ABOUT Jennifer Spencer, 52, is a creative thinker and entrepreneur. With a degree in economics, but a flair for the arts, Jennifer has been instrumental in myriad start-up companies and innovations over the last 20 years. Jennifer’s marketing and business development strategies have provided actionable solutions to clients including start-ups with new product development to larger corporations seeking to reposition their offering. Now, Jennifer is proud to serve as President, Inventor, and CEO of Agloves, an innovative new consumer product that is pioneering the social media marketing sphere.

Jean Spencer, 23, is also creative and thinking. After receiving a Bachelor’s of Journalism from the University of Colorado at Boulder, Jean decided to take a leap from the world of newsprint and into the online world of online communications. Officially the Vice President of Communications, Jean now heads all things social, communicative, or networked for Agloves like media relations, PR, social media and online presence. In her free time, Jean can be found twisting up into pretzel shapes on her yoga mat, climbing rocks, sipping double Americanos or basking in the Colorado sunshine.

Robin Baron: What do you love most about what you running your own company?
Jennifer: I love innovation, creativity and the intellectual challenge of puzzle solving. I love taking an idea and making a reality
Jean: Owning your own company means a lot more than choosing your own hours and getting to pick your own office space.  Owning your own company means owning your work.  There is a certain level of personal responsibility in knowing that your work each and every day is the heart and soul of the company.  But for each extra push you give any certain task, there is that much more satisfaction in seeing an idea come to fruition.  I’ve never had children, but this to me, seems like my baby.

RB: What is it like to work with your mom/daughter?
Jennifer: Fabulous! I have so much to learn from Jean. A mom/daughter team has a certain amount of push and pull but there is also respect and passion. Each day is an adventure.
Jean: Great. Fabulous.  Awesome.  And then occasionally heated and argumentative.  But for the most part my mom and I have put together a working relationship that blossoms.  We can talk through business issues in a deep meaningful way that not only assesses the effects on our business, but also the effects on our lifestyle and employees.  We have set up some “key phrases” that help us move past the mom-daughter sticks in the road, and really let us collaborate in a way that only family could on important issues.

RB: What’s inspiring you now? Any new big ideas?
Jennifer: More sunlight each day. Anticipation of spring. Music.  As for big ideas…Every day. In addition to being an entrepreneur, I am an abstract oil painter. Today, I thought about the idea that we are engaged in the flow of life, that this flow takes its own form, and our best is when we embrace the flow and paddle.
Jean: The constant good feedback and “awe” factor of our product inspires me everyday.  I like to say that if you are having a bad day in the office, all you need to do is go get some Agloves, take them to the street and let a few people who have never tried them, demo them out.  Their “Oh wow! This really does work,” response coupled with a huge grin is my daily inspiration.  Beyond that, the openness and receptiveness of the entrepreneur community helps to inspire new ideas, too.  We are based in Boulder, Colorado where every coffee shop is teeming with Macbook Pros and entrepreneurs busy making new solutions for business and technology. These people are encourage and supporting of new ideas everyday and are more than willing to collaborate on a great new idea in a more altruistic way than I’ve ever known business leaders to be.

RB: How would you describe your own home décor?
Jennifer: Mid-century modern. I love the clean, elegant lines and beautiful design of this time period.
Jean: The best word to describe my home décor is recycled.  It’s almost completely second-hand or picked up at garage sales.  I happen to really fancy “garage-saling.” Yes, a verb.  It’s the act of doing a garage sale, and finding the awesome stuff that really makes you wonder about the history and lifeline of a piece of furniture.

RB: What elements from your childhood home do you want to keep for the rest of your life?
Jean: My childhood backyard opened up to a huge plot of designated open space with creeks, and swamps and fields of trees and grass ready to be explored and played in.  I want to keep that connection with earth and the outdoors for the rest of my life.

RB: How have you incorporated these into your home now?
Jean: Well, Boulder is extremely outdoorsy.  I find myself outdoors most of the time, whether that be on my porch in the morning with a hot cup of coffee, or later in the day when I bike to and from work.  Also, being in the front range of the Rocky Mountains puts a mountain in almost every view.  A nearness to nature is important to me, and I base much of my style off earth tones.

