Autumn State of Mind

I am blessed to live in the beautiful Southwest Desert, but people often ask if I miss the seasons.  I try not to miss them at all.  After Labor Day is over I want to feel like it's headed into Autumn, whether the temperatures are still hovering around 100 degrees or not.   It's a wonderful season with a great profusion of colors and a crispness in the air that feels like a renewal in a way.   I try to escape on weekends to the mountains as much as possible and actually feel the crispness in the air, but there are still ways to get into the spirit of things here in the Valley of the Sun. 

I like to put away all the bright colored placements and set my table with the colors of the season.  I found some great offerings at Pier One, if you need some inspiration:

A nice feathery spray.









A adorable little pinecone napkin ring

Some Pretty Glass plates in different sizes

Then onto changing out a few floral arrangement or putting up a special wreath on the door.

Here are some beautiful arrangements from Frontgate that you can order or simply use as inspiration. 

Don't forget you can always call upon your designer to have a custom piece made for you!!

Or you can simply pick up some mums at the local grocery or garden shop.

You can't change the outside climate, but you can certainly create your own season indoors.  If you really want to complete the whole aura of fall - put an apple pie in the oven (whether it's one you've made or you just grabbed it out of the frozen food section).   I hope you too can get into an Autumn State of Mind and enjoy this wonderful season. 

A Little Design Monsoon

I have a very practical approach to interior design. I believe that making a house your own is about putting your personality into your space. My idea in writing this blog is to help you achieve an environment that shows off your personality and is consistent with the way you live. Hopefully I will be able to give you ideas to inspire, validate, inform and question. Maybe I’ll just be able to give you some ideas and images to enjoy. I believe, in the end, that interior design is really about enjoying our surroundings, and therefore, our lives.

Today I was inspired by the monsoons that have visited us this week. Although they are late and sparse this year, they are always dramatic, beautiful, and fill us with wonder in their scale.
They remind me of the part of design that brings the dramatic influence in a room - the fine silk in the otherwise rustic room – the cowhide on the French-styled chair – contemporary artwork in a traditional setting - the bold splash of color in an otherwise subtle space. It should be the one thing – or possibly "the right -wrong thing" – that makes a bold statement and makes a space your own.

I usually like muted, elegant, simple spaces – but every once in a while you need a little "monsoon" to awaken your senses.