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Editor's Letter
The Secret's Out. Designers have a way about them like no one else. They have magical powers and the ability to wave a wand and turn rubble into a palace setting. Behind every great glamour movie, there's a set designer who's performed miracles, alluding to grandness with furnishings and props that scream luxury. They're perhaps role models for our own expectations of living with style. Today's interior designers have a decided advantage over those from the past. They're armed with more equipment, more resources and certainly more state-of-the-art sound, lighting, video and security techniques. And because you, the consumer, have more education about design, the professionals in this arena are able to communicate and "sell" on a higher level.
Decorating as we know it today has changed substantially over the past 25 years - and certainly for the better. Gone are the matched-up curtains, sofas, love seats and spreads. Goodbye to the armoire or wall unit that looked like a coffin holding court in your living room when its only function was to conceal a television, bulky equipment and junk. Hello flat screen plasma - we just gained two feet in our living room, bedroom and family room. In real estate terms that space can equate a workout room - which is almost mandatory for this new health conscious society. And that cute little sofa grouping just got replaced by big, sleek seating (sized to accommodate our new six-foot residents) and fitted with chaises, side tables and mobile ottomans that multitask as footrests, tray tables or extra seating. God bless the manufacturers who came out with lounge chairs that are sculpturally beautiful and comfortable - that recliner has been the bane of the designer's existence since its inception. Now every major furniture showroom has an answer to that contraption. Why? Because in today's society most of us lie down when relaxing. We lounge, literally draping ourselves over the furniture. We hardly need those little side tables or pull-up chairs - who will sit on them? Visitors that pop in for a hot minute? Our society gathers in rooms that are filled with elbow space and lots of toys, so at-home entertaining just takes on new requirements. Designers are on the ball and they encourage our home comforts by making kitchens larger and more accessible and bathrooms with room for spa treatments, massages and beauty stations capable of holding a year's supply of toiletries. For the bedroom, walls of windows can be blacked out with the push of a button and beds are so engineered they can cost upwards of 50 grand. One has to wonder how many geese had to be plucked to get all that down for those lush comforters, mattress pads, pillows on pillows and what not. Each and every room in your house would do better with the wit of a designer. Every corner would have a reason and every wall would hold art, mirrors or just nothing because it would look more balanced!
In the past I've been savvy enough to decorate my own home and make it pretty comfortable. Today I need engineers, specialists and definitely a director to see that all this sophistication works in a cohesive manner. Much like in medicine, the designer is your primary physician. All the rest of the players are specialists in their own arena - sound, lighting, fabricators, tile and wood craftsmen and installers that are even specialized. It takes an army and the designer is the general. So, if it's one room, one bath, or one patio, think about who should take charge of the process. In this issue we introduce you to several professionals who give advice and experience on projects they've executed. As well, our annual August Home & Design issue features a top 100 design professionals list - this month we'll post that list on our website so you can tap into some of Florida's most accomplished talents.
Design is not the only subject to enjoy about this issue. We've also included content to help you relax (Destination Nirvana" p. 50), design your own swimsuit wardrobe ("Synchronized Swimming" p. 116) with lots of cover-ups (thank you God), and get healthy, from firing your doctor (p. 56) to kicking your salt addiction (p. 142).
It's all part of a makeover that's intended not to stress you out, but prepare you for a more beautiful place and state of mind. And don't forget Mom this month. We've got her covered ("Mother's Day Gift Guide" p. 124) with lots of pastels, outrageous bling and, naturally, blooms.
The Secret's Out. Designers have a way about them like no one else. They have magical powers and the ability to wave a wand and turn rubble into a palace setting. Behind every great glamour movie, there's a set designer who's performed miracles, alluding to grandness with furnishings and props that scream luxury. They're perhaps role models for our own expectations of living with style. Today's interior designers have a decided advantage over those from the past. They're armed with more equipment, more resources and certainly more state-of-the-art sound, lighting, video and security techniques. And because you, the consumer, have more education about design, the professionals in this arena are able to communicate and "sell" on a higher level.
Decorating as we know it today has changed substantially over the past 25 years - and certainly for the better. Gone are the matched-up curtains, sofas, love seats and spreads. Goodbye to the armoire or wall unit that looked like a coffin holding court in your living room when its only function was to conceal a television, bulky equipment and junk. Hello flat screen plasma - we just gained two feet in our living room, bedroom and family room. In real estate terms that space can equate a workout room - which is almost mandatory for this new health conscious society. And that cute little sofa grouping just got replaced by big, sleek seating (sized to accommodate our new six-foot residents) and fitted with chaises, side tables and mobile ottomans that multitask as footrests, tray tables or extra seating. God bless the manufacturers who came out with lounge chairs that are sculpturally beautiful and comfortable - that recliner has been the bane of the designer's existence since its inception. Now every major furniture showroom has an answer to that contraption. Why? Because in today's society most of us lie down when relaxing. We lounge, literally draping ourselves over the furniture. We hardly need those little side tables or pull-up chairs - who will sit on them? Visitors that pop in for a hot minute? Our society gathers in rooms that are filled with elbow space and lots of toys, so at-home entertaining just takes on new requirements. Designers are on the ball and they encourage our home comforts by making kitchens larger and more accessible and bathrooms with room for spa treatments, massages and beauty stations capable of holding a year's supply of toiletries. For the bedroom, walls of windows can be blacked out with the push of a button and beds are so engineered they can cost upwards of 50 grand. One has to wonder how many geese had to be plucked to get all that down for those lush comforters, mattress pads, pillows on pillows and what not. Each and every room in your house would do better with the wit of a designer. Every corner would have a reason and every wall would hold art, mirrors or just nothing because it would look more balanced!
In the past I've been savvy enough to decorate my own home and make it pretty comfortable. Today I need engineers, specialists and definitely a director to see that all this sophistication works in a cohesive manner. Much like in medicine, the designer is your primary physician. All the rest of the players are specialists in their own arena - sound, lighting, fabricators, tile and wood craftsmen and installers that are even specialized. It takes an army and the designer is the general. So, if it's one room, one bath, or one patio, think about who should take charge of the process. In this issue we introduce you to several professionals who give advice and experience on projects they've executed. As well, our annual August Home & Design issue features a top 100 design professionals list - this month we'll post that list on our website so you can tap into some of Florida's most accomplished talents.
Design is not the only subject to enjoy about this issue. We've also included content to help you relax (Destination Nirvana" p. 50), design your own swimsuit wardrobe ("Synchronized Swimming" p. 116) with lots of cover-ups (thank you God), and get healthy, from firing your doctor (p. 56) to kicking your salt addiction (p. 142).
It's all part of a makeover that's intended not to stress you out, but prepare you for a more beautiful place and state of mind. And don't forget Mom this month. We've got her covered ("Mother's Day Gift Guide" p. 124) with lots of pastels, outrageous bling and, naturally, blooms.
Esther Jackson
Publisher and Editor-in-Chief
