What brings you joy? For my client Jane Underhill, it’s many things including a talent she discovered later in life. I visited Jane’s home a few months ago and was taken back by her colorful and varied artwork. I was even more intrigued when I found out she was the artist!

Last week I shared with you the gorgeous great room my friend Jessica designed. This week I’m giving you a step by step outline for planning a room like this and getting a stunning end result!

Traditional Style has withstood the test of time, centuries in fact! But lately this timeless style has received a youthful facelift. My friend Jessica recently purchased a new home. She is one of a new breed of designers, young, confident, and wistfully creative in her love of traditional style.

Ever try your hand at embroidery? Webster’s defines this as, “the ornamentation of fabric using needlework.” Crewel is similar but refers to the type of yarn used, it’s typically thicker and made of wool. I met someone recently who is highly skilled at this artform, and gazing at her handiwork was nothing short of enchanting! Bobbie, my new friend, spends hours working on her craft. She paints pictures with a needle and thread, buttons, and fabric.

My friend Joel Lilliquist has been renovating a small condo in central Phoenix over the last year. My last post highlighted his contemporary dining area. Here are a few pictures of some other areas I love.

This is his comfy seating area, a streamlined leather sofa, a tribal print rug, and a planked wood table. Fun pillows, a tripod lamp, and a colorful art piece add the finishing details. Joel is a “less is more” designer and dislikes clutter. It shows in this vignette.

My good friend Joel Lilliquist is a master craftsman, not in the usual way of working with wood or stone, but in the way of using scale, negative space, color and pattern. Joel has been in the design industry for 38 years, beginning in visual merchandising and transitioning to interior design 19 years ago. I met Joel when I started with Lazboy Furniture Galleries 13 years ago. He is one of my design mentors and one of my favorite people! His unique mix of fabrics, art, and lighting is inspiring.

This first post is from my talented daughter Brittany. She did a gorgeous tree for her bedroom for the holidays. Soiree Phx is the name of her company/website/blog. This event planning company specializes in parties for kids. Read on!

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