Design 'N Architecture

As I speak around the country about universal design housing, members of my audience composed of interior designers, architects, builders and consumers ask many questions. It has occurred to me over the past several years that there are many misconceptions about universal design. Let me share a few of the top myths and explain reality from my perspective.Myth: A home using universal design looks ugly, institutional and stereotypes the home so people know it was designed for a person with a disability.Reality: Professionally designed homes with universal design features and products enhance the beauty of a home while making it...

Warmest Wishes for a happy, healthy and prosperous year 2011. We look forward to serving your continuing education needs throughout the new year and invite you to share any continuing education wish you may have on this blog. Photograph: Bright Red Happy New Year cards by Maggie Campbell & Matt Raw    ...

  As mentioned in an earlier tweet, I (and 400 others) attended a conference call with Nika Stewart and Sydni Craig-Hart. During the hour-long call, the two successful businesswomen outlined five steps design professionals should take to attract more clients. Here we go (my favorite is under # 4 but you need to implement all 5 to reap the benefits of the synergy): 1) Discover Your True Value What do you bring to the table? What sets you apart? What is your expertise? What is your niche market? Who do you serve? Who is your ideal client? I suggest jotting...

What should a chair or sconce look like?  Should its use be obvious or something to decipher and discover?   Today, I want to write about furniture and lighting that interact with and enliven their surroundings.   I'm talking about design that goes beyond function to become art, objects that have a distinctive personality and point of view.   They evoke humor and emotion; they offer innovation without over-complication. Scott Burton, who died in 1989 at the age of 50, is best known for creating public sculpture that walks a fine line between art and furniture.  Purchased by museums, corporations and collectors,...

If you are looking to build or remodel a home that is more energy efficient, healthier, and uses more renewable and recycled materials, then build it "green." Green homes are environmentally friendly and cheaper to operate. There are many resources and organizations that focus on green building and give consumers tips. The U.S. Green Building Council (www.usgbc.org) is the nation's foremost coalition of leaders from across the building industry working to promote buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable, and healthy places to live and work. This non-profit organization has the LEED for Homes program in place to certify homes based...

Studies after studies have highlighted the benefits of art in interiors but for Lisa Bayne, CEO of The Guild/Artful Home, Art is what she found in her dream work environment during a visit to the Level Playing Field Institute in San Francisco. "Wherever you turn within LPFI's offices", Lisa recalls, "there is art, all of it extremely tactile. At the entry gathering spot, rather than a traditional corporate coffee table, the founders have placed a Josh Urso "Knoop Table", letting you know immediately that this is no cookie-cutter sterile office experience." So why don't more companies share Lisa's vision...

In the art world, museums are trying to change the game by hiring new directors.  Jeffrey Deitch, a New York art dealer, has been hired to lead the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles.  At the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum in New York, they hired Bill Mosgridge, a design practitioner, industrial designer and businessman.  These museums are trying to shake things up. The simple act of turning a developer owned condo into a gallery for one night is gaining popularity, bringing creative types into contact with those looking to buy a place.  Developers get foot traffic while artists...

This post on art and residential architecture starts with an example about accessibility.  Over ten years ago, Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas (Office for Metropolitan Architecture)designed a house in France for a client who was confined to a wheelchair.  The three story house has an elevator platform, 10' x 10.75', that moves freely between the floors.  The 'room', with its permanent wall of shelves, travels up and down through the house transforming the architecture of the house, becoming part of the kitchen, living space or enclosed as an office.    Thinking about rooms as elevators or even rooms on tracks...

"It is an immutable law in business that words are words, explanations are explanations, promises are promises but only performance is reality."~American Businessman Harold S. Geneen Throughout this entire series, I've been speaking about "business promises." While it's important to have a "promise" to build your business on, the vital thing is to deliver on that promise.  This alone is what the customer will remember. As a close to this series, I felt it best to conclude with a short list of statements/questions that you should keep top-of-mind:• NO AMOUNT OF MARKETING CAN OVERCOME CONTINUAL POOR COMPANY PERFORMANCE.    • If you promise...