Interior Design Sense

{Fabric Pretties at Lee Jofa, Atlanta- they hosted one of our Parties}

I had the great privilege of traveling to Atlanta, Georgia a couple of weeks ago to attend the 2nd ever Design Camp put on by hilarious Interior Designers/Partners-in-Crime, Kelli Ellis & Lori Dennis.  I was invited by Paloma of La Dolce Vita and pretty quickly and enthusiastically said, “yes” even though I was a little nervous and *maybe* skeptical.  I thought, if nothing else, it will be great for networking and meeting people!  Although I consider myself pretty outgoing, networking is not my most favorite thing to do…so going to Design Camp was definitely pushing me out of my comfort zone.

I will be sharing my experience from the perspective of an Interior Designer with my own business.  I’ve been to a lot of seminars/conferences where I’ve felt like it’s a lot of “fluff” and not much meat.  What Interior Designers REALLY want to talk about is business, systems, job management, and making money!  Kimberley Seldon who not only runs a successful design firm but also Business of Design was my favorite speaker.  Her candid talk about how all the business mistakes she made ultimately prompted her to meet with a business coach, which in turn enabled her to put her business practices in two books and now seminars was so encouraging.  I now plan on signing up for her online courses, because this was exactly what my business needed.

My second favorite session was by the ultimate Southern Gentleman, Barry Dixon.  Literally everything he said was quotable.  He manages somehow to be incredibly eloquent without a bit of pretension.  He really sees himself serving the house and the client.  A rarity in the world of egomaniac Interior Designers!

Design Camp is not only a place for inspiration but a place to meet like minded and open Designers, Bloggers, and Creatives looking to give their business and edge all while meeting fun and awesome people from all over the country!  For two other viewpoints check out these posts by Paloma and Ryan.  Sign up for the Seattle Design Camp here!

**My apologies for lack of photos, having an issue with uploading from my computer!  Will add photos later if I can get the problem resolved.

I’m not a big TV watcher, so it’s rare that I’m ever camped out in front of the TV for hours mesmerized by a certain show.  There is only one night a year when this happens and it is…the Oscars! I just love watching my favorite celebs dress up in the most beautiful (or most heinous ) gowns and seeing which movies take home the big awards.  The fashion is so much fun to watch…but as an interiors nut, I also wait in anticipation to see the design of the Green Room every year.  This cozy lil room is where the stars wait to present their awards and is located just steps from the stage, and from host Seth MacFarlane’s dressing room.  This year’s Green Room was designed by acclaimed interior designer Madeline Stuart and had a very cozy lounge vibe to it.

 Photograph by Roger Davies

Madeline wanted to give the room the feeling of Old Hollywood while also incorporating design elements of the 21 century. She said “My goal was to design a space where contemporary stars wouldn’t be surprised to bump into Cary Grant or Katharine Hepburn.”

Designed with mostly Baker furnishings, black lacquer finished wood flooring, and Emerald paint (Pantone’s 2013 color of the year), the room was modeled after Academy Award winner, Cedric Gibbs.

I particularly love the chevron chairs if I do say so myself!

The room may have been inspired by Old Hollywood, but there is nothing “Old Hollywood” about it when it comes to the decked out electronics in the room. Inside there are ten, yes ten 55″ Samsung Smart TVs. I’m sure the stars backstage didn’t miss any of the Oscar action!

Well done MS…can’t wait to see which designer is slated for next year’s Green Room!

{Fabric Pretties at Lee Jofa, Atlanta- they hosted one of our Parties}

I had the great privilege of traveling to Atlanta, Georgia a couple of weeks ago to attend the 2nd ever Design Camp put on by hilarious Interior Designers/Partners-in-Crime, Kelli Ellis & Lori Dennis.  I was invited by Paloma of La Dolce Vita and pretty quickly and enthusiastically said, “yes” even though I was a little nervous and *maybe* skeptical.  I thought, if nothing else, it will be great for networking and meeting people!  Although I consider myself pretty outgoing, networking is not my most favorite thing to do…so going to Design Camp was definitely pushing me out of my comfort zone.

