Designing Haven of Grace

View of Children's bedroom in Haven of Grace Project. Fabric donated by Three Little Ziglets. Rug donated by Rug Decor. Photo courtesy of Katherine Bish.

I went on vacation for nearly two weeks, hence no blog posts, and I am trying to catch up with clients and the laundry!

While on vacation I appeared on a local television show in Utah called Home Team. You can see the video -- click here. I had a blast doing the show and sharing more about designHop clubs! I will share more about the experience later.

I thought I'd post about our Haven of Grace project highlighted in the July/August issue of AT HOME St. Louis Magazine before August is over and the new issue hits the stands!

I will share, in this and upcoming posts, behind-the-scenes views you didn't see in the magazine.

Gina Adolphson, friend and interior designer who moved to Florida recently (boo hoo, I miss you Gina!) and Laura n of Laura n Studios, a St. Louis favorite, were my main partners on the project. Gina did the lion's share of designing, creating an amazing design board -- view here.


Laura helped create our dreamed-for murals through out the home. She really made our design come alive. Thank you Laura!

In this photo (above) Laura is working on the children's room mural inspired by the Japanese fabric used in the bedding.

Japanese fabric that inspired the mural.
Laura's son, Luke, helps steady the ladder for mom!

I will share more of Laura's amazing murals...stay tuned.

New St. Louis Favorite -- Victoria Gray

Vintage design is not something I do a lot, but I think it would be fun. And now I know yet another resource in St. Louis for period pieces.

Victoria Gray specializes in vintage clothing and anything to do with the Victorian period. Check out her website -- click here -- where you can learn about estate sales, fashion shows and presentations.

This weekend there is an estate sale, really two in one.

Victoria says:This house is jammed with antique collectibles! So much so, that we'll have the first floor sale on Saturday July 26, 9-5 and Sunday July 27, 9-3. Then the second sale the following weekend for the basement, which is full to the gills!!! Saturday August 2, 9-5 and Sunday August 3, 9-3.

Learn more details from her website.

The most family-friendly dining room

One of the best things about my job is seeing the ingenuity of my clients. Doug and Michelle Swain invited me into their home last week to help them pick paint colors for their entryway and master bedroom.

Michelle gave me directions to her home and told me to: "Look for the 'Blues Clues' mailbox". That was the first clue that I was in for a treat.


I thought I would enter a white box -- I was there to help pick paint color after all. Imagine my surprise when I saw their colorful and imaginative picnic dining room just off the entryway!


The Swains explained that they had searched and searched furniture stores for dining room furniture, but all the options seemed too formal, expensive and not at all kid-friendly.

Then Michelle had an idea.

She thought about the most kid-friendly table and a picnic table immediately came to mind. "It's fun, cheap and easy and there is nothing the kids can do to hurt it", said Michelle.


To protect the carpet Michelle continued the outdoors theme by installing AstroTurf.

She and Doug cut the fake grass to fit over the carpet and simply laid it on top. It looks professionally installed, you'd never know it is not tacked down.



Doug's mom painted the countryside mural.

A picnic basket tucked in a corner does the job for a china cabinet, storing all the necessary plates and utensils.

A whimsical wind chime hung from the chandelier reminds us that there is nothing too formal about this space. And red check fabric panel window treatments complete the look.

The whole project cost just $300. Can't beat that!

I asked Michelle if she sees herself eventually replacing the picnic table with traditional dining furniture when the children are older. She said, "maybe, maybe not, I'll have grandkids one day!"

I drool over sophisticated interior design spreads like those in Architectural Digest, but I don't think anything pleases me more than when I see the family reflected in design.

Way to go Swains! I hope this becomes a trend.

Colleen Livingston Mitchell -- a STL favorite

Only two days left to catch Colleen Livingston Mitchell's photography exhibit. See it at the Soulard Coffee Garden -- 910 Geyer Ave. in Soulard, St. Louis, Missouri -- until July 15. You can have breakfast or lunch while also enjoying the exhibit on the two floors.

Colleen, a St. Louis (STL) favorite is also one of our design hoppers and brings her talented eye to our desighHop club get-togethers.

I enjoyed the opening reception for her exhibit on June 1st. Here are some of my favorites, though "my" photos do NOT do "her" photos justice...so I hope you will see her exhibit in person:


Colleen stands by her doors poster.


Colleen's photos -- above and below -- of Chihuly art exhibit at the Missouri Botanical Gardens.






A heavenly view of clouds.

Big Sale at UMA

UMA, a St. Louis favorite, is having a storewide sale today and tomorrow. 20% off everything!

