What we're up to _blog

On May 14, 2010 Paradigm Interior Design and Nest Architectural Design were awarded first place for Primary Residence Under 3,500 SF by ASID.

Natural light floods this ranch style home located in Denver’s historic Bonnie Brae neighborhood.  The soft, neutral palette provide the perfect backdrop to the client’s extensive art collection while providing a relaxing atmosphere.

Paradigm assisted the client with paint selection, granite and tile selection, draperies, art and furniture placement and decorative lighting fixtures throughout the home. 

All pictures will be posted to the Paradigm’s ”Work” tab soon but here are some of the highlights.

It’s spring time and the showers have been abundant.  I’m dreaming of warm sun and seeking shade under one of these beautiful umbrellas.  Which one suites your patio style?

An oh-so-feminine ruffly umbrella.  This umbrella can be customized in many colors.  I prefer mine in PINK!

This umbrella casts a leafy pattern instead of a solid block of shade.  It’s like sitting under a tree.  Take notice of the little bird perched on top. 

All you have to do is move the blades around to let more sun in or leave them equally spaced (shown) for more shade coverage.  Discovered at the ICFF last year. 

The designer of this umbrella was inspired by Cristo’s “The Gates.”  The top is flat but the bottom (shown) gently moves in the summer breezes.  Ahhhh.

Have you’ve been hearing the praise about the energy savings of LED’s? Want to jump on board? Here’s some information to help
you get started. I’ve recently completed a project using LED for all the track lighting in a residence. We used Eco-Story because it had a good color balance, not a blue cold light, not too buggy yellow.

What does LED stand for?
• Light Emitting Diode

How much energy can I save?
• This depends on the individual manufacturer. I’ll use a manufacture that I’m familiar with; Eco-Story. Their MR16 uses 4 watts of energy versus a typical MR16 that uses anywhere from 20-60 Watts.

What is the lifespan of a LED?
• Again just for consistency I’ll use the Eco-Story MR16. It is rated at 40-50,000 hours versus a “long life” typical halogen MR16 at 10,000 hours. This means that on average, the bulbs are expected to last for 40-50,000 hours of use. Wow huh?!

What are the advantages of LED?
• They do not get hot like halogens and incandescent bulbs.
• They use far less energy.
• Their lamp life is out of this world.

What are the disadvantages?
• The light output is not always great.
• Not all of them are dimmable. And when they are, they may shut off at a certain point cause they don’t have the full range of dimming like an incandescent. If you want to dim LED’s, my experience shows that the more lights on the circuit the further they will dim. Also, they are not compatible with all dimmer switches. For example, the Eco-Story dimmable bulb works best on a Lutron switch. This has to do with what is inside the dimmer.
• Sometimes the color is not a white white, it will have a red or blue undertone.
• Cost. Typical halogen MR16 is roughly $6.00; LED MR16 is around $45. Yes, they are an investment but you can always take them with you if you move.
• They haven’t developed LED’s for all types of bulbs.
• They are not readably available at stores and when they are, the quality can be poor.

Always test a lamp or two to make sure it is the quality of light you desire for your application. I plan on testing a few manufacturers in the near future and will post results soon.

Want more info?  Visit:
• www.eco-story.com
• en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light-emitting_diode

On January 1, 2010 Paradigm was one of thirty designers selected to be part of the Design Connection at the Denver Design District (DDD).  The program opens up the DDD to the public and helps match potential clients with designers.  If you haven’t been into the DDD I would encourage you to stop by for a visit and get to know us!

If you haven’t already heard, the LEED program is exploding within the design industry.  This year I will studying to aquire my LEED GA title.  This is an important step in my profession since every day we are learning the impact that each of us puts on the environment.  I’ve come to realize that the design and construction industries are a major contributor to this crisis.  Therefore I want to learn how I can improve my designs to lessen my everyday impact.  Below I’ve included some information for you so you too can inform yourselves with this new program.

What is LEED?
-  Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.  An internationally recognized green building certification system, providing third-party verification that a building was built using techniques to make it more efficient through mechanical and water systems, emissions reduction, improved indoor air quality, and using local resources. 
 
Why?
-  It is important that we use responsible building techniques to lessen our impact on the environment.  In addition indoor air quality is extremely important as it can potentially make you sick if harmful materials & chemicals are in the products you buy. 
 
Who can call their building LEED certified?
-  Currently LEED certification is for new construction however they have developed a list of guidelines for residential remodeling and they offer ways to make your current home more energy efficient. 
 
Why is Paradigm Doing This?
-  Because I see the importance in knowing how to make buildings safer and more environmentally responsible.  I am also passionate that I can help your health and well being through the materials that I specify.  In the end we all win at making this world a bit more green.

Have you ever listened to someone talk about what they do only to practically fall asleep?  Or have you been lucky to listen to someone who is so passionate that it sparks your own creativity?  I have had both experiences recently but the one who spoke about his work so passionately kept me awake that night; my mind whirling with all these new ideas, how I could incorporate everyday inspiration into my designs.  His name was Christian Bradley West from Mohawk’s in-house design team.  One of the main reasons I enjoy traveling so much is due to the fact that my mind is a little less congested and I’m open to seeing new things in a fresh way.  There is not one trip that I haven’t taken where I wasn’t inspired.  I’ve included a couple pictures from my recent trip to France and a short description of how they inspired me.  Take a look around, what do you find beautiful?  Take the time to appreciate each moment.

