it’s been a busy week here at d*s and today ac and i are heading off to savannah for a much needed break and a little wedding-location scouting. i’ll be blogging from savannah on monday and tuesday so stay tuned for some photos of the places we’re checking out while down in georgia. in the meantime, i’ll be posting a link to the good morning america segment i filmed as soon as it’s up, along with the date and time it will air on tv! i better run and finish packing so i’ll see you all on monday from sunny savannah. until then, here’s a summary of this week’s highlights. [image above: graham and brown wallpaper: $60 per roll at design public]

• thank you to TIME magazine for including d*s in their “the design 100″ list for design!
• d*s under $100 roundups at domino: decorating essentials and eco-friendly home products
• this weekend: the first ever brooklyn flea and the d*s collective
• 2008 d*s reader survey and alena hennessy print prizes!
• new york magazine shop-a-matic: design*sponge 100-product roundup
• new sneak peek: skinny laminx
• new before and afters: chair love (6 chair makeovers), natalie’s lamp, joanna and marc-peter’s amsterdam home
• new diy projects: subscription card art, bridget’s wood veneer lamp, kate’s leaning shelf
• new city guide: dublin design guide
• new in the kitchen with: mod green pod beet risotto
• new d*s guest blog: elka from popsugar
• interior inspiration: wonderful white
• interior inspiration: alma and nancy’s joshua tree home
• new: porcelain paper plates by virginia sin
• new: orla kiely stationery
• new: cave dwellers print by rachell sumpter
• new: textiles from anna drastik
• new: karen karlstrom pillows
• packaging by palatal collective
• wedding invites: white lettering on dark brown
• eco-friendly: bedding from plover organic

On my blog, it?s no secret that I?m a big fan of Kim Myles. Anyone who can resist her bubbly optimism and bold use of color might just be a stick in the mud, if you ask me. I asked Kim if she?d mind answering some couple-focused decorating questions, and she happily agreed. Check out her site for more information on her design work and design- and budget-savvy show Myles of Style, if you haven’t made her acquaintance yet!

Elka: Do you see any trends that follow gender lines (such as, men are more conservative with color; women are more daring with new trends)? Or is it a toss-up?

Kim: So far, it?s a toss up. The only thing that I?ve found to be almost universal is the fear of bold color. It?s funny, I live for color, and everyone I design for on ?Myles of Style? says they like color too, they?ve just been paralyzed by the thought of making the wrong choice?.it?s so fascinating to me! If I had one wish, it would be that we as people who live in a visual world would embrace brave color choices and combos, and just let go of the fear. It?s only color?if you hate it, it?s the easiest thing in the world to change.

E: How stressful is redecorating for a couple?

K: I don?t find it stressful at all; I think that my past life as a hairdresser trained my listening skills to the extreme. My job is to go in, meet the homeowners, and discuss what their dreams and hopes for the space are. Sometimes that includes reading between the lines, and hearing what isn?t being said out loud, and I think that?s one of my strengths.

E: How do you try to make differing design ideas between each person in the relationship sync up?

K: When people don?t see eye to eye on their space, it?s all about finding the common ground first. Baby steps like, ?Ok, you both agree that you hate the current wall color, right??, gets them on the same page and on the same team. Once we?ve established that, we can delve into the ?why?s? of their dislike of the color, and I find that once people start talking about why they like or dislike something (vs. just making a general blanket judgment), all the walls start to come down. As people, I think we?re all striving to understand each other, so my goal in a situation like that is to be the facilitator.

E: What?s your best piece of advice for couples who are butting heads on decorating schemes?

K: Find one piece that you both love. It can be small; a color, an accessory, etc. Once you find that, you?ve found your bridge, and created the beginnings of a ?map,? so to speak.

E: Is there anything that couples should do for bedrooms to keep them, um, couple-friendly?

K: Yes!!!!!! I am so opposed to TV?s in the bedroom!!!! I?ve heard every reason and justification, but I still believe that the bedroom is where you should be focusing on your partner, rest, and sanctuary. Make sure the lighting is warm, inviting and calm, and treat the bedroom like your own private getaway.

