This weekend, when most people are lounging by the pool, soaking up those fast few hours of summer sun, we here in Detroit are preparing for the Detroit Grand Prix. All the celebrities will be here. The Grimaldis of Monaco, Jackie Stewart, and the usual Hollywood crowd. Oh god, it’s just soooo tedious.

So, this weekend I’ll be wearing my favorite T-Shirt to welcome the paparazzi. in case you can’t read the caption, it says, “Detroit, where the weak are killed and eaten.”

Have a great labor day. I’ll actually be gone for the next 2 days - giving my hip a chance to really relax. See you on Monday.

You know I love the beach and beach houses even more - especially the ones I get to decorate. Well, I didn’t decorate this one, but I loved it so much I thought I’d share it with you. It’s featured in this month’s Coastal Living. And it’s not an entire house, but the South Beach artist pad of actor Tommy Tune. I love the crisp, clean colors of the rooms. And Tommy sure can paint - who knew? I thought I’d share the photos with you. For the whole enchilada go here.

I’m wondering why outdoor furniture is in the news so much these days. Of course it’s summer, duh. I think it’s all the retiring Baby-Boomers who are moving to Florida and buying houses with swimming pools. I say, “Thank you Baby-Boomers!”

I love the outdoors and I like this love seat from Walters Wicker. You can let it sit in the rain all you want and it won’t go bad. The same can not be said for the cushions. You can’t leave those in the rain. If you have outdoor fabric it only means it won’t fade in the sun and it won’t mildew. But the foam inside that beautiful fabric will. I understand new foam products that will soon be available that will allow us to let it all hang out (in the rain).

Do you leave your cushions in the rain?

I really love this chair. I wish I had a library to design. For some reason, I think it would look great in one. They’d look great in a kitchen, too. So, if someone from Detroit needs a new kitchen, please call me right away!

The Truss Cafe Chair is made by Context Furniture. Context designs their pieces to provide surfaces that showcase the wood as a natural material. You can find this at 2Modern where it retails for $270.

This is a post written specially for Detroiters. I’m always amazed at how few people know about Herald Wholesale, a great resource for anyone planning a new kitchen or bath. Actually, it’s not just for kitchens and baths, but most of their business is directed that way.

Some of their lines are tacky, some are not. I suppose they want to appeal to as many taste-levels as possible. Also, lighting is not their strong point. But, at the risk of sounding like a walking (or typing) advertisement, it’s a resource everyone around here should know about simply because they carry so many brands, and it’s not Home Depot, so the quality is good. If you’re remodeling it’s worth a visit. They’re located in Oak Park. For directions and hours, go to their site, here. They sell everything at a discount and professionals get a larger discount.

Furniture makers, Thomas Moser has come out with some new designs recently. Their Edo Collection includes this beautiful, Japanese-inspired chair. It retails for $1,500.

My grandfather lived just down the road from Freeport, Maine, where Moser furniture is hand crafted. I spoke with their designer, David Moser today and will post the interview early next week.

Red is my favorite color. So, I’m celebrating red today with 10 beautiful red things. Let’s go!

1. This toss pillow reminds me of the sand and the surf, and makes me happy. It’s called Mibo, is made of cotton and is now on sale for $55 at 2 Jane.

2. Isn’t this the coolest pendant light ever? Well, maybe I’m getting a bit too excited, but I like it, okay? This lamp is called Campari because it’s made from Campari bottles. How original! Ingo Maurer designed it and you can find it at Form+Function for only $375, which is a very good price.

3. I think this is the only red table I’ve seen in a while. I’ve seen it everywhere - meaning in magazines. So, I guess I’m not the only red lover out there. It’s called Strut, was designed by Blu Dot and retails for $1,099 at Hive Modern.

4. I adore Maharam’s fabrics. I could swim in their wools, they’re so appealing. Here’s a duo of gorgeous red choices from subsidiary, Kvadrat. The first is called Heaven Scent. Isn’t this beautiful? You have to say, “Yes!”

5. But this is a beautiful, lacy sheer called Nectar. Wouldn’t this make a beautiful blouse?

6. Who could resist a red Ektorp sofa from IKEA? It costs $549, which appeals to the cheapskate in me. I own an Ektorp and it’s more comfortable than you’d expect for the price. Plus, because it’s so inexpensive, you won’t feel guilty tossing it once it’s seen better days.

7. Does too much red make you see spots? If so, you know they’ll be green ones. And that means it’s Christmas! Go open your presents. In this case you’re getting this Kivet Rug by Marimekko. You can kind it at Finn Style where it retails for only $99!

8. Who can resist a Tomato Fig? This yummy toss pillow is from Hable Construction and retails for $168.

9. I love this tray. I like the grain showing through the red paint. I actually must buy this tray. You can find it at Clio. It’s made by Urbana Design and retails for $165.

10. Finally, the best red accessory of all - a red lipstick. This one is Chanel, but any brand will do. I’m actually partial to Trish McEvoy. Nothing brightens a face up like a beautiful red lip (and it makes your teeth look whiter, too).

And that’s it! What’s your favorite color? Send me a photo of your favorite thing in your favorite color. When I get a good collection, I’ll post them.

Do you ever have those days when you wish you could be reborn and start all over again? Then I guess this is the chair for you. At last! It’s the Placentero Chair, which was designed by Argentinean designer Batti and is manufactured by Brion Arte Industrial. According to the designer, “We had performed an investigation about the experiences the human beings have before birth. This took us to meet some techniques of recreation of this natural situation … As a result of this deep investigation, this lounge chair design came almost naturally - it is able to hold a person and give the possibility to connect with himself …”

Call me strange, but personally speaking, an afterbirth doesn’t conjure up a cozy feeling. It makes me want to barf. But maybe this was the best Batti could come up with given than Womb Chair was already taken. Oh well, at least it comes in red.

