Secret Resources: Shirley Parks Design

Sausalito interior designer and blogger Shirley Parks of Shirley Parks Design spilled her design secrets with us recently and, because they are too cool to keep to ourselves, we're spilling them with you. (Look for more here on her blog.)

Shirley Parks, above, with two of her interiors, below

Cabinet hardware from Liz’s Antique Hardware

Parks: "Take a plain cabinet and transform it simply with knobs.  This is one of my most important accessories.  Liz’s selection is mind-blowingly big and fun."

Vintage lamps from C Damien Fox.  
Parks: "These are the ultimate accessory adding shape, color and overall pizzazz to a room.  So old but so new."

 Pollack Fabrics 
 Parks: "They make an ancient or traditional pattern feel so modern while being practical for family life and within the budget."

Jonathan Adler 
Parks: "Fantastically fun pieces that turn 20^th- century trends into classics."

 Artistic Tile
Parks: "These wow tiles make any surface extra special.  I seem to be able to find exactly what I want every time I’m there."

My “Style Assessment” Questions
Parks: "This is what I use to reveal my clients’ true style so they get the pieces that reflect them and not the latest trend."

IKEA

Parks: "I would be working on the floor of my office surrounded by a mess of samples if IKEA didn’t exist."

The Shade Store

Parks: "When custom draperies aren’t in the budget this is my favorite resource for straightforward clean shades and curtains. I call it soft architecture."

Sherwin Williams Paint
Parks: "They have a scrubbable paint that is idea for family areas.  It stands up to all forms of “art” and the mess just gets wiped or scoured off."

Wallpaper

Parks: "This current frontier is so vast and creative it requires conscious restraint.  There are so many cool and gorgeous wall covering lines, but I use Elitis and Philip Jeffries the most."

Venetian Plaster

Parks: "This ancient method of toweling on this plaster/marble-dust/pigment material is as modern as ever.  The end result is a wall that looks like a stone and it can be honed or very polished.  This single material can take on so many different looks it never gets old. I love it for fireplaces, ceilings, accent walls or small rooms."

Built-Ins

Parks: "Whenever it makes sense with the space I add built-ins (and many times it’s furniture that just looks built-in.)  You can’t get enough storage in Marin and it’s also great for enhancing the architecture."

Images courtesy of Shirley Parks Design