Starr Miller Interior Design, Inc.

Avalanche in North Carolina

 
When last we chatted it was September and the Labor Day weekend was upon us.  Well, after that we just had an avalanche of an Autumn....

In September Tom and I had a great time going to watch our beloved Alabama Football team win at Duke.  And may I say the Duke folks were delightful, kind and gracious hosts!  While I enjoyed the football - I LOVED the architecture.  What a beautiful campus!

Tom and I spent the first week of October enjoying the beauty of Sea Island, the McGladry Classic and a wonderful evening at Davis Love III's home.  Tom had a great time playing in the ProAm and I enjoyed The Lodge!

 

October brought us High Point Market (that I missed due to a 3 week virus) and work, work, work!  Thank you team for going and scouting out the new trends!

November hustled in with a fun afternoon at the Metrolina Antique Market with Eddie Ross and his partner Jaithan.  Delightful guys with great insights into a modern take on market finds.  I ran out the door with these marvelous table bases....

 

Do you notice anything in this photo from Coco Chanel's sitting room???

 
 Just a bit of whimsy!

The following week the StarrMiller team won People's Choice Award for our work in the North Mecklenburg Woman's Club Holiday Over the Tabletop Event.

 
One week later we won:

2010 NARI of Charlotte - Contractor of the Year Award, CotY, Team Award for Residential Interior Under $100,000
2010 Lake Norman Home Builder's - BEST of the LAKE Design Competition - 1st Place- Bath Revovation
2010 Lake Norman Home Builder's - BEST of the LAKE Design Competition - 1st Place - Home Additions (Rooms and Suites)
2010 Lake Norman Home Builder's - BEST of the LAKE Design Competition - Honorable Mention - Kitchen Renovation
 
It is an embarrassment of riches. 

Additionally, we reconstructed our back of the house operations and worked hard to delight our clients!

I am forever greatful to the Team!  I am truly blessed to work with smart, creative and fun people!!

 
(Mary, Warren, me and Sam - photograph by Chanda) 

Coming up......

February's Favorite Fifty........... 

The WhirlWind that was October!

Dear Blog Readers,

My deepest and sincerest apologies for abandoning you in October.  This past month proved to be the busiest on record!

We went for a weekend to our favorite getaway, St. Simons Island, GA so Tom could take some golf lessons at Sea Island and I could see my Father.

Then we had the Member Guest Golf Event at our club where our sweet friends John and Kathy Arnold joined us for 4 fabulous days!

The following weekend brought all that is High Point market!  I will go on and on about that in another post, but it is important to acknowledge that it is an entire city of furniture showrooms and I had a wonderful time looking for the new and unusual!

The week of High Point I was also chairing a fabulous fashion show, Dangerous Curves Ahead for the North Mecklenburg Woman's Club, where we entertained 200 and raised money to send women back to school! 

Our sponsors were the best! Dillards, Standpoint Technologies, Do A Little Floral, Jockey International, MJ's Sugar Shack, LKNSavings.com,Fifth Third Bank, The Style Merchant and the Grill Doctor are just a few!

 
We had fabulous auction items, over 80 in total!

 
 
Amazing fashions and models..

 
 
Below is Gina Story, our MC and one of our Fashion Show Captains, Denise Linerode, another of our Fashion Show Captains and Denise Carter, our President and another Fashion Show Captain.

 
Here is Deborah Maher, our Auction Captain, Brian and Tony of Do A Little Floral and Dianne Kolenski, our Fashion Captain. 

 

Fun was had by all!  In the end we raised a glass and cheered a job well done.

When this picture was taken they sang "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" - can you stand it?

The next morning Tom and I were off to Alabama for the Alabama-Tennessee football game.

It was the 30th anniversary of our first date and the 20th anniversary of our wedding.  We won the game, whew - in the last second!  This is one tired girl you see below, but if we are going to chronicle this crazy month we might as well show the truth!

 
And since this is a design blog that I scatter with my personal musings...here is a DON"T!

Thank you to all of my clients for indulging this crazy month!  Many of you were along for some of the ride, others were the focus of High Point.  We are back in the office full time and can't wait to catch up on installations!!  Woo Hoo!

Dive on in.....

Since we have been talking about tile this month I started reminiscing about NYC and my studies at Parsons.  In one of my classes on materials the professor kept stressing the need to look at connections.  How one material meets the next truly determines the success of a design.  That was a light bulb moment.  When we see things that seem awkward or have gaps we focus on the gaps not on the beauty.  That’s why a good presenter doesn’t have stains on their blouse or spinach in their teeth.  They want us to focus on their face, inflection and the information not the gaps!

When working with tile we need to focus on the connection it has with other materials.Look at this wall from the restaurant Rosa Mexicana, designed by The Rockwell Group.  It is majestic. 

 

Now look at the connection of the tile to the wavy surface that has the water fall and divers.  It is a very clean line. 

If it was wavy and uneven it would draw your eye away from the attraction of the divers and the theater of the room and force you to the distraction of a poorly connected or finished material.

 

Remember, just as in life, the connections we make and how we handle them defines us.

Lake Norman Woman Article - June 2009 Summer Guests Are Coming, Are You Ready?

