Be on the lookout! Beverly Hills Interior Designer James Swan’s DesignQuotient™ blog is holding our first-ever Treasure Hunt! (more…)

Each Monday on the DesignQuotient™ blog, DesignCoach™ James Swan answers readers’ questions. Post your design dilemma. DesignCoach™ can help you find the solution.

This week the DesignCoach™ discusses how you can plan for a design project that requires construction. (more…)

DesignFind’s Spotlight is your in-depth guide to local design, antiques and arts events. This week on DesignFind’s Spotlight, we explore Denver. Make sure to also check out our DesignFind global design events guide!

Before we start, we want to help answer the question: How to find a top interior designer in Colorado? (more…)

DesignFind is your Global Guide to upcoming home shows, furniture, art & antique fairs, and designer show houses. (more…)

Every Wednesday, in our blog installment of Media-mouths™, we ask our readers to critique a pair of leading shelter magazine covers. Take a look at the current covers of The World of Interiors and Veranda and let us know your opinion. (more…)

Each Monday on the DesignQuotient™ blog, DesignCoach™ Beverly Hills interior designer James Swan answers readers’ questions. Post your design dilemma. DesignCoach ™ can help you find the solution.

This week the DesignCoach™ discusses how to start your design project. (more…)

Before we look at the nation’s top design events, we want to let you know that if you are searching for a leading consultant of interior designing, consider working with the acclaimed Beverly Hills based firm of James Swan & Company. We work competitively with clients nationally and internationally. Contact us to review your project.

DesignFind: What are the top 3 Design Events Nationwide for the month ahead? (more…)

This week on DesignFind, we highlight the design events and happenings in Arizona. (more…)

Every Wednesday, in our blog installment of Media-mouths™, we ask our readers to critique a pair of leading shelter magazine covers. Take a look at the current covers of Elle Decor and Architectural Digest and let us know your opinion. (more…)

If you follow political and economic headlines there is a reoccurring theme that cannot be ignored. It appears that vast quantities of resources are, by the nature of the crisis, being focused on cleaning up the past before we can hope for success in re-calibrating our vision of the future. And this makes sense. (more…)

Each Monday on the DesignQuotient blog, DesignCoach™ and consultant of interior designing James Swan answers readers’ questions. Post your design dilemma. DesignCoach ™ can help you find the solution.

This week the DesignCoach™ discusses designing for future investment properties. (more…)

Presented by James Swan’s Design Quotient blog, our weekend installment of DesignFind gives you the Top 3 Design Events Nationwide!…Plus the Nationwide Design Events Calendar.

Before we look at the nation’s top design events, we want to let you know that if you are searching for a consultant of interior designing, consider working with the acclaimed Beverly Hills-based firm of James Swan & Company. We work competitively with clients nationally and internationally. Contact us to review your project.

DesignFind: What are the top 3 Design Events Nationwide for the month ahead? (more…)

This week on DesignFind, we highlight the Pacific Northwest. (more…)

Opening tomorrow, March 13, 2009 and running through Sunday March 22 is the TEFAF Maastricht 09: The Worlds Leading Fine Art and Antique Fair (www.tefaf.com). Proudly featuring an estimated $1 billion dollars worth of art and antiques (not including modern fine jewelry), the fair draws high profile private collectors and museum curators and trustees from 25 countries. (more…)

Every Wednesday, in our blog installment of Media-mouths™, we ask our readers to critique a pair of leading shelter magazine covers. Take a look at the current covers of “Western Interiors” and Better Homes & Gardens’ special publication “Beautiful Homes.” Let us know what you think.

Give us your opinions of these two covers. What works/doesn’t work? What do these magazine covers say to you about design? Post your comments–and don’t forget to enter to win the DesignQuotient™ $500 American Express Gift Card Giveaway!

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Lately, when contemplating the decoration of homes, I have found myself feeling a bit hollow. People everywhere, in every walk of life, are impacted daily by these troubling times. Jobs have been lost; homes have been foreclosed upon and lifetimes of savings have evaporated before panicked eyes. And I sit at my desk contemplating the esoteric merits of revivalist decorative styles.

