I can’t believe we started the design process for the ASID Showcase Home way back in August 2011, and it’s finally (ALMOST) here at last!

The kick-off Gala event is May 18th, and then general tours begin May 19th and continue through June 10th. The house is open from 10am to 4pm Wednesdays-Sundays each week, plus additional dates and times for special events.  See here for more information about each of the Special Events.

I’ll be hosting the Culinary Event the evening of May 19th, the Designer Led Tour Tuesday May 22nd, and staffing the house from 1-4pm on Sunday May 27th, 10-1pm Friday June 1st, and 10-1pm Sunday June 3rd.   Beyond that, whenever I have free time (ha) I’ll be at the home hanging out in the 3rd floor Gift Wrapping and Sewing Room I designed with Jennifer Thompson Horstman.

To get a bit of background on our space and see how it all started,  check out my blog post from January here.  You can find more information on our design vision in the current MSP Home magazine (here’s a sneak peak from the magazine for those of you outside the Twin Cities).

The sketch was our first concept design we presented to the clients at the first ever meeting with them. We’re thrilled with how close the final design is to the original concept, especially because we love the changes even more than the original version.

I’m not going to give the finished design away until the show is over, so you can all come and be WOWED by what we’ve created. (And if you are moved to vote for us as your Favorite Room, we’d be honored!)  But I can’t resist showing you a few sneak peak detail shots to peak your interest.

How fabulous is this orange afghan throw Jennifer’s grandmother made? So perfect with our bold color palette!

The storage closet in this room is a crafter’s dream! So much storage space, and REALLY clever storage systems that fit the homeowners’ collections of supplies.  What would you do if you had to organize 40+ rolls of wrapping paper and 100+ spools of ribbons?  We’ll show you a brilliant solution.

We hope to see you at the Showcase Home!  For more information, ticket sale locations, maps, etc. visit www.mspmag.com/hometour  

Have a great weekend enjoying the first sunny weekend in ages!

It’s the end of the day Friday after a busy week of pulling together furnishings for clients, signing up new clients, and managing a bathroom renovation. The renovation is going smoothly and we even discovered extra space in the wall to fit in the bigger tub we were hoping to be able to use.  So what do I do now?  Let’s start by looking at the pile of design magazines begging for my attention and trying to determine what to read first.

But first, here’s some of my favorite moments from the last issue of Martha Stewart Living.

This article about implementing the color blocking trend in your home was a particular favorite. Layering red, orange, coral, peach and pink could turn out weird, but here it has been done beautifully. I’m totally digging the painting over the bed.

Color blocking with greens. I love the 3 shades of green silk pillows across the back of this sofa. The curtains and fig tree behind the sofa add height, texture and interest pulling your eye up. This is an easy update for an existing room.

Finally, this jug of cucumber-lemon water has me longing for hot days so I can drink this for a thirst quencher. I particularly enjoy the idea behind the story this accompanies: a couple who needs help getting their garden back on track after missing a few weekends of maintenance enlist a group of friends to help pull it together over a weekend, providing plenty of delicious food to lure and sustain them. The rustic spinach sorrel tarts and strawberry rhubarb buckle bars will be coming out of my oven soon.

Despite a busy weekend with plenty of home projects to complete and a baby shower, I’m looking forward to some down time surrounded by page flags and the following magazines.  Have a great weekend doing whatever you love in a greater proportion than the chores you dread. =)

An entire issue focused on clutter and organization? I’m in heaven.

I love their One Day Makeovers, and this one sounds good!  Lime green and lavender certainly seem to be making a resurgence.

This is the cover of HOME you’ll see on newsstands and it has all the details about the ASID Showcase Home Tour I’m participating in again this year. PLEASE support the hard work of the 30 designers who donated their time, creativity and energy to make this home stunning. Plus the countless other designers and team members who helped put it all together. So many great events over the 3 weeks of the tour that you don’t want to miss out!  I’ll post more information on this next week.

