Charish Style Challenge: Balance is Key

Hi friends!  Ever heard of the company Chairish?  They are an online store that sells vintage furniture, decor, jewelry and other accessories.  I came across their website a while back and found myself sucked into the virtual vortex of beautiful objects.  So when they contacted me about participating in their "Style Challenge" I was absolutely up for the game!

I love mixing furnishings of different styles and time periods. And Chairish is the perfect source to create an eclectic curated look.  I put together a style board for a Cool Eclectic Blue Bedroom.  All the items I've selected are from the Chairish website except the Anthropology bedding, and West Elm curtains. The key to combining all the beautiful unique pieces you might find at Chairish is balance...

(1) Corbeille Cane Bed, (2) Labyrinth Embroidered Duvet, (3) Claude Medallion Flocked Curtains, (4) Spanish Revival Gothic Double Pendant, (5) Teal & Green Pottery Vase, (6) Danish Teak Nightstands, (6) Persian Overdyed Rug, (8) Rocking Chaise Lounge, (9) Vintage Blue & White Garden Stool, (10) Brass Giraffes, (11) Vintage French Glass Box, (12) Bamboo Campaign Chest, (13) Gilt Wood Mirror, (14) Regina Andrew Aqua Lamp

This design was inspired by the beautiful blue Persian Overdyed Rug. I just love the texture and intensity of it, while still feeling tranquil and calm.  To tone down and balance the intensity, I brought in some more traditional pieces in lighter colors, like the Corbeille Cane Bed and the Faux Bamboo Campaign Chest.  Next I mixed in a more contemporary mid-century modern Adrian Pearshall Rocking Chaise Lounge.  To balance that out, the Danish Teak Nightstands which would be located across the room are also a mid-century style and have similar wood tone to the rocker's legs. then I found a Spanish Revival Gothic Double Pendant that I absolutely love and had to use. Something about a draping chain pendant gets me every time.  Even though it is a completely different style from anything else, by balancing it with other gold items, like the Gilt Wood Mirror, it doesn't seem out of place. The curve of the top of the mirror even echos the line of the headboard! The remaining accessories carry the colors of the rug throughout the design.

So remember balance and don't be afraid to mix that awesome mid-century chair you found with an ornate table!

A Mid-century Remodel in Aqua

Hi ya'll!  Today I wanted to share with you a project we've been working on at my office.  This awesome mid-century house is currently under construction.  It's getting a brand new open kitchen, a reinvented master bath, and glistening new tile in beachy shades of aqua and white in every bathroom. Here are some of the samples we were considering as it all came together...

The tile, stone slabs, and wood flooring are almost completely installed, so hopefully I'll get to share finished photos with you soon.  But for now, here are some of the drawings I did as well as some photos of the project underway.

Kitchen Elevations and Inspiration Images

New Kitchen Cabinets!

One of the Guest Bathrooms

Tiled wall before grout in the Guest Bath

A Hall Closet gets new built-in cabinetry

Powder Bath gets some pretty aqua tile also!

More to come soon!

The Design Water's Warm

Long time no see blogland.  Lets just jump right back in the water here...

I've been busily working away at a local residential design firm and just a few weeks ago we made a trip to Las Vegas for a plethora of industry events: the Las Vegas Market #LVMKT, the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (KBIS), the NAHB International Builders Show (IBS), and the International Surfaces Event (TISE).  Between all of those events and the rich interiors of Vegas hotels, I've been saturated like a sponge with design ideas and inspiration.  So I thought I'd share a little sprinkle of what I saw with ya'll!

Saw some cool buggie art...

Rad furniture...

And lots of amazing lighting...

