M Designs

It’s getting to be that time of year.  Time to start thinking about the holidays, decorating, shopping, baking, and just plain having too many things to do.

Envision this…..it’s Thanksgiving…..late in the evening.  You’ve cooked the fabulous meal, washed all the dishes and put the leftovers in the fridge.  You’re exhausted and all you can think of is getting out the holiday decorations and decorating your home and or office for the upcoming holiday.  That’s what you are thinking that you’ll have to do tomorrow.  Climb into the attic, drag out the dusty boxes, dig through all your holiday treasures and spend the weekend decking the halls!  Does that sound like fun?

Or, envision this!  It’s Thanksgiving evening….you’re done with the turkey and trimmings,  done with the dishes and in-laws, you’re exhausted, but YOU have a team of elves coming tomorrow to decorate your home and or office for the holidays!  YOU are going to spend time enjoying the holiday festivities and your friends, because YOU have given yourself the gift of time!  That’s right, you have hired M Designs to come do the decorating for you.

Ladies, this is the way to go!  We will come to your home  or office and create a holiday theme that will incorporate your current decorations with fresh greenery and perhaps freshen up your look with some new decorations as well.  We’ll set up the tree, hang the wreath, put out the candle holders, the whole  nine yards!  You get to sit back, relax, drink your favorite beverage and enjoy the creation!

Gentlemen, give your wife the gift of time and sanity.  We have several clients that book us to decorate their homes for the holidays and give this as a gift to their wives.  They LOVE it!

So, don’t stress over the holiday decorating.  Contact us today and let us deliver the perfect gift for you – a beautifully decorated home or office for the holidays!

I just wanted to let you all know about a great on-line magazine that I really love!  It’s Lonny Magazine.  Lonny is celebrating their one year anniversary this month.  Happy anniversary!

It seems that I am always on the run between client meetings, kids activities and traveling.  I recently received an iPad, and I love having the ability to flip through this magazine on my iPad, while I’ve got a few minutes of “down time”.

Lonny covers everything from design ideas and tips, how to choose paint and colors for your home, how to select the perfect accessories….everything!  And the photography is just beautiful!

If you’re looking for great information, inspiration and eye candy, take a look at Lonny!  Below are just a few images from their October/November issue.

I saw these fabrics and fell in love! Call me if you are interested!

Love this mix! How fun is this!

See what I mean about great ideas?

By Eddie Ross and Jaithan. When I saw them at High Point I told them this is my favorite table EVER!

Another addition to my travel "must stay" list....beautiful!

As you know, I went to the Round Top Antiques Fair last week. My friend Linda Burnside, with LGB Interiors came all the way from Columbia, SC and was my partner in crime. I don’t even know where to begin. We saw it ALL! There were so many vendors, and fabulous treasures – I’m almost speechless!

We were on a mission to find the perfect accessories and furniture for several clients, and our mission was accomplished!

We purchased a beautiful oriental rug; some wonderful antique leather bound books, and an antique Spanish bowl, just to name a few things.

And of course, I had to make a personal purchase, which was a beautiful hand embroidered denim shirt. I couldn’t leave without it!

I’ve attached several pictures of interesting products that we saw while we were there. The last picture is of my car – yes, we managed to fit everything in!

I’m already planning my next trip. If you love antiques, you should plan a trip and go sometime as well!

M Designs recently worked with Regenesis Design Build on a home renovation.  I have to tell you that one of my favorite rooms was this tiny powder bath, located just off the utility room.  Sometimes homeowners feel that small spaces are hard to decorate or don’t really consider jazzing them up.  However, we took the opportunity to add some pizzazz and make the most of this space.

We used an open style pedestal sink without a storage cabinet underneath to open up the room and give the illusion of more space.  For storage, we installed one cabinet above the commode.  Then we gave the room a splash of pizzazz with the shimmery wallpaper and the beautiful beveled mirror.   The canned, recessed lighting provides great light, without adding “clutter” to the small space.

The result….well, see for yourself!  I think it says WOW!

I haven’t posted this week because I am in the midst of a whirlwind…literally. We have changed our accounting system and are slogging through the details of learning an entirely new system. We have also been working with an out of town client on an exciting new project and have been focused deeply on getting the first phase complete before the client leaves town this week. WHEW..

