Exclusive Interview with Dominique Browning & Giveaway!

We are so fortunate to be able to speak to Dominique Browning, former editor of House & Garden Magazine!

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Since House & Garden, Dominique has been very busy writing books and recently joined the world of blogging. Her new book, Slow Love - how I lost my job, put on my pajamas and found happiness, is a wonderful touching memoir of her journey after leaving House & Garden and her steps toward self discovery. With thoughtful, honest insights she shares her struggle toward self awareness and peace. You celebrate her small triumphs, and share her fears as she moves forward into new, uncharted territory. Traveling along with her you are able to also slow down and rediscover the wonder and beauty of the world around us. Her words resonated so strongly with me that I just couldn't put the book down. I loved it!

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So imagine how thrilled I was when Dominique was able to share with us a few more of her thoughts and insights on design and enjoying the process.

WD: You have been watching home design trends for many years. What do you consider timeless and classic?

DB: I've decided it doesn't have to do with style or period--things Baroque and things ultra modern can be classic. It has to do with integrity: things well made, and designs to themselves, fully exploring and expressing what they are. So, an elegant modern sofa by Billy Baldwin looks great now, and did fifty years ago. And works in a contemporary room, or in a room full of Fine French Furniture. WD: What is the most favorite room in your home -what details make it so special to you?

DB: Any room that has books in it, and a comfortable place to read. The details I crave: a table near a chair for that cup of tea or glass of wine. A soft, thick throw for my knees, or around my shoulders. A jewel of a pillow to brighten the air, and fabric that is not scratchy or irritating. And, finally, what I call an intimate landscape nearby--some small configuration of vase, sculpture, stone or bird's nest--anything, found or precious or both, that your eye can rest on, and your imagination can wander over.

WD: What are your favorite places to find inspiration for both your home and garden?

DB: I LOVE consignment shops, and have found treasures galore in what people are casting off, particularly if they happen to be in wealthier neighborhoods!

WD: With the struggling economy and many home owners having to stay longer in their homes than they may have wanted; what advice would you give to them regarding refreshing their spaces?

DB: Staying longer in a home would never be my problem! The longer you are home, the better your house becomes. Keep adding things you love, and they don't have to be purchased. They can be found objects, from walks in the woods or on the beach. Of course, an ever-changing pile of photography books goes a long way. And so does simply reupholstering ONE armchair. Or, getting a new set of towels in a vibrant color that you never would have used before. Amazing how small things make a big difference.

WD: How have you made the transition from critiquing rooms to really enjoying them?

DB: I have always enjoyed my rooms, and I'm still critiquing rooms! Just silently, muttering under my breath! WD: So often I hear from friends and clients "I just want to get this room done!" What tips can you share to help us enjoy the process as well as the outcome?

DB: First, start ripping pages out of magazines, pages with ideas that catch your eye. Don't edit yourself ahead of time. If your pulse quickens, rip. Then look at what you've got, find shared themes, and head in that direction. NEVER keep working with someone who makes you feel insecure, dumb, frightened or confused. FIRE AWAY! Don't wait for a crisis. This is when breaking up is easy to do. And enjoy it at your own pace--some people need to work slowly, one piece at a time. Others want that "magic wand" feeling--everything done at once. Stay true to yourself. And do not let yourself get talked into living with something you don't like. You wouldn't do that with a partner, would you? So why would an armchair be any easier?

WD: One of the many themes in your new book is your fear of change and the unknown. What words of advice do you have for others who share those fears, and how can they make fear become a positive catalyst?

DB: Don't run from fear--that's what I learned hardest. Stay with it, examine it, look deep into that dark heart. And start learning and changing. I have some bad habits (like always beating up on myself, internally--that horrid little voice that says nothing is good enough) and those habits kept me in a semi-fearful state. So I have had to literally talk myself through them, and train myself to change my ways of thinking.

WD: What are the most important things you have learned about yourself while writing your new book and blog?

DB: I LOVE blogging! I resisted it for years and years, back in HG days! I guess I just wasn't ready for it. So I learned something very important, both in my new online writing and in writing the book. Don't hold back. Life is short. Make the most of whatever gives you pleasure.

One of things I have missed the most from House & Garden is Dominique's Editorial Letters. I am so thrilled that her new blog, slow love life brings her conversations and touching insights back to us again.