Check it out online or if you live in St. Louis visit their store.

Georgia On My Mind

I couldn't be prouder. My cousin Graig Sibley takes Best in Show in a Southern California collegiate art competition, sponsored by International Art Magazine (ISM). Patrons of the exhibit voted among 50 entries. Craig's painting, titled Georgia On My Mind, won by a landslide.

His winning painting is inspired by artist Georgia O'Keeffe and the title is a play on the Ray Charles song with the same title.

The painting is not only stunning, but has an equally amazing back story.

This is only the third painting Craig has ever done! He took a painting classes and even though he is a talented guy, a bit of a renaissance man, he felt some trepidation in attempting to paint with watercolor.

His advice: just start.

"The biggest encumbrance I've had with these paintings was fear", says Craig. "I was practically crippled by the fear of failure and was very hesitant to start. Just start. You might find you are capable of much more than you thought. I certainly have!"

He tells his story at this link: Georgia On My Mind. You might leave him a comment, I am sure he'd like to hear from you.

What decorating or creative project are you struggling to start because of fear? Can you considering just making some effort to move forward?

Craig's mantra "just start" may be a new take on Nike's "just do it."

In just starting something there is no commitment to finish. If a project seems overwhelming, you might find it easier to think of beginning rather than finishing. There is no failure in just starting.

I like it. Just start!

Affordable Art

Mass-produced art puts art within reach of the masses. You find them in the Big Box stores or catalogs often digitally reproduced on canvas.

Even still, I favor real ink, glue and paint on paper.

Many people believe original or handmade art is expensive.

Think again.

Emerging artists making a name for themselves offer affordable artwork. And accessibility is increasing with sites like Etsy.

Some sites, like Poppytalk, are emerging as web-based curators promoting the best independent artists. Check out Poppytalk's Affordable Art Guide.

Next time you are shopping for something to put on your walls,curio shelves or mantels, consider supporting the emerging artist. You can build a collection for even less than you would pay for digital-produced art. And you'll have something of far greater value than mass-produced art can give you; you'll have art that is real, impressive, meaningful and beautiful.

Photo above is my favorite by Stephanie Levy currently highlighted Poppytalk's Affordable Art Guide.

Please vote on Kirtsy for designHop clubs

Friend Whitney Johnson, creator of Dare to Dream, not only encourages women to go after their dreams, she helps them along.

Case in point, Whitney has posted Aisha Sultan's article about our designHop club on Kirtsy -- a website that highlights popular news articles. If you will, please head on over to Kirtsy and click on the article link titled: Big decorating plans, small budget – why not start a designHop.

To vote FOR the article (and I hope you will) just click the link and read the article. It can be a bit confusing because there is no clear place to register a positive vote. However, just reading the article confirms you are voting to see it land on Kirtsy's front page.

Click here for Kirtsy and to see the link.

Thank you!

Wall Flowers

When is it cool to be a wall flower?

When it's chic and cheap, that's when.

Wall Flowers, new from UMA.

Budget Design Inspiration

A few things crossing my inbox this week to inspire the budget decorator.

First from a Missouri favorite, Pat at Back Porch Musings shares her DIY project to cover a $20 sidewalk sale chair in zebra print. I am very drawn to traditional furnishings covered in unexpected prints. I think it looks right at home in her more traditional setting. Let's hear it for Pat!


Pat's chair before makeover


Pat's chair after makeover


Pat's chair looking at home in its new surroundings





From our St. Louis favorite, UMA, these very fun vinyl tiles, Mozaikit: 225 a set for only $25.


I have blogged about vinyl stickers before -- they are the new wallpaper. Cover anything and have fun.






From Ballard Designs, we can be inspired by three basic rooms decorated with accessories for under $1000. I show one of them below. It's inspirational for sure, but I bet I could do it for half that. Dare me? Check out all three the rooms: Decorating on a Budget from Ballard Designs.

Before

After

On the designHop front, we have seen a great response to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch article. Many are inquiring how they can start a designHop club or party. I will share details soon. Please leave a comment if you would like to learn more...and check out the new designHop links.

designHop in ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

Lindell Ladies designHop in the home of Aisha Sultan, home and family editor for the ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, left to right: Marianne Power, Emily Tan, Mira Pazolli, Kimberly Warburton, Lisa Erekson, Stephanie Welsh, Christie Hutchins, Colleen Mitchell, Aisha Sultan and Dana King. Missing: Gina Adolphson, Marie Newman and Sarah Page.

Last month the Lindell Ladies designHop hopped on over to the home of Aisha Sultan, home and family editor for the ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH newspaper.