LatinoMed Family Medical Clinic Design

Last semester I took Healthcare Design. The project for this class was to design a medical clinic in Columbus, Indiana for one of three cultural communities: Iraqi, Vietnamese, or Latino. My partner and I were assigned the Latino community and after researching the location and population, we decided to incorporate some mid-century design aesthetics inspired by Columbus, Indiana's Miller House, with much more vibrant and colorful design features that would appeal to the Latino community. Simply named, LatinoMed, incorporates linear skylights similar to those in the Miller House, designed by famous mid century designer Eero Saarinen.  And white walls create a neutral backdrop for an interesting mix of patterned textiles inspired by those used in the Miller House as well as an uplifting imagery of Latino families, and iconic Latino artwork to help the target community feel welcome and comfortable.

source

A theme through out our design was the tree of life commonly featured in Mexican and Latino folk art. We repeated this symbol in the Chapel wall's stained glass windows, on a wall mural in the children's play area, and on a fountain as you enter the exam room area, as well as in unique suspended radial wood ceiling systems that resemble a canopy of trees.

Moving back into the exam room area, we again utilized the tree of life theme to create a wayfinding feature along the floor where branch like paths guide the patients to exam rooms.  Nursing stations incorporate interesting reclaimed wood succulent planter boxes for interest and chairs are upholstered in a green material to promote ideas of growth, health, and a sense of calm.

Overall I think we developed a very sucessful design that is warm and inviting for the Latino Community, but still clean and modern and Miller House-inspired.

What do you think?

Back! and time for an Update

Hi blogland! Have you missed me? I've missed you. Life has been in full swing and blogging had to take a backseat for a bit. But I'm back! and have design projects to share and hopefully some DIY projects coming up.  And I do enjoy indulging in and contributing to the inspiration I get from blogland and all over really. So lets get back into it!

First, I wanna share a little life update.  Here's what's been going on in my life since I've been absent:

• My now ex-boyfriend moved out on December 1st. I still love him dearly and we are still friends, but we're at different places in our lives.
• I gained a new awesome roommate! A strong, powerful and fun woman who just went through a double mastectomy and is kicking butt in recovery from it!

• We got a second kitty, Scully, for my roommate.  Between trying to assert their dominance and position as head cat of the household, Duchess and him on are cordial and sometimes even act like they like one another!

• I got a second job as an interior design assistant. I haven't had the opportunity to work for this other firm a whole lot yet because of both their busy schedule as well as my jam packed school schedule, but we'll see how it goes.
• Took two studio classes this past semester, which was TONS of work.  In Healthcare Design class me and a partner designed a medical clinic for the Latino community in Columbus, Indiana. And in Commercial 2, I designed the first two floors of a hotel in Singapore called S Factor, which was chosen for the Hall of Fame.  (More about those projects soon!)

• I've recently been working more for the designer I've been working with for the past 6 months which is great! The firm is Dwellings Design Group.  We only have one project up on Houzz right now, but lots of idea books.
• I'm taking a break from school next semester because the last class that I need for the Associate's Degree isn't offered. That will give me time to determine whether I'm going to fork out more money for the Bachelors Degree, or if its not necessary given my previous degree and portfolio.  It also will give me more time for blogging! Yay!

So those are the big things.  The switch from engineering to interior design has been great, but its still in the works.  I've got to update my portfolio again, talk to more design firms, and hustle up some work. So I'll keep ya'll filled and share my school projects with you as well.

Final Residential Design Boards

Woo Hoo!  The last class of the semester was last Thursday so I'm a free woman now! I absolutely love school, but after obsessing over a project for 12 weeks, I'm exhausted and ready for a break.  Hopefully I'll learn to better balance things when I'm actually working in the field. :/   We'll see.

I spent a week or so before finding the final pillow and drapery trims, working on renderings of each spaces, putting together digital boards, and mounting fabric samples. Last Thursday we had to do our final presentation of our projects, which went really well. We had a really talented class and it was so interesting to see everyone's final product.  

Here are some photos of my labor of love...

And yippy skippy, my project got chosen for the hall of fame! There should be photos up of my boards along with two other projects from my class up on our school's Facebook page at some point.

