Palm Springs Style: UK Trend Bible

The Trend Bible for the UK has predicted Palm Springs Style as being a major influence in the UK for the color palette in a range of household products from towels to disposable napkins as well as home furnishings and paint colors! As residents of snazzy Palm Springs, we already knew that we were trendsetters!

3form Installations

I've mentioned 3form a few times, but they are worth mentioning again. I just received some new application photos, and the results are always visually stimulating. 3form is a great product that can be used for wall cladding, furniture, and lighting design- it's an amazingly simple product with so many ways that it can be used- it's also LEED certified, and comes in so many styles and colors. The photos are fun to look at on their website, and it's definitely inspired some projects for us! My favorites are the lightbox tables- so great for a combination furniture and lighting function. We have spec'd this for many residential clients in the desert- specifically in Palm Desert and Palm Springs- really fabulous looking at night.

Outdoor Living Areas

As Spring is about to pounce on us, thoughts turn to outdoor activities and the spaces to enjoy them.

Outdoor living areas are an essential part of today’s lifestyle, and indoor/outdoor living spaces with continuity is essential to a pleasing flow and design. This is especially so in the desert communities of Palm Springs, Palm Desert, and Rancho Mirage, where out relatively mild weather allows us to be outside more of the year. From Tuscan style to contemporary, outdoor spaces considered essential to harmonious living, dining, entertaining and relaxing. Expanding the overall livable square footage of a home is easily achieved if these outdoor spaces are considered and designed from the beginning of the design process.

The best interior design creates a smooth transition from indoors to outdoors is choice in materials. An interior designer will often select wall finishes, flooring, paint colors and fixtures that will carry from the interior space to the outdoor living areas. For example, repeating a granite or stone slab material that was chosen for the kitchen counter or interior wet bar, to the exterior fireplace surround creates continuity. Wall treatments such as Italian plaster, natural stone and faux finishes can also be used indoors as well as outdoors to further design continuity.

Today’s outdoor rooms are not your average backyard spaces. They are extensions of your interior living space that can be enhanced significantly by an interior designer. These spaces incorporate televisions, fireplaces, wet bars, and in some cases even outdoor kitchens. This integration of outdoor living rooms, kitchens, televisions and entertainment systems, bars and even outdoor showers; are essential components in creating a lifestyle experience to which most home owners aspire.

Comfortable seating is a must- and of course, a functional and relaxing dining area, which is just as important to plan for as the architecture. Choices in furnishings and colors to coordinate with the interior of the home will further a feeling of continuity, making the outdoor living space seem like an interior extension.

Thoughtful planning by your interior designer that incorporates architectural overhangs, heating, lighting and comfortable durable materials are the foundation of effective outdoor rooms.

Fashion and Furniture

March 18, from 6-8PM, we are hosting Fashion and Furniture, a Vintage Fashion show from the collection of Marc Joseph. If you have an interest in interior design and its connections to the world of fashion, you'll love this show full of high-end vintage fashions from the houses of Chanel, Pucci, Galanos, and more! The event will be held in our showroom at 70020 Highway 111, Rancho Mirage, for more information call 760-770-9199. This will be a fantastic lead-in to El Paseo's Fashion Week (one of the most fun things to attend in the desert)!

Pendant Lamps Over Nightstands

A practical solution in a bedroom where there simply isn't the horizontal surface space for a bedside lamp is the pendant light fixture. Normally found in an entry foyer in a grouping, as an accent light, or functional as overhead spotlighting above a bar or kitchen island, the pendant light is equally at home and stylish in a bedroom. I'm a fan of the pendant light in any home interior, and we use them often for interior design projects in Palm Springs, but we're seeing more of them in use in the country club communities of Palm Desert and Rancho Mirage.

Given Campbell Wallcovering

If you're not a fan of colors and patterns then this isn't the post for you. Totally in love with these bright colors and patterns from Given Campbell Wallcoverings. I can't wait to get them here in the showroom and have samples available for clients!

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

I've had a few calls lately for "large mirrors." The largest one that we stock is 6' x 5', which is pretty darn large. However, if you have a particular area with a very specific size in mind, the easiest way is to have a custom mirror designed for your home interior. We get so many requests for this, that we have many samples of framing available, but again, we can custom design a finish for the framing as well.

When specifying glass for your mirror, there are many options: smoked, distressed, opaque, colored glass, etc. The look for a piece can also be changed by arranging the mirror in quadrants of 12" x 12" pieces within a frame, which makes for a really great-looking mirror.

1980s Interior Design

We had a call over the weekend to come and look at a client's home that they were considering purchasing (in Palm Springs). The interesting thing about this project is that they want to remodel the interior in an 80's style, carefully replicating the black-laminate-and-brass built-ins with curved edges, just like those that were the rage in the early 80's. It is going to be a fun project- the owners are very much into the vibe of the period, and really want to do it right- not a campy, tired rehashing of the set of Remington Steele.

The home that we toured was completely done by Palm Springs interior designer Steve Chase- and it still looked like a fun place. Lots of grey walls, but no mauve (not a fan a mauve here, even in the 80's). So many things come to mind when I think of the 1980's- the white and chromed apartment of Alexis Morell-Carrington-Colby-Dexter-Colby; the fabulous conservative subtle butter yellow rooms of Mario Buatta, smoked gold mirrored surfaces; the Nancy Reagan White House; and Nagel Prints.

Is there anything from the 1980's that you hope never comes to haunt the interior of your home?

