My latest project in Los Angeles was all about the art.  After this job, I officially gave myself the title... Curator : )  Had a lot of fun putting it all together.  Take a look!

Design is in the details.  The truth of this statement can be seen in a cabin I worked on a couple of months ago in Catskills, NY.  Most of the major furniture pieces were already there so it was my job to bring in the smaller pieces and home decor items.  This task required more than just buying a few pillows, vases and some art...

In part one of my San Francisco re-design I showed the before and after photos of the living room, dining room and bar area.  Check out that major transformation if you missed it!  In this post let's head upstairs to the bedrooms...

Welcome to part two of my California summer make-overs!  This condo is in San Diego and once again, the before and after photos speak for themselves.  I'll explain more about the details of this make-over in future posts, but for now take a look at what kept me totally busy this summer. The changes are quite dramatic!

My blog posts have been MIA this summer, which isn't good because consistency is important, but I'm glad to be back and can't wait to show the projects simultaneously completed during my time in California.  My Los Angeles clients collect a wide variety of art so my job was to, as Tim Gunn from Project Runway says, "make it work"...

This is the 44th year of the Kips Bay Decorator Show House here in New York City.  The proceeds from this event goes to the Kips Bay Boys and Girls Club in the Bronx to provide after school and enrichment programs to more than 10,000 kids.  Each year a town house is chosen, usually on the upper east side of Manhattan, along with talented interior designers to decorate different rooms throughout the home.  There are also designers chosen to decorate the stairwell, foyer, hallways and basically every nook and cranny within the space.  The town house this year is named The Carlton House and has an indoor area of approximately 10,000 square feet and 5,000 square feet of outdoor space (if you add up the different terraces and the rooftop). This was my first year going and I loved it! There were so many different styles and designs to see, it really was a feast for the eyes!...

For this blog post I'm going beyond the walls of the home and into designing for the outdoors, office spaces, restaurants, hotels, lounges etc.  I saw so many different kinds of furniture and decor items during the design events in New York City this month that I wanted to not only focus on decorating for the home but also include design ideas for commercial spaces as well...

The design industry has taken over New York City this month (May 3-17) and I love it!  It's the fourth annual NYC x Design which celebrates all forms of creativity from the arts, architecture and interior design to urban planning and fashion.  The events include trade shows, pop up shops, installations, and work shops taking place at different venues throughout the five boroughs. Everyone from the trade to the general public are welcome to join, learn and enjoy the festivities.  I wish I could have attended all of the events but since that's impossible, I'll share a few of my favorites...

The most memorable part of the 2016 Architectural Digest Design Show was Dining By Design which featured fully decorated dining rooms designed by industry leaders to showcase and auction off for the charity (DIFFA) Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS.  As you can see in the photo above I've marked the pages where each design company described, in their own words, the inspiration behind the dining room they created...

I recently attended the Architectural Digest Design Show in NYC.  It was chock full of the latest and greatest items in furniture, home décor, lighting, art, kitchen and bath, and really everything my eyes and heart could ever desire!  In fact this blog post will be part one of two because there was just too much to share.  Here is the list of my top thirteen favorite booths.  I tried to make it "Top Ten" but it was way too hard to leave some of them out... 

I walked into the room of my latest project excited to see the space, get inspired and take some before pics.  Here are the seven things that made up the entirety of the master bedroom…  (1) Walls painted the color of cotton candy (2) a rattan/wicker trunk (3) bed (4) one piece of art (5) dresser drawers (6) lamp (7) mirror...  The End.  That was everything in the room!...

I just finished working on a master bedroom here in New York City.  When I first walked into the space it reminded me of a dorm room prior to students moving in. There was the basic bed, dresser and lighting and that's it!  The walls were absolutely bare except for the bubble gum paint color and one painting which I loved.  That painting actually ended up inspiring the new colors in the room...

I've come to realize that one of the best ways to put my stamp on a room design, leaving the client with a one of a kind piece we can both be proud of, is to create that special stand alone piece myself. Yes, I usually get the initial idea from Pinterest or a DIY blog I've seen but I always change it up a bit to make it my own and to suit the client's taste and space...

In my previous blog post I showed the before and after pics of the Florida condo I worked on in December.  I had two weeks to get the job done and a tight budget so some design magic was necessary.  In this post I will explain three big things you must do in order to keep your spending low when making over a space.  It takes some work and creativity so roll up your sleeves and get ready...

I spent the last half of December in Florida enjoying a working vacation.  In between spending time with my family for the holidays I did a condo living/dining room makeover.  My clients just bought a fully furnished condo as a second home to have on the east coast and only plan on using it part time throughout the year.  They didn't want to spend a lot making it over, however they absolutely knew they couldn't live with the Golden Girls style furniture and decor already there, so they gave me a call.  I had two weeks and a tight budget but I did it!  Here are the results...

I took a 40-block stroll the other night through my beloved city of New York.  I was on a mission to take photos of the famous Christmas displays, lights and decorations that flood the streets and store windows during this time of year.  I started on 20th Street and walked uptown mainly along Fifth Avenue.  The streets were filled with tourists and locals out and about enjoying the holiday cheer.  Here’s a small taste of what I saw...

The month of December is shopping season so in honor of two of my favorite things, shopping and interior design, this post will be all about getting the perfect items for your home and gifts for the holidays!  I've recently discovered a cool home decor store in my very own neighborhood named Harlem Heirloom.  I figure I might as well promote a local small business since Harlem is the home of Helen Hamblin Designs as well...

Creating a brand requires a lot of thought about what exactly one wants to put out there (for the world to see) to represent your company.  I’ve heard, read and received lots of advice since starting Helen Hamblin Designs and I appreciate it all!  This blog post will touch upon some of the tips and ideas I've come across... 

Once you start down that road of entrepreneurship the main thing consistently in the forefront of the mind is marketing yourself.  I’m always thinking about how I can promote myself and showcase my eclectic design style as well as the variety of people, places and things that inspire me as a creative person and interior designer...