The biggest thing I learned in Portfolio Development and Marketing class was how to use other’s comments, criticism and feedback to better my own work. I appreciated the group evaluations and feel like my work improved because of them.
I also used new tools in PowerPoint that I hadn’t used before. The Remove Background tool was probably the biggest help to me and allowed me to overlap pictures without the dreaded white box background. I also played around a lot with the Recolor and Corrections tools to improve the images I used.
I am very happy with my overall portfolio but also know I would like to add computer renderings to it eventually. I know that I will keep learning and improving in order to make that happen!
The Arts and Crafts style took hold around the turn of the 20th century in opposition to the stringent Victorian era. The traditional craftsmanship focuses on natural elements and materials. William Morris and Gustav Stickley were two designers that led the craftsman movement, as well as architect Frank Lloyd Wright.
Wood is probably the most apparent feature of an Arts and Crafts interior. There is often an abundance of wood trim, paneling, and handiwork. The wood is usually oak, but can be other species as well, and is stained and not painted to show the natural beauty of the grain.
The colors of the Arts and Crafts palette are colors from nature. They are subtle and earthy, and often muted browns, greens, and dusty blues. They are not limited to these colors though – just look out your window to find others!
Arts and Crafts furniture is most often straight, sturdy, and focused on form. Furniture used to all be handmade (and some is still today) with extreme attention to detail and predominantly wood. Today’s Arts and Crafts interiors use simple upholstery in cotton, leather or linen.
Accessories aren’t used abundantly in Arts and Crafts. Lighting tends to be the focal point in accessorizing and is most often mica or Tiffany lamps and fixtures, although any lighting that has clean lines and is geometric will fit with the style.
The Arts and Crafts style is easy to recognize once you know what to look for: interiors that are wood heavy and without ornamentation. Keep your eyes open and you’ll start to see the style everywhere.
I love most aspects of interior design, but my most very favorite is space planning. In everyday terms space planning is how to best use a space for its purpose. But what is space? Space refers to the actual room or building that is to be designed. The space is impacted by wall, ceilings, and flooring. It is this blank canvas that is used by a designer in space planning.
Let’s first define positive and negative space. What do you see in the image below?
Positive space is the area of interest or focus in a work of art; or in interior design, it is the area of focus in a room. Negative space is area around the areas of focus. If you are seeing faces, then you are seeing the black areas as the positive space, and the white area as negative space. If you see a vase, the white area is positive while the black area is negative. This important balance, of what’s positive and negative in a room, can greatly impact the success of a design.
Negative space, when executed correctly, can bring a certain calmness to a space or allow other design elements to stand out. The tricky aspect is that you want the negative space to look intentional, not like you forgot to hang a picture or need furniture.
There is plenty of open space (or negative space) in this room, however is feels purposeful. The way the photos are grouped is very intentional, yet there is plenty of white wall space that was left blank. The rug (positive space) forces a viewer to focus on the negative space on the floor, which highlights the traffic flow in the room. The balance between positive and negative space can be tricky, but with careful consideration of placement of furniture and other items you can easily have a well designed space.
We all know that there is a Starbucks on every corner. Do you have favorite location of those that are close to you? I often find myself escaping my office and heading to Starbucks for a decaf americano and free wi-fi. Good people watching is an added bonus too.
I have four Starbucks locales I frequent often, but of those four, I unfortunately like the one that is furthest away from me and there are several reasons why:
There are group tables, but only one. I like the idea of group tables, but no one wants to sit next to someone they don’t know, or (gasp) face someone they don’t know unless its absolutely necessary.
There is counter height seating in two locations – in the front window and in the back of the store. Counter height seating allows you to sit next to someone you don’t know but not face them. Phew.
There are small bar height tables. These four tables allow a person to spread out a bit or sit with a few others.
There is plenty of room near the sugar & cream station and the pick up area. Although I’m starting to sound like I am antisocial, I just don’t like to breathe someone else’s coffee breath. A little breathing space never hurt anyone.
All of these reasons contribute to my fondness of this particular Starbucks. As a student, there is nothing worse than going to a coffee shop and not being able to find a place to sit and work. Good design Starbucks!
