I did an interior redesign for Real Simple Magazine in December. I've kept my lips sealed for months. Well, not totally sealed, family & close friends knew, but that's it. I had absolutely no idea if my design would make it in the magazine or when. Well, to my surprise and delight, I did make it in the May issue which is on the news stands now. And I'm the lead off story & photo spread for"Ready, Set, Redecorate". It's very exciting! I've already received some calls from potential clients saying, "I saw you in Real Simple magazine..." Tom's calling me his superstar, designing wife. And every once in a while he makes me to shout out, "SUPERSTAR!" & throw my arms in the air, ala Catholic girl, Mary Katherine from Saturday Night Live. Except it must look pretty funny with my pregnant belly & all. Hmm...that must be why he laughs so hysterically. Any hoo... here's a little peek at the article. And click here for photos.

What to Do When a Living Room Has No Breathing Room
Douglas Friedman

At 12 feet wide, this Jersey City town house couldn’t accommodate its furnishings. “If I see something cute, I buy it,” says Winston Gitonga, 34, who lives in the house with his wife, Charmaine Delarama, 35, and their daughter, Sibel, 1. As a result, says redecorator* Dawn Falcone, owner of Dawn Falcone Lifestyles (www.dawnfalconelifestyles.com), in New York City, “the family was always tripping over everything. I’ve never had to deal with so many chairs.”
The SolutionAfter getting rid of bulky items, like “a large, manly media center,” Falcone started to rethink the room. “When the family had people over, everyone crowded around the TV, and no one sat anywhere else,” she says. To keep the TV from being the focal point, she carved out two distinct zones: one for conversation and one for entertainment. Falcone shifted the sofa to the opposite wall so that “it faces the home’s original coal-burning fireplace rather than a blank wall.” A sturdy ottoman found in the bedroom replaced the mini stool–cum–coffee table, while an acrylic chair swiped from the kitchen filled out the seating area without adding visual heft. For the entertainment nook, she placed the TV on a slender cabinet near the windows and traded a small area rug for a larger sisal. “Our guests love the new arrangement,” says Gitonga. “They say, ‘Wow, why didn’t you think of that before?’”

Posted by Dawn Falcone @ 2:16 PM 6 comments

Monday, April 14, 2008