Dan Mitchell | Style.: Designers

Wednesday, 25 May 2011

Thank you Oprah.

So this week marks the end of Oprah's talk show and everywhere you turn people are looking back at some of the shows biggest and best moments. Every entertainment show seems to be showing the same old, same old -

Oprah wheeling out a red wagon filled with fat (I actually remember watching this with my Mom)....

http://www.nydailynews.com

Tom Cruise (we won't even go there....I don't want 'them' to come after me).

You don't need Kitty Kelley's new biography 'Oprah' to brush up on Winfrey's most shocking moments. From her dates with Roger Ebert in the 80's to publicly reprimanding author James Frey for lying in his memoirs, the soon to be ex-Queen of Daytime Talk is an open book.<BR><BR><B>The couch jump heard 'round the world</B><BR><BR>In 2005, the then 42-year-old Tom Cruise had just started dating actress Katie Holmes. By the time he made it to Winfrey's couch in May of that year, he was quite literally ready to burst. After a few questions about his relationship with Holmes, Cruise suddenly jumped up on the couch, wildly shaking his fists like a champion. The shocking act got immediate attention nationwide and even spawned a new term for going overboard, 'jumping the couch.'

http://www.nydailynews.com

That time she made soccer moms everywhere cry when she gave away Pontiacs.

<B>"You get a car! And you get a car! And you get a car!"</B><BR><BR> Those were the magic words for the 276 people in the audience on September 14th, 2004, as Winfrey gave a Pontiac G6 (worth nearly $30,000 a pop) to everyone. She later told USA Today, "I wanted it to be bigger than Santa Clause and not to be an act of a fairy godmother, because that's not who I am. Who I am is a person who understands what it means to give back." Indeed!

http://www.nydailynews.com

And who can forget Oprah's favourite things? (side note....I tried to find the Maya Rudolph SNL parody, but no cigar).

http://images.sodahead.com

All that aside, what in my opinion is the best thing Oprah ever did for us?

http://www.kitchenandresidentialdesign.com

She introduced to us to one Mr. Nate Berkus.

Yup, that's right. After 25 seasons of Oprah, I've come to the conclusion that the best thing to come out of her show is designer Nate Berkus. And while I could go on and on (and possibly on) about how easy on the eyes he is, I'm here to share and discuss his design.

http://covetabledesigns.com

Nate has an awesome sense of style that's classic yet fresh and throws in unexpected elements. I love the sense of formality that's anything but stuffy. Yup, pretty much American classic at its finest. And the best part - Ms. Winfrey has given Nate an awesome platform to showcase his talent. So while she might be saying goodbye to her own program, she's recently helped Nate launch a program of his own.

And while I could ramble on for awhile, I'll cut to the chase. Here are some of my fave Nate designs -

http://www.kerrisdaledesign.com

http://blog.diggerslist.com

http://lovemyearth.blogspot.com

http://www.thekitchendesigner.org

http://www.kerrisdaledesign.com

http://www.wedfully.com

Thank you Ms. Winfrey.

D-

Friday, 15 April 2011

Inspired by...Eddie Ross.

When it comes to the world of design, I find that I'm continuously discovering individuals that have dedicated their lives to creating amazing, yet functional spaces. Obviously there's the names that come to most people's minds - one Martha Stewart for instance. And while I admire her style, there are countless other individuals out there that are forging names for themselves in the industry. They're thinking out of the box and taking design to a whole other level.

One individual that I've come to follow closely over the past year or so is Eddie Ross. He's one of those guys that's capable of throwing together an amazing room scene with pieces that most people wouldn't give a second look. I really admire the way that he and his team think outside of the box...and how with a mix of paint and elbow grease they can great spaces worthy of glossy magazine spreads.

http://www.eddieross.com

Eddie's blog has inspired me to take a second look at pieces that I'd normally pass by. That and he's the reason why I now randomly check out cut glass and old crystal when I'm wandering around. Also, he and his guy are on the top of my mental list of people I want to hit-up a flea market or two with (besides my own guy that is....).

Here are some of my favourite Eddie Ross looks. Classic, but fresh with just the right punch of unexpected!

D-