Hmmm…what part of this doesn’t feel right? Is it the violin playing while Rome smolders or maybe it’s that great big piece of cake being served to the masses, far beyond the palace walls, which makes me uncomfortable? Maybe it’s both and maybe I need to recalibrate my thinking.

Mankind’s impulse to nest, I believe, is cellular; rooted in our primal desire for safety. Having the basic needs of shelter, warmth and food addressed we have been at liberty, over these many hundreds of years, to elevate the aesthetics of our “nests” to dizzying heights. As with other soaring factors in our society today it appears that gravity is taking its inevitable reward. Not to say that we will not weather the storm and come out stronger for the struggle but in the meantime, for many, practical concerns wrestle for attention on a daily basis.

So this decorator has decided to be part of today’s solution, rather than remain stuck in yesterday’s expectations. Nothing is the same so let’s not pretend it is. What does that mean to the work of design? I’m certain it will mean many things, and maybe together we can build an appropriate response. For me, today, I am focusing on priorities.

Commitment to making your home more beautiful is not out of step with the times. In fact it may be more important now than ever. If you are like me and are spending more time ‘in’ than ‘out’ we need our homes to step-up to the plate in ways we may never have imagined. I am going to spend the next few weeks sharing with you ideas that can make our homes more beautiful that:

1) Cost nothing but our time and energy
2) can be realized with minimal cash outlay

Hopefully along the way we’ll have some fun too.

I would love to hear from you with ideas and comments as we explore the Joy of Living in our Own Homes.

Post your comments–and don’t forget to enter to win the DesignQuotient™ $500 American Express Gift Card Giveaway!

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Each Monday, DesignCoach™ James Swan answers readers’ questions. Post your design dilemma. DesignCoach ™ can help you find the solution via online home interior decorating.

This week the DesignCoach™ discusses working with smaller scale furnishings in oversized rooms.

Q: I have a problem that people just seem to scoff at when I tell them. I recently moved into a new home because of a job transfer. I have a decent collection of Mission/Stickley furniture and am now in a very modern house with very high ceilings (18-feet in some locations). How can I use the furniture I’ve spent years collecting in this setting?

A: Typically Mission style furniture is of small scale which may be a challenge in modern rooms that are tall. Mission furniture’s design, however, is typically clean and straight-forward and can often feel at home in a modern environment. The greater challenge appears to be the scale of furniture as compared to the scale of the rooms.

One idea to consider is to group the furniture in clusters, creating multiple living areas within the larger room. Anchor these groups with area rugs which further defines the concept. I believe you may find this a successful answer to your design dilemma.

Let us know if we can help with your design dilemma. Send us your questions.

Make sure to enter to win the James Swan DesignCoach™ American Express $500 Gift Card Contest today!

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Before we look at the nation’s top design events, we want to let you know that if you are searching for a leading high-end residential, hospitality or commercial interior designer, consider working with the acclaimed Beverly Hills based firm of James Swan & Company. We work competitively with clients nationally and internationally. Contact us to review your project.

DesignFind: What are the top 5 Design Events Nationwide for the month ahead?

The Terrace from Kips Bay Showhouse Archives, Design by Plant Specialists and photographed for House Beautiful

1. 2009 Kips Bay Decorator Show House
April 17th – May 17th
22 East 71st Street, New York, NY 10021 (Between 5th & Madison Ave)

http://kipsbay.org/show_info.html

“Showhouses are built on fantasy, and the most amazing fantasies of all are seen each Spring at the Manhattan showhouse to benefit the Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club.” -House Beautiful magazine August 2006.

