I know , I know you thought you just survived the Mean Season , when all the Snow Birds arrived and offered you 10 cents on the dollar for everything you were peddling. That was kind of mean too , but this is even meaner.

Based on the early rain , early heat , early storm , and the fact that the gators are floating lazily along in the canals by the Alley. All of that and a feeling in my sinuses , tells me we are in for a Mean Season.

Florida is called the Sunshine State , but has more rain , more lightening strikes , and  more tornadoes (although less deadly) than any other state in the USA. Then you throw in a hurricane or two , and it gives you an idea about how formidable our weather can be.

 I grew up in Cape Coral without air conditioning in the 60s and 70s. We had a ceiling fan that rotated around in a half -hearted manner , and we opened our windows at night hoping for a breeze. We welcomed the rain to cool us off and drown out the constant droning of the mosquitoes on our screens.

 Summers were hard enough , but in a Mean Season when the temperatures hover in the high 90′s  and the storms surround us , things get worse.

Dogs never lift their tails , they slink around uneasily through the yards ,  and normally facetious cats lay in the dust  . You come home and find black snakes have crawled into your garage for respite from the pounding sun. Vultures circle over head , waiting for someone on the Golf course to fall over from heat stroke. Babies  just fuss ,  too weak to cry or laugh.

As the days roll on you start to grow more native . No make up ,  and you add straw sun hats ,  shorter shorts , flip flops , and this is when you are dressed up to go to work. You always have a tumbler with ice in it , and you start to spike it with something stronger to help lift your mood. The hair on the back of your neck is constantly raised in anticipation of whatever is forming out there over the waters.

We can only guess if it will come from the Gulf , the Atlantic ,  or just rise from the ‘Glades , but the storms roll in. They pound us with rain but it never grows colder , just knocks out the lights and with it the air conditioning. You fan yourself with newspapers and eat the contents of the freezer. You listen to the thunder and light your candles. You hope the trees stay put in your lawn. You feel the power of Nature and realize how quickly things would change back into a swamp.

It just may be a Mean Season , all those who have weak wills , head North.

Today is Wednesday , it is a Mean Day that tells us we are only half way toward the Weekend and the fun that lies ahead. Put on a straw hat and your funkiest sun glasses , get a large glass add ice  , and Julep your tea. It will start to feel like Friday.

Peggy Oberlin RID 4986

I have to break my “I’m too busy so two blogs a week rule” to honor the passing of the Definer of Disco , Donna Summer. Donna is forever part of what made  a great decade  in my life , the 70′s.

We all “Loved To Love ” her , and I hope Donna gets to dance that ” Last Dance” forever.

Ah the 70′s , Diane Ross in an Afro. The Farrah Fawcett Flip. Some really over the top hair dos came from the later 1970′s , even the Mohawk. Let’s not forget skater Dorothy Hamill and her blunt angled hair cut either. 

Here is an old Penney’s ad with men in “Pimp wear” (yes , we called it that). Clothes were usually made to Disco the night away. Additionally, the 1970′s were when I first discovered the Wrap dresses of the Fashion main stay Diane Von Furstenberg. Diane I loved you then , I love you now. I remember making about 5 wrap dresses when I was 19 years old. Two had halter necks and were in bright  lemon yellow (a color I say I hate ) and acid green.

 Awesome dances also were created to groove to the Disco sound. The Bump , the Hustle , to name  just two. I was living in Ft Lauderdale at the time attending the Art Institute , and we had many fabulous times dancing the night or day away (Tea dances) at the Four O’ Clock Club , Poop Deck , and other Establishments that all rotated around the ever present Disco Ball.

Finally the Interior Design of the 1970′s was funky and fun , had the ultimate Pop colors , and is what we call Retro today. It is sometimes tacky , sometimes plasticky , but super Classic and served as a great background for our  Disco tunes , wedgie shoes and jump suits , and our Super Seventies Selves.