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As I mentioned, Slow Love, is a wonderful book! We are so fortunate that Dominique has given Willow Decor a copy for one of our readers. (or you can purchase it here) Just visit her new blog, slow love life, and come back here and leave a comment. Next Sunday I will choose a random comment and send off the book. I know you will enjoy both her blog and her book as much as I have.

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Finally a very special thank you to Dominique Browning for sharing her time and thoughts with us! So thrilled she part of the blog family!!
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(Photo credit: NY Times, House & Garden,Coastal Living, Iowa Garden, House & Garden AU)

10 Things That Make Me Happy

I was very flattered to be asked by Caitlin Goebel of the Sacramento Street blog to share 10 Things That Make Me Happy. There are so many things that make me happy that it was hard to choose just 10 but I was able to narrow it down. One thing that makes me very happy are art and design books as seen in just one of my bookshelves above. I've since reorganized them so I'll have to take another photo soon. To check out what else I chose, head over to Sacramento Street! Happy Monday!

NEO-Tradionalist's Plucky Pioneers

Kate of the NEO-Traditionalist has created a new series called Plucky Pioneers that will feature a "pioneer girl on the design frontier" every Monday. I was very honored when she asked me to be her first participant! You can read my profile on her fabulous blog today and then tomorrow, you can read my "cheat sheet" of my favorite films, flowers, books and more. I think I was supposed to only give one answer per item but I have too many favorites to choose just one! Thanks Kate!

Kindred Spirit Christmas!

Alaina of Live Creating Yourself was sweet enough to ask me to participate in her Kindred Spirtits Countdown to Christmas and today you can read my answers to her fun questions! You can also find out who owns that fancy white Christmas tree below! Merry Christmas!

Thank you!

Recently, Paula Grace Halewski interviewed me about how art has influenced my life for her blog. It was a very fun sharing memories of my artistic childhood and how it all led to my current design career. You can read the entire story on her blog here. Hope you enjoy it!

Habitually Chic Q&A with Margaret Russell

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!

Photos from Style and Substance: The Best of ELLE DECOR

Habitually Chic Interview

Franki over at Life in a Venti Cup was sweet enough to interview me recently for her lovely blog and today she has posted it! Very exciting if I do say so myself! She asked some very thoughtful and interesting questions that were really fun to answer. Unfortunately, I'm not tech savvy enough to figure out how to post a photo of it so I hope you'll head on over to her wonderful site, Life in a Venti Cup, where "life is too short to think small!" I hope you all enjoy it and thanks again to Franki for thinking I was interesting enough to interview in the first place!

***UPDATE***

I now have a wonderful photo of my interview over at Life in a Venti Cup courtsey of Jo at Desire to Inspire! Wasn't that so sweet!!! I spent at least a half hour this morning trying to figure out how to post it until I finally gave up! That's why I love my new blogger friends. They look out for you and come to your rescue when you need a little help. Thanks Jo!!!

Charlotte Moss Townhouse - Part III

So, I failed to mention earlier what I was doing with the rest of my Friday. Well, this morning I was touring the Charlotte Moss Townhouse with none other than Charlotte Moss herself and her wonderful assistant Cathy! Go ahead. Take a moment to hate me. I know you want to. I would hate me too. But let me tell you how it happened anyway.

I got home last Saturday after a day of shopping in the city to find an email from, I almost fell off my chair, Charlotte Moss. I had to look at it a few times to make sure no one was playing a trick on me but apparently, Ms. Moss had learned about the wonderful world of blogs! She was so gracious and flattered that I had included the shop on my blog and wanted to meet me! Me! Crazy! So we planned a little interview and meeting!

I thought I would be too nervous to ask questions and write down all the answers legibly and comprehensively at the townhouse so Ms. Moss was kind of enough to answer a few questions ahead of time with the help of her very sweet assistant Cathy. After the interview section, I'll get to the tour!

I mentioned to someone else I interviewed recently that creative types either know from the time they are little that they want to be an artist or designer or get sidetracked completely and end up working in finance or law until they can't take it anymore and finally make the switch. It seems to have been the latter in your case since I know you had a successful career on Wall Street before becoming an interior designer. I'd love to know if you were creative growing up and how you made the decision to finally open your own interior design business.
Yes, I was creative as a child but got sidetracked to Wall Street. In college, I wanted to major in interior design but was too intimidated to complete the portfolio required because I couldn't draw. So instead, I majored in English and took all my minor credits in art history... and as the story always goes on Wall Street...mergers. When the firm I worked for was acquired by a larger one, it was the perfect time for assessing the future. It just seemed like the right time to get a business plan together, take the bonus and go buy a container.

