Fountain and our little house

 Summer is always a favorite season at Casa Real.  We love this garden.  After the hail storm here in Knoxville in April, it was crippled.  Mother nature has been a fast healer, and finally, in summer’s final days, it has become beautiful once again.  Enjoy these photos of our little paradise in Summer’s final days.

Espalier apple tree with germander near the deck

Quite possibly the most ridiculous thing we have ever purchased at an antique show.....but it does remind us of our favorite place.

The stone patio

Impatiens in the shade garden

Madonna beside the pool

The side lawn

Shade garden steps

Encore azaleas

Fountain and geraniums in the front garden

The entry

Every garden needs some Royalty!

The magnolia garden path with the croquet lawn in the background

At the curb

Bird bath and path to the storage area

In the magnolia garden

anemones near the driveway

Blue Room Christmas tree with decorations made by SCAD

Wednesday evening, after having worked on the decorations for the past five days, all of the volunteers were invited to a reception at the White House.  This would be the first of many holiday parties at the house this season.  Mrs. Obama estimated that over 100,000 people would get to enjoy the decorations we had created. 

Relaxing on a priceless antique in the Grand Foyer

The party started at 4:00, but we were told to gather near the entrance starting at 3:30.  There was a large line at the entrance.  About 500 people were invited to the party.  In addition to the Christmas decorating volunteers, there are many others who volunteer at the White House through the year, and all those people were invited.  Our id’s were checked four times, and we had to go through an airport-like security screening process to get inside.  Ultimately, we entered through the East visitor’s entrance just as we had done every day before.  The difference was this time we were guests and were allowed to actually sit on the furniture!

Party scene in the Grand Foyer

The party was spectacular to say the least.  The house just glittered.  Everything in the White House is perfectly cleaned and maintained, so in its Christmas finery, it really shined.  I stopped to ask one of the housekeepers one day what was the secret to the deep shine on the marble floors, and the answer was clear.  “We polish them every day.”  With the amount of traffic through the house, this made sense.  The movie theater was used as the coat check for the party.  The first family can watch first run movies in the theater, and one day while working in the house, we saw Warner Brothers delivering current movies.  The theater is a beautiful space luxuriously appointed in red velvet, and located along the East Colonnade. 

Party scene in the East Room

Floral centerpieces in the East Room

The stage for the party was set in the Visitor’s Foyer where the male chorus from Princeton was singing.  There were about 20 of them and the downstairs hall was filled with their voices.  After that, I bumped into Santa who was welcoming people at the foot of the stairs going up to the main floor.  I walked through all the rooms we had decorated on the lower level first.  People were really enjoying themselves.  There was a table set up in the Lower Cross Hall with wine, sparkling water, or champagne.  The cocktail napkins were beautiful and had the Presidential seal embossed in gold.  Upstairs in the main floor, the magic unfolded.  As soon as you entered the Grand Foyer, you could hear the Marine Corps band playing swing style Christmas music in the East Room.  It was such a festive atmosphere. 

Reception tables in the East Room

The foyer was magical with the giant urns filled with the Aspen branches we had decorated days before.  The icy branches we wove into them just sparkled.  There was another drink station set up in the Cross Hall with wine and water, and another one with coffee and hot chocolate.  There were a few tall round bistro type tables set up in the grand foyer draped in red tablecloths.  The flower arrangements in the Grand Foyer were small bouquets of red roses and coffee berries.  Amazingly fresh was the only way to describe them.

