We Like a Challenge

The Media room in it's former life as a garage.

Please notice the painting I did of Otto and Dudley on the sofa with the painting behind them ! They are very important family members.

Yep, there are 7,000 plus Cd's in the cabinets
The furniture is from Lee Industries, and Fabric from Lee Jofa.

The Living room before.
The Living Room after. Don't you just love the Bobby McAlpine sofa
That ottoman is covered in a antique rug. That stripe chintz chair keeps the room from being to serious.
Mitch has great taste in lamps and accessories.
The walls are Benjamin Moore's Putnam Ivory A light tan that works with everything. Don't forget a blue ceiling, my favorite. We really used shades of the primaries in this space, Red , Yellow, Blue.

Two years ago I had the pleasure of being invited to design a media room for a Designer's Show House. The owners of this beautiful Georgian style home were very involved in the selection of the decor. They had definite ideas about what they wanted, and were having trouble finding a good match. We presented our plans, and I had a ancient magazine photo to back up my ideas. "Bingo" Mitch had the same one in his file. We were off to a harmonious relationship.
Not only was this old garage a challenge to make livable we had to attractively house 7,000 Cd's, and 1,000 laser disk. A special collection of Marks, and he loved red.
This past fall Mitch and I collaborated on bringing the living room up to standard. Mitch found the fabulous crewel fabric from Stark and the room evolved from there.
This is one great house I am proud to be involved in. (and Bunny Williams would be proud of Mitch and I )

Who Let the Dogs Out ?

Happy Birthday to Tatie, Happy Birthday to Tatie, Happy Birthday dear Tatie ,Happy Birthday to you.
Show House at the Shore : 2005
A room I completed last fall. More tomorrow on this beautiful home with before and after pics. This is Otto
My painting of Spike
A customers Great Dane Tonka ( and one of my favorite paintings.)

Picked up traditional Home April issue and the back cover was one of those upside down magazines " Pet Tails ". Another major magazine a month or so ago was devoted to dogs in home photo shoots. O. K. O. K. I get it we love our dogs. I did a designer show house four years ago , theme was an artist studio and she only painted dogs. I must have been premature because it's the only year I did not win best of show. Still I could not resist posting my very talented Jack Russel , Pounding out Happy Birthday to Tatie. I discovered Tatie while searching the blog WWW.designspongeonline.com . He belongs to Hidden Kitchen in Paris which is a sort of underground restaurant. They are throwing a Birthday party for him and you must ware black and white. I love this. Spikes Birthday is in July maybe a musical theme.

Another streetlight saved.

Living in the smallest municipality in the State of New Jersey you tend to get involved in day to day issues of the town. Protecting the history and facade of this waterfront community took precedence today.
Fifteen years ago, a man driving through our town noticed the old fashion street lights were being replaced with modern ones. Not liking this nod to the future he contacted city officials and helped initiate a program to replace the lights with a similar look. This gentleman now lives in St. Louis and again was visiting the area and saw a repeat of 1995. This stranger took action again to save the quaint look of Corbin City. I had the honor today of counting all lights. My recap- 44 lights total, of which 17 have been replaced, and 2 burnt out bulbs. Lets preserve the past and remember that one person can make a difference.

Dream on !

Give me that pantry ! But I'll keep this view.






My problem is eating too much.
Her towels are embroidered.


They design and make the fabric flowers.


I can't get Bill outside under 60 degrees.


I am new to this blogging thing and I have to say a little insecure. Most bloggers are 30 something, computer savvy, and their audience the same. I have been searching other sites to see what is attractive to their readers. Is it pictures, new products, trends, heartfelt stories, or just chatter. Well I hit the jackpot ! While searching Elements of Style.blog spot ( which is so great on its own ) Erin Gates told of another fabulous couple and their blog Emerson made. This really cute pair opted to leave the rat race and do their own thing in the country. Their fabulous house ( which they restored ) is shown. They have their own business that they run on the property, and she is launching her own clothing line. BUT THAT PANTRY !!!!!!!
I can handle everything else . We left the Washington D.C. rat race 9 years ago and purchased a great house on a river. Yes we drive 8 miles for milk, but we have super neighbors to borrow from . We run our own company and march to our own drum. Guess what, it works ! The best part ; Friday night cocktails on the porch, or summer booze cruises up the river. Maybe I just like lingering over morning coffee a little longer. The worst ; working seven days a week, day and night when your busy, and sometimes spending every second with your husband. ( not much left for dinner conversation ) But it all levels out. So I say to everyone that has a dream GO FOR IT . but please don't have such a neat pantry - that I'm jealous of -

Murals and Divine Intervention

In a wine room. By P.R.S.
Fun for a children's bath. By P.R.S.
This teen wanted a brick wall to write graffiti on. By P.R.S.
Create Panels. By P.R.S.

Landscape Mural By P.R.S.
I am in love with this look. Can I paint it for anyone?

I could paint this mural of trees for you also.
Traditional look

Blow up a photo.
Vinyl decals , they look great.







A business woman looking for a muralist contacted me yesterday, or should I say tracked me down . She picked up a newspaper in a coffee shop and read a article written about us and our murals. WHAT, THAT NEWSPAPER WAS FROM MAY 24 2002 !!!!!!! Do coffee shops keep newspapers for 8 years ? Divine Intervention ; I would like to think so. Any way it's a great commercial job and I am meeting with her today. Under the circumstances I think I had better write about murals. Murals in a home can create the illusion of space, brighten up a dark area or bring some amusement to a home. You can use a traditional landscape to a modern approach of a underwater scene. If hiring an artist , ( me ) (this can often be less than wallpapering a room ) is not in your budget, Look what I found on www.etsy.com Vinyl decals of trees. I love the look.