Design for a Beautiful Life

The 2009 Bloggers Ornament Exchange

Time to participate (just for fun!) in the Bloggers Ornament Exchange. Click on the link below (in the picture) to join. Should be lots of fun and I can’t wait to see what my ornament will look like that I receive this year!

My first video!

Learn more about what we do here at Topaz Interior Design LLC. It will open up in your media player. To use the link, you must click on the “read more” below to open the actual post.

Taste and Tweet – super fun way to eat treats & plug a great restaurant

I recently joined the Taste and Tweet group and was accepted to be a taster at their latest event. We met at the Icon Grill in downtown Seattle where they had prepared an Oktoberfest feast!

Most Beautiful Cookbooks

There are truly many gorgeous cookbooks out there that feature incredible tastes, pictures and great directions but not any that I know of are handmade by an artist except for one. Susan Branch has lovingly drawn and water colored all the pictures in her books. As well, all the script in her books (even the copyright page!) have been hand written in her lovely script. I wish that I could write that beautifully and consistently!

2009 Idea Cottage: Space-Savvy Design

The next big thing in architecture is right-size living. That means using money-saving, environmentally sound materials to build a smaller but savvier house in which no square inch is squandered yet luxuries still abound. I’On, the idyllic 11-year-old village between historic Charleston and nearby barrier islands, is leading the way once again with its new Jefferson Canal Courtyards neighborhood. We show you how we achieved high style in a compact space.

Design Trend – Rough Luxe

These two words encapsulate a sensory mouthful of a design style that seems at first glance to be a paradox. Taking rough-hewn and well-worn elements and combining them with luxury textiles, antiques, and art to create an atmosphere that tells a story is the goal of those who love this style. Embracing the love of [...]

High-End Consumer Segment Shows Signs of Recovery

Source: CUSTOM HOME Magazine
Publication date: September 10, 2009

By Stephani L. Miller

Although many economists predict the economic and housing industry recoveries will be long and slow, glimmers of a rebound are emerging. The good news for the custom home building segment is that even though financial portfolios have been hit hard and lending institutions are continuing their tight grip on credit (particularly for large construction loans), affluent consumers still have money. They are being more selective in their spending choices, however.

12 Coolest Faucets

Take a look at this blog post from www.oddee.com that showcases faucets like you’ve never seen before or even imagined! For the guys there’s a faucet that looks like you’re driving a motorcycle and one that lets you change gears. For the women, there’s one that is a vase with a waterfall action on the faucet and I love the faucets that change the water to blue and red, depending on the temperature…

Video showcase of products from K/BIS 2009 (kitchen & bath products)

If you’re in the market for building or remodeling a new kitchen and/or bath, take a look at the latest and greatest new products that were shown at K/BIS 2009. These are the trend setters and the latest innovations from the best brands.   Even if you’re not in the market, it’s always fun to [...]

“Crowded and Cozy” Beverly Hills Apartment

Designer Joe Nye loves his small 900 square foot apartment in Beverly Hills. Alexandria Mott interviews this famous designer and his gorgeous and colorful dwelling. If you live in a small space, sometimes bigger pieces are better!

He adds a lot of special touches such as a…