I will be sharing my experience from the perspective of an Interior Designer with my own business.  I’ve been to a lot of seminars/conferences where I’ve felt like it’s a lot of “fluff” and not much meat.  What Interior Designers REALLY want to talk about is business, systems, job management, and making money!  Kimberley Seldon who not only runs a successful design firm but also Business of Design was my favorite speaker.  Her candid talk about how all the business mistakes she made ultimately prompted her to meet with a business coach, which in turn enabled her to put her business practices in two books and now seminars was so encouraging.  I now plan on signing up for her online courses, because this was exactly what my business needed.

My second favorite session was by the ultimate Southern Gentleman, Barry Dixon.  Literally everything he said was quotable.  He manages somehow to be incredibly eloquent without a bit of pretension.  He really sees himself serving the house and the client.  A rarity in the world of egomaniac Interior Designers!

Design Camp is not only a place for inspiration but a place to meet like minded and open Designers, Bloggers, and Creatives looking to give their business and edge all while meeting fun and awesome people from all over the country!  For two other viewpoints check out these posts by Paloma and Ryan.  Sign up for the Seattle Design Camp here!

**My apologies for lack of photos, having an issue with uploading from my computer!  Will add photos later if I can get the problem resolved.

This past week, the Design Bloggers Conference took place here in Los Angeles and with that came lots of events, parties, and the arrival of so many fabulous designers and bloggers that I’ve come to know and love! This year, it was an honor to attend the actual conference itself, as the Material Girls were nominated for a Hall of Fame Award in the category of Best Overall Blog!

The start of the three day event kicked off with an invitation (courtesy of the lovely Bethanne of Currey & Company) to interior designer Michael Berman’s house for a dinner party. We were fortunate enough to have had a really beautiful day with this amazing view of the downtown and LA basin from the backyard pool of Michael’s house!

As always, I attended the party with my “design partner in crime” Christian of Maison21, pictured here with interior designer Michael Berman.

Of course, all my favorite boys where there too: Christian of M21, Andrew of Andrew Joseph PR, Sylvestre of Fuse Lighting, and Clinton of Atlanta Homes & Lifestyle Magazine.

The interiors of Michael Berman’s chic mid-century modern home.

Here’s M21 pictured in Michael Berman’s breakfast room…being silly and using a real old-school wall mounted telephone! (Even the original oven was still in the kitchen!)

When we weren’t being silly, we were taking amazing pictures of the gorgeous LA view (pictured here with me is Sylvestre).

A detail shot from Michael Berman’s latest collection: Bronze Studio (image courtesy of Maison21).

Fun parties aside, come Monday was the start of the Design Bloggers Conference. By noontime, Tobi Fairley (a recipient of last year’s Hall of Fame Awards) emceed the awards with her hilarious presentation (read about it here the pics are the best!). While it was an honor to be nominated, the Material Girls did not win (always next year!). However, it was thrilling to be in the room when the crowd applauded and our blog was flashed on the big screen (pictured above).

It was fun to see so many design blogger friends at the conference, and while I didn’t get a chance to take many pictures, I did meet up with Sara from Decorative Carpets and Lulu & Georgia during one of the brief  breaks.

As glamourous as LA can be, an invite to an intimate dinner party hosted by Duralee at the Chateau Marmont is a great honor! On Monday evening, I joined the likes of Tobi Fairley, Brooke Carter Wallace, Christian May, Clinton Smith, Vanessa de Vargas, Andrew Joseph, and both Allison and Samantha of Duralee for a fun filled evening! (Tobi and Brooke will make you laugh to tears! Just request their impression of the girl named “Dur-ah-leeee!”)

Our dinner menu for the evening everything was SO good!

While photography is not allowed at the Chateau, we rebelled and took more than a dozen self-portraits (me, Samantha from Duralee, and Andrew Jospeh) having fun after dinner!

Last but not least, we were each given a copy of textile designer John Robshaw’s latest book (& I was lucky enough to score an extra copy for a soon to be giveaway here on the blog stay tuned!) [Image via M21]

It was great to see so many design friends and bloggers this past week here in LA. Next year’s conference will be taking place in Atlanta, GA for those of you who could not make the trip to LA. Many thanks to Lynn of Decor Arts Now for sharing her conference ticket with me!

