July 30, 2015

When To Use An Antique Rug

When it comes to oriental rugs, I always prefer the look and feel of an antique.  However, it’s not always possible to find the correct color, style, or size – especially when you need a large one, as shown here.

The interior of this Charleston parlor (featured in Fall/Winter 2012 Elegant Homes), with it’s beautifully restored moldings, paneling, and antique glass windows, needed furnishings that would complement, not compete, for attention.  A lengthy renovation afforded me the time to have a custom rug made for the room.  I wanted it to appear as if it could have always been with the house and a simple faded Oushak design achieved that goal.

July 24, 2015

Sneak Preview

The USC Alumni Center will be a state-of-the-art facility where alumni and students will enjoy social and professional events.

The new USC Alumni Center on the corner of Senate and Lincoln Streets in the Vista is nearing completion!  About two years ago, LS3P, the architects and designers for the project, asked us to partner with them on some of the interior design, furnishing, and artwork selections.

June 18, 2015

“Thank you, Dad”

Recently, I finished reading the book, “The Art Forger” by Barbara A. Shapiro, and the memories it stirred up have been both a surprise and a gift.  The story centers on the heist of millions of dollars of artwork, including an important Degas painting, from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum,  in Boston in March of 1990.

My father, who was an artist, took me to this fabulous museum when I was eight years old.  It is a gorgeous Italian-inspired villa with lush gardens and grand piazzas; it was the most beautiful place I had ever seen.  Little did I know that it would turn out to be an experience that influenced my future.  It inspired my yearning to travel and study abroad, and my life-long love of art and design.