Check out all that room for coffee lovers! This is taken from back half of the store.My americano and computer (and one of the bar height tables)Coffee pick up area. Lots and lots and lots of room.
One of the most often overlooked aspects of design is lighting. The right lighting fixtures, in combination with natural light, can set the tone for an entire space making it important to understand the various types of lighting. Correctly using ambient, task, and accent lighting will make an interior more aesthetically pleasing, as well as more useful for the activities that will be conducted in the space.
Ambient lighting is general lighting in a space. In other terms, it is the basic overall lighting in a room. Examples of ambient light include recessed lights, sunshine through a window on a sunny day, or table lamps throughout the space. Pendant lights can also contribute to ambient lighting or may be considered task lighting as well.
Task lighting is used to light a specific area for a purpose, like reading or working. Task lighting provides another layer of lighting that is limited to a smaller area. Examples include a desk lamp that illuminates a desk for work or homework, and under cabinet lights that illuminate a kitchen workspace for cooking or baking.
Accent lighting focuses attention on a detail within a space. Spotlights on a painting or lighting within a coffered ceiling are examples of accent lighting. Accent lighting won’t light up a space, per se, but it adds another level of lighting and ambiance to a room.
This grey kitchen uses several types of lighting which contribute to its gorgeousness! The window and the overhead recessed lights provident ambient light. The island pendants provide both task lighting and ambient light, and the under-counter lights provide task lighting to someone using the counter to cook. The overall effect is a well lit kitchen that is aesthetically pleasing as well as functional.Still not sure what accent lighting is? Check out the lighting inside the cabinets below. The lights don’t provide the room with overall light (ambient light), but accent the items in the cabinets. The glass shelves allow the light to be cast through them and bounce around in the cabinet. I love this touch and it adds vibrance to this already airy and modern kitchen.
Still not sure what accent lighting is? Check out the lighting inside the cabinets below. The lights don’t provide the room with overall light (ambient light), but accent the items in the cabinets. The glass shelves allow the light to be cast through them and bounce around in the cabinet. I love this touch and it adds vibrance to this already airy and modern kitchen.
When you are deciding on lighting for a room in your own home, consider how you can layer ambient, task, and accent lighting to create a warm, inviting, and well-lit space.
Ceilings often get overlooked. Most are painted white and left alone. But ceilings are prime spots for adding a pop of color or something completely unique. What can you put on a ceiling you ask? Just about anything…
Fabric
The library below doesn’t need any more drama but the fabric on the ceiling gives it so much more interest than paint alone. It’s warm, it’s interesting, and completely unique.
Considering fabric on your ceiling? It can be directly adhered to a ceiling or draped. If you are draping fabric on a ceiling, make sure you have enough ceiling height to accommodate the draping. Also think about what the fabric composition is. Think satin on a ceiling. Ewww.
Wallpapering a ceiling is one of my personal favorite ways to add definition to a space. Wallpaper can add warmth, create drama, or simply define a space. It can be minimal or over the top. For the record, I love wallpaper in bathrooms (did I tell you I love wallpaper in bathrooms?), but am equally in love with wallpapering the ceiling in a powder room. The wallpaper in the powder room below completely contrasts the dark walls, creates visual interest, and is just plain fun.
Coffered ceilings can be simple and understated or bold and contrasting. This simple coffered ceiling provides visual interest without being overpowering. The same paint color blends it in with the ceiling and would best be used in a room with a lower ceiling. Not sure you’re ready for something bold on your ceiling? Consider this cool option.
The coffered ceiling below is elaborate and extremely detailed. The warmth of the wood and the multiple layers creates drama and would best be suited for a large space with tall ceilings. I love the layered look and this ceiling would definitely be a conversation starter. This makes me want to run away to someone’s country house.
I’ve never been a fan of an accent wall, but an accent ceiling? YES! It could be that you are too lazy to paint the whole room, or it could be that you are a commitment-phobe, but paint on the ceiling, especially in a white room gets an A+ from me.
