Debbe Daley Featured In Forbes Magazine, House Beautiful, and Time

Debbe Daley Recently Participated In House Beautiful, Time Magazine Stamped, and Forbes Magazine Articles

It's been a busy few months! I'm honored to have recently been featured in three national publications - Forbes magazine, Time Magazine Stamped, and House Beautiful. I was asked to offer readers my advice on designing the perfect music room, choosing the most comfortable couch, and one of my favorite topics – finding and repurposing old classic furniture.

Featured in Forbes Magazine, Creating Musical Spaces

I was recently featured in Forbes Magazine! Writer Jamie Gold recently got in touch to speak with me about another love of mine... music! While working on an article about Creating Musical Spaces in the Home, Jamie sought my expert advice. Of course, I was thrilled since I've been a practicing and performing flutist since the fifth grade. My husband is an accomplished multi-instrumentalist, and we recently completed the design and construction of a music room in our Portsmouth, New Hampshire home. This was a topic close to my heart!

As a designer, I've seen an increasing interest in homeowners wanting a dedicated space for listening to music, reading, or just getting away from it all. I've worked with several home theatre companies on various projects to ensure the sound components work with my designs. Most of my clients listen to music on their phones, computers, or TVs, and new whole-house WiFi-based systems have been a growing trend.

As a practicing musician, my husband and I love our ritual of Sunday morning jazz. It's become a part of our social life. We often invite friends to our home to play music with us and watch us perform. Having a dedicated space for creating music was always on our wish list. We recently finished designing and building a dedicated space on the lower level of our home expressly for our musical endeavors.

Jamie asked some questions about the process, for example, creating the infrastructure for a room dedicated to making music. We talked about the importance of controlling sound and soundproofing in a dedicated space, as well as the importance of climate control, both for the comfort of the performers and listeners, but also how regulating the climate is a crucial element when it comes to protecting valuable instruments like pianos, and guitars.

We also discussed the importance of comfortable seating for both performers and listeners. One of my husband's goals for our space was to find the perfect chair for playing his guitars. I already have a chair and vintage music stand that I love. We often invite groups of friends and family to the music room to play and listen. For their comfort, we moved a new sofa and chairs into the space from elsewhere in our home. Other important considerations are lighting and storage. Defining how you'll use the space before you design it is crucial.

And Two Articles About Furniture

Debbe Daley Article in Time Stamped

Along with being featured in Forbes Magazine, I was also interviewed for two other articles this summer. Time Magazine's Stamped got in touch for their article on The Most Comfortable Couches for Every Relaxation Occasion. This is another favorite topic of mine! One of the primary goals of any interior design is comfort, and the perfect couch can be a piece that an entire room can be built around. Nick Leftly got in touch and interviewed me about my feelings and recommendation for the perfect sleep sofa.

Pull-out couches have gotten a bad rap in the past for being uncomfortable. We all remember trying to sleep on a pull-out couch and dealing with that metal bar across our back. Today, most manufacturers have improved their designs to the point where they offer different levels of firmness for the mattress. Based on personal experience, my favorite pull-out sofa from American Leather offers options like a cooling gel or Tempur-Pedic mattress. With a 6.5-foot sleeping area and a five-inch deep, high-density foam mattress. It's not your mother's sleep sofa!

Finally, I was excited to share my love for using found, upscaled, or repurposed items in my designs. House Beautiful contacted me for their article, 9 Items You Should NEVER Pass Up If You See Them On The Street.

Ask any designer, and they will tell you it's always a thrill to find the perfect piece at your local thrift store or flea market. Thrift store gems or flea market finds are a great way to create unique designs that reflect the style of your clients. However, what's even more exciting are street finds!

Debbe Daley Article in House Beautiful

One of the greatest thrills in my life as a designer is finding a discarded treasure on the curb. Free for the taking, with a little elbow grease, these pieces can become treasured elements in any design. A favorite street find is anything wicker or rattan. Nothing gives me more pleasure than finding a piece that, with a little love, can become a treasured addition to my home.

Wicker pieces can give a great sense of texture to a room. Often, all it takes to give a piece a new life is a little glue and a staple gun. Pieces like an antique wicker lift-top sewing stand can be repurposed as an indoor planter. Vintage wicker porch chairs can often be cleaned with a little dish soap and a garden hose. Throw on a new cushion, and you have a stylish piece of vintage furniture!

One of my favorite pieces in my home is a vintage wicker desk I found on the street and restored. It's a favorite place to sit and work on my writing or client's designs.

It's been an exciting summer; from being featured in Forbes magazine to offering tips on the perfect street finds, I love sharing my love for interior design!