Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays & Happy New Year!!

I wanted to wish everyone that follows us(though I bet its just a handful of people and we thank you) a very happy holiday! 2010 has been a year of change, happy change and have seen wonderful firsts for myself and Ava(this time last year she got engaged...2011 should mark their start as a real married couple) we can hope!! We thank our families and friends for all the love, support and help though the year and I can say I have never been happier to be doing what I was born to do and am ever so thankful.

photo-unknown

We end the year being very busy, installing our next retirement project and hoping to get new clients and more projects. So, take some time over the next week to think of those things you have put off doing, and make a plan to do them. Thank those around you for all they do and all they are, and maybe if you can either take the time or spare the money, donate your time or money to a worthwhile cause.

We promise to post more next year, with one of the 1st posts by a+, herself about her trip to India. I myself have an adventure or 2 to come, Asia in March and the ICFF show in NYC in May.(in between a visit from my aunt and uncle,too) So we leave you with an image of one of my favorite places this time of year, and my hope for a visit again in 2011.

Accent walls

The debate continues on whether or not accent walls work. We believe that accent walls are a way to take a bolder color that one would not be comfortable in painting in a whole room. As designers we have a vision sometimes within seconds of seeing a space, and its taking that vision and marrying it to the clients style/taste/comfort. I cannot sing the praises of this practice more.
Today I recieved the latest issue of Stir from Sherwin Williams. There was an article that spoke to this continued debate.
People should not be afraid of color, accent walls bring a pop of color and dramatic flair in small doses. The colors do not have to "match" items, just be cohesive with whats going on in the space. People need to think outside the box of cookie cutter schemes.

And if you ever get bored, you can always repaint...

Late...

I realized its been over a month since I last posted...Shame on me!! We have had lots going on, not to mentione a+ being away in India for the last 2 weeks.
We have quite a lot going on, we just had a client move into their home that we have been helping do renovations on over the last 2 months, and we have another friend/client that we helped with a new paint scheme and redesign of her master bedroom. We will post some pictures in the next month or so. We have 2 new models being installed we hope at the end of this week and a major install happening the week after Christmas. So...I will probably not be posting for a bit, or here and there..
Hope all had a great Thanksgiving holiday!

Tardy

I have been BUSY....so no posts of late, I am sorry about that. I just wanted to give a few shout outs to the fabulous restaurants of the Yountville area. If you ever have the chance to go or are in the area, please stop by REDD, Bouchon, and Bottega.

REDD is Richard Reddington's interpretation of the California wine country's cuisine with various European and Spanish influences. For our lunch, we feasted on prosciutto pizza with fontina and arugala, crispy calamari, bread salad and one of the best desserts I have ever had a dark chocolate pot de creme, beurre noisette, and warm beignets.

Bottega is Michael Chiarrello italian resteraunt. He is known for his shows on Food Network and his Napa Style store. I again, had some of the best food ever. His crispy gnocchi and angry prawns were amazing, as well as his panna cotta. We were impressed enough to get his just released cookbook of the same name.

Have a super weekend, and more posts to come about color trends through 2012, and next month, Ava will blog about her trip to India(I am so excited to hear about that adventure).

Bardessono Experience

Below are details of some of the room features from documents from www.watg.com, the architecture firm.

Furnishings: John Wells of Seattle, designed and constructed bedside tables of reclaimed wood and steel. Evan Shively fashioned guest room desks of Bay Laurel.

Guestroom and public area concrete floor tiles are sourced from Sonoma Stone. Bath and dressing room floors are of orchard walnut milled by Shively.

Salvaged Monterey Cypress has been milled into siding, walnut trees uprooted by farmers at the end of their productive life have been milled into flooring, guest room doors and furniture, redwood wine barrels create ceilings and doors in public spaces, and salvaged California Bay trees were cut into slabs for guest room desks.

