Making A Beautiful Choice in Interior Design

 

Sustainable . . . It’s not exactly a word which brings to mind a sultry, sexy image.  In fact, the concept can be so complex it can create a bit of a yawn. 

Paul Hawken has said:   "Sustainability is about stabilizing the currently disruptive relationship between earth’s two most complex systems—human culture and the living world.” 

A titillating discussion for some, while not so much for others.  I promise, if you’ll stick with me, this post will become more exciting!  (And if you’re an interior designer, who will be attending the High Point Furniture Market, you should continue to read on to the end.  There’s a juicy tid-bit waiting just for you! . . . No reading backwards, either!)

First, here’s the “skinny” on BiOHpolyols ' Project UDesign:

It’s a contest, in collaboration with the Savannah College of Art and Design (On Twitter as @SCADdotedu), Century Furniture, and Toray Ultrasuede, to crowdsource the next generation sustainable wing chair.  (Crowdsourcing is simply where a group or community is asked to participate,through an open call, in order to collaborate on an idea or a project.)  In the case of Project U Design, you get to help to decide, (via your vote), which design, created by one of the students at SCAD, moves forward to actually be manufactured by Century Furniture, a truly glam furniture manufacturer who also happens to be interested in incorporating eco-friendly, sustainable products into their production process.  Beauty isn’t always in the eyes of the beholder, it’s behind the scenes, too!

There are currently six designs and five semi-finalist students in competition for the decision. Between now and Oct. 3rd at 11: 59 pm, everyone can vote for the three finalists. They will be selected only by those who vote online and the 3 finalists will be announced on Monday, Oct. 4th on www.facebook.com/BiOHFans.   

(Okay, I promised to spice things up so I thought you might enjoy a visual reference for all of the key partners in this historical design adventure.  The Tortoise Chair is one of the six designs, for which you can place your vote.  You’re getting warm if you’re wondering about my vote.)

(The Tortoise Chair, designed by Colin Jones.  You can click on this picture to read his comments about this design’s inspiration.)

How can you place your vote?

The voting for the three finalists, (who will be announced on Oct. 4th), will end at 11: 59pm, Tuesday, Oct. 19th. The designer of the chair who has the most votes will win. The winner will be chosen only by online votes and none of the partners or related parties have any say so in the winner. It is completely the public's choice.

What will the winner receive?  (Aside from your vote of confidence?)

1. A thousand dollars from BiOH – immediately!  (What budding new designer couldn’t benefit from that?)

2. Their winning design will be produced and put into Century's regular line up for intro at the Spring 2011 HP Market!  (Can you imagine?  I would have to be tied down with a ton of bricks to keep from hitting the ceiling!)

3. The winning student will be paid royalties by Century on all sales of their winning chair, once it's produced! (Mom and Dad would sure be proud to know “sustainable” could live up to it’s other application!)

4. A lot of publicity!  (You can say you knew them “when” and helped to put them in the pages of “House Beautiful”, “Forbes”, “The New York Times”, or perhaps they’ll even be chatting it up online, with you, as they develop their next big idea!)

Now for My Big Reveal!

For those of you who don’t know me, I’m southern born and bred.  Having created interiors in the Charlotte, NC area, for the last fourteen-plus years, I like to say I have a foot in the past, (as I have an affinity for antiques and history), but with an eye towards the future.  I happily embrace the style which is being referred to the “New Traditional” or “New Classic”.  The Tortoise Chair, by Colin Jones, appears as if it would nest just as comfortably within an antebellum estate or in a mid-century modern ranch.

(Please click on my inspiration board to enlarge it for a better view.)

When I looked at Colin’s design, I thought about some long past days when I was in interior design school.  I imagined it might be fun to see if I could utilize the colors of my alma mater, East Carolina University.  They aren’t always the first hues I would think about bringing into an interior – purple and gold – but then . . . 1.  I am an interior designer, after all, and I should be able to address most design requests  . . . and . . . 2.  Purple has been making a grand entrance at recent market events. 

(This was my color combo challenge!  How well did I do?)

Thanks to Alluminaire.com, I was able to create a custom shade, for a ceiling pendant fixture, which helped me to incorporate another accent color, timely for the fall season. . . Pumpkin!  I also added in a little gray as I envisioned it to be the background color of the walls in this room.  (Painted in Sherwin William’s Harmony paint, of course!)  It was fun, as well, to peruse some of the latest runway fashion statements, as I knew those trends can eventually work their way into the lines created for home interiors.  I loved this photo of singer, Joss Stone.  She had the perfect backdrop as she posed in her embroidered silk dress and with a lovely plum shock of hair!  (I could just envision that dress being made from some draperies yanked down from windows, Scarlett O’Hara style.)  I decided to tweak the original chair’s covering and selected Wild Plum from Ultrasuede’s line-up of eco-friendly fabrics.  (A soft landing at the end of a hard day.)  Duralee provided a great little accent pillow fabric with their line from Clodagh - coincidently, in the color pumpkin!  The modular carpet tiles, from Flor, offered a curvilinear backdrop as well as the “Sensuous” gourd vases from a local Charlotte area gallery, Red Sky.

