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Christmas Decorating with Bryer Carolers

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Christmas decorating is a big part of the holiday season, with the tree being the indisputable focal point.  But most people don’t stop with just the tree!  There are countless of collectibles available that are festive and fun to collect.

My mom had a collection of Dickens Village.  I have a small collection of nativity scenes, and one of my dearest clients collects Bryer Carolers.  This year I helped her decorate her highrise apartment and couldn’t help cranking up the Christmas music and singing along.

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Florida Summer Homes

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If you’ve lived in South Florida, you’re probably familiar with the “snow birds”.  Every year flocks of Northerners descend by the thousands on the Florida coasts, turning typically sleepy beach towns into vibrant, bustling beach destinations. For many this is an annual migration and most have summer homes ready to inhabit between the months of December through April.

Last August I spent a few days in Bonita Springs located on the west coast. My sister has a condo there so it’s a familiar destination for me.  Bonita is a relatively small beach town with it’s fair share of summer homes. This particular street is lined with Royal Palms and flanked on both sides with amazing Florida homes, each as unique as the next one.  Some have permanent residents, but most are boarded up and serve as the summer homes of the snow birds!  I share with you some of my favorites.

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When To Invest and When To Skimp

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When decorating your home, you will always have a multitude of options no matter what it is you’re needing.  Most products come in a variety of styles, colors, sizes, and price.  So which one do you get?

I have heard it said in the design industry that, “You never want to skimp on what you sit on, what you walk on or what you sleep on.”  A general statement, but certainly an accurate one.  Here’s a list of my recommendations for when to invest , and when to skimp.

Invest In:

Seating Furniture That Is Used Daily

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When it comes to seating furniture, especially those you use daily, quality does make a difference.  So do invest in the best quality your budget will allow.  If you can wait the 6 to 12 weeks, custom ordering upholstered furniture will allow you to choose more durable fabrics, which will hold up longer and are easier to clean.  For daily used furniture, investing in more durable pieces is well worth it in the long run.

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Sherwin Williams Colormix 2015 at Dallas Market Center

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On September 23, Sherwin Williams and 10 Sponsors presented the design community with a special color forecast event: Colormix 2015

Hundreds of designers showed up for the event at Dallas Market Center.  The speaker was Jackie L Jordan, Director of Color Marketing for Sherwin Williams.  Wine was served as the guests mingled and viewed several stunning vignettes from select showrooms, then a sit-down lunch followed by the presentation. 3 (Copy)

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Accesorizing a Master Bedroom

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A room is not complete without the final touches, because it’s those final details, the accessorizing, that give character and life to the room.  It’s also what makes a room feel “complete”, as was the case with this McKinney master bedroom.

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Everything was there for a functional bedroom, what took it over the top was the accessorizing.  A few specifically chosen, strategically placed accessories that made a big difference. Continue reading…

A Home Office for the Sports Fan

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Today, a home office is practically a necessity in most homes.  Even if you don’t work from home, you’ll probably spend many hours a week in that room.  As such, this room provides a unique opportunity to decorate with things that you love and that inspire your creativity.

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That’s exactly what this home owner had in mind when she asked me to design a home office for her husband; a man who loves everything sports, and has accumulated a variety of sports art and memorabilia.  This was the room before we started, a basic 11′ X 12′ room. Continue reading…

The Onyx Bar

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I recently visited a long-time client and took this picture.  A gorgeous slab of white onyx that we installed a couple of years ago. The back-lights give the onyx a soft, golden glow, the perfect mood lighting for their frequent entertaining.

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Onyx is a gemstone found in various regions of the world, particularly Brazil. It can also be found in Uruguay, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, India, Hawaii and Madagascar. Continue reading…

McKinney Airport Decorating Project

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Earlier this year, I was offered the opportunity to decorate the lobby area at the McKinney National Airport.  As a pilot, you can only imagine my joy and excitement at the chance to decorate an airport…but especially the airport I fly out of!

In November 2013, the Collin County Regional Airport was bought by the City of McKinney and the name changed to McKinney National Airport.  The City also took over the FBO operations.  An FBO (fixed-base operator) is a commercial business granted the right by an airport to operate on the airport and provide aeronautical services such as fueling, hangars, tie-downs, etc.  To run the FBO the City also hired a new General Manager.

Under this new leadership, plans began taking shape for the renovation of the entire space.  This is what we started with..

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A Light & Airy Apartment

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We recently completed this 2-bedroom Carrollton apartment for a spunky Houston grandmother, whose grandchildren live here in Dallas.  With weekend trips becoming more the norm than the exception, Mrs. B  decided it was time for a “home-away-from-home apartment”.

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Back in Houston, Mrs B lives in a home that is decorated in an ultra traditional style…with large leather sofas and wrought iron accents.  In contrast, she wanted her Carrollton apartment to be light, airy and subtly feminine.  It also needed to be durable and practical for entertaining her many kids and grand-kids. Continue reading…