welcome to decorating week!

After spending hours yesterday searching for pictures to share with you, I sat down at 11 pm with my mug of Slippery Elm Bark herbal tea and my box of tissues (I'm fighting a nasty cold) AND.....my scanner decides not to work! You know...the brand new scanner I bought myself at Christmas time. UUUUGH! Actually, I don't think it's the scanner's fault. I think my computer's USB ports are giving out on me. ANYWAY--I will attack that problem with renewed energy tomorrow. TODAY--we're going to wing it a bit as I introduce you to one of my favorite designers.

I have been working in decorating and design since 1996 doing everything from spec homes (which entails selecting flooring, tile, finishes, etc.--no furniture) to commercial work and whatever else paid the bills in between. In that time, I've amassed a design magazine collection that could sink a ship! Amongst all those glossy pages I found a few designers whom I fell madly in love with--ones whose rooms were always at once timeless and fresh and never seemed to scream "1998!" or "2004!". Amongst my muses are T. Keller Donovan, Christopher Coleman, Jeffrey Alan Marks, (heck! I'm even going to stick Debbie Travis and Mitchell Gold/Bob Williams in here!) and my favorite: Laura Bohn.

Laura owns several houses of her own, and every one is uniquely *her* and absolutely impeccable. She's not afraid to take risks, but there's always a certain grounding to her style as well. Here's the dining room of her "country home" (trying to remember what issue of Country Home this came out in, but I know it's at least 10 years old):




Here is the dining room of her vacation home. It inspired me to paint chalkboard walls in my older boys' bedroom:

Her New York apartment (I've watched it go through a few remodels) is very similar to this clients home. She is a master at using texture and subtle color over pattern, and in mixing materials (dark wood floors with a steel fireplace surround) to keep things interesting. The soft surfaces draw you in and make it feel comfortable, not cold.

Another view of the same room. Also note the way she mixes large and small scale in furnishings and accessories:

I love this room because it's carpeted! Some times you just want something a little soft under foot, but still want it to look classy:

If you're hooked and want to see more Laura Bohn, visit HERE and click on "projects" to look through some slide shows of client homes. The Greenwich apartment is one of my favorites! Also, if you want to see some other design peeps I love, visit my side bar under "Inspirations".

Keep your fingers crossed about the scanner working because I am looking sooo forward to showing you more...and answering some of your questions too!

Your turn: Any designer (known or not so known) inspire you?