Photo from Kips Bay Show House Archive (Design by Victoria Imperioli Design – “La Dolce Vita” – Envisioned as a space to receive friends and family, Victoria Imperioli’s fifth-floor lady’s sitting room as photographed by House Beautiful)

2. The Pier Antiques Show
March 14-15, 2009
Pier 94, 12th Ave., at 55th St., NYC
Admission: $15
www.stellashows.com

500 Dealers plus Fashion Alley & Vintage Collecting
NY’s largest, antiques, art, style & collecting event!

3. D.C. Spring Antiques Show
March 6-9, 2009
Walter E. Washington Convention Center – Washington, D.C.
www.dcspringantiques.com

The inaugural D.C. Spring Antiques Show will be held on March 6-9, 2009 at the state-of-the-art Walter E. Washington Convention Center in the heart of the nation’s capital. Over 400 highly respected and renowned international exhibitors are expected to showcase an extensive selection of fine art, antiques, and jewelry with something for everyone from the novice to the serious collector.

The D.C. Spring Antiques looks to achieve the same incredible diversity and outstanding quality as the highly acclaimed Baltimore and Palm Beach shows.

4. Tucson Museum of Art League 2009 Designer Showhouse
Feb 21-Mar 29, 2009
Rancho Merlita, 8520 E. Wrightstown Road, Tucson, AZ 85715
www.tucsonmuseumofart.org

Hundreds of new, innovative decorating and remodeling ideas and resources showcasing the latest in color, furniture and accessory ideas for indoor and outdoor living in a romantic 1950’s era southwest ranch; plus interior design seminars and cooking demonstrations; $20, Tues-Sat 10am-4pm, Sun noon-4pm.

5. West Palm Beach Antique Show
April 3-5, 2009
South Florida Fairgrounds – West Palm Beach, FL
www.dmgantiqueshows.com

The 18th Annual Palm Beach Antique show will feature some of the most unique and coveted fine art, jewelry and antiques in the world. There will be over 200 renowned, world-class dealers showcasing fine art, sculpture, furniture, silver, textiles and much more.

If you did not find an event near you in the list above, perhaps one of these great events is happening near you:

Naples Art & Antique Show
March 11-14, 2009
Trinity-by-the-Cove Episcopal Church – Naples, FL
www.naplesantiqueshow.org

Heart of Country Antiques Show
March 12-14, 2009
Gaylord Opryland Hotel – Nashville, TN
www.heartofcountry.com

Woman’s Club of Raleigh 2009 Spring Antiques Show and Sale
March 13-15, 2009
Kerr Scott Building at the NC State Fairgrounds – Raleigh, NC
www.womansclubofraleigh.org

City Wide Garage Sale
March 14-15, 2009
Palmer Event Center – Austin, TX
www.cwgs.com

Round Top and Warrenton Antiques Fair
March 25-April 4, 2009
Various Venues – Round Top and Warrenton, TX
www.roundtop.org

Atlantique City
March 28-29, 2009
Atlantic City Convention Center – Atlantic City, NJ
www.atlantiquecity.com

This week on DesignFind, we look to Miami. First, we want to help answer the question: How to find an interior designer in Florida?

When asking the question “how to find an interior designer in Florida” many are surprised to find out that nationally acclaimed Beverly Hills-based interior design firm James Swan & Company can work with clients nationally and internationally. Need help with your next design project? Contact us.

Looking for things to do in and around Miami?

Each Friday, we showcase the latest design events and happenings. This week our venue is South Florida. Take a look at what is in store for the month ahead in the world of antiques, fine arts, architecture and design.

LOOKING FOR DESIGN-RELATED THINGS TO DO IN MIAMI? Take a look at these events:

The Famous Miami Beach Lincoln Road Show / Outdoor Antique & Collectible Market
March 8 & 22, 2009
800-1000 blocks Lincoln Road
Ph: (305) 673-4991
www.antiquecollectiblemarket.com
Free admission to the public.

The Outdoor Antique & Collectible Market on historic Lincoln Road Mall in Miami Beach is one of the best and most social events in South Florida.

This well traveled and popular shopping district is quite the place to walk, be seen and enjoy the local flavor. Easy access with parking lots no more than a block away.

Perfect for dog walking, pets and children. Lincoln Road is home to some of the best restaurants for brunch, dinner, or just simple tea, coffee and or dessert. Not to forget some of the best shopping along the total length of the Mall.

