Showing posts with label blogging. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blogging. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Tagged - You Are Next!

Jessie of Mix and Chic blog tagged me in this post to answer 11 questions.  She has a beautiful design blog where she features lots of great designers and some of her own work.  Jessie also has great giveaways like this one, so keeping an eye on Jessie's blog could get you some good swag.  She's great at making moodboards too, something I've yet to figure out!  Check this one out HERE she did recently for a moodboard challenge contest.

Here are the rules.

1. You must post the rules.

2. Answer the 11 questions the tagger posted for you and then create 11 new questions to ask the people you’ve tagged.

3. Tag 11 people and link them in your post.

4. Let them know you have tagged them.


Here are Jessie's questions.....

1. What is your favorite room to decorate and why?

I like all rooms, but I think a living room or family room is my fave.  Selecting fabrics and designing custom pieces are lots of fun and using everything in the room from finishes, architectural treatments, lighting, window treatments....all down to the last pillow, to paint a complete picture about the homeowner's style and personality is what is I like so much about designing that type of room. 

2. What is your favorite decorating trend?

Oh, this hard. Today, it is large, oversized patterns.  Ask me tomorrow and my answer might be different.

Kathryn Ireland via House Beautiful


3. Which decorating trend you think is way overrated?

White marble....I love it, but it's not for everyone everywhere.  There are soooo many choices out there. All our kitchens don't have to look alike do they?

4. What is your biggest decorating pet peeve?

EVERYthing in a room being too overwrought and detailed.  I wrote a post about that titled Pick Something.

5. Averagely, how much time do you put into a blog post?

Way too much, several hours usually. Since I work over 40 hours a week, I'm squeezing it in all the time.  I'm kind of obsessed with design though and this comes naturally for me. I think about it all the time, I might as well be writing about it.  It sort of helps me organize my thoughts and communicate with clients and future clients in a unique way.

6. What have you learned/ gained from blogging?

I love reading how other designers/bloggers work and what their thoughts are on different aspects of design.  It's such a great way to share information.  I've met some really lovely people out here on the blogs.

7. Who do you most admire in the blogging world and why?

I really admire the bloggers that are out there writing each and every post themselves and are putting themselves out there in a personal way.  Keeping unique material coming all the time from one person can be difficult, especially when you're trying to run a business too!


8. What is the coolest opportunity that has come your way because of your blog?

I'm hoping it's yet to come!  I would love to have more of my work published in the national magazines and even be writing about design and remodeling for some kind of regular publication.  Maybe even a book someday?

9. Who is your favorite decorator and why?

Soooo hard to choose.  I love Victoria Hagan's clean, crisp aesthetic, Kelly Wearstler's free-spirited creativity, and Martyn Lawrence-Bullard's incredible client relationships.  I love the calm of a Suzanne Kasler interior, the subtleties of the work of John Saladino, the color in a space designed by Jamie Drake, and the mix put together by Jeffrey Bilhuber.  I love the passion for client and location driven design so adeptly practiced by Barry Dixon, the drama in a Steven Volpe interior, and the diverse projects of Alberto Pinto.  I love the sophistication of Kay Douglass' work and..... well, there's so many more....but on to the next question.



Victoria Hagan - House Beautiful



Kelly Wearstler - Viceroy Hotel


Martin-Lawrence Bullard - Elle Decor


Suzanne Kasler - House Beautiful



Jamie Drake - House Beautiful



Jeffrey Bilhuber - House Beautiful


John Saladino



Barry Dixon


Steven Volpe - Elle Decor



Alberto Pinto - Arch. Digest


Kay Douglass - Veranda

10. What is a little-known fact about you that your readers would be surprised to learn?

My own house needs a major overhaul....except for my bathroom which I did several years ago.  I have no time to do my own!

