What inspires Diana Bennett Wirtz of Amethyst Designs?

Today we’re highlighting another designer in our Top 100 DesignSherpa “What Inspires You?” contest entry countdown.

The entry comes from Diana Bennett Wirtz of Amethyst Designs. Here’s what she says inspires her:

Fred inspires me.
Rolling down the design road of life I often think of my late husband Fred; for he gave me the gift of believing in oneself, looking for the best in everything and knowing you can always do more or better. He encouraged me to finish my MA in interior design and now working on my PhD and teaching interior design, his delight in the ordinary things of life comes to mind when learning or sharing new ideas or concepts. Great design is not creating complex spaces; it is ability to transform that space from ordinary to extraordinary.

What inspires Debra Phillips of Sentimental Gardens?

We’re still just in the beginning phase of sharing each of our Top 100 entries from the DesignSherpa “What Inspires You?” contest. Stick around, as we’re unveiling one entry each weekday until we count down all 100. And make sure to leave a comment! We’d love to hear what you think about each entry. To leave a comment, click on the title of this post, “What inspires Debra Phillips of Sentimental Gardens?“  and scroll to the bottom. There, you’ll see an area called “Speak Your Mind.” Fill out the necessary information and leave a few remarks.

Today’s entry comes from Debra Phillips of Sentimental Gardens. She writes…

A shocking submission perhaps, however this is an example of what INSPIRES me.
Since childhood I have imagined the “what if’s” the “what can-be”, the innate beauty that lies deep within homes and within objects, particularly those of neglect.
This photo fires my imagination; who built this, what was their image, what happened?
Immediately my design background soars into action; would I restore this historically accurate or add a contemporary twist? Once that process is in place; the landscape; believing it should be designed to enhance the architecture, a cohesive marriage of reflection.
Finally, what lies beyond the boarded windows? What can be salvaged? What opportunities lie ahead to blend the historical framework with contemporary elements? No doubt I would reposition or remove walls wanting to update for a modern lifestyle. And finally onto the ‘piece de resistance’; the interior decoration from colors, lighting, fixtures to furniture and accessories.
My pulse is pounding; my imagination swirling — the possibilities have no boundaries that, to me, encompasses design inspiration.
Thank you for this opportunity!
Debra Phillips

What inspires our Top 100 contestants?

The first round of DesignSherpa’s “What Inspires You?” contest has concluded. Our esteemed judges have narrowed the field down to the Top 100 entries. To give you a glimpse, we’ll be posting one Top 100 entry every weekday over the next hundred days. Make sure you check back soon or subscribe to our RSS feed to have the entries delivered to you!

Today’s Top 100 entry comes from Lisa Hodges. She writes…

“Strolling through a flea market along the rows of “junk” to me treasures truly inspires me to create! Just look at this beautiful display that combines old and new. I love to get ideas from these treasures and come up with my own idea of how to display or make it. That is truly my home.”

“What Inspires You?” Contest Nearing June 21 Entry Deadline!

Just An Image and 100 Words!

DesignSherpa’s “What Inspires You?” contest is nearing the entry deadline of June 21.  There is still plenty of time to become eligible for the $10,000 and trip to Paris and Maison & Objet in January.  100 contestants will be selected to move on to the second stage of the contest this summer.  You can find out more and enter here. And for a little inspiration….here is the submission from our 100th contestant to enter “What Inspires You?”:

The natural aesthetics of an autumn leaf, the color of lichen, and the sculptural form of a bleached bone inspire me. Clean, modern design also gets me up in the morning. It is the union of these two stimuli, however, which truly make me feel alive. On the hunt for a unique wall installation for a client, I found these bleached bison skulls while visiting Jackson Hole, Wyoming. To create visual interest within the arrangement I removed the horn caps of one skull and stained it black, lending an interesting yin/yang affect.

You have until June 21 to let us know what inspires you!

Engagement Rings: Practical Advice You Need to Remember

If you finally raised the courage to ask her to marry you but you still don’t have a clue as to the style of ring you want to give her, the answer is easy. Just look for the clues.

Do you think she’d like a solitaire diamond, set alone in a band, or would she prefer a cluster of various stones? Her current jewelry can give you clues about her preferences.

Think about the way she lives her life. Think about how the ring will fit in with her lifestyle. If she works in a profession where extravagant jewelry would look out of place, then aim for something on the conservative side. Even if she doesn’t, remember that a pointed gem with high prongs could snag clothing and is harder to keep clean. Save that type of ring for gifts that will be worn on special occasions, not every day.

