Winter is often the time when people draw within themselves and withdraw from the world. Using Feng Shui methods to light up and enhance your house can be a terrific way to push away the winter blues and bring fresh energy into your house and life. Here are five things you can easily do yourself.

Feng Shui Tip #1 – Add Warm Colors

Red, yellow and orange are feng shui colors that represent fire, warmth and masculine active energy. You can add pillows, throws and floor rugs to your home to liven up the decor and bring wanted warmth and activity into your home during cold winter months.

To enhance the feng shui energy, choose natural fabrics with natural vegetable dyes. Often, you can find wonderful inexpensive colorful decorator items at thrift stores, international markets and flea markets.

Feng Shui Tip #2 – Add Indoor Plants

Indoor plants are a great way to bring positive feng shui energy into your home. Place them near windows, in hallways and in places where you want to divert difficult energy and improve the flow of a room or space.

Choose plants that are easy to care for and do well indoors. Avoid placing indoor plants near heating vents or fireplace or wood stoves. Also, a mix of large and small plants can add diversity and visual interest to your home.

Feng Shui Tip #3 – Improve Your Lighting

One of the things you can do to improve your feng shui energy during the winter is to install full spectrum light bulbs in your lighting fixtures and lamps. Full spectrum light bulbs have light that is extremely close to natural sunlight and will naturally improve your energy and mood.

Also, open windows and allow light into your house as much as possible. Natural sunlight will enhance and improve positive energy flow through your house during dim winter months.

Feng Shui Tip #4 – Winterize Water Elements

If you have installed a water element or feature in your backyard, perform any needed maintenance to prevent damage from freezing. Water elements, even when they are winterized, are one of the four elements you should integrate into your home and living environment for feng shui balance.

In your home, add a small desk or table fountain to bring the water element inside. Add small plants around it to encourage positive feng shui energy and improve energy flow throughout your house.

Feng Shui Tip #5 – Plant Evergreens

Another thing to add to your home for winter is evergreen plants. Inside your home, plant them in large containers and place them near doorways and in hall entry ways. Outside, plant evergreen trees to encourage positive feng shui energy into your living space and residence.

Winter months can be a great time to redirect energy in your home. Feng shui techniques allow you to encourage positive energy in your living space to promote positive emotions, prosperity and abundance.

Author Bio: Michael Schnippering is the founder of Feng Shui at Work. He is committed to the true art and science of Feng Shui. Over the years his Feng Shui practice has taken him to various parts of the United States, Germany, France, Spain, Colombia and Argentina. If you’d like to learn more about Feng Shui, read Michael’ blog and follow him on Twitter @fengshuiatwork

Hello friends, both old and new!  This is James Swan author and host of the web series Masters of Design. What a joy to be guest blogging for Vicente Wolf and a double joy to share with you my hour long conversation with Vicente from our recent Masters of Design Interview.

“If you hold a cat by the tail you learn things you cannot learn any other way.” Mark Twain. My belief in the power of learning is what prompted me to launch The Masters of Design Web Series. This series of hour long web based conversations with leaders in the worlds of design and decoration offers listeners, around the world, unique insight into the lives and businesses of today’s leading tastemakers. Questions from our listening partners as well as those from our research team form the framework for these lively conversations.  Our invitation for Vicente Wolf to kick off our most recent series was a result of the respect his work and career have generated over the years. His artistry and thoughtful approach to the profession mark him as one from whom there is much to learn and Mr. Wolf does not disappoint. Self-effacing, witty and kind, I think you’ll agree our time with Vicente Wolf, Master of Design, was well spent. 

http://instantteleseminar.com/?eventid=19374861

 The code is: Masters1.1.

Hello lovely Vicente Wolf readers! It’s such a pleasure to be posting here today on a blog that has been quite an inspiration and resource as a young designer and fellow blogger. My name is Cassandra LaValle and I write coco+kelley  - a blog where I post on interiors, fashion and entertaining. A few months back, I began an interview series called Vignette, and was lucky enough to kick things off by having Vicente as my first featured designer. The post was a huge success due to two things – the talent of my writer and interviewer, Annie Lou Berman, and Vicente’s willingness to be candid and thoughtful in his responses to our questions.

