Idea Paint

I had the pleasure of speaking on the phone yesterday with Jeff Avallon, co-founder of Idea Paint.  One of the best aspects of my job is getting to know all the great, creative people who come up with such amazing products.  Jeff is no exception, and I think we could have gone on for hours brainstorming great new ways of using Idea Paint.

If you haven’t seen this terrific product, it’s an eco-friendly paint you can apply to any smooth surface to turn it into a dry erase board.  If you ever get tired of it, you can just paint over it with regular paint, and you’re back to “normal”.  I’m excited because it will be a feature of my Teen Choice Awards lounge area.  I’ll post images of the installation once it’s done in a couple of weeks, but for now, check out this video Idea Paint took during the Dwell on Design show recently.

As some folks may already know, I recently passed the NCIDQ exam (National Council for Interior Design Qualification).  I’ve long been a strong proponent of accreditation for professional interior designers, but even so, it took me some time after I qualified to take the exam before I was ready to commit to the study and focus it takes to pass it.

Excuse me while I take a moment to give a little shout out to the wonderful folks at ASID who developed the STEP study program.  Don’t take the NCIDQ without it!

Of course, now that I am fully accredited, I find myself more frustrated than ever with the ongoing battle between those who want interior designers to be qualified, and those who don’t.  Unfortunately, despite the level of education now required to receive a degree in Interior Design, and the stringent qualifying exams at both a national and, in some cases, a state level, there are many who feel that ANYONE, should be able to call themselves an interior designer.  I have nothing against people who want to work as “decorators”, and in fact think there is a real need in the marketplace for the lower fees they can charge for color advice, window treatments, accessories and the like.  However, I think that interior designers (or interior architects if you will) NEED to be tested and certified, because they affect life safety issues.  Would you want someone with a “flair” for color designing a staircase for a retail store?  What if they didn’t know code regulations and put slippery flooring in a gym bathroom?  While some have argued that nobody would hire an interior designer without knowing if they were familiar or qualified to work on a project, I’m here to tell you that that is simply not true.  I have often seen completely unqualified designers, fresh out of design school, hired for projects way over their head because the client wanted to get a cheaper price.  Without safeguards in place, anything can and will happen.  That is, unless designers are no longer allowed to work on projects which involve knowledge of building codes and accessibility.  Interestingly enough, efforts to prevent or reverse the creation of state certification programs for designers are frequently supported and financed by the AIA.  Politics.

Anyhoo, I’m looking forward to completing my application process for CID status with the State of California soon.  That will give me the ability to stamp construction documents for any project not involving load bearing walls or seismic changes.  I don’t know how quickly I will be receiving my plan stamp, but once I do, expect some serious construction to take place!  Staircase to nowhere anyone???

For years (and years) I’ve been a fan of industrial “antiques”.  Perhaps it’s my fondness for Chaplin’s “Modern Times”, or the design school attempt I had at creating a chaise lounge from a giant gear and some corrugated steel.  Whatever the inspiration, I still find the rusted, battered ghosts of the machine age inspiring.

Cleveland Art is a paradise to someone with my quirky aesthetic.  Founded in 1994 by Jason Wein, who saw the potential of industrial machinery and surplus being re-purposed and recycled as functional design, Cleveland Art has become a draw for many designers and architects.  Each piece is truly unique, and lends a sense of purpose both fulfilled, and reclaimed, that cannot be replicated.

A perfect coffee table, made from a vintage factory cart

Recycled glass is another favorite medium for Jason Wein, and the freeform shapes of his vases, bowls and light fixtures are perfect foils to the hard, metallic edges of the vintage factory pieces.

Freeform glass bowls

There are a million ways to use this terrific table.  TV console?   Cocktail cart?  Dog house?  I want to buy it and play!

And who… WHO wouldn’t want their very own, explosion proof cabinet???

Cleveland Art receives new shipments frequently, so make sure you check back from time to time.  You never know what they’ll come up with.

As an interior designer I pride myself in an ability to appreciate and design in all sorts of styles and time periods.  Have a notion for gothic?  I’m your gal.  Tastes run more towards Art Deco.  No problem, I’m fluent in that too.  But even I have to admit that there are styles that just never really capture my imagination.  For a long time Danish Modern has been one of those “meh” things to me.  I could just never get past the poor, 80’s era knock-offs I guess.

Then, last year, I found Sidecar Furniture and I’ve been a convert ever since.  Furniture maker David Johnson has taken a cue from that classic style and put his own spin on it, creating absolutely sublime furniture, that speaks of the beauty of wood, and the timelessness of craftsmanship.

I had the pleasure of running into him again at Dwell on Design, and got to see his newest version of the TV console I fell in love with last year.  Here it is with one sliding panel open.

The detailing is as rich and well thought out as before (check out the beautiful cane-woven ventilation panels at the back), but now it is made in beautiful strand bamboo.  My photos really don’t do it justice, so I encourage you to check out the Sidecar Furniture website to get a better feel for these terrific pieces.

Oh, and for those of you who read “Sidecar” and got a little retro cocktail hankering, here is the classic recipe – Cheers!

One of the loveliest vendors I met during Dwell on Design was Kathleen Roarty, owner and designer of Mint Pillows. Her passion for design and for environmentally sound practices was readily apparent, as was her pride in the photographic skills of her son, who took many of the images found on her pillows!

Made from 100% recycled plastic water bottles, these indoor-outdoor pillows are hand silk-screened, using environmentally friendly dyes, and are designed to last!  Use them by the pool or in your living room, either way they are a bright and cheerful addition.

My personal favorite was this marvelous pillow from the Tokyo series.  I could happily design an entire room around this image (and yes, it’s a real photograph).

Now that my blog is truly back on track, I thought I would spend this week showing you some of the great things I saw at Dwell on Design.

First up is one of the best eco installations I have seen is quite awhile.  To be honest, I often feel underwhelmed these days when I come across a a “green design” installation.  So often they consist of white walls with no-VOC paint, acres of bamboo something or another, and a predictable palette of tan, off-white and apple green.  It’s not that these elements aren’t good on their own right, but they have become ubiquitous at every eco-show I’ve been to in the last 4 years.  So I was really pleased to see the Reclaimed Space house and the lovely ecofabulous.com interiors.

A really nice use of re-claimed timber and corrugated steel as building materials.

The rustic yet modern design looked fantastic and inviting.

I think more sustainable design should use re-claimed furniture.  Isn’t it nice how unexpected that gold chair is?

Of course, the Stray Dog Designs mirror over the Caroma sink added just the right touch of whimsey.

The space was a bit crowded when I was there, so I only managed to get a few shots of this great interior.  Click here to see more on the ecofabulous.com blog.  You’ll be glad you did.

Green Interior Design

I will be teaching a new Green Interior Design course at CSULB, starting July 27th!

Go green without compromising style…

The demand to use products and practices that are both eco-friendly and promote better health in our homes and the workplace is becoming increasingly important.

This course presents an in-depth introduction to “green” interior design practices and will equip you with knowledge to “Go Green” without compromising style.

Combine your passion for interior design with a working knowledge of sustainable principles and collaborate with architects, interior designers and contractors to produce projects that meet the highest level of green building standards

Topics Include:

* Understanding the core differences between a standard interior design project and a green project
* Acquiring the ability to research and identify appropriate material solutions for project requirements
* Understanding IAQ issues, and how to solve them using green materials and products
* Differentiating between the key product and building certification systems, and how they apply to project goals and needs

Learn more…