Bamboo Chic

By Erin Ferucci
Celebrity Lifestyle Designer

Bamboo...
is one of the hottest textiles on the market.It's versatile, renewable, sustainable cost effective and fabulous!

Some of my favorite bamboo products...

Tortoise Finish Bamboo Blinds...

available at Target. They are available in many styles for both indoor and outdoor use.

Organic Bamboo Towels...
available at Bed, Bath and Beyond. These are amazing...so much softer than all cotton. I prefer white, but colors are also available. Who would have thought that something this soft could come from something this beautiful?could become something this soft?

Bamboo Plates...
available at Whole Foods Markets. These are beautiful, perfect for picnics and other casual dining. I love them.

Bamboo...it's good for the Panda and great for the home!

Alice Waters and Sustainable Gardening by Erin Ferucci, Designs 4 Living

By Erin Ferucci

Celebrity Lifestyle Designer

I saw the most amazing episode of Iconoclasts, on The Sundance Channel recently, pairing Alice Waters, and her crusade to teach the world about sustainable organic gardening with Mikhail Baryshnikov and his brilliant creativity and work ethic.

I have been a fan of Alice Waters for a long time, she is the one who is responsible for bringing organic gardening to the White House. I love the idea of Alice Waters and Michelle Obama planting organic heirloom tomatoes at the White House!

As a chef and co-owner of Chez Panisse, Alice Waters has been a champion of eating locally grown produce for years, long before it was fashionable to be a "locavore." But what I really love about her is that she takes her message of growing and eating organic out into the schools and teaches children about the joy of eating really great food. She started a school program called the Edible Schoolyard, where kids actually grow the vegetables and then learn how to prepare them for a sumptuous healthy meal. Go Alice!

Dreaming About Summer in the South of France by Erin Ferucci, Designs 4 Living

By Erin Ferucci

Celebrity Lifestyle Designer

Normally, come summertime, I love to visit all of my best friends that live in Europe.

We meet either in Aix-en-Provence or Antibes (France) We love spending time together doing our favorites things:
browsing in all the antique shops, discovering old villages, drinking rosé in the sun, worrying about what our next meal will be...shopping at the farmer's market, Cooking good dinners and having lots of laughs! Always champagne at sunset!
Maybe a boat trip along the Med sea....sunning, bronzing, laughing, drinking chilled rosé stopping in Monte Carlo or St. Tropez for lunch....

I love summer...

This summer I will be in Los Angeles...by my own sea...making my own gourmet meals,

sipping rosé and...being grateful to be very busy, working!!

The Inspiration of Julia Child by Erin Ferucci, Designs 4 Living

By Erin Ferucci

Celebrity Lifestyle Designer

In case you haven't heard, SONY pictures will be releasing a new movie about Julia Child called Julie & Julia, on August 7th, starring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams. Meryl Streep playing Julia Child, come on, that is delicious!

I'm excited about this movie for many reasons. I am a huge Julia Child fan. I wasn't always such a fan, but in the '90s I treated myself to cooking class with the great woman herself. It was in Santa Barbara at The Biltmore, one of those short intensive, immersion excursions. It was amazing, the food, the conversation and yes I will admit, a bit of wine. It was truly wonderful, and Ms. Child herself was, funny, eccentric and a little wild. I was inspired. It was a pivotal time for me. I was a successful young designer with no other plans, but I had a passion for good food. Working with Julia Child I realized I didn't want to just design interiors, I wanted to help people to design a lifestyle.

Clearly Julia Child has inspired many women. The movie follows one young woman's story (Amy Adams)as she finds her inspiration in Julia Child. From the trailers the movie looks, funny, poignant and inspirational. With Nora Ephron, a funny "foodie" woman, as both writer and director I think we're in for a treat. Julia Child was an amazing woman who broke down countless barriers in the world of fine food and she had a tremendous impact on my life and business. I can't wait to see the movie!

Ann Sacks and No Fear Bathroom Design by Erin Ferucci, Designs 4 Living

By Erin Ferucci

Celebrity Lifestyle Designer

Lately I am knee deep in designing bathrooms! AND I mean knee deep! It's a scary thing to start diving into...I mean, it can be intimidating, even to us designers!
but once you dive into these deep waters...you discover an entire kingdom...sort of like scuba diving! How to trim out your shower?What to put on floor? What to put on walls...what will go in and around the shower...floor trims?? Cabinet details?? Hardware..finishes...matte or polished?So much fun!!!!Just dive in...don't be scared!

So I headed out to Ann Sacks' showroom. This is the place to go when you want bathroom inspiration. The tile there is sick crazy, so don't be surprised if you get a little overwhelmed.

I saw some amazing Robert Kuo tiles...more on those next time. Back to bathrooms!

Patio Gardening and Rhubarb Pie by Erin Ferucci, Designs 4 Living

By Erin Ferucci
Celebrity Lifestyle Designer

O.K...I finally did it!! I planted my patio garden of herbs, succulents, lavender and did I say tomatoes?? Yes, I will accomplish my goals this summer...
Eat sustainably, and in season...(better for your budget)
love thy neighbor,......
be kind to others.....
stay in shape!!!!!
and most of all.....grow your own tomatoes!!!!!
and make a rhubarb pie with lemon mousse!!! Happy Summer everyone!!