This past week, the Design Bloggers Conference took place here in Los Angeles and with that came lots of events, parties, and the arrival of so many fabulous designers and bloggers that I’ve come to know and love! This year, it was an honor to attend the actual conference itself, as the Material Girls were nominated for a Hall of Fame Award in the category of Best Overall Blog!

The start of the three day event kicked off with an invitation (courtesy of the lovely Bethanne of Currey & Company) to interior designer Michael Berman’s house for a dinner party. We were fortunate enough to have had a really beautiful day with this amazing view of the downtown and LA basin from the backyard pool of Michael’s house!

As always, I attended the party with my “design partner in crime” Christian of Maison21, pictured here with interior designer Michael Berman.

Of course, all my favorite boys where there too: Christian of M21, Andrew of Andrew Joseph PR, Sylvestre of Fuse Lighting, and Clinton of Atlanta Homes & Lifestyle Magazine.

The interiors of Michael Berman’s chic mid-century modern home.

Here’s M21 pictured in Michael Berman’s breakfast room…being silly and using a real old-school wall mounted telephone! (Even the original oven was still in the kitchen!)

When we weren’t being silly, we were taking amazing pictures of the gorgeous LA view (pictured here with me is Sylvestre).

A detail shot from Michael Berman’s latest collection: Bronze Studio (image courtesy of Maison21).

Fun parties aside, come Monday was the start of the Design Bloggers Conference. By noontime, Tobi Fairley (a recipient of last year’s Hall of Fame Awards) emceed the awards with her hilarious presentation (read about it here the pics are the best!). While it was an honor to be nominated, the Material Girls did not win (always next year!). However, it was thrilling to be in the room when the crowd applauded and our blog was flashed on the big screen (pictured above).

It was fun to see so many design blogger friends at the conference, and while I didn’t get a chance to take many pictures, I did meet up with Sara from Decorative Carpets and Lulu & Georgia during one of the brief  breaks.

As glamourous as LA can be, an invite to an intimate dinner party hosted by Duralee at the Chateau Marmont is a great honor! On Monday evening, I joined the likes of Tobi Fairley, Brooke Carter Wallace, Christian May, Clinton Smith, Vanessa de Vargas, Andrew Joseph, and both Allison and Samantha of Duralee for a fun filled evening! (Tobi and Brooke will make you laugh to tears! Just request their impression of the girl named “Dur-ah-leeee!”)

Our dinner menu for the evening everything was SO good!

While photography is not allowed at the Chateau, we rebelled and took more than a dozen self-portraits (me, Samantha from Duralee, and Andrew Jospeh) having fun after dinner!

Last but not least, we were each given a copy of textile designer John Robshaw’s latest book (& I was lucky enough to score an extra copy for a soon to be giveaway here on the blog stay tuned!) [Image via M21]

It was great to see so many design friends and bloggers this past week here in LA. Next year’s conference will be taking place in Atlanta, GA for those of you who could not make the trip to LA. Many thanks to Lynn of Decor Arts Now for sharing her conference ticket with me!

I’m not a big TV watcher, so it’s rare that I’m ever camped out in front of the TV for hours mesmerized by a certain show.  There is only one night a year when this happens and it is…the Oscars! I just love watching my favorite celebs dress up in the most beautiful (or most heinous ) gowns and seeing which movies take home the big awards.  The fashion is so much fun to watch…but as an interiors nut, I also wait in anticipation to see the design of the Green Room every year.  This cozy lil room is where the stars wait to present their awards and is located just steps from the stage, and from host Seth MacFarlane’s dressing room.  This year’s Green Room was designed by acclaimed interior designer Madeline Stuart and had a very cozy lounge vibe to it.

 Photograph by Roger Davies

Madeline wanted to give the room the feeling of Old Hollywood while also incorporating design elements of the 21 century. She said “My goal was to design a space where contemporary stars wouldn’t be surprised to bump into Cary Grant or Katharine Hepburn.”

Designed with mostly Baker furnishings, black lacquer finished wood flooring, and Emerald paint (Pantone’s 2013 color of the year), the room was modeled after Academy Award winner, Cedric Gibbs.

I particularly love the chevron chairs if I do say so myself!

The room may have been inspired by Old Hollywood, but there is nothing “Old Hollywood” about it when it comes to the decked out electronics in the room. Inside there are ten, yes ten 55″ Samsung Smart TVs. I’m sure the stars backstage didn’t miss any of the Oscar action!

