The Color Purple (in design!)

(photo from elle.com)

It seems like everywhere I look, purple is the color of the season. While we heard about this late last year and earlier this year, it's finally hit the retail market. What's great about purple is the depth and richness it can bring, and the right hue can be so luxurious! The hot trend is to mix it with gray. Gray is always a great neutral color, but when mixed with purple, it really becomes a sophisticated mix.

Here's a great example from Pottery Barn:

People often say that fashion and interior design inspire and follow each other. (what's first, the chicken or the egg?) This couldn't be more true of purple. If you are a fan of "Project Runway" on Bravo, then you saw the winning dress for Diane von Furstenberg's new line - a beautiful purple gown paired with a gray jacket!

Here are some other great examples of the breadth and variety you can get with purple:

Photo by Justin Bernhaut February 2008 (domino mag online)

Table Linens

Fabrics from Kravet

Maura Daniel's lamp

Shop 'til You Drop

I know many people who hate shopping. I am not one of those people. In fact, quite the contrary. I love to shop - always have, always will. However, the reasons I love shopping are not what you may think! I don't have to have the latest and greatest Cloe bag, or the most current electronic gadget. It's really not about acquiring material things just to have them. I love shopping for the inspiration I get when someone else pulls together a display, especially when it's presented in a way I wouldn't have thought of. I also love shopping for the hunt. You know, when you are searching for that perfect thing and finally find it? It's like magic. Or even better - that amazing bargain. My friends still can't believe I bought this amazing $700 purse at Nordstrom Rack for $150! Many people find "the hunt" simply too exhausting and settle for second best because they just simply can't go on! If there was a marathon race in shopping, I'm sure I would win. (mind you, I can barely run a mile!)

Perhaps that's why I love what I do so much....I get to shop for other people. Need to purchase a new house? I can help you shop for one (yes, I'm a licensed real estate agent, too!). Need new curtains? Check. Need a new couch? Check. I'm your gal. But more importantly, I do it and have lots of fun doing it. Sure, a good interior designer needs to understand the balance between scale and proportions and how to put chocolate brown and chartreuse together in a way that looks amazing. But, they also need to be able to find unique pieces that will set your space apart from all of the others; and not get frustrated because you want them to look a little longer for that right piece.

Now, I must digress for just a moment. There is a bad side to shopping that I was once I victim of. It's shopping without purpose and buying just to buy. This leads to bad credit and a cluttered house. (I'll speak more about home organization at a later date.) But, suffice-it-to-say, too much shopping for the wrong reasons (or without reason!) isn't good. I've been there, trust me, it's not worth it. And, when you shop like that too long, shopping isn't really fun anymore.

So, in the spirit of shopping with purpose (which is why I love doing what I do every day!), here are just a few small things I'm enjoying shopping for:

FURNITURE - This Salon chair is from Baker. (yes, blue and chocolate are still very much in!)

CLOTHES: I love Anthropologie! I wish I could afford to buy everything I need there! I generally make one major purchase a season there - their clothes are unique, well-made and come from a wide variety of designers.

HOME ACCESSORIES: Have I mentioned I love lamps? This one is from Pottery Barn (see previous blog for reference). I also like Ballard Designs for their French style of accessories.

I love lamps!

(Maura Daniels)

It's true, I really do love lamps. And lately, I seem obsessed with wanting to buy them. As a designer, I have access to so many amazing options, I could just spend hours and hours looking at all of the choices. And, I do. Until recently, I used to be like everyone else -- I'd hit Pottery Barn on the weekend to find the affordable, yet somewhat stylish lamp. And don't get me wrong - I'm not some "too good for Pottery Barn" type of designer. In fact, I help many clients sift through the many accessory options to find the perfect fit for their room. But now that I know what's really out there, I can never go back! A well designed, unique lamp can do amazing things for a room. It can add a level of sophistication to a living room, or a bit of whimsy to a child's room. Below are just a small sampling of some of my current favorites.

These next two are by Slip -- semi-custom lamps - you pick the base and the shade. Very bright, fun lamps with a modern twist.

The rest of these are by Arteriors. They have many elegant designs, as well as super modern. I pretty much love everything by them!

(pendant - so the trend now!)

(another pendant - too, cute!)









(in case you haven't noticed, coral is soooo in this year! But, who knew you could find it on a lamp?!!)





(for those who know me, I love orange! I plan to purchase this one for my living room.)

(Brown and blue is still "hot" this year and this lamp really pulls it all together well)

Of course, there many, many more manufacturers I love, so stay tuned for more great lamps in the future.

p.s. Most of these lamps can be obtained through people in the trade (like me!), or through speciality retailers.