Dwell with Dignity

There is something I love about purging.  Not only do you get to free up some space and order for yourself, but you get to give things away.  A few weeks ago, I did just that.  Several items went to my favorite non-profit Dwell with Dignity.

As you might recall, I met with the brain children of this non-profit (Lisa Robinson and Kim Turner) weeks before I started school at the Art Institute.  At that time, February to be exact, they just completed several installs, were just getting fully running and we still looking for a place to office.   Come July, they have new digs, have gotten a ton of press from The Dallas Morning News, D Magazine, D Home and more…. and are making a big difference in the world.

Dwell with Dignity is a group of interior designers and volunteers dedicated to creating soothing, inspiring homes for families struggling with homelessness and poverty.  They provide and install home interiors for families that include furnishings and art, bedding and kitchen supplies, and food in the pantry.  Their mission is to help families escape poverty and homelessness through design.  One household at a time.

Dwell has a group of dedicate volunteers and generous donors.  They have a website, facebook site, a blog and they even use twitter.  

Lisa and I last Saturday in front of a new dresser they have refurnished for a boys bedroom.  Love it!

Their new digs!  A great new contact offered them low rent on this new cute house, on Hall Street in Dallas…perfect for the office headquarters with plenty of room to store all the donations, and of course, room to transform things!

Information table just to the right of the front door giving you all the data you need to help them make a difference.

It was Saturday workday for them, which they have often.  Several people were busy in the house painting, sewing and getting ready for the next install.

The donation room…which include my green shaded shell lamp, several shades and other items I dropped off.  I can’t wait to see it appear in a new room down the line.

And as for the extra pillow inserts and covers I had … they go into the pillow room of course!

The “container store room”.  One of their donors supplies thread and fabrics.  Just opposite this is where much of the sewing gets done.

They even did a great job decorating the hallway….

Lisa in her office…grey and green combo.  Very mod!

Here is one of the latest projects they have done.  Most of the apartments are only 1 or 2 bedrooms, so storage and scale is very important.  On this particular install, a 2 bedroom at CityWalk @ Akard, the daughter was so excited about her room she said to her mother, “I’m putting my shoes in your room so I don’t mess up MY room”.

http://www.dwellwithdignity.org/Projects.html

The upcoming install is for a grandmother and two young boys.  A team of volunteers have completed two really cool dressers (one being the map one above).  So be sure to check back and see what it looks like.

You can also read about their latest installs by reading their blog  (http://dwellwithdignity.blogspot.com), or by connecting with them on facebook.  (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dallas-TX/Dwell-with-Dignity/138397849055)

So the next time you are in the purging mood, be sure to consider donating your items to Dwell with Dignity.  You can just email them a photo and they will get back to you immediately. 

Or maybe you just want to purchase a needed item on their website (pictures above) or just donate some money to help where it is needed.  Whatever way you choose, it sure makes a difference!

And of course, they love volunteers who are great with a paint brushes, the sewing machine, shopping or many other areas.    Bring a friend one workday and help make a change for the better.

Until next week,

C

What do you collect?

Three weeks off between quarters at school can give a gal quite a bit of time to shop Half Price Books and glean through the isles upon isles of adventures waiting to be read.  Such is the case with my most recent reading discovery:  Bringing Home the Birkin  by Michael Tonello.

In this luscious summer reading, Tonello decides to move to Spain in search of a new life and a new beginning.  In the course of finding himself. he realizes that there is a huge market for reselling scarves from Hermes.  After earning a reputation as a Hermes scarf dealer, Michael hits it big time by stumbling into reselling those trendy (and extremely rare) Birkin bags.

Here the author is pictured in his Birkin buying secret weapon uniform which consists of:  a Prada suit, Hermes shirt, Hermes vest, Jil Sander tie, Hermes cashmere socks. Giorgio Armani shoes, Hermes chaind’ancre bracelet, Ralph Lauren  watch, and so goes the list. 

Now you may be asking yourself, “why does a man need to have a secret weapon outfit on to buy a ladies handbag?”  The answer is simple:  it’s a Birkin!  The market for these bags is insane to say the least.  These Birkin bags are the ultimate status symbol in a world that craves bigger and better.

Named after the actress Jane Birkin and designed exclusively by Hermes, the demand far outpaces the supply ---- on purpose.  Worn exclusively by the uber rich and famous, it easily carries a price tag of $10,000 per bag and takes over 48 hours to make.  There are lots of rumors flying around about the bag being only available to those on the waiting list but there are ones readily found by resellers on ebay and by local entrepreneurs such as Tonello.

Victoria “Spice” Beckham is rumored to own over 100 of these exclusive bags -- shown here in pink.

So, what is fueling this fascination/obsession with Birkin bags?  This concept fascinated me as I read the book.  I mean, I enjoy a beautiful well-crafted bag just like all the other ladies in the world but really --- a $10,000 purse?  What’s the biggie?

