Lately I have been @.....

2014 has already presented me with a lot of exciting opportunities and I hope to share the latest and greatest with you here.  I feel like I have covered a lot of territory and it isn't even quite March.  I thought I would share my last few weeks in pictures to bring you all up to speed.

If you haven't been to Gay, Georgia to Vintage Lumber, it is worth the hour or so in the car.  I have been working with Willis and his crew a good bit lately which means I have been spending some quality time in Gay.  My blood pressure seems to lower when I am there, even the drive through the country is enjoyable.  A lot of you have been to Keith Summerour's Towerhouse Farm before so you have probably passed right by Vintage Lumber.  The next time you are in the 30218 area, you should make arrangements with Willis for a tour.  I notice something new each time I am there like these wood slabs pictured below.  My imagination began to run wild thinking about what you could do with these beautiful slabs of antique lumber.

I am sure you have seen Floralis Landscape Architecture and Garden Design signs about town but if you haven't, you can take a look at their work on Houzz, we just uploaded all of their photographed projects into their profile, http://www.houzz.com/pro/floralis/floralis.  

Hard woods seem to be a theme in this blog post.  Tish Mills completed this project a while back but we just got the photographs.  I love the feel of this room with the blonde wood ceiling and floors.  You can see the entire room on her houzz profile,  http://www.houzz.com/pro/tishmills/harmonious-living-by-tish-mills-llc.

Have you ever compared a custom window and a manufactured window side by side?  Not everyone can afford custom windows and doors throughout so thankfully various manufacturers have made strides with the look, feel and function of their products.  

I took this picture when I was meeting with Lee Arnold at Architectural Details and Millwork.  The detail of this muntin alone shows you the craftsmanship that goes into his custom windows and doors.  I don't have any of his windows and doors in my home so looking at this beautiful detail will have to do.  We will be photographing a lot of newly completed projects in the upcoming months but for now you can see more of his work on Houzz,  http://www.houzz.com/pro/architecturaldetailsandmillwork/architectural-details-and-millwork.

Below is a photograph taken at the Texas ranch Ryan Duffey designed for his parents.  You can see the rest of the project on his houzz profile, http://www.houzz.com/pro/jryanduffeyarchitects/j-ryan-duffey-architect.  Native wood was used for the ceiling and scissor trusses of the main residence.  Iron doors and windows by Rod Gibson were designed here in Atlanta, shipped to Texas and installed throughout the home.  The family compound consists of the main residence, a bunkhouse and a functioning brew house.

I have been working at Scout For The Home for several years off and on and posting the beautiful interiors that Nancy Duffey creates.  The retail store will be closing at the end of February in order for Nancy to focus more on her growing interior design portion of the business.  She and Ryan will share an office space right in the same area which makes perfect sense.  I will share more info on the space when I can but it will probably be the end of March before they let me pull my camera out.

Another landscape architect I have been working with is Courtney Shulin who owns Southern Roots Studio.  She does a lot of work in the Virginia Highland/Morningside area but has completed projects all over Atlanta.  Her houzz profile is http://www.houzz.com/pro/southernrootsstudio/southern-roots-studio.

I am so pleased that ROMA paints were used on the interior and exterior of the most recent Home for the Holidays showhouse this past December.  I attached some images of the swatches of color that Sloan Painting used on the home designed by Harrison Design Associates and built by Dovetail Homes.  The Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles latest issue has a beautiful spread with images from each room in the home.  It is great to see a healthy paint product receiving such great exposure.

That does it for now, thank you for reading!!

Suggested Reading

 I have a book recommendation for you all if you are interested in Atlanta's history, "Formula For Fortune" by Ann Uhry Abrams, about the historic Candler family of Atlanta and how they made and spent their fortune.

I am not an Atlanta native so there was a lot in the book I was completely unaware of or unfamiliar with.  You don't have to be a history buff to enjoy the book, it has murder, law suits and infidelities, but most importantly, you will recognize many names and places and hopefully it will encourage you to go visit the landmarks created by this family.

  

I had previously read "The House The Rockefellers Built" by Robert F. Dalzell and Lee Baldwin Dalzell which describes the architectural journey of Kykuit, the famous Rockefeller home in the Hudson Valley and "Fortune's Children" by Arthur T. Vanderbilt II which spends a lot of time recounting their architectural extravagances.  Little did I know, the Candlers rivaled these families in their spending.  Where Nelson Rockefeller spent his money on art, Asa "Buddy" Candler spent his money on animals for his own private zoo.  A family tree would be helpful throughout both of these books as the family names are re-purposed in a different order and different combinations from generation to generation. 