RB: What design elements in your home have you personalized?
Jennifer: All of the artwork. Flowers. Color. Plants. It is impossible for me to live in a house with white walls. I’ve painted every wall a different color. I’ve sought out interesting furniture pieces. I have a particular passion for chairs! I love reading and display my books.
Jean: I guess to some degree I put the glue that holds all my random pieces in my house together.  You can definitely tell my home is a collage of my friends and family and neighbors, but I put the urban chic overtone to the whole place.

RB: What is the one thing in your home that everyone always comments on?
Jean: The great location.  I am directly in between the natural grocery, downtown and the mountains.

RB: Anything else really that you’d want to include about the company would be wonderful!
Jean: So great to be in business and share design with my mother.  We not only share glove design, but office design, business model design and lifestyle design.

The old-school rule against mixing metals should be melted. This chic foyer, created by David Jimenez, shows how two tones can blend beautifully together. The gold metallic wallpaper sets the perfect backdrop for the mirrored console table featuring two large brass lamps.

Though they may have the reputation of being cold and stark, metallics can instantly warm up a space, as seen with the Chelsea Iron Lifetime collection of Bratt Décor. For DIY divas, you can easily re-create this look on your own furniture. Jenny from Little Green Notebook has a wonderful how-to for giving a dose of glam to any wooden piece using metal leaf.

Add metallics in a variety of textures to your décor, as seen in the seafoam green and gold bedroom design by LeeAnn Thornton. This room sparkles from the gold starbust mirror to the gold circle rug to the gold metallic Moroccan poufs while the silvery wallpaper and the metallic throw pillows in Tina from Signed by Tina’s room give it a rock ‘n roll vibe.

Who says metallic has to stop at neutrals? Those that crave color can have the shimmering effect grace their décor with glimmering purples, blues, pinks and greens, as seen in this Graham & Brown Alium Purple wallpaper.

Collage:

Alium purple wallpaper by Graham & Brown
Juliette pillow by Z Gallerie
Silver Pebbles Rug by CB2
Metallic Gold Moroccan leather pouf by Furbish Studio
Ruffled napkins by Z Gallerie

Here are some fun, effortless ways to accomplish both.

Your own Box Seats

We all need extra seating for any party or get together. This is especially true for the Superbowl, where we’re all glued to the TV. With the Giants/Patriots match up, I’m not sure anyone will even take a minute for a bathroom break!

How much cozier can you get than lounging in this Faux Fur bean bag chair? And these super stylish floor poufs will certainly add that bit of fab that I always look for.  Either way, they’re all so cool; you’re going to want to keep these babies around as part of your permanent decor!

Accessorizing: Scoring Extra Points

Have fun serving your food while supporting your team! Find pieces in your team’s colors like these lacquered trays to jazz up your finger food.

Create fun drinks for these acrylic drinking glasses. They look great and you have the extra bonus that they won’t break when everyone jumps up with excitement with the first touchdown!

The day may be about football, but it’s always a good idea to throw in a little mood lighting.  Try these candle’s in Giants colors…sorry to take sides, but I am a New Yorker!

“Throw Back” to the 50′s

Ok, maybe there was something to the TV dinners of the 50′s…snack tables! What better way to watch the game of the year, than piling your yummies and beer bottles on your own convenient table?  Whether it’s a folding table or a Butler Tray, they’re easy, chic, and portable!

There’s a few days until the big game, so look around and stock up on things that will make your Superbowl Sunday come alive for you, your guests, and the men in your life!