Aisha was delightful. She made us yummy Pakistani food and treated us royally. Ten ladies came, our biggest group yet.

Aisha interviewed us and then invited the group to give her ideas on hanging her pictures. See her story -- click here or for your convenience, it is in the body of this post:

Designers hop houses
By Aisha Sultan
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Saturday, Jun. 07 2008

One of the most intimidating things about hiring an interior designer is managing budget expectations. A designer, hired presumably for a superior aesthetic sense and know-how, is invited to judge our most intimate spaces.

So, when he or she asks: "How much did you have in mind?" it's a loaded question. Estimate too low, and you'll appear an unsophisticated rube. Too high, and you'll be thinking of excuses to back out of the buying presentation.

Local designer Dana King has found an intriguing way to bring intimidation-free, budget-friendly design to the masses. In fact, her approach relies on the inherent creativity of the masses. King was approached by women at her church about teaching design classes. She took their idea a step further and formed a design group along with Gina Adolphson, a fellow designer.

DESIGNHOP MEMBERS: left to right -- Gina Adolphson, Dana King, Emily Tan.

"Everyone is creative and everyone has the potential to design their home," she says.

Once a month, they gather the group at one of the participant's houses. King and Adolphson start with a short lesson, and then invite the group to tackle the
homeowner's design issue -- hands on. Women start moving furniture, searching the house for "new" accessories and suggesting paint colors.

King has dubbed the monthly get-together a "design hop" and wants to spread the ideas to form similar groups throughout the area. It's like joining a traveling band of home style stars.

For King, it's about making good design accessible. Because the ideas come from
ordinary people from diverse backgrounds, they tend to be practical. And,thankfully, there's no shame in trying to find the cheapest solution. The only possible drawback is getting your house clean enough for half a dozen women to wander through.


IN NEED OF HELP • This is a view of the mantle in Emily Tan’s dining room
before her design group did a remodeling makeover.


MANTLE MAGIC • The design group used items Tan already had to make the
fireplace area more appealing.

I offered to host a hop at my home to see how the process would work. I've worked with designers before and was curious to hear suggestions from a group of women with expertise ranging from biology to home schooling. I wanted input on arranging and hanging pictures that have been sitting in our closets for years.

Ten women showed up for the design hop. Before King and Adolphson presented their short lection on the basics of picture hanging, they asked for an update from women who had hosted previous hops. The discussion centered on money-saving decorating tips.

Emily Tan, whose house has been on the market for several months, said the group made over two fireplace mantels in her house, along with the entryway.

"I didn't have to spend any money," she said. "They used stuff we had."

Before the hop, her house had gotten low marks on decorating from potential home buyers. The feedback has improved, she said. Another woman said she was able to find fabric shower curtains to use as window treatments.

"That's a great tip," said King. She had also used shower curtains in her daughter's bedroom.


PEACEFUL PLACE • A “before” view of the entryway in Emily Tan’s foyer before
her design group did a remodeling makeover.


MASTER PEACEFUL PLACE • An “after” view of the entryway in Emily Tan’s foyer
after her design group did a remodeling makeover.

"You helped me have courage to paint," another woman volunteered. King offered tips unlikely to be heard from designers working on commission. She suggested finding accessories at craft or thrift shops that can be spray painted for a new look.

"Shop for shape," she advised. Anything can be painted to make it the right color.

Adolphson used a small dry erase board to illustrate the lesson on hanging artwork. She explained the importance of considering "negative space" (the space between a group of pictures) and talked about the ideal hanging length. The group headed upstairs to check out our bedroom and the art I'd laid all around the room.

Immediately, a few started suggesting different furniture layouts. I vetoed most of those suggestions. Then, a discussion began on paint colors, which led to ideas for window treatments and accessories. Ten fresh sets of eyes found ways of looking at the room that I had never considered. Their enthusiasm got me excited about a project I'd stalled on for months. There are many confident do-it-yourselfers, but I'm in the camp that balks at spending thousands or investing hours in a project that may turn out looking no better than it started.

The suggestions from the design hop were much more helpful than I had expected. They even found a spot for an oversized painting of irises that I'd nearly given up on. And, no one ever asked me about my budget.

PHOTOS BY J.B. FORBES — PD

If you would like to start a designHop group or join ours, email me at: dana@danasdesignstudio.com or call: 314-652-1759.

designHop update -- Christie's home

The Lindell ladies designHop has been busy the last few months. We hopped over to Christy's home to rearrange her living room.


Stephanie (left) discusses layout ideas with Christie (right)

Marianne has a plan!