E: What if one half of the couple refuses to give up tacky memorabilia, such as high school football trophies/etc.? How can you work around this obstacle?

K: I think that we all have sentimental items that our partners would rather not be confronted with everyday. It?s all about mutual respect, and a willingness to create a space that works for both of you, so be willing to edit/store/relocate those trophies (or stuffed animals), and start with a clean slate.

today’s final before and after belongs to dutch d*s reader joanna and her husband marc-peter. joanna and marc-peter bought a house dating from 1820 in the center of amsterdam. not content with its current state- they decided to completely renovate it. joanna designed several of the pieces of furniture herself (the incredible wooden mirror and lamp) and then had them made locally by a trained craftsman. the rest is a mix of ikea and locally-sourced furniture and the result is a wonderfully airy space full of light and simple modern furnishings (those floors are to die for). thanks so much to joanna and marc-peter for sharing! [for larger, and additional, photos of their home click here and here]

[image above: living room “before”. top image above: living room “after”]

[image above: office “before”]

[image above: office “after”]

[image above: dining room/kitchen “before”]

[image above: dining room “after”]

[image above: bedroom “before”]

[image above: bedroom “after”]

I am particularly fond of viewing photos of Design Public products in action…like folks swinging on a Fatboy Headdemock, or modeling with their Vitra Nelson Clock, or dressing up their OFFI My Pet Lamp. In this case, the “action shot du jour” is of four legged friend Mr. Buddy scratching his little heart out on a Marmalade pet care Sweet Lounge Cat Bed and sitting on a Hepper Wave Pet Bed. Obviously, Mr. Buddy’s owner, Anthony, has done a might fine job of pampering his purry pal.

Name: Anthony and Mr. Buddy (the cat)

Where do you live? Seattle, WA

What do you do? Director of Development

DP Purchase/s: Marmalade pet care Sweet Lounge Pet Bed, Hepper Wave Pet Bed, Hepper Nest Pet Bed, Weegee Floor Lamp.

What’s your favorite DP product and why? All the cat goodies. Mr. Buddy (our cat) can’t live without them! All the items in pet stores are bland.

How would you describe your design style? Retro modern

Sites/blogs you visit daily: velonews.com, yahoo.com, nytimes.com

What was the best advice anyone ever gave you? Don’t shave your legs with goosebumps (I’m a cyclist and yes we shave our legs!)

Tell us about your home, office, workspace, or favorite nook and cranny. New modern dwelling built by elemental architecture (elementalarchitecture.com)

What’s your favorite color or material? White

If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Silver

If you could redo any space, past or present, what would it be? The “Biblioteca Nacional” in Buenos Aries. Great buuilding that needs a little love

Any favorite design ideas? Old spaces revamped with an acute design sense for interiors

Any design pet peeves? “Euro” Modern, overstuffed couches and “knick-knacks.”

Do you collect anything? Tell us of your treasures….Any prized possessions? Not really a collector, but I own lots of fancy race bikes that I’d die (or get fat) with out.

Favorite member of the A-Team: Their black and red van.

Movies you can watch over and over: Anything that DOES NOT include Tom Hanks and/or Julia Roberts.

Four places you would rather be right now: In Phuket, Thailand at Twin Palms resort; Winthrop Washington hiking in the woods; Italy watching the “Giro D’Italia” bike race; Stumptown coffee shop with my wife.

Thanks Anthony and Mr. Buddy!

Your turn! We can’t wait to see your photo of your friend sitting on your Orange22 Botanist Bench, or an incredible spread set our on your Blu Dot Strut Table. Join our “Design Public Peepsâ€� Flickr group and upload a photo showing how you use your Design Public purchases.

I have a loft-like space (a large living/bedroom above the garage) near the Chesapeake Bay. The room has high vaulted ceilings (about 10 feet, though of course the peak is higher), lots of windows, and board and batten extending to 7 feet on the walls. The space has windows on all sides, so gets plenty of light. There is a desk/bookcase unit that divides the space into living and sleeping areas. The furnishings are going to be low and modern.