Photo info:
Tuva Faux Fur Bean Bag by Z Gallerie
Floor Poufs by West Elm
Lacquer Hexagon Trays by Jonathan Adler
Acrylic Tumblers by Target
Pillar Candles by Crate & Barrel
Formasa Tray Table by CB2
Tall Butler Tray Stand by West Elm

ABOUT Stephen Fanuka has built himself an unsurpassed reputation among the leading decorators, architects and elite clientele in Manhattan as the go-to guy for high quality general contracting and luxury interior renovations. He is driven by a passion for his family’s business and has grown it from a small father-son custom cabinet shop into the prestigious firm it is today, Fanuka, Inc.  He believes fabulous is a feeling , an emotion inspired by what we see in our minds and bring to life. As long as someone is inspired, there will always be a new day of fabulous to come over the horizon….till tomorrow.

Robin Baron:  You’re the Contractor to the Stars. Of all of your famous clientele, whose project has been your most memorable?
Stephen Fanuka: Tina Fey & Jeff Richmond. Of all the A listers Ive worked for they were the most delightful, grounded people I have ever met and worked for. Sometimes fabulous is simpler than one thinks…LOL.

RB: What has been the best part about creating your show?
SF: The best part of making my show is to see my life as it truly is. No scouting sites or make believe scenarios. Its pure unadulterated MY LIFE  TV.  It’s also nice to have the ingredients of DIY & real life drama come together with a splash of all the people I work with.  After all, there is NO “I” in team.

RB: What do you love most about your work?
SF: What I love most about my work is creating something out of nothing. I strive each day to give the client what they are paying for and seeing the smile on a clients face once I’ve delivered, “fabulous” is nothing short of euphoric.

RB: What impact has working in the design industry made on you?
SF: Working with the design community has really opened up my eyes and made me a better contractor. When you work with the best in the biz, you tend to raise the bar from the standard cookie cutting design & construction.  Working with the best designers & architects, allows me to face a new challenge each project. It keeps me on my toes to say the least.

RB: What’s inspiring you now?
SF: I’m inspired each and every day by many things. I need to be in order to stay ahead of the competition. Today I’m inspired by vibrant colors, reclaimed woods, incorporating more than 1 material – like wood and metals. If you ask me again tomorrow I’ll have an entire new list. I inspire quickly and get bored even quicker.

RB: How would you describe your own home?
SF: Each room is a chapter of my life. When you have a good book to read or a favorite part of a movie, we have no problem watching or reading that part again. My home brings me back to the happiest factions of my life again and again. It keeps me grounded.

RB: What do you love most about your home and why?
SF: My home is a safe haven. Each room is inspired by a different period of time in my life that allows me to go back remiss and cherish. Your home is your castle & memoir.

RB: What is the one thing in your home that everyone always comments on?
SF: The one thing people always comment on is the way my rooms are inspired by a traditional tone (Base, doors, crown moldings) and hi lighted by modern furniture & design. I guess my house goes both ways. (My house not me! LOL.)

> all images courtesy of Steve Fanuka.

A new year also means a new color trend, and the color gods at Pantone have dubbed Tangerine Tango as this year’s “it” color. Also called Pantone 17-1463 for the technical types, the hue is “an enticing juicy orange, a vivacious and appealing refresher to enliven anyone’s outlook this spring.” This fiery shade will surely energize interior spaces, whether it’s in small accessory doses or bold statements such as a painted wall or an upholstered chair.

The color ties together the drapes, rugs and knickknacks in this room, though they are all of very different patterns and textures, giving this space by Charm Home Design a unified appearance. To recreate the look, try pairing Anthropologie’s Climbing Vines curtains with the Tangerine Brooke rug by Madeline Weinrib and decorated with orange accessories, such as the charming chick candleholder by CB2.

The tangerine throws warms up this space by Domicile Interior Design, making it instantly inviting. Go for a cozy throw, such as Rian Rae’s Fisherman Cable Throw or playful with DwellStudio’s Foxes Graphic Knit Blanket.

“Sophisticated but at the same time dramatic and seductive, Tangerine Tango is an orange with a lot of depth to it,” said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®. “Reminiscent of the radiant shadings of a sunset, Tangerine Tango marries the vivaciousness and adrenaline rush of red with the friendliness and warmth of yellow, to form a high-visibility, magnetic hue that emanates heat and energy.”

