I got Mail

I got a fantastic surprise in the mail today - the first test strike offs of my fabric designs from Adaptive Textiles. It is amazing how quickly they can produce the finished product once they receive the art work. These are very rough - first test efforts printed on a fine cotton sateen. They don't look half bad if I do say so myself.



Now, I will be working on color variations and backgrounds. I have to say, this is the most fun I have ever had at work. I'm hooked!

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Fabric Design - More Lessons Learned

I've been working 24 -7 on my signature fabric designs for Adaptive Textiles for the past two weeks. It has taken some serious research and experimentation that I am sure will continue for some time before I really figure this out. I've been having a blast though as this is one of those great projects that lets you be truly creative with no boundaries ( okay just a few boundaries - but no bitchy client) .



My first step was to decide what medium to use to produce the original art. Not being much of a painter I was reluctant to go for tubed paints and instead figured out a way to put my giant collection of colored pencils to work. I separated all of my water soluble pencils and made a color reference chart. This was essential to keep myself from going crazy trying to relocate a pencil once I had used it as the wet colors are very different from the dry pencil colors. Each pencil was charted and referenced with its number. ( I am awaiting delivery of a now justified - new 120 color set of watercolor pencils - Yummmyyyyy !!!)



The first set of designs is representative of the patterns that I used in illustrating the window treatments in my first book. They are tentatively named after my daughter ( Angelica) and my sisters. I haven't thought of a name for the whole collection yet - any ideas?
The collage shown above is put together to show how the mock ups of the first patterns correspond to the illustration that inspired them. This one is the cover of my book.


Here several individual motifs are combined together to form a stripe. Backgrounds will be added later. ( once I figure out how to produce them!)




I really like this geometric pattern.

One of the biggest challenges is to design motifs that can be linked together or grouped effectively in repeats on the face of the fabric. This one was particularly challenging and took quite a few tries before I got it right.




This collection is inspired by the design that will be in the first set of workroom instructions produced by Minutes Matter.
I am already seeing a trend in the shapes and motifs that I am drawn to, I tend to group things symmetrically which is a hard habit to break. I have to work hard to fight my basic impulses or everything will turn out looking exactly the same.

This is a fun damask pattern. I have to figure out how to produce a washy looking background. That is my next challenge. Ink Jet printing is very different from silk screening or hand blocking ad I am trying to produce patterns that are uniquely suited to the process.


Here are some of my original watercolor motifs ready to be shipped of to Adaptive. The images look so much brighter on the computer screen - I am hoping that they will end up much more subtle and sophisticated once they are printed on fabrics. Thank God for Photoshop!!!

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Tozai Home & Tony Duquette

I spent most of the day at the World Market Center in Las Vegas looking for new trends and captivating new products. This seasons show was markedly toned down due to the economy but one standout was the Tozai Home showroom.



Dressed up in what I can only assume is an homage to designer Tony Duquette the showroom was a rich collage of color and texture highlighted by malachite wallpaper and faux coral everywhere.


Brightly colored pottery mixed with blue and white porcelain set the tone throughout the showroom.

A fabulous set of chairs covered in velvet leopard print where the focal point of the main window.



While Tozai does not carry any products designed by Duquette they are certainly in love with his aesthetic. They are the distributor on the West Coast for designer John Derian one of my fav's.




Here a table is set with one of Duquettes signature malachite patterned table cloths. His love of richly colored and textured surfaces prompted him to master the art of eclecticism. Mixing almost any material, pattern, period, etc. to great effect. His interiors where at once complicated yet at the same time comforting.



Over his long career he designed theatrical costumes, jewelry, movie sets, hotels and just about everything else you could think of. Here is a beautiful brooch he designed in his signature colors.


Duquettes own residence "Dawnridge" in Beverly Hills was a testament to style and dramatics. I've always loved this view looking down a long hallway to a somewhat satirical mural of a manservant at the end, ready to cater to the viewers every need. Fantasy seemed to be a way of life for the designer.


The design of his Malibu, California Ranch showed his deep love for Chinoiserie and high drama. Sadly it was destroyed by fire in 1993.




