Joy and Janet move up to the big leagues --congrats!

Two of my favorite people in the blogosphere are Joy and Janet, whose always hilarious blog Moggit, has been a consistent crowd pleaser for the last couple of years. I'm proud to say I knew them when because they made the US television debut yesterday on the Nate Berkus show.

They've had a video series on HGTV.com since last year and their work for HGTV is well worth seeing. Here's a great example of it.




In the meantime, here's their clip from Nate Berkus yesterday. I have no doubt that Nate's producer's are thrilled with the ratings spike Joy and Janet's appearance brought with them.




Being part of this evolution in mass media is the coolest thing I've ever fell into and one of the best parts of it is watching people I know and care about do well. This is just the beginning for these two and if the production team at the Nate Berkus show has any sense, this won't be their last appearance.

A new social media webinar coming next month

Thanks to the great Leah Thayer from the website Daily5Remodel, I'll be speaking at an hour-long webinar on February 15th at noon. The webinar is called How I Mastered Social Media to Build My Business -- and How You Can Too and it's sponsored by Builder Link in association with Daily5Remodel.

This webinar will cover how I managed to turn this blog and my Twitter presence into set of tools that altered the trajectory of my career and more importantly, how anybody can use these same tools to do anything he or she wants. The session will have a definite skew toward the design and build communities, though anybody's welcome. There's no cost for this webinar and you can register by following this link.

If you've ever wondered what the heck this Twitter thing is all about, now's your chance to hear first hand what it's all about about. Join us on February 15th and don't put it off. Registration's limited and will close automatically when we reach our maximum number. Feel free to drop me a line if you have any questions. And go register now.

Patricia Urquiola's Mandarin Oriental deserves every accolade it gets

The Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group’s first Spanish hotel, The Madarin Oriental Barcelona, just won Interior Design Magazine’s Best Hotel Project for 2010. The Mandarin Oriental Barcelona is an astounding hotel, but its interiors by Spanish-born architect Patricia Urquiola place it into a class all its own. 

Patricia Urquiola is one of Axor's design partners and her award (and this hotel) add to the cachet surrounding the Axor brand of faucets and fixtures.

The hotel is located in the cultural and commercial heart of Barcelona and the building is a converted, former bank headquarters. The city of Barcelona is an architectural feast and wonders linger behind every corner. It’s a city where it’s wise to expect the unexpected. The Mandarin Oriental Barcelona fits the city where it’s located perfectly. Behind the linear, mid-century lines of the facade lives a world of Patricia Urquiola’s imagination. Colors, textures, sight lines and finishes combine to make up something whimsically modern and unique.

Barcelona is a lively, dynamic city and the Mandarin Oriental Barcelona is a perfect fit. Its 144 rooms are some of the largest in the city and their luxurious appointments make this hotel an ideal getaway.

You can read more about Patricia Urquiola's collaboration with Axor on Axor's website.

Go ahead, you know you want to be on Design Star

If you're a man and like to take off your shirt on TV.

If you're a woman who likes to take "artistic" mug shots.

If your qualification to be a designer consists of having once moved your mother's sofa.

If the idea of turning out offenses like this is your idea of a good time.

If having three, angry HGTV-lebrities tearing down your very existence is your idea of fun.

If you can cry on cue and are willing to have every embarrassing moment filmed over a four week period slapped on national (and international) TV.

If after all that and against all common sense, you win because you look "interesting," are you willing to star in a bad HGTV show of your very own? One shown during off, off, off hours and so poorly produced that you'll never be able to work in TV again?

If you can answer yes to all of these questions than you are qualified to apply to be on HGTV's next season of Design Star. Godspeed.

Borano makes mahogany doors and then some

Recently, I've become acquainted with a company with an intriguing business model and some of the most beautiful, handmade, mahogany doors, windows, floors and moldings I've ever seen. The company is called Borano and here's some of their handiwork.

These aren't just any mahogany building products, there's a story behind them that's worth telling. Borano is is a company with a sales and fulfillment presence online and it's through their website that they can sell their exquisite products at the price points they do. Custom doors start at $3000, windows start at $2250, floors start at $7 a square foot and moldings start at $7 a linear foot. Those prices are spectacular for the level of craftsmanship at work here.

Since 2002, a team of carpenters and woodworkers in San Pedro Sula, Honduras has been making these custom pieces by hand from native Honduran mahogany. The mahogany used in Borano products is sustainably harvested and certified as such by the Forest Stewardship Council. For every tree harvested for a Borano door, window, molding or floor another mahogany tree is planted and tended in its place.

Someone who's interested in a Borano door starts on the Borano website. It's on the website that Borano explains their process and the business of custom door production begins. Though the process starts on their website, follow ups from a Borano staffer follow almost immediately. Once designs are finalized and the order's complete, the project then moves to Honduras for production. The order ships directly from the factory to the jobsite once its complete.

The doors particularly need to be seen to be believed. They are made from solid, 2-1/4" thick mahogany and the jambs are 1-3/4" thick. That's a solid construction that's downright rare anymore. The hinges required to support that kind of weight are a work of art in and of themselves. Each hinge is a 4-1/2" x 4-1/2" solid brass piece of functional art. I've held one and they are a marvel.

Borano will be at the International Builders Show in Orlando next week. They're at booth number W5691. If you're heading to Orlando and IBS, be sure to stop by Borano's booth and see their mahogany products in person. People who claim that craftsmanship is dead have never met Borano.