Remember how everyone tells you to stop and smell the roses? Yeah right. Not in my world. But tonight I had a “moment” and now I have a much better understanding of what that means. I asked my son to take out the trash and recycling when we got home this evening and while I was preparing dinner, I looked out the window to see him dawdling in the front yard. I was distracted at that moment and didn’t knock loudly on the glass like I normally would, urging him along in his least favorite task.
About 5 minutes later he came inside and handed me this…..no words, just a sweet grin and a look of pride in his eyes.

My sweet boy took a moment to smell the roses and use the talent he was born with…imagination and an artist’s eye. This is his sculpture, created from a holly leaf from the neighbor’s yard and yaupon berries from a tree in our yard. Notice how the larger berries are on the larger projections on the leaf and they get smaller as you get to the bottom of the leaf.

I loved my gift, and more importantly I stopped and took the time to talk to him about his creation, how special it made me feel and how amazing his “eye” is in creating art.

Stop and smell the roses!! I hope you all find time to experience the beauty I did today.

As a Designer and Decorator, it is very important for us to keep a portfolio of our work….after all, it’s not enough to TELL people what we do, we need to SHOW them.  We don’t photograph every job, however, there are those jobs that stand out, and we want to capture the end result.  The best way for us to do this is to hire a professional photographer, style the space and schedule a photo shoot.

I really love setting up for photo shoots!  It gives us the time on a job to ensure it looks like we envisioned it when we began.  It also gives the client a chance to see their home through our eyes.

What’s involved in a photo shoot?  It’s an all-hands-on-deck effort.  M Designs “styles” the space prior to the shoot.  As you can imagine, people live in their homes and they NEVER look like the photograph on a daily basis.  However, we need to have lots of prep time in advance to prepare the space.  We work with the photographer to style the shot and though I would love to hire a stylist on each shoot, most of the time, we style our own shots.  This includes providing props, which could include fruits, veggies, or food items for a kitchen shot, perhaps dishes and linens for a dining room shot, linens for bedrooms and bathrooms, and pillows and accessories for living areas, and ALWAYS fresh flowers.  We select items that would coordinate with accessories that are already in the space and make that photo come to life!

Once the shopping is finished, we arrive at the client’s home and proceed to “style” the space, putting each accessory in just the perfect place….sometimes moving items many times before the perfect shot can be captured.  This step happens 2-3 days before the shoot so we can take test shots to see what is still missing, or what needs to be edited out.

We work with a professional photographer on each shoot.  We also work with our builder and remodeler clients to style their photo shoots for their photographers as well.  I highly recommend working with a professional for a number of reasons.  First, they are extremely experienced in lighting a shot.   This entails a number of lighting elements, from actual lights, to reflectors, to standing outside a window and shading it while we take a shot.  Secondly, they can instantly tell you which shots will be the best and what will be the best angle to show your work.  We have often moved a piece of furniture 2 inches while they stand at the camera and check the shot for accuracy.  Lastly, our photographer does clean up in Photoshop at the end of the shoot.  This involves removing ceiling fans or plugs that are distracting, adjusting color to match a sample on fabrics, and taking out shadows that we weren’t able to remove in the field.

When you work with a professional team such as we do, it makes our job easier.  Without great photography, you aren’t able to show your work in its best light.  As designers, that is our calling card, and we are only as good as our last photo shoot, so we need to constantly document our latest projects.  Photo shoots are a lot of work, but they are fun, and the end result is always fabulous!

One of my favorite fabric sources is The Robert Allen Group.  We specify fabrics from all four brands of their fabric collections:  Beacon Hill, Robert Allen, Robert Allen Contract, and Robert Allen@Home.

Robert Allen designs are always fresh, innovative, stylish and original.  I love how the inspiration for their designs comes from art, history, and nature, to name a few.  Robert Allen products and are of the finest materials and construction found in the industry today.

M Designs has turned to Beacon Hill many times over when asked to create window treatments for our clients.  Beacon Hill’s use of refined materials and opulent color palette enables us, as designers, to provide a luxurious, one-of-a-kind product.