I’m still trying to decide if I like this magazine. Some of the spaces they feature are too traditional for my taste, but I’m giving it a chance.  That’s why I have 2 issues to catch up on.

Tis the season for gardens and outdoor rooms to take center stage in design magazines as we finally get the chance to spend time outside and want to day dream about how to make our outdoor spaces as inviting as possible.  I love the pop that dog provides on the cover against all that greenery!

If you were a huge fan of Domino magazine like me, you were disappointed when it folded in 2009, not too long after they published the great home style reference book, “Domino: The Book of Decorating.”

Well, then I have some good news for you…. Domino magazine is back! (sort of)  Condo Nast released a special Spring/Summer issue of the publication. The format is different than the original monthly magazine, focusing instead on key decorating tips and featured homes gleaned from past issues. There is some fun new original content I enjoyed as well, especially the decorate your desk to suit your personality feature.

What’s nice is that as in the past, they include sources for all the products and the styling doesn’t feel like something I’ve already seen before in any publication. Which can be a challenge when everyone loves a good desk styling feature.  (That backdrop was done with tinted chalkboard paint!)

You might be surprised that I’m also highlighting this article on modern floral arrangements, but I think this variety of home styling projects is what made Domino great.  Formal floral arrangements leave me cold, so I was really taken with these rustic, free form floral arrangements spread out across the table. Plus I love Heath Ceramics’ vases, and the palette of colors they chose play well with all the elements on the table.

So just a quick sneak peak inside this special issue to inspire you to run out and find a copy for yourself. I found mine at Rainbow grocery store, of all places, a few weeks back, so keep your eyes open since I’m sure this will sell out quickly.

Have a great weekend everyone!  I’ll be busy with home projects, new client meetings, and appreciating floral arrangements at Minneapolis Institute of Arts’ Art in Bloom event with some lovely ladies (after a yummy brunch at a new spot, of course).

All photos from Domino magazine, except book cover from Amazon.

Even though the weather in Minnesota can’t seem to make up it’s mind if it should be a cool Spring or an early Summer, the itch to get outside is hard to resist this time of year.

Since the lilac trees are beginning to bloom (meaning the morel mushrooms will be popping up soon!), I’m going to start planning my summer outdoor decor now and remain optimistic that the warm weather will soon be here to stay.

So what items have caught my eye lately?

First I received this email from Crate and Barrel that heavily features this year’s accent color, Tangerine Tango.

Of course I’m digging the orange watering can and wishing for some orange cushions to liven up my standard stacking outdoor chairs we got at Target years ago. I also love the rustic style of the Driftwood Birdhouse as a foil for the modern boldness of the orange accents.

We already have 2 Emmet Lounge Chairs in green from Room and Board we got from a friend when he moved to San Francisco last summer.  They’ve held up beautifully without any covers this winter, and they’ve been a great punch of color out the windows in the middle of the bleak winter.  So how do I tie the orange and green together?  Here are my inspiration boards showing the current state of the deck (it really doesn’t look like anything special in this photo) and my goal end results.

First off, what does this deck look like now? Well, the top left picture shows it in action the FIRST WEEKEND after we moved in.  Our friend, Tom, was visiting for business so we had no time to wait before playing hosts.  So what do you do? Send the guys off to golf, set up the patio furniture, grill a giant platter of veggies (foreground) and some steaks, open that giant bottle of Heineken beer you got as a gift, and enjoy the company of friends.

Now it’s a year later (almost) and our plans for the deck are pretty settled in our minds.

Step 1: Strip the red stain off the deck and flip/repair any damaged boards.  

Step 2: Remove the existing railing.

Step 3: Remove the slanting and shallow depth steps to the yard. (They are tricky for kids and in the winter)

Step 4: Install longer, deeper steps in one location.

Step 5: Install new square posts along the perimeter.

Step 6: Stain the deck, posts and steps a warm gray color. 

Step 7: Install a cable rail system around the deck for a more open and modern aesthetic.

Ok, you have that visual in mind now?  Now here is how I’ll furnish the deck, utilizing the existing wood slat table and chairs (seen above).

