Interior Design Concept Competitions Offering Real-World Practice

In my quest to transition into a career within the interior design industry, I've been attending several info sessions and open classes at Harrington College of Design in Chicago. For now, it's one of a few options that I'm currently looking into, but it was quite an interesting glimpse into what my world as an ID student may look like.

The presentations that I attended this evening were semester-end presentations from a creative collaborative studio course. The students were assigned to groups of two or three and asked to find, prepare designs for and submit to an open ID competition.

(Real-world application is something I strongly value in educational settings, so I rather liked how students had to develop entire concepts for these actual competitions)

This experience resulted in a couple of things:

A) Now I'm all intrigued - what kinds of interior design-related competitions are even out there? How does one find them?

B) Just for shits and giggles - I would like to try my hand putting together something that at least "fits" the qualifications (I'm not saying I would submit it...). In case you (read: I) was wondering, the 2014 IIDA SDC conceptual competition to evolve the idea of open offices:

The 2014 IIDA SDC invites you to evolve the concept of the open office to offer employees’ a workplace that encourages health, well-being, collaboration, and productivity... (more)

C) A new understanding of just what interior design covers (i.e., everything). Case in point, this 40th Annual Interior Design Competition (2013) winner for a mausoleum:

Lakewood Cemetery Garden Mausoleum, Minneapolis, MN - HGA Architects and Engineers, Minneapolis, MN via IIDA

Yes, it's somewhat morbid, but it's definitely something I had never even thought of before.

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What aspects of Interior Design shock you, if any?

-LG

Holiday Gift Guide: Kitchen Gifts

I baked a chicken today - correction: I am currently in the process of crockpot-ing a chicken, a whole chicken, today. As such, it's got me feeling all sorts of domestic, and I thought I might jump on the holiday gift guide bandwagon (finally).

Naturally, it had to be a kitchen-themed gift guide:

1. Lobster Claw Oven Mit // Wayfair 
2. Tea Latte Mug // David's Tea
3. French Oven // Le Creuset
4. Claudia Pearson Dog Plates // West Elm 
5. Giraffe Dish Towels // Etsy - Heaps Handworks
6. Arizona State Plate // Corbé
7. Robot Tea Infuser // ThinkGeek

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What gift would you like to receive this holiday season?

- LG

Marsala Me Crazy: Pantone's 2015 Color of the Year

Nothing says 2015, the year of the sheep (in case you were wondering), like the earthy, reddish-brown hues of Marsala, Pantone's next Color of the Year.

I'm not going to lie - I keep going back and forth with this color. In theory, I love this color. I love wine-red colors, the quintessential blend of reds and purples. Marsala, however, is part red, part purple, and part brown. It's the brown that's not sitting with me. I've never been much a fan of brown. 

Maybe I'm just biased. And one should not be biased, so off I went in search of Marsala-esque things*: 

via Steven Miller Design Studio / Houzz

via Steven Miller Design Studio / Houzz

via Island Architects / Houzz

*I'm going to be honest here... it took me a good chunk of time to find examples that a) more or less featured a Marsala-like color and b) I liked. 

This all being said, the color was just announced yesterday. It will be interesting to do a follow up post, in say six-months to a year, to see what designs and products are sparked into existence because of Marsala. Plus, check out these sample color palettes Pantone offered. I must say, I looooooooove option #7:

via Pantone

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What do you think of Marsala? Yay? Nay? Eh?

- LG

Design-spiration: Why so Grey?

I've been in a pretty grey mood lately. Work has been stressing me out. The weather has taken a turn for the worse. My man has seemingly disappeared into the universe. And because dwelling is what I do, I decided to at least spin it into something useful: talking (writing?) about the use of grey in decor.

So, my friends, let's have a look see:

via de zeen

* #FeltonFeltonFelt. This space was designed for the first flagship store of Viktor & Rolf, which opened last year in Paris, and is comprised of lots and lots of (wait for it) felt. 

via One Kind Design

* Because who doesn't love a giant soaking tub?

via Architectural Digest - 25 Shades of Grey

* In all honesty, I find the carpeting in this room to be a bit much. Because of the texturing of the walls, however, they couldn't have really used grey tile. Perhaps black / dark dark grey tile? Loving the chandelier!

via Createcph

*Normally, I love color, even just pops of color to brighten up an otherwise boring space. But this monochromatic grey color palette is really doing it for me right now. I love how even the rug, which is fairly neutral for an oriental rug, works with the whole color scheme. 

via Interior Design

*Minimalistic. Monochromatic. Great ceilings. 

via Architectural Digest - 25 Shades of Grey

*Oops, some color snuck in with this one. But really, for this space, what got me was the walls. Is that concrete?? Love it! Industrial chic.

