I am a real estate junky!  When I travel to a new place, whether it be for work or for pleasure, my favorite activity is driving or walking  around and looking at the homes.  I love how the different environments impact the architecture.  And how local culture contributes to the exterior  aesthetic of the houses.

Two weeks ago I spent a few days with a friend in Isle of Palms, SC.  Not only did we spend hours at the beach enjoying the sun and surf, but my friend indulged my addiction and drove me around to a different area each day so that I could scope out the local architecture.  Here are some of my favorites from that trip.

 Love the pink!

 This was one of my favorites between the black shutters, the trellis-patterned balcony above the front door and the curved staircase.

Love the way the palm trees shield this beauty from on-lookers (myself included)!

Had such a hard time getting a decent picture of this house, and my photo does not do it justice!

The double-curved staircases up to the main door, and the beautiful curved balcony above are perfect!

This was my very favorite one, and my photos barely depict the black shutters against the pale pink siding, or the black porch swing tucked off to the side of the porch.  I may just have to visit this one again next summer!

Now if I could only get inside to see how these are decorated…

I’m very excited to announce that my new HGTV show — Real Designing Women — is debuting on June 1st at 4 PM on HGTV Canada (please forward this to your Canadian friends and ask them to tune in!)

I am one of four designers, along with Lori Dennis, Nina Freudenberger, and Dee Dee Taylor Eustace, starring in this brand new show about what it’s really like to be an interior designer. It’s not going to be the usual “makeover” show, and here’s why: while those shows are fun, you and I both know they’re just not realistic. I can’t truly decorate your living room for $1,000, nor can I design your entire home in a day! And unfortunately, you can’t really “do-it-yourself” either!

To get polished results under budget, you need a designer, and Real Designing Women will show you why — with the type of real-life drama that you just can’t make up!  The show will explore the ways we help our clients navigate from an empty room to a fully decorated space, how we tackle the problems that arise on job sites (more often than we would like!), how we negotiate with vendors, and how we make it all come together in the end. So please let your Canadian friends know, and please be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter too!

Real Designing Women airing on HGTV Canada June 1.