Enjoy the beautiful weather, palm trees, outdoor food markets.

The Mayfair Market / Indoor-Outdoor Antique & Collectible Market
March 13-15, 2009
1900 Grand Avenue, Miami, FL 33133
Ph: (305) 673-4991
www.antiquecollectiblemarket.com
Free admission to the public

Before there was a South Beach, Coconut Grove was the place to go to hang out, shop, dine and walk around any day or night. Home to the Coconut Grove Playhouse and funky shops, bars and cafes it attracted free spirits of all ages looking for a bit of a bohemian experience. In the past few years, merchants and landlords have been recasting the Grove’s image using carefully themed events that appeal to that free
spirit but draw in new and old shoppers looking for good times without being overwhelmed. Production Sud now brings you the Mayfair Market.

The average show maintains about 125 dealers, and is not overwhelming like some of the other shows in the South Florida area. This weekend social attracts some of the best mix of the 1900’s through the 1960’s memorabilia and collectibles. A really great mix of what has come to be known as the “Antique Style”.

Antique Festival, Quiet Waters Park
March 28- 29, 2009
401 South Powerline Road
Deerfield Beach, FL 33442
Tickets: $1.50/Each

Broward County Parks hosts winter antiques sales. Show runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For information, call A&W Productions at (954) 561-5792.

West Palm Beach Antique Show
April 3-5, 2009
South Florida Fairgrounds – West Palm Beach, FL
www.dmgantiqueshows.com

The 18th Annual Palm Beach Antique show will feature some of the most unique and coveted fine art, jewelry and antiques in the world. There will be over 200 renowned, world-class dealers showcasing fine art, sculpture, furniture, silver, textiles and much more.

Flea Market USA
3015 NW 79th St, Miami, FL 33147
Phone: 305-836-8866
According to Yahoo local reviews:
Miami has many ongoing flea markets but this one is by far the biggest, air conditioned and has the best selection.

HOME SHOW & DESIGN CENTER EVENTS

West Palm Beach Home & Garden Show
March 20-22, 2009
Americraft Expo Center at the South Florida Fairgrounds
9067 Southern Boulevard, West Palm Beach, FL 33411
Ph: (561) 793-0333
www.westpalmbeachhomeshow.com

This huge show at the Fairgrounds delivers hundreds of experts under one roof…shop, compare and save! Enjoy a great day out while you gather ideas, investigate new products, learn from the professionals and meet your favorite home and garden celebrities. Visit the show and make your next remodeling, renovation, or decorating project a labor of love that adds value to your home!

Design Center of the Americas (DCOTA)1855 Griffin Road, Dania Beach, Florida 33004
Phone: (954) 920-7997
www.designcenteroftheamericas.com

DCOTA Events

Trade Exclusive Sample Sale
March 4-6, 2009

Join DCOTA for three days filled with special buying incentives and showroom sample sales. This event is offered exclusively for the trade. DCOTA Design Services, Interior Design professionals will be on call to assist qualified, non-trade clients with their special projects and buying needs. For more information and for a full listing of participating showrooms, please call (954) 920-7997 ext 235.

House Beautiful 2009 Color Institute Event
April 7, 2009

House Beautiful’s multi-market event series, The Color Institute, presents a competing event about style throughout home and life. The 2009 Color Institute Series speaks to the love for color, the home, design and overall, the trust loyal readers have in House Beautiful. Attendees will experience and interact with House Beautiful first hand through Editor-in-Chief Stephen Drucker’s all star designer keynote panels to insightful presentations by sponsors from the community.

