Disposable Furniture is NOT Sustainable Design.

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auctions, consignment shops, craftsmenship, Design, disposable furniture, furniture, sustainable design

Fortunately the trend towards creating sustainable environments – ones that do the least amount of harm to our planet – is still thriving and gaining momentum. There are numerous new products introduced into the marketplace daily that claim to be safe, non-toxic, and utilizing renewable resources. And that is all well and good! Just make sure you do your research and ensure that the companies’ marketing materials are speaking the truth, not simply making themselves look good for no good reason.

But this blog isn’t about green washing or promoting some new product I may have run across. What I want to talk about is something much more basic. In “The Old Days” when furniture was handcrafted of quality materials by skilled craftsmen, people would save their money to buy one beautiful piece at a time. It would take a young family a number of years to fill their home with furniture worth having. And they would keep that furniture for many, many years, passing it down from one generation to the next.

It certainly seems that those days are over. Stores like IKEA and Rooms To Go (I do hate to pick on them, but they are prime examples) sell essentially disposable furniture that probably won’t last through a young person’s first apartment. And certainly this is not the sort of merchandise that will ever become a family heirloom. It is built as cheaply as possible with the least expensive materials by the lowest paid workers in some third world country who apparently are thrilled to be paid a fraction of the wage that American workers need to survive.

Once the broken-spring sofa (because it certainly wasn’t 8-way-hand-tied) and the glued-together dresser (no, there is no dovetail joinery) have exceeded their short, marginally useful life, where do they wind up? In the landfill, of course. Basically we have used up valuable resources to mass produce stuff (lots of stuff) that will be tossed into our ever-expanding landfills. (Are we truly under the impression that we can do this forever?) All this so that we can have a house full of furniture instantaneous on a shoestring budget. (Yes, we are a society in need of INSTANT gratification, aren’t we?)

But this madness could cease! I suggest we stop buying the garbage these companies are peddling and give some real thought to how we spend our money and our planet’s valuable resources. If you are on a very tight budget (as many people are these days) and you need more furniture than you can afford at the moment, there is still hope for you. A very simple way to have quality furniture in your home is to shop at auctions and consignment shops. You will discover a plethora of truly beautiful, unique pieces that everyone on your block doesn’t already own. These treasures can be yours at a fraction of the price of new furniture of the same craftsmanship and are even substantially less money than the cheap stuff at the discount stores.

If you absolutely must buy new furniture and you are on a tight budget, perhaps it’s time to return to the thinking of our grandparents and buy one quality piece at a time, creating a home to be truly proud of once again.

Interior Design Advice – It’s Not Rocket Science, But Maybe You Can Make Use of It Anyway!

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advice, budget, interior design, saving money and time

• Design your space, but don’t over-design it. Let important elements make an impact without visual clutter detracting from them.

• Important elements take on greater significance in an uncluttered space. Allow for walls with no pictures and empty floor space.

• Let’s analyze how you really use your space before we decide how it should look. Function First.

• Architectural integrity gives your home beauty even when it is empty. Focus on the structure, then address the “things” you will put in it.

• Making the most of what you have sometimes means putting away lots of the things you have.

• If budget is an issue, exhaust all possibilities for ready-made products that will work for you before considering custom. Economies of scale and manufacturing efficiencies  keep costs down.

• Give your space a fresh, new look with a few signature pieces of really cool furniture. A little style goes a long way!

• Make wise decisions during the design process to reduce energy usage, conserve resources – saving money and the planet all at once.

• No matter how spectacular a space looks, if it doesn’t allow you to function comfortably and naturally in it – it’s still poorly designed.

• Interior Design includes the human aspect. Your well-designed home will include precious items given to you by loved ones that perhaps don’t quite belong – from a design stand point. But they certainly do belong anyway.

• Interior Design choices should be sustainable and socially-conscious. Ask the tough questions about the products you buy.

• Design principles are the same for architecture, interiors, landscape and graphics – balance, rhythm, unity, scale/proportion and emphasis/focal point.

• Beautiful Interior Design does not require great sums of money – just an eye towards the elements that will give your space harmony and a sense of style.

