MY {TYPICAL} FRIDAY

Once again, it's finally Friday. Unlike most Fridays, I am actually home alone, and I figured I would share whats been going on in the design world for me!

This week at work I dove into a fresh new project, which I am really excited to start the design process for! This new project is in the San Francisco Bay Area (LOVE anything to do with the Bay Area!) It will be a 2-model project, featuring three floors each, both around 1,300 square feet. It's a small, very easy project. (Which is a relief for me, coming out of some big whooping 3,200 sqft Texas homes!) These models will be geared towards young professionals  When I first got this project and saw the square footage and then a market of young professionals, I immediately became excited because this means I can really have fun with the styling! Typically, younger buyers want the coolest, trendiest thing the design world has to offer, and won't be too impressed with your typical transitional home. That's all code for: "have as much fun as you want designing this home!".

Several cups of coffee later, I came up with two unique styles I think will be most fitting for a professional / young family buyers in the Bay Area, and below I'll share my ideas for the first house with you!

The first model will be styled: "Mid-Century Urban Living".

I was inspired by urban lofts, which often feature brick walls, oil-rubbed bronze hardware, and a general rustic vibe. I also put a mid-century modern twist to this house to take the idea of your typical urban loft to the next level. I thought a few classic mid-century pieces, like tapered chair legs, and warm walnut wood finished gave it this house a fun, collected feel. I think any young, San Francisco
buyer will love this home.

I imagine mixing rustic pieces with a few modern accents, some leather accent chairs, and maybe iron? I can't wait to dive into this tomorrow morning in the office! Yes, sadly my schedule is calling for a bit of weekend work. But if you love what you do, it never really feels like work! 

Hopefully you're feeling inspired by now, and perhaps a little curious as to how you can add a little mid-century, urban vibe to your home? Heres how you can "get the look": 

FYI, West Elm is my number-one go to for midcentury. They have really fun and unique finds! :)

IT'S ALWAYS FUN TO BE OVER-THE-TOP!

I reciently stumbled upon a few exciting images of interiors that I thought were crazy fun. And it gave me an idea to do a short and quick post on a few fun rooms! It's like the room itself is a work of art!

Last but not least, my favorite of all.... The mirrored paneling is SO elegant! 

I'M FEELING THE BLUES...

Lately I've been drawn to the color blue. Perhaps it's because I've seen it everywhere. From the Kravet showrooms, to Architectural Digest? It's growing on me! -And I'm not talking about the general color of blue. The kind of blue that's caught my eye is light, with a slight purple hue in it. It's airy, soft, and with that slight hint of purple it becomes very feminine... Maybe that's why I like it so much. 

Aren't these rooms dreamy? This color is so calming and relaxing to me. I'm in love with it! 

The problem now is, every time I get a new color obsession, I typically want to redecorate my house in order to incorporate this new color. And for most people, that's unrealistic. So you can't invest in buying all new upholstered furniture, and re-painintg may not be an option either. But another option, that is completely do-able, is changing out a few accents, a few pillows here and there, and you will generally get the same effect, as if you had totally re-decorated! I promise!

Here's a few tips to consider, that will help you change things up and incorporate this new fabulous color:

1) Pillows. Pillows make a huge impact. I know they are small, but throw pillows are where you can get away with using bold color. I wouldn't recommend a blue sofa for every home, but pillows in this color of blue? Absolutely.

2) A second option to consider is drapery. If you're willing to spend a few extra dollars, I would invest in new drapes.

3) Change out your area rug! If you happen to have hardwoods or stone, this is an excellent option to help you "get the look" with the blue colors. I personally always bring color to a room through rugs. I find it boring using a neutral colored rug on top of a neutral wood or stone! You only live once, go ahead and go for the bold color!

4) For the dining room; place mates and glasses make an easy, cost effective switch. Have you ever been to Cost Plus World Market? They have great deals for dining room decor!

I hope you're feeling inspired by my new favorite color! It's perfect and gets you in the mood for Spring!

LITTLE GEM I FOUND {ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST HOME TOUR!}

Browsing through the Architectural Digest website, I found this little gem and I had to share it! This is one of the most exciting homes I've come across. I am very much in love with the over-all design. This Chicago penthouse, designed by Michael S. Smith, is both bold and sophisticated, with interesting accents. 

I also love this quote from the A.D. article: "Some grand homes are designed to give their occupants the life they imagined they always wanted, while others, like this penthouse, help the residents be themselves, only better." -- If a designer can achieve that, then your job is done! Amazing! Im drooling... 

Welcome to my dream home! (Just kidding. But really...) 

Favorite room of all. Notice how this designer has integrated bright green neon accents into the space? I love that little surprise of color! 

The one thing that makes me love this home so much is the way the designer has so seamlessly mixed traditional, ornate pieces with extremely modern pieces. (See above) This is completely my style. As I love to mix and match.

Absolutely love the fabric wallpaper, along with the antique mirror above the nightstand.  

What a view! ....That's all for now! 

FROM WHERE DO YOU DRAW INSPIRATION?

Every creative mind has a source of inspiration that they constantly look back to. It's true. As an artist, don't be prideful and say that you "create your own" art. Everything that is in our world has already been created; we as artists only take and re-create. Right? So where do you go to as a creative source? As for me, it has always been nature. Obviously, nature comes from the greatest Designer of all, that is, God.  More specifically, I draw my inspiration from flowers. Any and all types of flowers. I think it is the variety of colors flowers have, or maybe the geometry, or delicate appearance.  Whatever it is, I always seem to find inspiration outside, in the garden.  