Fabric being woven on the loom

As I work with clients designing, remodeling and decorating their homes I get to know a little about them, their families, and their personal style.  No two clients are the same…their likes, dislikes, or their style.  However, I have come across one statement that comes up time and time again, and that is the remark “I just can’t live without…..”, and then they all fill in the blank with their particular item that would make life a little more challenging if they didn’t have it.  I am asked frequently as well, “Denise, what’s the ONE thing you couldn’t live without?”  It is very hard to narrow my “must have” list to just ONE thing, so I’ve come up with my top 10 things, that without them, my life would be a little less sunny.

1.  Shoes – I love all shoes, platform pumps, strappy sandals, patent pumps, boots with fur ……including my wall of shoes in my office.  Prada, Gucci, Louboutin, YSL…LOVE shoes.

2.  My family – without the support of my wonderful husband Scott, and my adorable children Jaxon and Jori, my job wouldn’t be near as rewarding.  I love coming home to share my daily experiences with them.

3.  My faith – as many of you know, without a foundation, those bad days or tragic events could take you under.  I believe my business was built upon my God-given talent and without Him, there isn’t much of a reason to be here.

4.  Color  – though muted, our studio reveals my love for many colors.  I am constantly changing the paint colors in our consultation rooms and vignettes, and am still amazed by the difference a new color can make

5.  Bread – as I have an allergy to peanuts, most chocolates and sweets are off limits to me since they are manufactured in facilities that also process peanuts….so BREAD, here we come.  I love all types from Rye, Rosemary infused, Pumpernickel and Sweet breads.  I have been pretty good lately and only indulge once a week, but be careful if you put a bread basket in front of me…I can’t resist.

6.  My work family – we try to have lunch as a group here in the office each day and it’s so great to have an incredible team to “break bread” with and share our daily lives.  They are positive, supportive, and creative, and I love them all.

7.  Pratesi Sheets – While I switch between my Pratesi and Anichini sheeting, I have been eternally spoiled and can’t go back.  I have even considered taking them on vacation so I can have a better night’s sleep.

8.  My iPad – While I still don’t own an iPhone, I received an iPad for Mothers Day this year and I read daily blogs, download the latest novels, keep my calendar, and read and send e-mail from my iPad.  The convenience for work is priceless.

9.  Lavender – OK – I have gone overboard here, but I just love the smell of fresh lavender.  Car fragrance ma’am?  Lavender.  Bath Oil?  Lavender.  Linen Spray?  Lavender.  Lotion in our office?  Lavender…you get the picture.

10.  Dishes – I have never met a china pattern I didn’t like.  I am embarrassed to say that I own over six sets of china and everyday dishes and still look for more.  I mix and match them and love setting a table…glassware is my second place here and I always have plenty on hand for entertaining.

What is one of the 10 things YOU can’t live without?  Post your comment…we’d love to share with our readers.

Last week my favorite Kravet rep came by to show the new fabrics by Thom Filicia for Kravet.  First let me say, AMAZING price points.  And secondly, what a breath of fresh air.  Take a look…I was instantly inspired for a few projects I am working on and I hope you will be too.

Last weekend I had the pleasure of going back home, near the Texas Hill Country, to attend my cousin Becky’s baby shower. I got to spend time with family, re-style Mom’s bookshelves, rearrange her furniture (always requested by Mom) and enjoy the bounty of my Uncles’ labor.

Only in Texas can you attend a baby shower and then go outside to leave and find a truck filled to the brim with fresh cantaloupe and watermelons brought just for family to share. I have often wondered where my entrepreneurial spirit originated since my parents never ran their own businesses for any length of time. I just thought that the inspiration came from my husband who has operated his own company since he was 21 years old. When I was growing up “in the country”, I saw gardening (which my grandmother loved) as lots of hard work for little reward. Even though I couldn’t wait to get to her house to pick fresh blackberries from her vines, I didn’t have much appreciation for the perfect rows she tilled and the sweet cream peas we had with cornbread in the summer. I couldn’t wait to leave the country behind to find the big city and fewer chores around the farm.

So today, as I sit by my pool in the city, enjoying the fresh watermelon and cantaloupe provided by the best growers in Texas, I am grateful. Grateful for my “country” roots and what is obviously a spirit of entrepreneurialism from my family members….because both of my uncles’ work full time jobs, raise cattle, grow melons, own and manage a country store and still have time to share their bounty with people they love. Thanks Uncle Tom and Uncle Joe….I hope to share the bounty of my creativity with others too…thanks for my AHA moment today.