The recently released, self titled biography of Duquette, written by his long time creative partner Hutton Wilkinson, has been a rousing success. It's influence has been seen across the board in the design and retail marketplace with many a shop window styled to reflect his designs.




He says his objective in writing the book, which he also says was very difficult to get published due to an overall lack of interest by many publishing houses, was to chronicle the genius of his mentor and to show his talents to the world. While these kinds of books inspire many creative individuals and help to mold their own design signature, one famous design icon has taken it a bit too far. Apparently, Wilkinson is suing fashion designer Michael Kors for using Duqettes name and images from the book without permission to promote Kors new line of resort wear. It will be very interesting to see what the outcome of this lawsuit is.

I don't know the details but it is an age old question. Where does inspiration end and plagiarism begin?

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Beautiful Beds from Jacqueline Adams

I love to stalk 1st dibbs on a regular basis looking for new beds and furniture that I can lust after. One of my favorite vendors is Jacqueline Adams Antiques in Atlanta. They have a fabulous selection of both painted and upholstered beds that I love!!!


I adore the painted finish and decorative scenes painted on this lovely bed frame. The aged finish is fantastic.
This style is the precursor to today's upholstered, arm chair style headboards.




The caning on this bed is beautiful and looks to be in great condition. I love the distressed finish and patina.




This one is my favorite. It looks like it should be placed in one of Brooke Giannetti 's beautifully designed bedrooms shown on Velvet & Linen. I would love to design bedding for all of these gorgeous beds but for now I'll just have to dream about them.

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Designing Fabric - Lessons Learned

Lesson Number One: Everything is always harder to do than it looks.

Anytime I have ever said to myself, "I can do that", has lead to a long and very laborious learining process.

Here are my first attempts at creating interchangeable motifs for my new line of fabric for Adaptive Textiles. To me they are obvious, bunchy, and crowded but I have no objectivity when it comes to my own work!Lesson Number Two: It takes at least 10 or 15 try's at creating different color combination's in Photoshop before you find one you don't absolutely hate.


While the final renderings will be done in ink and watercolor, I decided to form the color palette in photoshop first as a guide - Smart move! I think it will save a lot of time and several levels of frustration.

This Studio 3.0 rendering of one of my drapery designs using the rough fabric mock up was made by the super talented Casey Green of Minutes Matter. It is great to be able to visualize the pattern in use as you are designing it.


Lesson Number Three: Drawings look completely different in black and white than when they are colored in.



Lesson Number Four: This process may take me some serious time and effort before I figure out what I am doing! But it looks like it's going to be fun........

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Bedroom of The Week - Carolyne Roehm

I've posted before about my love for designer Carolyne Roehm's master bedroom in her spectacular New York City home. I was floored the other day to run across a lengthy pictorial in an old New York Social Diary post showing her entire home, including some new angles and view of the very large master bedroom that I had not seen before. From the photos I had seen I had no idea of the scale of the room.


This is the view that became so popular in the blogoshphere of the spectacular upholstered bed which was modeled after a late 19th century antique. Apparently Miss Roehm was so smitten with this Cowtan & Tout floral that she set out to cover everything in it. I would love to have seen her upholsterers face when she told him to cover the entire bed! It certainly must have been a challenge fit for only a true artisan but the finished product is spectacular.

The view from the end of the bed shows matching nooks fitted with glazed doors flanking the beautiful period fireplace.


Another view of that wall, again showing off a few of the many antiques used in the space. The entire home is filled with museum quality pieces and yet it has an overriding sense of comfort and hospitality.


This view of the bed gives a sense of the true size of the space, a rarity in the city.

More antiques and a lovely painting. Vignettes are placed throughout the space consisting of personal photos, small collections, and tiny flower pots.


A skirted vanity does not look like it gets much use but it is a pretty addition to the room.

Look at the exquisite detailing and the free scroll work on the pair of Rococo guilt mirrors that flank the bed.



