My Visit to Palm Springs

I have just returned from a much needed vacation in Palm Springs. The dry, sunny desert climate was a welcome and refreshing relief from the damp and cold winter we have had in Vancouver. I swam every morning in 94 degree mineral spring pools (plural). Where I was staying had 9 pools in total. The benefits of these naturally occurring mineral pools are many and I felt the stress I had accumulated in my body melting away.

This was a view of the palm trees surrounding the pool. I took this picture while I was floating in the pool.

The mountains in the desert have a beauty all their own. Next time I go, I am inspired to paint them. They are the most beautiful in the early morning and just before sunset when the shadows are the strongest and highlight all the contours.

I picked oranges right off the tree. The taste and smell was the best.

The desert flowers were in full bloom.

I will post more this week on some of the highlights of my trip:

• The BEST shopping in Palm Springs
• Drinks at the Viceroy Hotel
• Mid-Century Modern Architecture and the use of Screen Block
• Palm Springs Images and the Colony Palms Hotel
• Visiting the Anza-Borrego Desert and the Badlands
   
  
  

Patricia Gray writes about 'WHAT'S HOT 'in the world of Interior Design, new and emerging trends, modern design, architecture,
and travel, as well as how your surroundings can influence the world around you.
© Patricia Gray Interior Design Blog, 2009

My Top 10 New Interior Design Blogs

 

Interior Design Blogs

I am continually amazed at the time spent by talented people sharing their passions with the world around them. It reminds me of a quote by Joseph Campbell that I try to live my life by: "Follow your Bliss." Thank-you all for taking time out of your busy lives and careers to share your Bliss with us in the 'Blogosphere'!

A Schematic Life An Interior Designer from Vancouver 'satisfying her need to make everything about design'.
Brillante Home Decor Discovering trends of Italian Design and writing about Milan.
Design Ties Share their love of all things related to home decor and remodeling.
HD Inspirations Dale is an Interior Designer in Vancouver who explores interesting and new hotel projects and related products.
Meade Design A multidisciplinary design studio in Victoria, BC, Canada that creates interiors and graphics.
Pure Style Home Her design philosophy, "pure style," is based on keeping things simple, beautiful & fun.
Qerat Furniture Designed & Made With Passion in Amman, Jordan.
Renee Finberg Renee Finberg 'TELLS ALL' in her BLOG of her Adventures in Design.
Tartanscot The musings of an interior designer/stylist living in San Francisco.
Velvet & Linen English fabrics, French and Swedish antiques inspire her.

Patricia Gray writes about 'WHAT'S HOT 'in the world of Interior Design, new and emerging trends, modern design,
architecture, and travel, as well as how your surroundings can influence the world around you.
© 2009 Patricia Gray Interior Design Blog

Making the Most of Natural Light

Making the most of as much natural light as possible is a great way to add natural warmth and a spacious feeling to small rooms.

This wonderful room design has used the most of the natural light entering the small place by using full length voiles to provide as much light expose as possible across the width of the patio style doors.

Using voiles in this way as provides privacy from prying eyes and yet is sufficiently sheer to let light in and the occupants to see outside. Using white voiles is also an effective way of letting as much light into the room while being able to leave them drawn across the entire glass.

Another great advantage to using voile curtains is their light weight. They can be hung from small diameter curtain rods or poles or used with conventional curtain tracking to make pulling them open effortless as well as coordinating with the interior design style of the room.

White décor with accents of this years Pantone yellow offers a really spring like and fresh appearance to a small room. The light coloured wood of the TV unit compliments both white and yellow wonderfully.

Keeping the main theme of a room white will enable natural light to bounce off the walls and reflective pieces, such as a glass dining table, to create an illusion of more space.

Anyone with a small room will know that it will have to be kept neat and tidy to prevent it being turned into a cramped and uninviting space.

Image source: Freshome

15 Top Contemporary Staircase Designs

Contemporary or modern stair design can be gloriously simple using clean lines or gracefully curved. Staircases are such an important element in a home as they are usually the first thing that you see when you enter a home and are so frequently used.

Most modern staircase design is meticulously detailed, exposing all the working elements and eschewing trim, moldings, and other decoration. Because this type of stair is meant to be viewed as if it were a piece of sculpture, it looks best in an open space where the entire structure is visible.

I have long had a fascination for staircases. They are one of the most challenging elements I have to deal with in my practice and one of the most expensive to detail correctly. One of my pet peeves is wall to wall carpet on stairs. I prefer to use runners or leave the stairs bare if at all possible. In my last renovation for a client, I removed the carpet on their open staircase and replaced it with 2 inch thick slabs of 100 year old reclaimed Asian teak. The reclaimed teak has a beautiful patina and you see it's solid thickness as you traverse up and down the staircase.

The best reference book I have in my library is Staircase Design. Although it is out of print, there are a few used books available on Amazon. Staircases: Design & Construction and Stairscaping are also noteworthy.

 
This graceful staircase by Armenio Losa (above & below) makes me want to run my hand along the curved hand rail, or slide down it. 

Bo Bedre

 

                                                                                                                 Caldwell Beebe Interiors

The side detailing of this staircase shows off the solid thickness of the treads and risers. David Schefer

 

                                                                                                                 Architectural Stairs Company

David Pontingar Architecture

  

Jennifer Post
 
 

                                                                                                                              Leonie Brown

Living Etc

Living Etc

Magni Design 
 

Renwick above and below

  
  

This is one of my favourite staircases. I love the cantilevered slabs projecting from the rough concrete wall.
Steven Ehrlich


The Blue Fin Restaurant W Times Square Wall Surface Interiors
Interior design Yabu Pushellberg 

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™

Children's Themed Bedrooms

Decorating bedrooms for young children can be a time when you can bring back your own childhood memories for all the things you loved!

You should be careful that your choice is the same as your child’s otherwise you may love the room and they may well detest and seeing as it’s there space their ideas should take precedent!

Painting large murals on walls offers a truly wonderful appearance, but for those who are not artistic it may be wise to get friends who are excellent at drawing to sketch out the design and you to do the painting!

Alternatively you can still use a specific theme but rather than have an entire wall or walls painted generate the theme with the use of childrens curtains which have a zoo theme for example.

Borders are somewhat out dated, however for the relatively short time they will be in place-as your child matures a zoo style theme will need replacing with something far more suitable for a teenager- they are a cost effective method of decorating without having to painting murals!

Matching bedding and some great child orientated wall art are great ways to bring the theme together. Be inspired by nature and have a jungle style theme, a great way to introduce masses of wonderful new vocabulary and highlight endangered animals to young children.

This may sound a bit OTT, however, children will adore a room they can use as part of their role play, transforming their bed into a camp or den!

Image source: freshome