in Seattle or Top interior design - Best interior design school in New York will have an immense difference in size, atmosphere, financial costs and in other

Virtual Vacation: Great Smoky Mountains

Dave and I have elected to spend our Christmas vacation at home again this year, and while I welcome the opportunity to indulge in a bit of a "staycation," I can't help but wish we were sitting around a slightly more festive environment -- like, say, a cozy cabin nestled in the mountains.Now I'll be the first to admit that I am not, by any stretch of the imagination, a girl who likes to "rough it

Interior Trends 2011 – Transforming Perspectives

Interior design and ultimately designers are always being questioned – which is why we have so many different perspectives on how our homes should look each year, let's be honest it would be pretty boring if we didn't! This year's trend of transforming perspectives is more about defining the boundaries between the real world and the virtual world – question the boundaries between art and design to enable them to create innovative radical new designs which are characterised by glass and metal and complemented with hard and soft plastics that combine to form a changeable surfaces.

Another slant on transforming perspectives which will be seen this year is the move away from people looking to live in the biggest and 'best' homes, rather they will be content to live in smaller, beautifully designed homes which have ecc-friendly stamped all over them inside and out.

So how can we, the consumer equate this into our humble abodes? We can of course look to out interiors and embrace the new trends by looking at the materials we choose – we can incorporate the use of glass, metal and plastics, if they're recycled all the better. As DIY will be part of the new trend we can also start looking for curtain material online from fabric wholesalers UK, look for user friendly patterns and guides such as Roman blinds how to make online and have a go at making our own soft furnishings for our homes.

Image: An Indian Summer

Interior design education - Top School Design

Black Walls: A Lasting Trend?

Kelley Interior DesignMore than a decade ago, my cousin painted her small living room black. At the time, I was skeptical, but now it's perfectly clear that she was truly ahead of her time; indeed, in retrospect, those black walls with her black and white toile sofa was super chic).In any case, black walls have been a growing trend in the design world for several years now and they don't appear

Spotted

I happen to be in Homesense last night and spotted these amazing moroccan pendants.  If you are looking to make a statement these would look amazing!

Object of Desire

I'm totally in love with this ottoman/stool (dubbed a chakki by Serena & Lily). Available in two finishes (white and a dark walnut) and 12 fabrics (including some fantastic prints), it's a truly versatile piece that would work in a bedroom, living room or den. Even better? The cushion is slip covered for easy washing; perfect if you've got small children or pets. The one downside? It's on the

My faves from West Elm

I am loving these!  What's your favourite?West Elm

Interior Trends 2011 - Re-balancing

The third aspect of interior design which will be seen this year is re-balancing – the experts believe that we, the consumers, have become tired of being constantly bombarded by marketing and are looking for products which are personal and enable us to turn our houses into homes. Within this 're-balancing' trend the emphasis is on simple structures and soft natural materials such as wool.

The keywords for spring and summer are Soften, Energize and Excite. As we saw in my last post colours are predominantly ash grey or black with vibrant injections of bright colour. These colours are being described by words such as airy, waxy and silky. The materials and fabric you choose for your soft furnishings will embrace these keywords so look for curtain materials online such as voile, silk, wool and organza. The natural materials such as wool can be used with beautifully designed floor rugs which will also help to ground your chosen colours.

When trying to re-balance the environmental issues regarding new products we'll need to consider energy consumption, disposal, waste materials and renewable fibres. Interior design is not purely about aesthetics but is about embracing the content and thinking about the style of your interior, questioning where and how products are manufactured, how you'll dispose of them and whether they'll help to lower your carbon footprint.

There's a lot to think about this year and as always interior designers are at the forefront of what's available on the market and how products and materials can be translated into our lives effectively.

Image:belle maison

10 Things to do in Palm Springs

1.  Visit Old Town La Quinta
Old Town La Quinta is beautiful! The archways, the Saltillo tiles, the flowers, the mountains, every building is lovely to look at. It is an experience, not just pulling up to some strip center on the highway. The bogenvilia was beautiful climbing up the columns.  I love Saltillo tiles, especially on star risers.

