My husband and I are on the move for the Summer – packing up the car and heading North – so I will only be joining you once a week for Monday Moments until June 1. Before I go though, I thought it would be a good time to announce the winners of the various British Design Awards that have been covered on this blog to date. To find out more about each award and meet some of the other entries, just pop back to the original post...

This week’s designer tricks come from the Foyer of Bobby McAlpine‘s Alabama home featured in Veranda Magazine April-May 2012 – a garden-inspired space that brings the outside in. Photography: Max Kim-Bee, Veranda Magazine “Brave New World” April-May 2012 I want to incorporate all these tricks right now! I love the mix of traditional design inspiration with modern architecture. The steel pipe railing is...

Today I am channeling summer fun with a pink and green breakfast nook – a current e-décor project I am working on for a client in the UK. I think it provides the perfect seasonal inspiration. Hope you agree. One of the first things I like to do when working on a new project is to establish a ‘design tenet’, the story if you will, behind the homeowner and their goals for the space. It helps to keep the process focused and...

Appeal to the season and the five senses this Mother’s Day, with a beach-inspired gift list… 1 Touch: For a tactile experience choose a Chunky Tasssel Throw that is perfect for cool summer evenings, and those last hours on the beach after a long day in the sun, $79.00, West Elm. 2: Sight: Bring the beach inside with the reflective quality of mirror and the textural interest of driftwood, Driftwood Mirror, $199.00, Crate &...

Welcome back to Monday Moments, where design is in the details… Library designed by Suzanne Kasler and featured in Veranda magazine April, 2012. This library was actually inspired by a photo designer Suzanne Kasler found of an antique library with back-painted bookshelves. She chose a rich Russian blue to achieve the same effect, repeating the color in the room’s accessories (pillows, trim on throw). Gold edging on the...

Mint green is the color of the season and reminds me of the cooling taste of pistachio gelato in Rome on a hot summer’s day. A refreshing, modern take on a pastel shade it can go from sexy to serene with a spin of the color wheel, and a simple shift in accessories. Pillow – Lynnes This & That; Lily Mirror - Oly Studio; Zebra Rug – Jonathan Adler; Flocked Chandelier – Johnny Egg. Both color schemes start with...

Today is one of my favorite traditional childhood holidays – May Day or Maypole Day. Why? you may ask. Come on, who wouldn’t like the idea of performing a colorful ribbon dance in the village square. Oh and did I forget to mention, it’s my birthday! Traced back to the Druid celebration of Beltane, May 1 was seen as the start of the new year and a celebration of pagan fertility rites. A festival with dancing would take...