Your Name Is Only As Good As..........

Your Workroom !!

In my many years in the interior design industry, one thing I have to have is a great workroom. I am nothing without a brilliant upholstery man, and the artful hands of the seamstress that will make my window treatments.

I am going to give 'my opinion'

in this post, and that is just what it is. An opinion.

They are suggestions from someone who has worked very hard in this business for over 28 years. Sometimes in entry level design positions, in other words; ' paying my dues.'

But I always did anything & EVERYTHING I needed to do to get the job done,

to my ( some might say, ridiculously) high standards.

So, I think....

Your window treatments and all your custom upholstery should lack for nothing. If you want a room to be a show-stopper, this is not an area of design to EVER cut corners in.

Have you ever had a window-treatment installed and been filled
with shame and embarrassment ?
I have, just once !!!

From that day forward I always demanded the very best workroom in my area.

If it cost more than every other workroom………oh well. ( think of it as insurance)

The personal pain, if it comes out ' WRONG' , is too great for me ,"thank you very much !"

I don’t mind paying more for a workroom if I get this in return;

• Workmanship, Workmanship, Workmanship = QUALITY.
  This includes top of the line hardware that is securely installed, you do not need it falling down on your client because of a installer who is rushing.
• When it is installed it is perfect, the length and mounted at the proper height ,etc.
• If it is not, it is taken back and returned /installed within 5 business days, without any conversation or ' who is to blame.’
• The workroom always measures everything, and determines yardage, trim, and hardware of all materials needed for the job. If this little rule is followed, you will never be blamed for any screw-ups. (Unless you ordered the wrong fabric or trim, and that is too scary to discuss) So,Guess Who will not be eating the fabric, trim, and labor costs for lunch ? ..........You !
• Remember, paying a higher fee for an excellent workroom is exactly like having insurance on your design and manufacturing process.

I am hoping that I didn't sound like a ' know it all.' I am not.

The older I get, the more I realize how little I do know.

I only KNOW about 10 things for sure....and workrooms fall into ' the 10 things I know' category.

Will you take this advice....?
It's good, trust me.
Share your experience*  

Renee Finberg 'TELLS ALL' in her BLOG.....
All picture credits from : www.jonasworkroom.com

Interior Design, Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Window Treatments, Custom Design, Paint, Color Coordination, Online Interior Design

I'm Floored Again !

I saw this and was absolutely floored by this beautiful space. The stone floors , the patinas that make up this area are soothing to me.
The shape of the staircase , even the hand rail on the staircase is beautiful. I would love to see the rest of this place. I am intrigued.

"Quarried from the seventeenth century in the Languedoc region of France, this stone was used extensively for flagstones in the grand country houses of the area. Today, Antique Barr is reclaimed by a small bands of gypsies and it is as a result of Paris Ceramics’ close contacts in the area that the company is able to control the supply of this stone.
Unusual for its consistent richness, texture and patina from floor to floor, this is one of the few antique flagstones the company is able to supply on a regular basis.
Available in Antique Blonde Barr (large hand-shaped flagstones laid in coursed lengths) and in
Antique Dalle de Blonde Barr (random sizes), these flagstones are in varying tones of golden-beige."
Paris Ceramics
http://www.parisceramics.com/Portfolio/10_DF.html

Renee Finberg 'TELLS ALL' in her BLOG.....

Guess Who's Wearing A Mask ?

You can buy this.....

and buy a can of spray paint, and do this.
OR you can read what I really wanted to post about..........

Impostor Syndrome sufferers are high achievers who secretly believe they have been overestimated. They fear that at any time the "truth" about them will become known. Impostor Syndrome: They’re Productive Overachievers in Everyone’s Eyes but Their Own -

The Impostor Syndrome
Yes or No

• Do you secretly worry that others will find out that you're not as bright and capable as they think you are?
• Do you sometimes shy away from challenges because of nagging self-doubt?
• Do you tend to chalk your accomplishments up to being a "fluke," “no big deal” or the fact that people just "like" you?
• Do you hate making a mistake, being less than fully prepared or not doing things perfectly?
• Do you tend to feel crushed by even constructive criticism, seeing it as evidence of your "ineptness?"
• When you do succeed, do you think, "Phew, I fooled 'em this time but I may not be so lucky next time."
• Do you believe that other people (students, colleagues, competitors) are smarter and more capable than you are?
• Do you live in fear of being found out, discovered, unmasked?

Do you wear a mask ?

I answered 'yes' to 8 out of the 8 questions, I guess that means I win !!!!

..................how about you ???
[ shall I save room for you on 'the COUCH ?']

I know I wear masks at parties.

For those of us who scored HIGH, here are Words To Live By;

• Perfectionism has nothing to do with getting it right. It has nothing to do with high standards. Perfectionism is a refusal to let yourself move ahead. ~ Jennifer White
• The secret of creativity is knowing how to hide your sources. ~ Albert Einstein
• Everybody is ignorant, only on different subjects. ~ Woodrow Wilson
• I was gratified to be able to answer promptly. I said, I don't know. ~ Mark Twain
• Don't agonize. It slows you down. ~ "Non-perfectionist" Isaac Asimov

Did you score high ????