In this article I write about the perfect Guest Room. But more importantly, I introduce you to my Dad! He is one of a kind and he influences everything I do.  Here is the article...but keep scrolling down.  You will see pictures of my Dad, but for those who are looking for Design Tips I have included my complete "Guests are Coming" checklist.  The Lake Norman area is a perfect place to get away from it all.  Now they may never want to leave!  Be careful!

I would love to hear your ideas so feel free to comment!!!  You may click on the article to enlarge.

Here are my Dad and my brother Jonathan visiting us in Fort Lauderdale.
 

And here Daddy is at Cabin Bluff.  Looking good and feeling the salt air he loves so much.

 
My expanded checklist for getting ready for guests is below:

Bedding

«      Lush and lovely bed with soft pressed sheets

«      Extra blankets in the closet

«      A throw at the foot of the bed for my feet when sitting on bed reading

«      An assortment of pillow types from hard to soft, synthetic and down, at least 2 per person total.

«      Night shades or black out drapery

Closet /Clothing Storage

«      Rack for my suitcase

«      An empty drawer for my clothes

«      A laundry basket for my cleaning

«      A plastic bag to put my dirty clothes in to take home in my suitcase.

«      Extra hangers in the closet so I can hang up my clothes

«      A soft terry robe for each guest (2) One XL one Med

«      Flip flops or Slippers just in case

Bathroom – I might forget something!

«      Extra toilet paper

«      Kleenex

«      Air Freshener

«      Fresh bar of soap

«      Shampoo and Conditioner

«      Hand Soap

«      Hand Cream

«      Packaged toothbrush

«      Toothpaste

«      Mouthwash

«      Cotton balls

«      Q-tips

«      Soap Dish at Sink

«      Hair Dryer

«      Plastic Cup or Glass for each guest.

«      A dark wash cloth meant for taking off makeup

«      At least bath 2 towels per guest

«      An Aquis Waffle Hair towel

«      Trash can in bath and closet

«      Shower Cap – large sized

«      Shower Caddy in Shower if no ledge to hold everything

«      Hook for Night Gown and or Robe

Food

«      If there is a microwave – Popcorn!

«      If there is a coffee maker – instructions

o        Sweet and Low, Sugar, Equal, Splenda

o        Coffee

o        Creamer

o        Spoons

o        Coffee Cups

o        Napkins

«      If remote guesthouse…wine and cork screw

«      Assorted Treats in a basket

o        Nuts, Peanut butter crackers, Small Chocolates

o        Bowl of Fruit with Knife!

«      Bottled Water, other soft drinks if your guests prefer.

Welcome Details – Keep these in a binder in the room

«      Local Map

«      List of Local restaurants with a quick blurb about food, pricing and attire

«      List of Local Shopping Areas and Stores

«      List of Local Attractions, Include Season and Kid Friendly

Desk Area for Computer

«      Internet Access

«      Note paper, Envelopes, Stamps, Memo Pad, Pen

Other

«      TV with Remote and Instructions – Write instructions in large print if elderly visitors expected.

«      Telephone

«      One or Two Family Pictures – always special if you rotate to include guest and family member in photo!

«      Clock Radio

«      A Few Magazines – One Gossip, One Sports, One Local and One Home Oriented

«      A good book and or crossword puzzle book

«      Reading light

«      Chair for reading or sitting at desk

«      A guest book

«      A key to the house or guesthouse

Finally, Fresh Flowers and a welcome note make things perfect!

The Gracious Georgia Coast

I grew up in Georgia and over the years have come to love the Georgia Coast.  I am not sure if it is the Spanish moss, the marshlands or just that fact that my father lives there, but to me it is a relaxing, lovely place to just exhale.

      

Great place for a ghost story.  This is on Saint Simons Island.  A laid back Island with golf courses, bikers, ice cream shops and cute places to eat like Barbara Jean's for great crab cakes and the most scrumptious pumpkin bread.  Daddy calls it perfection.

 

Since this is a blog about design, I thought I would show some photos from the Sea Island Cloister Resort.  It is across the marsh from Saint Simons.  This is one of the loveliest spots in the United States and has recently been renovated to a level that has earned the Mobile 5 Stars and AAA Five Diamond nods.  Sea Island is a tiny exclusive enclave that was first developed in the early 1900's and the Cloister hotel was first built in 1928.  The remainder of the island is all privately owned by some of the wealthiest people in the United States.  The hotel has hosted presidents and in 2004 the G8 conference.  (Sounds like a linkedin resume, doesn't it?)

 

The renovation tried to take its cues from the original Mizner design, however it is more like Mizner on steriods. 

 

This is lovely, however it is a bit grand compared to the original.  I am more partial to the smaller spaces that are finely detailed and warm and inviting.

 

A charming spot for afternoon tea; don't you think?

 

 

Manly yes, but I like it too!

 

This is one of 3 Parts of the Sea Island company Resorts....

The second is a fine example of Ralph Lauren and is aptly named "The Lodge"

 

The bagpiper at dusk on the golf course by the sea is only one of the many reasons my husband insists on making this his final resting place.  Actually, it is the men's locker room that he loves the most.  Do you think I can coax them into that someday?    Hope I don't get the chance!

 

See why he likes it? I much prefer the public spaces.  A glass of wine in the lobby or in the Oak Room and I am set.

 

Okay, I'll admit it, I am a sucker for manly spaces, with beautiful paneling, a warm fire and gracious Southerners.