Voila! A redo that has added color and interest to Christy's space.

Christie already had beautiful things, but she was tired of the arrangement and didn't feel it was functional. We moved a love seat to replace the chair, opening up space in another area. Her room was mostly green and lacking an accent color. We noticed a yellow tray from the kitchen that we placed on the tired ottoman. The tray inspired Christie to pull out yellow pillows and a yellow lamp she had hidden away.

Corner before

We tackled every corner of the room including one where a cello and wreath sat looking very lonely. We added a picture frame making an arrangement of three (we like odd numbers and we especially like groupings made of three items).

Corner after

If you would like to join our designHop club or receive information about how to start one of your own, please leave a comment or email me, Dana King at dana@danasdesignstudio.com or call 314-652-1759.

Learn more about the designHop -- click here

NEW from our St. Louis Favorites

More great stuff from a St. Louis favorite: UMA.

I just love their new bamboo screens. These are especially practical if you need to divide a room but don't want to pay for dry wall or don't want a permanent divide. I love the organic feel, the colors and shapes. Starting at $260, they create a lot of drama and interest for the buck.

While they are shown in a contemporary space, I think the screens can complement any style.

From the website:

Roll them, curl them, make them your own shape. These pliable bamboo screens are in many colors; tan, light green, chocolate, turquoise, natural, and black. The undulating top makes them even more fluid and organic. The natural features of the bamboo are accentuated by a light stain. And at only $260 for a 6' x 8' screen, they are amazingly inexpensive for a room divider. We also stock an 8' x 10' version with no scallops and it's priced at only $380!

Visit UMA in downtown St. Louis or on the web at iloveuma.com

And here is a shout out to another St. Louis favorite -- Colleen Livingston Mitchell, Photographer and Digital Artist, will show her work at an Art Show opening this Sunday, June 1 from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Soulard Coffee Garden, 910 Geyer Ave in St. Louis. I plan to be there with camera in hand and share highlights next week.

KJZZ 14 home team's Maria Carr -- a favorite

Friend Maria Carr is launching a new television show -- home team -- where she will be the host on Thursdays. If you are lucky enough to live in Utah or get KJZZ programing, you will catch her exploring anything "homey", as she says.

From the website:

“At Home Thursday”
Someone has said that the most important work a woman does is right inside the home. Maria Carr will show us how it can be fun and rewarding. Maria will coverall things homey, such as cleaning, scrapping, budgeting, decorating, some cooking (for example, Tony Caputo will be a regular guest), shopping, journals, simple car maintenance; basically the whole notion of making a house a home. And don’t forget the kids. Maria will focus on how to manage the greatest of assets in all aspects of home life. She has a cadre of guests who specialize in various aspects of home management.


Read More about Maria -- click here and here. I think we can all look forward to her new cookbook!

As video feeds are available, I will post any related to decorating and especially budget decorating.

Way to go Maria!

Wallter Hex Wall Decor

Wallpaper? sculpture? art?

It's all three.

And you are the artist, using hexagon shapes to form a line, random patterns or any pattern you like.

Flexible hexes can be painted any color. Spray paint is recommended.

They are easily adhered to the wall with 3M tape.

For $29 you get 8 shapes in various sizes.

Through Tuesday midnight central they are on sale -- 15% off. Just enter "memorial" on the coupon code. See iloveuma

Cheap, easy and hot...the way we like it.

This gives me an idea using circular shapes. How about cutting 1/2 inch depth shapes from toilet paper rolls, paper towel rolls and other cylinder shapes? Or using canning jar lids? Paint and adhere to the wall in random patterns.

What are your ideas?

Studies in Color -- Jerry O. Wilkerson

I can't think of a better Mother's Day. I spent it doing what I love with whom I love. My son and I went to the St. Louis University Museum of Art.

Studying color and sharing it with a loved one, how rich and wonderful!

We saw the Jerry O. Wilkerson Retrospective, Discerning Palette. I met the artist's widow, Gail Wilkerson, at the Art of City Living Tour. Gail told me that she has spent this last year managing the estate of her prolific artist husband who sadly passed away last June.

I was excited to see Gail strolling the exhibit today with her mother. Gail said she would be happy to answer my questions and I had tons.

I asked what drew Jerry to express his work in pointillism.

Her answer: "Jerry loved color and light."

Jerry enjoyed seeing what he could do with color, even tiny dots of color, applied to paper, board, canvas, fabric, quilts or sculpture to produce recognizable images of everyday ordinary things, like pears and pizza and reflecting iconic images of popular ure like Fig Newtons.

