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I'm totally diggin' The Moment Blog from the ever amazing crew at the New York Times. Fashion, Design, Food....what more do you need in your ever-increasing blog reading lineup?

Yeah! Cafe!

Remember when I wanted a cafe job so bad? Well, thanks universe! I just was hired to do a quick renovation of my favorite local watering hole. We have just two days to shut down and sneak in our changes before the locals come back from their beachy vacations.

Some of the elements we're using:

Those great Domestic Construction teacup lights in the very cool multi colored assortment:



White penny tile, colored grout:



Durable yet fun fabrics for the upholstery (Kravet):

What's The Deal With Aura?

I'm all confused about Aura paint by Ben Moore.

I've used it successfully in my own home- both my entry and living room had the good 'ol Aura treatment and I loved the way it took to the walls and had no odor. No complaints here. I also love their very Farrow and Ball inspired color palate and modern approach to neutrals. But....

On the Eco Kitchen project it was time to bring in the big guns- the skim coaters and painters last week. I met with a rather large local contractor who'll be supplying her painting team. We went over all the details of the patching, the schedule, the cost and when I told him I could give him the paint schedule whenever, he asked what kind of paint I was asking for. I said, of course, Aura. It's an ECO kitchen, after all. My heart nearly stopped when both contractor AND client alike sounded a resounding no.

Imagine my shock. This is a client who will be spending the time while messy sanding and plastering is happening, upstate at an Ashram doing yoga, eating raw foods, and meditating four hours a day. How could she not want a more earth friendly paint? The Client says she read a NYT article about the low quality of Aura and other low VOC paints in the long haul. She said if she's spending the money she wants it to last. Word on the NYT reading street is that Aura's dirty secret is that it lasts about two years and not much more. The painter said he never uses Aura and pretty much refused to budge. He reason? The nearly double price tag. He went on to say there is a general silent boycott of Aura and other similar paints in the professional painting world. They just plain hate it.

So Eco kitchen will get oil based trims and Ben Moore Regal walls. I could have never seen that coming.

Inspired by Le Owner: Items you need in your install kit

I think that the recent post from Le Owner about non design items that are useful to designers was fabulous, and it got me thinking about install kits. A designer is not simply someone who can help you buy things for your home. They will systematically make your home (and lifestyle) more efficient and lovely, and they can do so in three days (usually) with a little help from movers, swearing, and their install kit. As I rattle off things from my own please think of items missing that you may have in your own, and comment with suggestions. If you do not yet have one, here is what you need:

1.) A large plastic toolbox, such as this one, from Northern Tool.2.) Basic tools such as a hammer, standard and Philip's Head Screwdrivers, a level, a long tape measure, a box cutter (or four), a wire cutter, needle nose pliers, a rubber mallot and an allen wrench.

3.) A cordless drill, like this one, from Black and Decker. (And the bits)4.) Every possible size and shape of self stick felt pads. Not only do they protect floors, but they can help when a chair wobbles or the plastic levelers make it too high.

5.) Several heavy duty picture mounting kits that include nails and wire.

6.) Black and brown sharpie pens. Not that I have done this, but theoretically one could, say, touch up furniture with it.

7.) WOOD GLUE - again, not saying I have used it...........

8.) Blue tape (for marking things for follow up / touch up), electrical tape and scotch tape

9.) Flat headed extension cords is white and brown

10.) Every type of light bulb you can think of - silver tipped, night light, halogen, 40 watt standards, the long kind that go in library lamps...

What else, what else?

High Fashion Home

While deep into clicking around Le Internet today I came across High Fashion Home, which appears to be perhaps the Mecox Gardens of the West... lots of product, decent prices, and a few new items. I'm pretty good at spotting the Roost/Oly Studio/Two's Company typical high end retail stores, but this one was just a wee bit different. Some of my favs:

Kelly Wearstler + Playboy

It is a not so secret fact that my designer crush, Ms. Kelly Wearstler, fabric designer extraordinaire, hotel designer at large and television design judge is also a Playmate. Yes, the gods love me the most and made a talented woman who not only publishes beautiful book after beautiful book but also got naked and made sure that TOO was in print. Hysterical post about it here at Decorno (yes, that's the "porno"+design website) with visual evidence.

