Cash for Clunkers Program

06Jul09

A well designed car is always a pleasure… but so is a green planet. For me, look, performance (and a manual transmission) have always gotten in the way of getting a “green” labeled car. 

Now, even if you are not ready to jump into the Prius, car manufacturers are offering an array of options that have better gas mileage, run cleaner and get you into the clean environment game. 

A new tax bill has been passed offering an incentive to trade in your clunky not-so-fuel-efficent car for a newer, cleaner model. Depending on the MPG and year of your current car, you can receive a credit up to $4500 when you make a trade. For example, my 2003 VW GTI with 6 environment polluting cylinders would qualify me for an $1800 discount on a newer, higher MPG model…. 

Check out the full details at: http://www.fueleconomy.gov

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Tags: car, cash for clunkers, green, incentive, tax bill, trade-in

Ah, the joy of the layoff…

02Jul09

Sorry again, this has been a quite week.

As I mentioned in my last post, last Friday I was laid-off from my fabulous (yet not completely fulfilling) job due to a large portion of our projects being put on hold. So, the past few days have been spent trying to get my ducks in a row, relaxing and pondering what the heck I am going to do “when I grow up”…. also known as the day my severance benefits stop.

Although a bit of a shock at first, I’ve finally wrapped my mind around it and see this chain of events for exactly what it is… a perfect opportunity to start the next chapter of my career. A move I have been mulling for quite some time but continually pushing off until “a better time” and “a more stable economy.” Well, that bucket got turned on its head!

So, now I have to face the choice: do I work part-time and concentrate on setting up my own operation or go back into a full-time position until I have completely planned my course of action? 

Many statistics say a down economy encourages the creation of new businesses… oftentimes due to lay-offs and people needing to create a new income for themselves. Seems like as good a time as any to test out the viability of a job!

Less pondering, more design tomorrow. Stay tuned and thanks again to all of you who are loyal readers! xoxo

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Tags: design, interior, career planning, lay-off, entrepreneurship, start-up

An image tonight an update tomorrow…

27Jun09

So, as the week ended… so did my job! Ahhh the joy of the layoff. So, I have now joined the legion of people in the hospitality industry suddenly set adrift. This of course will turn out to be a fabulous turn of events… I just like a little more preparation when taking a big jump. Alas, had no choice in this one. 

So, a few changes will happen to Bourdon Design over the next few days along with some great posts that have been piling up on my to-do list (plenty of time to tackle that now!)… so stay tuned. 

I leave you with two images. Happy thoughts create happy people. So I share with you two images of shoes that made me smile… back to interiors tomorrow!

Ruthie Davis shoes – Sushi Mary Jane suede pump

Mai Lamore – “Oiseau de Paradis” (Bird of Paradise) shoe

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Tags: Interior Design, lay-offs, luxe, shoes, unemployment

New wallpaper from Stark

25Jun09

Normally, I’m not a huge fan of woodgrain wallcoverings. For some reason, the images from Stark Wallcoverings made me take a second look at this handpainted paper. (Maybe it was also the cute mix of colors.) Also, like anything with such a specific look, I think I like it best not covering an entire wall. The wainscot adds elegance and gives the eye a break from the woodgrain.

Contact me if you are interested in pricing info.

Enjoy!

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Tags: contemporary, eco-friendly, green, hand painted, stark, wallcovering, wallpaper, woodgrain

Jacques Grange

21Jun09

At my day job, every so often I give a presentation on a topic, person, design aesthetic, object, etc. that interestes me. Normally, I try to choose a topic either related to interior design, France or a current project. This time, I simply chose a personal interest.  

For tomorrow’s presentation I’ll be talking about Jacques Grange, a highly renowned French interior designer/decorator. He is a superstar in the design world, having working with clients such as Yves Saint-Laurent, Caroline of Monaco, Francois Pinault, etc. He designed the interior of the Mark Hotel on Madison Ave. in New York City. He was named Knight of the Legion of Honor (France’s highest distinction)… his list of accomplishments and accolades could go on and on. 

