Computer Rendering vs Free Hand Sketching?

Guest bedroom quick free hand sketch

In my opinion, one of the most important pieces of the design process is the creation of a color sketch to visually explain the desired outcome of a design. This is the professional part that so many clients are craving and we as designers are able to offer in our list of services. But why do so many companies choose to use virtually sketching instead of hand drawn renderings?

I am absolutely not one to shy away from technology (especially as I sit next to my BlackBerry as though it is my life line) but I really feel strongly against computerized renderings for residential project. That is not to say that they don’t have their place in the commercial market for large developments and such, however, there is something so human and soft about a hand drawn rendering, be it from an artist or a quick hand armature sketcher. I think it shows a real connection between the designer and the space.

Do you agree with me? It just seems like there is such an amazement over computer renderings that is not justified. They are often very cold, stark, and lifeless. I understand that from a business standpoint there are many nice benefits…having the ability to make revisions quickly and often, as well as keeping the time for developing a rendering low.

Well it hasn’t taken me away from doing hand drawn sketches for my clients. I get such great feedback from the drawings and I think it is something that future Interior Designers should have in their toolbox of skills.

Interior Design and the Internet!!!

As an Interior Designer, one of the most valuable assets I offer to my clients are all of my resources. There are labor people, artists, and workrooms that I have great relationships with who are there for me to create what I need. Above and beyond that are all the companies and resources where I actually purchase furnishing, accessories, art etc.

It dawned on me the other day that I am so lucky to be a designer in this moment in time. Even though I have the youth and energy to wonder around countless stores….I don’t have to!! I can’t think of even 1 thing that I cannot resource online. Everything I need is available…and sometimes more than what I need.

Don’t get me wrong though…there is no substitute for going to a store and physically touching the furniture or fabric you are planning on purchasing. But once you are so familiar with materials, colors, and manufacturers, that need slowly goes away. Online shopping has gotten so sophisticated that I can tell what grade of fabric is on a chair and what material is framing a mirror just my looking at the picture and reading the description.

I can’t imagine the days when a designer had to literally drive around to source all of their items and then revisit all of the stores to make all these purchases!! It must have made them nuts and taken triple the amount of time!

Due to the vast resources from the internet I can literally design a living room or bedroom for someone across the globe, source everything out for them to buy and have delivered to their home, and never leave my office in Los Angeles. This even applies to working on an all green project or even a style specific project.

So, in honor of my enthusiasm for online shopping, below are some links to my favorite online stores….enjoy!

www.roomandboard.com
www.designwithinreach.com
www.cb2.com
www.overstock.com
www.vivaterra.com

Interior Design Tips: 5 ways to design for spring…

A.S.D. Interiors modern flowers for spring!

1. Nature – Now that spring is in the air, some of the most beautiful flowers and plants are available to buy for your home or office. Getting a low, clear glass vase with a bundle of flowers can really brighten up a room. Our recommendation is to the place flowers on an entry table, in a powder bathroom, or on your office desk. Stick with one color and remember to keep the water fresh!
2. Sleep – Spring is a great time to get a fresh new set of bedding and/or sheets for your bed. Sleep doctors recommend dark colored sheets to mimic the night and a way to produce deep REM sleep. We recommend solid colored bedding as a way to emphasis tranquility and peace.
3. Art – Even if you are not a huge art connoisseur, spring is a great time to relocate the art in your home that you already have. You may even own a pieces of art that has been sitting in storage! Take it out of there and try placing your art somewhere new and maybe group them together to create a suite of pictures.
4. Color – Now is a better time than ever to freshen up or even change the paint on your walls. Try changing your plain white walls to a crisp green or taupe color. If a whole room is too much, try an accent wall for starters. You will be amazed at the difference a little bit of color can do for a space!
5. Reflect – One of the best accessories that you can add to a room is a mirror. Now that the sunlight will be shining brighter, use mirrors in a dark space to reflect the wonderful sunlight. It is one of the most often used tricks of the trade!

When to hire an Interior designer?

So often I get hired to start a new project and the same topic always comes up….the client tells me “Wow we should have hired you months ago!!” Yes it’s true, many people underestimate how many details there are and how useful it is to hire a designer at the beginning of a project. Not every designer works the same, but for us, we are really here to help save you TIME, MONEY, and STRESS!

So why do people wait? Well part of it may be that there is a stigma over designers in that consumers believe we cost a lot of extra money. Much to the contrary, we can actually save our clients huge dollars when it comes to making the right decisions and not paying extra for mistakes.

Another element to the mix is the Architect and Contractor. Not to take away from the importance of their jobs, but there is an absolute difference between the job of an architect….who is there to deal with the overall structural design…and the contractor, who is there to construct. Neither should be taking on the job of a designer as it dilutes the real overall finished picture.

So when should clients think of hiring a designer? It should happen just as soon as you think you might want to alter or add a new space to your home or office. Yes an architect can get to work on drawings, but there is never enough time to resource for the perfect items and materials to go in each room.

Just recently, my client had a realization of my importance for something as insignificant as the plugs for their home office computer. As the electrician and cable company were installing these 2 items on the wall, there wasn’t a selected desk at the time and therefore no one to say, “The desk that we are purchasing is 84″ long, therefore put the plug here!” Now my client has to pay for the electrical and DSL cables to be moved, the drywall to be patched, and the painter to touch up the wall.