Recycled magazine Christmas trees in the Green Room

Once you moved into the East Room, the scene was so festive.  To the right was a station serving the richest eggnog you have ever tasted.  Four round tables in the center of the room had beef tenderloin; pork tenderloin; a giant punch bowl filled with oysters on the half shell, shrimp, and crab claws; tiny roasted potatoes; white asparagus; fresh vegetables; and smoked salmon.  There were homemade breads to put things on and amazingly delicious sauces.  No surprise that everything you tasted was cooked to perfection…just as all the meals we had eaten there before were prepared.  There was a table set up serving roast turkey…..the most perfectly browned bird ever.  There was also a ham carving station here as well and there were dressing balls and cranberry sauce as well.  For desssert, there were homemade Christmas cookies, apple pie, chocolate cakes, coconut cakes, and so many other things I can’t recall them all.  There was also a full bar, and another station for wine and water.  After you get all that delicious food in your mind, filter in the marine corps band, the four towering Christmas trees and wreaths on gorgeous mirrors, the beautiful golden silk draperies at the windows, and three enormous crystal chandeliers overhead and you have the makings of a magical event.  There were countless butlers.  These people made certain that no dish on the table was empty, and made certain that you had what you needed.  Whenever a glass would be set down, it would magically disappear.  Nothing ever ran out on the food tables.  There was a constant flow of fresh goodies from the kitchen.  The entire East Room scene was repeated again in the State Dining room….with the exception of the band.

Entrance to the Lower Visitor's Foyer

In the Red, Blue, and Green rooms you could sit on all of the furniture.  At 5:00 Mrs. Obama descended the Grand Staircase and addressed the crowd.  She was so appreciative of the effort of all the volunteers.  She talked about how so many of the states were represented.  She talked about how proud we should be because of all the people who will enjoy the house during the holidays.  She was certainly clear that this was not her house…..that it was the People’s house….and that EVERY American should be proud of it.  After being in the house and seeing how many people it takes to run it…..butlers, cooks, housekeepers, janitors, carpenters, electricians, plumbers, Secret Service, photographers, and then on top of the the First Lady’s and President’s staff….it is very clear that it is not a private house.  Mrs. Obama spoke for about eight minutes and then shook hands with many people in the audience.  It was a great experience to see that these people are in fact real people. 

We were at the party from about 4:00 to 6:00.  About 5:50, the State Dining Room doors were closed, and they used the door closing to start ushering people out of the house.  Eventually only the East Room was open, and it was closed by 6:15.  The crowd slowly started to elave, and I would estimate that by 6:45 everyone was gone.  It is a good thing because at 7:00 there was another holiday party at the house!

East Visitor's Entrance

The entire experience was eye opening for me.  The operation of the house is incredible.  It is an entertaining machine.  Everything is so beautifully maintained and cared for.  Everything works like clockwork, and because so many of the staff have been there for so many years, it runs very smoothly.  Everyone knows what to do and when to do it….and they do it with a sense of urgency and pride that is absent from lost of areas in our country’s work force.  If every American could have this experience, they would change the way they think about the President’s life (maybe not the politics) and they would change the way they work.

Green room with trees and wreaths made from recycled magazines and newspaper

It took an hour for 90 people to get through three security checkpoints to get inside the White House.  They were super thorough. 

Once inside, it was easy to move about the public areas of the house.  There was a screen set up in the lower cross hall to screen the President and First Family as they came and went.  I am certain they have little privacy, so this was understandable.  The house is really beautiful.  It feels very intimate for the President’s residence, which surprised me.  It is a big house, don’t get me wrong, but the overall feeling is very approachable and welcoming. 

Our first task was to unload all the trucks with the supplies we had been working on at the warehouse.  This took about two hours.  You would get a box, take it to where it needed to go, and then go get another one.  Some of the things took two or three people to carry, so it took a while.  I was one of a few volunteers who got to walk through the Palm Room and Rose Garden to help unload things that were destined for the West Wing.  This area is typically totally off limits, so it was great to see it first hand.  The oval office was visible and within a few hundred feet of me.  The rose garden is beautiful in person.

Once the trucks were unloaded we started working in our assigned rooms.  I worked in the East Room.  Bill was the room lead.  He is an 82 year old man who has been decorating during the holidays at the White House for more than 40 years.  He is amazing at the stories he tells….and can referrence looks from so many different administrations.  One thing he said is that the recycled newspaper trees in the Green Room are a direct take off of something that was done in the 1940’s when there were no additional resources from which to make decorations.  I was in charge of designing the way the ribbon was placed on the East Room trees.  We used four ribbons:  a really wide gold satin ribbon, a blue silky ribbon, a blue brocade ribbon, and a soft blue.  The soft blue would be made into rosettes along with a plum color.  The color scheme in the East Room was derived from the peacock theme in that room.  Ultimately, the “Simple Gift” of the East Room was the “Gift of Nature’s Splendor”.  We had six large peacocks that a Michigan artist had made from dried flowers he had gathered from the woods around his home.  We used one of these at the top of each tree, and worked gold leaves and some of the large rosettes arund them so they appeared to be nesting in the trees.  The other two peacocks would be used in the garland over the entrance door to the East Room.  With the help of two other people, I tied the peacocks into the tops of all four 14 feet tall trees in the East Room. 

