My First Time on TV! Holy Smokes!

Well, the time has finally arrived.  I’m going to be on This Old House for the first time this weekend.  I can’t believe it!  I have to tell you that I am so nervous to see myself on TV.  Am I going to come across like a idiot (most likely)?  Does the camera really add 15 lbs. (because that would be totally unacceptable)?  Is the segment a snooze-fest (it would be me that made it that way if it is)?
The thing that really freaked me out was when I was looking at the guide on cable to record the show and I WAS MENTIONED BY NAME!  Someone pinch me!

I’ve been working on a couple of posts to give you an update on the overall project from an interior design perspective, but we’ve done so much, so fast that there is a lot to cover.  Hopefully, I’ll have the first installment up soon.
In the meantime, check out the show this weekend (Friday or Saturday on PBS- check your guide for time), and let me know what you think (but please be nice, I’m a wreck as it is!).

Guest Post - Rocking This Old House

Hi there, this is Melissa's husband, Kevin.  You may have noticed that Melissa has not been posting a lot lately (despite my consistent pestering), so I decided to jump in and brag about her for a bit (get over it honey....you can't really brag about yourself, but when it's true, your husband can!)

She has been missing-in-action because she has been busting it out with a bunch of interior design clients in Newton, Wellesley, Weston, Boston and Belmont, as well as putting in a Herculean effort for This Old House.  To give you an idea of a very small portion of the work going into the TOH project in Auburndale, the homeowner wrote this post about the mammoth number of decisions that must be made during the project and how working with Melissa was making the project so much easier and more fun.  My favorite part about this post is that she never even knew these pictures were being taken, and yet she is smiling and having fun in every one.  I never get to see her working on site with clients, but when you like your job this much and you are really good at it, it is no wonder her clients write such incredible testimonials.  I mean, these things made me blush and they weren't even about me.

Last week she was down in Fall River, MA at the Merida Meridian carpet factory filming an episode for the show.  I'm not sure if you've ever been involved in the filming of a television show, but it was a full 8 hour day for about 10 minutes of actual programming on the show.  Because the Sharmas (the clients for TOH) love rich warm colors and are eager to reflect that in paint and fabrics, they would find it hard to locate carpets that worked with the color palatte for the house.  Merida was great at allowing Melissa to custom color the carpets for the entire house so they connected all the colors and made the rooms truly come together.  The episode will walk viewers through this process and how carpets are manufactured (who knew they still made carpets in the US...yea!)

Her weekend project was pulling together, organizing, labeling and shipping all of the paint colors, samples, fabrics, carpet swatches, etc. for the entire project to This Old House Magazine so they can start writing up the article about the finished project.  Of course, being her, she couldn't just send them along, she had to pull together and photograph room schemes for the entire house, label each item with a key (i.e. living room wall = A1 paint color, window treament = A5 fabric), tie that key back to each sample, put the entire list into a spreadsheet documenting everything.  Needless to say the editors were blown away.  As Melissa said, "hey, a little OCD goes a long way".

I am hoping she does not either kill me for posting without telling her or erase this beacuse she feels too modest.(both very real possibilities)  Many of our friends are wanting to have viewing parties for the first episode she's in but if I know her she will be watching from under the covers and one eyeball sheilded to brace for possible horror if she doen't like the way she comes across.  OK, I could go on all day, but I need to get back to work.  I've been noticing that she's been devouring a ton of magazines lately, so don't be surprised if the posts start picking up again soon.

Social Media 101

Today at 4:00 I had the pleasure of representing Kravet on a panel discussion on social media at the Boston Design Center.  I am a big fan of kravet- great product all around and I adore the staff at kravet, Lee Jofa, FDO showrooms!  So I was thrilled to be invited to be part of this amazing group of experts.  Leading up to this event I must say I was very nervous, I don't usually speak in front of 200 people- whoa!  So needless to say I only slept 3 hours- I was walking around West Newton Hill at 4 am with my two dogs trying to get my brain to shut OFF!  During this active brain time I reflected on what social media has meant ot me. 

My husband Kevin has begged me to write a blog for about 6 years.  During this economic slow down and the quietness of the last December, I finally got down to business.  I do not sit still very well at all and realized that I needed to put my time to something productive (blog, twitter, facebook, linked in) not something EVIL (shopping, lunching- general spending of $$$)  So I decided to give all this a shot, and it was still really scary to me.  I was convinced that there was not a minute left in my day to dedicate to this.  I got over that really quickly when I realized how easy and fun it was. 

