Monday, June 18, 2012

Tagged: I'm It

I'm a huge fan of Vintique Object - not only because I have learned so much about styling and photography and general interior design from reading Camille's blog posts, but because Camille is so lovely. We've chatted a bit and shared pins on pinterest... little connections like this is what makes blogging really fun!

Recently (okay, not so recently) Camille tagged me with 11 questions. There are some rules to post first, then I'll have at them.

Rules

~ You must post the rules
~ Answer 11 questions the tagger posted for you & create 11 questions to ask the people you tag
~ Tag 11 people
~ Let them know you’ve tagged them.

Now... the questions!

1.   Light and airy or dark and dramatic?
I think there's got to be some balance. Right now my apartment is mostly light and airy but one day when I own my own home I plan to have dark, dramatic spots to hide away in.

One of my favourite dark places is the library Meadowbroke. I really wish they were still blogging!


2.  What's your sign?  How does your flair for decorating relate, if at all?
Pisces. I have no idea!

3.  Introvert or extrovert?

Definitely extrovert but I try really hard to shut up when I should.



4.  Where and when did your love for decorating begin?
Hmm... I've read this a million times in magazines when decorators are interviewed but I really was one of those kids who re-arranged their bedroom every five minutes. My room was my sanctuary, and I liked to make it more cosy, less cluttered, more this, more that, all the time. Now I'm a graphic designer and I think the passions really speak to each other because both make you nit-pick over the smallest details that make the biggest difference. (I have also earned my living as a copy-editor - just a small pattern of obsessive attention to detail emerging!)

5.  What's your favorite project to date?
6.  What's your least favorite project to date?

Well, because I'm not a decorator by profession, my home is my canvas. I have really enjoyed watching my dining room come together - its been years of trying to find the right pieces and I think we've finally done it. You can check out more pics here.



And here's one of my favourite projects from my day job! A business card designed with a small clothing boutique owner in mind...



7.  What is one design trend you love?
All things ikhat (as you can tell from the design above!). LOVE it, even if it's over already. 


8.  What is one design trend you don't care for?

Well, this is a pet peeve that's more encompassing - having moved to the United States from South Africa, the design trend that I hate is how South Africans have to follow trends! The United States is blessed in its vastness and huge numbers of people, so if you want something, no matter how obscure, you will find it. In South Africa when small purple fluffy couches that are sticky are in, that's all you can buy! Awful. That really needs to change.

9.  Have you met any other design bloggers in person?  Tell us the story!
I'm going to take a bit of poetic license with this question too - I met a fellow blogger last year when  my husband and I travelled home to South Africa for a visit. I was so, so lucky to meet up with Hayley from Everything in Between, and her husband. It felt like we had been friends forever!

10.  What would we see if we visited your first place right out of high school?

My college was close enough to home that I didn't need to move out! So really, the question is how does a newly emerging adult furnish their childhood bedroom? I'm not sure when I painted it but my bedroom was definitely a strange greeny teel colour, but I did have some wonderful classics - a beautiful quilt made by my mother on my bed, a hope chest at the foot of it ... and then it goes down hill with a zen garden on the chest! I had some bells on a decorative rope hanging down the wall where you walked in and lots of paintings, images and photos framed. I suppose one way to look at it is that it was completely spontaneous!



11.  Which food do you consider an indulgence?

Desserts and sweets. I try really hard to avoid them but I have a terribly sweet tooth so would like to have them all the time. Chocolate is my downfall.

I don't have 11 bloggers to tag so I'll just pick a few.  I'll go with those from southern African shores to keep it interesting!

Hayley, at Everything in Between and queen of holiday decorating.
Kate, A South African in New York - who just had a beautiful baby girl and may not be up for participating but I'll tag her anyway. I have loved seeing the transformation of her New York digs.
zkv, or Zodwa Kumalos blog, a new favourite of mine.
Nikki, from The Baobab Telegraph
Black Zebra

My questions to them are (and I'll cheat and go with 6 only):

1. How long have you been interested in interior decorating interior decorating/ photography/ fabric design/ ceramics /writing/ whatever artistic endeavour it is that moves you?
2. How does this passion keep you energized about life? 
3. How does being African inform your art and passion?
4. I realize I bring Africa into my home without noticing. Do you? How?
5. What is your favourite indulgence?
6. Any words of wisdom you can share?

If you have any great answers to these questions, leave a comment!

4 comments:

The Vintique Object said...

I really enjoyed reading your answers to the questions! Thanks for taking the time.

I didn't know you were a graphic designer by trade! How cool. I think that's a career I could enjoy and I mildly entertained the idea of going back to school for it.
Your dining room is fabulous. I know I've said it before, but I just had to say it again!
Camille

kbd said...

Oops! I got this comment, and tried to publish it from my iPad - apparently I have fat fingers because I deleted it! here it is, from Nikki, at Baobab Telegraph:
This is a great idea. I'll write up the answers on my blog and will let you know when they are there. Thanks for including me :)

Nikki said...

Here are my answers - http://thebaobabtelegraph.blogspot.com/2012/06/tagged-im-it.html

Kate said...

I finally got around to doing my post. It will be up on my blog tomorrow. Thanks for tagging me. :)