Trish Beaudet - Owner and Designer of Finishing Touches Interiors by Design, Inc.

D. Paul DeRouen - Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Profession: Architectural Designer

Matt Locke - Bachelor's degree in history from Princeton. Current Job: Designer

Michael Stribling - Interior design major from Wade College. Current Job: Interior Designer/Business Owner

Jennifer Bertrand - Bachelor of Arts in education with an emphasis in ceramics; master's degree in teaching and leadership from University of Kansas. Current Job: Interior Decorator/Owner of Bertrand Designs

Tracee Dore - Bachelor of Arts in interior design from the University of Kentucky. Current Job: Residential and Commercial Interior Designer and Builder/Renovator, Tracee Dore and Company

Jerome Scottie Miller - Master of Science in civil engineering from North Carolina A&T State University. Current Job: Regional Property Manager at Charlotte/Mecklenburg County Schools.

Mikey Verdugo - High school diploma from Hialeah High School. Current Job: Police Officer

As much as I love the look of wallpaper, I haven’t been able to make the leap from admiring wallpapered rooms in Domino to actually papering a room in my own house. There’s something so adult, so permanent, and, yes, so expensive about the whole process that I haven’t been able to bite the bullet quite yet. Still, if I were to paper, I’d want to do it with a bang — I mean, why go to all that trouble if you’re not going to make a statement? Isn’t drama the whole point of wallpaper? I have a fantasy of papering a dining room with something wacky and fun like this Woodson & Rummerfield green birdcage wallpaper, which is made with recycled paper and vegetable dyes ($55 at Green With Glamour). What do you guys think — is wallpapering worth the trouble and expense? –Meg D.

Read more of Meg’s tips for stylish, green living at her blog, Style Saves the World.

Global Views 8.80818 Surfboard Cocktail Table 60"L x 28"W x 19.5"H Retail Price $1,050.00

Sherrill CTH 310-822 Small Oval Cocktail Table Wooden Occasional Tables W28 x D20 x H21 Retail Price $920.00

Hammary Opus Collection Round Cocktail Table W38 D38 H19 Retail Price $599.00

Moondance 2 x 2 Cocktail Table 2 cushions with Bellagio Crosta leather 44 1/2"W x 44 1/2"D x 15 1/2"H
MSRP: $1,199.00

Hudson Street Warm Cocoa Oval Cocktail Table One stationary shelf 46"W x 28"D x 19"H
MSRP: $929.00

I know many of you are in the throes of planning Spring parties and charity events, and believe me, I know that it can be daunting to decide on a scheme for an event. Sometimes all it takes is a spark... which is why I thought I would show some images from last week's New York City Ballet Spring Gala which was designed by none other than Charlotte Moss in collaboration with the talented DeJuan Stroud. (Moss and her husband Barry S. Friedberg were also Chairmen on the event.)

The event kicked off the Ballet's Jerome Robbins Celebration, so naturally the evening's program included such Robbins' works as Circus Polka, The Four Seasons, and of course West Side Story Suite. It was the graphic backdrop of this last piece that inspired the design duo's scheme for the event: yellow and black. I think this was an interesting choice because this color combination is graphic and gutsy and is not usually seen in Moss' residential work. But this is where Moss and Stroud were absolutely correct- when planning an event, sometimes you've got to think big and bold. What might work in a small room at home might fall flat in a large space, especially one like Lincoln Center.

Stroud and Moss, seen above attending to pre-gala details, kept things interesting by mixing up the table settings. Some tables had yellow cloths and small arrangements of yellow roses and protea, while others were all about black- black tablecloths, big black vases, and tall branches of forsythia.








Mixing up the table settings keeps things interesting.

Of course, the table settings are not the only things that need to be considered. What to do with the general atmosphere of the space? Are there architectural details that can be incorporated into your design scheme? Are there large voids that need to be attended to? In a place like Lincoln Center, it was important to make sure guests did not feel overwhelmed by the vastness of the space. I think they managed the space issue quite successfully, both with the tall masses of yellow flowering branches and with the yellow sculptural pieces hanging from the ceiling. And how great does the yellow and black striped banner look behind the Nadelman sculpture?


Bringing a large space down to size


It's all about the details

I hope that these tips might help you in planning your next event. With a little creativity, forethought, and careful planning, not only will your party be a success, but you too will be cool as a cucumber the night of the event. Just like Charlotte Moss.


Moss making her entrance at the Gala.

(For more information on the New York City Ballet, click here.)

(Image of Moss at top courtesy of Erin Baiano/Paul Kolnik studio. Decor shots and image of Moss at bottom: Mary Hilliard.)

From Janet:

Forget stocking up on reams of paper for your child’s creative urges: consider this simple Chalkboard Table instead. The Offi Woody Chalkboard Table is $299 at Design Public.

Posted by Bluelines

We dropped in (not physically, of course) to ask her if her creative process translated to bricks and mortar.

5 Questions for Jessie Randall, Designer, Loeffler Randall

1. So, is picking out plumbing hardware as challenging as churning out a collection?
Picking out plumbing hardware is the worst. We spent our Christmas vacation buried in plumbing fixture catalogues (Davis & Warshow, McMaster). My husband picked out all kinds of fancy fixtures, but my most favorite are the industrial toilet and urinal we put in the boys’ bathroom. They are so simple and functional. They look better than any of the other stuff, in my opinion. The renovation was a massive project. We have a lot on our plate with the house, the twins and the company. So juggling it all was the hardest part, but it was fun.

2. What one thing do you have to have in your home (even amidst contractors)?
As much natural light as possible.

3. What are you most excited about when the house is complete?
The boys’ room is my most favorite part of the house. I put in a lighted diorama in their room that was modeled off of the one in my friend Bronagh's children’s store in Williamsburg, Sweet William. I also love the color of the walls in the boys’ room, Pensive Sky, a pale grey blue-green that is so calming and relaxing.

4. Taking away anything from the renovation that will infuse your upcoming collections?
I don’t tend to use lots of pattern and print in my collections, but in my house I put up several patterned wallpapers (Osborne & Little, Second Hand Rose, Walnut Wallpaper). I love them and they give so much character to the house. It’s gotten me hooked on prints, so I may incorporate more in my collections.

5. What do you think will be the most often used room of your house?
Who knows? We’ll have to see once we move in. I am guessing it will be one particular area because with two flights of stairs and twins, I am probably going to want to stay put.

From Cody Hudson

From You Work for Them

From Tamara Shopsin

{top two photos by me in sonoma; last photo from the far niente website of the oldest known bottle of wine in california}