Words of Wisdom

I absolutely believe this....and he happens to be one of my favourite authors, no less.

This Is Bliss

I must say, there is a strange and wonderful connectedness in blogging; a chain of common interest with people you otherwise wouldn't know.  Even the smallest comment can open the doors to someone's world, and that was exactly the case with Bliss!

Michaela kindly left me a comment last week, and after perusing her adorable blog, I discovered that she is an amazing photographer based in Finland.  The story of how she discovered her hidden eye for photography (and an incredible one, at that) feels so serendipitous.  

Always an arts & crafts lover, Michaela clearly has an artistic streak.  In her early 20s, a friend lent her his pocket camera to photograph some of her work for sale.  Two days later, she had over 600 pictures of not just her work, but daily musings when she brought it along.  And there you have it!  She was hooked, purchased her own Nikon pocket, photographed 200+ photos a day for months and then decided this was a hobby worth investing in.  With a bigger and better camera and lens(es) in tow, Michaela's photography skills perfectly compliment her career as an events designer and manager.  Funny how things work out, isn't it?

The photographs that fascinate me the most are her shots of animals and the outdoors.  Her pieces seem to have a raw radiance to them.  I'm totally in awe of her talent!

To see more of Michaela's work, visit her blog Bliss! or her photography website Pfuipfui Photography.

Designer Profile: Interview with Christine Tuttle

I've been so looking forward to posting the next Designer Profile, that I decided to forget the "every Monday" series post date.  Instead, we're all in for a treat before the weekend!

Christine Tuttle, principal of Christine Tuttle Interior Design, is such a talented designer and I'm honoured she's a part of this series.  I first discovered her work through Elle Decor.com, and her classic contemporary interiors are easily some of my favourites.  I'm sure that her mastery of scale and colour can be attributed to her strong art background.  Christine has held positions including Art Gallery Director and Museum Curator, and her experience as an interior designer includes residential, commercial and furniture design.  Best of all, Christine's down-to-earth nature (evident even over email) provides further reason to admire her and her work.

First Design Break
Decorating a waterfront private Club on Cape Cod that probably had not seen many updates in 50 years. It was very nautical with lots of blue and white, mitered stripes, hard wearing fabrics, wicker and keeping it “green” with attention reupholstering existing furniture.

Inspirational right now
Here in the Boston area it is the coming spring with longer days and the fabulous late day light. Colors and spirits lighten, and we pull more from the garden and the exterior. You don’t have to cover a house in floral chintz to achieve a link to the outside, just subtle editing of winter décor items and loosening up for spring.

Favorite hotel
A few... Twin Farms in Vermont is like a small exclusive house party decorated by the late late Jed Johnson and Thad Hayes. Little Dix Bay on Virgin Gorda for the beach and solitude. The St. Regis in San Francisco’s bar/lobby fireplace inspired a similar application for a Boston area client. Probably my most favorite hotel in the world was also my Dad’s: the Berkeley in London. Truly the best.

Little Dix Bay

St. Regis, San Francisco

The Berkeley, London

Preferred Room
I find challenges and great fun decorating all rooms, but I do have this penchant for Bathrooms. I want them highly functional and spa like. I’ll agonize over those choices so it is perfect.

Biggest Design Risk
My interiors only look risky because I am willing to let artwork or architecture speak for themselves. I have great confidence in my own aesthetic, but mainly I have a phenomenal crew of contractors that are like Greek Gods – my electrician, cabinet shop, fabricators and plumbers can make anything I draw a reality. Surround yourself with great people is the first rule.

A few of Christine's favourite resources: Farrow & Ball, Lee Jofa, Donghia, Flexform, Pierre Frey, Chilewich, and  Larsen.  I will add these suppliers to the Design Studio!
A huge thank you to Christine for this feature!  Have a lovely weekend readers!