Thanksgiving: Top Ten

What are you thinking of today? Do share in a comment because you and your comments are both things I'm grateful for, here's my top 10-

1. family

2. friends

3. fidos

4. health & wellness

5. my abilities

6. education, innovation & opportunity

7. the basics that are not really basic any more (food, a roof, car)

8. fate

9. roommates

10. THIS.

My readers, members of the design blogging community, every single comment on this blog, & all the advice, encouragement, friendships & graciousness that this digital endeavor has brought my way.

I never seem to be able to stop at 10, on anything so...

11. All this other stuff, too:

good jeans, Target, sunshine, chocolate, diet coke, Saarinen, Splenda, the beach, IKEA & DWR, jcrew, Origins Ginger Soufflé, The Highland Bakery, Advil, Method's line of house hold cleaners (packaging designed by Karim Rashid), Amazon, google, iphone, air travel, magazines, Hanes ribbed cotton tank tops, Downy Wrinkle Release & beauty.

Florence Knoll Coffee Table

Let me start off by saying I am biased towards anything involving white marble, but the simplicity and elegant stature of Florence Knoll's classic coffee table design lends it the ability to act as a solid touchstone for a variety of design application.

Though the style is often associated with modern/contemporary interiors, I do not think it needs pigeonholing.

I had a hard time finding images of the table used in interiors that didn't fit this category, so maybe I am the only one who feels this way. But, I doubt it.

A good looking knock off in a condo lobby,

and a handsome authentic in a home living room.

The Florence Knoll table with a glass top (and a good excuse to put in another beautiful image from MODA tour).

Oh and here's where I plan to put Ms. Knoll (or her look alike):

Look alike below available at Ethan Allen (and its a set of 3)!

So what do you think, does this table have enough gravitas to buck the brass/gold metal standard? We'll see!

Glass Top Sawhorse Desk

What are you working on? I mean, your work surface, what is it?

Sitting here pecking away on my laptop perched on my bright yellow table, I am working on finding the perfect desk for a corporate office environment that I went to have a look at on Friday. Good chance that the desk that I am working on finding will be a staunch contrast to the table that I work on...here's my dilemma.

My first impulse is to trade out the space's existing heavy wood, traditional desk for a lighter, glass topped unit. Glass will coordinate well with the rest of the existing furnishings, add a level of interest to the other all dark wood elements of the room and give the space an overall update.

Yet, check out all the options and consider my question for you:

Desk on 1st Dibs

Desk by Ralph Lauren +$15,000 (recession? what? where?)

Desk by William Sonoma

Desk by William Sonoma

Desk by West Elm

Desk by West Elm

Desk by Knoll

Can I mix my metals?

Are you comfortable mixing metals? Can I put nickel legs next to scroll-y formal brass hardware?The only issue that I am running into is that most glass tables that I am looking at have nickel finished silver legs, while I really prefer brass or gold plate for this space. What do you guys think?

Desk for Hickory Chair

Or should I look further into options like these by Hickory Chair?

Atlanta own Suzanne Kasler's Campaign Desk for Hickory Chair

Atlanta own Suzanne Kasler's Campaign Desk for Hickory Chair

Please let me know what you think about the hardware question soon. See, I also envision swoping the existing heavy wood coffee table for one of Florence Knoll's classic coffee tables with a brown or white marble top. Yet, Florence also liked her legs silver.

Eat Your Heart Out Restoration Hardware

Who doesn't love this furniture factory cart table by Michael Vermillion for Restoration Hardware!

Restoration Hardware has been bangin' it lately with their collections inspired by independent artisans.

The only thing that makes Restoration Hardware unappealing at this point in my life is its price tag. The above table begins at $895 and goes all the way up to $1250. Well, good thing that my favorite past time is treasure hunting (not sure actually what came first-my lack of funding or my ninja-esque deal spotting eye). Either way

... check out my bootie (that's pirate bootie, My Friend):

Bought this table on Saturday afternoon at a Forest Park flea market for a living room that I am helping a friend spruce up/decorate for a few hundred dollars less than its cousin offered by the major retailer. From their dimensions ( 28"W x 53"D x 16"H) to the R & L imprinted on the iron wheels, the antique furniture factory carts mimic each other very closely. Meticulous inspection, I ran my fingers over the side edges of the wood top and felt small splinters left by recent meeting with a saw- confirmed that the wood on the surface is, in fact, ALL new. However, the craftsman did a pretty good job roughing up the surface to match the antique base of the cart and to his credit he did tell us some of the wood had been replaced. A few variations in surface finishes were available- stained wood to stainless steel. I liked the most simple of the them all and that's the one we wheeled to the back of our car.

Maybe my friend can use the extra Benjamins to finish the rest of the room...

oh the S W E E T smell of money saved.

Look for an image of the cart installed in the room in an upcoming post (still a little work to do)!

Party On: MG+BW Book Launch Atlanta

Last night was the launch of the new Mitchell Gold+Bob Williams book, The Comfortable Home. Turns out Mitchell & Bob are just as friendly as their furnishings, as they were kind enough to humor me with some photos (pretty exciting moment for a design lover).

Known for its signature classics, the Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams furniture/accessories line unanimously boasts a timeless style, as well as a practical approachability, much like the design duo themselves.

Image via Terry Kearns

The Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams Store on Peachtree Street...

and, of course, the book itself.

FIRST, here's my favorite thing about the store- the doggie door and

Image via Terry Kearns

the frenchie!

