What project have you been putting off?

Have an unfinished home remodel project? Something that you "let slide" last year? You'll be suprised at how much custom design you can afford: our newest interior design clients in Rancho Mirage are getting a new guest bathroom- for under $7500.00! This includes custom vanity cabinet, color and tile selection, and white-glove project management with the security of a professional design team behind their remodel project. We love remodel projects- seeing a homeowner in love with their house again is a great feeling!

La Quinta Tight Timeframe: The Final Stretch

We're in the final days before the furniture install: all the wiring/lighting is completed, all the flooring is in place, the kitchen cabinets are refinished and have new hardware that will be installed. The fireplace has its new surround, and carpeting is installed. The window coverings will be installed next week as well. Saturday, the sofas will be installed, and the remainding furnishings will be transferred from the owner's home, and the new furnishings and artwork in our warehouse will be installed early next week in anticipation of the owner's arrival on November 5. Total time for this 4,000 sq foot home remodel: 6 weeks.

Custom Built-In Desk, Palm Springs

We love to see drawings transformed into cabinetry! A built-in media unit, shelving, or a desk can transform a room. In this case, a blank wall in a guest bedroom became a very functional 2nd home office in Las Palmas, Palm Springs. The room, when completed, will have a warmer look. It will also "age" the room. Since this is a newer construction, wooden built ins (and wainscot) will add history to a house that is still in its infancy. The least expensive built-in that we've installed recently was around $2600. This one was a little over $17K, but depending on finishes and hardware, we have seen prices as high as $25K.

Tight Timeline Update: 2 Weeks to Go

With our deadline of November 1 approaching, most everthing is falling into place. In case you didn't check out the last two stories, we took on a project for a client that we had done a home with before. We were given about 6 weeks to complete this 4000 sq ft home in La Quinta. We haven't really run into anything that would prevent the owners from taking occupancy for Thanksgiving.

The tile that has been installed throughout the house, all the wiring has been completed for the new lighting plan, the media center in the living room has been framed out, and the new hearth is nearly complete. The furnishings are arriving at our warehouse, and we're looking forward to installing it all soon. Before that happens, though, the painters will have to finish their work!

DeBrabant House, 1920's Palm Springs Villa

I hesitate to use the word 'charming' in a sentence, since it beings up all kinds of potential real estate adjectives that get banded about when describing houses inappropriately. However, in the case of this 1920's Spanish Colonial, no other adjective will do- it is indeed one of the most charming homes I've been to in Palm Springs.

This home is a superb example of the Spanish Colonial architecture that was so popular in California in the 1920's. This one was built in the Haciendas Estate tract in what is now the "Movie Colony" area of Palm Springs. Current owners Jan and Mark Hilbert, along with Marty Newman have completely captured the era with a dazzling collection of period Mexican furnishings, Tourist Pottery from the early half of the last century, and wonderful Plein Art paintings throughout the house.

The home features five bedrooms (one is in a wonderful turret room with commanding views of the surrounding mountains), and five bathrooms. In addition to the living room with a beautiful wooden ceiling, a 'casino' was added in the 1950's (apparently this was an illegal gambling house at one point). This room is complete with Navajo blankets on the knotty-pine walls, and a full-height fireplace.

Yesterday, this house was celebrated as a Class 1 Historical Site by the Palm Springs City Council. The Palm Springs Preservation Foundation celebrated this with an open house. There are six more events through the season. They are a must-do if you love homes, history, or just socializing!

White House to Get Solar Panels

The White House, hope of the US President is starting to go green! I was very excited to read this morning in USA Today (not my favorite new source, but...) that the President's home will have solar panels installed by Spring (that's LOOOONG lead time) that will supply some of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue's hot water and electricity.

Update: La Quinta Tight Timeline Remodel!

Friday, Nathaniel from Old World Stone was working on installing the new porcelain tile that is replacing the awkward (not to mention hideous) combination of hardwood-and-tile that existed at the time of the client's purchase. Carpenter Construction is also completing the framing for the new media center that will be in the living room. November 1 is our deadline!

La Qunita Remodel Update

This is not an episode of Hoarders!

Once you get into a remodel, you find out things are sometimes not what they appear to be at first. The wood flooring is glued down so securely, that it has to be all cut out, some of it pried away, which is not what the contractor expected it to be like...in the words of the homeowner "Looks like you've got quite a mess!"

