well, it's the weekend again! time to share a little inspiration with all of y'all :)

a couple weeks ago i received a post about a living room in need of some help... there are pitchers, rocks, shells, and antlers in this room & a couch and rug that do not match.in any renovation design project it's usually a good idea to first identify what function or purpose the room will serve in your house. for this example, the room in question is a living room and serves as an entertainment room for the house. the living room is a little more formal than the other rooms in the house so the challenge is to dress up the room while keeping it comfortable and within the family's personal style. 

sometimes with projects like this, it's easiest to start with something manageable. let's take the couch and the rug... find a solid-color couch that suits your personal style. leather can be a nice option since it adds a level of sophistication to the space, but is comfortable. it is also much easier to match rugs and furniture when there aren't clashing patterns to work with.

as for the accessories in the room (pitchers, rocks, shells, antlers, etc.), why not go for a natural feel for the room? all of the mentioned elements evoke an organic, natural sense of style... embrace it! display pitchers in an unusual manner, hang antlers on walls, interchange rocks and shells on shelves, have fun and mix it up!

the best part about design is that you can experiment :) try new things out, leave it be for a week, get a feel for it, and then change it up if you want! interiors are constantly changing... so don't feel like one thing has to last forever. look up interiors that inspire you and try it out in your own house. let me know what you try and how you like it!!

happy friday y'all!! i love weekends because they are so relaxing, and i get inspired to work on projects that i don't have time for during the week :) this morning in one of my studios we completed a design charette by creating a "global classroom" that would serve as a prototype for the future. (fun fact: charette actually means teacart! when participants would finish their drawings a proctor would collect their designs by pushing his teacart down the aisle.)  i always get excited about new projects, and so i started thinking of fun and innovative things i could do with a global classroom :)

 

i was looking for inspiration when i came across this article in metropolis magazine. it's about a middle school in east harlem, new york that is really thinking outside the box!what inspired me was how the architects looked at schools and classrooms in innovative new ways... the challenge of any design project is figuring out what works and what what new ideas could change for the better. i love how the architects took an institution and made it into a place of learning and education. i was especially fascinated with how much open space and light was used in the designs of the classrooms. it's been proven that natural elements, such as sunlight, can help brain development so that's a major benefit of the school! the design of the east harlem school is fantastic, and it's these kinds of projects that always inspire me to be more creative in my own designs :)

here's the link to the article:
http://www.metropolismag.com/story/20100113/the-pride-of-east-103rd-street

check it out and let me know what y'all think!!