Buried Deep

On a non-design related note, aren't memories funny? It's amazing how hearing a certain song can trigger a domino effect of perfectly preserved golden memories, each one like a bug caught in amber. Just hearing that one song immediately conjures up the way Eden looks in the fall. The taste of Bailey's in coffee. The feel of a warm drink after a cold walk.

Hearing that one song makes me remember the way I felt when I first saw him. The way he smelled of pomade and Newports. How we would skip class to do homework together and end up watching movies instead. It reminds me of when we went to get tattoos but there was too long a wait, so we ended up at the hookah place. It makes me remember how badly I wanted to kiss him when he was in the hospital....

I'm SO happy and in love with someone else now...but the heart does not quickly forget. Hearing that song makes me nostalgic and I sometimes wish that I didn't remember all those things. But no matter how hard I try to forget, I just can't.

Project

I am soooo close to being done with my project! My imaginary client is an executive in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I designed the apartment complex and then one unit for my client. I decided to make her a woman, but most of the finishes could go either way. I'm not entirely happy with the execution, but I am happy with a lot of my ideas. I just need to get to the point where I can translate my ideas into sellable renderings! I've been working on this project for seven weeks - here is the fruit of my labor!

the tools of my trade

part of my floor plan

this is the living room

and here are the actual finishes

this is the dining room

...and my kitchen finishes

an elevation of my kitchen/my best rendering for this project

my bedroom finishes/favorite concept for this project

my not-so-great execution of my awesome concept

Enchanted Pt.1

Ever since I read about Titania's bower in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream many years ago, I have always thought it would be lovely to have a bedroom fit for a fairy queen. My take on that is more "enchanted forest" than flowery bower. Not all of these things are necessarily for a bedroom, but they are all very bewitching!

Zak's birthday present : )

My friend Zak is a perpetual kid. He recently got married and was upset when his wife sort of hid his 18" optimus prime toy behind a plant in their living room : ) Since his birthday is coming up, i decided to kill two birds with one stone. I made my first DIY screen printing project a birthday present for Zak! The tutorials online make it look so easy but it's totally not. Here is the fruit of my labor!

Well Zak, I hope you like it! I guess we won't find out for a little while longer. I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out. For my next project, I want to do something nature-y and pretty, whenever I have some more spare time (yeah right!).

Beauty All Around

Why do we as humans feel the need to surround ourselves with beauty? Pardon me while I venture down a philosophical path for a few moments...

Although I can't imagine that anyone would choose to be surrounded by ugliness or even just mundaneness, there must be an actual reason why we enjoy beauty. From a psychological standpoint, I turn to Maslow for my answer. Maslow theorized a "hierarchy of needs". Once our basic needs are being met, we long for something more.

I think that part of the sense of connection in the "love and belonging" category can be facilitated by good design. I think that well chosen colors can inspire feelings of happiness and contentment. Once we experience all these things, we can achieve self-actualization. Ultimately, I believe that being surrounded by beauty can help us be more creative, give us a richer life experience, and endow us with a sense of purpose.

So...if you want to hear beauty, listen to Imogen Heap's new album. If you want to see beauty, go for a walk in an enchanted forest at dusk - it's the bewitching hour! If you want to read beautiful words, read Yeats. If you want to live enveloped in beauty, hire me as your designer ; )

Dreams of being a DIY-er

...Or at least just lots more crafty! Recently, I've been inspired by my good friend Audrey. For fourth of July, she made these adorable cake balls. A few weeks ago she invited me and G over and had delicious homemade truffles for us. Last night, we went over to her place and she was painting the most charming painting! She bakes, she paints, she draws, she sings and plays piano. This women channels her creativity into so many outlets!

In order to be more like Audrey, I have been spending a lot more time in the kitchen. I can't bake AT ALL but I've been cooking things I find on foodgawker.com and it's actually been a great time. The other thing I've been trying to get into is screen printing. It's a pretty versatile craft. Once I get a screen made up, I can use it to print on canvas to make art. Or I can print on pillow cases, clothes, tote bags, you name it. I have some really cute ideas for my future bedroom involving a vinyl wall decal from my last post and some screen printed pillows. We'll see how it all turns out.

Simple and Cheap

As a designer, I'm a little hesitant when it comes to "trendy" design. A trend is something that will go out of fashion quickly, so why invest in something like that? My design aesthetic can be summed up as 1) a neutral base with splashes of color 2) comfortable elegance and 3) timeless forms. If you go with say, neutral upholstered pieces in a living room accented with colorful throw pillows, you can easily change the pillows as colors and patterns go in and out of fashion. All this said, here is a fabulous idea for inexpensive bits of trend that you can add to a neutral and timeless design to add just a little flair.

Vinyl wall decals like this one from etsy seller walldecors are much cheaper than wallpaper, and are easier to get rid of than a paint mural. You can take them with you when you move! These trees are my favorite.