First, I’ll use our existing umbrella that looks similar to the example above, though it’s in more of a narrow two tone gray stripe pattern.

Then pull the punch of orange I’m craving together with our green Emmet Lounge Chairs by mixing in throw pillows with large botanical prints in orange and green.

Though I’d love to buy the Layered Side Table in orange, it makes more sense in white when placed between the green chairs. I like that the width of this piece easily allows for both loungers to have a spot for their drink AND snacks.

The gray dining chairs will get a punch of orange with the striped throw pillows that pull together the gray colors of the house, deck and umbrella.

The deck, front entry, and garden will all get accessories of their own in the form of large gray planters, a new doormat (it’s a Fox!), stone lanterns along the paths for mood lighting, and sculptural pieces to tuck in amongst the plantings.

Finally, a deep orange watering can will inspire me to help with the gardening duties, which is key since my husband is planting a huge vegetable garden for the first time this year. I can’t wait for all that kale, tomatoes, cucumbers and fresh herbs to take over my kitchen!

Since the Fox doormat is sold out, I’ll be recreating this with the plain coir doormat I already have, a stencil and some paint. Easy peasy!

I can’t wait to get started on all these great projects (after I finish the nursery I’m working on now, of course.)

Photo credits:

Ad from Crate & Barrel

Photo of my deck taken by me

Inspiration images from Houzz: Mark English Architects and Becker Architects Limited

Furnishings:

1. Umbrella

2. Iris Speckled Planters

3. Emmet Lounge Chair

4. Clinton Friedman Coral Tree Pillow Cover

5. Layered Side Table in White

6. Clinton Friedman Leaf Study Pillow Cover

7. Tangerine Watering Can

8. Andromeda Planters

9. Stone Rice Grinding Disks

10. Stone Egg Lanterns

11. Sunbrella Valencia Stripe Pillow

12. Stone Garden Mushroom and Bunny

13. Fox Doormat (no longer available)

Do you ever find yourself uttering that classic phrase “I have nothing to wear!” when you stare into your jumbled closet?  Perhaps the real problem is that you can’t FIND what you have and love amongst the chaos.  Since I’ve probably read just about every column/ article/ book I’ve ever come across on the topic, let me share the top tips here and save you some time. Hopefully this will inspire you to get over your fear of the time commitment and effort to finally tackle the project. Remember the final reward: happiness when you look in your closest and drawers!

Tip 1:

Have a good objective friend come over to help you in the purging decision making process.  

We all make excuses why that top from 2006 could come back in style or will fit again after a more dedicated exercise routine. You need someone who can look you in the eye and objectively tell you to let it go because it will never come back in style in the exact same design. If it doesn’t fit NOW, why take up valuable real estate with wishes?

Tip 2:

Divide clothes into these piles: Donate, Repair/Rework, Trash, and Makes Me Look Fabulous So It Stays.

Because really, why hold onto ANY clothes that don’t make us look fabulous?!  My husband always preaches the value of a first impression as the reason you should always look put together because you never know who you are about to meet/ run into.  (Though somehow trips to the hardware store on Saturdays seems to be the exemption to this rule in his mind.)  I’m not the greatest at following through on this as “comfy” seems to be my first instinct when putting together an outfit, but I’m always trying to keep it in mind.

There will be some pieces that need a little tailoring repair or could fairly easily be reworked into a current and appropriate piece. Having a good tailor in your list of resources is key for this. I love NE Tailor on 22nd St &  Johnson St in Northeast Minneapolis.  I trusted him to tweak a Herve Leger dress, need I say more?

Oh, and get those Trash and Donation piles out of the house ASAP to prevent any second guessing.

Tip 3:

Organize clothes and accessories by type and then by color.

Here you can see how a random assortment of clothing and accessories topples out of control on the left without structure.  On the right, all clutch purses are grouped together (by type) then by color (wow, she has a whole shelf of gold clutches!). I like this solution for the always growing stacks of tote bags. Stacking them folded flat so that part of the design is easily visible and by stacking them this way you don’t have to try to keep them from flopping over as they would if stacked upright.

