Flooring Innovation
Carpet has been around almost as long as the sheep and goats who’s wool is sheared and used to spin into woven fibers. A Pazyryk rug from 464 B.C. was discovered in ice filled tomb Outer Mongolia in 1960, showing characteristics of a modern Persian rug.
However, modular flooring is much more recent, being first introduced in the 1960’s as a more economical way for businesses in buildings with large square footage to minimize carpet seams and replace damaged or worn sections without having to pay to replace a whole width of flooring. The difference is that while a high quality natural fiber rug hasn’t changed all that much in thousands of years, the commercial carpet of today is constantly evolving to keep up with the demands of consumers and the environment alike.
As the manufacturing procedures became more mechanized and the fibers turned from natural wools to resilient, colorfast synthetics, carpets became more of a common material for homes and businesses. Computer design allowed for unlimited numbers of color combination and patterns and flooring companies began introducing new lines and patterns annually if not more frequently to give their clients seemingly unlimited choices.
Finally, modular carpet became the height of innovation allowing designs within the designs of an 18×18 grid with standard, quarter turned, and random installations available and even giving the consumer the option to use several different carpet patterns in the same installation just as ceramic and vinyl tiles can do. Flooring is as integral a part of the design process as color selection with so many opportunities for creativity available through the modular carpet markets.
Now Shaw has created the next innovation in modular flooring, a new size. By introducing an 18×36 size tile Shaw expands on the already numerous ways of installing and creating design in flooring. Consumers are always looking for the next great thing, the newest product available and Shaw has filled that need with a small design change that provides a big impact.
(Photos copyright of their origional owners)
An Architectural Doll House
Move over Barbie, this a whole new dream house. It stands only about 18 inches high, but this contemporary style home has amazing detail and is way beyond any model built in the early hours of the morning by a college student hopped up on coffee with a presentation the next day.
As pretty as it is, this house isn’t just look at either. The folks at Brinca Dada mean for you to play with this house, not just admire the view. It swings open.
There’s modern furniture to go in it so the design style on the inside matches the style on the outside.
There’s even these creepy doll-people to live in the house.
I get that they’re supposed to be like the wooden drawing figures, but why the googlie eyes? They also supposedly have muscles that flex like real biscep and calf muscles. I guess so the doll man can invite the doll lady to the gun show? It seems they’ve thought of everything.
Check out the whole inventory at Brinca Dada’s website.
Blue Dot Swap Meet
Check out the barter system at its best!
There are websites where you can swap books, or DVD’s that you no longer want for ones you do. You can go to your local farmers market and find all sorts of fun “vintage” stuff. But this I have never seen.
Blue Dot, a modern furniture company, is holding an online swap meet where they let you propose any manner of fun, interesting, or wacky objects or talents for a piece of their furniture. Already many people have won the furniture item of their choice by offering up such things as a spork collection, dog food donations to local shelters, an epic college kegger, and random acts of worm-ness (yes, the dance move).
I love the creativity that people have and I’ve spent endless hours reading through the entries and dreaming of what wonderful nonsense I could possibly throw at them that might get me one of their awesome Desk 51’s.
What would you offer up at the Blue Dot Swap Meet?
Re-Upholstering for the Environment
With the Industrial Age came the incredible results of an assembly line manufacturing system. Thanks to technology, everything from clothing and books to accessories and furniture have been made more inexpensive and readily available to consumers. While this makes life easier for many of us, it is also in direct defiance to society’s desire for everything to be eco-friendly. We have created a disposable mentality and an “if it breaks I’ll fix it” philosophy has been replaced with an “if it breaks I’ll buy a new one” attitude.
It seems like everywhere you look there’s an advertisement for the next great solution to the environment’s pollution woes, but it seems a lot of the “solutions” just create more junk to fill up our landfills. Instead of out with the old and in with the new, a great way to be more environmentally friendly would be to reuse what you already have, and reupholstering furniture is a great example.