My son liked all the works, and one of his favorite was of a lemon and Kentucky Fried Chicken in the fridge. Color can be found anywhere, and Jerry O. Wilkerson found it in the refrigerator.

Gail remembers well Jerry's fascination with how fridge light illuminated the colorful items inside. He spent hours viewing the contents, taking photos and observing from different angles.

Now here is a lesson we can learn from the artist. If you are struggling to select a color palette or wall color for your room, have you considered studying color even in ordinary surroundings? Many might stop and study a dazzling sunset, but the fridge?

There is beauty to be seen anywhere there is color and light. And anywhere there is color and light, we can learn.

I love how artists present us with a new perspective. They encourage us to think and react to our surroundings in ways we never imagined.

So when I open the fridge this week, you bet I'll be noticing the color and light.

Learn more about the exhibit -- click here And if you live outside of St. Louis stay tuned, I will share Jerry O. Wilkerson exhibits that are heading your way.

My Design Board for the 10th Street Lofts

My design board for 10th Street Lofts, 1010 St. Charles St., St. Louis, MO. (Click on images to see larger view.)

It's been a while since I posted. One thing keeping me busy is my project to design the lobby for the 10th Street Lofts, downtown St. Louis -- 33 loft condos.

I created a design board for the 10th Street Lofts' board to review. Though I have been in business for 5 years plus, this is my first design board. I do mostly residential projects that don't require a full-scale design board, only the random rendering and gathered samples.

While my training has been informal -- I shadowed an interior designer in Bangkok, Thailand years ago -- I have benefited from good friends in the business who have mentored me.

Gina Adolphson, my partner for the Haven of Grace project, taught me how to use the prismacolor pens used on velum paper for architectural drawings. She also passed on tips for indicating certain features of the project. At the end of our three hour "training", Gina said: "There, you just got two semesters worth of training in three hours!"

Wow, I owe her.

I know I have much to learn, but I am proud of my first design board. It was tons of work, probably 40 hours total.

Here are the highlights:


My rendering of the corner seating area. The lamp is purposefully drawn over-scale because it is an over-scale lamp, very contemporary, very cool. I rendered this on velum using prismacolor pens that Gina Adolphson lent me. Thanks Gina!

The artwork in the space will be framed in antique (or look-alike) frames painted a high-gloss white. This is a nod to the past with a contemporary twist. The photos or artwork will represent the history of the area buildings when it was the heart of the garment district in St. Louis.

We anticipate partnering with the Missouri History Museum to tell the story using advertisements and photos of the period. We'll colorize these in pop colors for a modern twist. Around the corner will be a display in a more traditional treatment -- museum gallery style -- that will further tell the story.

My rendering of the floor plan was tricky. I wanted to show the amazing floor we are proposing using a new material, a chameleon floor that changes colors with the light and depending where you are standing looks either emerald green or warm steel gray. To my knowledge, this floor has never been introduced in St. Louis. It was proposed to us by Decorative Concrete.

Below photos show the chameleon affect. In the above floor plan I tried to show how the light hitting the floor from the windows brings out the green hue. The overall appearance is a ed look, similar to stained concrete, but more iridescent and changing with the light.

In the upper left-hand corner of the board I presented photos from the early time period, the buildings and people in industry. The Merchandise Mart building is highlighted in orange. The 10th Street Lofts was an annex to the Merchandise Mart, used for various purposes including storage and label making for the garment district.

Most loft buildings in the area have very small lobbies. Ours is nearly 800 square feet, almost two to three times the size of most downtown lobbies. We believe our ample space presents us with a great opportunity to highlight the history of the area. We are grateful for the Missouri History Museum's interest to partner on this project.

Above is an elevation -- one dimensional -- of the mailbox unit wall that will be a focal wall when you enter the lobby. On that wall will be artwork we commission from a graphic designer to highlight items of industry. The table below the artwork will be granite or marble 12 inches deep set on two concrete pillars. We already have the concrete pillars salvaged from the building. The wall will be covered in orange vinyl wall covering. The adjacent elevator surrounds will be a bright, almost lime-green.

The lobby will be industrial in feel. We are leaving the brick and steel walls. Everywhere else we are accenting with lime green and sun-kissed orange. The elevator doors and other doors in the space will be purple, a deep rich plum.

This project has my heart because it is so meaningful and colorful -- telling a story through design gives a space presence beyond its utilitarian purpose. I imagine those who crossed the thresholds of industry long ago to build this great city would be proud that we remember them.

Cross your fingers that our lobby project proceeds as planned!