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 :) 

2015....

Ideas are constantly springing from my imagination, plans and business ideas and solutions to problems, things that are worth pursuing by someone, but probably not me.  I've tried to pick the things that get me going, that are fun and (hopefully) worth the effort, and give them my best attention.  Consequently, I do feel like I'm in at least 3 places at once, every day.  Design shop, online design shop, pillow company, slipcover business, and lately, fabric designs. I've had this blog for ages, (it seemed like the thing to do if one wanted to conquer the internet).  But once I got started, it kinda seemed like a self-promoting distraction since I'm kind of a shy person. So I didn't do it. 

But I wholeheartedly admire people who share their ideas and feelings with the world at large, and really need to work on that.  So I've finally decided what to do with this space.  I have three websites and perhaps more on the way, and there's so much behind-the-scenes designing and discussion and inspiration happening, maybe this is the outlet for it. So, Oxford commas included, I'll be back around with some of the stuff I'm working on, stuff I find that's cool, and hopefully places I get to go (not all glamorous either.)  A bit of a mix-up.

That being said, today went like this:

I planned to make a 4 hour drive to the upstate to see the super-talented folks at the fabric mill. We were going to tour the mill and do some final tweaking of my new line of fabrics. Well, long story short, woke up to epic rain. Biblical flooding, no trip.  Hopefully, next Monday :)

In the meantime, thank you Elizabeth Gilbert for this, which I found today:

Design Crush - Ikat Fabrics

I'm going through an Ikat period. Ask anyone who's seen me lately, and they'll tell you I keep trying to mix Ikat patterns in to every project. I like the real, antique ones (who doesn't?), the reproductions, cheap enough to use with abandon, and especially the newest fabrics that take a bit of the Ikat graphic punch, clean it up, and use it in a fresh, new way. Since the textiles are so ancient, there are Ikat-weave fabrics in many cultures around the world, so there must be an Ikat for every occasion. This obsession has been with me for a very, very long time, but in recent years I'm finding the bright modern Ikats on the market today just perfect for my work at the beach. Plus, they are becoming more popular, so each market there seem to be more and more to choose from. With unique and colorful versions from Madeleine Weinrib, Brunschwig & Fils, China Seas, and even some we offer at Posh Living, we may have more Ikats in design than we can handle in the immediate future. I hope this doesn't create a "trend" that will one day be "over"; I hate when that happens to something I really love. So enjoy them, but a word of caution to clothing manufacturers and big chain stores - please give us Ikat-lovers a break, and don't overdo it!

Photo at top, Madeleine Weinrib fabrics; Domino Magazine

To read more about the history of Ikats, and see some great photos, see my article on our Posh Living website by clicking here: Ikat Fabrics, Ancient and Modern

And here's some more Ikat eye-candy:

A fabulous scarf...

China Seas Ikat on sofa from Domino Magazine....