 
Old Town La Quinta Palm Springs

This is definitely my car of choice to drive in Palm Springs
  
Old Town La Quinta Saltillo tiles on stair risers

 
Carthusia Note Fiori di Capri Home fragrance left /Caldi Caldi Boutique Old Town La Quinta Palm Springs

Check-out the wonderful boutique Caldi Caldi. I was lured into this home furnishings store by the most delicious smelling scent from Capri called Note Fiori di Capri, which apparently was the home fragrance used by Jackie O when she was in Capri. Now every time I spray this scent I am transported to another world and time.

2.  Go on a Palm Springs Windmill Tour
When driving or flying into Palm Springs, one of the most striking sights you will see in the Coachella valley is the vast array of wind turbines that sprout from the desert floor. The words "wind turbine" have evolved into what the locals call windmills. My curiosity was piqued so we arranged a tour which was excellent.  Our tour guide Ken Huskey was very knowledgeable, with a lot of the facts and figures that went right over my head. But what did stick with me was how huge the windmills were close up.  To give you a perspective of the scale of these windmills (in the picture below on the left) if you look closely you can see the small figure of a maintenance person dangling from a wire.

Palm Springs Windmill Tour Coachella Valley
Palm Springs Windmill Tour at the Spa Resort & Casino.

3.  See a rainbow over the Palm Springs Desert mountains
It was unfortunate on this trip to Palm Springs that there were heavy rainfalls which resulted in flooding and the closure of many roads, but I was fortunate to see this beautiful rainbow one afternoon when the rain had stopped.

Rainbow over the Little San Bernardino Mountains Palm Springs

4.  Richard Avedon Photography Exhibit at the Palm Springs Art Museum

The Richard Avedon photography exhibit at the Palm Springs Art Museum runs through January 30, 2011 and showcases 90 black and white images of notable Avedon subjects including Marilyn Monroe, Bob Dylan and, of course, some of the Richard Avedon’s iconic shots of Dior’s early work.  I went to the Museum with friends not knowing what was showing. I have long admired Avedon’s photography from afar, so you can imagine my delight in being able to see his iconic photographs up close. His photography is mesmerizing and I had to be dragged out of the exhibit.  I quickly rushed into the Gift Shop and bought Avedon postcards and the Richard Avedon book Women in the Mirror, so I could continue to feast my eyes on his work.

           Richard Avedon, Self Portrait 1980 / Amazon Book: Women in the Mirror
 
Richard Avedon, Twiggy 1968, gelatin silver print
      
Richard Avedon, Dovima with elephants 1955, Evening dress by Dior

5. Look at Mid Century Modern Real Estate in Palm Springs

Mid Century Modern Real Estate Palm Springs

 
Mid Century Modern Real Estate Palm Springs

6.  Shop at the Cabazon Outlet Mall

The prices and selection are fantastic!!  Some of my favourite stores are Tod’s, Gucci, Prada, Elie Tahari, Michael Kors, Dior, Ralph Lauren. 

  
 

7.  Have supper at Jillian’s Restaurant on El Paseo Drive, Palm Desert

Jillian’s Restaurant is housed in a historic 1946 hacienda style building.  The building was originally built as Fort.  It is still intact complete with the artillery room in the rear.  At the front entrance at Jillian’s you can look at interesting pictures of it in the 40’s.  I found it amazing that when it was was built it was the middle of the desert with nothing around it.  That is hard to imagine today, as it is in the center of the busy and thriving Palm Dessert El Paseo Drive shopping area. Below is what I had for Supper at Jillian’s, which was absolutely delicious.  I think the Apple Dumpling has to be the best desert I have ever tasted!

 Jillian's Restaurant El Paseo Dive Palm Desert

Appetizer
Tower of Fresh Crab 
Fresh Dungeness crab meat layered between diced avocado,
sweet tomatoes and toasted brioche
Entree
Rack of Lamb
Rack of Colorado Lamb rolled in Dijon herb crust,
roasted and presented on a fresh Rosemary scented demi glace
Dessert
Apple Dumpling
A tart apple cored and filled with cinnamon and pecans, encased in puff pastry,
baked then drizzled with a luscious caramel sauce and served with vanilla bean ice cream

8. Visit the Salton Sea & Thousand Palms Oasis Preserve

 
Salton Sea

 
Thousand Palms Oasis Coachella Valley Preserve

9. Pick an orange from the tree

Picking fresh, juicy, sweet oranges right from the tree.

