The 2009 Stars Of Design Will Be At The DCOTA

We have a pretty great turn-out at The Design Center Of The Americas ( DCOTA ) for the winter market. Would you not agree ?
Ladies' look who will be there ? That's right, Carlton Varney !

Boo Hoo for you , I know you would love to be there.

This is something that is new and at Brunschwig & Fils.

I will do further research on Brunschwig at the show.

This is not a great shot of this wallcovering.

But what is exciting, is that it is a partnering between Stark ( carpet ) & Brunschwig & Fils.

Jan 22 for Outrageous: 2:30 – 3:30 pm
This will be interesting.

........wish you were there.

( enlarge any picture for more info and a closer look )

Renee Finberg 'TELLS ALL' in her blog of her Adventures in Design

A Room For Hershey

I used to fantasize about bringing my horse home with me .
I even sleep with a stuffed horse that is the same color and has similar
markings to my horse, Georgian Gentleman. For those of you who ride and show,
his barn name was Hershey.
We have had some horrible hurricanes in Florida. The last big one that hit where I live was named Wilma. It is so scary for you and your horse. When ‘ Andrew ‘ hit in the 80’s, they found horses impaled , and stuck up in the trees.

Anyway, I was going to have him transported to my town home , I was going to sneak him under the cover of darkness, and into my house through the back sliders. Hershey would be carefully lead into my living room where the ceiling is 22 feet high, so there is no problem there, and the room is wider and longer than his stall.
I was already resigned to the fact that all the living room carpet would have to be replaced, maybe everything, but who cared. I was okay with that.
But other than that , I knew if he got freaked out or scared, he couldn't’t really hurt himself in the room. And after all, I could talk him down from almost anything.
He could do the same for me.

( me getting my HERSHEY KISSES )

My boy was the only person I could bare to be around for about 1 year solid. I was in a deep depression brought on by some unusual circumstances.
Hershey changed during this period as well. He was a bit wild when I first got him, and sometimes I wondered if he really were gelded. LOL
But right when I needed him to be understanding, gentle, and loving he was. He knew.
It was such a dramatic and sudden change, that it could be nothing else.

When people ( and a few judges ) who would see us ride, they would say;
“I can’t see where your horse starts and you begin”, “You two seem to be riding as one. “

Seriously, the most painful life experience to date, has been the day I gave him up. That was just 18 months or so ago. It was a result of this horrible economy. I can not even look at a horse now without missing him horrible.

He was a great show-man. He had little girl groupies, who would come running when they saw me or my daughter approaching the ring. They would be screaming and yelling his name;
“Is That Hershey ? “ and “ Is That The Georgian Gentleman ?”

( enlarge any picture for more info and a closer look )
Renee Finberg 'TELLS ALL' in her blog of her Adventures in Design, 
 horses, renee and hershey, the love of my life

How Great Is This ? ' Spoonflower's' Custom Fabrics

We 'creatives' are always coming up with great ideas.
This one, to me is one that has been long over due. Just one of the reasons is because these fabrics are milled ( or Mfg. ) in North Carolina, which brings jobs to the area. North Carolina was filled with fabric mills when I was a kid, but not today.
We had a summer home there, it is now a well known ( and beautiful ) bed & breakfast called The Orchard Inn ( in Saluda NC ). www.orchardinn.com/
The place was haunted.

www.spoonflower.com/
All you have to do is upload your artwork on their site. They will sell you a sample for $8 that is 8" x 8".
To get this done it is only something like $18 a yard.

"HUH ??? "

Yes !
This company probably popped up because of all the 'INDIE CRAFTS'. Whatever the reason, it is a WINNER in my designer eyes & mind.

Think of the things you can do . There is no Limit.

Below you will find a very small sampling of some of my fave blog logos/banners and their links.

http://mrsblandings.blogspot.com/
These logos/banners are so fabulous. Talk about "ready to upload" artwork.....we have it.

www.theparisapartment.com/
You have got to see Miss Claudia's website.

http://cotedetexas.blogspot.com/

Joni, Instead of a toile room or car , how about a ' Cote de Texas ' world ??? LOL ( xx )

http://fififlowersdecor.blogspot.com/

Fifi, I expect you will have fun with this.

Well, If you need a link for this one.....you are more lost than I am.

Personally, I was thinking of making re-usable shopping bags with my artwork.

A practical idea, which is chic with a social conscience, and let us not forget the exposure.

We love exposure.