A completed East Room tree with ribbon and peacock theme

Peacocks on top of the East Room trees during the Reception

Monday morning started another amazing day.  When I got to the White House this morning at 7:30, I could not believe what a giant mess we had left the night before.  Even though we spent an hour straightening up, it was still a disaster.  I was relieved to know that even in the President’s house, a fantastic Christmas decorating job makes an enormous mess.  By mid-day there were scads of volunteers just breaking down boxes and carrying trash out to the trucks. 

I continued to work in the East Room.  After I got a team working on each tree, I took on the task of decorating the garland over the entrance door to the room.  Alison was my helper.  We placed lengths of all four ribbons, two giant peacocks made from dried flowers, and many of the gold leaves that had been used before.  We also added some glass ornaments, and it was spectacular when it was complete. 

We had lunch today (and every day at the White House) in the State Dining Room.  There was an array of things to choose from, and everthing we ate was delicious.  In the mid-afternoon each day there was a special treat.  Sunday we had chocolate chip cookies, today popcorn.  The smell of these things baking filled the rooms just like it does at home.  It really made you feel like you were working on something for yourself. 

There are layers of detail everywhere.  The Blue Room tree is really interesting with all the decorations being made by SCAD….Savannah College of Art and Design.  It really does have the “Simple Gifts” theme, with all of the decorations being made from recycled or 100% sustainable products.  The East Room is probably the most elegant room.   The Red Room is my favorite.  How could you not love that color?  It is such a pretty shade of red, and this year they have mixed purple and hot pink with the red.  It is rich and beautiful. 

The Red Room with the Simple Gift theme of "Christmas Traditions." The White House tradition in the red room is the cranberry tree, and this year, Chief Floral Designer Laura Dowling created a modern interpretation with a deconstructed cranberry ball.

The cranberry ball in the Red Room

The elegant mantle in the Red Room

Garland over the East Room entrance

There are many people on the White House staff who have been there for years.  Bob, one of the carpenters who helped me on this day has been there for over 20 years.  He came to the rescue when the large garland I was working on broke in two.  It had to be competely disassembled and re-done.  Everyone on staff is really friendly. 

Tuesday was my favorite day.  The house shaped up fairly quickly, and the majority of spaces were completed by 2:00.  I had to hang all the wreaths above the mantles in the East Room on the mirrors and do bows and gold leaves on them.  The paintings of George and Martha Washington by Gilbert Stuart and Eliphalet Andrews that had been covered up while we were in the room decorating were uncovered, and the 18th century creche was also uncovered.  It had been hiding behind the curtains of the large windo in the East Room.

Creche in the East Room

One of the wreaths on the four mirrors in the East Room

One thing that has been amazing to me is what a great job the Social Secretary’s office did in selecting the volunteers.  Both people who are gifted with a knack for design and those who aren’t are totally necessary.  They had the mix perfected.  There is really a place for both types of people.  I could not have done the work that I did without the help of someone preparing the things I was working and handing them to me.  Otherwise, I would have been coming up and down the ladders every minute. 

The Grand Foyer was the last room to be completed.  The trees were done yesterday, but the garlands weren’t started until 2:00.  All of the lead designers from each room ended up working on the Grand Foyer garlands.  There was a great energy here.  It was great so see everyone who had created the centerpiece of each room come together as a team in the foyer.  We covered the garlands with red poinsettia blossoms made out of ribbon, gold pinecones, repurposed gold leaves, and whatever ribbon we could scrounge together from the different rooms.  The garlands were amazing, and would become the backdrop of the First Lady’s address at the reception I would attend on Wednesday. 