10. Swim in Palm Springs Natural Hot Mineral pools
The pool I swam in had water that flows from springs 300 feet deep in the earth and comes out of the ground at 115 degrees Fahrenheit. These Palm Springs therapeutic pools claim to be beneficial for arthritis and back pain, heart and diabetes, weight loss and insomnia. What I like best is that the water is odorless and tasteless.  It is a treat to swim in water that doesn’t smell like chlorine.

PATRICIA GRAY INC is an award winning interior design firm writing about lifestyle and
WHAT'S HOT in the world of interior design, architecture, art and travel.
2011 © Patricia Gray | Interior Design Blog™

DIY Grace Kelly Hermes Bag

 

Kelly Bag

What woman hasn’t lusted after a Kelly handbag from Hermes. I know I have, but with a price tag over $10,000.00 I think twice. Even though the price tag is so high there is a waiting list to own one of these bags. Last time I was in New York I dropped into the Hermes store and enquired about purchasing  and was told that there was a several month wait and it was on a first come first serve basis. They were very vague about timing, color choices etc. and I was informed that they would not accept enquiries over the phone. Apparently you have to check in person in the store for the privilege of being able to buy one. Fine if you live in New York, have the time to hang around the store, and have the money to spend. The distinctive closure on the Kelly bag is what makes it so recognizable. I thought this DIY project was quite clever and could be fun to make if you are lusting after your own Kelly bag or know someone who is.

DIY Kelly Bag

Download the pattern and instructions from Paper Monkey. Please let me know if you decide to make one, or better yet send me a photo and I will post it.   Thanks to Content in a Cottage who suggests that this origami Kelly bag would be make fabulous place cards for your holiday table or fancy dinner party with a small gift inside for each guest.

Patricia Gray Inc is an award winning Interior Design firm in Vancouver who blogs about Lifestyle and WHAT'S HOT in the world of Interior Design.
2011 © Patricia Gray | Interior Design Blog™

Interior Trends of 2011 – Surprising Empathy

The second of the interior design trends that will be seen this year is 'Surprising Empathy'. The world's interior design gurus say that consumers are no longer satisfied with re-imagined concepts which is forcing interior designers to push the boundaries to create new innovation and products. The trend is characterised by angular structures, with greys and black highlighted with splashes of yellow or orange; which enables us to use bright neons and coral tones which will be taking red and pink to new levels of concentrated use.

It's all in the detailing:
Detailing and your own personality will mean a lot around your home in 2011. You'll need to ditch the high-tech and return to items which are true to your heart – basically anything which has meaningful purpose to you – an heirloom or your own art work will be right on-trend in making your home truly unique. In smaller living spaces, where comfort is the main focus, make sure your interior design ideas are meaningful and have their own story to tell. This doesn't mean you have to turn to fantasy or characters from books, although these won't be snubbed if they're true to your heart.

Image: atticmag

Making an Entrance

Entryways and hallways are so often ignored in decorating, but they can be a wonderful opportunity to create some serious drama in these pass-through spaces. Even if your entry or hallway is small, I suggest going big with larger scale patterns and a few large pieces of furniture or accessories as smaller patterns and pieces can just make a small space feel even smaller and (horror of horrors!)

Palm Springs Thousand Palms Oasis

Two years ago when I first visited Palm Springs I remember driving past Thousand Palms Oasis Preserve in the Coachella Valley and thinking to myself how scruffy the palm trees looked and why on earth didn’t they not groom them. I guess that is how my mind works as an Interior Designer. On this trip I took time to visit the Thousand Palms Oasis Preserve and get to know the palm trees and their natural habitat. I have come away with a new appreciation for the natural beauty of the desert vegetation.   

Thousand Palms Oasis Preserve  

Thousand Palms Oasis Preserve   

The species of palm tree at Thousand Palms Preserve, know as Washingtonia filifera, has a very thick trunk and grows slowly to about 45 feet. Their life span is 150 to 200 years. The dead leaves hang vertically and form what is called a skirt around the trunk. This ‘skirt’ is a home and refuge for numerous birds, insects and lizards. Fruit stalks, extend beyond the leaves and bear masses of tiny white to cream colored flowers. During this time of year, large clusters of small hard fruit hang from the tree.