Whether you are a designer or a blogger, you have probably been on one side of an interview, and you know how quickly things can go bad, fall flat or be poorly edited. Today, Annie Lou and I wanted to talk a bit about what makes an interview successful and interesting so that both parties get the most out of the experience! 

1. Do your homework. 

Before you sit down to interview someone, it’s important that you research them as much as possible. You would think this would be a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised at how truly unprepared people are! Read past interviews to see what types of questions they’ve already answered (and avoid the ones they’ve answered a million times!). Look at their work – and not just recent work, but the progression of their entire career. Don’t forget to look at interests beyond their professional life as well, so that you can make a connection on a personal level. And most of all, once you take in all this information, be absolutely genuine in how you use it to start a conversation. If you are being interviewed, you should always know the audience you’re speaking to as well so that you can keep the conversation relevant to the readers or viewers. Which leads to tip #2… 

2. Have a conversation. 

Yes, interviewers should always be prepared with a list of questions, but think of all the information you’re missing out on by not having an actual interactive conversation! Instead of shooting off your usual list, pick up the phone or meet your subject in person. They’re much more likely to give you some fantastic stories or tidbits of information. This goes for the person being interviewed as well! As much as you’d like to be prepped for an interview, in order to come off as genuine and thoughtful it pays to be a little unprepared. And if there are questions you don’t want to answer or prefer to go back to, don’t be afraid to speak up and say so! Which of course leads to (the most important) tip #3…

3. Ask original questions. Give original answers. 

When Annie Lou and I sat down to structure the Vignette series, we decided to leave room for an open conversation in the beginning of the piece, and end it with a few consistent questions that people would always enjoy reading. For the first half of the interview, we sit down and think about what it is that sets this person apart from others who are doing the same thing as them and pursue questions in that direction. Annie Lou does an amazing job at letting the conversation flow naturally and letting it go wherever it wants to. We don’t have an ‘agenda’ when it comes to this first part of the interview, and it has led to some fantastic little anecdotes. 

 For the second part we came up with a list of questions that provided useful or ‘behind the scenes’ information for our readers, like, “What was the biggest mistake you’ve ever made on a project?”. And, if you’re the one giving the answers, take your time in responding. I know that I sometimes end up giving quick go-to answers in interviews, and later I realize it comes off as so typical or (gasp!) boring. A successful interview depends on both parties, and by really processing the questions being asked, you’ll be surprised at how much you’re able to connect with readers by providing more interesting examples, stories or insight into your personality and creative process. 

I’ll end by saying this – if you know you’re not the best at interviewing, then do what I did – go out and get someone who is! Annie Lou makes this series that much more successful because this is her passion. And if you’re being interviewed? Just remember that in a very produced world, we are all looking for genuine. Don’t edit yourself too much. We want to know who you really are.

There are 22 carpets that I have kept to myself over the years.  They are all rare, some are priceless, and all of them depict animals.  Although I keep them for my private enjoyment, I think it is time I shared some of them with you.

Let’s start with the most unusual carpet I have ever seen. Its origin is a mystery.  None of the experts, including myself, can explain its colors and design. I will never sell it.  Is it the rarest carpet in the world?  To me, it is.  Because of the animals, the colors, and especially because of the way I found it.

Bermondsey Market, 1988    

“Get your hands off that rug!” 

The old silver dealer glared at me, his thick arm waving me out of his stall.  I had dared to peek underneath his pile of silver to try and glimpse the rug that was protecting it from the rain.

It was about 7:00 a.m. on a rainy Friday morning, in the Bermondsey Market, one of the most famous antique markets in Europe.  I was 20 years old.  My younger brother, Daniel, and I had scoured the market searching for treasure – an unusual rug that someone had just possibly overlooked. We were late.  Bermondsey opens at 4:00 a.m.  All the good deals were gone by 7:00.  Still, I continued to hunt.  Then I spotted the silver vendor in a beat-up stall at the far end of the market.  An old rug was thrown over his candlesticks and tea-trays to protect them from the rain.

“Can I just look at it?” I asked.

“No!  I can’t get my silver wet!”

