Originally I visited San Francisco in the summer of 1977 as a young gay man in search of a happier place to live. At that time, the design district was located in the Ice House and in Jackson Square. They were wonderful and so was the city. I dreamed of living here one day and …
Thank You Notes
My mother insisted that each of her children sit down to write thank you notes. If not, she warned us that our gifts would be taken away. We had 24 hours, and this was before we were in first grade! How can we make it easier to write these notes? Always have many note cards on …
It Takes Three
Designer, client, builder.If one of us decides to take on too much of the role of another, then we can't really be present to perform our function, and the three legged stool will tilt. When my client says "no" I need to listen and shift course, otherwise, I am trying to be the client as …
Wabi-Sabi
As a ten year old boy in front of an abstract painting by Piet Mondrian, I was drawn to the fine cracks in the surface of the white ground. Were these fissures signs of aging, or were these put there intentionally? Were they adding to the power of the painting, or were they distracting? I decided …
Experience and a Willingness to Listen
Every space will reveal itself to you , if you just allow it to happen. On an intuitive level , listen to where you want to reside in the space, pay attention to how you feel in the space - let your emotions begin to outline the structure of the furniture placement. …
All About Hinges
Life is full of stress. Sometimes when you really want to swing, you discover movement is more of a squeak or a creak. At times, remaining level is the goal, but the sense of drooping from the top down takes over. The floor is often closer than it should be as you drag through the …
About Gallery 925
Guest Contributor: Rachel Prater - Gallery 925 My introduction to Georg Jensen silver came at the age of 11 when my Mother took me to the store on Madison Avenue in New York. My vivid recollection was of me being awestruck over their fantastic unique jewelry, modern sleek lines in silver with bold stones as …
Lessons From My Childhood
You are not born with good taste - you acquire it. I had the great good fortune to have a mother who was positively dedicated to good taste in interior design , and the ability to acquire it. I recently was back in touch with a childhood friend who went to visit our website. Her …
Why Hire ANOTHER Professional?
Guest Contributor: Jill Seime - Hardware Detailed Creating a design for a living space takes on many potential learning experiences for a designer. Professionals learn many things with each and every project. Technology evolves daily; new features are introduced for appliances and heating and air equipment, energy requirements change, building codes shift from community to …
Guest Speaker Series
We are pleased to announce our new guest speakers series for michaelmerrilldesignblog.com. I trust you will enjoy hearing from a variety of our resources and consultants. We welcome your comments and hope you will subscribe to our blog. New articles appear twice monthly. -MICHAEL M. MERRILL ASID, NKBA, CID Guest Contributors: Jill Seime | Door Hardware …
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