Carlton Varney in Vegas

First Friday with Carleton Varney of Dorothy Draper
December 5, 2008, 10:00 am

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Located in Building C, 1st Floor, Suite C-184

Carleton Varney, one of America’s best known interior designers, is associated with the restoration and decoration of countless hotels and resorts all over the world, among them Dromoland and Ashford Castles in Ireland and The Waldorf Towers and Plaza Hotel in New York. His versatility in design can be seen in the wide array of products that bear his mark, ranging from furniture, lamps, dinnerware, crystal, and linen designs. His own line of fabric designs, launched under the name Carleton Varney by the yard, grace the private residences of his impressive roster of clients which include superstars from the worlds of entertainment, fashion and business.

Following his First Fridays presentation, attendees are invited to join Varney and his colleague, Brinsley Matthews of the European office of Dorothy Draper. Located in the Robert Allen | Beacon Hill Showroom (C-101), Varney will sign copies of his book Houses In My Heart, amidst the Dorothy Draper Collection of furniture by Kindel Furniture Company. Robert Allen | Beacon Hill offers a wide array of fabrics, furnishings and accessories for the home.

RSVP to events@LVDesignCenter.com

See you there!

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Very Wet in Venice

If you've ever been to Venice you are familiar with St Marks square which is ussually filled with Japanese tourists entertaining themselves by feeding hundreds of pigeons. It's a marvelous place to sit and have a gellato at one of the sidewalk cafes where you can hear the battle of the bands just before they close for the night . Watching a two man skull paddle by is not something that you would expect to see.


Venice is experiencing unprecedented flooding this year with it's highest water levels in 22 years. Over five feet of water in some places is covering the winding streets and cobblestone pathways of this beautiful city.


It is heartbreaking to think of all of the damage that is being done to this historic marvel. Some say it is global warming - others just natures bad humor. Whatever the cause I hope there are no lasting effects.




Normally the banks of the canal at the Rialto bridge are home to large outdoor cafes at all four corners. In the picture above you can't even make out where the street ends and the canal begins.



On the outskirts of the lagoon you can really see the furry of the water.



I would love to be able to visit Venice again, I adore the city and it's architecture. I hope that this flooding is a once in a decade occurance and the city dries out without any damage. In the meantine I will have to settle for watching Casinova, the flick starring the late Heath Ledger. Believe it or not it has great views of the city and some marvelous interior sets and costumes.

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Window Treatment of the Week

via BH&G

I've always loved this room, I've had this picture for ages and I always come back to it. It's a great example of how to treat windows differently in the same room while still maintaining balance and harmony in the design.

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Sears - You Suck

Tuesday evening as I was about to start planning my pie baking schedule for the following day I heard a very loud popping and snapping sound coming from my top oven. I glanced over it to see it looking something like this. Fire shooting out of the ventilation slits at the top and smoke pouring out of it. ( A definite electrical incident - not a grease fire or other cause)



Pretty soon I had a group of these guys over for a visit. They were very nice, said my house would not burn down but couldn't do anything to revive my ovens.




So I put in a call to these guys who made my super duper Kenmore double wall ovens.





I think I talked to this guy. He told me that my oven was no longer under warranty. I said " I know it's not under freaking warranty but don't you guys have some kind of guarantee that my oven won't blow a freaking gasket and catch on fire and burn my house down? He said, " No we don't". He also said, " I can send a technician out to look at it for $96.00 but I can't get one there until Friday". To this I said "What about my freaking turkey dinner?". He said" We are very busy, everyone is making turkey". I wondered, "Do they eat turkey in freaking India?". I hung up.

Thankfully we cooked our turkey dinner at my sisters house. I still have no oven and I am so pissed that I won't call Sears so they can come out and tell me what I already know. My oven is fried and I need to spend $2500 on a new one. There goes the face lift fund! Crap!

Happy Thanksgiving.

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Alessandra Branca Live !!!!

Just got a peak at the all new www.branca.com, the newly revamped website from the awesomely talented designer Alessandra Branca.


The site shows new images of her gorgeous interiors as well as lots of products available through her store. Get on over there and check it out you must just find something to put on your list for Santa!

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The Beautiful Art of Ingrid Dee Magidson

Ingrid Dee Magidson

During my usual morning browse of my favorite blogs I ran across something really amazing at the fabulous Things That Inspire. The post is about the Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles Christmas House ( see her post here - those Atlanta girls have all the fun) and two paintings that the brilliant blogger recognized as being the work of artist Ingrid Dee Magidson that where used in a room designed by one of my favorite designers Suzanne Kasler.

Intrigued I went to the website of the artist and was blown away. I am in love! Her work is just fantastic. But don't take my word for it - judge for yourself.....









Now all I have to do is win the lottery to afford the five figure price tag! One can always dream............. Thanks, Things That Inspire for making my day.

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It's Personal

pottery barn

Nothing makes a statement like a personal signature on your soft treatments. Monograms, flourishes, and symbols create a uniquely individual space. Now more than ever these elements are being used in fun and innovative ways by designers and homeowners who want to leave their mark.



Monogrammed draperies have been popping up lately and I love the look.

Here is a bed drapery treatment that is embellished with a flourish. It gives the look of a monogram but without the specific letter reference.

via la dolce vita

A monogrammed bed cover with an embroidered flying friend as a companion.

via cottage living

Hand printed monograms with elaborate borders are just as effective as the traditional embroidered style.

via pink wallpaper

Appliqued monograms allow the design to be beefed up for a very bold statement.

via cottage living

I love this treatment with the monogram on the back of the chair.

via cottage living

Here's another version numbering each chair - brilliantly different!!!


Even a small flourish or emblem can make a big impact.



Love this flourish at the back of this slipper chair.

via cozy cottage

The bold initial on the back of this parsons chair fits in well with the wide border and contrasting welt.

via better homes & gardens

Slipcovers are a perfect place to show off your family crest or monogram.


Headboards emblazoned with your moniker are becoming commonplace.


This bed corona shows a supersized intial as the focal point.

This fun bed is from JC Penney. I'd love to see it used in a bunk room lined up in rows with the kids names embroidered in different colors.
Another jumbo sized monogram serves as the focus of design on this upholstered bed.

I'm gonna get out my embroidery thread and go to work.

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