Residential Design Process Boards

 I've been sharing with you the process of my residential design project for school.  With adjacency matrices and bubble diagrams I nailed down the floor plan; then refined the furniture in the space plan and tweaked other architectural details, sketching along the way to get a better idea of how the space would feel.

A few weeks ago we had to pull together our work thus far on two "process boards."  Not only did these boards show the, you guessed it, process of how the design has come about, but they also give an idea of where we are headed with the design.  It was just fascinating to see all the different designs coming about from modern and mid-century to colorful transitional and art-deco-inspired to traditional (like mine). There are so many talented students in my class! It's really a pleasure learning from them as well as the teachers.

Anyway... here's how mine turned out...

My fictional clients are music mogul and successful business owner Jack Sanborne (the lead character in the movie Something's Gotta Give), his wife Karen, a food writer (the character in the play "Dinner with Friends," their 16-year old daughter Taylor (Swift), and Malcolm the dog.  In order to meet the families needs and desires, I've chosen to go for a classic, refined, and elegant traditional look. Articulated architectural details like wall paneling, archways and parquet floors will set the stage for a collection of french antiques and newer furniture pieces as well as art and accessories from the family's travels.

As you enter, I've created a formal foyer and living room with 20 foot ceilings to add an impressive sense of luxury, since Karen likes to keep up appearances, but an inviting color palette of mostly creams, pale blue, and green will keep the space feeling comfortable and understated.  The living room flows nicely into the dining room, where I plan on doing a lovely muted scenic wallpaper with a pop of red on dining room chairs, which will coordinate with art and some pillows in the living room, to liven up the home.  This space will also be great for the dinner parties the family will host with direct access from the dining to kitchen for ease of use.

Jack was given an office down stairs because he does work from home often. The space will also serve as his "man-cave" with his own TV and masculine stained wood walls, and color palette of brown and deeper blue, his favorite color.  I've also included a murphy-bed in the office to accommodate any overnight guests they might have and provided a shower in the powder bath downstairs for those guests.

As you move to the back of the first floor you enter a more casual space with informal family room adjacent to the open kitchen where the family can relax and watch TV, Karen can cook or do some writing on her laptop in the cozy breakfast nook, and Malcolm can hang out on his dog bed.  And that space opens up to a highly functional patio with a lovely fountain, comfortable seating, a bbq and table for dining outdoors on a lovely summer night.

Next you have the second floor...

The colors upstairs will be an edited version of the palette downstairs with only the soothing light blues and greens and warm wood furniture and floors for a very relaxing environment.

The stairs come up to a landing with a peek-a-boo opening to the living room below and an ample storage closet.  To the left there is a laundry room and to the right, Taylor's room with canopy bed, chaise lounge and a desk for her to do her school work.  She has her own bath and walk-in closet and a lovely view out the floor-to-ceiling windows.  Straight ahead, through the grand double doors is the luxurious master bedroom with TV above a fireplace and a cozy seating area with ottoman. The chairs will be on casters so that Karen can flip around and use the tucked-away desk to do her writing.  I've also given them a large his and hers closet, and lovely master bath with floating mirrors above the sinks, a freestanding tub, bidet and toilet in a private room, and a vanity area for Karen.

Now I'm well on my way to picking materials, furnishings and accessories.  We have to fully design three rooms in the home for our presentation boards so I'm doing the living room, dining room, and master bedroom. But of course, I cant help wanting to do it all and have already picked out fabric for the other rooms as well. But I'll share that with you next time.

Design Sketches

Hope everyone had a happy and fun Halloween!  I spent mine in class in my yellow crayon costume. Fun times! Anyway... I had to present my process boards for my Residential Project and thought I'd share with you guys some of the sketches I've done for my project.