Taken by K.Lovett

 watg.com

My favorite part of the room would absolutely be the bathroom. The finishes are so simple and green.They have integrated massage tables for in-room spa treatments, large closet units for 2 people and in-room safe. The sinks are Duravit and the whirlpool tub has small pinhead size holes at the bottom of the tub that are controlled via a pad on the side of the tub. I much prefer this design, than that of the side jets.

 

Above are courtesy of bardessono.com

 You can see where there are no carpets, drapes or bedspreads. All lighting and blind controls are done via wall push button pads on the walls. By eliminating those 3 elements, there are less allergens. There is a duvet with cotton cover and these sheets were super soft. The bedding is all down or pseudo down filled. 

Tomorrow, I will write about the restaurants and spa, as well as the other activities in the area.

Behind the Green-Bardessono

Why Bardessono, well, I was for one very interested in what one of 3 Platinum LEED certified hotel properties in the world would look like and function, and I was looking for a place I could go for a couple of days for total rest and relaxation. This place ticked all those boxes. The LEED(system of certification is point based and to be platinum certified, you have to pass with 52-69 points. 


Bardessono was named after the family who owned the land, and much of  the stone used on the exterior came from the original family home/winery(Tufa stone). Many of the environmental initiatives are listed on the links above. I will list several of the items that were interesting to me. 


I will let you know that if you prefer more "comfy"/traditional surroundings, than this place is not for you. There is a distinct contemporary, zen spirit, there is no carpeting and most materials lack real color.The furniture throughout is thoughtful, but not necessarily soft(the fabric on the daybed/sofa was ArcCom Moonbeam(not exactly soft, but is eco and crypton finish(holds up to liquid).  The sheets however were SUPER soft and the bed, wonderfully comfy.

View from rooftop pool of entrance, main outdoor area outside Lobby/Restaurant, you can see overall design and use of natural materials, drought resistant landscaping. Water features are throughout grounds.

Magnolia section of rooms, there are 3 other sections(Cypress, Birch and Olive) each have those species of trees included in the landscape design, with other water features. I will post more of those photos tomorrow.

Lobby-Vertical garden installation by Seth Boor, Scott Smith and Flora Grubb of 800 tillandsia in 4 vertical niches, ilo of revolving fresh floral arrangements that you would see in most hotels. Tillandsia require no soil and minimal water to grow(known as air plants also.)

Some of the environmental impact features are that many types of wood used in the understated, flat-roofed structures were salvaged from lumber mills and all from within 100 miles of Yountville, accented by naturally rusted steel. Each building's roof is fitted with a concealed photovoltaic solar collector and reflective material which makes it possible for the hotel to provide a significant portion of its electrical energy requirement. Another aspect of the hotel's energy saving : motion sensors determine room occupancy and turn off lights and electrical devices, drop shades and adjust temperatures while it is empty. When you return to the rooms, all settings automatically return to what they were when you left.

There were many other green aspects to the hotel, including low water flow fixtures, drought-resistant landscaping and a kitchen garden that grows fruit, vegetables and herbs for the dining room.

• Eighty two 300 foot wells beneath the Bardessono as part of a geothermal system for heating & cooling rooms and preheating of domestic hot water
• Automated external venetian blinds on windows and occupancy sensors to turn off lights
• LED and fluorescent light fixtures
 • Recycled wood furnishings with eco-friendly fabrics
• Redwood ceilings from old wine tanks
• Glues, adhesives, paints, and wall coverings with low VOC
• Concrete with a high potash (recycled product) content
• Glass Tiles with a high recycled content
• Steel with a high recycled content
• Organic linens and terry
• Organic cleaning products
• Spa & Restaurant food use organic and local
• Recycled Uniforms
• Drinking water, filtered on site
• Vegetable waste composted for use in the gardens
• Laundry done with limited hot water and non-detergent cleaners
• Recycling throughout the hotel
• Recycled paper products
• Electric and bio-diesel vehicles for hotel/guest use

In Lucy's Garden-they even give you seed packets when you have dinner at the restaurant.

