New & Noteworthy

I’ve just returned from a week in Panama and I must say that I am more than impressed. We stayed in the old part of Panama City known as the Casco Viejo. What an amazing mix of everything! The fantastic architecture ranges from literal ruins to the meticulously restored. One encounters people from all walks of life – the poorest to the wealthiest and everybody in between. This amazing UNESCO World Heritage site is a bee hive of workers involved with restoration work on virtually every block. We chose to stay at the charming Las Clementinas Hotel. It has it …

There’s something just a little bit odd about working on a project in Miami after trudging through the snow to get to my studio (even my four wheel drive didn’t have a chance). Yes, it’s cold here and Seattle has been crippled once again by a few inches of the white stuff.   Considering our unusually cold winter this Miami project couldn’t have appeared at a more welcome time. A good client of mine, Maria, has asked me to help with her oceanfront condominium, her directive – COLOR! And she means it….. We’ve done a sophisticated, somewhat subdued palette in her …

I have aspired to see China for many years and just recently returned after three weeks of immersing myself in some of the most wondrous sights of my life. Oh sure, we saw the Terra Cotta Soldiers, the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace and the Great Wall – so why would I choose to post a pic of bamboo to summarize my journey? Because I’m a designer who finds tremendous inspiration from some of the least likely sources….I came across this cluster of stalks in Hong Kong and was struck first by the varying shades of vibrant green and secondly …

As an interior designer, I am occasionally asked to help with a charitable cause, and I am happy to do so. The Battle of the Chefs was conceived by Debby Steiner, our local publisher of LUXE magazine. In a nut shell, there were five teams, each with six players: a notable chef, two sous chefs, an architect, a builder and an interior designer. The well known appliance maker, Miele, and their northwest showroom, Luwa, provided five cooking stations in their beautiful new showroom. A few hundred on-lookers gawked, laughed and cajoled us as each team worked feverishly to incorporate two …

We’ve had the pleasure of working on several homes in Hawaii, most of which have been ocean front.  I often detect a tinge of envy in my colleagues’ comments in reference to our projects there.  The truth is, it’s hard work made harder by the fact that it’s in paradise!  When I venture out of my hotel to work, virtually everyone else is heading to the beach.  It’s not quite torturous, mind you, but concentrating on the tasks at hand can be challenging with the pounding surf, radiant sun and swaying palm trees in every direction. Aside from working in a …

Virtually all of my projects include some sort of custom works from craftspeople or artisans in the form of furniture or accessories. On rarer occasion we have the opportunity to create artworks for the home in collaboration with artists. Pictured above is an example of Melissa Koch’s artwork executed as a three story high mural in my own home. Melissa’s work has appeared in several of my projects as murals and recently she created a mobile in the spirit of Calder for a pair of my clients. She painted for many years in Europe before settling here in the Northwest. …

For me the perfect cocktail party is one where I actually have a good time and my guests leave feeling happy, feted and thoroughly entertained. My partner, Patrick, and I don’t throw many parties so when we do we like to do it “right.” God knows we are all so busy these days that one can hardly find the time to invite the guests in the first place. Hand written invites are out of the question for me, and calling each person doesn’t work either. We’ve all seen Evites in our electronic mailboxes but I prefer Pingg. There are many …

There are but a few colleagues that I truly connect with in terms of their approach to design, inspiration, spirituality, and life in general. I venture to say that Barbara Barry is now the biggest name in design, and the one that I admire the most. If she had nothing to do with my industry, I would still be charmed by her kindness, at ease with her honesty, and inspired by her intelligence. Barbara Barry has got it all going on! We first met a number of years ago. She was the presenter at the Northwest Design Awards Gala and …

When it comes to interior design, magazines can only convey a portion of the story. Photos are only two dimensional, and although a writer’s words might be very descriptive, the reader gets a condensed report on what the author has encountered. It’s not only about how it looks; to truly experience just how amazing a thoughtfully designed home is, one must visit it in person. Ultimately, the most successful interiors combine a myriad of carefully selected components evoking the best of what the owners cherish in a way that is appropriate to their lifestyle, the architecture, and the site. While …

Just a few years ago I got a call from a couple that I had already worked for in San Francisco and the Big Island of Hawaii. They were interested in purchasing another home on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe. They were considering one house that they felt was a good fit, and asked me to fly down to take a close look at it. I was more than happy to oblige… The house was less than compelling to me. Although it possessed a fantastic view, it lacked so much in architectural integrity that even the best interior renovation …