Rest In Peace Donna Summer , the Queen of Disco and Face and Voice of a Decade. I’ll catch up with you later at the Club in the sky.

It is Friday , did you navigate the Hustles and Bumps of the week well? This weekend make time to spin your own Disco Ball. We have to work , but dancing is so much more enjoyable , don’t you think?

Peggy Oberlin RID 4986

There is not a lot of focus on Candace Wheeler as a shaper of the Interior Design Profession. And yet she is known in many circles as the Mother of Interior Design.  Candace was one of the first to realize that the arts could be careers not just hobbies for women .

Candace Wheeler lived from 1827-1923. She was an Interior and Textile Designer . Her Honeybee wallpaper design is still considered a classic. It was unusual for a woman to branch out into Textile Design , but more unusual still was her strong passion for helping women of her time achieve financial independence through art and design.

Following the Civil War there were thousands of widows with no means of support. Candace encouraged women to enter the decorative trades in order to help their families. From rural rug making to Interior Design , she was a feminist who believed that Economic independence was even more important than the Political freedom that was being sought.
Ms Wheeler wrote books , taught , formed the Society of Decorative Art in New York City , and was the Supervising Director for the Woman’s Building at the Chicago World’s Fair.

Candace Wheeler believed in the power of the Arts to transform the lives of women who needed to find their own voice and put bread on the table. She was a strong mentor and a great business woman who helped give birth to the Profession of Interior Design. Candace has a life worth studying.

Today is Thursday, do you empower yourself in every sense including financial? Do you use your passion to make your purse fill? Find your interest , find your money , and  find your voice.

Peggy Oberlin RID 4986

It is the most difficult job there is to Mother children (true even though often said) , we are judged positively and negatively for our efforts by family , friends , and even society. So here are a couple of things to think about when we rate ourselves as Moms. It really is enough that you feel great about the job you did ,  and you should.

1. Children don’t come with instructions , but they do come with distinctions.

Every child is unique and born with many of the traits that play out through the rest of their lives. When we have babies and small children there is nothing like that rush of unconditional love you receive. It is the greatest high. We often give ourselves either too much credit or criticism for  what we perceive as the outcome of our parental input. You may have an adult child who ends up your best friend and constant support system.  You may end up with one who constantly harps on all the negatives , rewrites history , and goes to great lengths to try to make you feel bad about yourself. If you have one of the Children that seem to be there to tell you what a bad job you did , guess what , they are almost always wrong. Did you give it your all? Did you sacrifice emotion , health , time, and money? I am sure you did. We know in the business world you can have a lousy boss and still be doing excellence work. it is the same with children or even our spouses or own parents. Them not liking the way you did it , doesn’t mean it wasn’t good. We all know there are a million opinions out there.

 2. You weren’t a perfect parent.

Being an imperfect parent is not a failure. Is every golf game great? Does one bad game or even twenty make a bad golfer? Do we have highs and lows in our careers? How about riding a bike perfectly 100 times then falling off? Doing some of the things wrong , needing improvement , in general making mistakes does not a failure make. It is called being human , learning , and growing. You give yourself a break in most other aspects of your life , give your Momness rating a handicap as well.

 3. Love yourself first. Being a Mom is about sacrifice and is often a thankless task. Anyone can be a Mom , even a man (sorry guys , lol). And anyone can have children , even if it is an adorable dog or kittie. I mentor a lot and have several young women out there I feel parental to who are not even remotely related to me. Most of us have some kind of maternal instinct. Let us spend some of that maternal energy on ourselves.

Today is Mother’s Day , I hope you are lauded , applauded , and celebrated by all of those ‘children’ you invested so much of yourself into. But if not , it is enough to know that YOU feel YOU did well. So congratulate yourself Mom , you did great!

It is Sunday and Mother’s Day , may you take a moment of meditation and wash yourself in a wave of maternal love. Avoid the negative . “Cast not your pearls before swine”. Days are as rare and limited as pearls . Enjoy this pearl of a day.