NOTEABLE ARCHITECTURE & INTERIORS
American Institute of America’s Favorite Architecture #39
Delano Hotel (built in 1947)
1685 Collins Avenue
Miami Beach, FL 33139
Ph: (800) 258-7503

Architect: B. Robert Swartburg
Interior Design: Philippe Starck

Delano Hotel Exterior

Delano Hotel Interiors designed by Philippe Stark

Designed by architect Robert Swartburg, the Delano exhibits some of the traits of the Miami Beach Streamline Moderne style, but the building actually postdates the craze. In the mid-1990s, the hotel was given a makeover by developer Ian Schrager and designer Philippe Starck. The Delano is one of two Miami Beach hotels to make the AIA’s nationwide list of top 150 architectural projects selected by the public (the other is the Fontainebleau, #91, below).

American Institute of America’s Favorite Architecture #93
Fontainebleau Hotel (built in 1954)
4441 Collins Ave, Miami Beach
Ph: (305) 538-2000
www.fontainebleau.com

Architect: Morris Lapidus

The Fontainebleau is one of several Miami Beach hotels designed by noted architect Morris Lapidus. The style has come to be known as Miami Modern, but Lapidus was famous for rejecting the tenets of Modernism and delivering a visual excess akin to the set of a Hollywood musical.

The Fontainebleau Hotel was once the height of Miami Beach sophistication. Now the hotel will reopen after a $1 billion renovation.

EVENTS SPONSORED BY THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS (AIA) AND INSTITUTE OF CLASSICAL ARCHITECTURE AND CLASSICAL AMERICA (ICA&CA)

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Miami Chapter offers the following events in the month ahead for members and non-members. More details at: www.aiamiami.com.

March 5 – 7
Redefining the Architects Role: Architects as Agents for Social Change – University of Miami 8 AIA LUs (3 HSW). Speakers: Cameron Sinclair, Assoc AIA, John Peterson, AIA and Barbara Faga. Visit the website for more information or to register: www.aiamiami.com.

March 6
The Miami-Dade County Building Department presents: “Electrical Plan Review Workshop” at the Miami Dade County Herbert S. Saffir Permitting & Inspection Center, 11805 SW 26 Street (Coral Way), Conference Rooms I & J, 2nd Floor. Limited seating. Make reservations online at: www.miamidade.gov/building/ or call (786) 315-2297 – 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

March 6 at 7:00pm
Building Close to Nature: The Early Architecture of Dade County’s Park System UM School of Architecture professor and author Rocco Ceo’s presentation covers the design and construction of Miami-Dade County’s early park architecture and how this architecture evolved in a context of forest fires, devastating hurricanes and the post-boom period of the 1930’s. RSVP is required, please call (305) 910-3996.

March 7
University of Miami School of Architecture presents the Emerging Green Builders Symposium on Tropical Vernacular Architecture at the Glasgow Hall, 1215 Dickinson Drive, Coral Gables from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 pm. Register online: www.arc.miami.edu/tropical-vernacular-symposium.

March 10
BEC meeting at the AIA office, 275 University Drive, Coral Gables – Lecture titled “Building Envelope Technology” presented by Mark Howell – 5:30pm. RSVP to Karol at architects@karol.us

March 26
Join Latin Builders Association, the Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc, Florida East Coast Chapter and the AIA Miami for the first Joint Networking Cocktail Reception at the University of Miami, School of Architecture, Jorge M. Perez Architecture Center, 1215 Dickinson Drive, Coral Gables – 5:30 to 8:00pm. RSVP to Kara Marante at kmarante@abceastflorida.com or Mercy Navarro at mnavarro@lbaorg.com. Event is free to all LBA, ABC and AIA members courtesy of sponsors Cuesta Construction and Johnnie Walker.

March 30 from 2:00-4:00pm
The Miami-Dade County Department of Environmental Resources Management (DERM) presents Getting It Right the First Time! Save time and money by learning the new submittal procedures for Elevation Certificates. Miami-Dade Inspection Center (PIC) in West Dade, 11805 SW 26 Street, Coral Way, Conference Room I and J (2nd Floor). RSVP Magaly Hernandez at hernamg@miamidade.gov or call (786) 315-2800.