Tomorrow, I will post video of the room and talk about the hotel experience. Have a great Tuesday!!

Napa Style....Bardessono

Courtesy of dwell.com

This week I will be dedicating the blog space to my quick trip to Yountville, California, which is in the Napa Valley. Yountville is most notably thought of as the home of Thomas Keller's resteraunt The French Laundry(which by the way you need reservations made 1-2 years in advance, unless you are a regular or someone of celebrity status). Yountville is home to many wonderful resteraunts, REDD, Ad Hoc & Bouchon(the other 2 Keller Resteraunts), Pacific Blue Cafe, just to name a few.

I believe that some of the best memories in life are had over a meal that you can't possibly afford or on a trip somewhere. For me some of my best times are with friends and family both near and far and birthdays are the best times for these occasions.(for those who know me best, its rare to find me at home on a birthday, or better yet with someone else for theirs.)


Today, I have posted some of the pictures of restaurant row and the entrance to Bardessono. I will post tomorrow about what makes Bardessono so amazing, not the least for being one of only 3 hotels in the WORLD that is platinum LEED certified.  Later in the week I will post about the amazing restaurants and why you would ever want to visit this charming town.

Have a great sunday, don't miss Mad Men, love that show!!

Corner of Washington and California(All Photos Courtesy of K.Lovett)

Washington-old railway station, the remaining cars are an Inn and a Coffee Shop)

Bouchon Bakery-One of 3 locations in the US, this is the flagship, with one in Vegas and one in NYC.

Corner of Yount and Washington, entrance of Bardessono in the distance

Rue

I think I have mentioned in previous posts, my love of all things print.This includes magazines, books(printed and ebooks),etc. I have also become addicted to reading design blogs, I will try to add my favs, like everyone else on the side portion of the blog soon.

I have become addicted to the Flipboard app on my ipad and via designsponge this week, I was introduced to another online design magazine called Rue. Its great. Click on this and enjoy.

Happy Friday tomorrow to everyone!!

Anthology

Is the title of a new design magazine I found out today via designsponge. It will be published quarterly and you can see a preview here. I love me some magazines, its a weakness, like any other.

Have a great week!!

Stoney Brook of Belton Project

Here are just a few photos of the retirement project. Hope you enjoy... I will give you more information about each picture in the caption area below each one.

Main Dining Space, at meal times, there are white table cloths with full table service.

Neighborhood-One in each wing, common space for activities and tv viewing,etc.

Formal sitting area off main lobby

Another view of formal side, on other side of fireplace, people are watching tv(see previous post)

Another view of a Neighborhood, at TV viewing area

Fall, please come soon!!

I have been under the weather lately, so thus why I have not posted in a couple of weeks. Getting over a end of summer cold, hopefully my quota for the year is filled. Watching one of my favorite summer shows-The Choir on BBC America. Its like Glee, but for real and is set in various spots in England, as Gareth Malone sets up choirs with young and old, most of which have people that really think its a joke, and by the end, they are all involved and believe the experience life changing. Speaking of Glee, T-13 days until the 2nd season starts, I am so ready for it!!!

Okay, well my most important reason for the post is that I am going to show you a glimpse of our Stoney Brook retirement project. So...here goes.

Home Sweet Home

We made our last official visit to Belton yesterday for 1st retirement home project. It was bittersweet, but long overdue,but what made it even better was seeing the residents that are there now, enjoying the space. It was movie time, they were watching "My Big Fat Greek Wedding"(love that movie) and they were snacking on popcorn and chips with homemade guacamole. Where do I sign up, right?
It was a super cute moment...the couple you see below, are newlyweds and he is awaiting his soon to be 100th birthday.

Photo courtesy of a+k design

I will post some other pics of the main spaces in the next couple of days. Have a super weekend!

At your fingertips

Another, what will they think of next..Septembers T&L magazine features an article about how far vending machines have come, and wow have they.