This hue is just begging to be used in unexpected pops of color such as in this Moroccan-style bathroom featured on Design*Sponge. The 19^th-century tub, found online, was painted bright orange for a striking effect. Paint a single wall in the foyer, a bookcase in the den or even your front door for a bold splash of color that creates an instant focal point.

The bold color doesn’t always have to pop off the page, as seen in this space by Burnham Design where the bright reddish-orange effortlessly blends with the blue and marigold hues. Even when Tangerine Tango is replaced by a new color trend, using it in a color combination will keep it looking fresh for years to come.

Collage photo info:

Foxes Graphic Knit Blanket by DwellStudio
Dozer Burnt Orange Pillow by CB2
La Versha Chair by Anthropologie
Ceramic Garden Stool by Inside Avenue
Outrageous Orange 2013-10 by Benjamin Moore
Ombrione Zinnia Fabric by Designers Guild
Pleat Orange Hourglass Pendant Lamp by Crate and Barrel
Parlour Atomic Orange Chair by CB2
Gelato Coasters by Z Gallerie
Climbing Vines Curtains by Anthropologie
Wilde Carnation Fabric by Osborne & Little
Tangerine Brooke Rug by Madeline Weinrib

Photo credit: Charm Home Design, Domicile Interior Design, Design*Sponge, Burnham Design

Earlier this month, I recommended New Year’s Resolutions for the Home with some fabulous tips for how to start the year off fresh for your home.  From getting organized to trying something new, now is the best time to make changes happen!

Year after year, being healthy and staying fit are always on the top of my resolution’s list.  So I couldn’t have been more thrilled to see Houzz’s blog on creating a well-trained home sans the workout room!

Here are my Top 5 ways to use your home to kick-start a healthy lifestyle:

1.      Use the stairs

You don’t have space for a workout room?  No problem! Start using y0ur own stairs more.  Walking up and down the stairs more in your home or apartment building is the perfect way to burn more calories throughout your day.

2.  Be in the kitchen

Utilize your gorgeous kitchen!!   Make healthy meals at home, and when it’s time to clean up, give the dishwasher a night off and start cleaning.  Standing while cooking and doing the dishes will surely get your blood flowing and calories burning.

3. Paint the right color

The color blue is known not to increase your body’s appetite.   Try using blue paint on your walls throughout your living room, dining room and TV room to curb hunger.  How pretty is this color used in this dining room from Benjamin Moore?

4.  Create an alternative work space

Change up your routine of sitting at a desk at home to do work and take advantage of a high counter space.  By standing up and using your computer while working, an online calorie counter shows you can burn up to 400 calories!!

5.  Work out in the TV room

Leave enough space in front of your TV so you can move around!  Whether its squeezing in some crunches during your favorite show, or inviting your friends over for a yoga session, this is a sure way to get off the couch and get moving! (from Crate & Barrel)

Tell us how you like these ideas, and comment if you have any ideas of your own!

Simplifying Fabulous! with Social Media Maven, Dana Helms

ABOUT  Dana Helms is a social media guru!  Working as a Client Service Account Manager for MicroD, she helps people and companies make sure they are getting the best bang for their buck for their marketing solutions.  For the last year and a half she has been concentrating on ePiphany, MicroD’s our website platform. But this technology expert has now expanded into the home decor and furniture industry, helping clients in the home decor and furnishings industry convert imagination into reality. AND She has recently become the first Vice President of Social Media at WithIt, a group whose mission is to encourage and develop leadership, mentoring, education and networking opportunity for professional women in the home and furnishings industries. What a way to pave the way for the history of social media and home decor!

