Designing interesting homes and keeping them kid friendly is never an easy task for an interior designer. I totally enjoyed the well written article on blog Design Crisis, Team Wipeable – Designing for Kids, by the multi-talented Erin Williamson. The article was fun to read, with Erin's great sense of humor and visually stimulating photos. I always enjoy reading the Design Crisis blog, which always provides vivid photos, drawings and witty commentary on interior design.
The Team Wipeable blog post, referenced an article from the amazing publication, TRAD Home – Spring 2012, Blogger Issue, written by Interior Designer, Naomi Stein of Design Manifest. Naomi wrote the brilliant article "Classically Modern" featuring Mona Ross Berman. It was a real treat to read, especially with the photos that translated the design themes into living masterpieces. Congratulations to Mona Ross Berman and the other talented designers that made "10 Up-And-Coming Designers" named by the Editors of Traditional Home magazine for 2012.
One of my favorite photos from the Team Wipeable article was the banquette with the beautiful laminated fabrics from duralee covers. The colors are so rich and vibrant; It definintely sounds "Kid friendly" and "pet friendy", with this stain resistant material. I look forward to checking this laminated fabric out in person.
Naomi shares a list from Mona Ross Berman of "five things" to remember when planning an interior design project. They are on target and should be in the front of every Home Design "Idea Book". The list includes the following:
- Always match paint to fabric, not fabric to paint.There is a limited universe of fabrics.
- Space planning and scale are essential to design. A floor plan is helpful
- If your budget doesn't allow you tackle an entire home improvement project from the start, take on your project in stages. Plan everything from the start, your overall design budget and vision. This keeps you on track.
- Let your Art make its own statement!
- Use Vintage pieces to mix things up, without breaking the bank. They can give a room real "design cred".
Another must read article in this Spring 2012, Blogger Issue from Trad Home was the "10 Design Apps". I am not surprised that, Pinterest, topped the list. The "Must have Design Apps" list also included:
- LivingRoom for Ipad, lets you play around with different layouts at your fingertips, according to Editorial Director Tom Delevan;
- The Small Luxury Hotels of the World App allows you to get inspired globally on designing for small spaces according to Designer Ryan Korban;
- The color capture App by Benjamin Moore helps you figure out the closest paint match to fabric or a piece of furniture, according to Designer Ron Marvin;
- The super cool GoDesign app, helps keep designers organized on the go, according to designer Sara Gilbane.
I strongly recommend that you ead the entire article and check out all of these super clever apps. It is nice to see that James Bond is not the only one with super clever gadgets. Interior Designers now equipped have state of the art technology to help them stay on top of their design game. Homeowners can join in on the action and take advantage of some of the Design Apps. Try them! I am sure that you will find a few that you can't live without.
