Santa Barbara Design House

Dennis Franz (NYPD Blue) and his wife created the Santa Barbara Design House and Gardens. It's open to the public but the home is actually designed with the intent of selling it. Some prestigious designers helped with the furnishings like Mary McDonald, David Phoenix, and Ryan Brown. It's listed for $7.5 million. Here is a sampling of the house...

Super Fun Nursery!

Serene Master Suite

Cozy Balcony

Modern Outdoor Living

Vibrant Living Room

Eclectic Guest Room

Art Gallery Hall and Landing

Quintessential Santa Barbara Living!

Throw me a Pillow

Decorative throw pillows can tie a whole room together. Color and pattern add interest, texture and beauty. When designing a room from scratch I sometimes start with a fabric for throw pillows. This gives me a direction for the style and color palette. Sometimes you can find pillows that are already made but I usually have custom pillows made for my clients. However, these beauties are already done and ready to go!

Florence Garden-Linen with Hand Embroidered Design

Grimaldi-Linen with Hand Embroidered Design

Kashmir-Linen with Hand Embroidered Design

Poiret-Linen with Hand Embroidered Design

Saz Garden-Linen with Hand Embroidered Design

Agadir-Linen with Hand Embroidered Design

Cassandra-Linen with Hand Embroidered Design

Hotel Bliss

Hotels were my inspiration to go to design school 10 years ago. One chain in particular always impressed and amazed me. In fact have have been meaning to read this..

In the meantime, I do read their newsletter that is sent to my email once a month or so. When I do, I usually take a few minutes to search their resorts. Their Costa Rican property struck my design fancy with its balance of luxury and consideration to its environment. Here are some snapshots.