If you ever had a hankering for fresh pizza in less than 5 minutes, then there is a machine for you, though at the moment, they are only in certain airports in Italy.(though as the image states, they are starting these in the UK...) You choose your toppings and watch as the dough is kneaded and baked, all in less than 5 minutes for about $6.00.

Image courtesy of letspizza.co.uk

There are several more interesting machines around the world where you can get gold bars, swimsuits, bicycles, fortunes,etc. See more on these at this site.

Wanderlust

Found out about a great new site that is British based for last minute hotel bookings in England and Europe. I read about it in the September issue of Travel and Leisure. http://www.laterooms.com/
Man, am I itching for a European jaunt....
Additionally, http://www.zoombu.co.uk/ allows you to calculate the best way from one city to another.

Happy travels!!!

Suncatcher Designs

What do you think of when you see beach glass, shells and other whimsical baubles....? Vacations..or more specifically beach vacations. Those are some of my favorite kinds. I think you always have memories of them, at the least as a child. There is nothing better than that of sun, surf, sand and the glorious sea.  I love the water, it can be rivers, lakes, streams, but really nothing is better than the sea.
Someone who has as much passion for the beach, is using that as a basis to design some of the most unique bracelets I have seen in years.

Suncatcher Designs utilize found beach glass and seashells, along with gemstones, beads, crystals, and other great baubles.(The beachglass mostly from Hawaii and shells from many places, as far as Australia by the designer herself).

One of my dear friends has been designing these bracelets for over the last five years and I had never seen them until earlier this month, and can I tell you, they are FABULOUS!!!! She is an Aussie that calls Austin home, by way of California, Connecticut and Hawaii. It was in Hawaii that she and a bunch of fellow military wives started collecting beach glass and designing jewelry. Each bracelet is one of a kind, as many of the items are not man made or were reproduced.

You can see pictures below of some she recently sold to a boutique in Turks and Caicos(British Virgin Islands).  I just had to have one, so I can't wait to see what she comes up with for me. Soon she will showcase her designs via  Etsy. If you are interested at all, contact me and I will put you in touch with her.

Photo Courtesy A.Sanchez

Photo Courtesy of A. Sanchez

Photo Courtesy A.Sanchez

Lonny

Just a quick note to say that the latest issue of the online magazine Lonny has just been published.
Enjoy!!

Will be posting soon--more about our project completion, beautiful beach glass bracelets designed by D. Estrin and much more!

http://www.lonnymag.com/Home.html

Isn't it ironic...we did not plan it...

Just had to share...as many of you know, we are working on the final touches to our main project this year so far. In doing so, we found out that something we had done as part of our art installation had put a smile on some very special people's faces.  As you can see below, there  is a darling couple standing in front of a photo wall we designed as a part of the buildings main activity area. Mr. and Mrs. Pittman happen to be the Pittmans of the sign you see above their heads, and to add to the story, they are going to be some of the first residents of our fabulous project.

Photo courtesy of a+k design

The sign is from their dry cleaning business in downtown Belton, which has been open for 64 years. What they may not know is that their sign was what started our inspiration for the photo wall. We fell head over heels for the sign, mostly due to our love of the simplicity of the sign design, the very vintage look of it, and the colors. That day the sun was shining, the sky had that blue color and against the sign, we loved it!! This began our series of photographs taken in downtown of various businesses that have been around for decades and some wall murals of various types. We did the series as a nod to all that we thought gave downtown Belton it's unique flavor, in hopes the residents would agree. Little did we know that the Pittman's would eventually be immortalized. 

Well it made us smile, so I just wanted to share.

It goes to show that you can take anything you have a passion for and turn it into art for your own personal spaces, it can be anything(flowers, people, places or just a series of items you love) I just takes a little time to shoot, and you can buy an inexpensive frame and pre-made mat, and wha-lah(original art)!!!

What will they think of next...

