Holiday parties are on the horizon,​ and proper lighting design can make your guests feel movie star gorgeous.  The Salonniere website lists ten tips for achieving perfect lighting for your party.

1.  Use candles.  There is nothing more glamorous and flattering than candlelight.

2. Turn off overhead lighting.  Most rooms have a large light in the middle of the ceiling.  Don't use it.  Overhead lighting casts very unflattering  shadows.  Hollywood uses overhead lighting as a technique for aging actors and actresses.

3.  Use table lamps.  Diffused light from lamps at eye level creates the most flattering and soft glow.

4.  Install dimmers.  Use dimmer switches on lamps so you can control the level of illumination as the natural light changes and the evening progresses.

5.  Use low-wattage bulbs.  For lamps that aren't on a dimmer, use 25-watt bulbs.

6.  Choose elegant lamp shades.  A thin white shade will allow too much bright light to pass through.  Opt for opaque shades that cast light up and down.

7.  Pre-light your powder room.  It can be jarring to walk from a candlelit party into a brightly lit power room, so pre-set you powder room lighting to a dim level and place a small, lightly scented candle on the vanity.

8.  Include mirrored pieces in your furnishings.  Mirrored consoles, tables and trays reflect candlelight beautifully and add instant glamour.

9.  Add colored glass.  Light that reflects off glass lamps, bowls and decanters creates the look of sparkling gemstones and adds a wonderful dimension to the ambiance.

10.  Build a fire.  Who doesn't feel gorgeous in front of a fire?  Fire light is the ultimate romantic and flattering light source.

And most of all... have a great time!

We found a great solution to the plugs, cords and unsightly clutter often associated with home and commercial media stations.  Millsoncs Corporation makes the world's first completely concealed home entertainment system.  Called CinemaFrame, Millsoncs states "there are no more black boxes, bulky speakers, tangled wires or confusing remote controls."  "With CinemaFrame, all you'll see is your TV surrounded by a slim frame of designer fabric."   "Finally, a system designed to fill your room with entertainment, not equipment."

There is a wide range of commercial and home applications this type of design can offer.  From commercial promotional video and television programming to stationary art photos, this system can appeal to a wide audience.  View stationary photos of the artwork of Manet or Picasso one day and watch the Super Bowl the next.. all in a clean and uncluttered environment.

I enjoyed discussing interior design plans with a new residential client in the San Francisco Bay Area. The client was concerned our past design projects looked overly calm and not sufficiently "eclectic" for her tastes.  

I let her know most of our clients desire a calm and serene theme in their residential interior designs, but we could pick a different, highly eclectic design if she wished. She could base her decisions on any theme she liked, and we could make her vision a reality.

I sent the client a photograph of an entry to the Moncler flagship in New York City, designed by Gilles & Bassier emulating a grand Parisian apartment. The design was recently featured in Interior Design magazine. The store has anodized aluminum walls and a robot, should she want a robot in her home.

This was all in fun, of course, but I wanted to show the client our design capabilities can range from calm to highly unusual.  We ask our clients to tell us about their tastes and we will design from there!

Immortality discovered.  In a most unusual way.

Many times builders do not carry pencil and paper when working on a project.  They write memos, measurements and phone numbers on pieces of wood that will eventually be covered by wall board, paint and wallpaper.  Why carry note paper when any available piece of wood will do?

During an in-progress building inspection of the home a client, a major San Francisco commercial office builder, I discovered my telephone number had been written on a wooden stud by the contractor.  Who are you going to call when you have questions about interior design?  I was honored to be that person.  If anyone working on the project had questions about the final interior design, that was the number to call!

My telephone number will soon be covered with plaster and paint, but for now it was fun to see the writing on the wall.

