I really do like my design clients. They know that they're important to me as people, and that I always "have their backs" in our work together. They trust that my commitment to delivering great design to their homes is unwavering, and they know that I will always work with non-negotiable excellence, service, and professionalism. That said, if we happen to enjoy a laugh or two along the way, I say bring it. So, as a tribute to my clients, I've created the first annual IDH 2011 Funniest Things My Clients Said Awards. I present to you my favorite client quotes for 2011:

• "Is ugly a color?" (This is the email answer that came describing the color of the carpet in the office he needed me to redesign.)

• "I like the chair with the bullets." (The bullets in this case are actually nail head trim, a metal tac strip used as a flourish to accent upholstery. Thanks to that endearing client, I will never again look at nail head trim without thinking of him and his equally endearing wife.

• This one's a story: A new couple and I were at the sometimes-too-warm Philadelphia Marketplace Design Center. It was near closing time and we were at the tail end of one of those very long, very productive days that can make you both tired and a little slap happy. Both husband and wife were testing out every club chair in sight. From one end of the showroom, he sat on a chair and called over to his wife "Hey hon! How do I look in this chair?!?" She looked over at him and called back, "You look hot!" Without missing a beat, he looked at me and said, "We'll take two." Everyone in the showroom laughed. We realized it was the warm, stuffy showroom that inspired his wife's answer, but this terrific guy wisely decided to take it as a compliment.