Erica Swanson – Erica Swanson Design

Author Archives: Erica Swanson

Rock Your Rental ~ The Uphill Climb

February 28, 2012 – 1:00 am

Super important: subscribers won’t be able to see the video through email… please click the title. I promise… there are sexy auditory goodies involved. Oh, the uphill climb. That “ugh” when you open the door. The overwhelming urge to just ignore everything and eat Chinese takeout while staring at the television and wondering why your [...]

Posted in I See Music, Inspiration, Super Cool Giveaway | Comments (0)

Rock Your Rental ~ From Frustration to Inspiration

February 7, 2012 – 1:00 am

In our last Rock Your Rental post, we met Mr. & Mrs. B, or rather, we met Mr. & Mrs. B’s sad sack of a bedroom.* *I’ve been granted permission to use this particular expression since their own description of the space was a little more, um, colourful. If you’re new here, I created the [...]

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Rental Purgatory, You Say?

June 10, 2011 – 1:00 am

{If you’re reading this via email, click the title to view the gallery. It’ll make so much more sense that way. Promise!} THANK YOU to all of you who entered the Rock Your Rental contest. Choosing a winner wasn’t easy, and while I’ve personally thanked each and every one of you, I’d like to thank [...]

Posted in Creativity, I See Music, Inspiration, Super Cool Giveaway | Comments (4)

Are You Ready? I’m About to Rock Your Rental

April 12, 2011 – 1:00 am

My first house was a kaleidescope of cows and bubblegum pink walls, burnt orange-coloured carpets with black and peach wallpaper, mint coloured balloon shades, and a forest green basement with a cheap wood bar. Yeah, baby. It was sort of the visual equivalent of this: It even had one of these: Side note: I was [...]

Posted in Super Cool Giveaway | Comments (6)

Holla. A Little on the Madness that was March. Er, Winter.

April 6, 2011 – 1:00 am

{If you’re reading this via email and can’t see the graphics, well, click that title and mosey on over!} Ah, moving. Something about a change of scenery, learning new light patterns and determining new routines and hidey spots for all the little goodies is exhilarating. Exhausting, but exhilarating. I have a feeling you’re going to [...]

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‘Decorating’ & Unraveling the Cringe Factor

February 1, 2011 – 1:00 am

I’ve been hitting up against the heavy “shoulds”, “coulds”, and “supposed to’s” as of late. I don’t like those. They leave me feeling… exhausted. I SHOULD be writing about interior design. I COULD be posting all kinds of pretty pictures. I’m SUPPOSED TO be interested in the ever-expanding line-up of this month’s latest and greatest. [...]

Posted in Opinions | Comments (12)

The Dichotomy of Design

November 22, 2010 – 2:51 pm

Design is a fickle bitch. Always beckoning with the more more more while you’re bursting at the seams and aching for a little letting go go go. The bombardment is intense ~ always something new, something prettier, something shinier, something a little more than what you’ve got. And just when you’re feeling like stripping on [...]

Posted in Opinions | Comments (3)

Jack Move

September 30, 2010 – 1:00 am

Like an old-school zine. (But smarter. And sexier.) Freshly launched. At the helm, the inimitable Emma Alvarez Gibson. Inside, “a swarm of mad geniuses”. If you’re looking for culture and vision, look no further. I had the distinct pleasure of being invited to contribute to the inaugural issue of Jack Move Magazine. Featuring a special [...]

Posted in Portfolio | Comments (0)

Style vs. Substance

September 16, 2010 – 1:00 am

We seem to presume that one means the exclusion of the other…

Posted in Creativity, Inspiration | Comments (0)

I See Music – Kashmir

August 20, 2010 – 1:00 am

{If you’re reading this via email, click the title to watch the video.} As a singer and interior designer, music fuels my work. I don’t – can’t – won’t – design anything without music. I need a playlist. A theme song. An anthem. I need to feel the rhythms that supercharge your senses, and translate [...]

Posted in Creativity, I See Music | Comments (2)

Design and the “You Hired What?!” Syndrome

August 6, 2010 – 1:00 am

Yeah, I know. We’re a scary bunch. Bossy, opinionated, a little too loose with the purse strings. And really, everything’s just fine. Just fiiiiiiiine, thankyouverymuch. A designer?! Bahhhh! Who the hell needs one of those?! “I’m not Momma Moneybags.” “My wife takes care of that stuff. I just make sure I pick up my socks.” [...]

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Midnight Affair

July 27, 2010 – 1:00 am

So I came across this: And it seduced me into doing this: What seduces you?

Posted in Inspiration, Portfolio | Comments (3)

So. What’s Your Art?

July 19, 2010 – 1:00 am

{If you’re reading this via email, click the title to watch the video.} Here’s what I know: What you do, every day, becomes part of who you are. Scraping pennies or rolling naked in your dough, you’re trading your brain power, your creativity and your most valuable asset – your time – for your daily [...]