Design Works International

Trend Shopping in Shanghai 

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Someone has to do it….so why not me?

Often I am asked why I love what I do everyday for a living and as the old saying goes…”Find a job you love and you”ll never work a day in your life”….25 years in my design studio in NYC with some of the most talented and dedicated designers, amazing clients and friends, my husband Neil as my business and life partner and two kids that are well on their way to creating their own path in life…sounds easy right…nope lots of hard work, dedication, long days and nights in the studio, PTA meetings and more! 

My point…it takes time to build ones career and good things are worth the wait. This is my mantra during the many interviews I conduct in my studio because I feel it so important today to be realistic about ones professional path. It took years of hard work to build our business and today we are humbled to still be in business in one of the greatest cities in the world!

So trend shopping in Shanghai…..why not, after all “Find a job that you love and you”ll never work a day in your life”!



Photo by @nancy_fire

Watercolor Wednesday

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Trending at my NYC based studio, Design Works International these days is the return of watercolor and original techniques that relate to a more artsy style and sensibility!

Exciting to see the return of dimension in design by creating imperfect layers of color…we love that “imperfect is the new perfect”! 

Knowing that blues are trending again in home lifestyle products we felt that this nice touch of warm rust complimented our original tile design.



       Image from our Design Works International Home Collection NYC. All rights reserved. 

     Tile…Texture…Turquoise

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          Photo credit @nancy_fire

Tile: Just love this multi-color herringbone tile floor from The Bon Marche in Paris. Nice alternative to just a black and white floor!

Texture: Perfect update to tones of neutrals when it comes to different wood and wood textures…dyed wood accent colors like this turquoise, indigo and marsala.

Turquoise: With the return of the blues (did they ever leave) Turquoise seems to be the universal tone of the season mixing well with Indigo on the cool side and its compliment Orange on the warm side.

Inside Out

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Inspiring to see a shift in trends where color can be used in a non-conventional way…from the inside out. 

For many of us dinnerware and tabletop products have been white on white for years so it’s refreshing to see these serving bowls that I spotted in Paris at The Bon Marche last month…updated with a colorful surprise!



           Photo Credit @nancy_fire

Repetition NYC

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Repetition in NYC could mean many things especially after living here for 30 years…as a designer it’s all about  color, creativity and of course chaos, the positive kind!

Finding historic repetition like the detailing in these landmark handrail medallions in mixed metals just made my day! In NYC it’s all about appreciating “the history” that is captured by these everlasting signs of creativity!

I❤️NY!

Photo credit @ nancy_fire

Happy Monday!

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Had to share our “Sunrise over the City”! Beautiful morning of warm tones framing the skyline and Central Park! Looks magical and surreal…what a great way to start the day! Enjoy.



              Photo by @nancy_fire

Pillow Power…Lives On!

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An inexpensive yet effective way to refresh any room in your home is to change up your dec pillows…with so many affordable and fun choices today it’s easy to update your style sensibility without making a huge investment.

With the resurgence of embroidery and many handmade techniques this season, dec pillows provide another way to layer in texture and dimension in any room.