Kisses to you xxxxxx

Have a lovely weekend.

About 'wearing one'....read this:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/05/health/05mind.html

http://www.counseling.caltech.edu/articles/The%20Imposter%20Syndrome.htm

Masks and Disguises:

http://www.carnivalofvenice.com/argomento.asp?cat=16

Venice Sources:

http://www.tragicomica.it/

http://www.carnivalofvenice.com/argomento.asp?cat=2

Renee Finberg 'TELLS ALL' in her BLOG.....

No Dumb Waiters Here !!!

Sir Charlie Chaplin in a dumbwaiter.

Dumbwaiters, an incredible help and you can still get them installed in home today.

I have played in them as a child, like Charlie Chaplin in the 1st picture.

Did you know that Thomas Jefferson is said to have invented the dumbwaiter. There are 2 forms of a dumbwaiter, one is a table with tiers. The other is the very small elevator type built into a homes wall that has a vertical shaft, the dumbwaiter is raised and lowered ( manually) by ropes and pulleys.

After 1920, motors were added.

Thomas Jefferson's Monticello.

http://www.monticello.org/gallery/innovations/index.html ( Monticello Site )

This is a wine dumbwaiter that was used to transport his wine from the cellar to the dining room at Thomas Jefferson's 'Monticello'.

http://www.monticello.org/gallery/innovations/dumbwaiter.html

"When he had any persons dining with him, with whom he wished to enjoy a free and unrestricted flow of conversation, the number of persons at table never exceed four, and by each individual was placed a dumb-waiter, containing everything necessary for the progress of the dinner from beginning to end, so as to make the attendance of servants entirely unnecessary, believing as he did, that much of the domestic and even public discord was produced by the mutilated and misconstructed repetition of free conversation at dinner tables, by these mute but not inattentive listeners. "

More dumbwaiters.

This is a picture from ' The Octagon House'. ( see arrow)
I don't understand why with all these 'Mc Mansions' that have been built do not have dumbwaiters. They are certainly available.

Especially in homes with a long walk to the laundry room . If your laundry room is off your kitchen. this would be great, you could use it for food, laundry .........anything.

Heck, you could just ride in it . Just think of the possibilities !!!

Would you like your very own dumbwaiter ?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dumbwaiter_(elevator)
http://my.execpc.com/~drer/octagon.htm
http://www.verticalvalet.com/

http://www.abbeyaccess.com/index.php?n=15&id=28
http://www.offthebeatenstage.com/AtmosphereActors.htm
Renee Finberg 'TELLS ALL' in her BLOG.....dumbwaiters, dumbwaiters,dumbwaiters

Crazy For Shells

I only feel comfortable with a small dose of ' SHELL DECOR ', but as my mother would say;

" It takes a lot of different horses to make a horse race .''

This house is in Austin Texas. I would expect to find it in El Cid, just over the bridge
from Palm Beach, where there are absolutely charming homes.

This picture drew me right in...........and suddenly I wanted to post.

(remember, I have been feeling stale)

The shutters are gorgeous, and the new or old finish is FABOO !!

In the garden behind the house there's a grotto with a koi-filled pond as its base.

This is the fantastic fountain. The owner collected all these shells herself.

This mantle would be the envy of any Palm Beach - er.

I think this room is wonderful, although...........I would have used a much lighter hand while applying the shells on the mantle wall.

But again, I repeat my mothers words; " It takes a lot of horses to make a horse race ."

This actually could be a picture of a Via off of Worth Avenue , in Palm Beach, Florida.

Detail of a shell-covered chest of drawers.

I could see this chest as in a cabana bath, maybe for towels etc. Or maybe small night stands in a guest house ( by the pool ). As I have mentioned before, the Shell Chic look is very hot in Palm Beach. And for Palm Beach , this look will remain a timeless classic.

" Next to the grotto ( koi pond )is a boudoir dans le jardin, a tester bed frame also embellished with shells. Many Austin homes feature outdoor sleeping areas, with beds outfitted in comfortable mattresses, colorful throws, and stacks of pillows—throwbacks to the days before air-conditioning replaced open windows. " I love this idea.

And I certainly could use this in Boca Raton , Florida. For many months of the year, we have nearly perfect weather in the winter months.

My posts on Koi:

http://reneefinberg.blogspot.com/2008/10/meaning-of-koi.html

http://reneefinberg.blogspot.com/2008/10/inspired-by-koi.html

http://reneefinberg.blogspot.com/2008/10/what-koi-personality.html

Article from:

http://www.traditionalhome.com/gardens_outdoorliving/beautifulgardens/shell_garden_1.html

Design:Landscape designer: Berthold Haas Design, 618 Lavaca St., Suite 11, Austin, TX 78701; 512/236-9645, bertholdhaasdesign.com. Shell art: Emily Haas, Shells on Twelfth, 512/740-1668, shellsontwelfth.com.

Renee Finberg 'TELLS ALL' in her BLOG.....