Then it hit me, I have stuff that I am obsessed with that is not fashion related.  Take for instance my one time insistence on white pitchers.  Tall white pitchers, small white pitchers - whatever the shape and size, I found white pitchers a simple pleasure.  The second example would be my taste in wine.  Silver Oak cabernet is the elixir of the gods as far as I’m concerned.  I can’t always afford Silver Oak but do enjoy partaking on special occasions through out the year.

Another example is a friend whose grandfather is an avid book collector.  While at a party a few weeks ago, this friend was telling me that their grandfather collects so many books that he’s often caught sneaking into the house with his literary contraband hidden from his wife, after agreeing to stop purchasing any at all!  Or there is my precious friend Angel who has collected nativity scenes from around the world in her travels.  Every Christmas brings out the travel stories of her adventurous life as she recants the where and who of each nativity set. So, since my mind always wanders back to the decorating realm...I began to wonder how would I store/display all those books, Birkins and bottles of wine.

Although very understates, this bookshelf offers a supreme example of book storage.

  

As a designer, I will run into many people who will collect things.  Collections are only beneficial from a design standpoint if you are able to highlight them in a way that provides a cohesive organization to the pieces involved. Displayed correctly, some collections can provide a conversation but given improper status there are those that can be overwhelming. 

That being said, here are some tips on using collectibles in your design:

Unified Theme – Collections look best when they are have similar theme.  Either the subject, form, material or color are similar.  Consider painting several frames a similar color…

I love this hallway that was featured in Elle Décor Magazine.

     Find the Right Spot – Consider your collections and figure out what might work best for it.  Do you have a bookshelf that you could utilize?  A blank wall in your home?  Would the collection of baseball bats look best in the living room or an office?  Of course the bundt pans and pitchers might go best in the kitchen…

Group them together – Using the nearest display item (bookshelf, wall, or coffee table)  consider grouping collectible together through color sorting.  For example, all the red books on one shelf and all the black books on another shelf.  When in doubt, odd numbers look best to the eye.  Don’t forget to edit!  Take a fresh look after coming back to a project to see is it is overwhelming.  If you find your own space overwhelming, chances are your guests will also.

Found individually throughout a house, one might think that you are a cannibal.  However, grouped together on individual shelves all on one wall of this apartment therapy blog, this collection pops

     Quality beats Quantity – Remember the advice that your grandmother gave you when you chose your husband and pass that on to your knick knack buying....quality not quantity counts. Concentrate on buying fewer pieces of higher quality.  They are beautiful on their own and even more so together.  A good piece can stand by itself just as easily.

     Blue glass as unified high quality theme grouped together from Elle Décor Magazine.

     Know their story – If someone were to see your collectibles, what would you tell them?  Does each piece have a story or is it just some random piece you grabbed somewhere in Mexico?  Your display should allow you to relive the great joy that you experienced purchasing it and at the same time provide a connection point for you and your guest.

     A quick peek inside my home featuring my simple and elegant pitcher collection above my kitchen cabinets. My personal favorite is the squatty one second from the left that I purchased with my hubbie in our first kid-free getaway to Scottsdale, Arizona.

     

     Another resource for your collections, is this fantastic blog Apartment Therapy and the topic:“Flicker Finds: 10 Best Collectibles Display Ideas”. 

     This unique and completely personal collection of Pez dispensers immediately caught my eye -- unique and colorful!

     Whether your passion is Birkin, books, Silver Oak, nativity scenes, Hummels, door knobs, baseball cards, shot glasses, cookie jars or Life Magazines -- -why not think of a unique, simple interesting way to showcase your treasures?  Displaying them not only allows you to share your heart with your house visitors but also to bring a taste of your own creativity to the home.  My conclusion?  We all have things/indulgences that we allow ourselves to dabble in no matter our income or our age.  Why not make the best of it on show for all to enjoy?

    Ciao,

    Carla

Sun Valley...Some Valley...

Did you ever sing that song when you were little “In a cabin, in the woods..Little man by the window stood...”  It always conjured up a small, quaint little mountainous oasis where the you saw the rabbits hopping by.  I loved to sing it time and time again.  Well, a few weeks ago my family and I got the privilege of visiting my dear best friend Lisa (remember, the one who told me “Why not start a decorating business?”)  Her cabin in the woods was neither little nor quaint but breath-taking and spectacular --- in Sun Valley, Idaho.

Idaho does not typically conjure up visions of beauty to those of us who have never spent any real time there but I found myself sadly mistaken.  This place is special for so many reasons!

 Lisa and I outside her front door.

This cute guest house was our home for a week.   Are you kidding me?  How cool is that?

Decorated in “sun valley ski lodge style”, the house has strong, stylish hardware from Rocky Mountain Hardware as well as reclaimed giant doors.

