Royal Hawaiian Estates Palm Springs

The Palm Springs Preservation Foundation had another great open house at a property that was recently deemed historical by the city. The Royal Hawaiian Estates were commissioned by 1960 and designed by Wexler & Harrison in a Polynesian or "Tiki" theme. It's a fun complex of 40 units. Among the notable exterior features are the spider-legged spans (Flying Sevens) and the outrigger beams that resemble the outriggers in Polynesian Longboats. The tour featured four units in the complex, each with a different take on Palm Springs Interior Design...

The next open house will be December 11 at the Stephens House designed by Clark/Frey. For more information, check the PSPF website.

Have fun looking at the photos, and don't forget about William Miller Design's Grand Opening Party for their new store December 10, 6-9 PM. RSVP to 760-770-9199. Our store will feature Holiday Decor, Home Interior Accessories, Gifts, and Books. In addition, the Interior Design Services of William Miller Design will be available at our new location: 70020 Highway 11, Rancho Mirage.

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.

Thanksgiving Menu

I've been so hard at work on the store that I have kind of put Thanksgiving off to the side. I still need to order a turkey, since I am going to have 18 people for dinner and 9 house guests for the weekend. I managed to write out my menu:






Appetizers:

Vegetarian Pate (Not a vegetarian, I just like how this tastes)
Local Dates wrapped in bacon and stuffed with goat cheese
Wasabi Deviled Eggs

Main Courses:

Ham (Bill insists on a ham)
30# Turkey (I am going to use a lemon-infused brine)

Sides:

Kale-Apple Salad
Chestnut Stuffing
Corn and Haricort Vert Casserole
Red Miso Glazed Carrots
Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes
Cranberry Sauce
Mashed Potatoes

Desserts:

Maple Cake
Cherry Pie
Pumpkin Pie

Some of these selections are a little untraditional, but it is nice to mix it up every few years. I LOVE this stuffing recipe. I've been making it for about 15 years. It doesn't have the traditional thyme in it, instead it calls for Allspice and Cinnamon and boiled chestnuts. I make an extra pan because it goes so fast!

Most of my family is coming for the weekend, and our gatherings usually end up being centered on movies, some hikes, eating lots of leftovers, and playing games (our favorite is a homespun game called 'celebrity' which you only need pencils and paper for. It's a hoot!

Not sure about our centerpiece...but I'm thinking about it!

Posh Denver

Had a chance to take in some retail therapy in Denver this past weekend as well. My favorite by far was Posh, 1439 Larimer Street (their website was not up at the time that I wrote this, but the store clerk said it would be soon).

There were some very unexpected things in the store, which I think puts them in the category of "edgy." The 'wallpaper' artwork- very long and hung in short sheets by Deborah Bowness- fantastic for a space with very high ceilings. I also LOVED the regency armchairs behind the cash wrap that were executed in packing tape by creative director Luc Hughart.

Lots of eye candy that had me reaching for my wallet. I restrained myself since I had only carry-on luggage for my flight back to Palm Springs, and bought only some greeting cards (amazing stuff, folks)!

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!

Movie Sets I Would Live In: Mildred Pierce

Mildred Pierce is a classic film noir made in 1945 starring Joan Crawford. You've probably seen the movie, but it has been remade by HBO into a miniseries set to release in 2011, which is more closely modeled after the book (you didn't know it was a book, did you?). It's a great read, pick up a copy if you can find one!

Anyhow, back to the set: I love Monte Beragon's beach house. It was actually a real home (in the external shots at least) which was owned by Anatole Litvak and was in Malibu on the PCH (CA HWY 1). It was a beautiful 2-story Queen Anne-ish cottage style with a steeply pitched roof, and big porches with views of the Pacific, and little narrow windows. The house fell down in a storm in 1983, but it's actual address was 26652 Latigo Shore Drive, Malibu.

The interiors were all designed for a good time. Lots of curved surfaces, a winding staircase, a bamboo bar...all the great ingredients of a fun home in the 1940's The set designer was George James Hopkins, who worked with silent great Theda Bara, and movie credits include: Hello, Dolly!, Who's Afraid of Virigina Wolfe, Palm Springs Weekend, and Dial M for MMurder.

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.

Cody Foster at William Miller Design

Cody Foster was born and raised in the rural northern sandhills region of Nebraska. He began his artistic pursuits at a very young age under the guidance of his grandmother, an avid quilter. Cody began experimenting making cloth figures as an adolescent and soon realized that other people enjoyed and valued his work. These early successes eventually led to a regional, and soon, national popularity. Cody's designs are now widely recognized and have been featured in the American Folk Art Museum. We are excited to have his line of Holiday Ornaments and accessories that are reminiscent of the 1950's and we love their nostalgic look!

Stay tuned for our upcoming grand opening of our store in Rancho Mirage in December!

Installation Day at La Quinta: Six Weeks to a New Home!

We're wrapping it up today...things have all-in-all gone very smoothly. The movers come today with all of the items from the warehouse, and artwork will be hung. Yesterday, the frosted glass was installed in bathroom windows. We also had our window shades hung in the guest bedrooms by Alf, our guy for blinds.

There have been a few snags: a pair of lamps that were mismatched finishes from Arteriors (not sure how they made dupicate lamps with extreme variations in the color), but it will take a couple of weeks to solve this. So far, they haven't been very helpful in solving this problem.

A sofa back table is tied up in Mexico. It will likely arrive on Monday or Tuesday. We may substitute a table for the big reveal tomorrow if I can find one at the Home Collection's showroom in Rancho Mirage.

Some paintwork and drywall patching will have to be done

We're very excited to have it all set and ready for the client's arrival tomorrow, so we'll have a very busy day today!

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

Worlds Away Furnishings and Accessories

Just got my hands on the Worlds Away catalogue, and love so many of the items in it, I don't know where to start. They have a great selection of iron side and console tables that are finished in gold leaf or polished nickle...the gold is absolutely beautiful. I was also impressed with their selection of lighting fixtures and casegoods- check them out!

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).