Kevin (social media expert and business consultant) was very encouraging and technically helpful.  What was most amazing about starting this was that I joined a blogging group.  I highly suggest doing this for anyone wishing to start dabbling.  Find one, two, or three other people who also want to give this stuff a try.  We named our group "Coffee Shop Bloggers" and were initally four woman who were all muddling through this together.  We met once a week at a consistent time, helped each other with technical issues, made each other commit to what we would accomplish by the next meeting (meetings were every thursday at a coffee shop nearby), and listened/ supported each other the whole way through this process.  I cannot say enough how valuable these meetings were to me accomplishing everything I have so far.  Furthermore I bonded with these woman and really adore and respect them...so much good came from this.

Two of the woman in this group- Mia from http://www.pragmaticmom.com/ and Nancy from http://www.capabilitymom.com/ compiled all that we struggled with and muddled through on another blog called http://www.coffeeshopbloggers.com/ you can go to this blog and read the advice, help and tips on how to do this for yourself.  What I sensed about the lovely audience in this presentation today is that they were wanting to try this- wanting to jump in, but not convinced that they either can do it easily or that they have the time to keep it up.  What hit home about the presentation that Beth Green from Kravet did is the fact that you must start somewhere and must do it now.  This is not a fad that is going away and you risk looking unprofessional if you don't try.  Beth explained, facebook, twitter, linked in and blogging.  Beth clearly is an expert in B to B social media and did a great job detailing each of these social media platforms.  The other women on the panel - Designer Rachel Hazelton, who blogs at http://rachelhazelton.blogspot.com/, Designer Julieann Covino, who blogs at http://www.creategirl.com/, and Jennifer Powell who spearheads Kravat's social media efforts on a full-time basis, were AMAZING!  I felt like a complete newbie in their presence and their stories and anecdotes were terrific.

I think a lot of people were looking for some more intimate B to C tips of how these platforms could tie into their businesses and actually make a difference.  I also think they needed to hear that it really isn't that hard or scary and maybe some real life stories about how we did it.  They needed to sense that we were just average people who made this work.  We were reffered to as social media experts (my husband sitting in the audience tweeting live for me under my name thought this was very funny) just because we jumped in and did it - thats all.  You just have to jump in and try.  I cannot begin to tell you how many wonderful things have come to me by just doing this!

What makes for the best living room?

“The chicest, most inviting living rooms spark lively conversation, yet never sacrifice comfort for style”  Elle Decor

Melissa Gulley Style

So what makes the perfect living room?  This is of course, different for everyone.  Maybe we should start by looking at what the living room is, and what it’s used for?

People are far more casual today than ever before…but many people already have a family room which is very casual.  So what to do with the living room?  For myself and most of my clients, it becomes another, nicer (by adult standards) family room where TV is not necessarily the focus (but not completely abandoned, either).  Concept introduction: Living Room as the adult sanctuary!  Basically the adult family room.  I know the term “family” room means family togetherness - Please, don’t kid me.  You need to escape those little buggers as mush as I do (especially teenagers, who pretty much hate you anyway). 

The fabrics may not have to be as stain proof or durable (indestructible for my house) as the family room, the carpet can be more expensive without the worry of it being ruined.  You can also have some accessories and art that may be valuable and not worry that the errant football (banned in my house yet still found constantly) could break and ruin the things you so enjoy living with. 

Cote De Texas

So what are the components of the Living Room going forward:

1) TV

I find for most people (not you people who won’t admit to watching TV – as if) placing a fabulous TV in a clever or hidden spot is important in the living room.  This becomes the luxurious place to watch something adult and escape the blare of cartoons emanating from the family room (the place where my husband can nap quietly on the super comfy sofa and watch the ball game in peace).  I find when there is no TV in this room, it gets used far less- if at all.

Melissa Gulley Style

2) Amazingly comfortable furniture

I recently splurged on a 110” all down sofa in a yummy velvet - best money I’ve ever spent!!!  This sofa makes my husband and I so crazy happy - who knew all that down was the key to happiness!?!  Gone- really LONG gone (in fact banished) are the days of the uncomfortable, uptight furniture for perching with guests who you want to impress (can you imagine - kill me now – how did our grandmother’s do it?) 

Melissa Gulley Style

3) A completed seating area designed for lively conversation

This usually means comfortable seating for 6-8 adults, placed facing each other around a coffee table.  This can be two sofas and a few chairs, or one sofa and a couple pairs of chairs.  One secret weapon that I find very handy (I personally use them on an almost daily basis) is a pair of upholstered stools that are super comfortable and easy to move around.  Keep in mind that you need tables to set drinks down on, every seat in the room needs a table handy enough to set a drink down on easily.

