Hey friends!  The new issue of ON Magazine is hot off the press!  This month we’re focusing on the family & I’m talking about designing cool spaces for your kiddos.  I had so much fun on this issue.  The game room featured in the article is my daughter’s & she even makes a cameo in her favorite space.  Vamping up your kid’s rooms is the perfect back to school project!  Click on the photo below to get an up close look at the photos & tips.  Happy designing!

CoolKidsSpaces_ON mag

I’ve got exciting news my fellow interior design aficionados!  I’m thrilled to announce my editorial debut & partnership with ON magazine.  Now, you’ll be able to get my latest design tips & trends in glossy form in addition to this blog & Good Morning Texas.  Each issue will focus on a different design topic.  This issue highlights different ways & suggestions on how to use decorative trays throughout your home.  Click on the PDF below to get the full scoop!  Let me know what you think & please offer any suggestions for topics that you would like to see me cover in the magazine!

ONDecorativeTrays2

Did you know that today is Nate Day?  And, yes I am referring to the uber-fabulous  Nate Berkus, celebrity interior decorator extraordinare.  If you’re active on Twitter, then you may have been alerted to the trending topic #nateday that has all of the design & blogging community in a frenzy.  “How’d he get his own day?”, you may be asking yourself.  No, Oprah didn’t declare it Nate Day.  The Moggit Girls did.  Why?  Is it his infectious smile & energy?  His drool worthy colorful designs?  Well, of course, but it all started with a recent announcement.  The Moggit Girls created such a buzz when they first tweeted about the debut of Nate’s new show premiering in September that they asked fellow design bloggers & tweeters to unite for a day full of Nate Berkus inspired content.  Being a fan of Nate’s, I am, of course, happy to participate.

So, in honor of #nateday, I thought I would share with you the top 5 reasons I can identify with & why I swoon over Nate’s designs.

#1 Contrast:  I absolutely adore the upholstery against the dark painted walls (covered in eco friendly paint company Farrow & Ball’s Off Black) in this room Nate designed alongside Ann Coyle for Elle Rakieten, a producer for the Oprah Winfrey show.

#2 Layering:  I’m a huge fan of layering!  I love to add a powerful punch to a plain sisal rug with a zebra skin rug as shown in the photo above.  Berkus hit the high notes with this one.  Each piece in the room is fabulous in it’s own right, but when joined together they create a beautiful design harmony.  I showed you a similar look  with a pair of green chairs & a fun zebra hair on hide rug on GMT back in March.

#3 Adding Ottomans:  The addition of ottomans or small benches not only allows for extra seating for your guests in a room but also gives you the opportunity to have some design fun!  I love the legs on the ottomans Nate used in this design.  The pop of color on the seat is a deep contrast with the dark rich sofa across from it.

#4 Sexy Sectionals:  Whether it’s floating in a room (like the one I recently showed you that I designed for a client in California) or hugging a wall, a sectional does not have to be boring or plain.  Even though this sectional is neutral in color, the squared tufted sections make it say “va va va voom”!  This swanky pad in Milan is one of my all time favorite Berkus designs.

#5 Any shade of blue:  I’m always feeling blue!  I’m drawn to pretty much every shade of blue from teal or turquoise to mineral or baby blue.  It’s one of my favorite colors to work with.  Nate livened up his sister’s nearly neutral color palette with the addition of a painted blue chest.  The shade is pure perfection & adds drama & intensity to her home.

HAPPY NATE DAY EVERYONE!

images from Oprah.com, Elle Decor, Glamour, Google

Did you know that you can get up to a $1500 tax credit on your 2010 tax return just for adding shutters to your home?  Shutters qualify as adding additional insulation to the exterior windows of the home.  The tax credit is thirty percent up to a maximum credit amount of $1500.  Plantation shutters are a wonderful solution for windows in your home.  They offer privacy, extra insulation & not to mention added value to your home.  If you are contemplating about covering your windows with them, now is the time to do it.  Take advantage of the tax credit & be eco chic at the same time!  Contact an IBB designer for more information.

I was so excited to receive a sneak peek at Barbara Barry’s  new accessory introductions for Global Views that I had to share it with you all right away!  The elegant line contains ceramics, trays, boxes and other fabulous accessories that depict the timeless sophistication that Ms. Barry is known for.  She has selected an assortment of amazing finishes including laquer, leather & silver leaf detailing.

Script Oval Tray in Ivory

This might be my favorite piece.  I love to add a tray to a room.  They are so versatile.  Display pretty perfume bottles on them in your bathroom or use them to group or organize cell phones, keys, pens & to-do lists.  Bring them out to entertain with when you have a party or use it to serve your sweetie coffee or breakfast in bed.  Set one up in a guest room on a nightstand or dresser with items to make your guests feel welcome (fresh cookies, magazines, bottled water & a toothbrush & toothpaste).