A student of classical interior, architecture and creating functional objects, M. Grange is know for combining extraordinary antique pieces with the very contemporary, getting enjoyment from strong juxtapositions… He also has two great books showing the full range of his work. 

If you are interested in seeing my entire presentation, email me and I’ll pass it along…

Some images for your viewing pleasure:

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Tags: chevalier legion d'honneur, France, French, Interior Design, jacques grange, mark hotel ny, yves saint-laurent

New Book Recommendation: “At Home with Wedgwood”

17Jun09

Another new book I’ve added to our inspiration library/reference book selection is the newAt Home with Wedgwood: the Art of the Table by Tricia Foley.

A few months ago we tested out china pattern desing for one of our hospitality projects. Although it took an enormous amount of work just to get our ideas together, pulling inspiration images was a great pleasure. Every once in a while I find another book that I think should be added to our collection for future projects.

At Home with Wedgwood is a great book because it not only shows a broad array of placesettings and decorative items, but it gives an interesting and easy to ready history… not something that is necessarily expected in such a book!

Some yummy images:

Charlotte Moss

Stephen Drucker

Bardith

Jasper Conran

Interested? Check it out in our Amazon store (click the link in the right column).

All images courtsey of Potter Publishing.

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Tags: books, china, decorating, home, house, images, inspiration, placesettings, porcelain, wedgwood

Oh those crazy knitters…

13Jun09

In an attempt to get a few items off of my to-do list, this morning I set out to find some patterns for items I’ve been requested to knit as gifts. The web and books are chock-full of patterns but finding something contemporary and cool, especially for men, is not always an easy task. 

So, after searching in vain for a nice men’s sock pattern, I turned to Knitty.com. They are usually a pretty consistent resource for fun patterns. So, I go to the archives section… enter “mens socks” into the search box…. and voila! This is what Knitty spit out for me (yes, it was the ONLY result). 

Yep, that is a man thong. Read the pattern posting and laugh as I did. (here)

Maybe I’ll just go to the knit shop to find a pattern!

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Magazine Inspirations

10Jun09

I have a huge backlog of magazines I have little tags in marking the great inspiration images I want to scan and store… I am slowly but surely going through them and will share the images bit by bit.

I normally don’t go crazy over turquoise, but the color and shine of this little table immediately drew me in. Available through Ralph Pucci..

I absoloutely love the look of this room… looks like the perfect place to read, relax or work on projects. The feed sack pillows are what drew me in… they are a great casual accent without looking messy.

Great blanket and wine/food journals…

Both the necklace and the “Bondage Chair” in this photo sucked me in..

A great tranquil, bright bedroom…

And some silly Paris wallpaper…

More tomorrow… enjoy!

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Follow up on the “ben” Iphone app…

09Jun09

I finally put the ben Iphone app to work! After color matching my hair (a combo of reds, taupes and camels), I did my cat, my floor, a few pieces of art and my foot. The application really is amazing! Just be sure you are in decent lighting and the process is a snap! I was not completely thrilled with the “shake” results (a selection of complementary colors) but that is simply because I am picky and like to be a bit wild. All in all its a great tool…

Test it out for yourself and let me know what you think!

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Tags: Benjamin Moore, color, match, iphone, app, ben, swatch

Sleeper Magazine

08Jun09

Another magazine you may want to add to your “must check out”‘ list… Sleeper Magazine. A UK based mag that focuses on hotel design, development and architecture, each issue boasts beautiful photos and great articles.

Andels Hotel, Berlin

Luxury Landscaping

New trends in flooring..

They have just launched a new website featuring more in-depth reports on trends, designers and locations as well as better graphics, bigger photos and much more to entice you into subscribing…. Check it out and let me know what you think!

www.sleepermagazine.com

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Tags: design, Hotel, publication, sleeper magazine, UK