He was a tough-looking bird, a real Cockney with wiry arms and grizzled grey hair. I tried to separate the layers of carpet so I could get a peek.

“Get away from that rug!  It’s rubbish!”  He glared at me.  I obviously wasn’t a buyer, and I was damaging his merchandise.

“Just let me see it, please,” I said.  I stooped down and fumbled to separate the layers of soaked carpet before he chased me off.

He was coming out of his stall with a raised stick in his hands.  Desperate, I yanked open the sopping layers of carpet and stood staring at the most beautiful designs I had ever seen.  I think I stopped breathing.  I quickly put the rug back.  The dealer calmed down as soon as he saw me back off. 

 “You’re right,” I said.  “It’s nothing special.”   I tried to sound bored.  “How much do you want for it?”

“£180,” he shot back. I was nervous and sweating with excitement.  Suddenly I heard myself say, in a pure Cockney accent, “Come on mate, you gotta be joking.”

We settled on £160. 

Bringing the Rug Home

It wasn’t until after bringing the rug to my father’s warehouse and seeing the impression on my father’s and my grandfather’s faces that I realized what an important piece of art I had found.

My grandfather Rahim established the business over 65 years ago in Iran, in Tehran, specializing in unusual rugs.  My father had continued it and established the business in London after the revolution in 1978.  

They both had extraordinary knowledge, but more importantly, they had a love for rugs.  It was in their veins and blood, as it continues to be in mine.  But being reserved, understated people, they just said, “Yeah, it’s OK.  Just put it in the corner.  You can wash it next week.”

But I had seen the light in their eyes.  I was a little disappointed that they hadn’t made much of my find, but I came to understand that their love and their pride in me was not based on my ability to make money or find a deal.

The Experts were Dumbfounded

I showed the rug to academics in the rug world, but I felt they were dumbfounded.  Through books and museums, I tried to find a similar rug, but I never did.

For a close example, although the rug is century older, see here.. 

Since we really couldn’t track down what it was, my family decided not to market it for sale.  The rug became my personal property once our family was no longer involved in a partnership.  At that point I decided never to sell it.  Sometimes I don’t know if it’s the rug I love as much as the way I bought it.

Crazy, Fantastic Animals

I used to be afraid of animals.  When I lived in Iran we never had domesticated pets  all the animals were wild dogs or cats. So as kids we were always warned to stay away from animals.

With this rug, I got over my animal complex.  I’m making up for lost time.  Now I can’t get enough of them.  All 22 of my rugs have crazy, fantastic animals in them. I personally like the way the animals are shown in rugs as opposed to other art forms.  The animals are not so abstract.  They look more story-book. 

What I love about this rug, is that even though the animals are vicious and violent, and their faces are very angry, I can’t help feeling amused by them.

Because, in a way, the rug doesn’t take itself seriously, and the sense of whimsy is almost hilarious.  Every time I think about the animal faces, it puts a smile on my face.

This rug is an animal kingdom.  There are 24 animals, 18 birds, and 2 butterflies.

The rug is like a trip to the zoo.  Except, while you never quite know if the zoo animals want to come out and say hello, these guys aren’t hiding. They may be playing, they may not, but they are ready to amuse you.

My favorite animal by far is the boar. 

My private name for his is Kchersci – “Fatso” in Farsi.

Most of the animals have purple in them, a highly unusual color, but the boar has more purple than all the others.  Then again, since he’s Kchersci, he’s got more of everything than all the others.

The fact that Kchersci is standing, almost isolated, makes me empathize with him.  Is he lonely? An outcast? An individualist?  I don’t know, but I feel for the position he takes.

I love the color purple.  The boar and all the branches in the rug are purple.  The color has a lot of significance in Kabbala. 

http://www2.kabbalah.com/k/index.php/p=zohar/zohar&vol=26&sec=908  

Purple represents royalty, (it was Cleopatra’s favorite color) and whenever I look at the rug, it gives me the feeling that this was done for royalty.  The color purple also has other significance, it is associated with wealth, spirituality and power.

http://desktoppub.about.com/cs/colorselection/p/purple.htm

The purple branches are very unusual.  I haven’t seen branches of trees that are purple in other rugs.

