Fall Interior Decorating Classes (Oakland)

If you could use a little help decorating or maybe you just need a fresh perspective, consider taking this fall series of classes with my friend and design colleague Danielle Fox. Courses are held at SLATE art & design gallery in the Temescal district of Oakland. Space is limited to ten students per course and a minimum of four registrations are required for a course to run.

• identify and develop your personal style
• spruce up your home before the holidays
• enjoy twelve hours of presentations, discussion, and individual and group exercises based on one of your favorite topics, all for the price of two hours of professional design consulting
• benefit from a professional’s experience, expertise, and extensive resource library
• complete the course with a comprehensive room design that reflects your own personal taste and lifestyle, for a fraction of the price of hiring a designer

Weekly Topics

1. Aspirational Style / Style Categories / Materials and Motifs
2. Reality: Context and Lifestyle / Performing a Design Review
3. Space Planning, Furniture Scale and Proportion
4. Project Managent and Budgeting
5. Shopping - online, retail, trade, custom, vintage
6. Color Schemes, Fabrics, Windows
7. Art and accessories - the final balancing
8. Sharing Room Designs

DETAILS
Fridays 10-11:30 AM
October 9–December 4
(no meeting Thanksgiving week)
Please let us know if you would prefer another day, evening, or weekend schedule.
Alternate classes can be formed.
$250 for eight meetings. Receive a $25 discount for each friend you refer.

INSTRUCTOR CONTACT INFORMATION
Danielle Fox, Danielle Fox Design
4770 Telegraph Ave & 48th Oakland
O (510) 444-4085
C (510) 325-6659
info@daniellefoxdesign.com

Fabulous design team of Mitchell Gold & Bob Williams have a great upholstery sale going on now through 10/13/08. Check out their website for a location near you and in the SF Bay Area you can find their product:

Ruby Living Design
180 Townsend St, SF
415.541.9206

Tom Dixon...Sample Sale, London

Calling all collectors and enthusiasts of great design.....British design company, Tom Dixon is having their first ever sample sale! If you are in London or happen to be in London don't miss this sale! Tom Dixon is one of the most talked about avant-garde designers. Completely self-taught he is always trying out new materials and applying industrial ideas/techniques to high-end design such as cast glass, cast iron and wood thus creating innovative products with a timeless approach.

Friday 26th September 10-5pm
Saturday 27th September 10-4pm

For further information:
Tel: 0207 400 0500 Web:www.tomdixon.net
5 Cromwell Place
London SW7 2JB

Sale includes upholstery, lighting and furniture, such as Cone Lights, Slouch Sofa, Copper Shades, Twist, Pipe Lights, and Mirror Balls. Up to 70% off selected items. Cash and Cheques only.

Alameda Estate Sale Aug 22nd, 23rd & 24th

If you love shopping flea markets, garage sales or estate sales get on www.lynnsofalameda.com mailing list for regular email updates of upcoming estate sales. They also have a shop at 2807 Encinal, Alameda.

Here's info on an upcoming estate sale this weekend:

622 Valle Vista, Oakland
Off Elwood and Grand by the Coffee Mill
August 22th , 23th, 24th
Friday noon-5pm
Sat. & Sun 10am4pm

A Gardeners Dream House! Very Large Collection of Plants, Pots, Soil, Statuary, Outdoor Patio Furniture, Decorative Mirror, Old Cameras, Photography Books, Crafts, Massive Iron 1900's Water Boiler, Professional PFAFF 335 Sewing Machine, Beautiful Bolts of Fabric, Cool Blonde Vintage Modern Eames Era Furniture: Credenza, Coffee Table, Corner Lamp Table & Dining Room Chairs Vintage Christmas, Danish Teak Tile Nesting Tables, Modern Side Table, Pair of Wing Chairs, Frames, Old Luggage, Vintage 60's Clothing, Shoes and Purses, Plant Stands, Collection of Costume Jewelry, Kennel Club Photo's & Ephemera, Kitchen Items, Pots, Pans, Glassware, Painted Antique Furniture, Framed Fabric Room Divider, Desk, Meito China, Sewing Patterns, Newer Vacuum Cleaner, Mask Collection, Cleaning Supplies, Upholstery Tools, Gardening Tools, Hand Tools, Paints & Solvents, Building Supplies.

SUNDAY noon everything is HALF OFF! Don't miss this one if you're an artist or a crafter! You'll kick yourself on Monday... No Early Sales.

Public Sample Sales & Trade Only Events

I added two new sections today. Public samples sales and trade only events. Two of the best sample sales for the public are at the SF Design Center and SF Furniture Mart. These two "Trade Only" resources have 1-2 sample sales per year that are open to the public (consumer). Where the consumer can buy at or below wholesale prices (often below wholesale prices). If you go, make a day event out of it. This isn't something you can zip in and out. For example the SF Mart has 5 floors with showrooms. The SF Design Center has quite of few buildings with multiple floors.

Both the SF Design Center and SF Furn Mart have sample sales throughout the year. Usually when a showroom is moving product off their floor to bring in new products. There are amazing deals to be had when product needs to be moved off the floor but you'll have to work with a designer to purchase product (outside of the sample sales).

West Elm Bargain

West Elm has a great candle holder the branch tripod floor pillar standing at about 52" high. It was $69 and can now be found on sale on the website for $49 but the Corte Madera store had it on sale for $19.99! If this one is too big there are a couple smaller branch candle holders that are just as nice. I used it in a bathroom.

Coming this fall you'll be able to find the same form in a table and standing lamp. I'd love to see it as a table leg too. If you are handy you might consider making a plant stand or high table with the candle holder. Let me know if you have any other creative ideas.

Best Bay Area Resources

I added a new section today called Best Bay Area Resouces, which are resources I use regularly or refer clients to for best selections or best deals. I wanted to highlight a couple recommendations.

Tradeway Stores: packed full of furniture some high-end and some ho-hum. This "outlet" gets furniture from lots of manufactures like Thomasville, Broyhill, Lexington, Bassett, Drexel-Heritage and so on. When furniture isn’t delivered to a retailer for whatever reason, the manufacture avoids shipping it back across country by redirecting to Tradeway. Sometimes pieces have minor damage that they will fix (ie. a scratch or ding). 10860 San Pablo Ave, El Cerrito, 510.529.2360.

Z Gallery: always has the best trendy items and very affordable prices. This is the type of store that allows you to easily bring in trendy colors or items without breaking the bank. I'll see a $40 item here that would sell for $500 at the SF Design Center. Granted not the same quality and not a designer name associated but honestly does it really matter?

San Francisco Design Center: You may not know this but the SF Design Center is open to the public. You are welcome to check out furniture and fabric there but you need a designer to buy on your behalf. The Design Center ranges from mid-range to very high-end, so even if it is out of your price range you might consider window shopping for inspiration.

Instyle Interiors New Blog

I'm consistently coming across ideas, trends, inspiration, products, pictures and so forth which help generate ideas for my interior decorating projects, so I thought I might as well start blogging some of them. I hope my friends, family and clients will find these post as an opportunity to keep up on trends and some fun ideas.

I'm in the process of looking for products (both decor and purse/totes) that are fun, stylish and bring that designer element to our everyday living. I'm hosting an event for friends, family and clients in the beginning of June and plan to represent a number of accessories, art and bags for purchase.

Anyhow on to my favorite find today - www.alenahennessy.com. Alena Hennessy is an artist that captures a simple, whimsical, fun, nature inspired style that can be found in her art, prints, totes and apparel.