Want to highlight your ceiling? Consider the size of your space, the height of the room, the look you are going for, commitment level, and budget. Have fun…the options for a fifth wall are endless!
In the basement of my childhood home we had an “art room.” Right next to the art room was the “sewing room.” I guess you could say that’s where my love of design began. I spent countless hours in our basement cutting, pasting, sewing, and designing. From scrunchies to paper-dolls, collages to paintings, I was constantly making something.
Even though my parents used interior designers to help with my childhood home, it wasn’t until my mom bought a fixer-upper when I was in college, that I finally saw the full extent of what designers could do. They not only helped her with colors and furnishings, but they helped her reconfigure the main level’s space, and eventually the lower level’s space as well. By this time, however, I had already graduated college and was well into my career in business and education.
While I was busy with corporate life I missed having a creative outlet and started taking graphic design classes online. I liked it, but it still wasn’t exactly what I was looking for. (you can check out some the wedding invitations I have designed below.) My friends called me a “nester” and I had a blast working with a designer for my first home, a loft in Philadelphia. It wasn’t until I was a stay at home mom, in an old house, in a new city, working on my own house, where I decided that it is never to late to try something new!
Mid-century modern is a design style that generally describes the middle 20th century developments and style in design and architecture. It is usually described as being from 1933 to 1965. It came out of the larger modernist movement, which has roots in the Industrial Revolution and post-World War I era.
Mid-century modern seems to be uber-popular at the moment and most furniture retailers have jumped on the bandwagon. Often times with these items, there isn’t anything mid-century about them but marketers know the popularity that those terms carry. Not exactly sure what mid-century design looks like? Some furniture examples may help you recognize this iconic style.
The Eames lounge chair designed by Charles and Ray Eames in 1956. It was designed with chair and an ottoman for lounging. Both the chair and the ottoman have metal bases, bent laminated wood frames, and padded leather upholstery.
Danish architect Arne Jacobsen designed the Series 7 chair in 1955. It has a single bent plywood seat and back with chrome tubular legs. It was originally made in a natural beech wood.
Many replicas of original mid-century modern furniture exist crossing all price points. Below are some items I pulled from IKEA’s online catalog (all from http://www.ikea.com). Want something higher end? Checkout http://www.knoll.com. It has me dreaming of how I can add some mid-century modern pieces into my own home!
VILMAR Chair – $39
ARVIKA Swivel Chair – $499 STOCKHOLM TV Unit – $349LOVEBACKEN Side Table – $59
Even though I knew I had signed up for Portfolio class, I definitely hadn’t given my own portfolio much thought until recently. My personality from the in class collage was described as active, energetic, color-loving, and as someone who enjoys the good life. All of these things are true (well, maybe not so energetic at 10pm on a Thursday night), but I struggle with how to combine that side of myself with the side that loves typography, clean lines, and open space. So here’s what I’m thinking…plain fonts, pops of color, maybe even in the text, and more color through photos, renderings, and textile pictures.
Texture is an element of design that is often an afterthought when designing a space. When used in a well-designed room, texture can create an interesting element to a room. Texture refers to the relative smoothness or roughness of a surface. It can be seen by the eye (visual texture) or through touch (tactile texture).
One of my favorite pictures taken on a recent picture to Sedona, AZ. Love the shape and texture of this cactus.
Texture makes things interesting to look at and gives definition to items within a space. However, to create a well-designed space, texture must be used in thoughtful moderation or you risk having a room that’s too busy (or too fuzzy!). Don’t have enough texture? Your room may be boring or look sparse.
So what does textural balance look like? It’s hard to define, however there needs to be enough various textures that complement each other.
This is a good example of a room with a strong balance of texture. The hard, wood ceiling and floor is balanced by the soft, plush bedding. The smooth lampshades balance the rough woven rug. The smooth side table is balanced by the unevenness of the grass in the plant. There isn’t too much, yet it is just enough.
How can you add texture to a space? Add rugs, fabrics, pillows, books, decor, furniture, plants, and maybe even a cactus! Think about your own home and what you could do to create more textural balance.
susiedk 