I love anything that is asymmetrical..

Look at the wild dog.  His body is not all there.  In 20^th century rugs, the creators were so interested in perfection, they would never show half his body, they would think that’s wrong.  Why would this rug showcase a creature whose body is only partially depicted?

All the primitiveness and imperfections of this rug make it perfect for me.

Look at the animal above the wild dog. 

We see half his back with this tail – who is he?  Is he going home, or going away?  Perhaps he had a quarrel with the golden creature below, who may be seeking to bite his tail.  Either way, this again signifies the perfection of imperfection.

Look at the big bird –  a real character and a bit of a philosopher.  He too has purple in him. Is he royal?  I like the fact that is taking advantage of the animal under him and he’s getting a free ride. 

He may even be flapping his wings and crying out, “Come now, go faster!  I’m a busy one, and I have places to go and creatures to see.  Hah!  It’s so difficult getting things to go my way…”

The expression that I get from the animals is that they are all trying to run away from something. 

It’s a chase, and they’re trying to run each other off.  Or at least around the tree.

The only ones that seem to be harmonious are the birds.

Almost all the animals, except Kchersci, are in flight.  (To be fair, Kchersci would need an Albatross’s wings to get off the ground.)

And they look surprised, sometimes I think they are laughing. 

The animals in the rug have such power that they bring to mind one of my favorite movie scenes:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjLCJKoot4U.

The power and movement of the animals add to my love for this rug.

At the bottom left, there are two devil heads coming out of the purple branches.

These make me laugh.  For devils, they certainly are not the most threatening demons that they could be. They even blend in well amongst the other animals.

And the fact that I can’t link the devils to what was behind the imagination of the person who made this rug, makes it all the more exciting and valuable to me.

Marvelous and Strange and Curiously Modern

In certain areas of the rug the designs are all packed together, almost crammed into one another.  As if they were camouflaged. 

Notice that the purple lines are branches, and all the animals are hanging on to these branches.  This is a highly unusual design; I haven’t seen one like it.

And I’ve never seen a geometric flower on a rug of this kind.  However, I’ve seen it in 20^th century decorative art.  The flowers coming out of those branches are hard to identify – even by experts.   Are they daisies?  Lilies?  Long gone flowers, that we perhaps will never know the names of?  I can’t be sure, yet they are wonderfully strange to me.

And what about the person in the rug?

He is almost Cubist.  He looks as if he is hanging onto the tree for dear life.  Perhaps he is saving himself from the animals?  Maybe he was the royal zoo-keeper, and the animals got away from him.  Or perhaps he fancies himself a dancer, leaping into mid-air and then grasping on the tree while he holds his pose.

He certainly seems calm about it.  Or perhaps resigned.  Or perhaps he is meditating, and has reached a level of enlightenment and calm that many of us only dream of one day achieving.

And how curious that the two creatures locked in genteel combat should be the Dragon and the Tiger- modern-day symbols of the rising empires of China and India.  Even curiouser are the curves of their bodies, swirling around so they almost appear to be one entity.

A MYSTERY THAT WILL NEVER BE SOLVED

The whole rug is a mystery that will never be solved.

We have no idea what the artist was thinking of – it is a story that will never be told.

We cannot know for sure – when it was made, or due to its weaving technique, its place of origin.

The fact that I have never seen something like it from this period makes this design even more special to me.

I take it out about once every six months just to look at it.

Not only is it one of the rarest carpets in the world, it was my first “real steal.”

When the family partnership dissolved in 1997, this rug was the catalyst for me to start collecting antique rugs that have funky, fantasy animals in them.

This is the jewel of my collection.

WHAT WE KNOW OF THIS RUG:

A late 17^th - early 18^th century Indian Deccan silk “Fantasy” animal rug.

Warp: cotton, white natural, very fine

Weft: silk, unpiled, with two shoots alternating

Pile silk, original ends

Condition: light wear, wide tear at top

The rugs of the Deccan kingdoms emulated the brilliance of the Mughal court designs, but were also influenced by the close trade links with Persia.  Their revenue exceeded that of all of the Mughal provinces.  The tradition of carpet weaving continued in the Deccan after the Mughal Empire and through the establishment of the Eats India Company.