• Adding art to your space brings it to LIFE.

• Expand your living space by creating outdoor living areas as well.

• Interior Design for small spaces requires a most careful selection of elements to create harmony. Be very particular with your finishes and furniture.

• Sustainable Interior Design Tip: Buy the best quality you can afford for your finishes and furniture. Low quality, disposable items end up in the landfill far too quickly.

• Draw a furniture plan for your space before making any purchases. You may be surprised by how little – or how much – room you actually have.

• When your furniture budget is low, shop at consignment stores and furniture auctions for great deals on QUALITY furniture. It’s much better than purchasing new, lower quality items. Happy Shopping!

• Design your space to be uniquely your own. Choose individual pieces that truly reflect your tastes and speak to who you really are.

• Designing your home is an on-going process. As you grow and change so will your tastes in architecture and design, including the furniture and art you wish to surround yourself with.

• Renovating or remodeling your space requires great thought and analysis. How will the changes affect the natural day-lighting and flow of your space? Think carefully before you put up or remove walls.

• Interior Design is greater than the sum of its parts. Each properly chosen element combined with all the other elements makes the sum total truly great!

• Interior Design involves an understanding of the space, the architecture, the site and yourself.

Pantone’s Color of the Year – Not So Much MY Color of the Year!

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color of the year, honeysuckle, pantone, pink

Well, here it is Pantone’s Color of the Year – #18-2120 Honeysuckle.

Hmmm…I have to say I was a little disappointed that the hot new color is…pink. I am so NOT a ‘pink person’. Not that I have anything against pink, mind you. And in fact in the early 80′s, I was the proud owner of a pink and blue flamestitch patterned sofa. (That is hard for me to admit. But at the time, it was fashionable – I think.) Bottom line…I rarely use pink in my interior design color schemes.

So what does all this color forecasting mean? I do believe it means that the furnishings, textile and fashion industries will start to use this color (among others that are selected as the ‘colors of the year’) in their new product offerings. And as with other colors that have been selected in the past, some selections will get picked up by the design industry to incorporate into their interiors – and some will not.

I’m thinking, that for myself, ‘#18-2120 Honeysuckle’ will probably not show up very much (if at all) in the interiors that I design. Unless of course, my client is a ‘pink person’. In which case, I can ‘do pink’ all day long. Because it really is ALL ABOUT the client and what their style and taste demand.

Here’s to a Design-Filled 2011!

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attitude, relationships, success

Well, I have to say 2010 turned out to be a most extraordinary year. I worked on some great design projects (the photo above being part of one of them), met some awesome new people, forged great new working relationships and strengthened others. I have no doubt that 2011 will prove to be an even better year.

What do I attribute this success to? I would say that it’s definitely all about ATTITUDE. I wake up each day expecting great things to happen, and then I go out into the world and MAKE those things happen. Good things do not simply fall out of the sky and land in your lap; you must be creative in your thinking, assertive in your actions and confident in your abilities.

Of course the trick too is to recognize something good when you see it. Sometimes an opportunity is disguised as a problem, an obstacle or even a failure. How you handle yourself in these times and how you proceed makes all the difference in the ultimate outcome. I, for one, look to this New Year with promise and hope of great things!

“I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul.” – William Ernest Henley

Happy New Year, dear friends!

Coverings 2010 – What’s New in Tile?

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Coverings Show, finishes and materials, floor tile, metal, mosaic, porcelain

Tile, Tile, Everywhere!
Thank you to Master Tile for sponsoring our trip to Orlando for Coverings 2010. What a great show and what wonderful
hosts you are!

I saw a ton of new tile ideas and thought I would share them with you!. All the usual suspects were there of course: awesome mosaics, stone, glass, metal, porcelains and ceramics from across the globe – Spain, Portugal, China, Italy… Well, you get the picture.

One of the most innovative products at the show was the slim tile that can be laid right on top of existing tile. It’s like tile that’s been on a diet, using about 70% less raw material than traditional tile, yet it’s just as strong and durable. Very Cool!

Design Competition – What a Great Experience!

