Show Me the Budget!: Design TV

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.wsidesignermarketplace.com/content/dam/designer/global/DM_logo_Main-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="77" src="http://www.wsidesignermarketplace.com/content/dam/designer/global/DM_logo_Main-01.jpg" width="650" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.wsidesignermarketplace.com/content/designer/Design_Blog/2012/11/design_tv_vs_realit/_jcr_content/par/image.img.jpg/1352951597360.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278" src="http://www.wsidesignermarketplace.com/content/designer/Design_Blog/2012/11/design_tv_vs_realit/_jcr_content/par/image.img.jpg/1352951597360.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><i>This Old House</i>, <i>Design Divine</i>, <i>Design on a Dime</i>...if your clients' only experience with remodels and design is TV, they're going to have some mis-perceptions about how it works – and how much it really costs.<br /><br /> <a href="http://www.wsidesignermarketplace.com/content/designer/Design_Blog/2012/11/design_tv_vs_realit.html" target="_blank">Read on at Williams-Sonoma Designer Marketplace</a><br /><br /><br /><br />If you would like my help on your design project, I would love to chat with you! Please <a href="mailto:linda.m.merrill@gmail.com">email me</a>. Thanks!<br /><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/EQjz" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" style="border: 0; vertical-align: middle;" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/EQjz" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe to ::Surroundings::</a>

Show Me the Budget!: Design TV

This Old House , Design Divine , Design on a Dime ...if your clients' only experience with remodels and design is TV, they're goin...

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Top 100 Design Blogs

<a href="http://www.modenus.com/blog/interiordesign/top-100-interior-design-blogs" target="_blank">Modenus</a> is hosting a "crowd sourced" list of 100 top interior design blogs. I'm hovering in the low 50's and would love to get into the top 50, so would love your vote!  There are so many great blogs - this is a great chance to get to know some new one's while supporting those you may already follow. Thanks!<br /><br /><div style='text-align:left' id='ly_wrap_26l'><strong id='ly_wrap_26l_t' style='display:block;margin:10px 0 4px'><a href="http://list.ly/list/26l-top-100-interior-design-blogs" target="_blank" title="Top 100 interior design blogs">Top 100 interior design blogs</a></strong><script type='text/javascript' src='http://list.ly/plugin/show?list=26l&layout=gallery'></script><div style='padding:4px 0 10px'>View more <a href="http://list.ly/" target="_blank">lists</a> from <a href="http://list.ly/people/Modenus" target="_blank">Veronika Miller</a></div></div><br /><br />If you would like my help on your design project, I would love to chat with you! Please <a href="mailto:linda.m.merrill@gmail.com">email me</a>. Thanks!<a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/EQjz" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" style="border: 0; vertical-align: middle;" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/EQjz" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe to ::Surroundings::</a>

Top 100 Design Blogs

Modenus is hosting a "crowd sourced" list of 100 top interior design blogs. I'm hovering in the low 50's and would love t...

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Million Dollar Decorators: Drama in 1% ville

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/chameleon-interiors/8184381070/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="144" id="blogsy-1352874737089.491" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8203/8184381070_f31f6349a9.jpg" width="787"></a></div> Bravo TV's <a href="http://www.bravotv.com/million-dollar-decorators" target="_self" title="">Million Dollar Decorators</a> made its Season 2 return tonight with all the usual drama of a Bravo show. Since Season 1 aired well over a year ago,we in the US have experienced the boisterousness of the #OccupyWallStreet movement, the 1% and the 47%, the "You didn't build that" moment, class divisions, super storm Sandy, and at long last, the elections. So tuning into MDD to watch vast sums of money be spent on pure decoration is both annoying and pleasantly diverting. As a designer, I certainly can't pretend I'm not in the business of helping clients spend more money on their homes than the average person in America does, but I'm also a big believer that they have worked hard and it's theirs to spend as they wish. And my job is to not only provide beautiful design work but also to help my clients make the best financial choices as well. <br/><br/>Okay, so back to Million Dollar Decorators, this weeks episode focused mainly on designers Mary McDonald and Martyn Lawrence Bullard. Kathryn Ireland and her hysterical French housekeeper Jacqueline spent the episode tasting (and by tasting I mean swilling) wine, flirting with a wine tasting guy (Jacqueline) and getting massages that are better than sex (Kathryn). We also had a brief and apparently drunken moment with Jeffrey Alan Marks and Ross Cassidy as Ross blathered on about ice cream and where to eat it. Am detecting a trend - it's MDD, the binge drinking years! <br/><br/><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/chameleon-interiors/8184381840/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="558" id="blogsy-1352874737173.0706" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8066/8184381840_7a1094fe4f.jpg" width="788"></a></div> So, Mary worked her magic on a bland guest house for a client who couldn't make up her mind, or remember what she decided on regarding the decorations. Expensive grass cloth wallpaper was in process of being hung when the client demanded that it be removed, even tho she choose it. Actually, this brought up a standard issue between designer and client. Always get written client sign off on all decisions made before sending money. If the client changes their mind, they are clearly responsible. The second important concept is thst it's better for the client to see the entire project installed all at once versus piece by piece delivery. Seeing it all together presents the designer's whole vision for the space. The space itself came out beautifully (these pics from Bravo's site don't do it justice) with lots of natural elements, texture, and a serene color palette. <br/><br/><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/chameleon-interiors/8184345127/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="390" id="blogsy-1352874737098.7427" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8204/8184345127_5fc8680f97.jpg" width="799"></a></div> Meanwhile, in NYC, Martyn was discovering the joys of working in old buildings here in the Northeast. Small freight elevators, narrow stairs and busy streets make for fun obstacles when an over scale marble table (3000 lbs) needs to be craned into place. <br/><br/><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/chameleon-interiors/8184382660/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="358" id="blogsy-1352874737088.1719" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8341/8184382660_502fff9cc3.jpg" width="650"></a></div> So Martyn designed this fabulous marble dining table for Jimmy Choo's Tamara Mellon (who made an appearance last season) but didn't think about the weight and size and how it was going to get into place. Drama ensued, likely a few bribes were made, and the table was successfully craned in. The dining room design - an homage to Tamara's love of the 1970's - featured red walls, lacquered ceiling, chrome, white marble, a fabulous black and white chevron hide rug from Kyle Bunting and pretty awful sounding black patent leather drapery. The fireplace surround guy went missing (along with $10,000) - not sure how that was resolved. Tamara was happy with the space - patent leather curtains and all - saying it looked like "Scarface". Martyn modestly proclaimed the dining room would be a legend. <br/><br/>So, that's episode one. They've been previewing what looks like a cat fight between Mary and Kathryn - so that should be fun. I do think I'll miss Nathan Turner who isn't back as a regular cast member this season, but I think I saw him in a preview, so he must be making an appearance at some point. If you're watching and are on Twitter, there's a whole pack of us - including the MDD cast on occasion - live tweeting it. So, click on www.twitter.com/ hash tag #MDD and join in all the fun. Bring wine, it's apparently necessary to decorate while drunk. <br/><br/> Did you watch and what did you think?<br/><br/> <br/><br/><div style="text-align: right; font-size: small; clear: both;" id="blogsy_footer"><a href="http://blogsyapp.com" target="_blank"><img alt="Posted with Blogsy" height="20" src="http://blogsyapp.com/images/blogsy_footer_icon.png" style="vertical-align: middle; margin-right: 5px;" width="20" />Posted with Blogsy</a></div>

Million Dollar Decorators: Drama in 1% ville

Bravo TV's Million Dollar Decorators made its Season 2 return tonight with all the usual drama of a Bravo show. Since Season 1 aired ...

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