Clean Smells Good and Lavender is a Wonderful Scent

Refresh with elizabethW’s lovely lavender line of products for your interior!

Interior Design is about all the senses. It’s not just about how a scene looks. Sure, the pleasing appearance is most of what we consider when thinking about interior design, yet what about the sounds, the smell, and the tactile elements? The environments in which we live work and play involve our perceptions based upon what we see, the acoustics of a space, the scents experienced and how it feels when we touch certain surfaces.
As I enter a space I always notice the smell. For better or worse it’s a key feature to what I am to expect and what I am about to experience. The delicious smells of a fresh bakery make me want to indulge in a delectable pastry. The stale grease permeation of a less than responsible eating establishment makes me want to leave and make an alternate selection. The blends of fragrances I experience as I pass by a perfume department entice me to buy a new scent. The chemical assault of a nail salon makes me not want their services. And as I am in a variety of people’s homes during the course of my consultations, homes say a lot about the inhabitants. Shame on me – as I am guilty of having my pets define that sensory experience on more than one occasion in my abode!
Yes, pet odors are unacceptable. Yet there are other unidentified odors that define a home in a negative fashion – often a combination. Residual cooking odors, smoking, and unclean fabrics emit odors.
So first and foremost – CLEAN. Pet problems – remove tainted items, use warm soapy water extraction when possible on carpets, upholstery that cannot be removed or replaced (See Blog November 5, 2010). Clean litter boxes, and flooring around them. Wash linens and draperies. Open the windows and air it all out!
When it’s all clean, you can add your favorite fragrance. I’ve said before this is NOT to mask odors and is only advised after all is fresh and clean. We have found a wonderful collection from the elizabethW line. What turns a house into your home? It’s your personal touches. As intimate as the perfume you wear, with the right scent, you can easily impart your personality into your home.

Light, refreshing Room Sprays, Perfume Candles, and Room Diffusers are all great delivery systems for your scent. And I love what we’ve found with elizabethW – offering much more. Using only the finest silks and linens, as well as sensual, aromatic oils and flowers, they design and craft unique gifts such as drawer and pillow liners, sachets for closets or drawers, and an expanding collection of tissue box covers and roll tissue bags filled with fragrant lavender buds – all handcrafted in their San Francisco workshop. We also love their big spray bottles of linen water – the naturally fresh lavender sprayed on your bed linens and upholstery refresh with an aromatically sensuous scent that is sure to enhance the enjoyment of your home.
Start the NEW YEAR crisp and clean with the natural aromatic scent of lavender! Here’s to a fresh 2012!
See more! http://www.patriciandesign.com/retail/product_description.php?product_ID=685

Posted On January 2, 2012 By pattisays In design, design trends, DIY design /

Festive Floral Arrangements Are Just Moments Away

Punch up your Pink Carnations with holiday greenery!

I wish that I was better organized and in my “new” approach to that end, I will be better organized in the coming year. But for now, suffice it to say I am slammed as usual preparing for Christmas! Having just returned from a tropical escape on the 12th and hitting the ground running to get caught-up at work, receiving a dear friend as a house guest as he visits for a few days on business, I am running out of time.
I have given myself a “bye” to NOT put up a tree this year, allowing the two wreaths on the front doors to honor the season, but inside it is not beginning to look a lot like Christmas. However, yesterday my dear husband arrived with a bouquet of pink carnations.
I now have pink carnations – not the bright bold poinsettia plants, the noche buenos of the Christmas season, but pink carnations. So what does one do? Get creative. My husband loves carnations. They are a very happy flower, sturdy and durable, long-lasting and come in a variety of colors and sizes. They might not say “Christmas” at first glance – but what does are the pine branches that grow in our yard. We have fragrant mugo pine, spruce and juniper. We even have a couple of holly bushes and the photinia that I enjoy using in every season.
So my point here is that if you venture outside, you might have just the right filler needed to create the perfect holiday centerpiece! If you don’t have a yard from which to harvest these treasures, go to your local Christmas tree lot and ask for scraps – for free or at small cost. Maybe approach a family buying their tree and ask if you could snip some of the lower branches – something most people end up doing when they go home in order to make room for the skirt and presents.
Don’t panic, festive floral arrangements are just moments away.

