Elementary School Career Day / October 7, 2015 by Paula

Career day at Valley View Elementary

Career day at Valley View Elementary in Austin, Texas (supporting the VVE Booster Club) is one of my favorite events of the year. We gather old kids magazines and discontinued fabrics from a few local stores, draw up a floor plan and off we go.

This year we had 31 kids (4th and 5th graders) choose "Interior Designer" as a career they wanted to learn more about. Some of the other careers that were available were Spa Owner, Photographer, Realtor, Wedding Planner, Doctor, Veterinarian, SWAT Team and Mounted Police. Can you imagine going up against policemen on horses for a tweens attention?!

We handed the kids a floor plan and a furniture template and requested they come up with their "Dream Bedroom" to present to the class at the end of the meeting time. It is amazing what those kids came up with in 30 minutes. Some preferred to draw only, while others picked fabric swatches and combed through every magazine I brought for ideas.

We had ladders to lofts above the beds, full functioning rooms that the kids would never have to leave except to request additional food. One girl even added on to the 18 x 25 room because she couldn't plan her bedroom without knowing where the bathroom door would be located.

Thank you to Valley View for allowing me to spend time with their wonderful and creative kids. I had a great time and can't wait to come back next year!

Below are some of the fun drawings and kids hard at work. There are some budding Designers and Architects in this mix. I will be able to say "I knew them when..."

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Help Dad Relax in Style / June 15, 2015 by Paula

With Father's Day around the corner, today we're talking about Dads!

Dads always seem to have their one, special seat in the house...their designated seat that no one else is allowed to sit in. And, hey, it's important for Dads to have their place to relax, watch TV, and maybe even drink a beer or two. But often times this place of relaxation is, well, not so stylish.

It seems an epidemic of ugly recliners has swept across America and sucked our fathers in to them...so this Father's Day we're doing something to help.

We're looking at how to give Dad a dapper, yet comfortable recliner. Comfort is the number one purchasing factor for men's chairs, but that doesn't mean they have to sacrifice style.

Below are some of our favorites that you should consider for Dad for Father's Day (or birthday, or Holidays...anything to help solve this ugly chair epidemic).

This recliner comes from Thayer Coggin. They have an old-school mid-century modern style that is perfect for any sleek and modern room.

And if Dad doesn't like wooden arms, then consider something like this Flight Recliner from Design Within Reach.

We love this design because it doesn't even look like a recliner, but yet it can lean all the way back and comes in multiple fabrics and colors. This particular seat, along with the example below, is manly and is also great for a wide range of interior styles.

A few more chair styles that are fairly transitional are the In Mod and the Spencer Recliner.

A bit less stylish and a little more cushioned for those Dads that like to take long naps...

For those that really want to nap, and lean all the way back, we love this amazing cow hide chaise lounge (it must be the Texan in us). Chaise loungers are great options as well. Many of them give you the option to sit upright or recline at your leisure.

Last, but not least we cannot forget the Eames Lounge Chair. Although it is not a recliner, it is a sophisticated & classic design that is not only a mid-century design staple, but also very comfortable!

We have used it in a few of our design projects, often as a main focal point of the room [example image below].

Lounge chairs [with ottomans] are often more stylish than recliners, but function in a similar manner. Another fun fact about the Eames...they now come in a larger size for the taller man in your family. So if you are having trouble finding a recliner that works for Dad and your space, consider a lounger!

[This is another example of a lounger we used in a modern, high-rise condo design project].

We hope you now understand that it's not hard to replace Dad's big-cushioned, oversized, worn-out recliner, with something stylish and comfortable.

If you need help finding more than just a recliner, feel free to reach out to us! We would be happy to help you select furniture (not just for Dad) that is perfect for your space!

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All Things Green / March 17, 2015 by Paula

In honor of St. Patrick's Day we wanted to post about one of our favorite colors...Green! Green is the color of balance, growth and harmony. Whether turning a room green or only putting in a small accent, green has earned its way into the "neutrals" area of the color palette.

One of our design goals with every home is to tie the interior of the home to the exterior in some way. We call it "bringing the outside in." Where an architect strives to seamlessly blend the home to the natural site, we take it one step further by pulling colors from the lands, lakes and vegetation and make them part of the home.

Below are images from various home interiors that we designed with green in mind.

As seen in the photos above, green can be used as a paint color for an entire room all the way down to onion grass accents on a kitchen shelf.

Green makes you feel relaxed, restored and happy. Some even believe that green is a sign of new beginnings. The shedding of the old and introduction of the new.

If you are interested in updating a room or two, or even your whole home, but are not sure where to begin, give us a call. We will help you find YOUR new beginning.

Green Product listing:

Color Swatches are all Benjamin Moore Paint Colors - from left to right - Guilford Green, Meadow View, Castleton Mist, & Split Pea

Stone Swatches are all from Pacific Shore Stones (in the left corner) - from top to bottom - Rainforest Green Granite, Green Onyx

Tiles are all from Walker Zanger (in the bottom center) - from left to right - Skyline Tile, Chelsea Art Glass in Spring

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