Little Indie Pugs.

If you want to look at some of the fabrics go here:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/spoonflower/pool/

I apologize for some of the links not working, I get my computer back tomorrow.
( enlarge any picture for more info and a closer look )

Renee Finberg ' TELLS ALL' in her blog of Adventures in Design

OK, No Kidding, This Is Where I Want To Live And Work

"When Healdsburg interior designer Myra Hoefer met San Francisco landscape architect Todd Cole a tears ago, she didn't know they would one day engage in a friendly scuffle over designing his weekend home in Cloverdale. But when he hired her for the job, she could see it wouldn't be easy. "  

( Can you relate ? LOL)

This is so what I love. This entrance had me at "hello".

I always like things that have multiple functions. This was a warehouse originally. 

The owner restored the original sign as I would have.

My favorite piece of  jewelry is a watch. It does two things, it is beautiful and tells me what time it is. This house is similar, it was a warehouse, and now it is a home.   

That is very interesting and appealing to me.                      

I like to use mechanical antiques for home accessories because they can do something ( if they are in really good shape ), they can be fascinating to your guests. These are treasured 'ice breakers' ( for me , because I often feel weird around new people outside of the work environment ) for the awkward moments. You or your guest can always segway over to the interesting piece and say; "tell me about this " or "let me tell you about this", but almost certainly, your guest will ( especially if it's me ).

I think that I want to recreate this concept for myself somewhere, somehow. 

I do not care for most of the upholstered pieces, and some of the case goods,                                  but "man o man"  I do love this place.

I have done gorgeous polished and stained concrete floors for clients that looked almost identical to these ( mine were a tad lighter , but in the same earth tones ).

Do you see the drafting table in the back - left side of the room ???? I have a drafting table in my living room because it is the brightest , and most airy room in the house with a view of my garden/courtyard.
OK with this ????  It looks just like a bedroom made for me, there is even a place right next to the bed for my riding boots !!
Now this is just 'alright' for an entrance, but it is a warehouse , right ?

This is the very CHIC couple that live in the house on weekends.

She is wearing my signature look, a big white shirt-with the collar up , and with her fabulous thick horn rimmed glasses close at hand.

You can tell that he is cool ( and happy ) too.

I wonder what kind of watches they wear ?

I am so sorry, you will have to google ' France in Cloverdale' to read more .

It is on google and it is in the San Francisco Chronicle.

(I still am working on a 'mac' and it is not friendly with my blog)

( enlarge any picture for more info and a closer look )

Renee Finberg 'TELLS ALL' in her blog of her Adventures in Design

Tom Boy Houses

When I was a little girl, I was a Tom Boy. And it would have been my dream to live in a tree house. I was always climbing trees and beating up the mean boys that would pick on other kids.

It seems that this ( the tree houses , not my beating up boys ) is a trend , and happening everywhere but here in the U.S.

This one is very sharp. The sun filters in through the outer walls , yet it gives privacy at the same time. 

I was with Claudia from The Paris Apartment yesterday, and I was telling her how I love when big tree branches are in the view of my windows. Whether they are covered with green leaves , red , yellow, and orange leaves, snow, or nothing , or maybe the little sprouts in the spring. I love it . My apartment on East 58th Street in Manhattan was on the courtyard side of the building. I always had my tree and it changed all year.

GEEEEEZZZZ I miss NY, and my apartment there.

This Tree House is too weird for my taste , but in the article it said that the room was tall, and the entire ceiling was glass. It feels as though there is nothing between you and the forest, and that is pretty cool. Actually, this house is my kind of camping. No to bugs, and yes to outlets !!

We have to have our blow dryers , right ? And my lighted magnifying mirror, and .....

Now the one below, supposedly can be moved anywhere. It is designed to used as a guest room  (or a weekend getaway, I guess ).

OH LOOK !!

A place for 'ANONYMOUS ' to live.

... and all the little bloggers are on the ground with wire cutters.

This shot is not very clear. So I don't really know If I like it, but the idea of hanging over a stream under a willow tree is awesome. 

I have another post on Tree Houses on my sidebar in my Adventures in Design.

The last entry in July 2008.

Forgive me, I would cut and past it, but I do not know how to work this apple laptop that I am on.

go here for more :

http://www.pointclickhome.com/decorating_design/articles/13_tremendous_tree_houses

( enlarge any picture for more info and a closer look )

Renee Finberg 'TELLS ALL' in her blog of her Adventures in Design