Designer is oasis of decor know-how

Architectural designer Linda Applewhite is a born teacher.

Even to a reporter interviewing her about her second annual Design in the Desert seminar in Santa Fe, she swings into instructor mode, dispensing nuggets of wisdom, starting with where to begin with color.

"It's unconventional, but I start with the floor. What are the colors in your flooring, and what are the colors in the rug you're putting down? Then build up from there," Applewhite said.

"Use toned color, shades that have a little bit of burnt umber or yellow ochre in them. You can get away with a lot more color that way."

She added, "Good design repeats and repeats and repeats. That repetition brings a sense of harmony to the room, and rooms, plural."

She explains using examples from her Casita Alegria, or Little Happy House, the Santa Fe townhouse she remodeled for herself and her husband.

"I researched traditional architectural design in northern New Mexico for a long time. One element that was often present was scallops," she said.

"So I incorporated scallops everywhere. See the scallops on the top of the cupboard. And look, scallops on the nicho. And scallops here, and there ... your eye sees them but it doesn't really register unless I'm pointing them out like this. What does register is that the house has a kind of harmony to it. Unconsciously, the eye recognizes harmony," she said.

On-the-job training

Applewhite is featured on HGTV shows, writes a column for Su Casa magazine and designs homes for clients in California and New Mexico.

And this Dallas native is a self-taught designer.

"I took one class at UC Berkeley and walked out at the first break. The instructor came in that first day and said, 'The majority of your time is going to be spent dealing with shipping and delivery problems,' and I thought, 'I don't want to hear about problems. I want to hear about beauty and creativity and how to use them.' So I walked out," she said.

Applewhite learned her craft on the job.

"I opened a store in the Bay Area selling Southwestern furniture, art and decor accessories. It gave me a chance to come to Santa Fe and Taos every six weeks to buy things," she said.

After she closed the store, she began staging houses that were for sale.

"I began to see what makes a house feel good to people when they walk in. I started getting clients who wanted me to design the decor of their home."

As she did more remodeling jobs, she studied more and more architecture.

"I'm a big believer in respecting the existing architecture," she said. But she stresses that decor is about how a home feels, not how it looks.

Seeking harmony

Applewhite said that when designing rooms, she seeks harmony.

"Harmony is key - design's components are composition, balance, color, texture, light and harmony - and the subjective thing, your individual response and aesthetic sensibility," she said.

Achieving that harmony doesn't have to cost a fortune. While her business, Linda Applewhite and Associates, has designed some expensive homes in California's Bay Area, she said she knows not everybody has money to burn. That's why she started her design seminars. Her second annual "Design in the Desert" will be in Santa Fe Sept. 26-28.

"It's a chance to share what I know in an organized way with people who aren't spending a whole lot of money but who can take away ideas about using color, architecture and other design elements to make their homes more beautiful," she said.

The weekend is filled with art, old adobe houses, New Mexican food, shopping and design, she says. The program includes a private reception Sept. 26 at the Waxlander Gallery in a 150-year-old adobe on Canyon Road.

Before lunch Sept. 27, seminar members will visit the 1930s-era adobe of artist Kirby Kendrick on Garcia Street, which Applewhite helped remodel and redesign. Lunch will be at the Design Center on Cerrillos Road. The rest of the afternoon is open for shopping and sightseeing. The evening will feature a tour of her Casita Alegria with wine and New Mexican cuisine.

Sept. 28 is the classroom seminar at La Posada. People can choose to attend just that day for a lesser cost. Participants will learn about creating rooms with "good bones," Applewhite said.

A New Mexican luncheon buffet will be served, and Sherwin Williams is sending color and paint specialists to discuss how to use the new colors and sponsoring the cocktail reception that evening.

"I think color is healing," Applewhite said. "And I think people like living in warmth. I like to create rooms that glow."