Yes. Your kitchen could be in an alley in San Francisco if you combined two homes into one.  A photo below shows a former alley between two previously separate cottages that was closed in and converted into a kitchen when the buildings were combined into one residence.  We enjoyed reading an article in Interior Design Homes how architect Messana O'Rorke combined two residences in space limited Pacific Heights in San Francisco.  What a great way to combine living units without the cost of major reconstruction!  I enjoyed seeing the unique floor lamp in the interior of the building created by Isamu Noguchi, as well as some of the interesting stone objects collected by the owners.  This seems like a project that could be done without major building reconstruction and easily completed on time and on budget in our increasingly crowded world.

"Can you recommend a website designer for my new office?"  This is a frequently asked question when our commercial projects near completion.  Our answer is an unqualified "yes, we know a great designer."  "She designed our own website!"  

We feel many websites are based on static, template based "cookie cutter" fill-in-the-blanks templates lacking the spark that can inspire and  enhance your business. Just like the person who answers your telephone, your website represents you, your customer support ideas and business philosophy.  Many customers may choose to patronize your business based on those two factors alone.  Stellar Initial presentation of your business is critical to success.

It was our good fortune to find Debi Bodett of 33 image design to create our website and print materials.  Debi is a supportive, brilliant and multitalented web and print designer who can lead you through your design journey. She can design a website that will allow personal modification from your own computer as your business information -- such as photos, addresses and telephone numbers change.  If you make a mistake, she will be there to help you.  If you require stationary, a printed portfolio or business cards, she can design and print them for you.  All in a matching theme to your website.

Debi's website is 33imagedesign.com.  Her telephone number is (360) 754-7345.

​Here is some of Debi's information you can view on her website:

Our clients often ask "where should I go to create my office logo?  My graphic designer charges an arm and a leg!"
Unique logo design can be expensive and time consuming.  We recently discovered a great solution for this problem.
Fiverr.com is an international web site featuring the work of world wide designers and artists.  One of their artists can design a unique logo for you-- all for an extremely reasonable cost.  For example, our email signature below cost five (yes, that is correct) five dollars to create as an html document we can attach to our emails-- all done quickly over the internet.

Here are a few examples of the many logo designs offered by graphic designers on the fiverr website:

There are wonderful colors and shapes in this unusual project.  Can young orthodontic patients "get the wiggles out" while waiting for the dentist in a waiting room with a climbing area?  A recently built climbing wall in Austin takes the concept of climbing gyms to new heights of color and texture.

This article from Interior Design Magazine is especially poignant because my two sons started their rock climbing careers on artificial walls such as 
this, then increased their parental anxieties to higher levels by big wall rock climbing, walking on high lines and descending climbing routes via parachute.  "Parachuting is so much faster than hiking down from the top of each mountain, Mom."

Project name: Austin Bouldering Project​
Firm: Dylan Johnson
Associate Architect: Lilianne Steckel Interior Design

We love the interior design of this mobile dental office.  The primary challenge on this project was to create the illusion of a more spacious interior in a 26 foot long  trailer with only 230 interior square feet.  Each operatory gestures to the sky, with 11-foot ceilings and translucent sculpted skylights above each chair, which deliver abundant diffused natural light, and also house TV monitors.  Mirrored strips in the corner reveals visually expand the space and reflect natural light.  Acoustical dampening material layered in the interior helps to maintain patient privacy.  The material palette reinforces the office's identity, with natural wood millwork, bright white surfaces throughout, and a a custom perforation pattern that suggests a dense tree canopy.

Just think-- no more office rent to pay, and a practice location that can be easily relocated as patient demographics change.  A great idea!

Architect: Montalba Architects, Inc.
Builders: Pacific Westline, Inc.
Client: Dr. Sara Creighton & Lowell Caulder

We found an interesting article in Interior ​Design Magazine in which an Austrian dentist combined his personal residence and office into one building.  It is rare to see this type residential/office combination in the United States.  With the high cost of purchasing a home, as well as the high cost of building a separate dental office, this may be a concept worth exploring.  And, you can't beat the short commute to work!