Lorrie Browne, Guest Blogger

Caption: This room by Emily Bishop is featured in the Fall 2008 Washington Design Center Show House.


Today's article is from our first guest blogger, Lorrie Browne, a licensed Interior Designer and founder of MyDesignSecrets.com. Based in South Florida she established Lorrie Browne Interiors, Inc. in 1996 focusing on high-end properties in new construction, major renovations, grand estate homes, and unique studio apartments. In 2008, My Design Secrets was launched as a new outlet Lorrie could help people discover budget friendly design solutions.

Fall is here and now is the perfect time to start thinking about interior and exterior home decorating projects. Whether you are aiming for a landscape that is the epitome of Autumn or looking for some indoor decorating projects as the weather gets nippy, there are plenty of shows and events to get you motivated and inspired. Here are a few ideas I found for the DC Metro area:

The Maryland Home & Garden Show runs from October 17th-19th in Timonium, Maryland. They are featuring guests from HGTV as well as some great seminars on everything from green building to updating your kitchen. Visit the site for complete details and take advantage of the $2 coupon off regular admission price.

Historic Ellicott City, Inc. Presents Homewood Farm - The 24th Annual 2008 Decorator Show House from September 20th through October 19th, 2008. Centrally located in Howard County, just north of Route 108 and the town of Columbia, this classic brick home is an ideal palette for the area’s best designers, who have been inspired to create tableaus rich in ideas for visitors to adapt to their own homes.

The Washington Design Center’s Fall 2008 Design House – Casa Couture runs from September 26–December 13, 2008
The Fall 2008 Design House, residing within The Washington Design Center, provides lifestyle-conscious consumers an entrée into the world of high-end home décor. The theme, Designers in Vogue, features eight sensational rooms, each inspired by interior design trends from across the globe.

Once you are inspired come visit me at My Design Secrets, the premier Do-It-Yourself interior design Web site, with comprehensive home decorating resources and ideas, expert solutions, and a searchable database of over 500 online retailers.