ART or NOT.........

Can you imagine a space without art? Hmmm....a sterile piece of landscape. Here are some pieces I like for the colors, vibrancy, and overall statement. 

"Bronze Arc" 

"Grandiflora Blush 1" 

"Mediterranean" 

 "Bold and Brazen" 

 

 "Digital Deco Camera"

 "Alchemy"

 All art pieces from ZGallerie. They have an amazing collection of art pieces in many price ranges. I travel there sometimes when in the mood for some art. 

WARMTH AND VALUE

Continuing my quest for great products for my residential project, it is now time to select flooring. My flooring of choice: hardwood! I choose hardwood because of its warmth and value-added benefit to any home; not to mention its ease of cleaning. Taking my choice a step further, Bamboo.

For the most part, bamboo is an eco-friendly product. Bamboo grows fast, is plentiful, and can be harvested with little to no environmental impact (all depends on the method of harvesting). Additionally, bamboo is now manufactured in an array of colors. Some may argue that bamboo is too soft and therefore cannot withstand much damage. But I say isn't the same true with most hardwoods. After all, hardwoods are not exempt from scratches.

As I was perusing (I peruse a lot) through the Internet and magazines, I stumbled on the early spring issue of Renovation Style magazine and found some wonderful looking bamboos and hardwoods. Take a looksie....

The Strand Woven Magic is by GreenChoiceFlooring. Contents include corn silk and nutmeg color bamboo strips. Not only is this beauty eco-friendly but also a striking eye-catching piece for any interior application.

This piece is titled StrandWoven Mulberry and also from GreenChoiceFlooring. This product is made from processed mulberry bushes and has a swirling needle-eyed beaten look. Not sure I like the aesthetic but it is different. Maybe a country styled decor.

Aww, the horizontal caramel and the strand woven cornsilk from GreenChoiceFlooring, a classical choice in color and look. I see these colors used many times because it's not as dark as espresso or too light as maple and quite adaptable to most interior styled settings. While not my personal choice in colors, they are still beautiful pieces. Not to mention, it is eco-friendly bamboo.

There you have it peeps, my little sermon on hardwood flooring.

Enjoy and thanks for stopping by!!!

Found Inspirational Piece

I've been working on a residential project, which has completely soaked up my time. However, I am having tons of fun and learning a lot in the process. I have completely reconfigured the floor plan (will post pics of the before and after later). I am working with a 3000 sq. ft. two-story home ~ 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. While I am shooting for a contemporary style with a splash of Asian influence, I still needed to find my inspirational piece. Hmm, happy hunting!

One Friday evening while window shopping at the Millenia Mall with a few friends we decide to stop in Nine West; and bam! I spotted my inspirational piece. 

Yes shoes! The natural feeling of the cork wedge, dark color of the sandal, and the warm colors in the wedged heel. Many of these items can be spotted in an Asian-themed design. These shoes are funky!


Inspiration can hit you at anytime or anywhere while doing anything. You just have to be ready. Go ahead, look for your inspiration and create something! 

All about color

Another inspirational pic ~ Fantastic colors in this setting. The clever use of warm and cool colors in this genre completes the room. Although each piece of furniture makes its own statement, colors make them speak.
www.architecturaldigest.com

Simply Georgeous

Inspirational Pic ~ Absolutely love this space. The clean and simple forms, minimal decor, great furniture layout and the eye-catching light fixture over the dining room table. Notice the backdrop for this space. Heavenly!
www.architecturaldigest.com/homes

Barstools

I am currently shopping for the perfect barstool for my residential project. A barstool that is transitional and would fit into a decor with a hint of Asia. Besides the dark wood, practicality and comfort are top priority.This is what I found while perusing the stores:

The "Angus Barstool" courtesy of Macys. Love the peek-a-boo back and comfort of the seating. Although may be a bit too contemporary for an Asian theme. 

The Elana Banana Leaf Barstool courtesy of World Market. This piece is perfect for an Asian theme with its dark wood and natural material, banana leaf fibers. However, it's quiet stiff and not appealing to one's bottom. 

Folio Leather Oyster Leather Backless Barstool courtesy of Crate and Barrel. Ok, so these are not Asian themed at all but I just love the contemporary look of these stools. These stools also comes in a variety of colors. I couldn't leave them out of the op ed. 

The Hudson Parsons Upholstered Barstool courtesy of Restoration Hardware. This is a lovely piece with its allover comfortable upholstery and dark wood. Not to mention it comes in a variety of beige colors or the consumer can bring their own fabric; nice feature. This piece may work. 

A Well-Planned Kitchen

One of my many interior design assignments was to design a 3000 sq. ft. two-level residential home. The requirements are to find creative ways to rework the floor plan. From moving walls and moving rooms to furniture shopping, décor and designing interesting ceiling treatments, sounds like an easy task. Right? It will take a few sketches to get to the right layout, but it will be done. After all, my creativity is in play here.

After perusing the floor plan, my initial thought was that the placement of the kitchen was just wrong and ineffective. The location of the kitchen as you can see in the picture is located in the front of the home right by the entry doorway and away from the patio. Ineffective and illogical - You’ve planned a backyard get together or maybe you want to have dinner on the patio, now you have to trek all the way to the front of the house because you forgot the ketchup.  Eventually, this will become bothersome. My first task, move the kitchen to the rear of the home closer to the patio.

Some Research:  

Whether your kitchen is I-shaped, L-shaped, or U-shaped, there are some rules that applies to every kitchen plan to make them more efficient for the end-user. Besides the building codes and accessibility rules, the most popular rule is the “work triangle” rule. Every kitchen designer is aware of this rule. The “work triangle” rule consists of three working stations: the sink, refrigerator, and cooking stations. While the “work triangle” may be expanded into multiple triangles, the general rule remains the same.  

Some Inspirational Photos

Photos courtesy of Kitchen Portfolio for Florida Builder Appliances.