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At the risk of sounding cliché, art can feed our spirit. To compound my risk by sounding hokey, too, I’m inviting you to do an exercise. Tha

Ask Napa resident, Holly Quate, what her favorite design style is and she’ll answer, “Art Deco or Mid-century Modern or maybe Craftsman.” As

Beautiful stationery, refined fountain pens, and handwritten notes. Today’s times are fast, hurried, digital, and in my opinion, in need of

I admit that I’ve come late to two popular and entertaining phenomena. One is BritBox, a massive collection of streaming British television shows. Now I don’t have to rely on Masterpiece Theater’s scheduling to watch my favorite sleuths. The other is Instagram, created in 2010 by twenty-somethings Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger. It’s a photo and video sharing platform and, in fact, gets its name from the blending of “instant camera” and “telegram”. To date, Instagram has ove

I’m fairly certain that today’s topic sparked an interest in more than a few of you. “Analysis to paralysis”. Can you relate? When it comes to building, remodeling or furnishing a home, there are a variety of reasons why people find it difficult to make decisions. These decisions are long-lasting, consequential and costly. So, there’s no wonder why some people freeze. They’re afraid to make a mistake. Sometimes, they know what they like and sometimes they don’t. In my experie

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

Today’s column comes to you by way of permission from three recent clients. Clients who, before undertaking do-it-yourself projects, requested a consultation with me to point them in the right direction. They have kindly allowed me to share their goals and challenges and my suggestions. Carole S. wanted to furnish her new and empty condo but was having difficulty defining her style. She showed me photos from magazines, Houzz and Pinterest. I could see why she was confused - s

No matter the scope of your remodeling project, there are three words that can help it go more smoothly. “Plan, plan, plan”. I admit to bein

When it comes to home furnishings, I know it’s true. That is, investing in select pieces, while holding back on others, can create a well-pu

There’s a Stephen Sondheim song titled, “A funny thing happened on the way to the forum.” That’s how I felt on my way out the door after mee

Let’s get the hard part out of the way. Verre Églomisé is pronounced “ver A-glowm-ee-zay” with a slight pause after the “ver” and an emphasi

Colors aside, when I pulled up to the front of the building, I was immediately struck by one significant feature — its portico. It led to th

When is the best time to create an accent wall? While the idea is still brewing in a designer’s or architect’s imagination and in time to be

Landscape architects will agree that there’s more to a well-designed, well-executed gardenscape than meets the eye. As with any design, the

What do you get when you combine a 4,000-year-old craft with optimism, comfort, persistence, an entrepreneurial spirit, and a big heart? Gla

Although communities have erected memorials to recognize these wars, national memorials have taken a while to follow. The Vietnam Memorial w

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

But how do these Golden formulas address our universal consensus of pleasing proportions? Back to nature’s spirals. It turns out that they a

What color does your mind’s eye see when you think of “taupe”? A version of beige? Khaki? Gray? Pink? You’d all be correct. But what is tau

No doubt, the kitchen is the heart of the home and the place where a lifetime of memories are made. I have a special story to tell that make