Sitcoms frustrate me with their goofy depictions of Dads pining for talking Bass plaques and basements complete with fuzzy rugs and ragged recliners.  What woman wants to live under those conditions?  Well, there is a way to give the man in your life a great home-related gift, without spoiling your carefully crafted decor! 

Women and men definitely have different priorities when it comes to home design, but that doesn’t mean you cannot wend your way to a cozy compromise.   When I work with my clients, I often find that it’s merely one or two items that are the key to a man’s heart.  They realize that decorating the house is a top priority to their lovely ladies, so most times they don’t say much and happily go with the flow.  But in the name of Father’s Day, I would like to introduce you to some ideas that will let Dad know he is top notch and that his personal preferences are a priority in your home.

The New York Times store has an exquisite collection of photography with a wide variety that is sure to tap into Dad’s interests.  From iconic sports and history figures to landmarks and science, they have it all.  The photos are available with or without a broad selections of mats and frames.  In particular, the sports photos capture remarkable moments that are full of emotion and detail.

The recliner.  A long debated and often rejected piece of furniture.  Men want them, women hate them.  But there is hope on the horizon.  Many companies are making recliners that meld the style and comfort that you are both looking for.  Being a designer, I cannot help but choose a timeless classic and a stylish runner-up.

Slam Dunk.  Cut him a little slack by the pool.  Stop fooling around with those dinky pool toys that are demolished in one afternoon (while you coyly smile). Step up to the plate and buy him a real toy that will foster poolside fun and a little exercise (with bragging rights later). 

Disclaimer:  I know we have a great group of design conscious men out there who put great effort into the decoration of their homes.  They can ignore this post and go directly to My Secret Database to find what they need!

Happy Father’s Day to all you great Dad’s out there; especially mine!

Are you ready to unleash your creativity?  I know, I know…your half-finished scrapbook sits up on the shelf and somehow that inanimate object has the ability to make you feel guilty.  Well, worry no more.  I have an easy project for you that makes the most of family photos by transforming them into clever artwork to hang on your walls.  The fantastic and fool-proof website, Picnik, will guide you through the process step-by-step.  Actually, it’s so much fun that I bet you will spend a lot more time than you need to! 

Go to www.picnik.com and easily upload your photo.  You then can Edit the photo by cropping, rotating or removing red-eye.  Now comes the fun part: Create.  Here you can apply any number of effects to make-over your photo. I chose a photo of my dog, Emma, and applied some technicolor.  You could also go with a simple black and white or sepia tone for an old-fashioned or “gallery” look.

At the end of the process you can save your photo to work on later, print it, email it or make a slide show.  It’s fun to apply different effects or colors to the same photo.  Or if you have several photos, it would be nice to apply the same effect to three different photos and hang them up in a group.  By using the same style, it will unify them.

To finish off these photos I would recommend a simple black frame with a large white mat that you can pick up from several vendors in My Secret Database.  Your friends will be impressed, your photos will come out of the box and your walls will be fashionably decorated.  Who could ask for anything else?