OmniArte has taken glamorous eclecticism to elegant new heights.  Erinn is featured on the most recent installment of Decorati

and can also be found at OmniArteDesign.com.  Her spaces are so inspirational and really make you realize how warmth and whimsy

can be achieved without sacrificing glamour and sophistication.

Erinn V Dining Room

Erinn manages to effortlessly layer patterns without overwhelming the space.  The patterns

begin to interact as textures would in nature and harmoniously create an elegant eclecticism that

lends livability to her glamorous spaces.  I am in love with the combination of the black,

white, and grey foundation with the pops of yellow, turquoise, and hot pink…..so sexy!

Erinn V Living Room

Here again Erinn plays up subtle textures and patterns creating a natural, cozy environment.  This living room is

bordering on 50′s mod, but Erinn has brought into todays design asthetic with all the right patterns and color combinations.

The natural stone fireplace is updated with a coat of paint that modernized without losing the texture of the stone.  By keeping the

foundation colors neutral, she really allows her accessories and accent colors to speak.  This space is a great example

of how important the right accessories are….just imagine this room without the turquoise pillow and vase with flowers….

it becomes a completely different room with a different mood.  The pops of color really add whimsy and make this space

friendly and livable.

Erinn V Entry

Here again we see the graceful layering of textures.  If you saw the elements individually you might think that

they could never be combined without overwhelming the space.  Erinn really allows each feature to speak by using

neutral colors.  If the mirrors were in a more bold color, they would fight with the patterned wall paper, but because

she does them in classic white, they create a beautiful focal point while simultaneously adding depth to the space.

By staying with the lattice theme, all of the furnishings work together instead of clashing.  Subconsciously your visual

centers accept these patterns because they are complementing one another rather than competing with on another.

Another gorgeous space with warmth and whimsy….the perfect first impression for and entry way or foyer.

Erinn V Bathroom

I am a huge fan of re-finished Victorian mirrors in bathrooms (or any place in the home for that matter!)  in lieu of

traditional medicine cabinets. The geometric tile and vanity are the perfect juxtaposition to the organic shapes of the mirror

and wall paper.

For more about Erinn V, check out her website OmniArteDesign.com….or you can see her on the design blog, Decorati.

As 2009 winds down human nature dictates that we both examine the past year and speculate about the next.  I look forward to 2010 after a roller coaster 2009.

Let’s look back…….

January 1st, 2009, I land at La Guardia amidst the coldest winter in decades….Happy New Year!  I was so excited to start my new life in the Big Apple, and could never have predicted how far I would come in the next twelve short months.

By February 1st I was feverishly distributing resumes to any and all who would accept, and to some who probably wouldn’t have if I had given them a choice!

With the high of college graduation still firmly gripping my optimism meter, I had pie in the sky hopes that the most sophisticated design firm in the city

would snatch me right up and pay me top dollar to grace them with my presence.  I would like to blame the economy for this particular dream not coming true,

but I don’t think that would be fair.  While yes, I know I am talented, the interior design world is all about two things, your body of work, and who you know.

I had zero experience and had never met any of the other 8 million New Yorker’s, who daily proved to me that they had it all figured out as they strutted

past my living room window, focused and productive.   The rest of February was spent hibernating, afternoons spent in denial about the frigidity, both real

and imagined, that lurked just beyond the thin glass of our Queens windows.

At the end of February, after weeks of discouraging job hunting, an angel from the city called to say that I could come intern at the luxury showroom

where she managed.  While this wasn’t a paying gig, my prayers had been answered!  For a moment I lived the dream….I was one of the millions who

silently rode the early train into the city, I walked importantly the few blocks from the 33rd and Park station to the New York Design Center, and I

greeted the doormen with quiet, confident smiles.  I had made it!!!  If only in my own eyes.

March, April, and most of May were consumed, Monday through Friday at the showroom.  I learned VALUABLE lessons there, although very few

that actually applied to interior design.  The highlight however of my internship in the city was meeting my design partner.  From day one there was a

natural grace to our interactions.  She got me, and I got her.  We shared thoughts and dreams and she inspired me to think bigger everyday.  So when she

came to me asking for my help with some residential projects she was working on, I jumped at the opportunity!  What began slowly, quickly became my focus

over the next 6-8 months…..more about that later.

At the end of May, I was able to go home to the desert to witness my brother graduate from highschool and to meet my best friends new baby, Kai Daniel.

Both were glorious events and it was replenishing to be home amongst those who love me the most.  I also got the see family from Nebraska whom I hadn’t seen

in years.  Lucy, my  cat took the flight home with me and was an absolute trooper throughout the whole 9 hour ordeal.  She never made a peep and kept her little legs

crossed the whole way!  I never loved her more than that day for being such an angel on those planes.

Upon returning to NY, June 1st, I dove in head first on the residential design projects with my design partner.  She was working on a two living room decorating project

in New Jersey and a bathroom renovation in Manhattan.  More of my dreams coming true!  I was really working on an interior design project!  It was just the two of us!

No teachers over seeing the mission, for better or worse, we were the captains of the ship and all decisions, important or not were ours!  It was exhilarating!  She and I got

along famously and complimented each other in magical ways.

My first summer in Queens was consumed with these two projects.  Some days I could work twelve hours without thinking about it….I was sooo inspired and motivated!

I was also very grateful to my partner for allowing me into this process with her.  She never tried to be my boss or dictate my assignments.  I have to say from the

very beginning our relationship was respectfully diplomatic and agreeable.

As the summer wound down and the bathroom project neared completion we began the next phase of the Manhattan project which was the rest of the house

(minus the bedroom) and the garden terrace.  After presenting our design plans for the next phase, more dreams come true as the client loves my ideas.

Yes!!!!!  I have achieved a huge mile stone in creating this elaborate design plan, getting through the three-hour presentation and in the end, the client loves it.

There is nothing more satisfying as a designer!  And to her credit, I could not have done it without my partner.

Autumn was quickly upon me and I was blown away by the colors of an east coast fall.  My life was coming together in all ways except one, financially.  After a family

filled road trip in October that took me from AZ to NM to NE and back to AZ again, we made the choice to move to Connecticut which put the boyfriend closer to the work

that put food on our table and me still an east train ride into the city.

November 1st, I have fallen instantly in love with our new little city.  The first couple of weeks I spend nesting and getting things unpacked (although boyfriend would beg

to differ as there are still boxes about….what boyfriend fails to recognize is the lack of furniture with which to store belongings in said boxes).  All joking aside though,

I did get us set up with one grand trip to IKEA and hours of assembling the separate furniture components.

A few weeks into November Thanksgiving was approaching and it was time to swallow my designer’s ego and get a job, any job!  I spent a day wandering on foot through

the nightlife region of my small town looking for any and all paying opportunities.  I dropped off a few resumes but was only really hoping for one call back…..and I got it!

Though not the dream job, it is still inspiring and is also allowing me to be more independent.  I wish I could say that the aforementioned sophisticated, New York City

design firm had finally decided to snatch me up, but alas, I am working retail…..

And with that we are back to the beginning.  I am here on my IKEA sofa typing these words.  Christmas is around the corner, it will be the first that I have ever not gone

home, be it to my mine or the boyfriend’s family.  It’s slightly freeing to “just say no” to all x-mas invitations and focus on the new job and the man who makes me happy

everyday, the one who loves me the most, the boyfriend.  2009 has been swell now that I look back on it.  It was a year of development for me, and I have set myself up

for success in the new year.  I am proud of my accomplishments and the designer I am becoming.

What’s up, 2010?  Can’t wait!!!