Peggy Oberlin RID4986

There are some basic principles you can apply to balancing out the impact of your negative and positive spaces. After that rely on what feels right . If it looks off , it usually is.

1. Do not crowd your areas . Often I see people lining up their accessories like soldiers. They are equidistant apart and have zero visual interest. Utilize the 3 to 1 ratio here. If you place a vase 1/3 of the way down a shelf , then your next grouping should be 2/3 of the way or even 1/2 the distance away from your first accessory. You would never do a 1/3 , a 1/3 , and a 1/3. It looks staged and therefore unnatural. The way we as humans read  , this  actually would  encourage the brain to start counting objects. Equidistant Repetition is  a great  way to lead some one down a hall for example , but used in the wrong manner looks too “placed”.

 2. Don’t create a Central Station. Often we go to great pains to make sure everything is  perfectly centered off a wall. We measure carefully until we achieve a very artificial and almost “don’t touch me look”. Relax into your design. Have curved pathways  and  unequal spaces. Think of the room as a painting and implement some flow. Create tension between  furniture pieces by placing chairs slightly off from each other. When we install conversation circles and squares , it means arrange your grouping in the basic shape. This does not imply everything has to be divided up into perfect pie piece like placement.

3. Plan it on paper or computer. We don’t need to design by whim. Scale out your floor plans  and explore different avenues of interest for the final resting space of your items. Is it pleasant and interesting to view as an art form? If not keep sketching. Find the Negative amidst the Positive. Everyone will enjoy the results.

 It is Wednesday , spaced right in the middle of your week. Often this is a day that feels “stuck” in there , and makes us feel kind of stuck too. When will Thursday arrive? Tomorrow will be soon enough. Make this day count and do a little more . This way you will have a less frantic Friday.

 Peggy Oberlin RID 4986

Almost a year ago I wrote a blog called ” Say Goodbye To Incandscent Lighting.” I did do that , and so did many of my clients. Whether you are contemplating new construction or renovation , Light Emitting Diodes (LED) are getting more and more user – friendly each passing day. LED is nearly always the best solution for your lighting questions.

Here are some ways to introduce LED lighting into your home. And also  why we go LED.

1, Under the cabinet lighting in kitchen and bar areas. LED strip lighting is great in both areas. It stays cool in temperature , and so then radiates none of the old heat that we felt from  the halogen hockey puck lighting . LED strip lights are sleek , about the size of your finger , and  they hide easily behind small moldings. Remember how bulky the old flourescent strip lights were? And ,  LEDs are dimmable so you can control the level of light needed.

2. Recessed cans. You can retro fit LED light bulbs into your existing recessed can apetures , and they can last up to 7 years. Think of how wonderful it is to rarely have to get up on a ladder and change a bulb! If you are starting a new home build , go all LED 4” recessed cans when possible. It creates a much cleaner looking ceiling elevation .

3. Color rendition. LED lights are no longer all blue looking. They have a full range of color renditions that will work wonderful in your home. Most of my clients prefer 2700 Kelvin (a white which is slightly warm) But some go onto 3000 K , a truer white that works great with blues , greens , and purples. The light emitted is cleaner , truer , and more like daylight than incandscent lighting which is often too yellow for most color schemes. Next time a bulb burns out in your lamp , screw in an LED.

4. As accent lights everywhere. Use LED  as step lights to guide the way up stairs with subtle and yet serviceable beauty. Make your artwork pop with LED pin spots or picture frame lights . LED makes every color and texture stand out even more. It is great as pendant light and wall sconces as well.

5. Landscape. LED is the go to product for your landscape needs . For some time we have used LED solar powered batteries as  path lights. Now turn to LED for all your outdoor lighting needs. Again they will last longer , and the color renditions available are great with your outdoors plantings.

6. The price keeps falling. All over the Globe nations are investing heavily in LED lighting as an Eco Friendly and Cost Efficient way to provide lighting both residentially and commercially. As more and more products become available and the competition in the industry increases , LED prices are falling into the realm of affordability for middle America.