Of course you shouldn’t have to be reminded of this but for the sake of covering all the bases – don’t forget to get her ring size! Does she have rings that she wears on her engagement finger? Maybe a friend or family member could get hold of one of them long enough for you to have it sized. Of course, you’ll have to swear the messenger to secrecy but you shouldn’t have too much trouble finding a willing helper.

Now that you have a better feel for the style of ring she might prefer, it’s time to consider the stones that will go into it. Start with the Four C’s when shopping for precious stones. Consider a gemstone without a setting. What kind of gemstone does she like?

Don’t just assume that she wants a diamond. Some women don’t. Sapphires and rubies are both durable gemstones that are often set into engagement rings for women who don’t like to wear diamonds. If you think you know which shape she loves, buy a loose stone to show her when you ask the big question. The two of you can shop together later for the perfect engagement ring setting.

Of course, you should never overestimate your budget. Your engagement ring budget is a top consideration. Don’t stress if your budget is tight, because you can buy an affordable engagement ring. There are lots of excellent options, from solitaires to rings with multiple diamonds or other gems. Many stores are willing to work with you.

Complementing Stone Floors: 5 Favorite Elements

Stone floors can be a gorgeous way to achieve a contemporary, earthy look but they often also have a “cold” feel. Warming up the floors with complementary pieces can take some creativity, but the work is well worth it. Here are my five favorite additions that are sure to warm up your home:

Eco-Smart Non-Vented Fireplaces: This is the most streamlined  fireplace I’ve come across that maintains the earthy feel of a stone floor. These fireplaces burn denatured ethanol alcohol and are naturally clean burning. Not only that, but the government offers incentives: Up to 30 percent or $1,500 in tax credits for the purchase of these fireplaces!

 

 

Chester Grommet Curtain: The Chester Grommet Curtain is a great option for softening the rigidity of stone floors, but maintaining a contemporary style. Grommets are in brushed silver or iron, to coordinate with the color of the linen.

 

 

 

Dover Artist Studio Rug: This contemporary rug comes from India and is made from 100 percent New Zealand wool. The stone-like circles are a nice contrast to the rigid lines of caulk stone floors sometimes have.

If this rug doesn’t match your style, consider how you can pull the subtle colors from your stone into a rug with contrasting colors. Many stone floors are darker, so lighter colors can both soften and better define areas of the room.

 

Cornice LEDs: LEDs are not only energy efficient, but they add the right amount of soft light to lift the textures of your stone floors. LEDs on top of a cornice gives the room a comforting, even romantic lighting effect. If you already have cornices, consider adding LEDs.

 

French chandelier: This chandelier dates back to 1920’s France. This total splurge (priced at $2,400) is a dream lighting piece. The ambient lighting is an earthier-feeling option than the contemporary style of the cornice LEDs.

About Social Media Marketing: The DesignSherpa Perspective

We believe that the core of a powerful social media program is content. The development of targeted content that is consistent with your brand story, which is distributed through social media platforms that align with your customers and prospects preferences, will generate measurable results in your business performance.

Social media marketing requires expertise and management, and at DesignSherpa our mission is to do the heavy lifting associated with building content and managing the distribution through social networks and increased Google recognition. This work doesn’t remove you or your marketing team from the process: it enhances your resources and focuses you and your team on the work of identifying and engaging high-quality prospects and staying connected with your current customers.

Our Chairman & CEO, Dan McCarthy, has been an early adopter of social media as an internet marketing strategy. In his personal blog, ViralHousingFix, Dan has shared many of his observations about the application of social media to marketing and has articulated some foundation principles.

To better understand our approach to social media marketing and to gain additional perspective, you may want to read Dan’s following posts:

Migrating a brand strategy from marketing to content: A case study

My two principals of social media marketing

Online content isn’t just consumed…it can be transformed

An organizational shift to social media: Project Massive Network

Social media can be a marketing platform: It starts with brand evangelism

Wow, Look at the Mural!

Do you have a large wall in your home and just don’t know what to do with it? Maybe it’s in your entrance foyer, or a curved wall that aligns itself with your staircase? Do you find yourself wondering how in the world you are going to hang wall art on that? Or is it a wall in your bedroom, living room, or dining room?

A large span of wall can cause us frustration and can leave us confused. In order to fill the large space with artwork, you will need to come up with a theme, find all the items to purchase and then finally hang everything up. Is it really worth it? It may not be. And if this is the case, my recommendation would be to think about having a mural painted in your home.

Murals today aren’t like the murals we used to see 10 or 15 years ago. They can be creative, simple, complex, vibrant in color or black and white. That’s right! Today’s murals might be as simple as a favorite quote painted on the walls of a long hallway with small illustrations.