University of Miami and the Florida Chapter of the ICA&CA present
LEED Prep: Traditional Architecture and the Criteria for LEED Certification
Panel Presentations and Workshop; One Session on Saturday, April 4; 12.30-2:30pm (panel); 3:30-5:30pm (workshop)

This seminar will be delivered in a panel discussion and workshop format. The first panel presentation will cover principles of green building and LEED criteria with a focus on traditional building methods and practice. Although new technologies are most popularly associated with green building, traditional methods of site planning, building orientation, configuration and construction offer important resources. The panel’s review of current LEED criteria and process, in light of integration with traditional planning and design, will provide a context for the workshop — which will address a case study project. Professionals are encouraged to submit current work for inclusion in the workshop. Participants will work in teams with a workshop leader and conclude with a final presentation of the results.

Instructors:
Faculty of the University of Miami School of Architecture (Profs Denis Hector, Richard John, and Joanna Lombard) with guest panelists & workshop leaders. Cost: $200 ($180 Members, $100 Students w/valid ID); Credits: 4 HSW AIA/CES LUs.

ART, MUSEUMS AND MORE:

Current and Upcoming Events and Exhibitions

Art + Design Night
March 14, 2009 from 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Miami Design District

Visit the Design District and experience a gallery walk featuring inspiring art, design, music, cocktails, dining and shopping.

The Miami Design District is a neighborhood north of Midtown in Miami, Florida within the Buena Vista and southern extremity of Little Haiti neighborhoods. It is roughly divided by NE 36th Street to the south, NE 43rd Street to the north, NW 1st Avenue to the west and Biscayne Boulevard (US 1) to the east.

It is home to nearly 130 art galleries, showrooms, creative services, stores, eateries and bars.[2] Every 2nd Saturday of each month a community wide Art & Design Night is held from 7-10pm. A popular event, Art Galleries and Design Showrooms open their doors to the public for music and refreshments.

Credited to starting the district is Craig Robbins, who purchased many run-down buildings in the 18 square block area and persuaded many top designers, such as Alison Spear, Holly Hunt and Peter Page to relocate.

Every Second Saturday of the Month from 7:00-10:00pm.

Art in the Park
March 6, 2009
Ponce Circle Park (Two blocks south of Miracle Mile on Ponce de Leon)
Coral Gables, FL 33134
Ph: (305) 644-8888
www.artintheparkconcerts.com

Art in the Park presented by Fox Sports en Español at Ponce Circle Park in Coral Gables features in concert Santamorena, Big Brooklyn Red, Brendan O’Hara and Grammy award nominees, Locos por Juana. Exhibits by local artists and art lessons for Children 6-12 at the Winn Dixie Kids Village, TGIF all night long at the Coors Cold Zone. Event is organized by the Kiwanis Club of Little Havana. Hours: 6 pm to midnight. FREE.

Life Is Art – Miami Featured Artist Fair
March 7, 2009
1926 Seminole Building
120 NW 25th St.
Miami, FL 33127

http://www.lifeisartfest.org

Life Is Art is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting and promoting the arts in Miami and the surrounding area. They are producing their first art fair developed to feature Miami and south Florida based artists. Future projects will include regular arts events, as well as an arts incubator. Hours: 2pm to 10pm.

Surfside Arts Festival
March 14-15, 2009
95th Street between Collins and Abbott Avenues
Surfside, FL 33154
Ph: (305) 573-6477
www.townofsurfsideFL.gov

Surfside is transformed with performance arts, visual arts displays, craft and collectible booths. Come to be enriched and enchanted by imaginative artistic visions. Enjoy Farmers Market vendors, live entertainment and more.

The Miami Watercolor Society Spring Show
March 19-April 17, 2009
Deering Estate at Cutler
16701 SW 72nd Ave.
Miami, FL 33157
Ph: (305) 235-1668, ext. 233
www.deeringestate.com

The Miami Watercolor Society hosts its 36th Annual Spring Show in the Richmond Cottage and Stone House. More than 40 artists display their artwork as part of this juried exhibition.

