ECO-Living is not only cool...it's a necessity!

On yesterday's segment of "Love Your Space" we talked about Green (not the color...the eco!) Design in honor of Earth Hour which is next Saturday! I hope you will all participate and sign up to do so at www.earthhourus.com/signup . The object is to turn off all non-essential lights and electronics in a show of solidarity for saving our planet. Over 1000 cities all over the world will be doing the same thing at the same time... 8:30 to 9:30 on Saturday, March 28th.

Everyone talks about "Green Design" and "Eco-Living" as if they are cool/hip buzzwords. The fact is, we are decades behind other countries when it comes to living Green. Let's get with it people!! There is no reason to decorate your spaces with toxic products and/or objects that were made by gouging the world's natural resources. You can even be conscious of where your products are coming from. If it takes planes, trains and automobiles excessive amounts of fuel to deliver an "eco-freindly" product to you, is it still eco friendly?? If you forego using a rare variety of stone for your countertops but opt for a synthetic hard surface that throws toxins into the atmosphere while being manufactured, is your countertop still eco friendly?

The point is to start making your decorating and design decisions with careful thought.

One of the BEST things you can do is to re-use existing materials and furnishings in new way. This is one of my favorite things to do because it allows me to be totally creative on a project. I can't stand when everything in a room is brand spankin' new! It smells like a department store and it lacks soul. You can't have character and soul in a room if there isn't anything in there with a history...something that has been used or laid on or touched before.

When re-inventing existing pieces, be sure to use eco-friendly fabrics and low VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) paints and stains. Oh...and do it by candle light during Earth Hour on Saturday the 28th!... 8:30-9:30pm.

Children's Spaces

I had the pleasure of interviewing Katharine Miller of Doodle Bug Designs on Love Your Space yesterday. I've known Katharine for a couple of years...She attended Vanguard, but was already well on her way before she started taking design classes with us. She had been doing murals and interiors for a while before deciding to take things to the next level professionally. Since then, she's been published a few times and an interior project of hers is going to be featured in an upcoming Southern Living!...Yay Katharine! She had some great tips for children's rooms on the show. They included:

1. Listening to your children's ideas and trying to incorporate them! If your child loves his/her room, they are more apt to stay in it at night instead of in YOUR room! ;-)

2. Avoid children's themes... cartoon characters, rainbows, etc. will grow tiresome quickly. Instead, graphic patterns and/or slightly more sophisticated color schemes than the typical will have more longevity and you won't find yourself redoing the room every two-three years!

3. The trend is toward "hip, edgey, more modern" designs. Take a typical pink and white color scheme and throw in an unexpected jolt of orange or acid green.

You can check out Katharine's work at http://www.doodlebug-designs.com/ and hear the archive of her March 6th interview starting next week at http://www.radiosandysprings.com/ or on iTunes.

In the mean time, here are a few examples of her fun, colorful work!

My Soul's Inspiration

Today on my radio show, "Love Your Space", I answered design questions from listeners across the country. Lots of people ask me about current, hot design trends. It amazes me that there are still many people out there who think that they "should" be decorating based on what other people deem fashionable.

I totally disagree!... Instead we should look at what we find emotionally fulfilling and inspiring and draw our design sense from that inspiration. Wanna see mine?? It's pretty simple, actually, and there are many of you who are inspired by the same thing... The ocean!

From my life experiences growing up on Long Island, I find total comfort by the sea and seeing/touching seaside imagery. From my memories and visions, I am able to draw upon colors, textures, shapes (even sounds and scents) that nurture my spirit and keep me feeling ALIVE! I am sure to surround myself with these elements when I decorate. So???... What is YOUR inspiration? I'd love to know!

Inspired

So, here I am...Jumping on the bandwith band-wagon. I'm FINALLY getting my blog up and running. I hope to inspire you just as much as I am inspired by all the wonderful talent and beauty out there. While I'll focus mainly on designing interiors, I want to use this format to share other inspirations as well... travel, clothes, philosophies, etc. That's all a part of living...right? No one knows that better than Karran Gloer at www.simplystylishlife.com . Her site focuses on everything that encompasses the art of successful living! She has a room design coming up at the Roswell Womans Showhouse this March. I can't wait to see the flirty, simply stylish, eco-conscious room she designed!!