One of the four garlands in the Grand Foyer

Beautiful garland and wreath in the Grand Foyer

Detail of garlands in the Grand Foyer

Fun poinsettia ribbon flowers for the Grand Foyer

There are many other beautiful spaces in the White House, and each had its own special “Simple Gift.”  Scrolls were added to each tree explaining the symbolism.  It was very emotional to see the meanings that were intended behind all the work that was done.  Following are photos of more of the spaces along with descriptions of their “Simple Gifts.”

East Colonade and the "Gifts of the Garden" with wreaths made from preserved gourds

"The Gift of a Child's Joy" in the East Entrance. All the gingerbread decorations were made by children whose parents are in the military.

"The Gift of Music" in the Vermeill Room

"The Gift of Stories" in the Library.

Lower Cross hall and the "Gift of the Poinsettia"

Diplomatic Reception Room

Mantle detail in the Diplomatic Reception Room

China Room and the "Gift of Family." The table is set with the Reagan china.

White chocolate gingerbread White House in the State Dining Room

State Dining Room and the "Gift of Celebrating with Friends and Family"

Sconce detail in the State Dining Room

Beautiful garland in the Diplomatic Reception Room

Bunny Williams with me in her new "Bee Line Home" showroom in High Point

One of the highlights of this market was meeting design legend Bunny Williams in the new showroom for her new product line, Bee Line Home.  I am now carrying Bee Line home here in Knoxville thanks to my sales representative Roe Pitts.  Bunny is truly an interesting person who has a unique perspective on design, and who has lived a life full of doing what she loves, and creating beautiful interiors along the way.  Her classic book, “Affair with a House” is one of my favorites, and chronicles the evolution of her country estate.  Her partnership with John Roselli in Treillage is also an incredible story of interesting travel and places…..again coupled with beautiful objects from around the world.  Bee Line Home gives fans and consumers the opportunity to purchase some of her all time favorite pieces which she has beautifully reproduced. 

Another highlight was meeting Alexa Hampton.  I had met her a few years ago when she introduced her first collection for Hickory Chair.  This time, she was autographing copies of her new book, “The Language of Interior Design” at the Visual Comfort lighting showroom.  She has designed a collection for them that is beautifully chic…and of course, since it is from Visual Comfort, it is affordable.  She is so gracious, and an inspiration to me knowing her history and the fact that her father, Mark Hampton, was one of the greatest designers of all time.  The book is beautiful, and richly showcases many of her projects.  The book is interesting because she speaks to so many different styles and can’t be categorized to one look.  This is something I strive to do in my own work, and is the result of listening to what your clients have to say and to what they want.

The final highlight was meeting legendary designer Michael S. Smith and Elle Decor editor Margaret Russell at the Press Party in the Baker showroom.  The showroom is of course unbelievably large and even more beautiful.  They have created an entire Michael S. Smith home in the showroom to showcase his new product line for Baker.  I have enjoyed watching his career develop….even before his most recent honor to design the private living quarters in the White House.  It was an incredible experience to walk through his brilliantly laid out spaces and soak up inspiration.  His look for Baker is classic but fresh at the same time.  It walks a fine line between the 18th century and today.  This is a tricky place to be because there has to be enough fresh elements to keep the look current….but at the same time has to referrence history enough to make the look classic.  He is a master at this mix.

Read the entire article at http://www.traditionalhome.com/design_decorating/howwelive/farmhouse-style-renovation_ss1.html

Palladio's Villa Foscari or "Malcontenta"

The portico of the Villa Valmarana

Charming side porch of the Villa Valmarana in Mira

Side entrance of the Villa Valmarana

Canal view of the Villa Valmarana

Canal view of the Villa Pisani in Stra

Garden of Villa Pisani

The canal at Villa Pisani in the garden

Thanks to Traditional Home for including me in their list of “20 Young Designers to Watch”, in their March 2010 issue.  It is an honor to be included in this group of incredibly talented individuals, and great to be recognized by a favorite publication.  I had the privildege of getting to know one of the editors, Candace Manroe, this year on the photo shoot for a home in Key West that will be featured in the June issue.  Working with one of their great photographers, Werner Straub, was also amazing.  After having owned my own firm for just over 10 years, this has become one of the highlights.  I am most appreciative.

