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.

Did anyone else open up the first few pages of In Style, see this, and think “Huh. Gwenyth looks kinda weird in this picture. And her style sure has changed since H&G featured her house in the Hamptons..”? I did. Just wondering:

It must be the blonde updo and the big smile. By the way, that’s Julie Bowen. Her sister, Molly Luetkemeyer, founder of M. Design Interiors decorated Julie’s Studio City house. It’s a fun mix. While we see a few icons from our design drinking games past (I spy a hand mold and a turquoise foo dog), I think her work has a fresh take. She is able to mix in a bunch of eras, styles, colors and textures without creating a sloppy mish-mosh; it becomes a style of its own, one that has to do a careful balancing act to work. It’s not quite Regency, it’s not quite crazy enough to go under that ubiquitous “eclectic” moniker – I’m dubbing it “Vicente Wolf on a very tightly controlled acid trip”. I also like it because I have that elephant on the coffee table in the living room. I got it at Neiman Marcus Last Call for like thirty bucks:

To see the rest of the house, and some other exuberant projects from M. Design Interiors, click here.

All imagess property of M. Design Interiors, except for the first one, which is from In Style.

I can’t tell you how many times since I started blogging that I feel like I have design A.D.D. I don’t tend to jump on trends too much in my own home, but my personal design style is constantly changing and evolving, and I tend to tire of certain looks and trends that I once loved very quickly. So when I was window(s) shopping at 1stdibs tonight, this quote from Jamie Drake (along with the beautiful photographs and the fact that he loves David Sedaris*) made me really happy:

In case you can’t make it out, it says “I must have design A.D.D., because I constantly need to work on different projecs. If I didn’t evolve, I’d be bored out of my mind.”

It is fun to watch my favorite designers evolve. Sometimes they are so far ahead of the rest of us, it’s a shock to the system (remember the first time you saw that Domino with Kelly Wearstler’s poolhouse all decked out in Bravura Modern and thought “what the heck is going on here?”?). Regardless, it’s those jolts that keeps us all hooked on design.

*I’m not sure I ever want to hang out with someone who doesn’t love David Sedaris. Whenever I need to let out a belly laugh, I pick up one of his books and read a story.

image by William Waldron, via Style Compass on 1stdibs.

Yesterday I was cruising Tumblr, and one of my favorite rolls to follow over there, my farmhouse, had posted an insanely eclectic living room that made me very curious. It turned out it was designed by Gary Spain Design and I just had to see more. While I cannot seem to find a thorough “about” column, the pictures tell a lot. Gary Spain design’s service include not only interior design, but set design and styling as well. I thoroughly enjoyed going through each slideshow on the site, and there are a wide range of styles included. Here are a few more favorites (it’s hard to choose):

He mixes in bold art and classic busts:

Arranges a perfect David Hicksian tablescape:

Creates serene and beautiful work areas that blend right into any room in the house:

And mixes color, art, and modern to perfection. Wow.

all images via garyspaindesign.com

I loved this story in the AJC the other day, mostly because it is a good commentary on the untainted, not-yet-too-cynical, fresh approach that companies are likely to get from student designers. Staybridge Suites has decided to hire Savannah College of Art and Design students to design its hotel rooms.

“Every three years we work to evolve our standardized room program,” said Robert Radomski, vice president for global brand management extended-stay.

Normally, he said, the company would go to tried-and-true professionals who have years of experience, But sometimes, he said, their ideas can be recycled and they often must juggle multiple assignments, making it hard to focus on one client.

“This time around when the cycle came due . . . we were thinking we’d like to take a different approach,” he said…“They represent the next generation of designers and the next generation of travelers.”

This post does not seek to disrespect or devalue the work of experienced professionals!  I just loved doing student projects and get excited when I see people tapping students for fresh ideas. For example, The Beltline Project in Atlanta started out as Ryan Gravel’s thesis project at Georgia Tech.

Do you have any student projects you’d like to share with us, either current or from way back in your portfolio archives? Do you have any good student project stories, good or bad? Share them with us in the comments section!