Technology, aka, the dreaded TV, is cleverly hidden behind the glass doors on the fireplace wall. I am dying to know what is in the green and white covered books. Are they covered magazines, they look too large to be DVDs or videos? I suppose they could be albums of DVDs but that would be quite a collection! They are all the same size. What could they be - photo albums - why are they in the bedroom? A mystery!

Check out the entire post at the New York Social Diary to get a look at the rest of her spectacular home.

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Big News in My Little World

My transition from practicing Interior Designer and Showroom owner to writer, illustrator and product designer has not been long by industry standards ( I've been working on it for a little over three years now) but it sometimes seems like a eternity to me.

The financial payoff is still a ways off in the future and I have had to considerably scale back my lifestyle. There have been many days and late nights spent drawing when I have questioned my decision to switch gears and work at my new goals full time.

On the other hand, my new career has brought me friendships and associations that I would never have developed if I had not made the decisions that I did. It has also brought me fantastic opportunities that I never dreamed would be available to me.

As I was drawing the treatments for my first book it quickly became apparent to me that it would require me to design unique patterns and color schemes for each drawing.

This was no easy task and was probably the most time consuming step of the process but one that I also found very gratifying.

For each design I drew a fabric pattern and chose a color palette that I would have used if I where specifying the treatment in real life. I did not want to use plain colors or repeat motifs. I wanted the selections for each design to reflect its personality.

In my original designs I tend to use varying scales of pattern with large motifs highlighted by the shape of the treatment.

It is not uncommon for me to use five or six different fabric in one treatment if it is appropriate for the design.

Anyway, apparently my hard work and attention to detail did not go unnoticed! ( take this as a lesson kids - always do your absolute best and good things will come of it).

DRUMROLL PLEASE !!!!!! I have been given a fabulous opportunity to design a signature line of fabrics for a leading manufacturer of custom, print to order fabrics, Adaptive Textiles.

Adaptive Textiles was started by the talented husband & wife team of Larry and Jeanelle Dech. Jeanelle, herself an interior designer, master workroom technician, slip cover magician, industry innovator and educator, saw the substantial benefits of print on demand fabric production and was among the first to invest in the state of the art technology.

This method of printing is eco-friendly and is being embraced by "green" designers around the world because of it's no-water process and zero ink waste. ( honestly I don't know that much about fabric production but I plan to give myself a crash course - I'll share the highlights with you later.)

Designs can be printed on a wide number of different ground cloths giving you flexibility in fiber content, weave, durability, hand of the fabric, drapability, and finish. Their services are available to anyone who wants custom printed fabric in small runs. You can create your own designs or a complete private label collection.

My signature fabric designs ( that sounds so cool!!! ) will be available for use with the Jackie Von Tobel modules of Minutes Matter Studio which is anticipated for release beginning in March! I will be documenting the entire process here and how the fabrics will be integrated into the Studio modules.

To say that I am excited is a vast understatement. I am over the moon and I can't wait to get going. The plan is to introduce the first patterns of the collection at The International Window Fashions Expo in Atlanta in May so if you're in the area come on over - the drinks will be on me!

The success of my book and all of the subsequent opportunities that have come my way are all the result of a few very important people who have taken time from their busy lives and businesses to look at my work, give me advise and encouragement and welcome me into their worlds. Words cannot express my gratitude to: Christopher Robbins, Suzanne Taylor, my editor Madge, and everyone else at Gibbs-Smith, Debbie & Casey Green and everyone at Minutes Matter & Studio, Beth Hodges, Jeanelle Dech at Adaptive Textiles, Deb Barrett, Margie Nance, Susan Schurz, Joan Willis, Lavelle Pindler, M'Fay, Grace McNamara, Bruce Knott, Shannon Flaherty, Nika Stewart, Pate-Meadows, and the rest of the design and blogging community that I have come to know and love. (Sorry I'm getting sappy!)

Also, I can't forget the fam-dam-ily, My awesome and very handsome man of the house Arnie, my two sons - JT & Geordie, and the resident princess, Angelica. Oh yeah - the two most spoiled dogs in the world Peaunt & Marty.

I hope that the process will make for some interesting posts! Can't wait to see how it all turns out.

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