4) Great lighting

Do not- repeat after me DO NOT - put only ceiling lights in a living room (or any room for that matter).  Lighting in living rooms needs to take a layered approach.  First, outfit the seating area with warm, soft lamps.  Three way switches and dimmers help for multi-function (reading vs. soft glow for conversation)  You should be able to read from any chair or sofa in the room.  Then, softly light the perimeter of the room with a combination of sconces and art lights (either wall or ceiling mounted).  Sconces are great to put in pairs on either side of doorways, windows and fireplaces.  Art lights can add tons of drama to your fabulous art or even great window treatments.  Add over head lighting as needed after all above has been accomplished. 

Melissa Gulley Style

5) Your stuff

Stuff that represents who you are, what you love, where you’ve been.  People look for social cues when entering a house - who lives here, what are they like?  You need to show them, and most important, you need to live with things that really make you happy.  Without this stuff or social cues, your house looks cold, like a furniture showroom…..Boring!  By stuff, I mean decorative accessories - pictures, books, magazines, instruments - anything that you like.

Jane McGarry

Mirror Mirror on the Wall

'Mirrors have come to mean much more than the original 'looking glass.' They are now a part of the decorative scheme of a modern home. By using them, there are no dark, gloomy corners, no drab caverns for halls. There can be a feeling of freedom, light, air, space.' Quote from designer Dorothy Draper - 1942

bluetramontanastyle

History Lesson from Patricia Grey Interior Designer
“Everyone has either seen or heard of the famous Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles, built by Louis XIV in 1678. The principal feature of this famous hall is the seventeen mirror-clad arches that reflect the seventeen arcaded windows that overlook the gardens. Each arch contains twenty-one mirrors for a total of 357. In the 17th century, mirrors were among the most expensive items to possess, and at the time, the Venetian Republic held the monopoly on the manufacture of mirrors. In order to maintain the integrity of the French philosophy of mercantilism, which required that all items used in the decoration of Versailles be made in France, several workers from Venice were enticed to make mirrors at the Gobelins Factory in France. The expense in manufacture of mirrors has come a long way since those days, and now mirrors have become a staple in every home.”


Decopad
Add a little twinkle in the kitchen- bounce the light around- give an airy feeling to a small utilitarian space.

Domino
Why leave the back splash in shadow- with great under cabinet light you create a truly magical space.


A little windex goes a long way!

Lisa Epley



Atlanta homes and lifestyles
Antiqued mirror add just the hint of age and mystery this space needs.

Use mirrors to reflect an incredible view- why only enjoy it from on direction?
Patricia Grey

lovinglivingsmall
A teeny tiny bedroom get some needed drama.

Janet Lohman


Steven Gambrell

Theglamlamb
Ok seriously – I would kill for this room, beautifully done.  For my This Old House clients, Allison and Raveen, we went for a similar effect in their “dressing corridor”.

Southern Accents

Emma Jane Pilkington

House Beautiful

Carrie Hayden
The silver mirrored pieces and the gilded gold on the mirror marry perfectly in this high drama space.

Huntley & Co.


This is one of those amazingly creative ideas that’s pure brilliance!

Before- dark boring, gray and just sad!

Huntley & Co.
After, albeit closer up- warm, twinkly and sensational!

Rajeesood
Mirrored dining rooms however beautiful are a little hard.  Diners tend to catch and hold their own reflections without meaning to.  If you want to use them in a dining room, keep them well above eye level for diners.

Miles Redd
Ok – other than the enormous crush I have for Miles Redd and the fact that I think he is one of the most amazing interior Designers of this time- his bathroom rocks (as does everything I have ever seen him do- a blog post in itself)

How to Hire the Right Design Professional. Decorator vs. Interior Designer

A couple of posts back, I tried to answer the question “Why hire an interior Designer?”.  Now I would now like to go into the natural follow up to that question.  What type of Design Professional is right for you and how do you find the right person?

TV Show Designing Woman
There are a few different types of Design Professionals you could hire for your job.  The decision of who to work with is very important, as it is a very close relationship based on many levels of trust.  This is someone with whom you will work with for at least a few months and usually more like a year or two (I have many clients that I have been working with going on 10 years).  You have this person to your home and they work with you to make decisions about how you want to live.  It is a very intimate working relationship. 