The animals in the Persianate Fantasy Animal rugs are found in a wide range of classical Persian carpets and art from the Timurid into the Safavid (1501-1722), periods. These animals are also seen in Mughal art from the 16^th and 17^th centuries.  The concept of a wide range of mythological creatures seems decidedly contrary to the “naturalistic” style that came into vogue around 1600, but the animals feature prominently in rugs from the period.

A few quick tips for buying an antique rug:

- Focus on beauty before quality, knot count, condition, and size.  Try to fall in love with a rug.

- Look for a reputable dealer.

- Decide on basic color, style, and region of production preferences, but be prepared for surprises.
- Find an independent appraiser for a second opinion.

- If you are looking for longevity consider neutral allover patterns as they are most in fashion and easier to incorporate in  a wide variety of design schemes and they maintain their value longer.

Hi everyone.  This is Sean Low from The Business of Being Creative. I am really honored to have the opportunity to guest post for Vicente while he is on his annual expedition.

I have known Vicente since 2004 and have worked with him since 2005.  My focus is on helping Vicente grow his brand, specifically in commercial projects and licensing.  I have had the good fortune to be involved in structuring Vicente’s deal to design the Lorien Hotel, 15 Union Square West, The Clubhouse at Liberty National Golf Course and his line of candlesticks and vases with Baccarat to name a few. 

I am a consultant to all creative businesses – designers (interior, event, graphic) to photographers to florists to bakers.  If you create something for a living, you are my client.  My experience with Vicente and other creative business owners have helped me hone what I think are the keys to their success.  They are the 4 P’s:  Passion, Philosophy, Platform and Process.  You will need all of them all the time if you are to succeed long-term in the design business.  Because Vicente is who he is, he makes for a great example of what it takes to make a successful creative business.

Passion is the easiest one.  What gets you out of bed in the morning?  If you are reading this blog, my guess is that you live and breathe design.  To you, the world is all about defining spaces.  Vicente would be the first to tell you that he has no short-term memory (or medium-term for that matter).  I takes him quite a long time to remember anyone’s name, mine included.  Just not the way his brain works.  HOWEVER, if you ask him about ANY design he has done, his memory is encyclopedic.  I have seen him refer to spaces he designed 25 years ago as if he did them yesterday.  But that is not the impressive part.  Vicente can remember where he thought of each design and what his intentions were when he first conceptualized it.  He can then refer that thought into the actual design.  When Vicente talks about design, his eyes widen, his voice deepens and becomes more intense.  You can literally feel his blood pumping.  None of which compares to when you walk through VW Home with him and hear him describe how he came to acquire the pieces during his travels around the globe.  Just how Vicente is wired.  You cannot fake passion and if you do not have it for design, time to look for another line of work.

The Lorien Hotel

Philosophy.  It is not enough to be passionate about design.  You have to stand for something.  What do you want to share with the world?  Vicente is a renaissance man – intrepid world traveler, photographer, designer and collector (he owns Frida Kahlo’s personal photography collection). Vicente believes in timeless design unconstrained by period, culture or any specific style.  Crossing all boundaries to create a modern, relevant statement.  His global point of view translates everywhere in his work.  You might say that Vicente can be considered an icon because he is, well, Vicente and you are not Vicente.  Such a cop out.  Vicente has been iconic from the beginning and has refused to do anything other than be who he is.  Your clients expect passion, but they buy your philosophy.  Vicente knows his work is not for everyone and, not only is that okay, it is welcomed.  Which leads me to platform.

