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Last week I attended Design Camp in Seattle and my business will never be the same.  Somehow I was lucky enough to win a ticket to attend from Leslie Wood, founder of the fabulous blog Hadley Court.  Not surprisingly, Leslie credits Design Camp with giving her the necessary tools and advice that helped her to win the Best New Design Blog of the year. When Leslie reached out to me and let me know that I had won the ticket, I knew instantly that this was an opportunity not to pass up!

Two leaders in the design industry; Lori Dennis and Kelli Ellis started Design Camp after meeting and participating in a panel discussion at the Las Vegas World Market.  These super-talented women share a long list of accomplishments including: author, TV personality, design professional, product designer and mentor (among many others).  Participants in Design Camp can’t help but be influenced and inspired by their enthusiasm and depth of knowledge of the design industry.  Together, they gathered a group of incredibly talented speakers to participate in Design Camp Seattle, each and every one of whom took to the stage to share a passion for their area of expertise.  They spoke about design trends and offered great blogging tips.  They also advised attendees on how to more efficiently run their businesses, how to take advantage of social media, and most of all, how to make their businesses grow and thrive.

Several speakers had recently published books, and many of us returned home with bags heavy laden and plenty to read on the plane.  I was so excited to hear the incredibly talented Nathan Turner — designer, author, entertainer and TV personality from the wildly famous show Million Dollar Decorators.   His design aesthetic is so fantastic and right up my alley, and I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of his new book in the mail, Nathan Turner’s American Style.  Another speaker who had the audience hanging on her every word was Kimberley Seldon.  Her advice on setting goals, outlining fees and creating a process for successfully managing a project had attendees lining up to buy both volumes of her exceedingly popular book series Kimberley Seldon’s Business of Design.  The audience was also excited to hear from Ronda Rice Carman, founder of the popular All the Best Blog and author of the newly released book Designers at Home.  To hear her tell the story of how she never gave up on her dream to be published taught everyone in the room the value of being persistent and never losing your focus.

While I certainly didn’t intend for this post to be so long, there is still so much more to share.  I will highlight more of the fantastic speakers in a future post, so for now I will leave you with this thought:  Many have said that their heads were spinning with all of the information that was passed along during Design Camp.  While I agree, I have never been more focused, more inspired or more excited to be in this industry, and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to participate in such a worthwhile event.

Original content is king in the blogging world, but sometimes a beautiful picture ripped from a magazine is catalyst enough for a post — that is, if you have something meaningful to say about it!  The May 2013 issue of House Beautiful featured two bathrooms with stunning tile that I just had to talk about.  The world of tile has grown so much over the past several decades making options limitless, so it’s easy to make a big impact in your kitchen or bath with the addition of some fabulous tile.   The beautiful master bath above is from a home on Lake Michigan, designed by Martin Horner of Soucie Horner, Ltd..  This exquisite wall of tile, coupled with a classic marble tub deck and surround and handsome fixtures, is all you need to create a show-stopping bath.  Artistic Tile created this incredible pattern (called Danse Azul) using a combination of Azul Cielo and Thassos marbles.  The tension that is created by placing this tile with its organic pattern next to the hard angles of the marble tub surround, creates fantastic visual interest.

This carriage house-inspired kitchen by Canadian designer Tommy Smythe has always been on my list of favorites.  Tommy is the assistant to HGTV host Sarah Richardson of Sarah’s House and Design Inc..  Showcasing homes that represent their design aesthetic alone would make for a great show, but their friendly banter as they work on design projects makes episodes featuring this duo “Must-See TV.”  So, just what is it that draws me into this kitchen?

How do I love thee?  Let me count the ways…

1. Slate floor laid in a herringbone pattern —  great visual interest!
2. Oversized, vintage lantern (love the scale and patina)
3. Cabinets:  white uppers and black lowers for a more casual, mis-matched look — love!
4. Marble backsplash — timeless
5. Mixed materials on the countertops — stainless with an integrated sink and marble for the rest
6. French doors painted black like the cabinets = easy outdoor access and tons of natural light
7. Cabinets that reach all the way up to the ceiling — create the illusion of height (and no room for unreachable dust bunnies)
8. Vintage pine table juxtaposed against sleek stainless steel on counters and appliances — creates great tension
9. Caned bentwood kitchen chairs evoke that bistro feeling

When classic materials are paired with more contemporary elements, it allows a room to keep current while managing to stay timeless.  In his carriage house-inspired kitchen, Tommy Smythe is able to create a space that is visually appealing, functional and a little bit unexpected.  To me, that’s a winning combination!

Several years ago I made my first trip up to the Brimfield Antique Show in Massachusetts.  Having never been before, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but my friend assured me that we would have a great time and unearth some fabulous treasures (boy, was she right!).  We left at the crack of dawn before the sun came up, hitched a small trailer to the back of my Suburban and hit the road with great anticipation for the road trip ahead.

When we arrived at Brimfield, I was taken aback at first by the sheer size of the antique show.  Several thousand dealers were spread out in booths across multiple fields, which extended along Rt. 20 for almost a mile.  Comfortable shoes were a must!   It would be easy to become overwhelmed by the incredible volume of antiques and vintage treasures, so we quickly learned that it was best to have a plan.  We made note of what we were hoping to find and tried to keep track of where we had been, and ultimately we were delighted with the success that we had!  When we drove home after that first day, with tables and bureaus strapped to the roof of the car, the trailer filled and secured with bungee cords, and the inside of the car packed to the ceiling, we were both shocked when we realized that we could have used more room – there was so much more to buy!

Recently, while trying to figure out what to do with a bare wall in my house that just needed a little something,  I went into my garage and pulled out a pretty shabby-looking console table that I bought on that first trip up to Brimfield but never used.  One by one, I started layering different objects from around the house onto the table (some new, some old), trying to create a little vignette that might work.  When I finally finished, I realized that much to my surprise, several of the items that I decided to use had been collected over the years from trips up to Brimfield.  There’s no greater pleasure than when you realize that your house is filled not only with things that you love, but also with things that you have collected over the years that remind you of the places you’ve been.  When I look at that table, I remember the dealer from Kentucky who sold it to me.  And when I see that stone crock under the table, I’m reminded of how excited I was to find a crock with its original lid.  If you had seen what that stool looked like before I had it re-covered (with the brown linen fabric that I purchased at Brimfield for $10), you might have walked right past it.

For me, the fun of going up to Brimfield is not only in the fabulous finds, but also in the hunt itself.  Since that first trip, my friend and I have been back up to Brimfield several more times, and we’ve devised a strategy of sorts for covering as much ground as we can and for visiting the shows and vendors that we like the most.  It’s taken a few trips, but we’ve settled into a rhythm, and we’ll definitely be back again.  So, with the spring Brimfield market opening on May 14th, and another to follow in July, I’m thinking I might just have to plan another road trip!