Interior Design Minimalist

I had the pleasure of attending Elle Decor's annual salute to Women in Design and thought I would share a few of the highlights with you. After Charlotte Moss was presented with the Vision Award from Margaret Russell they joined interior designers Michelle Nussbaumer, Kelly Wearstler and Holly Hunt for a panel discussion. A few of my male friends joked that a women in design event seemed a bit sexist but design is very important in the world of women since it was one of the first places that it was not only acceptable for women to work but to own their own businesses. When I look around now and see so many of my female friends who own their own firms, it's really amazing. We owe a lot to those designing women who paved the way such as Elsie de Wolfe, Sister Parish and Dorothy Draper.

The first question to the panel was what advice they have for design students or those who want to work in design. All of the designers had similar suggestion, such as reading, traveling, visiting museums, interning, and working for someone who you admire. Kelly Wearstler also suggested visiting antique shops and art galleries, anything to "fuel your vision." She also suggested never following trends or buying something because it's the hot new style.

Getting out to be inspired is something that they all practice in their own life. Michelle Nussbaumer had just visited the MoMA and Kelly Wearstler is often inspired by art and also jewelry and fashion. Kelly also has a large library of vintage books that she often consults. They all agreed that it's sometimes good to get away from a design dilemma and come back to it and for Holly Hunt, that means going out into nature and taking a run. I actually took a walk through Central Park with a friend last week and we ended up at the Met where we viewed the new Vermeer exhibit and Roman sculptures. I can attest that it's good to leave your desk sometimes!

One of the biggest challenges for women in design is balancing their family life and work. Michelle Nussbaumer said she tries not to bring work home at night or work on weekends. Easier said than done as we all know but you need to make time for the important things in life. Charlotte Moss also talked about having to make hard decisions such as when she decided to close her store which was taking her away from her family and taking the joy out of her life.

Another interesting question that was posed was "what makes a timeless room?" Charlotte Moss said that it's not physical and not an object but what designers get paid to create which is ambiance and atmosphere. They all agrees it's nothing you can put your finger on but you know when you walk into a room and it just feels right. Kelly Wearstler compared it to a painting that you can go back to time and again and see new things and never get tired of looking at.

A question from the audience that resonated most with me was "how do you stay organized, especially with multiple clients?" I struggle with keeping on top of my paperwork and organizing my tear sheets so it was good to hear someone like Holly Hunt admit that she never quite feels organized and the sorting can take the most time! Like me, they all carry notebooks and write everything down and also take lots of photos. Unlike me, they have a staff of very organized people who work with them and keep them organized! I'm going to have to work on that!

One of the last audience questions was about how they present to a client and their best advice is that you really have to tailor your presentation to the client. Charlotte Moss stated that, "there is no formula because every client is different." Kelly Wearstler called it "an organic process" and I agree. Sometimes you buy something for one room and realize later that it belongs in another. You can't be so tied to the furniture plan and you need to be flexible.

All in all, it was a wonderful event and a very inspiring one! If you ever get the chance to hear any of these women in design speak, I highly recommend making the time to attend! And I can't think of a better way to end than with a quote from the original designing woman, Elsie de Wolfe, "I am going to make everything around me beautiful. That will be my life."

I'm off to the High Point Furniture Market in North Carolina! While I'm in High Point, I'll be running around to all the showrooms and events. Some of the highlights include the Hickory Chair dinner with Suzanne Kasler, Thomas O'Brien and Alexa Hampton, and the ELLE DECOR party. I was also invited to a fabulous private dinner that includes a very chic and handsome interior designer but I'll have to tell you about it later! I was going to try to pre-write a few posts that would upload while I was away but I ran out of time so if you really need your Habitually Chic fix, you can follow my adventures on Twitter! See y'all later!

Elle Decor and John Mayer hosted a party at Armani Casa this past Tuesday night that was packed with a very stylish crowd and a lot of handsome Italian men. Why American men can't look that good in a suit is beyond me but I digress. The chicest person in the room was actually the Interior Design Director of Armani Casa, Joy Moyler! I couldn't decide if I wanted to steal her entire outfit or create a Habitually Chic award in her honor! Joy designed John Mayer's new apartment and we agreed that bachelors make the best clients! They agree with pretty much everything you suggest and are always so appreciative. The only problem with John's project was that he was always traveling so that meant a lot of emails and strangely timed phone calls but it looks like it was worth it as you can see in the September 2009 issue of Elle Decor.