You had a shop on Lexington Avenue from about the time you started your business until it closed in 1996. What made you decide that now was the right time to open another shop, especially one on such a grand scale?
When I started the business in 1985 it was done with a concept similar to an English decorating shop which was foreign in the US. A couple of years ago, I started to get the retail pang again because I felt that something was missing in the shopping experience. As an interior designer and after having done 13 decorator showhouses in my career, I've heard the oooos and aaaahhs from visitors to those rooms - hence I know the value of the finished product. The finished product more often than not isn’t only about the contents but about the atmosphere. I wanted to again create my own retail atmosphere as if I were inviting people in to my own home.

The one thing that everyone seemed to notice right away from the photos online was that the actual facade of the townhouse seems a bit more clean and modern than the rendering. Can you explain to everyone what happened?
Very simple - the restrictions imposed by being in a historic district as well as what the city of New York and the landmarks commission will and will not let you do - it's as simple as that.

I know you love to read, especially biographies about women. I'd love to know which is your favorite book and what are you reading now?
I couldn't possibly name a favorite book! I have 3 libraries so it would be like naming which is my favorite library. I've read too many books to only name one but let me just say if someone gave me a day off I would spend it locked in my library. I have 3 books I'm working right now, Hermoine Lee's biography on Edith Wharton; Istanbul and Deluxe by Dana Thomas. I usually read 3 or 4 books at the same time - all very different. I do that too but my problem is that I never finish half of them!

I think it's important to give back in this world and I know you are very philanthropically inclined. What are the causes that are most important to you?
Child welfare, literacy, immunological research…Unicef, Operation Smile, The Leukemia Society.

We all know now from Joni over at Cote de Texas that you recently sold your Aspen house otherwise known as Winter House and bought a new house. Will we see another book? Perhaps, A New Winter House?
Maybe sometime in the future (first I have to decorate the next Winterhouse - but that's after I merchandise the store for Christmas) but before that you will see "A Flair for Living", a lifestyle book being published by Assouline for Spring 2008. You heard it here first folks!

I've joked to friends that the Charlotte Moss Townhouse is like Mecca for Southerners. I've overheard mothers and daughters on Madison Avenue talking about going over there and the day I visited, there was another big group of Southern ladies shopping. Did you ever have any idea that the new Townhouse would be so well received and talked about online?
My previous store, lectures and books have always had a strong Southern following - after that all you can do is pray.

And finally, what can we expect from you next? What other fabulously chic ideas do you have up your sleeve? After the Townhouse, I can only imagine!
Well of course we won't let the whole cat out of the bag - BUT - as I mentioned above, my next book "A Flair for Living" will be published by Assouline next spring. We'll have a new fragrance at the same time and depending upon how much energy I have a great CD as well. We also have two new collections of bedding to launch in February, two new china patterns this fall, and of course lots of Christmas goodies so please come shopping! We’re going to have a great article in the October issue of O Home hitting the newsstand soon – check it out. We are soooo excited! And so are all of us!!!

I have to say, meeting Charlotte Moss today and having her show me around the shop was such a treat. She pointed out so many details that I would have otherwise missed and was so passionate about everything. She was very eager to point out that the shop was specifically designed to have a diverse array of points, not just so everyone can find something for their price range but because "that's the way we live". We now live in a culture that mixes their Manolos and vintage YSL with current J.Crew, just the way she does!

Charlotte Moss has so much going on, that I cannot understand how she is not exhausted! She is so passionate about the items she has chosen for her shop and she very much appreciates the craftspeople who continue traditions that are slowly dying out, it's hard not to get excited too. There is so much forward momentum with her that you get the feeling she must wake up in the middle of the night with an idea for her next project!

I was very honored that she would take the time out of her obviously busy day to take a little blogger like me on a personal tour. I think that speaks volumes about the graciousness of Charlotte Moss. She also assured me that I am welcome back any time and there will be no need to sneak around taking photos! So sweet! I definitely look forward to reporting back on what I can only imagine will be some spectacular holiday decorations and accessories! Many thanks to Charlotte and Cathy for such a special and memorable tour!

Oh, one piece of advice, if you want to buy anything online or in the shop at Charlotte Moss, I'd do it soon because you know the minute Oprah's O at Home magazine comes out, there will probably be a mad dash to buy up every fabulous item...but if that happens, I have a feeling Charlotte Moss already has a few new tricks up her haute couture sleeve to keep us coming back for more!