HGTV's Design Star Looking for NYC Talent

Irwin Weiner ASID - We just heard from a casting associate for Design Star, HGTV's top-rated reality competition series. They're currently casting for Season 7 (yikes!) and we're helping them spread the word that they're holding an open casting call in NYC on Monday, October 3. 

Are you or someone you know interested in becoming the next Design Star? Here's what they're looking for:

WHO: Passionate, charismatic individuals who are extremely creative and have major design abilities (interior designers, architects, contractors, artists, and other design experts)

WHEN: Monday, October 3 from 9am to 1pm

WHERE: Sutton Place - 1015 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10022

HOW: For more information, visit the Casting Page for Design Star.

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Designer Susan Marinello Takes Us On a Sky-High Tour

 

Irwin Weiner ASID - I really do love privacy. That's why I'm a bit hesitant to jump onto the urban floor-to-ceiling glass walls trend in luxury condo and apartment living. What do you think? Is it comfortable to always be conscious of walking around your space and knowing that someone might be watching you? Just say no-no-no to walking around in your skivvies, nighties ... or the barely there. Keep those curtains or blinds drawn if you want to let it all hang out.

There are open plan fans and those who are addicted to loft living, but I'm a privacy guy myself, and there are times when you want to isolate some areas of your home off from the crowd, as in sleeping children in their bedrooms while you're having an adult party.

With that old-school kvetching aside, when open plan spaces combine function and beauty, I don't mind. And to have a simpler open plan kitchen and living room/great room space for entertaining is terrific.

I liked this video with Seattle designer Susan Marinello talking us through all the amenities of a high-rise Seattle condo, Fifteen Twenty-One Second Avenue. And there are many beautiful details; you'll even be drawn down to the decorative hardware. You'll get a strong sense of how skillful an interior designer needs to be in order to adapt to open plan spaces, window walls,

Click to read more ...

Leta Austin Foster: Time to Rebuild and Help Our Neighbors

Irwin Weiner ASID - With the one-two weather punches of Hurricanes Irene and Lee, the eastern seaboard of the United States was hit hard with property and home damage. We know many people who have mud in their dining rooms, trees down in their yards, and dehumidifiers going round the clock in their basements (we're one of those). We received this lovely note from interior designer Leta Austin Foster, telling us of her experience, and throwing out an enterprising idea:

HI IRWIN: WE, TOO, WERE LUCKY TO GET THROUGH IRENE WITH MINIMAL DAMAGE - WE HAD A HUGE TREE GO DOWN OVER THE DRIVEWAY HERE IN MAINE WHICH HAD TO BE CUT UP AND CARTED OFF IN ORDER TO GO IN OR OUT - WE HAVE 40 ACRES HERE, AND ON THE SIDE OF A MOUNTAIN, TOO, SO THIS WAS AN ABSOLUTE NECESSITY, AND WE LOST POWER, BUT ONLY FOR A DAY. IN FLORIDA, A LOT OF RAIN WAS DUMPED ON OUR GARDEN WHICH WAS SORELY NEEDED, DUE TO OUR EXTENDED DROUGHT.  
 
 

MY HEART GOES OUT TO THE FARMERS ALONG THE HUDSON WHO HAD ALREADY BEEN SUFFERING FINANCIALLY FOR OVER A QUARTER OF A CENTURY, AND VERMONT - WHAT A DISASTER.  
 
 

I THINK WE NEED TO GET BACK THE CCC (CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS) OF THE DEPRESSION YEARS - IT WOULD HELP CREATE JOBS, AND IT WOULD PUT SOME SORELY NEEDED REBUILDINGS WHERE THEY ARE GREATLY NEEDED. LET'S GET A "REBUILD VERMONT'S BRIDGES AND ROADS" PLAN GOING. AND LET'S ALL HELP.  XOXOXOXO LETA

Leta, hugs and kisses to you, too - and thanks a million for writing in and sharing your thoughts. Are there others who are reading this post - homeowners and professionals and vendors in the Interior Design Community - who would join with Leta and me in supporting an industry-wide effort to help rebuild? Anyone out there with some great ideas for how we can make this happen?

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Update on September 14, 2011 by Design2Share

Super King Size Leather Beds: We just found a great collection of sleek leather bed designs. They add sophistication, whether your bedroom decor is traditional or modern. 