Here's the latest color palette I've made from a collection of flowers:

Gorgeous for Spring, right? -And may I point out the last color, which is the Pantone color of the year: Radiant Orchid. See below how this color palette translates into the interior design world. 

Now get out in to the world and find your inspirations! 

JUST ANOTHER REASON TO TRAVEL {TO VIENNA!}

I stumbled across one of Architectural Digest's "Daily AD" blog posts today, and it's title was: 

"THE ARCHITECT’S EYE: ARCHITECT OTTO WAGNER’S MODERNIST MARVELS IN VIENNA".  Just say "Vienna" and I'm immediately interested. After reading through the post and seeing the imagines, this adds yet another reason to my endless list of why I must to travel to France/Italy/Greece/Austria in the near future. This particular post celebrates the work of Otto Wagner, and his unique modernist style, which helped reinvent the city of Vienna at the turn of the 20th century.

Do you know who Otto Wagner is? 

He is considered to be the father of modernist design. Born 1841, died 1918. An Austrian architect, urban planner, and highly creative individual. 

One of the most transformative projects of Wagner’s era, the Austrian Postal Savings Bank (Österreichische Postsparkasse) took nearly a decade to plan, design, and build, beginning in 1904. Constructed of reinforced concrete, metal, stone, and glass, it celebrates light, air, and the honesty of functionalism with the new materials of the time.

More snap shots of the Austrian Postal Savings Bank: 

Additional work by Wagner includes his two villas, which he built for is first and second marriage: 

Hope you've found some inspiration though this post! 

THE {SOCHI} OLYMPICS ARE FINALLY HERE!

Each Olympic games I get excited to see the athletes compete, but part of my heart is also fascinated by the architecture that goes along with the games. I find it incredible that a hosting country can artfully design and build (hopefully in time) these incredible buildings, for thousands of people, in a short amount of time. It's is incredible. 

I've also posted on the London games back in 2012 if you want to see here... 

Here is a closer look at the architecture of the Sochi Winter Olympics! Enjoy...  

"The Olympic Park is located in what was once a swamp. The chief architect of Sochi's 2014 Oleg Kharchenko, of construction company Olympstroy,  sought inspiration from previous Olympic Games host cities to transform a "swamp" into an expanse of beauty."

Ice Cube Curling Center

"The "Ice Cube" Curling Center, located in the Coastal Cluster, is simplistic in its design, which symbolizes democracy, and accessibility alongside the festivity, which is characteristic of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Ice Cube Curling Centre is one of the key sports facilities within the Olympic park."

"Taking inspiration from the shape of a curling stone, the designers specified hi-tech materials in different tones varying from gray to silver to decorate the curving structure. The building has been clad with ‘sandwich’ panels applied as element-by-element assembly, the key elements of which include base structure, insulation, membrane and exterior cladding."

The ice rink hosted the Wheelchair Curling World Cup followed by the Junior Curling World Cup in March. Competitors, officials and spectators alike were full of praise for the quality of the rink and the arena as a whole. The "Ice Cube" Curling Center is a moveable venue, making it possible to be dismantled and transported for post-Games use as a curling center in another Russian city.

Ice Cube Curling Center 
Project: Walter Pichler architect of Stahlbau Pichle

Capacity: 3,000

Construction cost: $14 million

Events: Curling

After the Games: Could be relocated to another Russian city

Adler Arena 

"The Adler Arena is an oval-shaped facility with two competition tracks and one training track. The size of the Adler Arena meets the requirements of the International Skating Union (the track length is 400 m). In particular, the ice track is designed to provide the best chronometric performance. The roofed Adler Arena is located in the center of the Olympic Park."

"The stadium has been designed to look like an iceberg or an ice fault. It has a crystal-style facade supported by angular walls made up of triangular, stained glass window panes. The 8,000-seat facility has also been designed to make the most of local natural features, with spectators able to admire mountain views to the north and seascapes to the south."

"The Adler Arena has been designed as an oval-shaped stadium with two competition tracks and one training track. The dimensions of the Adler Arena meet the requirements of the International Skating Union (track length: 400 m). In particular, the ice track has been designed with optimal micro-climatic conditions to ensure ice suitable for world class speed skating events."

Adler Arena

Project: Bob Johnston of CannonDesign

Capacity: 8,000

Construction cost: $32.8 million

Events: Speed skating

After the Games: Exhibition center

Iceberg Skating Palace

"The Olympic Skating Center plays a crucial role in the Sochi 2014 concept. The Olympic Skating Center is a moveable venue. As such, it is located at the heart of the Coastal Cluster – Olympic Park. The Olympic Skating Center is a moveable venue, making it possible to be dismantled and transported for post-Games use as a skating center in another Russian city."

"The name evokes associations with the architectural shapes of the venue. It is an international word and sounds the same in a number of language including Russian, English and German. Audience seats are designed in two tiers. Placed between the tiers lie level VIR For the convenience of visitors and reduce the time of loading and unloading of the Ice Palace, the foyer of the first and second tiers of the stands, connected by galleries around the perimeter of the building and stairs."

"On the outside, these internal stairs rise to the construction of the facade and in their places of recovery emphasize inputs viewers. Figure interlocking waves formed on the facade of glass and sandwich panels, painted in several shades of blue , designed to combine the palace with the silhouettes of the surrounding mountains and the waves of the Black Sea."

Iceberg Skating Palace

Project: GUP MNIIP mosproject-4

Capacity: 12,000

Construction cost: $43.9 million

Events: Figure skating, short track speed skating

After the Games: Undecided. Options include skating rink, cycling velodrome

Sources: http://www.aasarchitecture.com/2014/02/Sochi-2014-Olympics-Architecture-02.html