Duh,duh.  Duh, Duh.  Duh,duh,duh,duh,duh.....this main house pictured above was once also owned by previous occupants Richard Dreyfus and family.  (think Jaws).  According to local lore, the house just across the street, in the cul-de-sac, was once owned by Demi Moore and Bruce Willis (pre-Ashton Kutcher I’m presuming).  

There’s a very ingenious invention the roof.  If you look closely, you can see some tiny clips on the roof.  Called “heat tape,” this device heats up and thus melting the snow so that it doesn’t get too heavy on the roof and prevents damage. Hah!

This is the entry way that you come upon when you enter the house...

The library…

Formally the master bedroom, this home theater rocks.  Did I mention that my husband and son played Ms.Pacman daily here?

Perfect for snuggling up with a yummy nightcap, this new master bedroom provides the perfect oasis.

This is another entrance to the house with an extremely difficult circular room.  Although the room is beautiful, Lisa asked me to give a professional opinion as to what I thought she should do with it.  Solution:  make it a music room with a grand piano.

This is the inside of the circular problem.  Can’t you just picture sitting around the piano singing Christmas carols by candlelight?

Our daily “bathtime” in the outdoor pool.

With silk drapery throughout the house and fantastic fixtures, it’s hard to notice the vintage touches like this Sun Valley poster.

 All in all, the house is a treasure trove of beauty and rustic elegance.  There was one place that this is not true and that would be in our guest house.  Outfitted with extremely modern sconces and a star chandelier, there seems to be some items that the former owner forgot! Lisa and I are working on finding replacements for them to blend in with the rustic charm of the rest of the estate.

Although Sun Valley is traditionally known as a ski get-away, the Moss family did their fair share of hiking this time of year.  Fly fishing , down the road at Box Car Bend (how cute is that name...) is renowned in the area for fly fishing.  Maybe next time around when the boys can actually tie something of their own....

According to Ethan and John, Red Fish Lake and Lodge was the absolute best.  Forget the house, take them outdoors!  

Lunchtime found a deer peeking it’s head inside our window....

So...it’s back to 100 degree weather in the Lone Star State.  Time for work, school and summer playtime.  As you can tell, Sun Valley is really Some Valley.  It has a uniqueness all it’s own and a beauty that compares to no other.  Thanks to my precious friend Lisa, the Moss family was able to experience this first-hand. (modern sconces and all...)  Lisa, you made our summer memories a lot more sweeter and a little more bearable.  Thank you for sharing your “little cabin” with us!

Until next week,

C

To market I will go...

Oh it was so fun!  I had just returned from vacation, and usually the day after I have some dread about getting back to the grindstone.  But not this time!    Yesterday, I attended my very first market.  The Dallas Total Home and Gift Market.

Needless to say, I was happy as a clam.

Me on the red carpet…ready to learn!

My friend Melissa, who is owner of Paper Affair, invited me to join her.  She owns 2 stores and soon to have a third – in Frisco, of course, just up the road from our neighborhoods in the Shops of Starwood.  Her quest – to purchase items for Fall, Christmas, Spring and Easter for her three stores.  My quest – to learn from the master and see firsthand all the home/furniture/lighting sources available to the trade. 

Melissa, Myself and Kari, a friend of mine and a employee of Paper Affair.

For the majority of the time, I just tagged along with Melissa.  She was fascinating to watch.  She had already been to the market the previous three days, and now had several meetings with sales reps of key products.  The thing I love about Melissa is that she is decisive and knows exactly what she wants.  As the sales reps shows her new lines of stationary, bags, frames and accessories, she know immediately if it will sell or has a chance.  She is quick to report what is wrong with certain lines and if she just doesn’t like something.  I love it.  My kind of gal.

Cute pups Melissa purchased for Easter.  Go see them at Paper Affair this Spring!

After learning much from Melissa, I headed to the Home for the Holiday section to view all the Christmas decorated rooms, featuring items from various places in the market.

 Having used orange accents recently with a few of my clients, I loved this room.

Love the couch and the legs on the coffee table...

The chandelier rocks.  I'm trying to imagine if my kids could keep that white sofa clean....

Wow...the peacock really adds some pop...

Finally, I decided to head to my type of vendors -  Furniture, drapery, lighting and home accessories.  Paradise found.

I loved the drapery at this vendor, Emdee International,  and am considering doing something similar to the re-make of my dining room.

This chest caught my eye immediately.  Chests are a key item at Sterling Industries Showroom. 

Finally, I went on my quest to find sconces for my friend Lisa’s home in Sun Valley (you will get to read more about her house next  week).    She lives in a wonderful home, featuring lots of details from Rocky Mountain Hardware.  Unfortunately, the previous owner decided to mix in some super modern sconces which totally look out of place on the staircase, thus need replacement. Although I found several, this one from Taylors on Ten, was perfect. 