Sketching is an amazing tool to be able to communicate your design ideas to a client.  I also find it really helpful in the design process to get a better idea of what a space plan will look like in 3-D... especially when I want some interesting architectural details goin' on like I do in this project.  If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you've probably already seen these, but I thought I'd share in blogland as well.  Hope you enjoy!

Foyer

Formal Living Room

Master Bedroom

Master Bathroom

And if you haven't already, check out the inspiration photos in my last post or on Pinterest board.

Back to the Grind... the good Grind

I'm happy to say that I'm back to school since the week before last.  I really love it!  I'll get back to "Taking the Plunge" next time with a little info on how I put together my portfolio, but for now, I thought I'd give you a little update of whats up design-wise in my life right now since I've gotten a bit behind.

This quarter I'm taking Residential Design and Business Principles.  So I'll be designing a New York apartment for charismatic music mogul and business owner Harry Sanborne (Jack Nicolson's character from Something's Gotta Give), his food critic wife Karen (from the play Dinner with Friends), and Taylor Swift.  Just turned in my client profiles, design concept and design program last week and am looking forward to designing a comfortable traditional home to add something a bit different to my portfolio.

In the mean time, at Dwellings Design Group, we've been working on a modern remodel overlooking the back bay.

A bathroom and kitchen remodel, as well as redecorating a home with a pottery barn look.

And some other little jobs here and there. So I've got quite the variety of design in my life right now. And I love it!

Taking the Plunge: Revamping the Resume for Interior Design

Sorry I've been off the map for a little while.  I hope everyone had a fun Labor Day weekend. I know I did!  I have since been working out of a hotel room while my apartment is fumigated for termites. Fun fun! Anyway... lets get onto round two of "Taking the Plunge."  

If you're interested in taking the plunge into another career, one of the first things you probably need to update your resume.  Today I'll share with you how I updated my resume to transition from Civil Engineering to Interior Design.  Of course you'll have different experience and objectives, but I figured it might help someone out there to break down what I went into my design resume and what I changed.

• I'll tell you more about my branding in another post, but I basically wanted to create an image for myself and make my resume look good.  I used the same text and arrows that I used for my blog.
• I added an objective that I tailored for the various jobs I was investigating.  In this one, I specifically noted that I want to work at a "high-end residential firm."  For another resume geared toward retail, I emphasized customer service.  This is a simple change to make that can really make your resume and you fit for the position you're looking for. You can even use words from the job description!
• I put my education and design skills at the top. Because I didn't have any design job experience, my design education is the most relevant information for the positions I'm interested in.  I also chose to give descriptions of my school design projects.  If you have relevant design experience you could choose to make two different job sections for "Relevant Experience" and "Other Experience" or something along those lines.  Basically, the idea is to get the stuff that relates to the job you're looking for at the top.
• One mistake I did make was not putting my expected graduation date. I left it off because I wasn't sure if I was going to continue onto the bachelor program or stop at after I get my associates degree.  But most people asked me when I was going to be finished with school, so I just gave them an answer based on finishing the bachelors anyway.  So I should have just put that on there and recommend for your to do so even if you're unsure. Just pick the date you think is most likely.
• Throughout my resume I made the important information, like desirable computer skills and awards, stand out with bold text.  That way at a glance someone should be able to see the stuff that is important to the job and the stuff that makes you stand out as a candidate.
• Add any memberships you have with professional organizations in your industry. It looks good to be involved.
• In the last section of my experience I modified my job descriptions quite a bit to make them more general. Interior designers don't typically know what H2OMap or InfoSWMM are, so instead of listing specific computer programs I used in my engineering job, I more generally wrote "hydraulic models." I also added key words like "problem solving skills" to express the transferable skills that I have gained from my experience. 
• Finally, I added a little pizazz to my resume by adding a border and making some text the same color. As far as I know, this isn't something that's done for an Engineering job and probably many others. But since design is largely about aesthetics, you better have a good lookin' resume if you want it to be your profession.

Hope that helps someone out there!