Why I do what I do...

I found myself on the phone recently telling a new client what I enjoy about being a designer; I felt so strongly about it when I hung up, that I quickly typed some notes.  The notes evolved into a new About page for Designfolly.com, and since I'm pleased at the way it expresses my thoughts, here's the gist:

Designers are always referring to travel as their inspiration...and it is, and it's so very worthwhile. But travel is a great teacher. Spending time in different cultures challenges me to get out of my comfort zone; to see the truth, that our needs are simple - comfortable shelter, food, security, love and family.   Beyond this, the beautiful things we collect, the fine furnishings we covet, are purely for our enjoyment.
I've been designing interiors for over twenty five years, first at Los Angeles' Indigo Seas, and since 2001 in beautiful coastal South Carolina. Along the way, I've been fortunate to spend time in far-flung places - my hometown of Newport Beach; the American West; the Shenandoah Valley; New York;  Australia; Fiji and Hawaii, Mexico, England, France, and Italy.....
Interior Design is important - we help refine your style, choose quality that will last, and solve problems of all sorts. If we don't, it's just shopping-for-hire.  And lately, so much design is disappointingly the same.  Obsessing over the perfect rug, installing fabulous draperies, or creating an enviable art collection, can seem like..... folly.  
DesignFolly.com is not a corporate "style story", or a discount knock-off site. We support local artists and furniture-makers, and create and produce our own designs.  My style includes sunny colors, Chinoiserie, glamorous fabrics, undiscovered artists, and "cheap and cheerful" creativity (like my PillowFolly designs)  mixed with fine decorative arts and furnishings.
DesignFolly.com expresses my philosophy of wants and needs:  Shelter, Food, Security, Love? Check.   So why should we want more? Why do we decorate, collect, make, and do?  Because we can.  Because creating a beautiful life for those we care about is a form of gratitude. It's a way to give our children roots.  It's a celebration of what we've been given, and a way to express love.

Thanks for listening :) 

Design Crush - Fabrics by Mally Skok

Here's my latest design find ( and it's a full-fledged crush ):

Gorgeous fabrics by designer Mally Skok. I have just about flipped over the crisp, clean patterns and clear colors, and they have a bit of India/Uzkbeki flair that I adore. They seem so completely timeless. Just look:

And don't miss this one:

I have learned from her Tweets that she seems to be a traveler and gardener; the type of person I might really like if we met. I'm going to put her on my list of people I'd like to have lunch with some day, right beside Peter Dunham, Diana Krall and the Keno brothers.
And if you're still not convinced, I leave you with this -