Joy was kind enough to introduce me to John who said he couldn't be happier in his new apartment. Since he does travel so much, he wanted to create a more "zen" home where he would have five pairs of black pants, five black shirts, five white tees, etc. I had to joke with him about how long that could last since New York makes you want to collect things and we agreed that he might need to get a storage space. Then I was elbowed out of the way by two blond girls who wanted to have their photo taken with him and that was the end of that conversation.


The party was packed so luckily, I had stopped into Armani Casa last week to check out their wares and take some photos. It is clearly a store where fashion and design collide with very chic results. Enjoy!

As you probably know, ELLE DECOR is celebrating it's 20th anniversary this year with the launch of their new book Style and Substance: The Best of ELLE DECOR. Editor in Chief Margaret Russell has been there since the beginning and she was gracious enough to take time out of her busy day to talk about ELLE DECOR, the new book, and the future of magazines! Enjoy!

HC: You’ve helped found ELLE DECOR 20 years ago and have been the editor in chief since 2000. What is the biggest change you’ve seen to the design industry in that time?

MR: The manner in which magazines are produced has changed exponentially—honestly, we used to write on typewriters! And our world is still changing; it’s the most exciting time in terms of technology, digital capabilities, and increased and more varied means of delivering ideas and content. But the most important development of the past two decades is clearly the Internet—Google, websites, design blogs, Facebook—even the things we haven’t yet imagined.

HC: What are the criteria that you and the editors use to determine if a project is right for ELLE DECOR?

MR: ELLE DECOR’s design and decoration editor Anita Sarsidi and I review most projects together and I think we balance each other well; plus, it’s not really about our personal taste, it’s what we believe will work for the magazine and our readers. We are both drawn to places that offer lots of ideas, that have a sense of history and real life to them, and those that reflect the owner’s taste and personality. We have neither need nor desire to publish interiors that are brand-spanking-new or look like a tastefully organized furniture showroom; our readers expect and deserve better.

HC: How hard was it to go back through the ELLE DECOR archives and choose the best rooms of the last 20 years of ELLE DECOR for your new book Style and Substance: The Best of ELLE DECOR? Do you have a favorite?

MR: It wasn’t hard at all; it was time-consuming and I did most of it at night and on Sundays, but it was truly a pleasure. There were places I’d forgotten that I loved seeing again, a few layouts that admittedly made me wince, and many ideas that will inspire some tweaks in our lineups and format in the future.

HC: We’ve seen so many magazines close in the last few years. Do you think that traditional magazines will be able to survive in a world that has become increasingly digital?

MR: Print magazines will absolutely survive, though we all need to be even more creative, smart, focused, and discerning. There’s no margin for error. Magazines are now brands—brands which must exist on all levels—print, online, TV, books, and perhaps as ancillary signature products.

HC: I know that ELLE DECOR is doing very well at the moment so what is that you are doing that keeps readers anxiously awaiting their new issue every month?

MR: I am wildly fortunate to work with a terrific team; we’re all passionate about what we do, curious about what’s coming next, and driven to discover new talent and the best in design.

HC: I don’t think we’ve seen your home published anywhere. Would you ever be willing to open it up to your readers online or in the magazine?

MR: I’m moving to a new place this year, which will be a big project, but I always prefer to focus on others in ELLE DECOR and not me; I’m far too private!

HC: What do you see for the next 20 years of ELLE DECOR?

MR: ELLE DECOR has done well because we’ve never lost sight of our original mission: The magazine was launched 20 years ago as a sister publication to ELLE and ELLE DECORATION and is now one of 24 international ELLE DECO editions. (ELLE DECO is correct and not a typo.)Our mandate is to publish the most interesting and intriguing interior decoration, architecture, art, and product design from around the world and infuse it all with the flavor of our strong fashion focus. During such a challenging economic environment, it’s also critical to show that living well needn’t be expensive and great design can be had at an affordable price.

Moving forward will require flexibility and the skills to adapt—you can’t just throw some version of a print magazine online and expect anyone to think it’s a great idea. We’re constantly refining and redeveloping what we’re doing on the web, and I’m excited about how we can grow and all that we will be able to offer our readers both in print and online in the months and years to come.

And I truly believe readers should pay a higher subscription price or more magazines will fold. The devalued subscription-offer situation has become insane. I know that it’s impossible to take even a short taxi ride in New York for what one year of my favorite magazines costs; I'd be pleased to pay up!