45th Annual Key Biscayne Art Festival
March 21 – 22, 2009
The Village Green in Key Biscayne, FL
455 Grand Bay Dr.
Key Biscayne, FL 33149
Ph: (305) 361-5207
www.artfestival.com

This festival benefits The Rotary Club of Key Biscayne. Held in Key Biscayne, an affluent island community in Miami-Dade County, just south of downtown Miami, the 45th Annual Key Biscayne Art Festival is one not to be missed! In fact, visitors plan their springtime vacations to South Florida around this terrific outdoor festival that brings together longtime favorites and the newest names in the contemporary art scene. Life-size sculptures, spectacular paintings, one-of-a-kind jewels, photography, ceramics, and much more make for one fabulous weekend. Hours: Saturday – Sunday 10:00am-5:00pm, Free admission.

5th Annual South Beach Photomarathon
March 22, 2009
Miami Beach Botanical Garden
2000 Convention Center Dr.
Miami Beach 33139
Ph: (305) 532-4855
www.fotomission.org

Participants in this event will be assigned 6 topics to photograph on South Beach over a period of five hours. The topics will be kept secret until the event day and will be purposefully vague to give the contestants plenty of room for self expression. The best photo from each topic will be selected from which first, second and third place winners will be awarded cash and other prizes. The top twenty-five entries will also be exhibited at the Tropicolor Gallery, 1442 Alton Road, during the month of May. This event is open to all.

Merrill Lynch Arteamericas
March 27-30, 2009
Miami Beach Convention Center
1901 Convention Center Dr.
Miami Beach, FL 33139
Ph: (305) 854-3050
www.arteamericasmiami.com

Merrill Lynch Arteamericas is the world’s premier Latin American art fair. It features 70 of the best galleries from 18 countries in the Americas and the world, and showcases more than 300 renowned top contemporary artists.

Subtropics 20 Biennial – Sound
Through March 29, 2009
Bass Museum of Art
2121 Park Avenue Miami Beach, FL 33139
www.bassmuseum.org/

This unique exhibition brings together sound works by pioneer composers, sound and media artists associated with the interdisciplinary Sound Arts Workshop, in celebration of the 20th anniversary of its Subtropics Festival.

Earth and Water – Our Planet, Our Life
Through March 31, 2009
Piag Museum
2724 Ponce de León Blvd. Coral Gables Fl. 33134
www.piagmuseum.org

To create awareness of the need to protect the environment through the arts, floating cubes created by artists send a message related to the conservation of the planet. These cubes are exhibited in water or land.

Contemporary Glass and Studio Arts
May 1, 2008-May 1, 2009
Lowe Art Museum – University of Miami
1301 Stanford Drive
Coral Gables, Florida 33124-6310
Phone: (305) 284-3535
www6.miami.edu/lowe/

Showcased in 3,500 square feet of gallery space are 113 pieces, 70 from the Palley’s collection, as well as works contributed by Janet and Joseph Shein, Joan Baxt and Bernie Bercuson.

Oh Seuss! Off To Great Places
Through May 10, 2009
Young at Art Children’s Museum
980 MacArthur Cswy., Miami, FL 33132
www.miamichildrensmuseum.org

Geared for all ages, this magical traveling exhibit pays tribute to the beloved children’s author, Dr Seuss. Twenty-five activity areas introduce children and families to humor, serious learning, critical and creative thinking and exploration. The exhibit will be open at the Miami Children’s Museum June 2, 2007 – April 30, 2008.

Jewish Photographic Memories by Gabriela Landau
Through May 10, 2009
Jewish Museum of Florida
301 Washington Avenue Miami Beach, FL 33139
www.jewishmuseum.com

Landau wandered the streets of New York in the 1950s and 60s, her camera focused on a particular and favorite subject. Home to a large Jewish community, the Lower East Side was bustling with activity. Corner delis, street vendors, busy pedestrians, piles of pretzels and handwritten signs were some of the scenes and characters Gabriela captured. This colorful world, long gone now, is suspended in time in her black and white photographs.

