Decor Mentor Debut - Kids Spaces Thoughtfully Designed

Kids Spaces Thoughtfully Designed on DecorMentor  today.  

For more articles by other professional designers click here for The Decor Mentor site.

Design Bloggers Conference 2013 - Lamps Plus Scholarship

Times sure have changed!  I would have never imagined when I first got into the design industry 18 years ago that part of my job as an interior designer would involve social media.  As much as I would love to design all day, I realize that in order to stay current, I must be involved with many aspects of social media, and that includes keeping my blog active.   

When I started my design blog 3 years ago in 2010, I started it because I wanted to share more than just pretty pictures of finished projects on my website.   My website was only a portfolio and it was not documenting things I wanted to talk about and share with others.    So I started blogging.    Do I take full advantage of what my blog can do for my business?  I don’t know.  I am not a full-time blogger, so I am not familiar with a lot of the “tricks”.   I’m sure there is more to blogging than I am aware of.  And I would love to learn.

I have never attended a Blogger’s Conference.  Partially because I run a very busy design build firm and I am also a mother of two little ones.  So my time is really stretched thin.   Believe me, I want to attend, and I will, but when I factor in the cost of attending, the loss of three days of (productive) work time, it makes me wonder if it’s worth it for me?  Is the conference for designer’s like me who blog occasionally , or is it for the design enthusiasts who want to learn to start blogging?  I’m sure I would learn a thing or two and make some great connections as every networking event proves to be.  But will it be an experience that really elevates my business? I would love to stand corrected and come out of that experience wanting to go every year and encourage others ( skeptic like me)  to do the same. 

Well I am about to find out !   I have been awarded a scholarship

thru Lamps Plus and Designers Bloggers Conference committee to attend the conference next month in March.   Yay  ! BIG thank you to Lisa Ferguson of Décor Mentor, Anne Sage of The City Sage, and designer/HGTV Host Emily Henderson for selecting me.  Congrats to Jill Hinson of Forever Cottage, Kelly Sutton of Sutton House, Dee Murphy of Murphy Deesign, and Joanna Hawley of  Jojotastic who are also recipients of the scholarship.

BEST OF Remodeling 2013 HOUZZ.COM

Voted Best of Remodeling 2013 by Houzz.com

Thank you Houzz.com !

We are so thrilled . Woo Hoo!

Leave it to the professionals

I am not a fan of DIY.
As a professional interior designer, who has seen the process of many crafts hundreds, maybe thousands of times,  I say leave it up to the professionals.  I would never personally attempt to DIY anything and expect it to look professional , so I don't do it.  Then again,  I am into details.  I have a certain (high) expectation of what I consider well done.

Painting your furniture is NEVER a good idea.
Unless you have it done professionally it will chip and look dirty , worn and distressed in no time.

So if you are going to paint furniture have is done professionally or KNOW what you are doing.  Don’t ever just paint furniture because you saw it on a DIY show.  BAD idea.







Here's an example of a silver leafed finished I had done for a client of mine.  I sent it out to a professional refinisher and this is how it turned out.

If you see it in a magazine , it was more than likely done professionally and that is why it works.