Unless you have been living under a rock for the last 10-20 years, everyone has heard of "blackboard" paint, it's been a tried and true solution for those that want to draw on their walls without worry (with chalk) and for children's rooms its a no brainer. Well now there is a solution that has taken that to the next level.

I read about a version of this paint in the June issue of Interior Design, that I just got(go figure). DesignTex sells "write up" h2o which is a clear, water based dry erase paint that can be done in various colors and ready to use in 7 days from application and has a shelf life of 2 years, if properly stored. The product can be used in LEED certification. Though DesignTex is known for commercial projects, I can see so many other uses for home. How fun would it be to use on a home office or children's room wall, or even school or health care. It should be much cheaper than most dry erase boards and sky's the limit on the application area size.

Another company that sells a similar product is MDC Wallcoverings, they sell tabrasa by ideapaint, which was launched last year.  Ideapaint has other dry erase paints via their site also. They do not offer the paint in any color, just 5 neutral hues, but I have no problem with that. They show many uses both commercial and residential, including painting a refridgerator door and furniture. One thing I did not realize is that traditional white boards offgas formaldehyde. This company has won several awards also. I ordered a sample, so I will let you know what its like.

It's been so long...

Sorry about my lack of posts, we are 2 days away from our major install at our retirement home. We load up a van tomorrow and get starting bright and early on Friday. We are psyched and have been waiting about a year for this to be completed. We will install at various times throughout this month, so I will post when I can.

One thing that happens at the start of each month is the delivery and purchase of magazines, love them, can't get enough. I read online magazines, blogs and love to recieve the real thing in the mail. So yesterday was Canada's House and Home and the British Living, Etc. House and Home had a blurb about something we have purchased, and LOVE...so as a slightly late "To Do Tuesday" we highly recommend Ikea's Solig table lamp and pendants. They were at my local Ikea about 2 months ago and we literally bought the last two(A has one and I have one, she has black and I have red). As far as their website, they are still out of stock, darnit, would have loved a pair.

So the 411-The lamps are outdoor, solar powered little gems that are as stylish as they are green.
Key features as per Ikea.com-Runs on solar cells that transform sunlight into electricity; helps you save energy and reduce your environmental footprint.

Solar cells transform sunlight into electrical energy - requires no electrical connections.
Uses LEDs, which consume approx. 70% less energy and last 20 times longer than incandescent bulbs. I have mine right now on my desk, but would be great for an outdoor dinner party.
Photo is from http://www.ikea.com/
 
 

A glimpse into our project

Sorry it has been so long since I have posted, been very busy on our current project, amongst other things, thought I would let you see the models we have just finished(albeit some small things). The 2 videos show our studio and 1 bedroom models. Enjoy!

Take a seat...and have a drink

I am posting "To do" Tuesday's a bit early. This week I thought it would be great to spotlight a new chair that only just made its debut last week in NYC, San Francisco and Atlanta. Made from 111 recycled plastic Coke bottles, the 111 Navy Chair is the result of a collaboration between Emeco and Coca-Cola.  I saw this today when I perused my DWR catalog. I love it, not only is it made from 65% recycled materials, it comes in 6 colors and is not badly priced. This took 4 years of research, design and testing, and an update to the original 111 Navy Chair out in 1944, that was made in aluminum(it is still sold today and made of 80% recycled aluminum) . You can only purchase from Design Within Reach, right now there is a 2-4 week lead time. 

Photo courtesy of dwr.com

Austin is lucky enough to be one of seven locations around the US to launch this chair. There are launch parties this Friday here and in Portland from 6-8pm, with a LA being last, next week. RSVP for the launch via www.111navychair.com/austin/     See you there!