Robin Baron: What do you love most about what you do?
Dana Helms: Bringing the latest and greatest technology to the home and furnishings industry.  Staying on top of what is new and finding better ways for clients to promote their products online is energizing. I like to get customers excited and proud of their sites! Not to mention furniture markets! I have been to many furniture markets from High Point to Vegas and by far that is one thing I love about my job.  Visiting face to face with clients is priceless, especially since we service manufacturers and retailers all over the US and in other countries.  The showrooms are a bonus too! I love going to furniture markets to get ideas and see all the great products vendors are showing.  Designers get a lot of respect from me when I see a showroom that has been tirelessly worked on from dawn till dusk for us to enjoy. They inspire me to ensure I make my home my own.  When I can I take as many pictures as possible so I can use their great ideas for my own home.

RB: What in your work are you most proud of?
DH: I have just celebrated my 6^th year with MicroD and I am proud to have been part of such a dynamic team and such creative people.  I am also proud of my personal development, please don’t think that is being cocky, but I started out in this company knowing just enough to be able to call a client and talk to them about furniture and how to put fabric on a frame on the computer. I can now train clients on management of website, learned technology terms that I am not sure if I stayed in the retail business I would have had the opportunity to learn.  Personal investment is key in your growth with a company and I firmly believe you should never stop growing and learning. The saying “You can’t teach and old dog new tricks” means nothing to me!

RB: What’s inspiring you now?
DH: I have a few things that are going on right now that I am excited about and inspiring me. Currently MicroD is growing and we have a few new talented folks that are brining fresh new ideas to the table.  I like a fresh outlook on things when you have been at something for a while. Sometimes a fresh pair of eyes or a new way of thinking is what you need. Sometimes it’s a reminder of the things you knew all along and just needed to have that tapped into.  Our clients inspire me! I like to share my technology knowledge with them and help them grow their business with the ideas I present.  Just like a home a website needs to be refreshed and reworked.

Just think of your retail, design or manufacturer site like you would your house. When you get bored with something you clean it out. You may reuse something in another room or you may get rid of it all together.  That makes room for a new look.  In your home, you change a picture, repaint, and reupholster, or go in search for new accessories. The same rules apply on your website and you need to do the same thing.  Update images on the home page, change the text to be something relevant on the home page as often as once or twice a month so your customers know where to find you, what they can find there and what your company is about.  Just like your home you want to inspire people. The home page of your website should do that. Capture the customer to turn them into that brick and mortar customer.

RB: How would you describe your own home décor?
DH: Comfortable.  I like our home to be a representation of our family. We love to gather in the living room for games, movies and snuggling. We like warm colors. Brown, greens and dark woods. When we shop for furniture I like the designers that have worked in the showrooms to have picked and placed everything that I want to buy together. Basically if a vignette catches my eye we will go with the whole thing!  A sofa, loveseat, and tables.  Just keep in mind if we are buying living room furniture that must match the recliner. If the rug is right I am taking that too!  And I have to give the credit to my husband he actually has a really good eye for what looks good and what does not.  I am just along for the ride.

RB: What design elements in your home have you personalized?
DH: Our personal signature in our home I would have to say is our walls. We have painted them to be warm rich colors. When we first got the townhouse we actually came in 3 days before we were due to move in (with permission) so we could paint everything we wanted first before we moved it. It had to be perfect before we would put any furniture in it. So my husband, the kids and I stayed here till all hours of the night to get the house painted so it would be just right.  We are those people that bring in fabric samples, take home paint samples, get a little bit of paint, test it on the wall…. Then we buy! I love painting but something’s are better just right the first time.

RB: What do you love most about your home and why?
DH: I truly believe décor is the key to a good home.  For us I just love that our house is ours.  It’s functional, not over decorated, and its comfortable. I always wanted a house to be the place the kids want to come and eat and fellowship and our home is that place. We have a large loft upstairs that the kids come too and can play games, video and board games.  Pictures are key to our house. I love walking in and seeing my family everywhere. 

RB: What is the one thing in your home that everyone always comments on?
DH: When someone views the home from the outside they don’t know all the space inside. When folks visit they come in and see all the space 2200 sq ft. and its open and airy.  Walking in the home you walk into the kitchen that has a huge cut out that you can see through to the dining room and the living room. I like the open concept because I like to be in the kitchen, but I like to be involved with my family and friends when they visit.

