Southern Studio Interior Design

This week I spent two days at the Gift and Home Furnishings Market in Atlanta! Every market is a bit different and Atlanta is no exception. I was thrilled with the new sources, especially in accessories and lighting.

These lamps from Stray Dog Designs make me happy….

Beautiful serving trays….on the wall or an ottoman or a coffee table. As a bonus, custom designs and monograms are available.

A great new source for furniture piece bath vanities! I can’t wait to design a bathroom with one of these beauties…

Check out these incredible outdoor pillows (yes, outdoor)…

We ventured to the Atlanta Decorative Arts Center and once again, found it well worth the time.

I was drooling in the Ann Sacks / Kallista showroom. Look at all of those beautiful tiles!

And, I loved this writing desk in the Century Furniture showroom.

I’ve been so fortunate to have my daughter, Jackie, working with me over her summer break from college. It’s been wonderful to have the extra help….not to mention the incredible organizational talent! It was great to have Jackie travel with me and keep me focused on specific projects.

At market, hours and hours are spent walking and exploring and walking and searching and walking and brainstorming and did I mention walking? At the end of the day, Jackie and I crawled into bed early trying to pamper our sore soles, ordered room service, and browsed the pile of catalogs we collected throughout the day.  Two days is so long when you’re walking, but so short when there’s so much to see.

The beauty of design is that it is constantly evolving….and I love the process!

I just received the latest issue of House Beautiful today!  I always quickly flip the pages and today I stopped at this adorable California bungalow designed by Krista Ewart. I want to visit this beach cottage….

And eat lunch on this patio….

Our family has always lived by the motto…Work Hard! Play Hard!

Well, this week I’m definitely in the “work hard” mode.  I can still dream…Happy Summer to all!

The past couple of weeks have been filled with some much needed family fun! With two busy teenagers (is 20 still a teenager?) and two busy careers, life can become chaotic. After enjoying some time at the coast (a little work, a little play), we ventured off to the most magical place…Walt Disney World! We all needed some time to just play and decided to invite a couple of extra friends along with us.

We used to visit Disney a lot when the kids were little and have great memories of those trips. But, I have to say, Disney without strollers and juice boxes was a blast! Disney with teenagers was a whole new experience.

I always find inspiration while on vacation! Whether it’s a historic building, a beautiful hotel or a unique architectural detail, visiting different places always sparks creativity. At Disney, it’s the attention to detail that always amazes me!

Walt Disney World opened in 1971!  Walt Disney had a vision and I can only imagine what people thought of his grand ideas.

Of course, change and growth are a constant of life and Disney is no exception. Throughout the parks, wherever new construction was happening, Dream Builders signs with inspirational quotes could be found. Walt Disney’s thoughts were motivating…and so applicable to what I do every day as a designer.

Getting started is always the hardest part!

Some days, I feel like it’s my job to accomplish the impossible!

Great design has to evolve. It takes work and constant tweaking until it’s just right!

Confidence is everything….and you must believe in the project! It makes all the difference in the world.

What do they say? The only constant in life is change. This is certainly true when it comes to the interior design industry!

If you know me, you know that it’s always about the people!

This one speaks for itself.  Everyone may need deadlines, but who likes them?

After a long day in the heat, we had to stop for photos in front of the ultimate home….Cinderella’s castle. My new goal is to make every client’s home as beautiful and magical as Cinderella’s!

Day 3

Day 3 at Hickory Chair University started bright and early with a tour of the upholstery factory. I’ve been to several upholstery manufacturer’s before, but this operation is different. The employees of Hickory Chair are challenged to perfect their systems and think “outside the box.”  I firmly believe that the management style of Hickory Chair is what has allowed them to succeed in a very challenging industry.

Check out all of the color-coded pattern pieces for the upholstered furniture frames…

Skilled craftsmen are found throughout the factory constructing the Hickory Chair frames. The quality of construction is why this furniture can be reupholstered over and over again….becoming true heirloom pieces for generations.

Laura Holland explains the construction of this beautiful chair. Hickory Chair President, Jay Reardon, stayed with us for three days and facilitated much of our training. I cannot begin to tell you how impressed I was by these two talented individuals. I truly believe they could build any piece of furniture in the entire line all by themselves!

Once the frames are complete, it’s time to apply the upholstery. Each fabric is meticulously cut for proper positioning….

And carefully sewn together for a perfect fit….

We’ve all heard of eight-way-hand-tied. Well, here it is..actually tied by hand and secured tightly. No inexpensive spring alternatives in this product.

Laura and Jay explaining the many finishing options available on each piece. Hickory Chair has implemented the Silhouettes program that allows complete custom construction of chairs and sofas….you pick your seat depth, seat height, arm style, cushion style, skirt options, and other details such as nailheads. The possibilities never seem to end.

We ended our visit with a traditional North Carolina pig pickin’ which happened to double as a celebration for the entire plant for achieving unprecedented safety goals. After spending three days in this small North Carolina town, it became very clear why I’m so excited about using these beautiful furnishings in my projects!

Thank you, Laura, Jay and the entire Hickory Chair team for your gracious hospitality and quality education! It was well worth the three days away from the studio….now back to creating!