This is the key tip/rule as you start putting your clothes and accessories back into your closet after the big purge. It will make it easier to look at all your blouses and pick ONE and then look at your skirts all together and pick ONE.  Now go to the Shapeware box or drawer and pick the appropriate piece for this outfit. Go to your jewelry area and pick a bracelet or two (depending on the look) and then earrings and a necklace from their zones. See how this sounds much less stressful?

But how do you organize all those pieces? Here are a few favorite organization examples for accessories to inspire you.

Let’s start with handbags. Here you can see how handbags that can stand on their own can sit on a shelf. Clutches are best stacked together since they are slim and when one is removed the rest won’t fall over much.

The larger handbags with unstructured bottoms do well hung from hooks. Don’t try to double up on hooks. It gets clunky when you try to grab one and inevitably both sets of handles won’t fit comfortably on the hook.

For my clutches I use a Real Simple Purse Organizer to take advantage of hanging space in my closet.

Since they are narrower than handbags they don’t get smooshed under the elastic bands and I can group a few similar clutches together in one section.

Depending upon the size of your jewelry collection and your organizational style (do you like to have everything out and visible at a glance or do you prefer it tucked away with easy access?) there are a number of different solutions.

You could hang necklaces from hooks on the wall and keep earrings and bracelets in an assortment of small bowls and dishes on the top of your dresser (top image).  If you tend to wear a few pieces day after day, keeping them out with a few beautiful items might be sufficient (middle image).  Or you could create a system of organized compartments in your drawers for each type of jewelry so they are organized and still accessible without sitting out and looking cluttered (which is how the first arrangement style would look to some people).

Here is an example of a vanity with clear organizers in the drawers to separate jewelry by type and style.

You can also see this style of organization in Gayle’s revamped closet design above.  Notice that all her workout gear is grouped together (top right image) apart from general t-shirts and pants.

What do I use?

I like a mix of organization style 1 & 3. Key items out and visible, less frequently pieces organized in a closed drawer.

My favorite necklaces are out and visible (and organized by type) on this jewelry stand by Umbra.

My earrings are organized by type (studs, fancy long earrings for parties, hoops, blue earrings, brown earrings, etc.) in small bowls on top of my dresser for quick access in the morning. If I put the fancier items in a drawer I’d probably wear them less frequently. Seeing them out reminds me to wear something a little more punchy day to day.

The rest of my jewelry is either hanging on hooks on the inside of a door or in an assortment of small boxes and cutlery trays in a dresser drawer that was suddenly empty after a purge when we moved into our new house last year.  I could eventually upgrade to prettier organization pieces, but they are pricey, and these work just fine. I like having the 2 cutlery trays stacked because I get more function out of the drawer depth.

Above: the drawer of necklaces, bracelets, pins and rings. Very special occasion pieces are kept in closed boxes.

Above: the lower cutlery tray of necklaces and bracelets.

Finally, shoes.

If you collect shoes as works of art, perhaps displaying them in a case like this would allow you to appreciate their beauty even when you aren’t wearing them.

Is space limited? Utilize wall space by hanging them on the wall.

Is your collection substantial? Organize them by type in standardized boxes with photos on the front.

Do you store your shoes by the front door so you aren’t tracking dirt into the house?  I loved this tradition in Japan, and since space is at a premium there, I frequently saw this style of shoe storage there.  You can find these at the Container Store.

There are a million different styles of organization tools out there to suit your habits. The key is to purge to what you love and looks good on you first. Don’t buy any organization bins, etc until you’ve completed the purge and know what you REALLY have left.  Be creative with what you already have and live with those solutions for a bit to see how they work before investing in more.

I hope this has helped demystify the process for you! And if you need help, don’t be afraid to email or call me!

