It's not about trends alone.

This blog will not be like twitter and simply say, hey, "I saw this cool thing. Here it is."

Trends are easy and quick to talk about. Make a list on different subjects and it's a done deal. As you know, nothing worth doing is that easy and quick. This is no exception. This blog will combine trends with good creative design along with function to create a more complete picture that just trends.

Unlike the clothing and shoe business, trends in home products are much, much slower to change. For example, Satin Nickel, as a metal finish is a trend but not new. I put my first traditional satin nickel faucet on display 15+ years ago. 15 years later, it is peeking in my world but is still growing in the real world. I will cover trends, but trends by themselves is like a car with out gas. It looks good but by itself, won't get you where you want to go. Trends combined with good timeless design is the winning combo that we are all looking for.

Things that catch my eye, catch it for a real reason. There has to be a story. Something that makes and emotional connection. Something that solves a design problem. My favorite things are designs that make us question our past and give us the tools to re-think space in a different way and get us out of the box. An example of this is the Betty Blue "water table" pictured above. This unique product brings water up one leg and drains down another allowing you to place the wash stand in the middle of a room. This item is best anywhere other than in a bathroom. This is an item that allows you and your guests to walk around a piece of art after you come in from your swimming pool, or deck and wash up on your way to your evening meal

Does this type of unusual product create a trend? There are only 2 in North America. (I have one of them.) Should we be covering this type of product in the blog? Quick story to answer that question.

I go to Whiskyfest up in NY every year. I pull up to an Irish whisky table and ask "what's the difference between Irish whisky and Scotch whisky". His answer was simple. "You want to order Irish whisky on your first date." I was intrigued. When I asked why on my first date, he replied that Irish whisky has doubled in popularity. It when from 1% to 2% of the market in the last few years and if you want to impress someone and stand out, you order Irish whisky. There is something for everyone, and a trend start with the first sale. You will see lots of new products that are more than just another cross handle traditional faucet. Item here will have to catch my eye.

For each topic, I want to cover trends in that area, but more importantly, I want to show thoughts and products that will make your project stand out from the crowd. Discuss ways that will make your project more interesting and enjoyable for you and your guests. To add real value and bring your own personality into the space.

The stage is now set.

Be prepared to both learn and be challenged.

What is good design. (What makes a beautiful woman beautiful)

I was walking though Home Depot a few years ago and wondered why I thought that every towel bar seemed so ugly. Was there something wrong with me or am I simply a snob?

A month or so later, I got my answer. While driving to work, a news story came on the radio about an MIT study on what makes a beautiful woman beautiful. (It's fun to tell this story around a table and watch the women listen intently). MIT researchers took lots of measurements. How far the eyes are apart. Nose to mouth ratio. How far down your eyes are on your head, etc. In the end, MIT discovered that the closer a woman's proportions were to the average, the more beautiful she appeared. (I like to use the term, "uniquely plain" and watch all the women around the table get pissed off.)

So if judging beauty is all about proportions, what's my problem at Home Depot.

I sell to and work with the luxury market segment. I grew up and live in Washington, DC, home to eight of the 20 wealthiest counties in America. My perspective and that of much of my clientele is invluenced more so by European design than the very important middle America perspective catered to by Home Depot. All the towel bars at Home Depot were bulbous and convex. Similar to American gentlemen's jackets. The towel bars that I see with European influences are more like European tailored jackets, tapered and concave.

So, while I understand and appreciate the design preferences of middle America, my postings to this blog will pursue a different track. My experience has been working with affluent, well-traveled customers who have been exposed to fine European design and look to make personal design statments in their homes that are far from average. It is this European influenced design path and function that I will be writing about.