We have removed existing dated built INS , raised the firebox, added framing for a raised hearth which will receive granite. A new carved stone fireplace surround and entertainment center will complete the wall to add more importance and focal point for the room .

In the dining room, the walls and ceiling have been stripped of old grass cloth and wood molding (it was soooooo cute and quaint!) Now, it's ready for new wall texture and paint.

Remember, we're working with a deadline here. so everything has to be done before Thanksgiving!

Chandelierious!

We are in love with this chandelier that we've installed in a client's dining room in Eldorado Country Club, Indian Wells... It us made of hand-blown glass "bubbles" suspended on shiny steel cables that pick up the high-intensity lighting from above- now, to get some artwork on those walls! Our Interior Design firm loves turning a client's home into their Dream Home!

How To Be A Great Design Client!

There is always a lot of talk about how to get new clients, how to better serve our clients, and how to make the project go more smoothly from the designer’s point of view. But from the clients point of view, how can CLIENTS be the best that they can be to make the project successful?

When working with an interior designer , architect or builder,

*Be clear and communicative about expectations and desires.

*Do your homework, know what you like and what you don’t like. Be clear about you’re your needs- from wine storage to shelves for your collections of first editions; from dog beds to closet space; from bathroom lighting to a home office.

*Pay attention, take notes, and listen. Be willing to perhaps expand your original plan to make it better, bigger, and more satisfying.

*You’ll be working directly with the designer, who will in turn work directly with a team of specialists, from design assistants to general contractors and architects, tile-layers, painters, and many craftspeople. The designer will also will be ordering fabrics, furniture and working with showrooms, and coordinating every aspect of the project. Mistakes can happen. Custom made items invite the possibility of error; an incorrect measurement or color, a misunderstanding in finish. It is important to have a sense of humor and trust that the designer will make it work out and solve the issues.
*Stick to your guns. Allowing yourself to be talked into something you don’t like—only to decide later you cant live with it, can be disastrous. Avoid in-decision and especially do not change your mind repeatedly. It is unnerving to the designer and it can be a nightmare when plans, paint, plumbing, plaster, or tile work has to be redone.

*An architect or designer is an advisor who does not, ultimately, have the final decision. They do not sign the checks, you do.

*It is a creative process. Stay the course and remain emotionally involved.

*Observe with optimism. Be patient. Creative people are working hard to make you happy. Always assume the best.

*Pay your invoices in a timely manner.

*Be accountable to all your decisions. Don’t rush out and purchase major items, furniture or art without first discussing it with your designer.

*Be cautious and pay attention. Try out fabric samples, paint swatches, and furniture pieces to ensure that you can live with them. Don’t rush major decisions.

*Minimize the element of surprise. Don’t make decisions without considering all aspects of the design.

*If you are not comfortable with the designer’s plans or decisions, make a graceful exit only after considerable thought. Keep the parting amicable and perhaps even open ended if you feel there is no resolution.

*Your taste should not be steamrolled, but it is also your job to be considerate of the designers’ expertise in achieving your goals. The goal is to create a beautiful project for YOU. It is not a challenge to see who “wins” every decision.

*Try not to comment on everything until it is in place. Until the rooms are finished and all the furniture is in place, don’t critique. Look at everything in context. A sense of truly “working together” makes a project go well.

*Today, the design process is a democratic one. The days of designers and architects being the dictator or tyrant with a mean poodle in the back of a Rolls Royce are gone. The designer dictator made for very unhappy clients and sad endings. Design is now a collaborative process.

*Clients feel free to voice their concerns. It can be stressful, but it can also be a rewarding team work effort to produce a livable, well designed space that is a reflection of your needs and wants and the designers’ creative talents and skills.

Jet Set Interior Design in Rancho Mirage

William Miller Design in Palm Desert has recently completed the interior design of this stunning 1967 home in Rancho Mirage by noted architect C.H. Barlund. Located in Rancho Mirage. This amazing home features vast expanses of glass and terrazo floors throughout, and is fantastically simple in its mid-century lines. Natural rock is utilized on the fireplaces. As an interior design project, we loved working with the Jet-set color palette of Solar Orange and Kelp Green throughout the house. Earlier this summer, this residence was featured on the Palm Springs Modern Home Tour. Those on the tour ended their day here with a cocktail at this beautiful residence in Rancho Mirage.