Well done MS…can’t wait to see which designer is slated for next year’s Green Room!

{Fabric Pretties at Lee Jofa, Atlanta- they hosted one of our Parties}

I had the great privilege of traveling to Atlanta, Georgia a couple of weeks ago to attend the 2nd ever Design Camp put on by hilarious Interior Designers/Partners-in-Crime, Kelli Ellis & Lori Dennis.  I was invited by Paloma of La Dolce Vita and pretty quickly and enthusiastically said, “yes” even though I was a little nervous and *maybe* skeptical.  I thought, if nothing else, it will be great for networking and meeting people!  Although I consider myself pretty outgoing, networking is not my most favorite thing to do…so going to Design Camp was definitely pushing me out of my comfort zone.

I will be sharing my experience from the perspective of an Interior Designer with my own business.  I’ve been to a lot of seminars/conferences where I’ve felt like it’s a lot of “fluff” and not much meat.  What Interior Designers REALLY want to talk about is business, systems, job management, and making money!  Kimberley Seldon who not only runs a successful design firm but also Business of Design was my favorite speaker.  Her candid talk about how all the business mistakes she made ultimately prompted her to meet with a business coach, which in turn enabled her to put her business practices in two books and now seminars was so encouraging.  I now plan on signing up for her online courses, because this was exactly what my business needed.

My second favorite session was by the ultimate Southern Gentleman, Barry Dixon.  Literally everything he said was quotable.  He manages somehow to be incredibly eloquent without a bit of pretension.  He really sees himself serving the house and the client.  A rarity in the world of egomaniac Interior Designers!

Design Camp is not only a place for inspiration but a place to meet like minded and open Designers, Bloggers, and Creatives looking to give their business and edge all while meeting fun and awesome people from all over the country!  For two other viewpoints check out these posts by Paloma and Ryan.  Sign up for the Seattle Design Camp here!

**My apologies for lack of photos, having an issue with uploading from my computer!  Will add photos later if I can get the problem resolved.

This past week, the Design Bloggers Conference took place here in Los Angeles and with that came lots of events, parties, and the arrival of so many fabulous designers and bloggers that I’ve come to know and love! This year, it was an honor to attend the actual conference itself, as the Material Girls were nominated for a Hall of Fame Award in the category of Best Overall Blog!

The start of the three day event kicked off with an invitation (courtesy of the lovely Bethanne of Currey & Company) to interior designer Michael Berman’s house for a dinner party. We were fortunate enough to have had a really beautiful day with this amazing view of the downtown and LA basin from the backyard pool of Michael’s house!

As always, I attended the party with my “design partner in crime” Christian of Maison21, pictured here with interior designer Michael Berman.

Of course, all my favorite boys where there too: Christian of M21, Andrew of Andrew Joseph PR, Sylvestre of Fuse Lighting, and Clinton of Atlanta Homes & Lifestyle Magazine.

The interiors of Michael Berman’s chic mid-century modern home.

Here’s M21 pictured in Michael Berman’s breakfast room…being silly and using a real old-school wall mounted telephone! (Even the original oven was still in the kitchen!)

When we weren’t being silly, we were taking amazing pictures of the gorgeous LA view (pictured here with me is Sylvestre).

A detail shot from Michael Berman’s latest collection: Bronze Studio (image courtesy of Maison21).

Fun parties aside, come Monday was the start of the Design Bloggers Conference. By noontime, Tobi Fairley (a recipient of last year’s Hall of Fame Awards) emceed the awards with her hilarious presentation (read about it here the pics are the best!). While it was an honor to be nominated, the Material Girls did not win (always next year!). However, it was thrilling to be in the room when the crowd applauded and our blog was flashed on the big screen (pictured above).

It was fun to see so many design blogger friends at the conference, and while I didn’t get a chance to take many pictures, I did meet up with Sara from Decorative Carpets and Lulu & Georgia during one of the brief  breaks.

As glamourous as LA can be, an invite to an intimate dinner party hosted by Duralee at the Chateau Marmont is a great honor! On Monday evening, I joined the likes of Tobi Fairley, Brooke Carter Wallace, Christian May, Clinton Smith, Vanessa de Vargas, Andrew Joseph, and both Allison and Samantha of Duralee for a fun filled evening! (Tobi and Brooke will make you laugh to tears! Just request their impression of the girl named “Dur-ah-leeee!”)

