Top 10 Under 40....just barely!

I am so proud of my 9-5 husband, Mark Williams! He was named one of Atlanta's Top 10 Under 40 by Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles Magazine. I have said in the past how much I love this book and what a great job they do of featuring local talent. Pick up a copy of the May issue and turn to page 13! Congratulations Mark!!!

Love ya Marcia!

Moments

I love photo shoots! It is my favorite part of every project and I really enjoy the styling that goes along with it. While of course it is always important to make sure your photos describe the space and show how each area interacts with on another, my favorite photos are always the vignettes. Just small moments in a space that aren't always noticeable in an overall shot but when captured on their own are just so beautiful and really add feeling to the body of photos. Here are a few of my favorites from some recent shoots.

Pretty Pictures

So I am not a big reader. I am not the type to sit down with a book and plow through page after page. I do however love big big beautiful books. I am a picture person and I will buy a book based solely on the photography and the pretty pictures. That being said, I do draw inspiration from those images as do most people. I love collecting books and it's something I know I will always do forever and ever amen. My husband and I love going to this 5 story bookstore in Athens, Greece and just playing around all day (I even found some of my design school textbooks there...in Greek!) I don't limit myself to Interior Design books, I love fashion books, photography books, cookbooks (not that I use those very often) anything with beautiful photography that is aesthetically pleasing. I absolutely judge books by their covers (and bindings--got to look good on the shelf)...they must look good on my cocktail table.Here are some of the books I just love and become truly inspired by.



About a year ago Mark and I were fortunate enough to go and hear Vincent Wolf speak and give a presentation about his new book. It is stunning and I have used it as a reference over and over again since I got it. I love his calm style, everything just looks so effortless.



I don't know that this book even needs any sort of comment. Tom Ford is a damn beautiful man and just brilliant. The photography in this book is amazing (I mostly love the pictures of him, because he is just gorgeous!) but my favorite part are the interiors photos towards the back. They are so beautiful, besides wanting to lick every photo of him in the book, I also want to lick the photos of his interiors.




About 6 years ago on a trip to Greece my sister in law took me on an amazing shopping trip in Athens. It was really the beginning of this country getting some style. Now Athens has a fashion week full of really promising designers. Interior Design isn't really a legitimate profession over there yet, but people are starting to really get it. This book is one of the best I have seen, one thing I love about Greece & the style there is that people are always mixing the old and the new. Leaving original details and gems, mixing traditional style (I am talking amazing authentic & historic in every way) with fresh and very modern elements.




My dear friend and former employer Scott Laslie bought me this book about 3 years ago. I died. I do not own a pair of Manolos but who doesn't love a gorgeous pair of shoes, and Blahnik's might just be the most beautiful. This book is visually stunning. Go get it.




Sadly the Vogue Living Magazine didn't last, but this book is fantastic. Who could ever get tired of looking at beautiful people in beautiful places. This book has some of the most amazing interiors I have ever seen and some of the most beautiful. I constantly look through here and am inspired. I like looking at all of the over the top interiors and trying to scale them back to make them work for me.




**All of these books are available on Amazon

Vokda & Baccarat

I am decidedly a vodka drinker and there are really only two different kinds that I drink. One of them being Grey Goose. So imagine my delight when my friend Lissette told me about this beautifully designed Grey Goose Vodka and Baccarat Crystal Gift Set. It's the most beautiful way to have a cocktail, all you need is some ice and a lime. I am in love with the amazing attention to detail and the exquisite packaging of this gift set--the color of the case, the stitching, down to the damn goose on the zipper, and I want one (wink wink!) This beautiful design is meant to re-position the brand as a luxury item, which it should be because it's good vodka, but pairing it with two Baccarat lead crystal tumblers just about pushes me over the edge.

Kai Lin Art

My gorgeous and darling friend Yu-Kai Lin just did what I have been begging him to do for about two years, he finally opened his own gallery. It's beautiful and lovely and it officially opened last Friday. I went to his fabulous first showing, called i.Candy and it was just perfect. He has some amazing artists and the space is wonderful (and available for party rental!) I couldn't help but get all watery and misty because I am just so proud of him and so happy for him! If you happen to be floating down Peachtree Street in Midtown, stop in and take a look!

Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles

This is really a fantastic magazine. It's one of my favorites because it does such a good job of profiling local talent, businesses, and all around good design. I consider it an honor to be in this magazine and right now some of my favorite people are in the current issue!!! If I haven't told you yet, my favorite building in ATL is Plaza Towers (ok, so it's technically 2 buildings). They sit right on Peachtree Street in Buckhead and I just think they are beautiful tributes to modern architecture. I also happen to adore several people who live there. My clients Scott Murphy and David Spirt, we worked with them for over a year creating their dream home at PT and it turned out so beautiful and they were so much fun to work with. My favorite brother and sister duo, Jason and Andrea Moattar, both are georgous inside and out (and their homes are beautiful too!) And last but not at all least, my dear dear friends Rory Carlton and Barry Leach. Barry was my professor at AIU and we grew to love eachother...a little slowly at first. But Rory and Barry are such a great couple and I do so much love our cocktail evenings and Sunday brunches! Plaza Towers is celebrating it's 40th Birthday this year and I have been so fortunate to have worked in two units in these beautiful buildings. Pick up a copy of AH&L and take a look!