Last weekend I went on a buying trip for a beach house I’m styling on Cape Cod. I zipped through the stores, pulling things that embrace the cool blue water theme of this beachside cottage. I was on a roll, so much so that two salespeople asked, “Are you on some kind of design show challenge?” The styling went well and the weather was glorious.
This week I began to meet many of the wonderful vendors that are participating with me as I host a special show: “Drab to Fab: A Dream Room Makeover,” airing on Fox this September. The room that was selected for the makeup is in a 1970’s home. The open room concept that combines the living room and dining room reminds me of the iconic Brady Bunch home; there’s even a similar staircase! So I couldn’t resist standing at the bottom of it and yelling “Marsha, Jan, Cindy, Greg, Peter, Bobby! Where are you?” Needless to say, the space offers lots of opportunities. I will transform this area into an industrial-modern loft with a rustic feel. The reveal will be spectacular; you should see what I’m choosing during my final decisions on color, texture, and overall use of the space. It’s going to be amazing!
Like many of us, when I was young I pretended to be sick so I could stay home, convincing my parents that I’d caught some bug or other. On one of these occasions my mother arrived home from work to find the living room redesigned and restyled. She immediately became suspicious, and commented “I thought you were sick.” I famously replied “Well I was, but after redecorating the living room I feel much better.”
Turns out the bug I’d caught was the design bug! Although it was clear even then that I love to decorate, today I don’t have to pretend to be sick to do it. And now that I also get to do it as part of my work, well, I sure don’t want to be cured.