This photo inspired ideas for a rich palette of lavenders, greens and oranges. 

I loved how this door is so perfect and straight but the tree next to it has beautiful movement.  A great example of how lines in a room can be combined to create soothing space.  If all lines were straight and clean the room could be very stark.  But if you start to mix in softer lines everything softens and feels more comfortable.

Texture inspiration.

This past weekend I visited the NYIGF to hunt down some new decorative items for my clients.  I was specifically looking for accessories, bedding and pillows.  I found all of those and so much more.  Bedding is always a challange because there are lots of vendors however, finding MODERN designs is not so easy.  I’ve added some of my favorites below to share with you.   I have a signifant list of others that I cannot get to post to this blog so contact me if you’re looking for something specific. 

1.  Designer’s Guild already offers some of the best fabrics, but they are starting to do bedding and pillows.  Here are some of my favorites.

 
2.  Bliss Living you may know…but may not have seen these designs.  They also have a great selection of pillows.

3.  Made Goods is one of my newest finds – before the gift show.  Mirrors are another item in the hard-to-find-the-perfect-one category.  But this company has nailed some great designs.  Most of their mirrors come in different materials, finishes and sizes.  I ordered the bird mirror for a client without first seeing it in person so it was great to see the quality this past weekend.

Wow! I live in NYC and have more access to wonderful seminars and conferences. Most recently I attended the ICFF (International Contemporary Furniture Fair). I wanted to share my excitement that I had after discovering some new products that are sure to make their way into my projects. There was one recurring theme I kep seeing; Felt. Watch for it showing up all around you. Here are some of my favorite products:

1. ABR’s Feel-Thru:: This product is made from felt (Green bonus: renewable, recyclable, and biodegradable) and comes in panels that hang from a ceiling track. The panels stay together when needed by strong magnets but come apart easily it you need to fold the screen back against a wall. They only come in one length but can be adjusted to meet your needs by adjusting the rod from the ceiling track.

Feel-Thru Panel

The dots design can be completely punched out or you can add back in some to create your own design (see below). How great!

Feel-Thru

2. Frank Fuzzy Paris:: This is so fun (can’t you tell by the name)!! This is for those of you that I keep trying to convince to do flocked wallpaper and you keep saying NO…this is the best compromise out there. It’s flocked decals that you can put on your walls and then remove them when you grow tired of it. Is it not beautiful!? See for yourself at www.frankfuzzyparis.com.

3. Nani Marquina Rugs:: These rugs are truly unique. Once again this product is made from felt. I can’t imagine this being a wise choice for anyone with a cat or dog, but it’s a very nice way to introduce some texture to a room. www.nanimarquina.com Check out the Little Field of Flowers to see what I’m talking about. Also, take a look at Global Warming with the iceberg and stand-up polar bear – yeah that little guy has no chance surviving my dog’s curiosity.

4. Clei:: Furniture that takes multi-tasking to a new level. I’ve seen this in action and it’s impressive. Here’s a quick video on it changing: Space Saving Furniture in Action

5. Jan Won Yoon:: Made out of wood, this barstool is so elegant and sleek.

Jan Won Yoon Blade Barstool

This year as everyone is watching budgets I’ve decided to talk about how to throw an elegant holiday party on a college student’s budget. While in NY for Thanksgiving I was inspired by the holiday windows at Bergdorf Goodman and my new favorite store ABC Home. I know, that’s not the college budget but the inspiration is! The windows used tones of cream, gold and silver along with amazing textures to create dramatic winter scenes. ABC Home uses many natural elements throughout their store including tree branches, pine cones, etc. So how to use these elements to economically decorate for a fabulous holiday party? Start with items you have around the house or yard. Take those trimmed tree branches or large maple leaves and spray paint them white or dip them in silver or gold glitter. Hang from the ceiling with fishing string or put the branches in vases. Have the young children you know make paper snowflakes and again, dip in glitter and hang. An easy table cloth? Go to the fabric store and get some cream or white batting, tie batting with an oversized ribbon around table legs and display the food on top. Visit the dollar store and see what they have in your colors. Those inexpensive glass balls that people hang on trees can make a graphic statement if used in combination with other geometric shapes.

Don’t forget to think in terms of lighting. Having numerous candles around the room in the same tones along with dimmed lights will hide any imperfections that we are all bound to get when making our own items. Not to mention creating an intimate atmosphere. My favorite item I found to make last year was ice candles. They cost nothing to make and are beautiful outside the house! You can use pots and Tupperware around the house. Try to start a week or so early as it can take time to freeze many of these. Hopefully the weather will be cold the night of your party so they don’t melt. And when they do, they’ve just watered the lawn…

The main thing is keep it simple…keep the color monotone or add in only one accent color of red or baby blue. Don’t mix too many elements. To see the gorgeous windows photographed by Over the Top of NY, click here. They’ve captured the windows beautifully!