So, if you plan to do any renovation, remodeling, additions, or design changes to your home or office remember to hire an Interior Designer in the beginning of your project. We will take care of all the details!

New White House Interior Designer

A.S.D. Interiors would like to say congratulations to Michael Smith on becoming the new White House Interior Designer for the Obama Family. It is so great that a Los Angeles based designer has been selected to represent the design community!!!

WHAT MAKES THIS FURNITURE SO SUPER?

SIMPLE. CRYPTON SUPER FURNITURE RESISTS
WHATEVER LIFE, KIDS AND PETS CAN THROW AT IT.

About-CryptonFurniture
When two state-of-the-art companies come together, something extraordinary is bound to happen. And it did. Crypton Super Fabrics, together with Hiatt Furniture, set out to redefine furniture, to create evolved furniture that’s designed to function for the way people really live. Furniture, yes furniture, that makes life easier and cleaner.
How? Why? Our Super Furniture is upholstered with Crypton Super Fabric, a patented fabric that resists stains, spills, odors and bacteria. Unlike topical treatments, Crypton’s environmentally friendly process is engineered into the fabric, encapsulating every fiber and ensuring permanent performance. This prevents moisture, bacteria and stains from entering into the fibers, allowing spills and stains, even old stains, to be easily wiped away. In addition, Crypton Super Fabric has an integrated, breathable moisture barrier that prohibits liquids or bacteria from penetrating the fabric to the cushion below. This means that both the outside and the inside of your cushions will remain fresh, clean and bacteria and odor-free.
With Crypton Super Furniture, there are no more tears (or awful odors) over spilled milk and no more worries about errant marker or muddy paws.

Casa

The definition of fashionable beds with clear lines and shapes highlighted by integrated nightstands. Available in both light oak and dark stained oak.
Headboard width: Queen 109 inches, King 127 inches
Austroflex Bed System
The Casá is a low, sleek modern bed frame with integral side tables. Available in either light or dark stained oak. Queen- $2475, King- $2805
Axel Bloom European Bed Systems are designed using the most advanced German adjustable bed technology for the most luxurious sleep. Aerospace-engineered bed systems provide excellent back, shoulder and neck support with ergonomic foam and latex mattresses, slat bed suspension systems, and high-quality modern bed frames.
Mattresses: $575 – 3990 | Bed Frames: $1050 – 4025 | Suspension Systems: $450 – 5879

Bay Wash

Azevedo installed her home’s new kitchen where the laundry porch used to be, but retained a sense of the former openness with a wall of south-facing windows. “Anywhere else this might have been crazy,” she says, basking in the culinary warmth, “but in San Francisco, it’s really quite nice—even in summer!”

With a presence in three centuries, Christi Azevedo’s Victorian survived the quake of 1906 and served as a laundry before its rebirth as a well-lit hybrid of old and new.
If there were a theme song for architect Christi Azevedo’s rehabilitation of the crumbling 1885 abode she purchased in San Francisco’s Mission District, it would have to be “Love the One You’re With.” Instead of an extreme makeover, the self-described modernist undertook a thoughtful refurbishment—preserving trim, retaining the layout, making furniture from framing lumber excavated from the site, and fabricating new elements as needed. Musing on the Victorian hybrid that she shares with her partner, Katherine Catlos, Azevedo notes, “I think the world will look more and more like Blade Runner, where you have an old Chevy Nova as well as some crazy thing flying through
the air. There’s room for both.”

Giant CurlyShade

Giant CurlyShade
Over 40 metres of steam-bent Oxfordshire Ash, curl and coil around a central steam-bent frame to create a lively light unlike any other – an array of captivating shadows, lending a magical atmosphere to the room it inhabits.

It is made to an eco-friendly specification, using only local wood from sustainable forests (carbon neutral and renewable), and very low energy production techniques, so that as a product it has very low embodied energy. Beauty, individuality and romance align with nature to create the CurlyShade.

The Giant CurlyShade is one of Charlie’s most popular designs and was the best selling product of his former company sixixis (www.sixixis.com). Out of production since 2007, his new company, Charlie Whinney Associates, is this summer making a limited number for clients who order during July. He plans to focus on new designs in the future, so this may well be the last chance to own a CurlyShade.

Giant CurlyShade: 450mm x 450mm x 450mm: £500 / $1000
Regular CurlyShade: 300mm x 300mm x 300mm: £250 / $500

Price:$500-1000

CUDDLE CIRCLE LOUNGE

Perfect alone…or with company. The Cuddle is a Cantoni modern classic: a good-looking, comfy, cozy love seat, in a design that’s irresistibly inviting. This sumptuous lounge, beyond being an example of contemporary design at its best, appeals to some primal instinct we all have for a cozy sanctuary.
EASY TO CLEAN – Spot clean with water-based or solvent cleaner: To prevent overall soil, frequent vacuuming or light brushing to remove dust and grime is recommended. Spot clean with a mild solvent, an upholstery shampoo, or the foam from a mild detergent. When using a solvent or dry cleaning product, follow instructions carefully and clean only in a well-ventilated room.