At Home Magazine's Habitat for Humanity Project on Show Me St. Louis

The Habitat for Humanity project sponsored by AT HOME magazine was featured on Show Me St. Louis today.

I enjoyed the opportunity to share some of the design elements featured in the home. Homeowner JoAnn Barge was a delight to work with and I think you can see why in this clip.

Kudos to Christy Marshall, also interviewed, who gathered 30 area interior designers to design for five deserving families.

Click here to see the segment on Show Me St. Louis.

AT HOME St. Louis Magazine -- Love the House You're In

Let's face it, now may not be the best time to sell your home. But if you are or if you want to stay in your home, you may want to give it a lift. AT HOME St. Louis Magazine outlines how to decorate your home on any budget.

I am mentioned in the article for my love of "poufing".

What is poufing?

Also known as redesign, staging or one-day design, "poufing" is the art of "rearranging furniture, reworking shelves, moving art pieces around"...etc. Much of it involves using existing furnishings and mixing in a few new pieces. It is the most budget-friendly way to give your space a new look.

Read the entire article at this link: Love the House You're In

Or read the excerpt below:

Go Pro
Hire a designer to do a "pouf"

Remodeling's fine, you say, for those who know the art of rearranging furniture or how to judge the way that sage green paint chip will translate to an entire wall. But what about the rest of us? No problem: You can hire a professional interior designer for an hour or two. Small suggestions like paint colors or furniture placement can rejuvenate a space, and designers can point out where fabrics are clashing, color's not serving you well, furniture is badly arranged or you just need a slipcover for that formal sofa (at least till the kids are grown).

"A lot of times, it's the common-sense things," says Tim Rohan of T. Rohan Designs. "They just need a fresh pair of eyes — from a seasoned person who knows how to fix it."

Consultation costs range from $50 to $200 an hour for "poufing," (rearranging furniture, reworking shelves, moving art pieces around) planning or putting it all into motion. Dana King of Dana's Design Studio has been "poufing" houses for the past six years. "Poufing houses is the most fun and rewarding work," she says. "I would never give it up." She charges $50 an hour with no minimum or a predetermined flat rate for the job.

"The least expensive thing, I suggest, is to move the furniture around in the room, or mix up the furniture from one room to the next," Caryn Burstein, Allied ASID, president of CLB Interiors, says. "This immediately moves the energy around and spiritually gives them a lift about their space. It actually makes the old furniture look new when it's moved from room to room."

If you want the designer to take the reins on the redecoration, costs go up, but even at Mr. Rohan's $145 per hour, two-hour minimum, you'll save in the long run with the designer discounts. Plus, the designer will oversee it all, protecting you from the stress and strain of the project.

"Many people can do it on their own and spend less money if they have the resources," Mr. Rohan says. "You're as good as your resources whether you're doing it professionally or not, but it's even more crucial for the novice."

And you don't have to do the whole shebang at once. According to Ms. King, Carol Bridges of Kirkwood hires her when "she has the budget and time to tackle a new project. We are on our fifth room!"

ABC's Extreme Makeover, Home Edition -- watch this Sunday

l to r, Sara Zigman and Joni Spears, designers who collaborated for the Haven of Grace project. Their children's room is pictured above. Furnishings provided by Zigman, Three Little Ziglets, who also provided furnishings for ABC's Extreme Home Makeover, Home Edition

I have two really good reasons to watch ABC's Extreme Makeover, Home Edition this Sunday.

First, Ashley Furniture Homestore, where I work part-time as a customer specialist,in Kirkwood MO donated the furnishings for most all the rooms in the home.

Second, friend Sara Zigman, whom I first met on the Haven of Grace project, will be one of the featured designers, showcasing her children's room furnishings.

Sara Zigman with her darling handpainted chair.

Learn more about Sara's participation, read her press release:

LOCAL DESIGNER ANSWERS CALL FOR “EXTREME MAKEOVER” FAMILY

ST. LOUIS, MO (September 10, 2008) – St. Louis designer Sara Zigman of Three Little Ziglets answered the call from ABC’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” to help create a dream room for the Martirez family’s 7-year-old daughter. Zigman was contacted late Sunday night by the show’s lead designer, and asked to donate items from Three Little Ziglets’ C’est Chic collection. 30 hours later, Zigman delivered with 15 pieces of custom, hand-painted furniture and a complete set of made-to-order bedding and window treatments.

Once Zigman and five of her artisans worked through the night to complete the request, her work was not done. Zigman was pressed into service on-site at the new Martirez home, painting unique motifs on the walls and helping to stage the adorable room. Three Little Ziglets’ total donation of goods and services total over $10,000.

Named for Zigman’s triplet daughters, Three Little Ziglets’ unique brand of children’s furnishings features hand painted furniture, made to order bedding and movable wall murals. Each collection is designed to grow with children from infancy through the elementary years. Zigman is the winner of recent design awards from Pregnancy Magazine, StyleBakery.com and Metier Magazine. Stylish moms can easily outfit an entire room with one-stop-shopping at the online boutique www.threelittleziglets.com.

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.

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!

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.