15 Union Square West

Platform.  I love David Lynch’s rant on watching his movies on an IPod or IPhone.  The very clean version: if you watch his movie on that device, you have not seen his movie.  Same goes for your creative business’ platform.  If you are all about the overall design, making your focus on the money you can save your clients is not going to work.  You might be saying, “But I do not do that” and, at the same time, making your “designer discount” front and center when you first talk to a potential client.  Who do you want to share your message with?  Vicente wants clients who can appreciate his approach and thought process.  He has very little patience for those who might say, “I just do not like blue”.  And Vicente’s business model reflects his philosophy – straight percentage (35%), very small design fee (to cover the cost of rendering – Vicente is old school and much prefers hand-drawn to the computer), no hourly fees.  He did not change his model during the recession (or the 3 previous ones he has lived through).  His flexibility comes in the size and scope of projects he is willing to consider when times are tougher.  So long as he has the right clients who understand and appreciate the way he does business, Vicente can work on a $100,000 project as easily as he can a $1,000,000 one.  Tough times are no reason to abandon business integrity, else you might find yourself making movies (permanently?) for the IPod instead of for the IMAX.

Liberty National Golf Course

Process.  Every beautiful statue belongs on a proper pedestal.  Think of your Passion, Philosophy and Platform as the statue, your Process as the pedestal.  How are you going to share your message to the world?  You need a process that will support all that you are about.  From the moment a potential client first contacts you until the project is finished, how does it all work?  What comes next and how do you communicate all of the steps to your client?  Vicente is a great guy, but I would not call him warm and fuzzy.  He is an uber-Capricorn like me (no wonder we get along so well) and is very clear in how he does things.  Once a client has engaged Vicente’s firm, there is an intensive interview to make sure Vicente understands the overall scope of the project, likes/dislikes, etc.  Vicente then prepares an extensive presentation for clients where he describes his vision for the project.  When he presents, clients can take notes (Vicente hands them a pen and notepad), but clients cannot interrupt him.  The way he describes it, you would not ask a chef why they are using a particular ingredient or technique while they are cooking, you would just comment on the finished product.  Process.  Vicente needs to present his entire thought.  He then has a detailed line-item presentation of each element to be included in the design, together with its cost and his fee.  Nothing is left to interpretation.  Oh, and Vicente’s contract is quite specific about how things work.  Vicente is friendly, but he is not his client’s friend in this situation, he is their designer.  Everything in Vicente’s business process makes that abundantly clear. When Vicente completes a project, he does it all at once, asks his clients to leave the space until he can set his work as he envisions it, down to the flowers and candles.  Then the reveal.  Needless to say, it would not work for Vicente to install piecemeal.  So, yes, Vicente’s passion, philosophy and platform are ever present in his business process, down to the flowers on the nightstand.

Vicente's Equator Bowl for Baccarat

Vicente was gifted with being horribly dyslexic.  He did not have the choice to conform and learn how others did.  He had to figure out how he could learn the same thing another way.  Vicente also had to let others do what he could not. It literally makes no sense to Vicente not to do things his own way.  Vicente’s business is simply a reflection of his own intrinsic truth.  This, of course, is the biggest lesson of the 4 P’s – your creative business has to be the best, truest version of you and your art without apology or compromise.

 This past summer, I had the honor of working in Mr. Wolf’s gorgeous New York loft (I know, pinch me!) alongside interiors photographer Debi Treloar to style his inspiring home for my upcoming book, Decorate (http://www.chroniclebooks.com/index/main,book-info/store,books/products_id,9211/title,Decorate/). In addition to sharing parts of his space, he so generously allowed me to interview him and so I am lucky to have some of his words of decorating wisdom in my book in addition to images of his home. Standing on his patio overlooking the city while enjoying lunch, on a beautiful July day, was a real highlight as I look back on 2010. And now a little about me…

Image by Yves Drieghe

For those of you who do not know me, I’m a “professional” blogger which basically means that I write on my blog decor8 (http://decor8blog.com) full-time and earn a living from it along with additional projects that I take on like teaching both online and off, working as an online columnist for Real Simple (http://www.realsimple.com) for nearly three years, and prior to that I was with Domino, HGTV and Cookie magazine producing content for their websites. I was also a Style Editor for the Boston Globe. 

I love what being online and putting myself out there has done for my life, as I wasn’t always Holly of decor8 but was once Holly the Executive Assistant, Holly the Space Manager and Holly the Project Manager when I worked in the corporate world for nearly 10 years. In 2005, I decided to jump tank and headed off into the great big ocean of freelancing – but more than that, I changed my profession entirely, attended design school for a few years, launched decor8 when design blogs were barely on the map, and now I have a pretty good thing going on and I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished in only 5 years. How did all this come about?