The feature is very clever.  The editors have taken this honor one step further to get their readers involved and are offering a fantastic prize to both the winning reader and winning designer.  As a reader of Traditional Home, you have an opportunity to vote  for your favorite young designer, and in the process win $5000 worth of Duralee fabrics!  As one of the featured designers, I have the opportunity to win more recognition in their publication.  The winners will be revealed in the October 2010 issue.  Voting is easy, and your vote for me will be greatly appreciated. 

Go to http://www.traditionalhome.com/duralee and click “Join Now” to register with Traditional Home.  You have to be registered to vote.  After that, click “Vote Now” in the Reader’s Choice section.  Scroll down to view the designer portfolios, and then cast your vote.  You will be asked to confirm a security code, and once you have entered that, press “ENTER” to cast your vote.  There will be a notice saying you were successful if everything was done correctly.  You can vote every day until March 23 and increase your chances of winning!  Thanks for your support, and thanks again to the team at Traditional Home for your vote of confidence in my ability.

Photo shows a painted kitchen floor

We work with several different types of painters in the interior design business.  Different jobs require different levels of expertise.  A painter who is experienced at wall and trim paint, getting a silky smooth finish on woodwork, and walls free of drywall seams and nail pops is a wonderful thing, but he is probably not the person you want to do a decorative finish.  My experience is that an expert in that area is very important.  Faux finishing is a talent that requires years of experience to master.  A professional finisher will know where to start with the finish, how long it will take him to complete an area, and where a safe place to stop finishing will be.  You see, you can’t just stop for lunch anywhere along the way.  Stopping points have to be calculated in advance or your stopping points will be visible in the finished product. 

One faux finisher I work with regularly is Timothy Brown of Brown Studios in New York.  He makes monthly trips to Knoxville to work on my jobs, and is considering moving here in early summer.  Timothy’s work is world class.  He was trained by another of my faux painters, Daryl Garrison, who is still practicing in Nashville, Tennessee.  Timothy honed his craft under Daryl’s tutelage, and branched out to form his own company in New York.  There, he has worked for many top interior designers and their major league clients.  He has done work in the Kipps Bay Showhouse several times, worked with nationally recognized designer Eric Cohler, and his clients have included Katie Couric, Michael Douglas, and Katherine Zeta Jones.  Following are a few images of Timothy’s talents.

A painted nursery floor

Layered blocks

Painted monogram

Painted stripes for a playroom

Black and white stripes

Kipps Bay Showhouse

As you can see from the above photos, Timothy’s talent extends far beyond “walls” and includes floors, ceilings, furniture, and decorative items.  These are world class finishes by a fun and talented man.  His precision is amazing.  Who else could paint those perfect stripes with such detail?  Look for more of Timothy’s work in the future.

A good designer will listen to what their client wants.  If you want a white room, with white upholstery, white floors, and white draperies, a good designer will explain what the negatives could be, and if you accept them, will proceed to give you the look you want.  All white isn’t right for my lifestyle, but I have seen places where it works beautifully and clients who are able to easily maintain it.  When I look at a room that is beautifully done, it is easy for me to appreciate what went into the making of the room, and to visualize how it could be lived in.  As readers of shelter magazines, we should try to show tolerance for different styles and to learn how to appreciate them.  Interior Design is an art form, and designers and their clients deserve the same type of respect for their areas of expertise that good artists get.  Who would say that Picasso could not paint?  Even if you don’t like his style, most people can appreciate what went in to creating his pieces.  If you don’t know how he transformed himself from a classical painter to one of the most well known contemporary artists ever, read up.  It is fascinating to see his style transform. 

Traditional means different things to different people.  Someone from Saudi Arabia will have a completely different perspective on what “traditional” is than someone from Kansas.  Try to think about these factors when reading your shelter magazines.  They will become much more interesting, and you will learn lots more about different styles and cultures.  You might even be surprised by discovering something you didn’t know, and changing the way you view interiors.

All that being said, before you judge an interior as ugly, dated, not original, or impractical, try to determine why it is that way.  Maybe it is exactly what the client wanted, and maybe to someone else, it is beautiful.