Possibly your child’s room needs some added pop and you don’t want to hang artwork in there for various safety reasons. What about an animal mural on the wall above your baby’s crib? Or do you have a little boy who loves sports? Illustrating their favorite team’s stadium on the wall behind their bed is sure to bring a smile to their face! If this doesn’t fit your child, maybe you happen to have a little girl lost in the world of fairies and princesses, what about painting a fairytale forest theme on the wall across from their bed? This way they can fall asleep dreaming of becoming a princess or having a fairy godmother that grants all of their wishes!

Is the children’s bedroom not what you are looking for? How about a mural of a favorite vacation spot, such as the ocean, a village or a building? Large entrance foyers can be a perfect place to have a mural such as this painted because we typically find a large span of wall in a foyer and do not have enough artwork to fill it up!

One final place you may be looking for something on your wall would be in a large family or living room. Why not try a simple modern mural of a tree, building, or an abstract in black and white.

Murals are a creative, one-of-a-kind way to express yourself in your homes. Find a local artist to help illustrate your dream for many years to come.

Do you have a mural in your home? Did you paint it yourself? Where did you place it? Share your stories and ideas here!

Starting from the Bottom Up: Green Design

When construction begins on a facility we rarely think about the foundation work. After all, it basically gets buried on the outside by the earth. And on the inside, we turn it into a recreation room with drywall or paneling. A new foam wall system has improved foundation. It uses two layers of foam with reinforcements and the cement is poured between the layers. Before this system, the forms would be pulled away from the concrete wall. Now we leave the foam in place as additional insulation to the lower level of our facilities.

Nudura is a new product that moves this technology from the lower level of homes through the entire building. In locations that are prone to hurricanes and tornadoes, this technology may save lives and prevent
property damage. The walls can withstand winds up to 250 mph and have hurricane anchor systems suitable for roofs. The anchoring elements are surrounded by cement in the concrete walls, so the roof will not break away from the home.

The basis of their product uses foam walls with one concrete wall between to form the foundation all walls within the home. Because the walls are made of highly insulated concrete, they reduce air infiltration that can occur in traditional wood stud homes and reduce sound transfer into the home. They also increase the fire protection over wood built walls for up to 3-4 hours. Concrete would not allow for moisture to get caught between the walls. Once they are cured, they are impervious to moisture and molds caused by moisture forming in the walls.

The wall systems are manufactured with recycled material and produce little waste during the construction phase. Most of the waste during the construction phase of buildings goes directly into landfills. The foam forms are non-toxic and do not emit CFC’s or HCFC’s. They are able to design their forms with 45-degree angles or curved walls so the building materials do not hamper the design. This means a precise layout, reducing costs on labor to layout. Another reduction on costs is in the delivery of the forms because they are able to be shipped flat, so almost twice as many can be shipped on one truck transportation costs and fuel usage is reduced.

In areas of high humidity, winds and termites, the Nudura product would be a logical building material. What do you think? Is your home built with this material? How does it hold up to traditional foundations?

Key Elements of Green Space Planning

Space planning is the act of deciphering solutions for a space based on client criteria and needs. During space planning, a designer will determine needed spaces, arrange the spaces as necessary to address flow of the space and also verify building codes – all at the same time!

Space planning is one of the most important rolls a designer can play – it is the basic step and most time intensive (can be at least) in order to finish selection and furniture planning of the space. When a designer is addressing space planning, they sometimes get to start from scratch. Other times they have to begin from an existing space that has obstacles like existing walls. But what are the challenges and added criteria when trying to plan green??

1. Use your walls – One of the greatest elements of green design is to use what you have. So if there are dividing walls in a space then why not use them to their greatest potential. When thinking green, you want to avoid using new materials when not needed. By using rooms and walls that are in existance you are not using any more virgin materials. And that is the key – what you are NOT using from scratch to make new.
2. Think about daylighting – Natural daylight needs to travel throughout a positive green interior. The use of daylighting does not only reduce the dependence on artificial light, and therefore reduce energy consumption, but it also saves money, increases employee productivity and allows space inhabitants to have a connection with the outdoor environment. All this from something that is free. You just have to plan for it.
3. Plan the height – 42” is a general standard of measure that is used in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and at this measurement, the inhabitants of a space can have clear view (meaning a view to the outdoors). If you can plan for this height you can once again increase productivity and make the office a more friendly work environment. Keep in mind that for LEED purposes you can have a clear line of site, including through levels of glazing or interior glass partitions.
4. Plan away from the windows – Be sure to save the aisle for next to the exterior – if you can place the offices and conference rooms toward the interior and the individual work stations on the exterior, all the planning for the above elements will be easier!

So these are just a few ways to plan smart and plan green! How is your office set up? Does it fit in with green design?

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