 
This ‘skirt’ of the Washingtonia palms is a home and refuge for numerous birds, insects and lizards. 
One hundred and eighty animal species inhabit the Thousand Palms Oasis Preserve.

 
Thousand Palms Oasis Preserve is surrounded on either side by the Indio Hills.

A few weeks ago a sudden flash fire erupted (cause is not know) on the other side of the mountain from the Thousand Palms Oasis Preserve. In a matter of minutes a whole grove of the Washingtonia filifera were up in flames. It caused quite a stir in the community with locals and environmentalists. In talking with the caretaker of the Thousand Palms Preserve I was told that as long as the very top of the palm tree was not totally burnt it has a chance to re new its growth from the top, however the skirt will not re grow and hence the home for local insects, birds and lizards is lost.

A burnt out palm trunk from a fire in the 70’s at Thousand Palms Oasis Preserve has never grown new palm fronds.

 

Thousand Palms Oasis Preserve is located on the San Andreas Fault
A natural spring feeds the area making the vegetation lush and green.

 

Thousand Palms Oasis Preserve palm fronds
 

The base of an uprooted palm tree at Thousand Palms Oasis Preserve. Palm trees they have very shallow roots. 
 
1000 Palms Oasis Coachella Valley Preserve

Patricia Gray Inc is an award winning Interior Design firm in Vancouver who blogs about Lifestyle and WHAT'S HOT in the world of Interior Design.
2011 © Patricia Gray | Interior Design Blog™

Adoptable Adorables

These pictures broke my heart. These wee ones are looking for their fabulous forever home too! Meet Tinkerbell, General Lee and Bogart. These precious pups were rescued from high-kill shelters in California. Unfortunately I am not able to adopt one of these adorable pups. Hopefully you or someone you know will see these pictures and fall in love with one of them.

Tinkerbell

General Lee

Bogart

If you are interested in adoption, please contact Pamela at 778.297.9929 or 778.239.1428.
Or email at pamelamckenzie@shaw.ca for more information. The dogs are in Vancouver now.

"Dogs are our link to paradise. They don't know evil or jealousy or discontent.
To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden,
where doing nothing was not boring--it was peace."
-Milan Kundera

Obligatory Bump Shot & Giveaway Winner

Okay, okay, so you guys have worn me down. I've resisted showing pregnancy photos of me up until now primarily because (a) I honestly wasn't showing until around Thanksgiving and didn't look really pregnant until Christmas so until recently there wasn't much to look at and (b) I manage to remember that I should take some photographs only at really inopportune moments...like when I've removed all

Stuart Membery

I am please to welcome Stuart Membery as one of the valued sponsors of this Blog. Stuart Membery is one of the world's celebrated designers and his work spans Architecture, Interior, Fashion, Fine Art & Product Design. Through his background designing for such notable companies as Cartier and Esprit he has honed his experience and has branched out with his own HOME COLLECTION line which encompasses furnishings, lighting, textiles and trims, floor coverings and accessories. Stuart Membery is scheduled to open up a flagship store at the prestigious Raffles Hotel in Singapore in 2011.

Stuart Membery mostly works with mahogany and rattan for his furniture collection, and his signature style echoes the atmosphere of bygone eras. Colonial, Beach and Plantation are popular themes that run through the STUART MEMBERY HOME COLLECTION. From his Studio in Bali, Indonesia, Stuart Membery works with his draftsmen the same way he works with his pattern technicians and cutters.

I love the style of Stuart’s advertising and the atmosphere it conveys.

STUART MEMBERY OUTDOOR FURNITURE COLLECTION

 
STUART MEMBERY TEXTILES AND TRIM COLLECTION

 
STUART MEMBERY FLOORCOVERINGS COLLECTION 

 
STUART MEMBERY INTERIOR LIGHTING COLLECTION 

These are some of my favourite pieces from the Stuart Membery Home Collection.

 

Stuart Membery is scheduled to open up a flagship store in 2011 in the Raffles Hotel in Singapore and his line is carried by my friend and fellow Blogger Anna Spiro at her store Black & Spiro. Please check out the Stuart Membery website and Blog.

Patricia Gray Inc is an award winning Interior Design firm in Vancouver who blogs about Lifestyle and WHAT'S HOT in the world of Interior Design.
2011 © Patricia Gray | Interior Design Blog™