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design competition, sustainable design, team building

Recently I entered into a design competition for a sustainable hotel suite. What a great experience! I found the competition details just one week before the entries were due and decided, “Yes, this is do-able”. Well, that’s the way I am – a little crazy. At any rate, I roped in two architects, another designer and a design student to help pull it all together. And, WOW, I am so proud of the team! Is it perfect? No, but it looks amazing! And more importantly, perhaps, we all learned alot. About sustainable design. About working on a really tight schedule. About working together with people you’ve never worked with (or even knew) before. Perhaps we will win the competition, perhaps not. Either way, I can’t wait to do it again!

Florence – You’ve Gotta Love It!

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architecture, Design, Florence, Italy, sculpture

Well, I’m at it again. Looking at all the European vacation photos and wishing I was in Florence this summer. If you have never been, let me tell you that it is just one of the nicest cities you can imagine. That is, if you love architecture and history and Spaghetti Bolognese.

In these photos you can discern all the amazing details – details that you find on practically every single structure in this ancient city. What you can’t capture in any image- photographic or painted (even by the Masters) – is the feeling you have when you are there. There is a sense of place, a sense of history, something special that is impossible to put into words.

Go, Go to Florence. At least once in your short life on this planet, go to Florence and feel the MAGIC.

Design is in the Details

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Antoni Gaudi, architecture, Barcelona, Design, details, Spain

Well, here it is the start of summer vacation – for the kids, that is. And I am reminded of last year’s summer vacation when I took my children to Spain. Pamplona for the running of the bulls, Barcelona – (WOW! What an awesome city), Seville, and Madrid. Of course, my very favorite part of European vacations is (as you might well imagine) soaking up all of the architecture. Everywhere you look, there is something incredible to feast your eyes upon.

In this photo (as with the ones in the sidebar), we are looking at Casa Batllo, a most amazing architectural feat in Barcelona by Architect Antoni Gaudi. Talk about DESIGN! Gaudi’s imagination certainly ran wild coming up with this one.

They (whoever the heck “they” are) say that “Design is in the details”. Well then, Casa Bastllo must be the absolute epitome of design because it’s nothing but details.

Bad Design – You Can Hear It a Mile Away!

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acoustical problems, architecture, interior design, poor design, sound problems

I had the pleasure of going to a lovely networking event this evening. Okay, maybe it wasn’t lovely, but it was a nice event – as those things go. Free wine, good food, friendly faces, new contacts. No complaints. Well, except for one.

As I approached the building, I could hear a low roar coming from inside. I thought to myself, “Wow, it’s either really crowded in there, or it was very poorly designed.” (Yes, I actually do have thoughts like that. I’m not exactly sure what that says about me. Uh, let’s not go there right now.)

Anyway, I was right – on both accounts. It was a well attended event with quite a few people. But as I entered the octagonal space – maybe 25 feet in diameter with a 25 foot ceiling, I immediately saw the problem. It had a huge volume of space with hard surfaces everywhere – no carpet, no cushy furniture, no sound absorbing material anywhere.

Aesthetically, it looked perfectly well designed. The travertine flooring, the wood beamed ceiling, the granite bar top, the giant windows – all very attractive. I’m sure that if there hadn’t been any people in there, you wouldn’t even have noticed the architect’s and designer’s mistakes.

But there were people in there – just the way the space was intended to be used. Unfortunately, the design professionals forgot to take all these talking, walking, noisy people into consideration when they chose the design of this space. Hmmmm… pity. It could have been such a lovely place for our networking event.

Design is Everywhere.

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architecture, Design, interior design

Design… it’s everywhere we look. Every building, every sign, every gadget we use. Furniture, walls, floors, ceilings, windows, doors, picture frames, shoes, spoons, toothbrushes. Okay, yes, I’m really starting to name random objects. But you see what I’m getting at, don’t you? Our world is truly designed. Each of these items did not come into existence on its own; someone DESIGNED them. Some designs are better than others. Some more functional. Some more appealing. Let’s start our journey today looking at the design around us. Analyze it, scrutinize it, love it, hate it – just don’t ignore it.