Interior Design Society Designer of the Year Awards 2016

What an amazing time we had at the National Interior Design Society Conference this year.

 The conference was held at the Scott Resort and Spa in Scottsdale, Arizona.

We were joined by ARTS - Accessories Resource Team this year and it was a huge success.

These were some of the topics:

5 things your business must have to succeed

Naked Negotiating

Will the real economy please stand up

Simple Social Systems for Designers

The Jugglers Mindset

Your comfort zone is your kill zone

Color and Trend Reportage

Building a Sales Culture

Building a Thriving Life

It was a two day conference filled with great topics and amazing networking. As a Designer, I am always wanting to keep my business fresh and want to keep learning so I can be the best I can be for my clients.

Being a part of The Interior Design Society is one of the ways I do that. Monthly meetings, training throughout the year and then the yearly conference is something that is worth being involved in.

It is also a great way to get to know other designers. The time we spent talking after sessions, discussing thoughts of dinner, etc. was some of the most valuable time for my business EVER!

Happy Veteran!

On the second day of the conference we did a charity event for the local veterans. We were on the news that night so you can see that below. It was an exhausting day but so incredibly awesome to give back to the community. Seeing celebrity designers like Kellie Ellis and Suzanne Kasler and Donna Moss join in with us was the highlight of our time as well.

We had 140 designer volunteers, 1000 donated items and 132 rooms were transformed.

The charity project we did this week in Phoenix with the Interior Design Society was on Fox 10 news! Look closely, you may see me sweating in the background lol. It was worth every bit of sweat and hard work for these guys! You can read the story by clicking here.

On the last night, we had the National Interior Design Awards Ceremony. This photo includes some of the Dallas team. (from left; Stacy Steidly, Nicole Arnold,  Linda Baker, Ruthie Staalsen, Ginger Curtis and Michael Bauer - Dallas Market Center, VP of marketing, home and design.

I received an award for Designer of the Year 2016 for Kitchens $50,000 and under.

Lots of awards from our Dallas team! So proud of each and every one of them!

This is the kitchen that helped me win!!!!

BEFORE PHOTO

AFTER

AFTER

(Photography by T. Lamar Photography)

Thank you Interior Design Society for an amazing weekend of learning, recognition, collaborations and friendships.

Can you guess which shoes are mine? #branding

I hope you have something in your life or business that inspires you. If not, step out and join something that keeps you motivated and connected to others that are doing something amazing for their business and/or their life.

Ruthie Staalsen - What my design philosophy is and why!

I wanted to share with you a snippet from my book that was published a few months ago. This portion of my chapter truly describes what I am all about.

"My main objective is to create environments that are gathering places for families and friends to do life together.

However, I am about more than that.  I believe that the home is a special hub for the best moments in life.

  It is the place where you watch your kids dance around the kitchen.

It is where you and your hubby carry your kids to their bed because they fell asleep on the couch.

It's where your daughter brings a boy home for the first time, and where  your family laughs around the dinner table so hard that you choke on your food.

Home is where real life happens and sometimes real life is a little bit messy.

That is why I want the homes I decorate to be a place for peace and solitude.  Our society is so busy and hurried that spending time AT HOME is almost a lost art.

My goal is to connect these wonderful moments of life to the home through interior design.

  I have a different perspective on design in that it isn't totally about a specific look.  It's more about finding the soul of the people living in the home, and helping the client find the surroundings that makes them feel good. Decorating is about creating a quality of life, a beauty that nourishes the soul.

Our homes should reflect what we are about, our beliefs, our experiences and family traditions.  After all, homes are not just about nice things, they are about a place where you want to spend time.

I want to be known as the designer that connects these dots."

I'm working on a project at the moment where I get to do exactly what I've described above. I get up each morning, ready to make lives and homes more beautiful!

Yellow and Gray Family Room

 It is always such fun to decorate a home knowing that there is something special happening with the couple!

They are having a baby!

Perfect time to do the finishing touches to their new home before baby arrives.

They already had the sectional and the rug.  My job was to add the drapes, lamps, artwork, pillows, ottoman and other misc. accessories.  We did a few touches to their kitchen and adjoining dining room as well.

They wanted the start of a gallery wall.  The black and white artwork can eventually be taken out and their new baby photos can be added when they are ready.

The custom ottoman is my absolute favorite in this space and will be a conversational piece.  Perfect for putting your feet up while watching TV.

It looks amazing with their new bar stools too.  We also added the pendant lights!  Wow, are those ever gorgeous!

These ottomans are perfect under the console table because they cover up a plug that was put right in the middle of their walkway to their master.

I'm in love with the striped grey and white drapery panels.

Custom pillows that are to die for.

A yellow and gray throw pulls everything together very nicely and is perfect for getting cozy by the fireplace.

We enlarged some gorgeous photos of the couple and placed them in their niches in the entry.  First the niches were painted a dark gray so the photo's would stand out beautifully.

The adjoining eat in kitchen area got some finishing touches too.

BEFORE

AFTER

All ready to welcome baby home!

Also ready for their baby shower this weekend in their newly decorated home.

Happy Weekend and we have cool weather!  Yippee!