SECOND, here's my favorite image in the book and

THIRD, here's my favorite thing about the book: its simple.

The Comfortable Home gives readers step by step directions to help someone without any visual experience put together a sophisticated, welcoming room. Brief descriptions of how the room's elements contribute to the room's overall style, be it Modern Cottage or Hip Traditional, accompany the step by step instructions giving readers the knowledge they need to improv with elements they already have or find perhaps at a flea market. Tips like these really do help people who are not designers- invest in the nest and live well for less. And isn't that what I try to do every single day!

Of course, its pretty likely that if you're reading this blog-you already know that stuff. So for you, Dear Designer, just enjoy the 245 pages of full color photographs, including a peak into Mitchell & Bob's own New York city retreat (can I call a home in NYC a retreat? My sources say...YES!).

Yum!

Oh and the guys' other decorating tip that I preach & preach & preach-

just finish it

Now excuse me while I go finish reading my copy...

Oh hush-I tried to give it away, but to my knowledge- no one posted the link. In the future, I'll try to come up with better contest ideas because I KNOW y'all wanted the book. In the mean time, I'm happy I get to keep it (maybe you all conspired so that I would keep it...LOL). Anyway, ideas are always welcome.

Wishing you all a fabulous afternoon- y'all rock my world!

C

I Lost It And Still Won: My 1st Commercial Design Project Bid

After receiving a request for my design proposal, I got word that someone else got the job just last week.

Over 90 hours of my work went into meeting the requirements of the company's request including pricing the project per square foot.

I selected paint colors before I negotiated pricing with several local painters,

I drew a slew of seaming diagrams to ensure my carpet quantities were down as low as possible and met with a carpet representative. I sourced light fixtures and pushed my lighting reps to create fabulous fixtures at appropriate price points; I did the same with the furnishing & the accessories.

Complete with every detail the client requested, I made a board to communicate my design. I submitted a proposal tallying up every single price that I worked hard to make sure met the budget that the client submitted.

I prepared and practiced my presentation (I know I took a picture, its sort of lame to take a picture of yourself but it was my first big business presentation and well, frankly I have become an obsessive documenter).

I ordered cookies in the image of my business card as I laced up my cleats and prepared for my grand slam home run, my big meeting.

On the morning of my big presentation, crack went the bat and I hit the proverbial ball straight out of the park... nailing every point that I practiced about every detail of my meticulously planned design.

Then two weeks later, last Wednesday, I hit a wall as I got word that my design was rejected for that of another designer. And still I felt good about the work that I did. You know why?

I put a solid brick securely into my wall.

Huh?

You're pretty confused now, right...allow me to explain.

I read this article a few months ago written by an Atlanta architecture & design firm (I can't remember who, but it is the gist of the article I will carry with me forever). The article advised design professionals (and companies in general) to think of their professional reputation as a brick wall. Every interaction is a brick. A single negative professional interaction even loads of years in the past will forever sit as a part of your wall. No note will exist on the brick explaining that you did not get paid enough for this project or the budget was not big enough for you to do your best work. The brick will always exist, good or bad strengthening or weakening the wall that is the reputation of a professional.

I'm proud of the brick that I put into the wall of Claire Watkins Interior Design.

My design company is young, so I wanted this job BAD as a built & finished portfolio project bigger than anything Claire Watkins Interior Design has in its professional portfolio. I put more work into the project than it was worth monetarily. One thing I could have done to gloss up my presentation might be to fuzz the numbers that my shrewd research revealed the project would cost, but I firmly believe part of being a designer is to act analytically. Fuzzy numbers are not me (what is me was my bet with the client that they couldn't come in any more under cost than the design I specified- $50 bet to be exact). Fuzzy numbers don't make for good bricks and after all I had a very solid learning experience.

Next year, however, you better believe I will go back and find out how the project looks and what it ended up costing. This way, I'll find out what else I could have done better...

or I'll just collect my $50 and go back to slowly building a strong brick wall.

Have a great day everyone!

Best,

Claire

If you were one of the dynamic design professionals whose advice I was so lucky to receive on this project, thank you. We'll get them next time!

Making Pendant Lights From Lamp Shades

My little dining/office/living room area was in bad, bad need of a new light fixture to replace the blah flush mount ubiquitous to a rental like mine when

I was lucky enough to stumble upon these 2 silk shantung shades while on a walk last Sunday afternoon.

After a little wrangling, a lot of question asking, and a little help from my friends, I got this new pendant chandelier!

For $30, a sharp eye and a willingness to pick up street trash-not bad, huh...

Here's a rundown of my procedure:

1. Using a quick drying fabric glue fold the end of the trim against itself, clip & allow to dry.

2. Adhere trim along shade edges with a light hand.

3. Work in small sections using clips to secure glue as you go. I like the large potato chip clip because it evenly holds a large area in place. I know, we sure are FANCY on HighGlossBlue!

4. As you approach the meeting place at the last corner, repeat step one, folding back trim's raw edge against itself. A pro will ensure the pattern matches.

5. Hanging the pendant in place of a flush mount is not too difficult and I did it with the instruction of a friend. I am however going to refrain from giving specific directions in this area and suggest that if you haven't done any electrical work before, that you seek some help, too. Cause when I say that I get fired up over this kind of stuff...I certainly don't mean it literally!

Good Luck!

Beauty is everywhere, don't you think...even on the side of the road!

Have a favorite recent road find in your home, do tell!