The space, under construction

In terms of color, I was thinking of a soft grey/blue for the 7ft board & batten section of the walls (something along the lines of Boothbay Gray from Benjamin Moore) and a deeper color above that extending up across the ceiling (perhaps Benjamin Moore's Hale Navy). The color would extend throughout the space (only the bathroom will be different). I will also need an accent color for the central bookcase/desk and the trim.

Alternatively, if we decide not to paint the ceiling, perhaps the Hale Navy for the central bookcase/desk. I would love some more color options for the walls, trim, and central architectural component.

Is this a workable scheme? Or would a dark ceiling feel too oppressive? Do you have any color suggestions? -Sarah

image source

image source

For a nautical theme that isn't too cheesy, she could pair blue gray walls with crisp white trim and cheery red accents.

image source

From Julie:

For the uninitiated, Piet Hein Eek is a Dutch designer celebrated for his use of scrap materials in creating compellingly naive, yet somehow refined and sophisticated, furniture. The prolific designer has added children’s pieces such as bunkbeds, high chairs, and wardrobes to his repertoire:

Clients include women escaping domestic violence, individuals and families who have been homeless, elderly persons on limited incomes, people with mental and physical disabilities, refugee families from all over the world, youth and adults recovering from substance abuse, and the working poor.

Isn't it amazing how people who were once celebrities can fade into obscurity? The same thing can be said for celebrity decorators, especially William Pahlmann. Okay, so perhaps he's not an obscure designer, but he does not have the name recognition of Dorothy Draper or Elsie de Wolfe. If this were 1950, we would all be talking about Pahlmann. After all, he was one of the most famous decorators of the 1940s through the 1960s.

Pahlmann, who was educated at Parsons in the late 1920s, first gained notoriety after designing a mirrored bed for the first Mrs. William Paley (this according to Legendary Decorators of the Twentieth Century by Mark Hampton). Getting her seal of approval was the impetus he needed to go onward and upward, eventually landing him the job of head of the decorating and antiques department at Lord and Taylor. Pahlmann became known for his model rooms for the department store- rooms which garnered attention by the press and brought flocks of customers to the store. After a brief hiatus during World War II (serving in the Air Force), Pahlmann returned to New York where he set up his own decorating firm. He even had his own syndicated newspaper column titled "A Matter of Taste".

Pahlmann's interiors after WWII are quite evocative of the post-war era. While Pahlmann was quite capable of designing in the traditional style, much of his work celebrates mid-century modernism. Pahlmann was a champion of modern materials, including rubber flooring and rayon and other synthetic fabrics. The exotic also played a role in his interiors. Artifacts and objects of various cultures and countries mixed freely, lending his rooms a sort of well-traveled look. And let's not overlook Pahlmann's love of color. There was nothing primary about his chosen color schemes. In fact, in his book The Pahlmann Book of Interior Design, he wrote about various color combinations that he had used thus far in his career. These included cerulean, lime, magenta pink and white as well as deep sage, ripe persimmon and French blue.

Pahlmann was so well-regarded in the design world that when a young Albert Hadley first ventured to New York seeking a job as a designer, he sought out a meeting with his design idol. Hadley describes Pahlmann as "a man of great charm with a flamboyant personality and certainly he was not shy about anything."* Pahlmann encouraged Hadley to enroll at Parsons School of Design, just as he had.

While many of Pahlmann's room may seem a bit dated today, don't you think it's worth revisiting the career of this late, great decorator?

(Pahlmann's work is featured in the upcoming Acanthus Press release New York Interior Design, 1935-1985. Another "lost" designer whose work I greatly admire is George Stacey. I'll be writing about him soon!)



A great example of Pahlmann's fearless use of color. This bedroom's colors were inspired by a vineyard.


The mod floor in this living room was rubber! The mix is a bit unexpected: modern furniture with a Victorian sofa and Spanish altar candlesticks mixed with French candle sconces.


This was Pahlmann's own living room. I love the gunmetal gray walls and the robin's egg blue leather chair. According to Mark Hampton, the cabinet is actually a snakeskin Victrola.


I couldn't resist this image of an Empire-style tented room. Pahlmann admired Napoleon and Malmaison- might this have influenced the design scheme of this room?