Posted On December 18, 2011 By pattisays In design, design trends, DIY design, seasonal interior design /

Rewarding Creativity – Positively Reinforced With Prosperity.

Amphibious shoes!

Some funny things land in one’s email. This came with a collection of fantastically creative shoe designs. I doubted the validity of several including this one so I Googled it. And sure enough, there is a site – but no guarantee that they really sell shoes – http://www.hightideheels.be/Leer.html .
Design – this seems to be the perfect project assignment. Fashion to the extreme – but here, in this instance, it’s a novel thought…from work to play – or a seamless transition…if you live by the water. So let’s try for office to hiking boots where the fine finish of leather is replicated with weather-proof materials suitable for the outdoors! Or bicycle shoes with removable heels – ride to work and stick on the heels when you get there! “Think outside the box” the instructor will council his students. You can hear him now…hearken back to those days in class when you had to design a box to house a raw egg that you could successfully drop from 5 stories up and NOT break the egg. Yes, those were the days…
Clothing – if form follows function – is to cover, provide protection, and to make a “statement.” To make that “statement,” FASHION enters the picture. The function is often a spoof as well as the form – but what fun!
And then there’s The Emperor’s New Clothes – that timeless tale told by Hans Christian Anderson that exposes the farce and illuminates the innocent observation of the child who won’t buy into the idea. But we buy it season after season – the fashion industry that must continue to create in order that we make new, want new, further the industry and the economics that surround it and trickle down from it. It’s a major element of our free-market system – of our capitalistic society. It’s a beautiful thing – creativity – positively reinforced with recognition and perhaps even prosperity.
It’s in the eye of the beholder and the one with the largest pocketbook as to whether honesty in design is perpetuated or merely the idea. Whether real or shock value, humor, farce or frivolity – fashion’s validity is assessed in the present and in the future for generations. From the fashion design of hair styles and clothing, furnishings and decorative accessories to vehicles, industrial design, and architecture- all constantly in motion and time usually validates or not the true merit of that design.

Posted On December 7, 2011 By pattisays In design, fashion and design /

ART Beneath Your Feet

: Art beneath your feet

It’s an expensive finish material, so we don’t see it a lot, but terrazzo floors are beautiful, wear like iron and fascinate me. Yes, in larger urban centers and often in major airports the artistic treatments that are designed into the matrix of stone chips, and other materials are fantastic. The colors are now endless as the manipulation of the materials and additional materials have expanded the medium. Once rather common and often now considered dated – I take exception – and so do the many who participate in the design, fabrication and installation of these fabulous floors!

Other materials, such as the shell flecks strewn through the dark matrix of stone that is the primary surface of several concourses of the Miami airport, make a contextual statement – here, the context that shells are found scattered on the sandy beaches of sunny Florida. The brass inlay suggests shell skeletons embedded in the black sand – sounds more like the lava beaches of Guadalupe than Florida – but that’s the artistic license of the artist(s). The shine of the brass and the iridescence of the shell chips add bling against the high contrast of the dark background. It also, upon closer inspection, looks like a star constellations amidst the galaxies and myriad particles of twinkling lights in outer space. Maybe they are floating in an abyss in the dark depths of the sea. Especially here with the explosion of the flash reflecting against the hard, smooth glossy surface you can imagine either scenario – that of deep space with a burst of light penetrating the blackness or the ocean depths and a light source attempting to capture the existence of the creatures – a dark glittery scene with weightless, floating images.

Look down next time you are waiting for a Sky Link or rushing to your gate…you might be surprised to see the art beneath your feet.

Posted On December 4, 2011 By pattisays In art and interior design, context of interior design, design, design trends, travel and design /

The Art of Collage as Architectural Motifs

Pat Forbes builds layered paper collage for her series Architectural Motifs.

