An "I Can Do It" Attitude

I had a sense of this sculpture.  I had never seen it until I attended The Affordable Art Fair.  When I turned the corner and saw it, it stopped me in my tracks.  There it was, the wooded wall sculpture I had heard about that inspired my girlfriend to say, "I can make that," and DID!

Artist Pascal Pierme, a Frenchman who lives in Santa Fe, NM has art hanging in private collections, museum exhibitions and has garnered international recognition.  He was inspired by what he saw his grandfather do with a piece of wood.

Inspired by what Pascal did with a piece of wood, imagine the audacity of my girlfriend who saw one of Pascal's pieces in an art exhibit, fell in love with it and said to herself, "I can do that," and DID!  How many times has each of us seen something and said those very words?  How many of us said that and then actually went out and did it?  She knew with the right tools and know how she could make a similar wooden wall hanging.  First things first, she enrolled in a woodworking class.  Along the way she researched different types of wood and picked up a few wood working tools of her own so she could work on her project at home, because she grew impatient waiting in line for equipment at the studio.

This is the piece that started it all.  She soon got to work.  With enthusiasm, power tools and the drive to be productive, my girlfriend proudly hung her art on her guest room wall in no time.

 How do you think it makes her feel every time she looks at it?  Is there anything you said you could or would do but haven't?  What gets in the way?  Fear of failure, time constraints, lack of self confidence?  Whenever you are intimidated to do something, think about how good you will feel after it's done.  Use "as if" (you did it already) as the motivating factor.  The sense of self accomplishment, pride, confidence, courage, empowerment, you would feel.  The worst that can happen is it doesn't come out the way you had envisioned, but that's not really the point, is it?  Taking ACTION is the name of the game.  One step leads to the next step leads to the next, sometimes figuring it out along the way.

What's that saying?  We don't regret the things we've done, we only regret the things we didn't do when we had the chance.  My girlfriend is moving on to sculpting in stone as we speak.




#lifecoachlesson

#boldmoves





SaveSave

Interior Design Master Class

I do not think I have read a coffee table design book (if you can call it that) from cover to cover like I devoured Interior Design Master Class.  It is as educational as it is inspirational and a "must have" in the library of arm chair decorators to established professionals.  Over two years in the making and fresh off its second printing by Rizzoli, editor Carl Dellatore (whom I had the pleasure of traveling with to Menla Mountain retreat, see here) has collected one hundred essays from one hundred designers, together with awe inspiring photos from each of their projects to create a tome the likes of which I have never seen.  The essays, articulately and beautifully written, are broken down into six categories such as Theory, Style, Structure and Composition.  Within each of the design disciplines are the essays a particular designer chose to explore:  craft, alchemy, jazz, Paris, film, sex.  It is a little peak "behind the curtain" of how great designers think and what inspires them.

Kara Mann, ph: Nick Johnson

As each designer explored their process, I found several themes running through the essays.  All great  rooms tell a story.  The stories come from inspiration found just about anywhere.  The importance of travel was touched on by many, as well as life experiences, history and nature.

Amy Lau, ph: Born Wallander

Negative space is as important as the objects themselves.  Designers are aware of every nuance in an artfully layered room.  Great design moves us ~ like poetry, music, anything that touches our soul.

Terry Hunziker, ph: Aaron Leitz

Rooms often are a rich mosaic of what has come before.  Whether you adhere to the rules or know them well enough to break them, a deep understanding of the past leads us into the future.

Steven Sills, ph: Francois Halard

This visual language requires designers to be part intuitive, part educator, part archeologist, part translator.  In the end this gives a client the gift of an authentic space unique to them, helping inform their identity.

White and Webb, ph: Antoine Bootz

Any of us can achieve this to a certain degree.  You must be open to life's adventures and have the passion, curiosity and courage to explore the possibilities.  Function is never out of fashion.  Always ask, "How am I best expressed in each room and how do I need it to function?"

Jeffery Bilhuber, ph: William Waldron for AD

"Many of us are oblivious to our surroundings.  We spend our days multi-tasking or we're so absorbed by a virtual world that we overlook what's directly in front of us.  Consciously recognizing how we are affected and influenced by everything we have around us enhances our lives."
 ~ Vincente Wolf

Robert Couturier, ph: Tim Street Porter

If a well designed home defines the homeowner, it then begs the question of the visitor, "If this is you, who am I?"  I love that!

Juan Montoya, ph: Eric Piasecki

Balance is essencial in all facets of our life.  Design or life by design, challenges us to find that balance and maintain it, shifting and making adjustments along the way.  There is stability in a well balanced room (life).   It helps us create order from chaos and calm from confusion.

Miles Redd, ph: Thomas Loof for AD

The meaning of home is changing in this fast paced, mass produced, globalized world with the expectation of instant gratification, but the meaning behind home, the importance of sanctuary, authenticity, refuge, remains the same.


Thank you Carl for bringing this magnificent book to life.  Look for Carl's next book, Garden Design Master Class.




SaveSave

Inspiration is where you find it

Designers are always asked, "Where do you get your inspiration?"  The answers range from travel to museums to 1st Dibs.  The truth is it's everywhere, all around us, you just have to observe.

I was inspired by a trip to Turkey when trying to come up with an idea for my Serene Salon

Jess @ The Love List was inspired by the Kate Spade Store when she was asked to design a logo

Do you think Pierre Hardy was inspired by this screen and the way the light shines through the glass circles?

Do you think the AKRIS designer Albert Kreimler was inspired by his surroundings while sketching and sipping espresso on the Amalfi Coast?

or Stella McCartney was studying still lifes?

     

    

Roberto Cavalli must have NEEDED a console table to match his python dress (It is one of his signatures, after all);  hard to tell which came 1st.

And when he ventured out back he was inspired to design this little number for his upcoming 2011 collection.  While he was relaxing ~ his friends the Missoni's stopped by for a Lemoncello

Vincent Wolf famously captures his journeys to far off lands in photographs that translate into globally infused rooms with interesting color schemes.  This umbrella in Madagascar was the inspiration for the color scheme of one of his interiors.

I think part of the creative process is being a keen observer.  Figuring out what to do with it is where the real talent lies, and I am always in awe of those that do it so well!

credits: CLI,The Love List, BG, ID, Vincente Wolf