{post script: It is also not a secret that, ya know, if a copy of said Playboy showed up around the time of my birthday, that it would be, like totally cool.}

The Five Design Tools I Cannot Live Without!

They seem mundane, I know…but these five things are really life savers.

1. A great paper trimmer. No, really. This little gem came into my life during an unfortunate scrapbooking period in collage and literally saved my life in design school. Cuts anything into perfect squares and rectangles in seconds and stays sharp almost forever. I use it for client presentations boards and almost daily at the store for on the fly signage. I love the CARL RBT 12 Paper Trimmer the most, but many work well.

2. Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. The day before SITE’s one year anniversary, I had a mini mental breakdown- I had intended to repaint and patch any damage done in our first 365, but simply ran out of time. A customer suggested that this so-called magical eraser would take away scuffs from our pristine white paint, and low-and-behold….it really did!! Now I use it all the time- client installs (they never end without something getting scuffed) and nearly daily at SITE. Works like a dream on vintage furniture- especially laminates and plastics. Word.

3. Photoshop. Not a day goes by that I don’t use it. Nowadays, I can’t be bothered with big client boards, so I just Photoshop great composition images and clients love them- an easy 8x10. SITE’s website (and this blog!) see a lot of photoshop action, too. Someday I’ll learn Illustrator too, but for now Photoshop is enough.



4. Cheap-o White Staples Binders. I’m not an organized person. It’s true. Em, Trixie they both know it. I still remember the day Em forced us to clean our shared office- it hurt. But give me a clean white binder, some plastic sleaves and the promise of organization, and I’m off to the races. Trixie got me all set up with what we now call ‘The White Binder System’ so really, its her have to thank. I now use the same system to organize all client items- paint samples, pictures, billing and invoices, etc.



5. Blue Tape. It’s a designer staple, and now I know why. I use it all the time for clients- your mirror will go here, the cabinet should be shortened this much, the lights should be placed here. In addition we all know it makes great paint sample stick up and neat corners on messy paint jobs.

What are the design helpers and tricks you cannot live without!?

Wicked Game

For my 31st birthday my great friend Isabel took me to see Chris Isaak...that man was 1) hot 2) funny 3) talented 4) decked out.....in short: he makes me lift my ban on polyester.

Is it wrong to love you?

My bedroom (which I will share as soon as I can get my laundry done, I swear!) is all feminine and French...but these bedding pieces from West Elm remind me of my vintage book engravings and make me want to start all over. Perhaps that is why some of us choose to be designers...so that we are not endlessly changing our minds about our own spaces. :) Have a great weekend ladies!

Travel In Style

I travel a lot. Whether shopping for the store, visiting the ever expanding family, or perhaps someday, on just a simple getaway....I feel like I'm always in motion. Typically you can find me with my simple red Samsonite and a large kickin' tote. But! What if I had these bad boys instead? My, oh my, how much more I'd LOVE to travel then!! Great pieces by the fabulous British Globe Trotter, known for outfitting royalty when they travel. Oddly available through J. Crew- this design for the masses thing, while largely spinning out of control, does have some great perks- this certainly being one of them!!

{even more amazing Globe Trotter @ Conran Shop too. Where is my $10,000 luggage budget already?)

Massey & Rogers

Textile designers Barbara Massey and Helen Rogers' "Vintage Rave" collection is absolutely wonderful, as these images show. Click here for more.

Gorgeous, thoughtful interiors by British designer Suzy Hoodless. Lovin' the abstract quality, textures, and creative use of materials and colors.

Video Love!!

Run, don't walk to watch these great videos from Domino. They tell the story so much more accurately than photos ever could- a must watch!

Saturday Ebay

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Instruction

I adore this Japanese import fabric printed with painting instructions available from Repro Depot.