FEATURED PROJECT: DIY PAINTED HEADBOARD

Now is the perfect time to think about freshening up your interior space. With a splash of color here and a new piece of furniture there, it's easy to redecorate. Here's a quick, budget-conscious DIY design idea to help get you started.

Paint Your Own Headboard

Chances are if you if you purchased your bed frame as part of a bedroom set, the headboard is already included. If you don't want to put forth the extra cash, especially after paying for a pricey mattress, no problem! Painted headboards are a great way to add a pop of color to your bedroom.

Step 1: Measure the width of the head of your bed and mark it with blue painter's tape from floor to ceiling. Now, choose your color based on your desired color scheme. You obviously don't want it to be the same shade as your walls, but it should complement that color.

Step 2: Once you have your color, paint the wall, staying within the blue painters tape. Once the paint dries, if you choose to do so, you can detail with paint or with some removable wall decals from a company like Blik. For as little as $40, Blik makes easily removable wall decals in fun shapes like bookshelves, chandeliers, birds, etc. If this sounds like too much work, don't worry and leave your wall a solid color.

Step 3: Simply position your bed up against the painted wall, prop up some decorative Euro pillows in coordinating colors and patterns, and you have yourself a headboard. You might want to take this opportunity to invest in a new comforter or duvet in fun, light, spring colors. You'd be surprised at what a little bit of paint and some new bedding can do for your space!

Contemporary vanities and more at Decor Planet for your bathroom needs.

Turn a Room in Your Home Into a Multi-Functional Library

Irwin Weiner ASID - In New York, each room has to serve multiple functions. A "spare room" (ha! - what a concept in cramped and crowded NYC apartments) has to be a guest room, dining room, study, TV room, game room ... and library. And why not? Gone are the days when a living room served only one purpose, which was to be a seldom-used museum, a shrine to show off the formal furniture you inherited from Grandma (it was ugly when she had it, and you're carrying on your family's tradition of ugly). Perish forbid that anyone would ever sit in the living room without company, relax, hang out, study, play games, or LIVE in the living room! I wanted to share with you two sources of inspiration to help you rethink the function of one or more rooms in your house or apartment. First, click on the beautiful NYC apartment library photo above to see master designer Jamie Drake's work and other fine designer's takes on the home library; always-excellent Decorati ran a two-part series that really inspires! And take a look at the following HGTV Top 10 video to see Jamie Drake's fresh take on a colorful and multi-functional NYC library-guest room-breakfast room-dining room-study area. Beautiful job, as always, Jamie. And read our Designers We Love piece on Jamie Drake, too, for more inspiration.

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Update on August 22, 2011 by Design2Share

Super King Size Leather Beds: We just found a great collection of sleek leather bed designs. They add sophistication, whether your bedroom decor is traditional or modern. 

Featured Project: DIY Painted Headboard

Now is the perfect time to think about freshening up your interior space. With a splash of color here and a new piece of furniture there, it's easy to redecorate. Here's a quick, budget-conscious DIY design idea to help get you started.

Paint Your Own Headboard

Chances are if you if you purchased your bed frame as part of a bedroom set, the headboard is already included. If you don't want to put forth the extra cash, especially after paying for a pricey mattress, no problem! Painted headboards are a great way to add a pop of color to your bedroom.

Step 1: Measure the width of the head of your bed and mark it with blue painter's tape from floor to ceiling. Now, choose your color based on your desired color scheme. You obviously don't want it to be the same shade as your walls, but it should complement that color.

Step 2: Once you have your color, paint the wall, staying within the blue painters tape. Once the paint dries, if you choose to do so, you can detail with paint or with some removable wall decals from a company like Blik. For as little as $40, Blik makes easily removable wall decals in fun shapes like bookshelves, chandeliers, birds, etc. If this sounds like too much work, don't worry and leave your wall a solid color.

Step 3: Simply position your bed up against the painted wall, prop up some decorative Euro pillows in coordinating colors and patterns, and you have yourself a headboard. You might want to take this opportunity to invest in a new comforter or duvet in fun, light, spring colors. You'd be surprised at what a little bit of paint and some new bedding can do for your space!

Contemporary vanities and more at Decor Planet for your bathroom needs.