Pat Forbes builds tippy towers, cantilevered blocks and layers of geometric shapes to create her series Architectural Motifs.

Geometry layered with cut paper pieces constructing resemblances of architectural forms are the signature theme of a new series of compositions by New Mexico artist Pat Forbes. She comes from other places where tall buildings loomed and urban density was the tapestry of her world. But now, here in the desert, she has abstracted those forms and intensified the colors resulting in hallucinations of those urban scenes to hang on the wall.

Whether on wood or stretched canvas as seen here, Forbes likes squares. She builds tippy towers, cantilevered blocks and layers of geometric shapes to create her series, Architectural Motifs. The contrast between the brilliant colors and fluidity of the open spaces of New Mexico and the rigid over-lapping planes and cubes of color fragmented in the urban architecture join to make her bold statement. See more of her fine work at www.PatriciaForbesArt.com.

Art is about observation and interpretation. Knowing your medium and using it to produce an idea, expression, emotion…the abstraction of an artist’s thoughts and ideas can be most intriguing. Using expressive abstraction in Interior Design brings bold color and conversation to the personality of a space.

Posted On November 14, 2011 By pattisays In architecture, art and interior design, art as gift ideas, design, design trends /

Feel the Felt, Feel the LOVE and Wonders of Woven Wool.

This season we’re all about felt! From jewelry to handbags—and we have had a blast finding the coolest examples out there of this wonderful wearable art medium!

Traditionally, felt has had many practical applications – nomadic people in eastern cultures found this non-woven method of making cloth easy and serviceable. From clothing items to construction material its strength, texture and insulating properties have many uses. The colors are limitless as the wool can be dyed and the brilliant combinations can be dazzling.

We have discovered many wonderful applications for felt-work in home fashion and personal accessorizing! Right here in Albuquerque, fiber artist Louise Lucero stitches artful combinations for home décor. Her pillows and table top dressings are delightful. Her medallions for round tables and runners for squares and rectangles warmly accent the surface whether as everyday pieces or as a special party statement for a festive occasion. She also makes unique bookmarks—great for book club party favors or as gifts for the avid readers in your life. Her larger scale wall pieces and bed quilts make spectacular one-of-a-kind interior design accents. We’re currently talking with her about a new collection of hats and handbags too!

Lucero’s felt pillow on handpainted Peabody chair

Another pair of local talents here in the high desert of New Mexico is making felt hair ornaments. The very creative Ms. Ella and her sister Ms. Sara explain that their floral, felt hair clips are made from recycled plastic bottles—that makes them especially eco-friendly and the two sisters create this whimsical wearable art in a smoke-free, child-friendly home! What a special arrangement—resulting in charming handmade adornments!

Recycled bottles = felt! Artists Ms Ella and Ms Sara

Soft balls of felt beads from Nepal for necklaces and bracelets. The bright multi-colored strands go with many colors—dress up an outfit of jeans and a t-shirt or wear them with strings of sterling beads for a dressier look.

Fabulous felt balls – colorful soft jewelry!

When we were in Turkey last Spring I was enchanted by the fabulous color combinations and designs of these smashing, snuggly wearable Ottoman wool art pieces! Walking through the cool drizzly rain glistening off the beautiful stone streets of Istanbul, the lights started coming on and the vendors and shoppers began gathering to barter. Spicy fragrances, brilliant colors and amazing artwork come to life! Knowing that I would buy at that moment with summer coming and save them until fall, I have been chomping at the bit all this time waiting anxiously to present them to our clients! Get ready to wrap-up in these exquisitely artful scarves.

Ottoman wool scarves from Istanbul!

Pair it up with one of artist Rene Rector’s handwoven chenille and mixed media hats – very creative – wearable art style!

Rene Rector’s handwoven hats!

WOOL – WONDERFUL WOOL and FELT—FABULOUS FELT!

Posted On October 28, 2011 By pattisays In art and interior design, art as gift ideas, design, design trends, travel and design /

Whacky WATER PARTY BALL fun at the NM State Fair!!!

