The Intoxication of Paris!

Seven nights in Paris...it's taken me so long to begin this post because I just don't know where to start! How about I start with adjectives? Paris was:

incredible, amazing, beautiful, sexy, charming, colorful, historic, elegant, modern, rustic, delicious...and I'll add another "incredible!"

The view from our apartment below over the Seine:

My husband and I stayed for 7 nights. We rented a luxury apartment overlooking the Seine, decorated in blacks, reds, and browns. It was TRES chic! Ok...the luxury part? My husband received a trip from his employer for many years of service and truth be told, we could have made several nice trips out of the gift and stayed at decent places. Instead, we made one small trip and then, um, decided to BLOW the rest of the travel $$ after airfare, on a fabulous apartment. Yeah....we're glad we did. Sometimes you just have to blow the money, you know?

Which brings up an interesting subject. I never feel a need to stay within bounds of whatever I perceive my "class" to be (don't we all have a perception?)...which changes depending on my mood. Could I afford to stay in that apartment for an extended period of time? No! Should I feel comfortable in a luxury apartment that I could barely afford to rent for a week? Why not? And I did feel comfortable the moment I stepped into the building!

Prior to selecting the apartment, we were feeling responsibly frugal. The more we looked at apartments online, however, the more we were falling in love with the fantasy of living in Parisian luxe for a week!

As a designer, it is an experience to stay in beautifully designed surroundings. Good design that I can live in, even temporarily, is a memory for me and a thrill. I'll always have Paris.... :) For Steve, he, too, said let's do it and we thought Paris was the PERFECT place to indulge! 

The Kitchen Parallel

I can surely make a parallel to kitchen design. When it comes to material costs, of course, you must reconcile what your heart AND your head tell you and that is the tricky part. But, if you fall in love, say, with a walnut wood countertop for an island and if you truly can afford it, take care that your "default worry alarm" does not shut off your dream state, only to select a less expensive (but practical) material, crushing the dream yet leaving you feeling (yes, unnecessarily) responsible. Being frugal in a situation such as this when one does not need to be, in my world, is borING! 

Design beyond your comfort zone. Find creative budget solutions which are always out there to find and feel good about that. I've done that, to the max, actually. But, also feel good when you've just.got.to.have.the.....whatever. Go for it, spring for it, indulge your kitchen fantasy. You deserve it, you're worth it, and yes, the material thing you love does not have a pulse, but I sure get lasting joy from some of my possessions and experiences, even over decades, don't you?

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A Little Time Off...

Image captured on my recent trip to Paris!As sometimes happens with my blog, I might seemingly disappear for a bit. And, I guess I actually do, at least in terms of regular blog writing. And, I always regret that, while at the same time I am planning post after post as events transpire, only to get involved with something else before I put fingers to the keyboard. Thus, the regret!

Right now, and for some time, I have been juggling some very exciting balls, all in the air (ok, the blog ball dropped!) I am currently working on:

• designing kitchens for clients
• running the business and all that entails
• participating in short design consultations for clients
• keeping my hand in Twitter, my personal facebook profile and my professional Facebook page ("like" me!) 
• working closely with Angela Min, who has been part of my business since the spring (she's awesome, classically trained in Interior Design with a masters degree in ID, and you will be hearing from Angela on this blog and elsewhere!)
• working on my new product line, Bornholm, to be launched this summer and all THAT entails (a lot!)
• attending industry events
• blogging for Sears, Decorati, Divine Caroline, K+BB 
• interacting with members of the media on various projects
• not to mention an active personal/family life including a recent trip to Paris! And my 35 babies (roses in my garden!)

Beyond being busy, as we all are of course, sometimes the more I am away from my blog, the more a bit of paralysis sets in too, where I feel, well, I've been gone awhile, now I really have to blog about something special. Maybe some of you bloggers have felt that too. Today, I'm tossing that analysis paralysis aside to just touch base with you.

I did take a number of days off in the middle of a busy time to (obsessively) search for the perfect project management system to keep it all running smoothly and which serves as a great communications platform between Angela and I and for us and our clients. 

Seeking something new, I got my hair cut in Paris! So fun! Total language barrier too!I'd say that my career has never been as interesting, diverse, fun, and hopeful as it has been in the recent past, right now, and for the foreseeable future. I'm loving every day and all the interactions with clients and industry colleagues, new and old. 

I'm deeply entrenched into all things "kitchen" focused and in my new project management system, I have a special place set up for blog ideas so they now will not escape me after I say to myself "YES, I've GOT to blog about that!"

More soon....and I hope this finds you well. I'd love to know what you are finding new and exciting in the world of design...