LED lighting is needed somewhere in your home right now .It is clean , GREEN (Eco) , cool , efficient , and even cost effective. If you haven’t switched over yet , you are missing out on a better way to light up your life.

It is Monday ,  do you carry your own special light from within , or do you feel like turning your dimmer on when the weekend is over? Let your light glow like an LED bulb , longer , clearer , and future oriented.

Peggy Oberlin RID 4986

 Several of my fellow Interior Designers and myself have become obsessed with Pinterest. For those of you who are out of touch  ( living in a bomb shelter since 1950) with this branch of Social Media , Pinterest is basically a website where you share photographs with captions , of well , anything with other site members. There are different categories you can organize your photos in like Design , Outdoors , etc. It sounds kind of boring and ordinary but it is as addictive as Lay’s Potato Chips and no one can pin just once.

The first thing I learned about Pinterest is that in a perfect world , you would be eating a Red Velvet Cupcake while standing in a flowing silk turquoise gown , in front of a magnificently carved doorway surrounded by uniquely potted flowering  plants in coastal Italy. Oh, and  with Johnny Depp. I know this based on the thousands of photos being shared about all the above items on Pinterest .  Tasty Cupcakes , scenic Italy , great architectural entries , etc, are just a few of the things that seem to be  much coveted items by Pinners.

What was surprising about Pinterest is that it can be used as one big Inspirational Board for design projects . You might find fabulous spiraling staircases that you save as ideas for upcoming projects . Maybe you will create a color scheme  based off a  signature Valentino Red Gown you find. You might be moved by viewing a grouping of ethnic baskets from Mexico , to  then work with naturally textured materials in a Great Room.

 There are very current , colorful , professionally photographed shots of the latest Interior Design Materials , Roomscapes , and even Paint Color Boards. Through Pinterest you can quickly scan through hundreds of products when looking for a light fixture for a dining room. The website is a great  search engine in itself for any number of items , design styles , and hues that you may be considering for your upcoming clientele.

Pinterest as I said above is inspirational , a good product source  , and also fabulous networking. I enjoy seeing what my fellow designers find memorable and worth sharing. I know for example that my friend Gosia is drawn to beautiful flowers and classically appointed rooms. That Diane and I share a love of artistically adorned cakes. And that Melissa loves Transitional and Contemporary Clean lines and designs. I am learning more about people I know through their photo choices. A picture really does say more than a thousand words.

Other than the fact that just writing this blog is making me long to get back to my Pin Boards , I haven’t found the negatives to the Pinterest Interest. If you haven’t given Pinning a shot , give it a try sometime .http://pinterest.com/pin/108297566009709447/

I got to go , I am sure someone has just Pinned something I need to Pin to one of my Boards . Maybe Johnny Depp eating a piece of heavily Frosted Carrot Cake at a antique wrought iron cafe table at Lake Como. You never know. Happy Pinning to all you Pinners!

It is Monday , it is hard to Pin down where to start and what to do? Feeling less than inspired to begin another week? Breathe deep , and start with one item on your never ending list of to dos.Seek a new way to handle your duties , with creativity , interest , and acceptance.

Peggy Oberlin RID 4986

I had the pleasure recently of visiting an amazing organization in Pompano Beach Florida that was started by a young ladies ” Maybe I can make a difference ” dream that became a reality.

 Taylor’s Closet was conceived by Lindsay Giambattista as a school project. It was named in honor of her sister who is deceased.

What began as collecting clothes from friends and family to give away to young women in need , grew to become a real building that has an inviting and whimsical fashion house decor  .

 Taylor’s Closet is where at-risk girls in South Florida (around 32,000) , can  take part in the Reveal Shopping Program . Since the progran began ,  up to a million dollars of clothing has been given away in a boutique-like setting.

