Attendee Profile: Melanie Royals of Design Amour
Melanie Royals
I began my blog wa-a-a-ay back in 2006. That’s like 56 years in blog years, I think. I was completely turned on to design blogs after reading a little feature on the blog phenomenon in Newsweek magazine that included a mention of Design Sponge. Who knew there was a whole sub-category of blogs focused on design?? I previously had thought blogs were simply a tool used by political rabble-rousers. As soon as I got to a computer I checked it out and got happily lost in the design blogosphere for hours on end!
I was inspired to create my own blog Design Amour-A Diary of My Affairs with Design and Decoration, to chronicle my own decorative painting businesses, studio projects, and to hopefully educate and inspire others to incorporate stenciling and decorative painting into interior design. I firmly believe that exuberant colors and patterns on walls, furniture, floors, and ceilings have at least “some” place in every house in the world!
Having a blog as a way to communicate about my work with people from all over the world has created some amazing opportunities for me. About 3 years ago I connected with Maryam Montague, who has the Moroccan lifestyle/design blog My Marrakesh after she commented on my beautiful blog design. That led to further conversation that resulted in me being blessed to take 3 different groups of decorative painters (so far) to Marrakesh to work (and play) at creating design additions to her boutique hotel, Peacock Pavilions. Our work has included painting murals and stenciling patterned floors, wall, stair risers, ceilings, and even a dining tent! I say “so far” because we are planning yet another adventure for this October!
Even though I’ve had a blog for quite some time now, I definitely feel that I am not yet the blogger I was meant to be! I am looking forward to the Design Bloggers Conference to give me that little extra “push” to make a commitment to post more regularly and not get bogged down in the angst of writing “well enough”. Plus, I am fully expecting to pick up many nuggets of information and inspiration that I didn’t know how much I needed to know! I also relish the thought of immersing myself in design talk with fellow junkies, schmoozing and absorbing the amazing energy that I think will be pulsating at this event!