Good design should always be about making a beautiful choice.  The beauty of the choice will be the one where it’s based on being all about you!  As a designer, I bring it to your home with the selection, the knowledge, and a bit of gentle guidance. 

Please be sure to vote.  The industry needs your feedback to develop sustainable products, which are stable, sultry, and sexy!

PS – I didn’t forget my interior designer friends!  Are you attending the High Point Fall Market?  Be sure to put October 18th at 5pm on your calendar.  All registered market/trade attendees are invited to share time with the traditional shelter print press in the Century Furniture showroom.  It’s a great opportunity for mixing and mingling.  Come meet the folks involved in creating your favorite publications!

3 Cool Solutions for a Hot Day – And 1 For Good Measure!

Last night, during a very late, night owl session, I was Tweet-chatting with my friend, Maybelline Te.  I read her previous posts of the heat she has been experiencing, while visiting with family and friends, in and around Cebu, in the Philippines.  I believe she mentioned the mercury had been hovering around 94 degrees, Fahrenheit.  (I’m clarifying the difference because they tend to go by Celsius, in other countries.)  I was thinking, “Wow!  That is warm”, and then chuckled when I realized it’s been about the same in my area.  I’ve been joking that all one has to do is walk outdoors, and a free, instant facial will be provided.  (And, whether you have straight or curly hair, it will definitely not be a good hair day.)

Meanwhile, if you are in an location, where the AC has been running full force or outdoor activities are not so appealing, chances are, you’ll totally relate to this post.  I thought it would be nice to capture the moment with “Cool Solutions for a Hot Day”, and I hope you’ll enjoy the brief respite!

1.  As a southerner, there is never a moment when I don’t have a pitcher of tea in the fridge.  It doesn’t matter how chilled it already is . . . there’s going to be ice involved!  This brewing pitcher, available from Tea Forté, is the perfect solution if you want a fresh glass, without much fuss.  They currently have a special offer, so be sure to click on this link.  I’m tempted by some of their delicious flavors, too – iced raspberry nectar and iced pomegranate blackberry.  Tons of anti-oxidant benefits, as well!

I thought it was especially helpful to see the preparation steps demonstrated.  I love it when a merchant takes the mystery away from the “how-to”.  I also appreciate the combination of beautiful design and function.  Mmmmm . . . Excuse me for a moment . . . I think I have an order to place!

 

   

 

2.  Ceiling fans – love them or hate them?  I’ve got clients who have strong opinions and it’s a real 50/50 split on the subject.  Some can’t get past the look and others can’t live without the function.  Let me just say this, I always think of function before form, but that doesn’t mean you have to ignore the aesthetics in the process.  I think this fan, from Hunter Fan Company, is a pretty sharp cookie, and it’s probably because they got it right in several categories.  Let’s talk function, first.  The blades are coated with Dust Armor™ Nanotechnology.  This is designed to repeal dust from the blades, so it keeps maintenance low, while prevented sneezing fits every time you hit the ‘on’ control.  It’s also ENERGY STAR® rated and utilizes their WhisperWind® Motor, for quiet operation.  No humming or buzzing above.  The design is compact and sleek.  If you need to have an egress light for your room, this fan incorporates it in a non-obtrusive way.  You won’t have ugly, dangling light bulbs detracting from your beautiful interiors.  Different finishes are also available to compliment your other metals and color palette.

3.  Another way to maintain your cool, is to think about switching out your bed linens in the summer months.  The challenge can be in maintaining a soft, fluffy look, without adding a heavy layer to be tossed aside, every evening.  One of my favorite solutions is the summer weight silk comforter from DeWoolfson Fine Linens.  It’s filled with fine, Mulberry silk, which is naturally hypoallergenic.  The cover is silk habotai, which loosely translated, means soft-as-down – and that, it is!  I call it the “binkie” for grown-ups.  I do really believe we sleep better, when the largest organ of our body, our skin, experiences a little extra nurturing and care. Did you know silk is the closest thing to human skin as it contains a natural protein and essential amino acids?  Dust mites are naturally repelled by silk and it is also a naturally fire retardant material. (From the Silk Perfect site.)  While we might think of silk as a luxury item, when you understand all of the benefits and the performance of the fiber, silk really is a “cool thing”!

So now you have my three “cool” solutions for a hot day.  What’s the one for good measure? . . .

  

. . . Take a cooling, Epsom salt bath.  There are so many combinations you can create, with essential oils, or by adding some sprigs of peppermint.  You’ll not only cool off, but the benefits are amazing from what is absorbed through our skin.  (Yes, that protective body covering needs a little extra TLC, as it directs good things to our internal systems.)  Just a few cups, diluted in your bath, and you’re good to go!

Do take care, as you go out into the heat!  Be sure to “design” your day for the best experience!

All my best!  Wanda

Still coming in June - “A Room At A Time” Blogpost Series!