11. What do you hope your blog will achieve in the long run? Please elaborate.

I've often been asked if I know exactly what I should do to a room when I first look at it.  I've even been to consultations where people ask me to design their kitchen right there on the spot.  I hope through my blog that my future clients and others can see all the thought and care and detail that is involved in interior design.  I hope they can see that it is work, not something that happens instantly or appears as an immediate vision.  It takes time and careful consideration to knit together a space that is suited for someone else. I hope they can see the diverse nature of this business and how a designer can bring much value to a project.  The more I share, the more prepared my future clients and anyone attempting a design project should be.  At least, that's the goal!

I'm tagging these great bloggers.




Here are my 11 questions....I borrowed some from Jessie.. Hers were so good!



1. What prompted you to start writing a blog and how long have you been blogging?

2. Do you have another blog or are you on other social media sites?  If so, which ones?

3. Which site boosts your blog stats the most?  Can you give an example?

4. Is blogging still your primary social media focus or is another site becoming a stronger draw for you?

5. What are your plans and goals with this blog and other social media pursuits?

6.  What opportunities have resulted for you from writing your blog?

7.  What did you do with all your time before you started blogging?

8.  What is your favorite decorating trend?

9.  What is your decorating pet peeve?

10.  Who is your favorite decorator and why?

11. What would a day spent doing your favorite things entail?

If I tagged you and you've already been tagged and I missed your lovely post, I'm sorry!  If I tagged you and this is just too tedious to do...no worries!  See you all around the blogs!

Monday, February 6, 2012

A Few More Images

Don't you hate it when you publish a post and then the next week or so you suddenly find one more perfect image for that post?  It happens to me all the time.  Here are some of the images I have found.....after the posting.


This one would have been perfect for "When Scale Doesn't Matter"





These two for "Plates on the Wall"








These two Images of Yves Saint Laurent's home in Tangiers would have made a great addition to any of these posts.













Love the branches in this image. It would have worked in this post,
 "Flowers and Greenery in Your Home"
















I just had to drop a few more in.

Image Credits:    designsponge blog, Canadian House and Home, cote de texas blog, adrianatalkstoyou blog, eclectic revisited blog, Melissa Rufty - House Beautiful, image source unknown-Pinterest, Mary McDonald, Thomas O'Brien-Veranda, Markham Roberts-House Beautiful






Saturday, November 5, 2011

Blog Name Change????


I need some help! I've been considering a name change for my blog for just about a year or so. I know "Design in the Woods" is a bit confusing. It sounds like I design log homes or tree houses or something!


I thought it was such a good idea when I started, some three years ago.  I live and work in The Woodlands, TX.  My design studio is here.  We're about an hour north of downtown Houston and it is very wooded.  This is a thriving, growing, sophisticated area and there IS new construction and a LOT of remodeling in mid to high end homes.  I named my blog "Design in the Woods" so that local people would realize that they don't have to go to Houston for quality design work.  There's someone right here in their own neighborhood! 






However, what I didn't realize is that blogging is more of a wide ranging endeavor.  The majority of my readers don't live in The Woodlands or Houston or even Texas for that matter.  When you first hear that name, it really sounds like I'm out in the woods swinging an axe to build my dream hut, in a plaid, flannel shirt with unshaven armpits.


Maybe this?

I've had several suggestions and mostly something with my name or my business name has been strongly advised for branding and name identity.  It just doesn't sound that spiffy though. 

I was thinking...

Carla Aston blog
Aston Design Studio blog
Carla Aston Blogs About Interior Design  (too wordy and literal)

???????


Of course, anything with interior design in the title would be appropriate, but how many blogs have "interior" and "design" in the titles that are so popular already out there?  Believe me, just about any name you can think of with "interior" in it has already been used! I've tried reserving some on blogger.

I've just gotten someone on board to help with coordinating all my online stuff.  I need a new website and want the blog to be part of it. He's got a marketing background, is young and computer savvy, and will help brand my business and build a framework for all my internet stuff.  I can't wait!!!!  All this computer navigation is difficult for me and .....I don't have TIME to create framework!  I definitely realize when I'm over my head and need the help of a guru.

Okay, you don't have to come up with a name (unless you want to), but I really want to know. 

Do you think I should change it?
Visit InfoServe for Blogger backgrounds or to create a website.