The first decision you will need to make is do you want a “Decorator” or an “Interior Designer”.  A Decorator is usually someone who handles the finishing details of a project: color, window treatments, furniture, rugs and accessories.  An Interior Designer does everything a Decorator does but also can be involved in the architectural design and building process (not in place of architect or builder but in conjunction).  An Interior Designer reviews architectural drawings, lighting plans, molding, millwork and built in plans, bath and kitchen design, tile layout and design, flooring decisions….then they finish with the color, furniture, carpets, window treatments, accessories, art, etc..  The Interior Designer can provide a soup-to-nuts solution, from construction design to finished house, or help you with any point in between.

Not to confuse you more, but there is another decision to make when it comes to hiring a Design Professional.  Do you want to hire this person for their style, or do you want to hire someone to interpret your style? 
There are many Decorators out there who have incredible “signature” styles and your house can look just like that with the guidance of this type of person.  Sort of like,  if you know that you love Ralph Lauren clothing exclusively - you love the look and fit and the store is your only “Go to” destination for your wardrobe, then you might find someone who’s “signature” style you love and go for it!  Look at their portfolio- it will likely reflect slight variations on a single style and be very consistent. 

Ralph Lauren Home
If you want your house to reflect you, then look for someone who has the ability to listen and understand exactly what you want.  Most people in this category may know they want their house to reflect them and their family but they may not know exactly what they want or how to achieve what they’re imagining.  This is where the Designer proves their value.  They will guide you and your family (always balancing the individual needs of all members of the family… can you say design therapist!) through the process of decision making and learning about your likes and dislikes.  This type of Designer must learn who the clients are, how they live, work, relax and entertain, where and what they study, their hobbies, ethnicities/family history, where they’ve traveled, etc…the complete identity and function of the family.  Then the Designer sets forth to help make all design decisions through the filter of this client’s identity.

When looking for a Decorator or Interior Designer ask your friends, neighbors, co- workers, relatives.  Word of mouth is the best way to find a designer.  When looking at a portfolio (keep in mind unless you’re hiring this person for their style) the pictures represent the client the Designer was working with, not the Designer’s taste or your project.  You may really like a room but hate the weird chairs flanking the fireplace- naturally you would doubt the Designer’s judgment.  But don’t - most likely those chairs were the client’s favorite grandmother’s and the Designer needed to use them to make the client happy.  The best way to vet a Designer after you’ve gotten their name is to not only look at the portfolio, but to ask their former client’s if they are happy with their home.  Did it turn out how they wanted, did they have a good trust relationship with the designer, did they have fun and enjoy the process?  Secondly, meet the designer.  Do you like this person, do you think you could spend a lot of time with this person, do you feel listened to and heard, can this person make you feel confident in the decisions you need to make (all 300 million of them). 
At the end of the “finding a designer process” the final decision comes down to a gut reaction.  There is no science here - is this person likeable and good at what they do, do they make their clients happy?

I have never actually had clients do this but I have received very nice notes of gratitude.

Minimalism SUCKS!

As I’m sure you’ve gathered from the title, I am not a minimalist.  I personally think minimalism is cold, boring and just plain no fun! I need to borrow some quotes from the USA’s resident fun decorator, Jonathan Adler.  In his manifesto he says, “We believe in irreverent luxury,We believe that your home should make you happy, We believe minimalism is a bummer, We believe handcrafted tchotchkes are life-enhancing, We believe tassels are the earrings of the home, We believe in being underdressed or overdressed always, We believe dogs should be allowed in stores and restaurants, We believe colors can't clash.” 
Back to me.  Now I must stress- the opposite of minimalism is clutter and that is also something I’m not into at all (AT ALL- it really makes me crazy!) 

I advocate controlled vignettes that allow personality to permeate your interior.  Achieving this, however, is something of an art form and is personal to the people who live in the house. 
You also need a place for the eye to rest, so be sure there is empty space. 
A vignette is a still life arrangement on a table, mantle book shelf, nightstand etc., that is balanced with tall and short, textured and slick, color and lack thereof. 

Most of all it’s a collection of things that make you happy and mean something.