Outside of having passion for design and loving what I do, I’m not shy online – I put myself out there and network quite fearlessly – and that is why I think you should be doing the same if you want to spread the news about your work. I keep up with my colleagues, I’ve created a network, and I keep my name out there.

Social networking connects us online and off. You really “get” this when you’re at a party and someone asks if you have a blog, a Twitter account, a Facebook page, if you are on LinkedIn, etc. In fact, I get asked about the social networking tools that I use more than I’m asked for my phone number or personal website! If you aren’t using these tools then you suddenly fall into the dinosaur category and that great person you just met will come and and go quickly because if they don’t have a way to reach you post party, then you will simply be out of sight, out of mind. When you’re not online tweeting and linking up and whatever else, you also give the impression that you are old school (anyone young and hip is out there working their social networking mojo). Who wants to be old and out of style? Not a designer, that’s for sure!

Truth is, if you’re not online using social networking platforms as a tool to reach your colleagues, friends, customers and potential customers then you are definitely out of the loop and potentially losing out on some stellar opportunities. In such a fast-paced and highly competitive industry the movers and shakers are those who are doing just that, moving and shaking, and this means they’re networking or as I like to say, on the Net + Working. They are working the crowds and giving good pose on the virtual red carpet. This stuff matters.

When it comes to networking online, what should you be using? Definitely Facebook (http://www.facebook.com), Twitter (http://www.twitter.com) and LinkedIn (http://www.linkedin.com), but it is also a good idea to have a blog (I use blogger http://www.blogger.com and WordPress http://wordpress.com) – even if you hire someone else to do the work of maintaining them all for you. You can simply tell your PA (personal assistant) what you want the blog post to say, even speak it into a recording device, and let them compose the post for you.

But what if you are far too busy doing actual work to sit down and burn hours on the computer? Well you have a few options, I’ll cover two.

1. If you are a designer and cannot spend huge amounts of time online, no worries — hire someone who can do it for you. Have your PA filter through your tweets and even tweet on your behalf, write and reply to Facebook comments, write your blog posts, read and reply to blog comments, etc. Each morning your PA can pull together a report,  a “must see” list, so that you can review it and respond accordingly.

1. Your next option is to take on the wild world of social networking yourself and carve out time each day to get involved in these online conversations. View it as being just important as your actual work, because networking plays a huge part in promoting your actual work and if you are not promoting it then don’t bother making things because no one will know about it anyway! Even if you jump online for 30-60 minutes a day, you are doing good things for your business. If you have an iPhone, where there is an app for everything, install Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other social networking tools so that you can create a little buzz from the road. If you find yourself waiting for a flight, use that time to jump online and work your magic.

Word of caution: When it comes to networking remember, a little goes a long way. No need to tweet every second of the day. View Twitter as a space for you to share quick, useful information. No one cares that you just ate sushi but if you just ate at the best sushi restaurant ever, then that is worth sharing. If you saw an interesting product, met a talented designer, heard something that inspired you, saw a great film, these things draw your fans closer and bring in new ones since you are providing useful information. When you blog, share from the heart, be honest, and don’t copy what is already out there — be an original. Think of what can add value to this great online conversation versus just throwing stuff out there. Most importantly, at least to me, is to remember that social networking isn’t commercial networking. Most people want to get to know YOU better, especially if they already follow your work. Plus, it can really turn people off if you are simply promoting yourself 24/7. Sure, you can tweet your recent blog posts, but also tweet about the work of others. When it comes to social networking, the keys to success include consistency, authenticity, sharing your work along with the work of others, originality, adding value and being “social” — you’ll need to comment on your favorite blogs, reply to comments left on your blog, etc. Mr. Wolf does this quite well, he has left a few comments on decor8 and that definitely made me value and respect him even more because he took the time out of his busy schedule to stop by and say hello.