(Editor's note: It is, in fact, concrete.  Plank-molded concrete, to be exact.)

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Are you a fan of grey in interior design? Which space do you love the most? 

-LG

Floor Plan Sketches for Fun

Ladies and gents, this is where I come clean: other than blogging my way to fame and fortune (Wink, wink. Nudge, nudge), I'm not entirely sure how I am going to go about transitioning into a career in interior design. I've thought of numerous ideas ranging from grad school to a second bachelors to a simple certificate in architectural drafting (as a starting point), but that's where I get stuck.

While figuring this all out, I enrolled in an online Introduction to Interior Design course offered by Ed2Go and Morraine Valley Community College. Twice a week, new lectures are posted to the classroom's homepage along with supplemental material, an easy quiz and an assignment. It's not a rocket science course, and I don't get much (if any) from it after completion, but it's a start. Originally, I signed up for the course to see if interior design was actually something I found intriguing. Turns out, it is! 

Here it is, well past my bedtime, and I've been in my own little world, drawing a scaled version (1' = 1/4") of the large, wasted space of a kitchen in my rental. No seriously - it's fantastic that it's so big (roughly 12' x 12'), but with so much open space in the middle, I've always felt like something was missing. 

See for yourself:

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The assignment goes on to have me update the space as I see fit, including fixtures and finishes. I'm really liking the red kitchen by Jane Ellison that I shared in a post last week and am using it as inspiration for my space's "makeover." I'm thinking a kitchen cart to fill the void, a red accent wall with open shelving along the North wall and updated appliances (er... well, really, updated everything) to start.

* I'm loving the POP of color this kitchen cart brings to the room!

* A clean, modern take on the kitchen cart!

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Tell me, what do you think of using kitchen carts to fill wide-open spaces?

- LG

P.S. Don't mind the erase marks on my floor plan - I'm still learning! 

Radiant Orchid's Final Days as 2014 Color of the Year

There are fifty-four days left in 2014. Fifty. Four. Days. (What in the world happened to this year? ... Seriously, what happened?). Unfortunately for Radiant Orchard, Pantone's 2014 Color of the Year, this means there are only fifty-four days left to make its mark on the world before a new color takes its place as the reigning color (oooh, so dramatic!)

In honor of this purplish hue and its last fifty-four days, I used my new best friend - Olioboard - to put together a farewell montage...

RIP Radiant Orchid 2014
Purple / Yellow (Gold) Complimentary Color Scheme
Bedroom

The best part of this entire space.... All of the items were from the sale section. Get it?! Radiant Orchid's final months as Color of the Year, and I only used marked down items. LOLOL - gets me every time*.

If you haven't ever used Olioboard, I strongly suggest that you do! Up until today, I kept thinking that everyone slaved through the process of compiling everything in Photoshop. Er.... this is SO MUCH EASER. Not only is it easy peasy for laying out things spacially, but it's also a huge database of furniture and decor in one place (searchable by color, keyword or category)!!

*Please note: I'm beyond tired, yet I CAN'T put my computer away!

__________________

As 2014 comes to an end, any guesses as to what the 2015 Color of Year will be?

-LG

Client Zero, A Bathroom Remodel

Well, kind of. You see, it's my mother so I'm not really sure if that counts in the grand scheme of things. For now, though, it very much counts.

I mentioned in my last post that my mother FINALLY got the master bath of her dreams. Though she's blissfully on Cloud Nine each morning, guests (like my brother and I) are forced to do our morning prep in the main bathroom. It's not the poshest of spaces.

My mother was planning on re-doing the guest / main bath over the fall, but had to rearrange her remodel schedule to fit unexpected plans. So, other than tiles for the shower, she hasn't quite got the entire space figured out, and that's where I'm so happily stepping in. This is technically MY bathroom, after all.

{Fast forward thirty minutes}

I was hoping to put together a sample board for everyone to see, but it seems that I'm very much still concept-ing my vision (yes, I make up words). While I work on that, I thought I might leave you with at least a general idea:

Tiles Picked Out By Mommy Dearest

Our floors throughout the entire house are large, tan tiles (similar in color to that small tile at the bottom of the photo). I like the neutral look, but for the bathroom, I really want the colors in the accent tiles to POP!

