There will be no flickr faves today as I had the privilege of interviewing event designer extraordinaire David Stark this week and I wanted to post it posthaste (there is some kind of new, lame, blogging pun in there somewhere, between “post” and “posthaste” but I’m going to leave it alone). Also, one of you lucky readers will have the privilege of scoring his new book, David Stark Design FOR FREE! Just leave us an event planning story, tip, or just tell us a go-to item you find yourself using to decorate the table with again and again in the comments section to enter. If you can’t wait or if you don’t win, click here to purchase the book. We will choose a winner on Friday, May 7.

We’ve talked about David’s projects here before; I had picked a favorite awhile back (the Metropolitan Opera, bedecked in graphics from operas past), but after browsing his projects again I realize it’s impossible. I mean, how intimidating must it be to design the event for the anniversary of Cooper Hewitt’s National Design Awards? No sweat for David and his team.

Event for the Metropolitan Opera

So many of your ideas go beyond my wildest imagination – What’s the best piece of advice you can give someone on how to get inspired when they are planning their decor for a party?

Open up your mind to the world of material possibilities.  Flowers are my first love and the reason I got into this business in the first place, but flowers are simply one tool in the tool box.  Paint swatches from the hardware store, Post-it notes, number 2 pencils – anything really can be lassoed to become lovely touches to or an entire, breathtaking transformations of a space.

Please share a secret or two on how to set a striking table on a tiny budget.

I always say I would rather do one or two things perfectly than 25 things in a watered down way.  If I am buying flowers, instead of buying one bunch of three different species, I buy three bunches of the same species for more impact.   The supermarket holds a bounty of centerpiece ideas.  A line of green apples marching down the table is a centerpiece one night and a snack or pie the day after.  Pin a place card to a perfect apple at each place setting to create the “exclamation point at the end of the sentence!”

For this wedding in Maine, local flora was put to use. Trees that had been cut on the property were chopped into logs to create dramatic backdrops, and pinecones were put to work as placecard holders.

Our readers are very environmentally conscious. How can we stay green when decorating for an event that will only last a few hours?

The best start is by avoiding disposable silverware, plates, napkins, and cups.  I know it is EASIER to clean up by simply tossing, but it’s not that much extra work to wash your dishes.  For centerpieces, potted plants, especially this time of year, can begin as a centerpiece for your dining table.   The next morning,  plant your centerpiece in your garden to enjoy all summer long.

If you are crafty, you can turn your trash into treasure.  I have made all kinds of topiary and paper flowers out of our office paper waste, and in fact, we are creating a whole flower shop, called The (purley paper) Flower Shoppe to celebrate the launch of our new book at the west elm store on Broadway and 62nd Street.  The store is open to the public for two days only:  May 13^th and 14^th and is filled with all kinds of garden-y treasures that we have hand-made from the pages of old books.

So you ever feel creatively blocked? If so, how do you break through it?

I go  for a looong walk at Target. J

What is one of your favorite indulgences?

I am addicted to the gym and the trainers that keep me healthy and in my head and my heart.

Please share a favorite project with us and tell us a little bit about it.

Oh, I don’t have a favorite project!!!  That would be like singling out your favorite child!  But . . . I am particularly fond of a gala we designed for the Robin Hood Foundation a couple of years ago where we received a million dollars worth of donated items that the program recipients needed – food, clothing, shoes, alarm clocks, blankets, and so on.  We created radical and towering installations with these materials for the event, and then after, each item went to the people that needed it most.  100 percent charity, playing double duty as art, without any waste.  I like that.  A lot.

Yup, that is a cyclone of shoes!

Thank you so much for your time and all the inspiration I glean from you!

OMG!  It is my honor to be interviewed by you!  Thank YOU!

all images from davidstarkdesign.com

Yesterday I had the pleasure of attending a talk by the founder of DwellStudio, Christiane Lemieux, at SCAD Atlanta. We’ve been carrying DwellStudio since it was plain old Dwell, and I smiled when she put up slides of her sketches from her first collection (“I couldn’t afford a light table, so I used the window”), as they were so familiar and are still some of my favorite designs. In just a few short years, Christiane has taken a textile company and grown it into a lifestyle brand, and she is starting to become a household name among the design set, just like Jenna Lyons. Next stop Oprah?

Christiane geared her talk to the students, and laid out a path to entrepreneurship based upon her experiences. These included an education at Parsons, grabbing every internship under the sun (hers included a stint at Isaac Mizrahi), immersing yourself in the industry (manufacturing, shipping, selling, P.R., etc.), finding a niche and exploiting the heck out of new media.

Listening to these talks made me realize just how much the landscape of retail has changed for designers in the last decade. Portfolios on websites, Etsy stores, Social Media, microbrands, research, etc. have opened up so many opportunities to those who may lack a stockpile of start up bucks. Christiane encouraged students to license designs over selling them, to remain open-minded (DwellStudio’s images are used in a series of children’s books, something she’d never thought of!), to form strategic partnerships and to diversify.

She knows of what she speaks. Whenever Christiane has guest blogged over here, I’m humbled to admit they are the best posts we’ve ever published, and her own blog is beautiful. She is also one of my favorite twitterers (tweeters? whatever!). Thank you for the inspiration Christiane!

Shop DwellStudio Here

Brand new this week on DP are a handful of adorable wallpaper patterns from Bholu. Marjorie the Duck (pictured above) was designed by Bholu’s Jodie Fried and inspired by the drawings of children in underprivileged communities of India. Be sure to check out our designer interview with Jodie to learn more about how Bholu helps support the women and children in India.

Click to view the Marjorie the Duck pattern or see what else is new from Bholu.

Very quickly, if you are in Savannah or Atlanta this week and/or next, be sure to check out the lectures at SCAD Style. I already penciled in Kelly Cutrone, Julia Reed, Nick Olsen, Christine Lemieux, Thom Filicia and Suzanne Kasler on my calendar. There is a SLEW of fantastic speakers to go see and hear; check out the schedule here.

On Sunday the sun was shining, the breeze was blowing, and the corndogs were deep-frying. The Inman Park Festival was in full swing, with plenty of live music, artisans, and quirky characters in attendance. I thought I’d share a few fun shots of the festivities, even though they are a little blurry and taken from a phone..

Missionary Mary Procter is one of my all-time favorites. Here are a few more shots of her work:

The day would not have been complete without another favorite, no, his name is not Miss Pinky, it’s Chris Cross Dresser:

Say what you want about the South, but Atlanta is awesome!