Another chair with recycling in mind is the Adirondack Collection launched 2 years ago from Loll Designs, and is sold by their site and DWR. Another iconic chair, this is a new take on the classic Adirondack chair, typically made of wood, but in this case is now 100% recycled polyethylene. They estimate that 8 recycled milk jugs go into each pound of their chair, which in itself is recyclable. The material is fade-resistant, waterproof and maintenance free(which you can not say for the original). They also ship the chair flat to save on packaging materials, and the plant sends 90% of their waste to a recycling plant. Now thats taking recycling to a whole new level. The chair comes in 7 fresh colors. 

Photo courtesy of lolldesigns.com

**Take a peek at Loll Designs website, they have many awesome designs, all made of recycled materials.** Have a super Tuesday!!

Gavin & Stacey

They make me laugh and smile as much as Glee. I have a love affair with Glee, along with millions, but many may never have heard of Gavin & Stacey on BBC America. I am an anglophile, probably helps my mum is from over the pond and my family is there. Season 3 is now airing and has only 4 episodes left(darn them and their small amount of episodes, a true season in the US is like 21.) Basic premise is this...

Gavin is a guy from Essex who falls for Stacey a girl from Wales on the internet and talk for months before they meet (technically 2 different countries within the UK, both have different accents, different families,etc.) Its a sweet, but funny story about just that, everyday living with their bffs(Smithy and Nessa) and families in the mix. I can get the humor most of the time, but even I have had to look up some jokes and references that most Americans would not get. Its award winning and are each half hour in length. Watch them all when you have some time...

I LOVE this show, sadly they ended it after 3 seasons, and have tried twice to make a US version, but nothing has stuck. The writers James Cordon and Ruth Jones, play Smithy and Nessa, and they are brilliant!! You should rent season 1 or watch online, they are really great and put a smile on my face.

p.s. -Dot or "Doh" as she is called, is the elderly neighbor lady to Stacey and she has some of the best lines, and then I can't say enough about Stacey's Uncle Bryn..

Have a great rest of the weekend!!

Zen...

Here is the photo of the bathroom we did utilizing the Delta Brizo Vesi widespread lavatory faucet. Hope you like it, we were privileged enough to win an ASID Legacy Award for this design. My other favorite part of this bathroom was the glass tiles installed in a vertical "broken joint" design. The white carrera marble top had a pearlescent glass backsplash also. 

             Photography Courtesy of Robert McGee

A day late....

Sorry for my delay in posting my "To Do" Tuesday on a Wednesday. We were gearing up for our install in Belton, for it to get pushed a week at the last minute, so I have had no time. So I am actually posting a 2 page article from a green issue of Western Interiors by Bruce Greenlaw, published in "gasp" 2008. One reason is laziness, and I had no time to prepare,and the other is that we used the Delta Brizo "Vesi" Channel faucet in a project we did actually a few years ago, it was the same year that Delta starting selling the Brizo line, which was in 2006. 

I believe these are great water saving tips that we can still use today. 