Banded ceramic vase & Polished Tazza in white

You know I love to entertain, so of course I love this vase & footed serving piece.  They have such a fresh clean look.  I can just imagine displaying a fresh bouquet of flowers in the vase & arranging yummy muffins on the serving piece to have coffee with girlfriends.

Luxe Organizer in Ivory laquer

This sleek set of laquered boxes offer both form & fuction.  Perfectly sized to conceal pens, pencils, keys, or jewelry this should be on everyone’s “must have” list.

Global Views is one of my absolute favorite home accessory lines.  They also happen to be one of my favorite showrooms to visit at market.  I can’t wait to see them this weekend when we embark on our bi-annual shopping spree in North Carolina for home furnishings & accessories for IBB.  Market is like fashion week for the interior design industry.  I’m like a kid in a candy store there.  By the end of the trip, my head is usually spinning from all of the fabulous finds that caught my eye.

If you aren’t already, make sure to follow me on Twitter to get instant updates & see all the great things I found at market next week!  http://www.twitter.com/designershay

AND, if you’re a designer & you’ll be at market, you won’t want to miss our Tweetup at Global Views on Sunday, April 18th.  Click here for details & to RSVP.

Hello friends!  I owe you all a super big apology for my absence here on the blog over the last 2 weeks.  You see, some big changes have been occurring in my life recently.  I just got married!  My wonderful husband, Brian, & I dated for nearly 3 years  & he popped the question back in September.  Being a designer combined with my strong willed detail oriented personality, I decided to take on the task of planning & creating our wedding & reception.  I seriously could have used a clone over the last few months!

Planning a wedding can be a full time job in itself, even if it’s a small one like ours was (we had 24 guests).  Add to this my full time job as an interior designer, mommy to my very active sweet five year old, fiance, daughter to the greatest parents on earth,  Good Morning Texas, and active philanthropist & charity involvement… well ~ I hope you can understand why blogging was put on hold for a while.  I typically blog late at night after my daughter goes to bed or early in the morning before she gets up.  However, with the wedding fast approaching & traveling for a  big project I’m working on in California, it seems that there just weren’t enough hours in the day.  But, now I’m back & I’ve got a full schedule of fun things to share with you including the details of our wedding!

We were married in Beaver Creek, Colorado on March 6, 2010 at the Beaver Creek Chapel (see photo).  It was the most wonderful day of my life (next to the birth of my daughter of course!)  My daughter, Jaylie (only 5 years old) gave a toast at the reception (her request) that brought us all to our knees.  My stomach flittered with pride & glee at how grown up and thoughtful her words were.

Brian is such a blessing to my life & my sweet little girl.  We are beyond blessed & so very excited about our new little family & all of the new beginnings.

So stay tuned for lots of fun in the design world & an inside look & behind the scenes details of our winter wedding in Beaver Creek.

xoxo
Shay Geyer
(BTW, Geyer is actually pronounced GEAR)

You may have noticed that we had some technical difficulties over the past few days on the blog.  We are in the process of updating & making a few changes to make your experience on the Designer Detective blog better & more interactive.  Don’t be bummed my decor devotees, I have lots of great updates & fun stuff in store for you this week.   I will also be re-posting last week’s content!  I appreciate your patience while we work out a few kinks.  Thank you!

Design & architectectural lovers around the world are swooning today as the extraordinarily elegant 160 story (2,625 feet)  Burj Dabai opens today.  The tallest structure in the world.  Can you imagine the views from atop?  Think sensational views of the Arabian Gulf not to mention, well, just about all of Dubai!

The luxury building, designed by American Adrian Smith, boasts an observation deck on floor 124, 900 residences, fine dining on 122, 37 floors of office space, a nightclub, a 160 room hotel & more.  The Y-shaped design was inspired by the native desert flower Hymenocallis. The plan was to construct the world’s tallest structure that would also become an iconic architectural wonder that would entice curious minds from around the globe.  The importance of carrying out Dubai’s rich culture & history was realized as well as creating a unified global identity that would welcome a diverse demographic of visitors and residents.

The indulgent interior design was led by Nada Andric of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP.  Click here to see a slide show of the interior renderings for the building including rich stones & woods, stainless, steel, sexy curves (inspired by cursive Arabic writing) and sleekness.  Over 1,000 works of original art will hang throughout the tower, many commissioned from local artists.  Hand made rugs will adorn the silver travertine floors.

