Posts Tagged Sonoma County Interior Designer
Home Office-Part 1
Posted by Irene Turner in Interior Design & Renovation on April 29, 2010
Do you work out of an office in your home? I do…
This all began when I asked my husband if he would trade home offices. We’ve been in our home 6 years…he has the renovated double car garage as a office and sound studio…I have the smallest and darkest room in the house. Hmmmmmmm… Recently my husband opened an office out of our home. It’s bright, cheerful, good sized…AND he still has the 2nd largest room in the house as his part time home office. Somehow, this real estate equation isn’t working any more.
I truly believe that “space matters”…it affects your mood and productivity. AND…
He agreed! He gets that my productivity will shift and increase as his has, when I increase the size of the room I sit in most of the day! The new room is lighter and has…vaulted ceilings…a large french door to the outside…an expanded view….and of course moving means fresh paint and a whole energy shift. If you really listen to the words, you get it.
The result of all this…I get to contemplate exactly what I want to create. How do I want to feel? What do I want to produce? In essence…I am my own client, and get to go through the design process. As I’m really into creating the best space possible to move forward in, I begin with research…reading and researching some of my favorite web sites and blogs as further contemplation, inspiration, and a reminder of what I want to include.
One of my favorite blogs and a good source of information is Elizabeth Chamberlain’s Space Lift. She is a feng shui and green consultant. Recently, I received her weekly newsletter (I signed up for them on her site) regarding the set up of your desk according to Feng Shui principles…perfect! She states that the most important areas to pay attention to with Feng Shui are the places where you spend most of your time. For me that is my office! Her tips will help not only to kick-start the energy cycle in my surrounding area, but it will help re-enforce my goals as well.
And, from another of my favorites, Marie Burgos blog post on Feng Shui for the perfect Home Office Design…with her list of what to think about and do. Such as: Continue reading “Home Office-Part 1” »
If Sound had a Color
Posted by Irene Turner in Color on April 27, 2010
I’ve always had a fantasy of being able to see music. I once was involved with stage set design for a program that included music. I wanted to assign a color to each note and then actually see what the music would look like on a big screen. I guess it comes from being a visual aficionado. Recently this thought cropped up again and I started perusing the internet to see what was out there. Continue reading “If Sound had a Color” »
Are You a Change Agent?
Posted by Irene Turner in Giving Back, Inspiration, Sustainability on April 19, 2010
There is no doubt about it, we live in a time of change!
While the media and many people are touting all the negative issues and events that happen in our world, I personally am quite optimistic and inspired by the positive movements I see happening at a grass roots level through individuals, projects and organizations. Some I’ve already talked about such as Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, David de Rothschild’s expedition the Plastiki and the Global Let’s Colour Project by AkzoNobel . These are all agents of change and transformation.
Recently I came across another change agent, Four Years.Go who’s purpose is to change the course of history. Really.
Their creed is that we are living in a time of unparalleled opportunity. And, that while there are tremendous dangers it is clear that we already possess all the technologies and practical solutions required to resolve the crises confronting us.
There are powerful transformative trends that are emerging and shaping a world ripe with new possibilities, such as: Continue reading “Are You a Change Agent?” »
A Colorful Home!
Posted by Irene Turner in Color, Projects on April 15, 2010
Every now and then I work on a project that really stands out in one way or another for me. This one is all about happy color! A bit closer to home this time, this project is located here in the East Bay of San Francisco. My client was born in India. While being completely Americanized, he and his daughter did want to maintain a bit of their culture while bringing in a comfortable and modern American feel for their home. This was a decorating project only, meaning we did no renovation or construction, save changing out the counter tops in the kitchen. Continue reading “A Colorful Home!” »
Would You Live in an Abandoned Mental Hospital?
Posted by Irene Turner in Interior Design & Renovation, Sustainability on April 12, 2010
In February of this year I read an article in Fast Company. The headline was the one you see above…Would you live in an Abandoned Mental Hospital? Well…intriguing! First thought…a resounding NO…second thought…why not?
Kjellgren Kaminsky Architecture, an award winning architecture firm based in Göteborg, Sweden, plans to turn one of Sweden’s old, ugly mental hospitals into a sustainable apartment complex. Dubbed Parkour, it not only addresses the “green” aspects of re-use rather then tear down, but also addresses another major social issue by offering a sense of community to residents. They feel that in Sweden (like much of the rest of the “civilized” western world) people are actually dying of loneliness as they miss that sense of extended family, community or tribe.
So their plan is to redesign the hospital into a series of apartments for families and singles. With common areas (spa, lounge, pool, gym, theater) running through the building. The building will also be fitted with solar cells, solar panels and small wind turbines to harvest renewable energy sources. Local food production on the roof reduces needs for transportation and adds a safe and organic source for residents food. Rainwater is collected to be reused for the irrigation of the greenhouses and for flushing toilets.
Each apartment is designed in two parts to create flexibility. The first part is a static and compact area that includes kitchen, shower, toilet, laundry, some storage, ventilation, electrical installations, media outlet, sockets and switches. The second part is built up of super-flexible zones that grow, shrink, disappear and come back depending on daily needs and desires through the use of movable walls. Continue reading “Would You Live in an Abandoned Mental Hospital?” »
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