Soon it was time to go, and I realized that next time I would attend market as the owner of Carla Moss Interiors. I am officially a member of the trade now, and I think I am ready to go solo.   But it sure was nice to get my feet wet, courtesy of Paper Affair.  Thanks Melissa!  J

Make Way for Ducklings...and Baby!

My oldest niece (Leah) is expecting in July and as my shower gift to her, I worked up a complete nursery design for her -- including all the accessories and bedding.  Armed with a design board and lots of fabric, I flew up to Wisconsin (Wausau to be exact) to attend the shower, visit family and toast a high school graduate.  Although I was not able to do the actual install myself (due to Leah just moving into her new digs), I left her with the confidence to follow the design board and written directions.

In an ideal world, I would have taken loads of pictures of all of my hard work for this blog but...that didn’t pan out so use your imagination with me to get a small glimpse of what her bouncing baby boy’s room will look like when completed.   Think woodsy but not too kitsch with a bit of refinement thrown in -- definitely warm and cozy.  Remember, they do live in an area of the country where it snows by the truckload most of the year.

Our journey begins with this adorable wooden duck that I found at a resale shop here in Frisco.  At first, I wasn’t making the connection of Make Way for Ducklings  being Leah’s favorite book.  All I could think is how simple and graceful this piece of art appeared in the middle of all the resale chaos.  Then it hit me --- her favorite childhood book and her mom’s favorite childhood book is all about ducks!  My perfect start was launched.  From there, the pieces fell together nicely.

Bedding...

Since I was having trouble finding ready made bedding to coordinate with Mr. Duck and I wasn’t about to let my new found friend go, I decided that a trip to Horchow Finale was in order.  At Horchow, I found some incredibly discounted bedskirts for “big people” beds that were in a perfect pattern to be custom fitted into a crib skirt.  The picture above shows the pattern (remember, think baby bed...)  Since I was fairly convinced that the crib skirt was a sure thing, I decided to buy an additional “big people” bed skirt to craft into a valance for the window covering.  Things were really falling into place for Baby’s room!

Of course, you remember that I am on an orange kick (flashback to my first install with the orange wall) so this bedding had it all --- including Leah’s favorite color of lime green.  The lime and orange paired together really boosts the seriousness of the chocolate brown in the room for a spike of whimsy.  Imagine all of this with white crib sheets and a chocolate bumper pad.  Fun!  Bonus: we have enough fabric left over from the crib bedding that my sister is making a keepsake quilt for Baby.

Paint Color

Without knowing the landlord's policy on painting, we weren't sure that Leah would be able to do much with the walls of her new place.  That being the case, I decided to add some color in other areas of the room.

Benjamin Moore's Middlebury Brown (HC-68) will adorn the bookshelf and the entry as well as the closet doors.  Baby's name will be painted in Benjamin Moore's Stem Green (2029-40) in crib letters similar to the ones show in the Pottery Barn picture below (remember to use your inner design eye to picture this):

One of my favorite pieces to be added to the room is a rockin’ orange hand-me-down dresser (similar to the one in the picture above) that we added some updated knobs to for interest. (and to drag it kicking and screaming into the current time period) It turned out fantastic and I hope to be able to show you a picture of the actual dresser soon.

My outstanding sister-in-law picked up three dark wood frames (similar to the picture above) for framing some of the actual pages from Make Way for Duckling to be hung on the nursery wall.  Even though the frames she purchased have places to hang by nail, our pictures will hang on the wall behind the changing table using thick twine/rope for added texture and interest. 

And then of course, I could not have made it through the initial installation process without Super Dad!  As always, his help was critical to completing my latest home project.  The two of us together created an elegant cornice board (perfectly measured don’t ya know...) and stapled the heck out of that fabric!  Adam, if you’re reading this please don’t forget to go by and hang it as instructed to you several times over.

 Hopes...

I hope to see pictures very soon as it all comes together.  I hope it proves to be the perfect little nursery for the perfect first child!  I hope that my family will enjoy the room for years to come and it provides the most wonderful start for a new life.  Here’s to a happy baby and a happy room!

Bye, Bye -

Carla

SCHOOL UPDATE

My first school quarter has ended and it was a complete success.  Yes, I did get all As, but more importantly, I just love it!  I know I am in the right field and can’t wait to learn more.  Next Quarter starts July 12^th and I will be taking:

Drafting II

History of Furniture & Architecture II

2D drawing

I’m heading to see my best friend Lisa next week in Idaho.  She has a super awesome vacation home, so I will share pictures when I return.  Next week while I’m away, my friend Erin McCabe from Art Institute (all those in Quarter I give a shout out) will be a guest blogger.  I can’t wait to see what she has to share about her first quarter of school.  You will absolutely love her!

Bon voyage...cm