Ready to buy your pad high in the sky?  Not so fast.   Apparently the recession is not on everyone’s mind these days.  Rumor has it that this swanky structure in the clouds is already sold out.  But don’t put your check book down just yet.  You can always book a luxurious vacation remnant of Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous & stay in one of their fabulous hotel rooms.

Woohoo!  2010 is here!  I hope you all had a fun & safe New Year’s Eve.  We had a very quiet & lovely evening.  We sipped champagne in the hot tub, watched movies & the Platinum Weddings marathon (the new season premiere is Sunday Jan 3rd & I can’t wait!) & enjoyed being entertained with song & dance by my little princess.  Quality family time is priceless!!!  After a very busy year, it was so nice to just sit & chill.

I’m just thrilled for 2010.  This is going to be a fabulous year!  I’m so excited for all that this year has in store.  It seems like there is already so much on my plate.  I love it!  I can’t wait to share all of it with y’all this year.  I’m working on some exciting new projects with clients that will have me traveling quite a bit more this year (super stoked about this!).   I’ll be sure & fill you in on what’s happening.

I’m getting married this year!  My amazing fiancee & I have been together for almost three years.  He proposed back in September 2009.  My daughter & I could not be more excited about this exciting new beginning.  On New Year’s Eve, my mom, daughter & I spent hours brainstorming ideas for the ceremony & reception. We’re having a small intimate winter wedding.  We have so many fun ideas!  My head is spinning!  One of my favorite daily reads for wedding blogs is www.stylemepretty.com.  I absolutely love it!  If you’re getting married or know someone who is (or just want to see lots of really cool really fabulous weddings), you should check it out!  We will be creating many aspects of the wedding ourselves, so stay tuned for posts about planning, creating & of course the Big Day!  And if you have any marvelous ideas for a winter wedding, please share them with me!!!

My schedule for Good Morning Texas is all set & just like the past 4 years, I’ll be coming into your home live every Friday morning (for those who live out of our viewing area, I will be posting the segments after they air here & here).  We have so many cool shows planned packed with special guests, celebrities, & stunning home interiors!

More fun stuff is in store for you in 2010 on the Designer Detective blog:

*Guest Bloggers:  Starting this year, we will feature guest bloggers on the Designer Detective blog.  I can’t wait to introduce you to our first guest!  She is amazing & I just know that you all will love her!  If you are interested in being a guest blogger for the Designer Detective, shoot me an e-mail at shay@ibbdesign.com.

*GIVEAWAYS!!!  Yep, you read it right!  FREE STUFF!  I gave away an iPod Touch for Christmas & had so much fun that I’ve got an exciting year of giveaways planned for all of the DD loyal readers!  Check the blog daily for updates on all of the giveaways!

*Projects:  Get an insider look into some of my past & current projects, as well projects from other IBB Designers & some of my favorite designer friends from around the world.

*The Best of the BEST!  As you know, my family owns IBB Design Furniture Showroom.  We travel all over the world in serach of the most fabulous home furnishings to offer at our store.  I’ll be blogging about all of the wonderful things we find along the way during the markets we attend.  We also have a few new designers on board this year, so I’ll be introducing them to you as well.

*Recipes:  The purpose of my blog is to help you all live beautifully!  We are major foodies at our house & I LOVE to entertain & create tablescapes.  So, this year I will be sharing many of our favorite recipes with you all.  We have actually started to compile a family cookbook complete with photos of us in the process of cooking the dishes    

*Tips & Trends:  As always, I’ll be staying on top of things & making sure my readers are always on the cutting edge of interior design.  From quick tips to the must-haves for your home, the DD blog will continue to keep you informed.  Have you heard?  The color for 2010 has been announced!  Find out what it is here.

*Networking:  I’m a firm believer in the power of networking.  I love to meet new people & make the connections between like-minded people.   I’ll be introducing you to some extraordinary people I’ve encountered through my profession, charitable work, & community of friends, twitter, facebook, etc. in hopes that our experiences will somehow enrich your lives. 

Make sure to follow me on twitter for instant up to the minute updates & be my become my friend & a fan on facebook!

Happy New Year everyone!!!  Best wishes for a fabulous 2010 & the beginning of a prosperous decade!

A HUGE thank you to everyone who entered.  It’s been so fun reading everyone’s comments   Everyone who commented during the giveaway had their e-mail addresses placed into a bowl & we have drawn a winner!  Drum roll please…

Congratulations to Kate Kassen!  You are the winner of the iPod Touch.  I will be contacting you via e-mail to get all of your shipping details.

Again, thank you to all of our new & loyal readers!  I appreciate you all so much!  Since this giveaway went so well, I have decided to come up with more giveaways for my readers.  Stay tuned for the next giveaway announcement!

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays everyone!!!