This ingenious creation – so much fun to watch – must be crazy to participate! Although the weight limit is 200lbs, we did not see any adults partake while we watched the kids go wild!! Splashing water from the shallow pool scattered with clear plastic orbs inside of each are kids of all ages rolling and running like hamsters on a wheel! Some will lunge at the walls inside of these giant bubbles thrusting themselves against the side and instantly rolling down to the bottom…while others relax and float amidst the insanity around them. It’s like running on water! Standing is a trick, challenging the most balanced of ballerinas. You can hear the squeals and laughter coming from both the kids and the on-lookers! It was incredible entertainment for all. And the time allotted is quite generous – great value for your Fair dollar!
Aside from the energized activity of it all, it reminded me of Chihuly’s colorful glass orbs floating gracefully in the reflecting pool at the St. Louis Botanical Gardens during a magnificent site exhibit a couple of years ago. So to the designers of this refreshingly fabulous feature at the Fair – touché! It should be the best backyard birthday party favorite for adults and kids alike!

Posted On September 20, 2011 By pattisays In design, design trends, exterior - outdoor design /

Fine Art and Fun Art at the New Mexico State Fair

Graphic inflated animation at the NM State Fair

Take your own fun art shots at the Fair!

Its Fair time and it’s a sensory extravaganza! See the sights, the colors and lights! The sounds of kids screaming with squeals of delight! From corn dogs to turkey drums and pizza galore it’s a feeding frenzy for all ages – check your diet at the door!
It’s really so exciting and with the weather cooperating – it’s a must! A combination of New Mexico’s finest, mixed with funky products and crazy food stuffs! The colors and products presented by the vendors create a tapestry of form and fun. There are fine art exhibits and walls of balloon cartoon characters for sale, Rastafarian bananas and white tigers to win. Signs, lights, graphics, music, barkers, animals, vegetables, minerals and more – the festivities are magical. The slogan tells us, “It’s like all the holidays rolled into one!”
The season’s end of summer’s bounty brings feelings of home and hearth as the air takes a turn toward the fall. Harvest time, Indian summer, its flowers and sky, pumpkins and cider. Cinnamon from the German nut roaster wafts through the air. International shows like the incredible flying Chinese acrobats and our own macho cowboys of the rodeo all present fine skill and athletic prowess – defying gravity and displaying artful dance. Big cats and little dogs the lions pace and perform and the dogs dash and leap for joy. It’s a wild time in the old town tonight and for the next few…you have through the 25th!
So get out there and eat a turkey leg and bite off some cotton candy, swig a brew and pop fists full of kettle corn then take some photos and blow them up! Wall art – here’s my example. Dora meets Sponge Bob and Spider man creating an animated, inflated collage – this colorful pattern of camp cartoon design! Suitable for framing!

Posted On September 18, 2011 By pattisays In design, food and interior design, seasonal interior design /