A blog, especially for a designer, is an extremely useful platform for sharing your work and other valuable information, obtaining new work, connecting with potential clients and connecting with current clients, friends, colleagues and family members. Don’t sit around stressing over how personal you should get, or how many tips you should share, do what feels comfortable and use some of your favorite bloggers in your field as a guide — if what they do works for them then it could potentially be a good template for you to follow. Learn how to create a LinkedIn profile, try out Twitter and learn how to create a fan page on Facebook if you don’t want to create a personal account, for instance. When it comes to technology, you can bet that most of your colleagues are tweeting, linking in, facebooking (is that a word?) and blogging. If they’re online using these tools then they are reaching out to your potential customers — and you may get left behind.

I’d also like to add that you should include links to the sites that you’re on in your email signature (not all of them, but your blog, twitter and facebook are fine) and yes, you can even put them on your business card. To organize things a bit and to save time, link your accounts by using TweetDeck (http://www.tweetdeck.com), too.

If you are already using these tools, then a big high five to you – you know the value of them and perhaps you can share a comment or two below this post as to how they’ve helped you personally and professionally. This post is more for those who are just jumping in or considering to jump in on the action and hopefully, it encouraged the toe dippers to go for it.

So that’s it, a little advice when it comes to social networking from a girl who has been there, done that, and sees positive results. Are you using any of these tools? Would you like to connect? If so, tell us where we can find you online and talk about some of your experiences in the comments section below.

Thank you Mr. Wolf for having me! Warmly, Holly Becker, decor8.

Last summer I had the chance to sit down with Vicente and shadow him for a day while we shot his feature for the premiere issue of Rue. I was struck by his warmth, humility, subtle sense of humor, and eagerness to share his knowledge with me. (Not to mention the ease with which he carries himself around a photo shoot…that must come from his former days as a model!) But perhaps what stuck with me most of all from that day with Vicente, was the sense that this is a man who has gotten to where he is by listening to his instincts and always staying true to himself. A lesson that we can apply to all aspects of our career, including getting your work published in a magazine, because, after all, editors are always after that story that beams with authenticity and sincerity. 

1. Have an Online Presence: It’s not a requirement to be featured in Rue but it certainly helps. Let’s face it, people who read digital publications are those who are very much with the current times and spend large amounts of time online. It’s where they do their shopping, get their news, find design inspiration, and much more – which also describes the editors of Rue! So, we’re more likely to find you if you have a blog or are an activate participant in the online conversation happening in the design community on Facebook and Twitter. 

2. Pitch a Creative Story Idea: When contacting an editor of a magazine, it helps if you’ve already thought of a story idea to pitch to them, rather than simply submitting images of a project. A beautiful space is wonderful, but we’re also concerned with telling the story behind the home/designer/owner and if you can help paint that picture in our mind, the more likely you’ll stick out amongst other submissions. For example, with Vicente’s feature we decided to create a behind the scenes glimpse inside his everyday life. We’ve all seen Vicente’s beautiful work in various magazines, books, and even TV, so we wanted to give our readers something different and unexpected. Think of ways your story can offer something new and stand out from the rest. 

3. Be Careful Where You Publish Your Pictures: All magazines, digital and print, look for exclusivity when it comes to publishing a story. In short, we want to be the first to share your projects with our readers! So, if you have a project you’d like to submit to a digital magazine, hold off on putting the images on your website, Facebook page, blog, or anywhere else on the web until after you’ve a.) been published or b.) determined to go in a different direction. 

4. Keep In Mind the Aesthetic of the Magazine: At Rue we receive so many great submissions of gorgeous, well-designed spaces. As beautiful as they are, however, if they don’t fit our magazine’s aesthetic we unfortunately can’t move forward with publishing them. When choosing which magazine(s) to submit your projects to, do your research and the find publication that speaks to your design aesthetic. With so many great shelter magazines out there, you’re bound to find the perfect home to showcase your work. 

5. Think About Building Relationships: Be sincere in your outreach to editors. Try first to build a genuine relationship with them as someone who supports their publication, rather than mass mailing your pitches to them. This approach is more likely to naturally develop into a friendship overtime, and when a specific need for a story comes up, you’ll be someone who is top of mind. 

A huge thank you to Vicente for having me on his blog today and being such a generous giver – with his knowledge and inspiration – to the design community! Happy Holidays! 

*Photo Credits: Jamie Beck Photography for Rue Magazine