• Black / Dark stained cabinets
• Purple pulls
• Mounting framed mirror / framing portions of the main mirror (length of room)
• As seen here (Houzz - LORRAINE G. VALE, Interior Design), here (Houzz - Tom Stringer) or here (Tiffany Leigh Interior Design)
• This metallic garden stool
• Updated hardware and frameless glass screen for the bathtub
• Sophisticated. Modern. Spa.

_______________________________________

What's in your dream bathroom?

- LG

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Design-spiration: Open Shelves in the Kitchen

When I was 13, my mother picked my brother and I up from school and nonchalantly mentioned, "Today, kids, I bought us a new house." *Insert typical pre-teen temper tantrum here* My world was most definitely ending (mind you, I still was able to go to the SAME exact school).

This house, however, was not a move-in ready home. Oh, no. This house, unlike our previous house, had buckets of characters hidden behind layers of ick. My mother being the visionary that she is (don't tell her I said that) spent months turning this Yellow-on-Yellow-on-Yellow house into a surprisingly not-yellow, elegant home. Because of this, I find that, without a doubt, the two most important rooms in a house are the kitchen (which she updated) and the {master bath} (which she didn't)*.

So today, let's talk kitchens. Last year, Zillow declared open-face cabinetry as the top trend for kitchens in 2014 (one of my fave bloggers, Centsational Girl, did too!). Though I'm not sure they caught on like many hoped, I can't help but love the style (even if i I am bit of a hoarder collector). These kitchen in particular caught my eye:

Via Alice Lane Home Collection

* I love the combination of textures from the exposed beams and the backsplash! Plus, utilizing open shelving in this space kept a light and airy feel in the kitchen which might otherwise have felt boxed in and dark with a second wall of traditional cabinetry.

Via Jane Ellison

* Hello, gorgeous! If there's anything I love most in the world of kitchen design, it's red. As in EVERYTIME I built a new home for my Sims family (which was ALL OF THE TIME), I would have a red kitchen. Red invokes hunger. Red stimulates the mind. Red is all things. Red is also VERY overwhelming at times, and I love how this design makes it not so overwhelming. The rest of the space not included in the photo is on point as well. 

Via Jane Kim Design

* I. Love. Loft. Spaces. The salvaged wood + brick walls + blackened steel canopy just works.

Via NBR Design-Build

* I honestly don't where to start. I just love this kitchen. It's bright and open with the unique pops of color and texture. Love it. 

Via Loop Design

* Color! I love anyone who isn't afraid of using a little lot of color in their kitchen!

Via Increation

* Though the open-faced shelving is limited in this space, I couldn't help but share it. Purple is not often a color one finds in the kitchen, but it works beautifully here, don't you think?

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What does your dream kitchen entail?

* More than ten years later, my mother finally updated her master bath. I have yet to see the final project, but from what I saw last time I was home, it turned out beautifully! Blog of interest:

Color Me Intrigued

Design. It's had me enamored my entire life. Solid colors, vibrant patterns, intriguing textures, you name it. Until recently, I never thought about pursuing it as full-fledged career. Now, four years post-grad and enveloped in a constant state of dread regarding my current career path, I think know it's time to rethink this.

It seems like every time I come into a blank space or have that burning desire for a change, I sit, contemplate, and sketch out (if you can even call them sketches...) my ideas on to paper before diving into a project. And I'm not even going to pretend that I didn't just spend the ENTIRE day drinking tea from my reading an interior design blog (today's read was none other than Tiffany Leigh Interior Design). 'Twas a lazy Sunday, and I'm perfectly OK with that!

With this blog, I hope to share my transition to to a career that I (hopefully) love, inspire both myself and others and showcase what I find to be (FILL IN THE BLANK) design! But first, here's a little glimpse into what my style is all about:

1. DIY Cat Cake Stand (via A Beautiful Mess): How amazing is this??
2. Geometric Blue Pattern (via Lemon Stripes)
3. Red, Circular Chaise: Unkown. If ANYONE can find the source, please let me know!
4. Reclaimed Wood Floor in Chevron (via Pinterest - Stay Classic)
5. World Map Urban Watercolor (via Michael Tompsett / Redbubble)
6. Black and Cream Tribal Ikat (via Society6)
7. Industrial Lighting (via HomedIt)
8. DIY Elephant Bookends (via Love Grows Wild)