The Stream of Life’s Connectivity…Skinny Girl Meets Octavio’s Whales

In the woods of Missouri – not the backwoods as they say – but a verdant jungle of deciduous over-growth concealing luxury homes in the quiet gated lake community of Innsbruck near Wright City – I find myself in a whirlwind of peculiar influences, associations, elements and discoveries. For example, I’m sitting here taking my first sip of a “Skinny Girl” margarita after having just read about the Bethenny blast on the scene in Forbes, June 6, 2011 edition while flying here yesterday. My sister-in-law said that she had two bottles of this mix, my other sister-in-law piped up and said “Oh yeah, she just sold her concoction for millions.” I said “I just read about her on the plane…why didn’t I do that – I could have done that – I drink – I make margaritas from scratch – I watch carbs…” I would have, should have, could have – but, sadly didn’t do it! Another FABULOUS missed opportunity!!! And so we drank.
Then that same first sister-in-law said “Oh, here it is – remember this?” (No, I had not seen it during our previous visit). She grabbed this small bronze figure off of her end table where we were gathered in the glassy treetop room – and there before me was one of Octavio Gonzales’ graceful hump-backed whale sculptures!! What a contrast in settings to discover this wonderful miniature done by an artist, whose work we had admired for years and now enjoy the pleasure of knowing, who did the magnificent, enormous art piece at the entry of the marina in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico of a mother humpback and her offspring, here in the deep mid-western woodland. Whoa – where are we? Watch for one or more pieces of Octavio’s work in exhibit in Albuquerque this summer!
So as the day waned and the overcast ceiling grayed to a dim backlit through the trees, we migrated to the Cedar Lake Winery for an evening of fabulous music by a local duo, Kaylor and Tomasino, whose harmony was in perfect sync, guitar strumming robust, punctuated by banjo, harmonica and flute for a lively collection of popular renditions including Del Amitri’s “Roll to Me” and “Matchbox 20’s Breakfast at Tiffany’s” crowd pleasing a range of ages from the college kids collected along the bar to the middle-aged mom’s clapping and dancing in their seats…the wine flowed freely and we closed the place with a satisfying buzz.
Happy Memorial Day Weekend wherever you are gathering with friends and family…

Posted On May 28, 2011 By pattisays In art and interior design, design, design trends /

Epazote Restaurant – Santa Fe – Fine Cuisine & Fine ART!

Art and art…food and paintings…a very nice pairing. Tuesday night, at Las Companas in Santa Fe, the Country Club held one of a series of guest chef’s events – this time featuring celebrity chef Fernando Olea from his sensationally intimate Santa Fe restaurant Epazote. If you have not been there, you are missing an extraordinary culinary treat!
This night, a private seating offered the rare opportunity for 40 guess to experience a multi-course meal of beautifully artful presentations and startling flavor bursts of fine subtleties that tantalized the palette. Beginning with a very convivial cocktail hour where guests stood among the tables and shared familiar conversations and new introductions while well-coached wait staff pleasantly presented “hors unique d’ouvres”, the enchanting evening began.
At his restaurant, Epazote chef/owner Fernando Olea offers a relaxed environment where he creates “inspired world cuisine” influenced by the Aztecs. Bringing sensational combinations of flavors and specializing in the unique flavors of the mole sauces of Mexico, Olea continues to surprise.
Each taste is a lovely flavor experience. Each taste is savored for the incredibly imaginative and surprising and pleasing combination that it is. Even if you have experienced savory moles south of our border, the creations that Olea combines are deliciously exquisite. And with that in mind, he has created a very unique mole especially for New Mexico which includes indigenous ingredients including pine nuts, pecans, red chile, apricots, and from Mexico, rich, white chocolate. If you visit his restaurant – he will share this delectable and complex recipe with you!
This signature recipe is depicted in a grand fashion on the primary focal wall of Epazote in the manner of a great oil painting on canvas – by prominent Mexican artist Federico Leon de la Vega. This richly detailed mural – stretching the length of the main dining room, nearly 20 feet in length – re-creates the scene of these marvelous ingredients gathered in preparation for the making of Olea’s own New Mexican mole. As Olea states, “nothing evokes the mystery of fine Mexican cuisine more than mole, a regional dish from the heart of the country.” This “thick sauce of complex flavors” defies one’s understanding of the individual ingredients. The festive spices and remarkable combinations result in astonishing flavors beyond accustomed characterizations.
Paired with his artful cuisine, Olea partners with Michael, a very talented art curator whose last name escapes me (lo siento), to present a gallery of fine-art speaking volumes of various styles and media, from the white-washed plaster walls of this historic convent – now a prestigious exhibition space for well-known New Mexican artists.
It is a must-see to experience an evening of fine dining and fine art in this quiet little structure across from the historic Our lady of Guadalupe church on Agua Fria in Santa Fe. Tell chef Olea that “Patti Says” and you agree that this is an exceptional multi-sensory experience!

Posted On May 20, 2011 By pattisays In art and interior design, design, food and interior design, multi-media design /

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