Today’s Design Tip concerns window treatments for a living room. Design Hole reader Jonis Pola doesn’t like a lot of colors and wants a formal look for this room. She was thinking of hanging some sheers with a brown fabric in front, but struggled to find a color or neutral that works with the wall color.

Okay, let’s examine what we’ve got here. First, this room has beautiful architectural features. The moldings are substantial, which you don’t often find these days. The furnishings are tasteful and I like the shag carpet. The mix of shag carpet with the velvet add some nice textural elements. Since taking the photo, Jonis added a couple of Mitchell Gold tables (left) on either end of the sofa, and a different Mitchell Gold table to sit between the chairs.

The one problem with the room is too much of one color in the same value. In other words, too much dark brown. The sofas and tables are all dark brown. Monochromatic color schemes are great so long as you vary the value throughout the room.

I think another problem is in trying to match things perfectly. A valuable rule in interior design is to choose the paint color last. You can match a paint color to anything, but not the other way around. So, the first thing we need to do is give up on the idea of finding a fabric that will perfectly match the wall color. It’s not necessary anyway. As long as we find a fabric that, in this case, has the same warm tones as the rest of room, it will look great even if it doesn’t match.

Jonis has a nice, contemporary room here. I recommend a contemporary feel to the window treatment, too. Here are two choices.

The first is a grommet panel, like this one from West Elm. A panel with either large or small grommets will give a clean, contemporary line.

Another style choice is this one from Restoration Hardware. It’s a flat panel, hung from rings. Again, a clean line with some fullness.

Now for the fabric. Jonis doesn’t like a lot of colors, but this room is screaming for it. I strongly suggest introducing a color other than brown. Jonis needs to decide what that color will be. I like the panel from Restoration Hardware. The blue goes with everything and it has the brown to tie the two together.

For a custom look Jonis will need to have the panels made. Here’s a fabric I’d recommend. Robert Allen has a new line designed by Larry Laslo. The palette is mostly neutral with a touch of color - perfect for someone like Jonis. The stripe here is from the Sunlit collection and it’s called Harmonize. The color is Citrine.

The fabric in this photo is railroaded, meaning it’s made with the stripe moving the other way. If Jonis doesn’t like this particular stripe or color then I’d suggest shopping for one she does like shop either through a designer (yes!), or at quality fabric shop.

Finally, I’d recommend taking the accent color and using it in other areas throughout the room such as accent pillows, a vase or lacquered box, etc. This will pull the look together and give it a finished look.

I hope this rather lengthy solution helps Jonis finish her living room. So many things go into choosing a window treatment. But I hope this makes the decision making a little easier. Don’t forget to send me a photo of the completed room! And if anyone has a fabric or style they’d like to suggest add a comment and let us know what it is.

Lampshades are very important. It may seem silly, but try finding the right one when you need it and you’ll know what I mean. This is definitely one of those times when I say, “Thank God for the Internet.” Instead of dragging myself around town trying to find the hole-in-the-wall, Mom and Pop lampshade shop, I can now order just what I want online. It’s an amazing world.

So, the next time you need a new shade, here’s a list of things to help you choose. Remember, size is the most important issue. If you’re not sure the size will be right, make a sample out of paper or cardboard first.

But don’t stop there. There are all kinds of things you can do to pimp up a shade. You can add crystals and feathers, add all kinds of trim. There are smocked shades and pleated shades. The sky is the limit.

I have yet to find a true artist making shades either online or here in Detroit, so here are two sites that do custom work. The first is Alluminare. They have a great fabric selection and lots of trims. Their site is also well organized. The second is The Lampshade Shop. I like their craft paper shades and they have some nice shapes, too.

How To Choose A Shade:

1. Match the Base - Think Size, Shape, Style, Color. Larger lamp bases require larger shades. Square bases may look better with a square shade. Victorian bases need a Victorian shade, etc. Your goal is to match to “mood” of the base.
2. Compliment the Base - A shade should make the base look better without competing with it for attention. Decide whether the lamp base or the shade will be the focus. If your base is really unique, choose a simple shade to draw attention to the special features of the lamp.
3. Hide the Switch - Your shade should just barely cover the switch. Try different sized harps or add a shade riser to fine-tune your shade fit.
4. Sizing Rules of Thumb - Shade height should be about 3/4 the height of the base. The bottom of the shade should be wider than the widest part of the base. The shade width should approximately equal the height from bottom of the base to the socket.
5. Consider the Use - Reading lamps need a wider shade to provide plenty of light.
6. Consider the Room - What is the color and style of your room? Obviously, if your room is contemporary, you want a shade that will compliment its surroundings.
7. Consider the Bulb - Be sure you have a 3 inch separation from bulb to shade, especially for higher wattage bulbs. Be sure the top opening is wide enough to vent the heat. Compact Fluorescent bulbs are great for most lamps because they burn cooler, but you may need a larger harp since CFL’s are taller than standard light bulbs.

I hope this is helpful. Do you know of a great shade shop or shade maker? Please share the wealth.

Do you ever have those days when you’re pulled in all directions? Then this is the chair for you. Clever artist, Boris Bally, makes these one-of-a-kind chairs from recycled signs. He sands them so they’re smooth. You assemble them yourself, but I’m sure he gives you all the directional signs you need to do that. You can find these at The Artful Home where they retail for $1,100. My mother would say, “You could make that yourself.” But in this case I say, Wrong!”