P L C 

‘To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.” — Audrey Hepburn How would you like a productive and creative exercise that takes place both indoors and out d...

these sheets feel so good that I don’t want to get out of bed in the morning

I had a feeling that this year’s San Francisco Decorator Showcase would be spectacular. I had been following its progress on Instagram and

Since I’ve participated in seven showcases, myself, I thought I’d give you an idea of what happens behind the scenes. If you’re not familiar

My lunch date with John Pflueger, Sonoma-based architect and head of the oldest architectural firm west of the Mississippi, included a memor

After 30 years, John Saladino still makes me swoon. This New York architect and designer doesn’t know me from a hole in the wall. Nonetheles

Have you ever wondered why you’re drawn to one style over another? Did your childhood home, a vacation or other travels influence your prefe

"Getting to Know Your Designer" ... by Joan McDonald, Aspired Design Magazine ADM: Favorite book? PLC: The Count of Monte Cristo, Alexander Dumas ADM: Favori...

The fabric designers who produced the Rainbow Collection must have been on creative overdrive because their color combinations were luscious

Have you ever browsed through home decor magazines and wondered where to find such beautiful furnishings? You know you haven’t seen them in

A few weeks ago, Napa Valley Register feature's editor, Sasha Paulsen, and I ventured down to the 2013 San Francisco Decorator Showcase. Thi

It is believed that on his death bed in a cheap hotel in Paris, playwright Oscar Wilde said, “This wallpaper is atrocious. One of us has to

I received a beautiful Valentine’s gift yesterday. One that sent my imagination adrift – to the ringing of Gothic cathedral bells, the clack

I watched my grandmother, Angiolina Lorenzi Polidori, make this recipe hundreds of times during my childhood. When you leave out the bread,

Sunset Magazine is once again on the verge of treating the public to its annual Idea House. Since 1998, these houses have showcased the late

styles and haven’t decided on anything yet. I want to use color in a big way. I saw on your website that you sometimes used it fearlessly. How do you choose ...

I love beautiful paper. The note had been written on Florentine stationery – I’m sure you’ve seen it in various patterns from elaborate vin

A visit to the Donum Estate, tucked in the heart of Carneros, may be the healthiest of prescriptions for destressing and rejuvenation. At le

There is an age-old phenomenon, a fine pattern of dense cracking called “craquelure”, that sometimes occurs on the surface of oil paintings

What could I possibly mean by “Genealogy meets home décor”? One of my reasons for writing this week’s post is to offer an idea for wall art.