Want to see more?  MicroD just launched a new web site, It has been a few years since we updated our own website.  We have been busy taking care of everyone else’s.    www.microdinc.com

> all images courtesy of Dana Helms.

The last two years, the highly anticipated Kips Bay Showhouse here in New York City has featured flame stitch patterns in its décor.

In 2010, designer Sherrill Canet added a striking flame stitch-inspired rug to the living room she designed, from her own collection available through Stark Carpet.  The monochromatic color scheme keeps this pattern from being too overpowering , a trick when using this flame stitch in a formal setting.

Last year, Richard Mishaan featured flame stitch curtains in the 40-foot living room. Paired with the gilded mirrors, dark blue Leleu dining table, vintage Moroccan rug and two of his own stunning Abstract Expressionist paintings, the design blends effortlessly into the décor.

The modern day interpretation is far from the ‘70s zigzags that may decorate your granny’s wing chair. The design is being seen in bold fabric designs to small home accessories, all with the capability of lighting up a room.

Bargello Sandpiper Drive Pillow by Jonathan Adler
Flame Stitch Coaster Set by Wolfum
Pickfair China by Kelly Wearstler for Pickard China
Missoni for Target Small Tumbler by Target
Flame Stitch Curtain Courtesy of Urban Outfitters
Missoni for Target Square Pouf by Target

Other Photos: Mag-Neat-O Carpet Tile in Radiant by FLOR, Bargello Fabric by Zoffany, Sherrill Canet Interiors, Richard Mishaan Design

Thank you so much to everyone who visited the collection.  It was great to envision and create the Parisian at Heart collection the same way I would design a room or home.  It is so important to figure out what makes you happy in your life and in your home and then to make that a priority.  Like I always say, Confidence Begins at Home, so I guess I better find my way home and head on back to the US of A!

ABOUT Susan Inglis is currently the Executive Director of Sustainable Furnishings Council and was the founder of From the Mountain.  She has over twenty years experience as a producer, importer, sourcing agent and broker of handmade product in home furnishings, fashion, and gifts.  She has worked in twenty-six countries on five continents to identify procedures for insuring the sustainability of natural resources. The Sustainable Furnishings Council has taken off under Susan’s direction and she speaks on behalf of SFC throughout the U.S. and abroad, inspiring many companies to adopt a sustainable platform for the future.  But this fabulous lady didn’t stop at that! In 2009, she also won the WithIt WOW Award for Education for helping others learn how to go green!

Robin Baron: Tell us a bit about what you do?
Susan Inglis: I serve as Executive Director of the Sustainable Furnishings Council – that is, I work to keep the ship afloat as we raise awareness & promote best practices for sustainability throughout the home furnishings industry.

RB: What do you love most about what you do?
SI: The people we work with and that I have the great privilege of interacting with, plus the sense that I may be making a difference – Though the home furnishings industry is a small one, it is impactful.  I love having the sense that we are, in fact, having an ompact in the industry, and so on effectively addressing a few of the major problems.

RB: What in your work are you most proud of?
SI: Growing the organization to over 400 member companies within five years AND developing and offering GREENleaders the industry’s first certified sustainability course, with over 600 graduated within three years.

RB: In what direction are you seeing green design move now?
SI: In a very practical direction – consumers are concerned and choose the “green” option when they can, but they are shopping for style and price, so savvy business folk are incorporating those money-saving best practices for sustainability, like energy use reduction and efficient use of non-toxic materials, into their operations, increasing appeal while also increasing efficiency.

RB: How would you describe your own home décor?
SI: I would call my home décor eclectic!

RB: What design elements in your home have you personalized?
SI: Practically everything in my house is personalized!

RB: What do you love most about your home and why?
SI: Sunshine pouring in, because tehre is nothing more healing that sitting in the winter sun.  And in summer (which is longer here in NC) the deck on the north side of the house is perfectly shaded.

RB: What is the one thing in your home that everyone always comments on?
SI: People always say, “What a lot of interesting stuff!”  because all of it old and collected from far-flung places!