Friday, January 23, 2009

Dream Catchers: Layla Palmer


By Amy Platon

Do you believe in unicorns? No? I don’t either. But now I think I could probably be talked into it…if the story was really convincing. I would probably also require some sort of proof. Yup. I could probably be talked into believing in unicorns.

Well, I have someone to introduce. Her name is Layla Palmer. Have you heard of her? If not, then swing on by her blog. She started it in May last year and has gained quite a following. She launched it to document the renovation of her little cottage. She thought she’d use it as a cyber photo album. She also thought she’d share her design ideas with others who might need a little inspiration in redecorating their own homes. Turns out there are about 700 "others" and countless more who are being inspired daily by Layla’s design ideas.

She hasn’t always been a designer. When she was a kid she had a super ornate canopy bed with french blue floral bedding, ruffles and all. (Although in the 80’s that was probably perfectly acceptable for a young girl’s bedroom). Today though, she says bedrooms are her favorite room to design. And believe me, they are a complete design departure from what she once called home.

Bedrooms are probably her thing, because she has spent a lot of time in them. Layla has a condition called Palindromic Rheumatism. For months at a time, all of her joints fill with fluid to excruciating levels. Leaving her debilitated to the point that she can barely walk, open her mouth, turn her head, or lift her arms. But through it all, Layla’s unicorn stood in the distance of her mind.

And her bedroom today… well, pretty bare. She calls it irony, but I call it celebrating. Since her flair-ups have slacked off quite a bit, she is spending less time in her bedroom. I don’t blame her; I wouldn’t be in a rush to design it either.

About four months before she started her blog, Layla decided that she was tired of working outside her dream path. She wrote down her goals on specific terms. And now, a year later, she is not only a successful interior designer with a popular blog, but reaching even higher. She wants to be the next Design Star for HGTV. And I, for one, believe she will do it.

For Layla, her unicorn was this dream that she would be a designer. Her really-convincing-story is that she is pain free right now, today. Her proof is her gradual success.

Unicorns? Ok, yeah. I guess I’ve got one to go feed.

See the Kitchen Redesign Layla did for me.

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