Have you ever moved a sofa that was made before the 1950’s? Chances are you had to call in a few extra friends to give you a hand because that sucker was heavy! For the most part furniture just isn’t built like it used to be; plywood and veneers have replaced solid pieces of wood to make furniture lighter, more inexpensive, and easier to mass-produce. So if you’ve inherited a well made sofa from a relative or bought a dining set from an antique store years ago but they’ve become stale and lived-in, consider a facelift over kicking them to the curb.
Wood tables and chairs are easy for any homeowner to sand down and stain or paint for a fresh new look, but upholstery could prove to be tricky and a professional should be called if you don’t have the proper tools or know-how. The results are fantastic, well worth looking into, and the environment will thank you.
How to Pick the Perfect Paint Color
The following are some inside tips from an Interior Designer to help you pick the best paint color for your project. Many people find themselves overwhelmed when picking a paint color, whether it’s because they are afraid of picking the wrong color, or just have so may choices they can’t narrow it down to the perfect shade, these tips can help.
1. Be sure an look at the entire paint chip; if you think the dark shade of green on your sample has too much yellow, a lighter shade in the same family is also going to have too much yellow. Get rid of any paint chips if you don’t love all the colors, even if you’re not looking to paint a darker shade.
2. Be sure to view the chip under the lighting in the room you want to paint. Many paint stores have industrial HID or fluorescent lighting which will make the color look much different then it will under an incandescent lamp. Pay attention to the natural light in your space as well since it will also play a part in how you view your paint colors.
3. Pick a color from a fabric you love. If you already have your curtains or throw pillow fabric picked out, take it shopping with you. Even a favorite piece of clothing can provide inspiration for color, just make sure it’s a color you can live with everyday.
4. Consider the other rooms you can see from the space you’re looking to paint. Using complimentary colors and similar hues will help you create an overall design and careful consideration of your home or place of business as a whole will pay off when all of your rooms have been completed.
5. Spring for a small swatch before you commit to buying gallons of paint. If you’re really are having a hard time making a decision, most paint stores will sell you a small sample size of the paint you’re considering. Paint a swatch on a wall in your space and see how you like it actually on the wall. This can also help you determine how many coats you’re liable to need to account for when purchasing your paint. The only thing to be careful of is the color you’re painting over influencing your new paint color. You can always paint the swatch on a piece of posterboard and tack it to the wall to create a neutral border.
Happy painting!
Honeysuckle; a Bold New Color for a Brand New Year!
Pantone, a leading source of color related information for designers, artists, and more, has named the 2011 color of the year as honeysuckle. This color was named not for the nectar that comes from this plant but for the vibrant pink hue some species of these flowers take.
For me this color suggests life, happiness, and even evokes the sweet scent of it’s nectar when I hear the word. The color itself gives a vibrant shot of life with the smallest of application. Honeysuckle can be rather potent which allows it to inject life into a room with just a couple of accessories or an accent wall. It would be easy to over use this color but fortunately if you start small it will enhance just about any existing color palate.
So let a shot of honeysuckle chase away your winter blues and carry you into spring with a smile! Here are just a few examples of accessories that can help brighten a room and infuse it with some Honeysuckle.
Such a Thing as Overkill
Monochromatic color schemes are very popular, especially with the neutral-loving among us. By using tints and shades of the same color, you can easily achieve a sophisticated look in your home.
This beautiful living room (found on HGTV‘s website) is a great example. The designer has used a slate grey color palate to create a soft and subtle feel. To keep it from becoming boring, the mirrored surfaces in the coffee table and wall mirror create interest and the use of a striped fabric and wool rug help add texture. Elegant window treatments and soft lighting create a calming mood and a luxurious feel overall.
You may think that this scheme is hard to get wrong. With only one color to work with, everything should just blend and be beautiful together. Unfortunately, overkill can make it go very wrong.
