We were so excited to see that one of our favorite designers, Christiane Lemieux, the founder of DwellStudio, is coming out with her first book!

The book does not come out until next year, but Christiane gives us a teaser on what it will cover:

The philosphy of the book is that to me the most truly inspiring homes are the result of the home-owner themselves designing and organically creating their own interior worlds – sometimes over years. This book is an ode to personal style.  It’s about how interiors reflect each home owner’s personality, character, humor and wit.

I seriously don’t think I can wait until next year. Christiane, can you hook a sister up with an advance copy?!?!?!

I am cheap thrifty. This is why I just purchased my Thom Filicia book a few weeks ago, even though it’s been out for awhile. You can pick it up used for a song, and it’s worth every penny. That’s not to say it’s not worth full price, it’s just to say that girlfriend is broke. This was on my wishlist for quite some time, and let me tell you, I’m so glad I have it. This is one of those rare design tomes I actually READ, joining the ranks of very few designer-slash-authors whose prose compels me to read it. The group includes, but is not limited to, Billy Baldwin, Jonathan Adler and Celerie Kemble. Welcome to the club Thom – your sparkling personality shines through in your writing. Reading this book made me miss Queer Eye so much. Here’s a teaser:Love the touching tribute to his mom

He had me at “Flock of Seagulls meets The Preppy Handbook“

Love these layouts and explanations – some of it reads like a Domino spread

Other parts are scrumptious, dynamic interior shots

What are you waiting for? Thom Filicia Style will bring a smile to your face and inspire you to start rearranging and revitalizing your home.

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

Over at DP we are all big fans of David Stark (check out this post), so I wanted to make sure and share that his new monograph is available today. We’ll have an interview and a giveaway coming up very soon, but if you just can’t wait, it is available starting…TODAY! There’s already a healthy discount over at amazon. Also, his new website design is A TRIP! It threw me right out of my internet surfing stupor and really engaged me – check it out here.

Those who know me know I have a very unhealthy obsession with most everything that’s on Bravo (except Launch My Line and Shear Genius, which are not up to snuff). To give those of us who long for the return of Flipping Out a renovation/flipping fix, they are presenting us with 9 By Design. It follows this family named Novogratz – When I saw the previews, I recognized a few of the homes this couple has renovated from magazines past. I never forgot the one in the Berkshires with the yellow striped curtains. The first time I saw it, I assumed it belonged to Kate Spade:

Anyway, the Novogratz clan includes a zillion kids, hence this photo from the Bravo website, the likes of which are usually only seen on TV specials about polygamists. I think someone should send them a better toothbrush holding system as their next house warming present, as this is totally gross – you would NEVER catch Jeff Lewis pulling something like this. I suppose when living in a construction zone, they may all have to share one bathroom like the Brady Bunch? I guess we’ll find out on the show. That would totally suck.

The couple also penned this really cool book, Downtown Chic: Designing Your Dream Home From Wreck to Ravishing. Did I mention that their design firm is called SIXX DESIGN? I wonder if they will change that to SevvenDesign now that they have another kid?

The show starts up April 13 at 11:00 p.m. Eastern Time, 10:00 Central on Bravo. I think I’m taping a half-hour preview show at 3 a.m., which is only three hours away.

• First image swiped from Moodboard who swiped it from the now-defunct Oprah at Home magazine. Photographed by Joshua McHugh. Also, Moodboard has posted all the pictures from that O spread. I think I might have blogged that photo with the stools like two years ago – it gave me deja-blog when I saw it, and I never forgot that smoking Madonna portrait. That was a pretty cool magazine – I was sad to see it go.
• Second image from bravotv.com. Check out more information about the show and the Novogratz family over there.
• Third image from amazon.com – click on that for ordering information.

Oh, P.S.! If anyone wants to have a little chat party about the show on Wednesday, let me know in the comments section here and I’ll start one up! I’ve learned not to commit to one before I find out whether or not a show is worth chatting about.