Malibu Barbie on a budget? by Nashville interior designer, Amanda Burdge

Back in March Miss BARBIE herself turned fifty. Doesn't she look smashing for 50? How does she do it? How is she devoid of this economy and simple old age?

Mr. John Adler himself did a Malibu beach house in her honor , and he doesn't come cheap! It raised a question. Could BARBIE survive on a beer budget; or GASP!, a strawberry wine budget? Could her life be as fabulous as cotton candy, and pink poodles if she had to use the word budget? Is budget in her vocabulary? And lastly, could she shop at Target and find her shoes at Payless, leaving the store with a smile?

I shutter to think how BARBIE could survive. So desperate for her Jimmy Choo's, and her pink corvette. And Ken? Well he would find a new blonde, maybe even branch out to a brunette, driving around Malibu in her Maserati; after all Corvettes are so yesterday! How would BARBIE feel as Ken drove off with his new 25 year old?

Well as much as I would love to see this bitch go down, just once, in my heart of hearts (dig way WAY down) she is what dreams are made of. Every little girl gets it. The BARBIE fascination, and the all too dreamy eyes for Ken. A thing of "may all your dreams come true" with martini in hand, a smile on her face and twinkle in her eye. A pink EXPLOSION of all things wonderful and fabulous. And as much as I hate to subscribe to the BARBIE ideal (talk about exiting reality) I suppose it is good, at times, to enter into a world of all things pink, wonderful and fabulous, just for a moment, to get a prescription that is devoid of the economy, and old age!

The queen of clutter and bibles

Mrs X's Kitchen before
Mrs X's Kitchen after
Mrs X's Dining room before
Mrs X's Dining after

As a designer I am often invited into peoples homes that are, lets say for tact, undesirable decorating disasters, or as I like to call them UDD's. Hence the reason for my my being there. I often overlook these minor indiscretions because I am there to make magic! Change the way you live, and change your outlook; with super women herself as my partner I take down the world in it's orbit and change everyones "ugly" one space at time! After all I am a DESIGNER, a mystical, creative, creature; the thing legends are made of ....or at least that is what I tell myself.

One afternoon I received a call. Her name, Mrs X. Im looking for a new lease on life. I need change, and you can give it to me! Well of course I can. Im a DESIGNER, I have the business card to prove it!

The house was a disaster. I soon learned that Mrs. X was the Queen of clutter and BIBLES. How many Damn bibles can one person own? Does GOD have something different to say in each one? Have her sins been redeemed merely for owning this many bibles? Does she have one for each 7 deadly sins, for which she obviously over counted? Maybe she has reduced guilt with each proof of purchase.

Perplexed and a bit overwhelmed I got to work. She needed change and ORGANIZATION. Where to start? With GOD of course! We donated the books to charity and the local churches.

We threw away 10 years of unnecessary instant gratification purchases. And just when I thought we would see the light of day.....another damn bible would surface. This woman had industrial strength BIBLE envy, or one hell of a sales man at Lifeway! Either way, one bible is sufficient and I don't think HE will think any less if you ONLY own one!

A year has gone by since I helped out Mrs X. She recently invited me over to review a new set of house plans. I was delighted for the opportunity. As a gag gift I brought her a jar of "wash away your sins" soap. Easy to use, reduces guilt, and who couldn't see the added value of it's convenient size? We giggled in laughter. So proud and glorious, with my DESIGNER flag flying high I felt victorious and over joyed. After all I am a DESIGNER, a mystical, creative, creature; the thing legends are made of ....

I reviewed the new built-in pantry. It was fabulous. But I felt we needed it a bit larger. Before I could make that decision I needed to take stock of all her beautiful antique china. "Oh no need to go in there" she tells me. Hmmmm.....really?? Why? So I snuck into Mrs X's current china pantry only to find........you guessed it; a stack of freshly bound, still in wrappers, new bibles. In all shapes and sizes. Apparently my road to recovery will be a long, and sinful one!

Nashville interior designer Amanda Burdge on Paneling

I was recently hired to help a client redo her dining room, and expansion to the front of her house. The house, built in the late 60's, was being expanded and to my great happiness the husband gave us carte blanche on the project.

.... But there was a catch. Damn their is always a catch! His only request, "please leave the paneling in the dining room." What!? Are you kidding me? Deep breaths; Ok no reason to panic. I will put together the design plan and he will see the light. He will come to his senses...he will come to the understanding that there is no need for PANELING! Right?

Nope.

Ok back to square one. Thinking, thinking,.... ok paint the paneling! Yes thats what we will do!

NOPE.

"we will stain the paneling and we will stain it darker!" he tells me.

Holy cow I am going to have premature, unnecessary heart palpitations. I'm not going to live through this experience, kill me now!

So I did what any good interior designer would do; freaked out, had unnecessary heart palpitations, and regurgitated my irritation to all my staff; but smiled to my client and said " of course it will be fabulous!" All in a days work!

Ha! Well to my surprise, the paneling was stained darker, but it wasn't worth all that anxiety. Despite my frustrations we worked around the walnut elephant in the room and I was quite pleased with the turn out. I still think it makes for a dark room. But I lightened the room with travertine floors, nixed the idea of an area rug, and put every light and bright thing I could in the room to brighten it. The best part of the project? The client not only gave us unlimited funds for the rest of the house, he is smiling from ear to ear because it is exactly what he wanted, and more! And that is why I do what I do!

New Blog

For those of you who stop by my blog regularly you will notice the surroundings have changed a bit. I have updated my blog to give it some more style and sass. I love it, and look forward to adding more features and buttons and what ever other things Katie and I can think up to do. For more info on how to update your blog email Katie @ lemoncherryblogs@gmail.com or visit her website @ http://lemoncherryblogs.com. Thanks for all your help Katie!! I can't wait to do more stuff!

Darryl Carter interior design

A few weeks ago I did a small little post on Darryl Carter, (http://abhomeinteriors.blogspot.com/2009/05/darryl-carter.html) and his beautiful designs. His aesthetic is clean, fresh, and stylish but simple and easy to read. He has introduced a new line through Thomasville that oozes restraint and grace, hence the mention on my blog. Mr Carter himself apparently saw my post. I really didn't say much; thank GOD I didn't go off on one of my rants. I really could go on and on about Mr Carter. Well to my surprise, as my staff and I slaved over the rearrangement of the showroom (for our new sale), in walks the post man with the above letter; FROM MR CARTER HIMSELF!! So Darryl if you are reading this post too, I want to thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to write to me. It is something so simple yet meant the world to me and made coming in on a Saturday SO worth it. As you can see I have framed it. I have it in my office above my credenza, and as I strive to become a better designer I will look to this as my inspiration. When I have an unruly client, I will look to this for inspiration, when I want to quit interior design for any number of reasons, I will look to this for inspiration. And when I want to become an attorney I will remind myself there is nothing I would rather do than interior design, and look to this note as inspiration! THANKS!!