Voluspa and Fringe Studio @ Albert & George

Two really great lines that we will be carrying at our store, Albert & George. Voluspa candles, manufactured by Troy Arntsen in Southern California, has one of the most beautifully packaged line of candles available. We're going to have a full line of Voluspa gift boxes for the holidays, including Maison Rouge.

We also will have soaps and trays by Fringe Studios ( I love their printed glass trays with owls). Their gift sets feature a vivid print on a handblown glass tray.

Hope to see you all at our Grand Opening December 10 6-9 PM! RSVP to 760-770-9199.

Our store's address is 70020 Highway 111, Rancho Mirage, California 92270. We feature home accessories, home decor, gifts, books, cards, and candles, in addition to the Interior Design Services of William Miller Design.

Rosy Rings Reed Diffusers

I've got fall on my mind (though you can't tell November from May here in the desert). The holiday and all of its seasonal trappings, and my Northeastern upbringing make me nostalgic for the sights and smells I am deprived of in the Southern California Desert.

We've just gotten our Rosy Rings candles and reed diffusers, they smell outrageously delicious! My favorite two are Autumn Quince with hints of apples, quince, figs, allspice and nutmeg; and Birch Woods with Fir, Balsam, and Patchouli...

Look for them at the opening of our new store, Albert & George, next week at 70020 Highway 111, Rancho Mirage, California. Our grand opening is December 10. Please RSVP to 760-836-9199 to attend.

Albert & George will feature Books, Candles, Gifts, Home Accessories, and Furnishings.

Root Down Denver

I've not had a chance to post since Thursday, and I've missed it! I was in Denver visiting family, and have LOTS of great new things to share with you this week. The first thing is that I am blogging from William Miller Design's new store location at 70020 Highway 111 in Rancho Mirage, next to Bangkok 5. We aren't open yet, but will be ready to sell home accessories, home furnishings, candles, books, and holiday decor next week (we're planning a soft opening next Monday). We will continue to offer our interior design services to the Desert communuties of Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage, and La Quinta, as well as Orange County and Los Angeles.

One of the fabulous places that I was able to eat in Denver was Root Down. Their aim, according to their website is to connect to a neighborhood in the same way that ingredients are connected to food. The food (all organic and as locally sourced as possible), was fantastic. The decor is eclectic, the owners having repurposed a gas station into a dining station. They kept many of the contents of the station intact, which was just as fun and a great break from a stuffy dining room. I loved the air compressor that was turned into a hostesses podium! I also loved my Crab Benedict!

Grand Opening of William Miller Design Store in Rancho Mirage December 10

William Miller Design is pleased to announce the opening of its new store Thanksgiving Weekend at 70020 Highway 111 in Rancho Mirage. In addition to our extensive Home Interior Design Services, we will also be offering a sophisticated and eclectic collection of Home Accessories, Books, Candles, Gifts, and Holiday Décor.

Please join us for a celebration of our new venture December 10 from 6-9PM. Please RSVP to 760-836-9199 by December 8.

Table Tonic Pouffle and Suzani

Two of my favorite things from Table Tonic's Store...she has some great items available for purchase...the Pouffes are beautiful, especially love the metallic leather ones, but there are other colors available...

A beautiful hand stitched Metallic Silver Moroccan Pouffe with an intricate embroidered design. The finest quality leather is used for our pouffes which are dyed by hand in a wonderful selection of jewel like colours. A zip on the underside allows for easy filling.

$185AUD

A traditional, hand embroidered Vintage Suzani from the Samarkand Valley in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. This large piece dates back to the 1950's or 60's and fits beautifully over a Queen size bed, as shown or a King. This one has quite a clean, crisp white base, which is rare. A truly stunning piece - bright, graphic and eye catching.

$499AUD

William Miller Design Goes Retail

William Miller Design will be opening a retail location in Rancho Mirage, California. Look for our opening around Thanksgiving! We're really excited about this new venture, and VERY excited about the items we're going to be offering for you home!

600 Square Feet: New York Apartment

I love small places. I lived in Tokyo for years and besides learning to make the most of what you've got, you learn to live efficiently, quickly editing what is necessary for living. I loved this New York apartment by the firm D'Aquino Monaco. The 600 square feet of this dwelling were wonderful to look at in today's New York Times. I particularly liked this Otto Canopy Bed from Gervasoni ($5350).

Thirft Shopping for Clients: Palm Springs

Everyone is economizing- that's not news. What is great for us, and a challenge is to find home furnishings for clients who want an updated look and don't have a big budget. One solution that we offer to clients is sourcing furniture in the thriving second-hand home furnishings market in Palm Springs. Our favorites for this are: Revivals, The Estate Sale, and Cargo. I am always shocked at the deals: many new, unused items- for other items, though, you have to have a fair amount of creativity: new finishes and reupholstering are generally needed to make furniture useable. The savings is in the "frame" of the furniture- $45-100 for a piece, versus $400-$1500 for a new piece. In addition to being checkbook friendly, this practice is also green- no environmental impact is made in production of these pieces. Also, in buying in a "benefit" store, you are supporting local charity, and we are employing local furniture re-finishers and upholstery shops, which is great for our community!

Blue Mid Century Modern Chair $35
Palecek Bench $125
Palecek Chair $225
Barstool Set of Two $125

Christopher Kennedy at Just Fabulous

We love the new pillows, sofas, and candles by Palm Springs Interior Designer Christopher Kennedy at Just Fabulous! Great to see local designers doing their own lines! The display looks great, Chris, and people are excited to have you in their homes!