Photo credits:

1 & 2 & 7 – Oprah 3-12,

3, 5, 12 & 13 – Lucky 3-12

4 – Bed, Bath & Beyond

6 – Unknown

9, 10 & 11 – Fox Interiors

8 & 14 – Container Store

Happy Friday!  Here at Fox Interiors I’m always on the hunt for something beautiful to enhance my current and future projects. This week I stopped by Mercury Mosaics, run by my dear friend of 8 or so years, Mercedes Austin.  We met at the annual Minnesota Tile Festival at the Swedish Institute in Minneapolis back when she was running her business out of her live/work studio in St. Paul and I was just starting a business designing custom throw pillows.  All these years later, she has 5 kilns, a great team of tile craftsmen, and an inspiring design studio not far from me in Northeast Minneapolis.

I love visiting the studio because they are always developing new color blends and tile designs that showcase just how many possibilities there are when designing with their handmade tile.  I’ve shared finished projects of theirs before with you (first see the process  and then the finished results for this stunning bathroom), but I thought you might enjoy seeing the different styles that caught my eye this week.

The bubbles with organic edge field tiles is one of their most recognizable designs, and one of their most popular. I love the color variation in the Denim blue tiles. Did you know every tile is cut and painted with glaze by hand?!

This board was created for a client trying to decide between two different colors of Stix to anchor their Bubbles. Notice they were going to have the Bubbles floating on the wall without all field tile above. A great way to make an impact (and save a little money). Which would you chose?

Here you can see how a band of Bubbles can be framed out with liner pieces to create a focal point, like over a stove, while the rest of the backsplash could be in a white field tile. Throw in a few clusters of Bubbles around the room to continue the theme. This is good for both the budget and the design. Check out their portfolio online and you’ll see some beautiful examples of this concept in practice.

The Bubble Grid Stagger is not utilized as much as some of their other styles, but I was really struck by how great it looked on this mirror. The Olive Green glaze has a nice range of variation to it, which adds interest without adding in a handful of colors. I love how the grout color becomes a strong element of the design.  Imagine it with a khaki or charcoal gray grout… really changes it, doesn’t it?

The Moroccans is another fun mosaic shape, and I love this fresh color palette… so springy! It looks great in the dark reds and browns you may have seen them feature in the past, but this color palette really showcases it’s versatility.

Here are more examples of the newer color blends Mercury Mosaics is showcasing. The new leopard texture on the green Moroccans is fabulous!

You may have noticed the pricing on this panel and the mirror above. You might recognize Mercury Mosaics from their very popular Groupon classes. You get to come in and make your own art panel or framed mirror, and you even learn how to grout it yourself.  It’s a super fun class, and the pieces they develop during these classes are for sale in the showroom. I love how this panel utilizes a field of Stixs and a few Bubbles that were cut on the wet saw to add additional movement to the piece. I think this could easily be recreated on a backsplash or fireplace surround.

In a similar vein, this little panel showcases the variation of the Denim glaze and I love the rings of Bubbles integrated with the field tile (I’m guessing that’s a 2×6, but Mercedes could tell you for sure).

Finally, this piece showcases Mercury Mosaics custom mosaic capabilities. I think this overlapping concentric circle design is beautiful and such a work of art. They’ve created some custom designs in the past that incorporate this style, and I’d love to see more examples.

For more examples of their work, be sure to check out their portfolio on Houzz.  If you haven’t played around with the over 385,000 images in this database yet, you are going to be ADDICTED!  All you need to do is set up an account with an email address, set up a couple of Ideabooks to tag your favorite images into, and then go crazy!  Fox Interiors has a portfolio on Houzz as well, (search “Fox Interiors” under the Professionals category to find us) and you can see my Ideabooks if you need ideas for categories.  What’s great about this site is that you can add notes to yourself about what you like in each photo so that you remember it was the light fixture or the color palette that caught your eye. Oh, and there’s an iPad & iPhone version too, especially handy when you’re bored waiting in line. =)

I also love that once you’ve created an Ideabook you can Share it with others, including… your Designer! It’s a great resource for helping you figure out your style that you can then pass to your designer to help them understand what you are looking for.

I can’t wait to hear what you think of Mercury Mosaics and Houzz!