I will post pictures of the Brizo faucet in the bathroom we designed in the next day or two. 

~~~Have a great rest of the week~~~

"To Do" Tuesday-Rebates and Incentives

I spent some time this afternoon attending a webinar to understand(or at least start my education on) the ROI(return on investment) of green purchasing practices. WOW, is all I can say. There are so many acronyms and steps to this..man it will be a lot to learn, but I plan to do so... if I learn anything interesting along the way, I will share.

So for today's post, I am focusing locally on Austin, Texas. If you are fortunate to live within the city limits, as part of the Power Saver™ program, there are residential rebates for certain products or improvements to your home. There are even rebates for commercial buildings/businesses. If the home is over 10 years old, and you replace an old air conditioner(with a 14 seer/11.4 EER or greater unit), do duct repair and sealing, add insulation to attic, or add radiant barrier/reflective materials,you can apply for a rebate that will cover up to 20% or $1575 of the total. Other items such as solar screens, window film or low-e glass replacements(most new windows are low-e standard) are covered, as well as little things like caulking, additional weather stripping are listed.
For the purchase of solar photovoltaic(or solar panels/energy systems) or solar water heaters, there are rebates also.

There are also programs to help those with lower to moderate incomes that may find it more difficult to afford these updates. These are via Austin Energy and they will provide materials and installation for things like attic insulation, duct repairs/sealing, caulking around plumbing penetrations, weather stripping and solar screens. There are qualifications to be met, but spread the word, these are things that can help  a great deal.

Remember three "R"s reduce, reuse and recycle. :)

Its the week's end.....

TGIF!! Hope everyone made it thru the week unscathed and not too stressed. I had a great week, we had a ball looking around antique stores looking for those vintage items needed for a project we will be installing in the next 2 weeks(fingers crossed). So that would be the highlight of my week, I forgot how fun it can be looking at items from childhood,etc. Well its HOT outside, this week began our start of summer(it just officially was the start of spring) but its Texas. It got me to thinking where I would not mind being this weekend and I thought of another "desert-like" locale, Palm Springs...

I would stay at The Parker. Gene Autry lived here in his heyday(you can even stay in the house on the property), and was opened in 2004. The interiors were designed by one of my fav's, Jonathan Alder. His quirky style along with the very cool modern touches, make it onto my list of "have to stay at least once" places. Hey, its meant to be when they have a restaurant named "Norma's"(my aunt's name). The area has so many outdoor activities,  and the architecture of the area alone would be a reason to visit, but I could stand just sitting by the pool with a book or having a drink on the patio.

 Photo via latimes.com

Photo via latimes.com 

Photo via latimes.com 

What a view, reminds me of 1960's Doris Day movies.

Photo via  theparkerpalmsprings.com

A fruity drink, my book,ipod, and sunscreen, that's a great weekend!

Photo via  theparkerpalmsprings.com

Have a great weekend!!  

Rants and Raves

Well I have some time so I thought I would talk about a couple of the things that I am excited about, well its Tuesday, so you know what that means, GLEE!! Heck yes, and tonight brings Molly Shannon and Olivia Newton-John as guest stars, I love them both, so even if I cannot catch it on the tube, my dvr will record for me, since I will be out and about later today.(I will also record the results show for Dancing with the Stars, yes I watch that Mondays, as I love me some dancing, I bet that Niecy Nash will dance for the last time, or maybe  Pam Anderson,but we will see...)

Movies...summer season, its just upon us and there are several that I want to see. One of which you probably have not heard of, but its on my list(along with SATC 2, Twilight New Moon(sad, some may say, but I have read all the books.) and others.)
Here is link to the trailer-I Am Love Trailer via the official website.
This is being released in the UK I believe before the US(September 9th, I believe). I have seen several Tilda Swinton movies and she is one of the most unique actresses out there today. The movie is set in Italy and the scenery, sets and cinematography looks breathtaking. There is an article about it in June's Town and Country magazine, in their Arts & Culture section (on page 63). So thus starts another obsession with visiting Italy.(Florence/Tuscany and Capri) I am not ruling out seeing Letters to Juliet(though its cheesy and the whole plot shown in the trailer) but Italy again, is a formidable character.

So speaking about magazines, another love of mine, and the more the better. I worry that this format will go by the wayside with all the electronic media. I wonder if the publishers are worried too, as they have ads now in magazines, where they are are stating that more than 300 million is made in subscriptions, and there is really "Power of Print". Design magazines have really felt the crunch, as Metropolitan Home and Domino folded in the last year or so.