American Streamlined Design – The World of Tomorrow
Through May 17, 2009
The Wolfsonian Museum
1001 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33139
www.wolfsonian.org

This exhibition presents 180 examples of furniture, ceramics, metalwork, plastics, graphic design and archival design books. Although it focuses on the 1930s and ’40s, the period in which streamlined design developed, the exhibition also presents streamlined designs of today. It offers a fresh appraisal of the aesthetic of streamlined design, placing the achievements of its best-known exponents squarely beside the contributions of other lesser-known but significant designers and newly discovered practitioners.

30 Americans
Through May 30, 2009
Rubell Family Collection
95 Northwest 29th Street Miami, FL 33193
www.30americans.com

The Rubell Family Collection has spent the last three years traveling, speaking to artists, critics, and curators, and putting together the best possible portrait of contemporary African-American art that physical, financial and intellectual limitations allow. The result is a show of more than 200 works of art, exhibited in 27 galleries occupying the entire 45,000-square-foot exhibition space of the Rubell Family Collection.

If you have a chance to attend any of the events listed above, please share your feedback. Post your comments here. Also, if you know of new or upcoming design-related events please let us know.

Make sure to enter to win the James Swan DesignCoach™ American Express $500 Gift Card Contest today!

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Technorati Tags: Beverly Hills Interior Designer, custom made glass design interior doors, Give Me Some Ideas on Interior Designs, Interior Decorating Great Room, window shutters interior design, interior design consultants on long island

No, this is not an entry in the “financial scandal of the moment” contest but rather something a bit more upbeat!

My fascination with the Christie’s auction of the Pierre Berge/Yves Saint Laurent collection in Paris this week proved a worthy subject as the sale accelerated past initial estimates of $255 million to a final sale price of $484 million. The 733 pieces making up the collection of these noted lovers, friends and business partners marked records both in the art and decorative art categories.

Much has been written of the provenance, prices, scandals and sentiments circling around the sale and to this burgeoning file I will not add. My one observation would be that of the delicious validation this sale has offered, despite the world’s financial turmoil, to the pursuit of beauty and refinement.

We may not aspire to the “real money” which Mr. Berge notes opened the opportunity for collecting to the pair in the early 1970’s but we can honor the impulse and mimic the efforts of gathering objects we treasure, even when valued only by our own hearts. I have for years encouraged friends and clients to collect; to find something which occupies their interest and to invest time gathering to themselves the best examples possible.

It matters not if these items are precious or prevalent the question is how you perceive them in your living environment and then how you elect to share this passion with those who are guests in your home. Sharing your collection (thank you Mr. Berge) extends personal charm in a manner which no amount of money can buy. You and your guests will be richer for the experience.

Here is a picture of Mr. Saint Laurent’s Paris Living Room taken around 1977. Note the Eileen Gray Serpent Chair in the foreground which set a record at auction for 20th Century furniture; selling this week for $29 million.

Enjoy!

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Every Wednesday, in our blog installment of Media-mouths™, we ask our readers to critique a pair of leading shelter magazine covers. Take a look at the current covers of Metropolitan Home and House Beautiful and give us your opinions.

Let us know what you think about these two covers. What works/doesn’t work? What do these magazine covers say to you about design? Post your comments–and don’t forget to enter to win the DesignQuotient™ $500 American Express Gift Card Giveaway!

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Each Monday, DesignCoach™ Beverly Hills Interior Designer James Swan answers readers’ questions. Post your design dilemma. DesignCoach ™ can help you find the solution.

This week the DesignCoach™ discusses the perfect height to hang your chandelier.

Q: We’ve redone our dining room and have picked out a new chandelier. You’d think this would be an easy thing to finish since we’ve done most of the heavy lifting, but we can’t decide how far above the table the chandelier should be. Our electrician says there are some codes, but since it’s not a walking or contact area we can make it lower than in other places. Others have told us there are rules about such things. Guidance?

A: While the rule fluctuates a bit based on ceiling height and the scale of furniture typically a chandelier hangs 32” to 36” off the top of the dining table.

Let us know if we can help with your design dilemma. Send us your questions.

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