With just about any artistic creation there is a process.  Design is no different.  The first step is the concept… the last is the selection of finishes.  There may have been a fabric selected in the very beginning as an inspiration piece or to unify a palette but in general, finishes are selected after all the main furniture pieces are selected.  Designs evolve and what once thought to be a mainstay in a design can be edited out as new selections bring the design to the next level.  Most of this goes site unseen by you, the client.  This takes [...]

Larry Laslo designs fabrics for Robert Allen.  I have used his fabrics many times.  I recently received an email with his latest creations.  I always peruse new things when they come along.  This time was the same.  I was drawn to his Elegant Frame design so I ordered memo samples to see and feel it LIVE.  The motif is true to its name ~ elegant.  The content is 50% silk, 50% viscose rayon.  The result is this sheer fabric with a lovely sheen.  The motif is embroidery – a big plus for going the extra mile with the embroidery.   Colorways [...]

No one is better than Byron Jorjorian.  He just knows how to capture light. Even the neutrals look special. I will never tire of his work. It is simply spectacular!

Today I’m going to speak about a very important part of interior design ~ lighting.  Lighting is a critical element.  So the answer is YES! Lighting is that important in design. You can have the most elegant, beautiful design but if it is not illuminated properly, its glory may be suppressed. The first and most important thing to think about when developing a lighting plan is what will actually be happening in the room.  Different rooms / tasks require specific lighting.  You would never do that same lighting in your living room that you would in your kitchen.  What occurs [...]

If you read my blog and know a bit about me, you know that I was a psychotherapist for *^&%!# years before going back to school for design.  Design and psychology go hand in hand and we can learn a lot about people from their homes – or at least we can hypothesize.  Homes are generally personalized.  Even if a designer did the home, it should absolutely reflect the person who lives there and please his/her psyche.  If it doesn’t, then it wouldn’t be a pleasure to come home to. If we look carefully with a trained eye we can [...]

This time of the year always makes me think.  It makes me take a look at life, all that I have, all that I’m grateful for, and things that worry me some.  This year I am worried a bit about humanity.  That’s a big area to cover but the part that concerns me is the less time being devoted to developing the relationships.  Relationships critical to happiness and success.  I worry that the amazing technology that we all have available to us is taking over important aspects of forming and maintaining relationships. We can communicate so easily now that there [...]

Do you ever listen to the words of a song and a person comes to mind?  That happens to me all the time.  I have heard this Phillip Phillips song many times and the group of folks that always come to mind is my clients.  It’s true there are bumps along every project path but we always work through them… something doesn’t come in when it was supposed to… the paint color is quite right… But I have been fortunate to work with amazing clients and together we reach the wonderful end results and make their house into their home. [...]

Thank you Samantha for featuring my work on Houzz!  I love decorating with gold!  Check out Samantha Schoech’s Ideabook on decorating with gold.  The pictures are wonderful and the ideas flowing.

We have a new look at Paula Grace Designs.  Welcome to my new blog and website.  This project was months in the making.   I wanted a logo and site that better conveys my design philosophy and work.   I believe we achieved that!   Take stroll through the site.  I added new projects to my portfolio and even have a featured project where you can walk though the experience from concept to completion. I’d like to thank all my clients for their wonderful contributions and to the Team that worked with me on this labor of love! Enjoy! Paula [...]

I was featured in I Am Modern! Take a look…