I’m Baaaack! Interior Design World Rejoices As Design Hole Reopens Its Doors

Am I overstating the excitement? Perhaps just a wee bit. At any rate, I’m back after a much-needed break to take care of personal business. For my loyal readers (thanks for all the notes, by the way), I’d like to share with you that Spencer is doing really well. He’s back to his normal, teenaged self, with all the joy and eye-rolling that comes with the package. In fact, he made it into the National Honor Society. Woot! and Brag!

My botched hip replacement of two years ago continues to plague me a bit. I’m still seeking some answers and I’m learning to manage how to live with the after-effects. I really needed that time to pull myself together. New words in my lexicon: mindful, radical acceptance, “Friday, Friday”. (blissful sighs and gag.)

I’ve also been busy being an interior designer. Believe it or not, there is a lot of design work here in The D. And that’s been a lot of fun for me.

And that brings me to some excellent news. I’ll be traveling to Milan next week to report from the Salone del Mobile. Yipsters! For those who don’t know of the Salone, it’s like the Paris fashions shows, only it’s in Milan and they show furniture. There is no cat walk.

I’ll be sharing some sneak peeks at some of the new products from the show all week long (see photos, above).

It’s nice to be back. I’ve missed practicing my mad writing skills and sharing my particular point of view on all things designerly.

From The Salone: Kartell’s Bloom Pendant Light

I’m really wishing I could have gone to this year’s Salone Del Mobile, in Milan. The parties great new designs are so much fun. I have been following events from afar and will be highlighting a few of my favorites. Let’s kick things off with Kartell’s Bloom pendant light designed by Ferruccio Laviani. Yummy. Read More…

Patricia Urquiola and me

If you’re wondering where I’ve been – I’m in New York touring the International Contemporary Furniture Fare (ICFF). It’s a pared down version of the Salone, in Milan.

Last night Molteni held a party in honor of Patricia Urquiola. I finally got to meet my design hero. That’s me on the right with the goofy grin.

We had a nice chat about the challenge of raising children while working full time. I can now report that Patricia is not only a very talented designer, she’s also just plain nice.

I’ll be travelling home tomorrow and will start posting about the show on Thursday. I’m exhausted. But it was well worth the sore feet.

Friday Favorite: Italian Tiles

It’s no mystery why the International Furniture Show (the Salone del Mobile) is held in Italy. The Italians have real style.

In particular, I’ve been admiring Italian tiles. I guess centuries of experience making beautiful things with squares of clay has paid off. These are beautiful.

To find out more about Italian tile, you can visit their industry site by clicking here.

Chair of the Day: Swamp

Wouldn’t these be great in an outdoor caf?©?

I wish I were in one right now. Artifort had Michael Van der Kley whip up this Swamp Chair design for them. They come in lots of fun colors. Love ‘em! I also like this trend towards the outdoors.