I highly recommend it!!!  I think you will also enjoy the other books I mentioned so check them out and let me know what you think.  Please send me any recommendations you have.

 

Happy reading!

"Why We Keep Clothes We Never Wear"

Here is something lighthearted for your Monday morning.  I came across this article this morning in The Guardian magazine and it will either make you breathe a sigh of relief, that you aren't alone, or you might recognize some early signs of hoarding.

We all have a closet full of clothes that we never wear, mine are spread across three closets.  I liked the comparison of the closet to a library.  Let me know how you identify with this article!

http://www.theguardian.com/fashion/costume-and-culture/2013/aug/05/why-we-keep-clothes-never-wear

Happy Monday!!

The advantages of Houzz.com from a business perspective

I have had several of my clients ask if there is a real advantage to creating a presence on Houzz.com.  When you visit the site, you will probably find images of your work already there, uploaded from other sites, with no mention of your name.  Why not have your profile on sites like Houzz and Pinterest where you can properly label the images with your company information and any information about the project and even credit those who worked with you on the project.  Don't forget your photographers.

I tuned in to a webinar today on Houzz that describes the "new, empowered client".  There were a lot of statistics presented that I thought a lot of my clients would find interesting.  Here are a few tidbits....

They did a survey with existing houzzers and found that most people don't search for their ideas and inspiration in magazines anymore.  They found that 67% of the people they surveyed used houzz.com and only 11% referenced magazines and as little as 4% took referrals from friends and family.

Those who were planning to embark on a home project in the next year or two were for the majority (72%) planning to re-decorate while 40% were planning to add on or renovate.  Only 10% were planning to build from scratch.

Of the areas in the house to be renovated, the kitchen was number 1 with an approximate budget of 27 K.  The areas with the smallest allotted budget were floor or wall replacements and the addition of an exterior structure like a deck.

The professional hired the most was the General Contractor and what I found interesting is that 43% of the projects went over their remodel budget and 18% didn't even have a budget.

There is so much more information in the webinar specific to various professionals, and it is only around 25 minutes long.

My takeaway is that if you are a builder, kitchen designer, or interior designer, you should definitely be on houzz.com from reading these statistics.  As for every other professional in the design, architecture and built environment, you should also be on houzz.com because the more exposure the better, especially if you link to your website, facebook, linkedin and twitter accounts.

A good example for you to look at is the ROMA houzz profile that I have worked on for over a year now.  It is full of projects, great images and lots of information about the projects, who executed them and who photographed them as well.  http://www.houzz.com/pro/romabio/roma-ecosustainable-building-technologies

Here is the link to the webinar, http://info.houzz.com/proswebinar, and I hope this information has been helpful.

Today I am @.....

I am posting an article written by Chris Lewis, CTO of ROMA, which is very eye opening.  If this doesn't encourage you to stop buy the studio to learn more and try ROMA paints, plasters and finishes, I don't know what will.  You will recognize one of the paint companies in this article, they are a household name.  Click on the link below and read more.

Enjoy!!

http://romabio.com/newsstand/2013/03/08/the-ugly-truth-about-voc-disclosures/

Today I am @.....

...ROMA- Eco Sustainable Building Technologies

Be sure to follow us on Twitter, @romabio,  Facebook,  and read our blog.

Today I am going to be posting a story that was featured in the AJC on Sunday.   One of our favorite customers and friends, Lisa Vail, used ROMA paints throughout her home.  Stay tuned.

Also don't forget, 20% off on my website when you shop jewelry for the month of February!!

I hope this sunshine I see right now is an indicator that the forecast for rain over the next few days is inaccurate!!

Have a fabulous day!!

Today I was @.......

.......ROMA (formerly San Marco USA)

Have you seen the February issue of Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles?  Run don't walk!!!  It is full of great rooms and designers.

 Here is Beth Webb's room with walls covered in a custom finish by ROMA (formerly San Marco USA).

You should really check out their paints and other surface coverings, you can get any type of finish you desire and the bonus is that the products are healthier than any other paint product on the market.  I promise!

Here is the upstairs den by Chris Holt of Holt Interiors.  

I wish that were my upstairs den!

I also wanted to say congrats to several folks for being chosen Best of Houzz 2013!

Bellwether Landscape Architects

Bradley E. Heppner Architect

Howard Design Studio

Clark & Zook Architects

The Belding Group

Dana Wolter Interiors

I am lucky to know such talented people!!

Have a great Wednesday!