Modernize Your Home Holiday Decorating

Isn’t that wreath spectacular? Danielle from 100 Layer Cake made it using a wreath frame and found branches from her neighborhood magnolia trees. She spray painted the green side of each leaf with gold and then assembled it using wire. And she claims it’s really not as complicated as it looks. Amazing!

Jillian created the garland for the mantel using styrofoam balls she spray painted with copper, gold, and silver. She strung them using a needle and heavy string and then hung them from teeny nails hidden behind the drop of her mantel.

Cute party shoes, no? Clearly the fashion at a holiday party in a home with modern decorations like this would be bold and sparkly.

Love the illustrated ornaments for an easy little project to dress up any part of your house this time of year. Jillian drew them and guess what? You totally can too!

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6 Ways to Keep Your Interior Design Clients On Your Side

I think we don't talk enough about the need for interior design students to learn how to develop good client relationships. And that includes maintaining good vibes with your client even when their decorating project has been completed.

First, let's look at what not to say. Click here to read my latest Williams-Sonoma Designer Marketplace article, 7 Little Dirty Words You Should Never Say to a Client, and you'll get a good idea of what can really screw up a relationship. (But a quick sidebar to the article: sometimes you can say one of these no-no's, fully realizing that it might press a button you intended to push in order to elicit a desired response.)

But, let's go to the positive side of the coin. Here are some of my rules for establishing and maintaining a good client relationship.

1. Be friendly and professional. The Golden Rule applies to so many things in life. No one likes to be greeted with a scowl, have questions answered in a lazy, distracted manner (worse yet, you're texting when you should be paying attention to your client!), or be subjected to a constant bombardment of venting and negativity.
2. Be civil. Clients always put a premium on design professionals who act cool in the face of adversity, and don't lose their civility even when the client is blowing her or his top. You're expected to be a rock, so keep all responses calm and civil, even when the atmosphere is charged with anger, blame, disappointment, or hostility.
3. A sense of humor comes in handy. Trot it out when you want to lighten the mood and help a client focus on the positive. You don't have to tell a joke or recite a bawdy limerick; just be witty or say something to lighten the mood when it's called for.
4. Authenticity is always appropriate. If you're in the habit of being honest with your client, and always telling them what's on your mind or what you think - being tactful, of course - then you'll begin to develop a closer relationship. Be yourself.
5. Honesty, always. Don't overcharge your clients, and don't withhold important information. Don't be a doormat and let your client walk all over you either; tell clients when you disagree with them, but gain their respect by letting them know that you'll always tell them why you like or dislike specific design decisions on their project. Tell them, "It would be dishonest of me to agree to a choice you want me to make if I don't think that choice is in the best interests of your project. I'll disagree, but then I'll tell you why your designer believes another choice would be preferable. We won't always be acting upon what I love, but I'll always give you my honest opinion. You deserve the feedback."
6. At the end of the day, you're a service person. You offer a high-end, high-touch, luxury service and don't ever forget it. Return all phone calls to clients promptly. Anticipate what might go wrong with a client's project, and start to troubleshoot. Communicate frequently and efficiently with the client. Don't take phone calls or answer the phone when you're in a client meeting. Always make the client your focus when you're together, and let them know that you are accessible and attentive to their needs.

Sheffield School began as an Interior Design school in 1985, and then expanded our course offerings to train people in other design-related fields, including Feng Shui, Wedding and Event Planning, and Jewelry Design. With thousands of active students and more than 50,000 graduates, Sheffield has trained more design professionals than any school in the world.

Request a free Sheffield School catalog describing our distance education courses.

Subscribe to the Sheffield Designer newsletter.

We Love Brides and Grooms Personalizing Their Wedding Decor

  

I'm excited about the wedding trend I'm seeing to have the bride and groom (or groom and groom/bride and bride) extend their personalities into the event decor. The decor isn't the usual impersonal decorating done by florists and planners; there's been a careful coordination with the happy couple to make sure the setting tells a more personal story. Here are two examples I found in the exceptional Real Life Weddings posted on one of our favorite wedding and event blogs, 100 Layer Cake.

 Here's how Britt and Bryan talked about the decor and how it related to their tastes (see top two photos and next two photos for decor details; click on all photos for their complete wedding story).

We wanted an eclectic look, with diverse textures, the sort of mishmash of shapes and colors you might find when combing a beach. And so we used weathered brass containers, antique brass candle sticks, and sea glass colored bottles for our centerpieces. All of our flowers were grown locally and organically on our florist’s farm. She provided gorgeous protea, air plants, succulents, ruffled pink roses, perfect dahlias, fresh eucalyptus and all sorts of native spiny and textured wild plants to decorate our table. We collected feathers (the way you might when walking a beach) which were then loosely tucked into arrangements and hung from a wood beam in our reception space.

And here's another example of personalized decor from Sophie and Gareth in the UK. They threw a vintage picnic wedding, and here's what they said about their special day and the work that they put into the details, from vintage mismatched china and huge table doilies to a vintage typewriter in lieu of a guestbook.

Try to keep it as personal as you can – it’s your day and your guests will appreciate the little personal touches. Everyone commented on how ‘us’ the wedding was. It is the biggest party you will ever organize, and in our case probably the only time we would have all of our loved ones in the same place together so we wanted to create a laid back feel to encourage everyone to relax and interact – it totally worked. So plan, plan, and then do more planning – the only way you will be able to relax yourselves on the day is to know every detail has been thought about and covered. Make sure

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Throw a Very Special Kids Halloween Party This Year

Pottery Barn Kids: Halloween Tablecloth

If your household has young children, it's important to make each holiday count towards making wonderful lifetime memories. Special decorating and tabletop touches will elevate a Halloween meal or party from the everyday to the memorable, and that's just what you're looking for. Here are a few of my favorite Pottery Barn Kids and Pottery Barn tabletop and decor items to help you throw a festive Halloween party this year. Click on each photo for more information. 

Pottery Barn Kids: Halloween Luminaries

Pottery Barn: Curiosity Appetizer Plates, Set of 4

Pottery Barn Kids: Personalized Owl Chairbacker

Pottery Barn Kids: Halloween Treat Basket and Liner

Pottery Barn: Owl Tree Punch Bowl Stand with Ladle

If you're interested in learning more about interior design and decorating, we encourage you to explore the Sheffield School, New York, NY. Sheffield began as an Interior Design school in 1985, and then expanded our course offerings to train people in other design-related fields, including Feng Shui, Wedding and Event Planning, and Jewelry Design. With thousands of active students and more than 50,000 graduates, Sheffield has trained more design professionals than any school in the world.

Request a free Sheffield School catalog describing our distance education courses.

Subscribe to the Sheffield Designer newsletter.

Holiday Home Decorating: 7 Halloween Favorites

West Elm: Terracotta Skull Bowl

Now that Halloween has pulled up just behind Christmas as the #2 holiday for home decorating - think of all those Halloween parties you have to decorate for, and the trick-or-treaters themselves! - I thought it would be fun to pick 7 different decor pieces that you don't have to feel guilty about displaying in your home.

Wisteria: Silhouette Witch and Cat Entourage

I've tried to avoid the too-tacky and trite and focus on those items which follow some of our key interior design rules of mood, function, style, period, and scale. Oh, and good taste, too! Click on each photograph for more information on the item, and happy decorating!

Crate & Barrel: Pumpkin Platter

Pottery Barn: Black House Lantern

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