I do hope that the printed magazine does not go away, so keep buying them(they are even available at places like the library or half price books), better yet, subscribe, though its not necessarily cheaper to subscribe to our foreign faves.
I have a B&N nook, but there is something to be said about flipping thru the pages on the beach, and thats one place, I am not sure my nook needs to go(we will test that sometime.) The ipad will test those limits, as you can read pages in color(unlike the Nook or the Kindle). Something to think about.......

ps (one online magazine to check out: Lonny its an online design magazine, has many great articles, photos and contributors from folded magazines, and its free, via facebook you get the heads up on the next issue prior to release :) )

"To Do" Tuesday-Go Green with eco friendly paint

Our first "to do" post is about paint. The next time you decide to paint or repaint(in many cases), think about the type of paint before you agonize over color. Most household finishes off gas(this includes paint, carpet, the mastics/grouts/sealants used in tiles, wood,etc.) these can affect even those without allergens to these things and they are harmful for our health via the air quality.

There are several large paint companies and these days each will have their own "green" paints. Today I want to give you some information on two in particular, Sherwin Williams and Benjamin Moore(this is not an advertisement, most all paint companies including those sold at home improvement stores have more "green" paints). First, 3 letters-VOCs,Volatile Organic Compounds, are the toxic emissions(or off gasses) that release into the indoor air via paints and finishes, these can last for years after application. These compounds are what you want to minimize, so look for these when you look at the products you are interested in. Most paints are water based, so this helps with easy clean up and disposal is easier, since they will not be considered hazardous waste, which will help reduce landfill, groundwater and ozone contaminants. 

Benjamin Moore-They are have their "Green Promise" paints, they are designated as such due to be low odor, are quick drying and available in all their available colors. They state that you can use the rooms again within the same day as painting, this is usually unheard of with typical paints. 

They have the Natura© which is their completely zero VOC's paint, considered their greenest paint. They believe this is the lowest VOC paint on the market and includes zero VOC colorants, and is available in primer, flat, eggshell and semi-gloss finishes.

 Aura© is their next best paint, low VOC, low odor, this to has zero VOC waterborne colorants, available in the above finishes and is considered better than Natura©  for deeper colors.

Sherwin Williams-Under their "GreenSure Initiative"  they use natural materials, such as soy and sunflower oil, reducing the amount of solvents they use, so that there are less VOC's. Their paints will have the GreenSure seal and they even carry the "Good Housekeeping" seal of approval(who does not feel better with that!!).In addition to paint, they carry caulks and sealants that are GreenSure,also.  

Duration Home© and Harmony© carry this seal.They too, have low odor and zero-VOC formulas(Duration Home© is low-VOC), in addition they are anti-microbial, and are available in primer, flat, eggshell and semi-gloss finishes. 

I have not compared pricing for these, with your "normal" everyday paints, but I believe that the payoff will be in the better air quality for yourselves, your children and our pets(we cannot forget them, they spend more time indoors generally than we do!) There are many websites with smaller, lesser known brands(Real Milk Paint, LIvos, Greenplanetpaints,etc.) Kelly Moore, PPG, ICI, Devoe, Dunedwards(ecoshield) are some larger companies with zero or low VOC paints also.

Happy Painting!

The unglamourous life...of two gals and a truck

We are within weeks of our first installation for a client just over an hour out of town. Generally most designers would purchase items, store them and then have items installed all at once, in our case this project will be done in stages, and we have items stored in our garages and storage site, as well as a 3rd party two hours away. In order for our install to go smoothly items here, had to be taken to our 3rd party two hours away. Normally this would be a no brainer, you either have an employee that will organize, load and drive everything there.(someday maybe)Until we can hire that employee, this would be "our" job, as we are a small firm of two, and do all jobs required.  One never thinks about the "behind the scenes" work it takes to have a space done, it takes people and time to get things from A to B. Ava and I organized, stored and packed up a 12' truck with items we will need in a few weeks, this does not could art and soft furnishings that cannot be stored in a warehouse. Ava's been there and done that a million times before, but generally overseeing a crew of men at her beckon call. But this time, it was just her and I. Let me tell you, the girl knows how to pack a truck and drive it to boot. This is not the part of the job they tell you about in school, or at least the vision of white glove delivery happening all the time, is not reality if the client's budget does not afford it. So if you ever need advice on packing a UHaul or Penske, you know who to call, or just remember when you see a labor quote, that's just part of what is involved to complete the room or rooms of your dreams.  Have a happy Monday!

photos by a+k design