Participants in the program  are  able through a wonderful network of mentoring  partake in sewing , cooking , and art classes. The “Awaken ” Mentoring Program gives Life Skills Training which helps empower the older  girls who utilize it.   This type of practical and creative instruction “awakens” the buried dreams inside the hearts and minds of those attending the classes . It also offers spiritual comfort and emotional support.

An off-shoot or “branch” if you well , of Taylor’s Closet is the Linden Tree. The Linden Tree takes donations of furniture , accessories , lighting , and hardware , and re-purposes them into art pieces that are colorful , unique , and so on top of today’s design trends. The reinvented furniture pieces are all throughout Taylor’s Closet , and are for sale at reasonable prices for such fabulous finds. They are also Eco Friendly , as the artists strive to use Green materials and products in the transformation process.

Taylor’s Closet and the Linden Tree are both about Transformation. They can change an unwanted piece of furniture into a keepsake , and help a young woman who has lost hope find a new and brighter direction in life.

I came across Taylor’s Closet through Fern Gonzalez , an Interior Design student at Palm Beach State College.

 As President Elect for the Florida South Chapter of ASID , I have visited the Colleges in my part of Florida that have Interior Design programs . I talk about ASID  , Interior Design , and also hope to inspire someone listening to move forth with a greater life purpose. I have rarely come across someone like Fern , who turned the tables , and motivates me . Fern is one of the small staff of caring people who give their time , energy , and creative spirit to Taylor’s Closet and the Linden Tree. She is pictured here with me along with the Director Linda Giambattista (Lindsay and Taylor’s mother).

I encourage all of you to  visit www.taylorscloset.org and www.lindentreeliving.com . The phone number is 954-531-4584 , and the address is 200 NE 2nd Street , Pompano Beach , Florida 33060. By appointment.

.Please support this wonderful organization by sponsoring a young woman in need , or through your donations of furniture.  Better yet buy a re-purposed piece and give yourself a treasure. 

 Make a difference , in your life as well as someone else’s. We give so that we may receive our own spiritual growth.

It is Friday , do you feel the need to re-purpose yourself or something else into a new life direction? Will you open that cocoon and find the butterfly within? May your weekend have wings.

Peggy Oberlin RID 4986

As you will see from the photos the LEED for Homes I am working on in Naples has reached what I will call the “outside embellishment” stage.

The clients and I worked with the nice salesman at Benjamin Moore and mixed a custom color paint that we can call Karen’s Periwinkle. It is a very attractive hue , both airy and arresting , and looks good against the cream trim. 

 You will notice that the  exterior Cypress woodwork  is being stained fairly dark , and this  lends it a warm and rich appearance. There will also be some custom stone work in an over all creamy neutral blend.

We are at the drywall stage and I am also seeing ceiling details start to emerge in the Great Room that are quite exciting .

My only wish is that I had more patience , I can not wait to see the paper plans come to 3-D form. It is beautiful , and sustainable , as it should be!

It is Wednesday , what will you invent today that brings you pleasure ? A new floor plan? A different type of wall treatment? Will you make a Green house Periwinkle? Be inventive , Be creative , Be Eco-Friendly.

Peggy Oberlin RID 4986

Do you ever look at your creative efforts and wish you had gone farther? Do you reflect on your designs in terms of limits? ” I was limited by time , by budget , by availability , etc. Have you really made every effort to achieve the ideal result that you had envisioned?

 Often we feel that we reach the point where we feel we just need to give up and accept something that is a “could have been “rather than a great.

Find that extra degree within yourself . Place one more call to the client to explain where the budget needs to be . Conduct one more search for the perfect door hardware. Spare that extra half hour applied toward the project that will reflect in a more workable floor plan.

Finding that extra 1/2 hour a day to give to something meaningful in your career gives you 180 more hours a year toward expansion , invention , and artistry.

It is Tuesday , the week is long and full of tedious tasks we want to rush through. Are we going to lend a bit more of “it’ to our Profession and see great returns? Or will we settle for something not quite? It is your life , your call.

Peggy Oberlin RID 4986