Cote de Texas



Lindsey Harper

Melissa Gulley Portfolio

Jane McGarry


Ludwig Interior

Melissa Gulley Portfolio

House Beautiful

Lindsey Harper

Branca Interiors
Here are some links to articles on how to create the perfect table top Vignette:
http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/10820?utm_campaign=updates&utm_medium=email&utm_content=gallery5
http://www.ehow.com/how_5143987_design-tabletop-display.html
http://www.thelennoxx.com/?p=4713
http://www.hgtv.com/decorating/8-tips-for-making-beautiful-vignettes/index.html
http://interiordecorating.suite101.com/article.cfm/how_to_style_and_accessorize_a_coffee_table
I will leave you with a little more Jonathan Adler.  Here are a few of his “10 commandments of a happy chic home”  totally Hysterical- go to his web site www.johathanadler.com for more fun!
#1
Thou shalt embrace maximalism. Thou wilt find minimalism to be something of a bummer in thy abode. Thou wilt grow tired of an endless sea of beige and thou wilt long for a splash of color & a dollop of pattern! Bargello pillows, Furnace bottles, and rustic modern lamps - these shalt be the accessories that add some panache to your pad. #3
Thou shalt buy an X-Bench. Then, thou shalt buy another. Thou shalt use them in pairs, perfect under thy console or placed near thy sofa. Thou shalt rest thy feet upon them & so will thy guests. In fact, thy guests might even fight over who gets to rest upon them. Therefore, thou shalt establish house rules about thy X-Benches. Perhaps thou should consider a sign up sheet. #5
Thou shalt mix fancy with frisky. Thou shalt not be overly formal, for if thou art, thou will be sad. Conversely, thou shalt not be overly whimsical, for if thou art thou will not feel chic. Therefore, thou shalt embrace a mix, pairing the chic classical foundation - excellent proportions, classic furniture - with a layer of playful punctuation. Then thou shalt rest.
#6
Thou shalt honor the funsters of yore. David Hicks, Alexander Girard, Piero Fornasetti, Bonnie Cashin, Bjorn Wiinblad - if thou dost not knoweth them, thou should. Thou can use Google Images to learn more about them and thou shalt channel their fun, idiosyncratic, playful spirit in thine own interiors. Thy home will be fun, happy, and chic.
#7
Thou shalt not commit murder, unless thou art murdering for a decorative accessory. If thou should find thyself at one of our stores and seeth the last bird bowl on our shelf, thou shalt feel free to use whatever means necessary to obtain that special something.

7 Tips for the Perfect Powder Room

This (below) is your basic run of the mill powder room.  Seriously boring- actually painful!  But, you go in quick, you get your business done and you’re out.  Utilitarian, no great experience, just getting the job done.  But why just ”Get by” when you can really “LIVE”.  Spiffing up a powder room can be very affordable and easy due to it’s small size.  It the perfect room to “LIVE LARGE” even if you don’t have the courage to go big in the rest of the house.

Virginia sweet pea
I think Powder rooms are one of my favorite rooms to design.  They are usually small, cozy and you are generally only in them for a few minutes at a time.  Thus you can go all out and a few minutes of appreciation a day is not long enough to get sick of anything.  I think of them as the little jewel box in a house, they almost demand high drama and decadence.



Elle Decor

Veranda


Melissa Warner

Poebe Howard

Brook Giannetti

Brook Giannetti

Alina Apteker



Domino

Desire to inspire


The advice I have for you when thinking about Powder room design is:
1) Lighting- go crazy!  An awesome chandelier looks so fun in a tiny space (if you have the ceiling height).  Use a fixture over the mirror only as an absolute last resort (it makes you look like an old hag even when you’re not, highlighting all your bags and wrinkles)  First choice for sconce placement is 66-68” from the floor at the sides of the mirror- lighting the sides of the face evenly.
2) If you are limited on space don’t go for the elongated toilet- get the regular/standard bowl or even an in wall or tank-less option.  You can also find a plethora of ultra tiny sinks (you’re not washing your hair in it – just washing your hands, tiny is more than fine)
3) Big color or big/wild prints on wallpaper do well in a small powder room.  Make the experience really fun, let your imagination run wild!
4) Don’t forget about the ceiling- does it need wall paper?  How about a bright lacquered paint?  Or even better, how about a mural on the walls and ceiling?
5) Storage- you need storage (under the sink, over the toilet???)  Try to find somewhere to stash the basics- extra toilet paper, tampons/panty liners, room spray, dental floss, breath freshener- you get the gist.
6) A fan… preferably a loud one.  You read the book ”Everybody poops” right?  Well, you know where I’m going with this.  When you have to do your business the last thing you want is for anyone to hear.  Most people are so concerned with finding the quietest fan made - What?!?  No, No, No- wrong thinking!  You want loud.  Now I’m not talking jet engine loud but loud enough to drown out other mild noises without driving you crazy or sounding like the house is falling in.
7) Last but not least- stay away from rugs and carpets right by the toilet (bad memories of the 1970’s with the shag toilet covers and matching toilet surround rugs).  I have an eight year old son - so cute but the worst aim.  We do want the room sanitary and fresh smelling.