While kids rooms should be fun, and there is a certain amount of “over the top” you can get away with in, say, a little girl’s bedroom that you might not want to inject into your living room. However, there is a point where you have to step back and wonder if too much pink might cause nightmares for your little girl. This room (found in an article on yahoo and inspired this post) just has too bright a pink combined with way too much of it in one space. It needs to be toned down a notch and balanced with a neutral such as cream or white.
Lesson learned? Just because construction cone orange is you son’s favorite color, doesn’t mean it belongs on every surface of his room. And to the owner of this room? Give me a call, I can help!
Small Budget, Big Impact
Earlier this year Kim was asked to create a couple of finish schemes for a local church who needed to re-design the entry and cafe area of their church. Over 15 years ago they purchased an abandoned warehouse and converted it into a place of worship which fit their needs and accommodated their growing congregation. Now they recognized the need to do away with some of the outdated finishes and were hoping for some features that would attract attention to the cafe area. However, their budget was limited so they wanted Kim’s advice to make sure they got the most for their money.
Before, the open space had teal carpet which, due to budget constraints, would have to remain. On the walls were dark maroon acoustical panels standing out against the white walls with not much else of interest going on in the cafe corner.
After, the back wall features large, colorful signage which can be clearly seen as people are coming through the main doors. The existing acoustical panels were cut and recovered with special fire rated fabric in a light blue to match the new paint color. This created a subtle contrast in texture and allowed the panels to remain a feature without overwhelming the space as they had before. Fresh paint colors draw attention away from the existing carpet, and large stage lights, which had been in storage, help to highlight the new signage and wall colors. The church was able to incorporate some existing furniture along with the new tables and chairs, and overall turned a little into a lot.
The Case for an Interior Designer
Many people think hiring an Interior Designer to work with them on their project is an unnecessary service and have a hard time justifying an expense which can be difficult to judge or estimate. Instead business owners or home owners take on a project themselves which can quickly turn into a burden on their time and become frustrating to finish. Hiring a good Interior Designer who you are comfortable with and trust will be able to manage your project from beginning to end and will bring many added benefits which makes hiring one worth considering.
An Interior Designer with an accredited degree has knowledge of architecture and spatial relationships as well as interior design with elements such as color and lighting being an integral part of their education. With a broad understanding of many different design types, a designer can help you define your business or personal style and then bring that style to fruition. They are skilled at problem solving and coming up with creative solutions to design issues such as storage, column locations, and oddly shaped or tight spaces. Oftentimes an Interior Designer will collaborate with your Architect to create a design vision from the start of the project which keeps things simple and cohesive from inception to completion of the project.
Designers have made it their business to acquire resources, build relationships and research the available furniture and finish manufacturers in their area and will be able to save their clients valuable time and money by allowing them access to vendors most suited for their project. Designers also have access to businesses that are open to the trade only and will be able to order and select finishes not available to the general public. There are a lot of manufacturers and vendors who are unavailable to general consumers who don’t employ the services of an Interior Designer.
An Interior Designer can envision bold color choices or daring accessory selections where an untrained eye might either shy away or use them in the wrong application. He or she can also help you incorporate existing pieces of furniture and accessories you wish to keep with new pieces in a cohesive manner. A space created by an interior designer should always be comfortable and reflect the client, but also convey a dynamic sense of creativity that might otherwise be unattainable without the service of a trained Interior Designer.
Whether your project is large or small it may be wise to consider the benefits of consulting with a professional interior designer before you begin.
Welcome
At Muscelli Marino we believe that the key to providing outstanding professional services is to promote easy and clear communications between owners, builders, and design professionals. We strive to listen to clients to understand their needs and objectives because that enables our office to provide services in an efficient and cost effective manner. Muscelli Marino has the design experience and capabilities to handle any project no matter how large or small as well as a dedication which allows us to give the specialized attention required by each client. Whether building a home, renovating an industrial bulding, space planning for an educational space, or building a commercial complex, Muscelli Marino is the all-in-one design firm to get it accomplished.
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