Rue Magazine New Issue

In case you haven't heard of it or checked it out...have a look at Rue, an online magazine that debuted in September. It has a fantastic look, and amazing photo editorial spreads, and so many cool looks! The new one will be out any day now- the coolest thing is that as long as you've got internet access, you can browse through the new issue as well as the past ones.

They've got a great blog going as well. Be sure to check both out!

LaCor Sea Urchin Lamps

We fell in love with these "Sea Urchin" lighting fixtures from LaCor, and so did a client of ours. We're installing a cluster of these for a celebrity client in the Vintage Club. I can't wait to see them installed. The fixtures are made of a cast resin with "chopsticks" set into them and takes a low-wattage bulb.

They're so dramatic and organic!

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!

The Chedi Hotel, Muscat

Another amazing hotel that we had the opportunity to stay at was The Chedi in Muscat, Oman. The hotel had the full-on exotic ambiance that you would expect from a beautiful seaside resort in the Middle East. We LOVED Oman, and had such a wonderful time there. The people were so excited to have visitors from the US, and we saw so many wonderful things...But back to the hotel. This tented lobby just is a small taste of the beautiful setting that we were treated to!

Books on my Christmas List

On my last trip to Just Fabulous in Palm Springs, I saw several books that will make their way onto my Christmas wishlish- Taschen's book on the great modern architect Lautner; Assouline's 'Hitchcock Style' which focuses more on the art, costume, and set designer of the great director (his career started out as a theatrical set designer); A trio of books on furniture designers KNoll and Herman Miller; and a photodocumentation of Cannes Film Festival style....

Table Tonic Picks William Miller Design!

We were very excited that Louise from Table Tonic has chosen us as a favorite blog! Thanks for the mention, and we love your blog, too!

Tight Timeline Remodel

When a great client comes to you and says "We've bought a new home, can you have it finished by Thanksgiving?" and it's only 8 weeks before the deadline, of course you say "YES!"

This remodel is pretty extensive, however, and it is going to be a push to get it all done. Our scope includes: new floors, reconfiguration of two bathrooms, replacement of sliding doors in casita, all new window treatments (you'll see why), new porcelain tiles to replace wood floors, adding in accent lighting, all new furniture and accessories, and 3 major built in cabinets. Take a look at what we are starting with: it's about a 4000sq ft home in La Quinta, California.

Just Fabulous Barbie Book

We just got back from Just Fabulous in Palm Springs where we picked up our copy of the new limited edition Barbie book from Assouline. Looking forward to reading this, the photos were great, thanks to Stephen, the owner of Just Fabulous for bringing such a great selection of coffeetable books to the desert. I also picked up a copy of "I Loved Lucy" by Lee Tannen...can't wait to start reading about Lucille Ball- his photos are fantastic!

Paris Hotel Boutique

For those of you who are often in San Francisco, be sure to check out Paris Hotel Boutique. It's one of my favorite resale shops in the Bay Area. These are two of my favorites in the recent arrivals: A velvet mid-century bench (we've used these in both mid-century homes as well as contemporary once, it seems to never go out of style). The other photo is an amazingly hip faux bamboo coffee table. I love bamboo so much! This one I can see refinished in a dark coffee bean brown or something lighter and more colorful...depending on what home it is ultimately going to live in....

Trina Turk Residential

Something that is a total flashback for me are these needlepoint Eyeglass cases from Trina Turk Residential. I picked up the "Palm Springs" version to keep on the dashboard of my vintage car. They remind me of my Great Aunt's cigarette case...as always, we love Trina Turk's approach to color and pattern. She also carries a line of residential fabrics and ready-made pillows...

The Lost Art of Mix-and-Match

Mixing in mid-century modern furniture into a contemporary home is an art. This 1970s Ebonized Buffet is hip, retro and contemporary at the same time.

If You Can't Stand the Heat...

We just got in several of these HOT Angie Thornbury Chaise Lounge Chairs...perfect for fall desert sunbathing!

What's This Going to Cost Me?

More clients than ever are on very limited budgets and want to get the most bang for their buck. While William Miller Design has built its repuation on high-end new construction, we also are an excellent resource for single-room remodels. We've recently completed kitchen and bathroom remodels and reconfigurations on very tight budgets- in households in Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, Palm Springs, and La Quinta. Most bathroom remodels can be completed for around $10,000, depending upon your hardware selections as well as floor covering choices. Kitchens, being slightly more complex, are slightly more costly to remodel. Keep in mind, if you hire an interior designer for your bathroom or kitchen remodel, you won't be dealing with contractors and bidding. You will also have the peace of mind knowing that a qualified designer has helped you to make selections for cabinetry, flooring, and wall colors. In addition, the management of your project will be in a professional's hands, and your kitchen or bath remodel can generally be completed in less than four weeks.

What Goes Into a Palace Makeover?

We've been working on a large palace in Saudi Arabia for the past few months. Friends of William Miller are always asking: Where do you start with such a big project? The answer to this question is that we start with concept boards showing the clients (in this case a Prince and Princess) what colors each item in each room will be, and getting their approval on the color scheme. Here are some of the schemes that we've sent out for approval.

In the meantime, we are still working on a lot of great local projects in the Palm Desert, Palm Springs, and Rancho Mirage communities. Keep an eye out for some of the photos of these great rooms, and join us as a fan on Facebook for more frequent updates!

Cooking in Colorado!

This outdated suburban kitchen received an entirely new lease on life with creative design solutions from William Miller Design of Palm Desert, California. Starting by gutting the existing kitchen, new warmer toned alder cabinets were designed and installed. The cabinets at rear of kitchen feature seeded glass and are lit from within to display the clients crystal. A tumbled travertine backsplash is accented with inset copper filigree tiles, giving a subtle old world feeling with an updated twist. State of the art appliances were used such as a Wolf professional range, warming drawers, and double ovens as well as a Subzero side by side refrigerator.Juperano granite counter tops and a custom designed range hood complete the comfortable elegance of this kitchen. Our clients are in love with their house again after 26 years!