Our dinner menu for the evening everything was SO good!

While photography is not allowed at the Chateau, we rebelled and took more than a dozen self-portraits (me, Samantha from Duralee, and Andrew Jospeh) having fun after dinner!

Last but not least, we were each given a copy of textile designer John Robshaw’s latest book (& I was lucky enough to score an extra copy for a soon to be giveaway here on the blog stay tuned!) [Image via M21]

It was great to see so many design friends and bloggers this past week here in LA. Next year’s conference will be taking place in Atlanta, GA for those of you who could not make the trip to LA. Many thanks to Lynn of Decor Arts Now for sharing her conference ticket with me!

I’m not a big TV watcher, so it’s rare that I’m ever camped out in front of the TV for hours mesmerized by a certain show.  There is only one night a year when this happens and it is…the Oscars! I just love watching my favorite celebs dress up in the most beautiful (or most heinous ) gowns and seeing which movies take home the big awards.  The fashion is so much fun to watch…but as an interiors nut, I also wait in anticipation to see the design of the Green Room every year.  This cozy lil room is where the stars wait to present their awards and is located just steps from the stage, and from host Seth MacFarlane’s dressing room.  This year’s Green Room was designed by acclaimed interior designer Madeline Stuart and had a very cozy lounge vibe to it.

 Photograph by Roger Davies

Madeline wanted to give the room the feeling of Old Hollywood while also incorporating design elements of the 21 century. She said “My goal was to design a space where contemporary stars wouldn’t be surprised to bump into Cary Grant or Katharine Hepburn.”

Designed with mostly Baker furnishings, black lacquer finished wood flooring, and Emerald paint (Pantone’s 2013 color of the year), the room was modeled after Academy Award winner, Cedric Gibbs.

I particularly love the chevron chairs if I do say so myself!

The room may have been inspired by Old Hollywood, but there is nothing “Old Hollywood” about it when it comes to the decked out electronics in the room. Inside there are ten, yes ten 55″ Samsung Smart TVs. I’m sure the stars backstage didn’t miss any of the Oscar action!

Well done MS…can’t wait to see which designer is slated for next year’s Green Room!

{Fabric Pretties at Lee Jofa, Atlanta- they hosted one of our Parties}

I had the great privilege of traveling to Atlanta, Georgia a couple of weeks ago to attend the 2nd ever Design Camp put on by hilarious Interior Designers/Partners-in-Crime, Kelli Ellis & Lori Dennis.  I was invited by Paloma of La Dolce Vita and pretty quickly and enthusiastically said, “yes” even though I was a little nervous and *maybe* skeptical.  I thought, if nothing else, it will be great for networking and meeting people!  Although I consider myself pretty outgoing, networking is not my most favorite thing to do…so going to Design Camp was definitely pushing me out of my comfort zone.

I will be sharing my experience from the perspective of an Interior Designer with my own business.  I’ve been to a lot of seminars/conferences where I’ve felt like it’s a lot of “fluff” and not much meat.  What Interior Designers REALLY want to talk about is business, systems, job management, and making money!  Kimberley Seldon who not only runs a successful design firm but also Business of Design was my favorite speaker.  Her candid talk about how all the business mistakes she made ultimately prompted her to meet with a business coach, which in turn enabled her to put her business practices in two books and now seminars was so encouraging.  I now plan on signing up for her online courses, because this was exactly what my business needed.

My second favorite session was by the ultimate Southern Gentleman, Barry Dixon.  Literally everything he said was quotable.  He manages somehow to be incredibly eloquent without a bit of pretension.  He really sees himself serving the house and the client.  A rarity in the world of egomaniac Interior Designers!

Design Camp is not only a place for inspiration but a place to meet like minded and open Designers, Bloggers, and Creatives looking to give their business and edge all while meeting fun and awesome people from all over the country!  For two other viewpoints check out these posts by Paloma and Ryan.  Sign up for the Seattle Design Camp here!

**My apologies for lack of photos, having an issue with uploading from my computer!  Will add photos later if I can get the problem resolved.