One of the things I love about travel is seeing new places, discovering things, and expanding my horizons. Sometimes exponentially. Especially in my backyard.
This summer, I was invited by Emily Williams, my business coach, to be part of her dream photoshoot at the Greenbrier Hotel. I had never heard of it before, so I looked it up. A large resort hotel since 1778, located in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, in Greenbrier county. Hmm...I am typically not a fan of large resorts, preferring instead going to small boutique hotels off the beaten path with local charm. But the beauty -- and that there was something for everyone -- had me say, yes, please, I'll come!
When I arrived, I found the entrance to be expansive and inviting, and the people who greeted me were warm and welcoming. I felt well taken care of up to the minute I left.
What was most compelling was the big, bold, vivid mix of colors and design in the fabrics, wall hangings, floors, and furniture. Mixing and matching. Everywhere. Oh, the florals and chintzes! I was in heaven. As an artist and textile designer with a background in weaving, painting on silk, creating prints for chintzes from nature, silk screening, and printmaking, I realized I had unwittingly arrived at one of the prime destinations for textile designers and decorators.
Walking around inside the lovely shops, I was drawn to the Dorothy Draper Home Store. It seemed sweet and quaint with the kind of gifts I love. I came to learn in a slow unfolding way that Dorothy Draper was the interior designer in her day. She established the first official interior design firm in the US, Dorothy Draper & Company, in 1923. She was hired by Greenbrier initially to redecorate the hotel in 1946 after serving as a surgical and rehabilitation center during World War II. She remained the resort's decorator into the 1960s.
Upon Dorothy Draper's retirement, Carleton Varney took over the Dorothy Draper firm as President and continues as the Greenbrier Designer/Curator. To say he is one of the best-known interior designers in America does not do justice to the depth and breadth of clients and places he has worked with across the globe, the books and articles he has written, and the projects he has created.
I was in awe. My love of colors and fabrics was re-ignited, and I was reminded how they light me up and turn me on. And why I started doing Feng Shui in the first place. For me, each home, each space, for each client is a true work of art. I call space my canvas. One of my greatest joys is using my love of color and textures with balancing the elements of space to align and reflect the personality of the people who live there. By transforming spaces through the tools of Feng Shui, together with my clients, we co-create a space with balance and flow that offers a deep sense of peace and inner well-being for all who enter.
For those interested in learning more about colors and textures with Feng Shui, I partnered with the AstroTwins and Jennifer Newman to offer the Home Reset Feng Shu Decor Guide for those interested in learning about colors and textiles with Feng Shui. This guide will help you apply the basics of Feng Shui to bring health, happiness, and abundance into your life and make it simple for you to design a space that resonates with your natural essence.
The AstroTwins and I also have a guided workshop, Home Reset: Feng Shui Astrology, where you'll learn practical, powerful techniques through a series of co-hosted video lessons. We'll bring balance and bliss back to your home, using Feng Shui and the stars.
Or you can schedule a call, and we can talk about what might work best for you.
Everyday Feng Shui. It's all right here. We can do together what we can not do alone.
Please feel free to share any insights or ideas you may have. I always love hearing from you!
With love and blessings,
Kate
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