Emphasis

The focal point that I was given was a piano, I used that focal point to help me create this sun room/ entertaining space.

Scale and Proportion

Most of the items in this room are Target, Threshold products.

Balance

Systematical:

Asymmetrical: 

The Great Gatsby

This week our scenario was to create two mood boards for a client that wants there space inspired by The Great Gatsby themed. In order to not go too cheesy with attempting to recreate or even make their home seem like a movie set I view it more as they wanted a jazz age, also known as the Art Deco period which is explained a bit in Get the look: Great Gatsby. There are two options of style when it came to this era. There is the glamour of the Roaring Twenties, which is most represented because of how extraordinary and over the top they could be while managing to remain elegant. The less popular seen style would be the contemporary monochrome with it's cozy feeling invoked from all plumped cushions, muted bright colors such as yellow as well as calming neutrals. If you would like to read more about these styles the link is Great Gatsby-Design Tips.

In terms of what I designed with this mood board I imagined that my clients asked me to help them design a Speakeasy Throwback Club/Bar. The first board that I created is centered around the bar and seating portion of the establishment. I stuck with the more glamorous style when designing.
To start off the chandelier is meant to big because even though in speakeasy's at the time they were not there but in The Great Gatsby when he threw his big parties my eye was always drawn to that huge and daunting chandelier that just added a regal factor to the space.
The bar took me sometime in trying to find. I wanted to make it unique and what is more unique then having a bar that is completely covered in mirrors. The light from the club could also give a fun effect when it is bounced off of the interesting mirrored panels. The article that gave me the inspiration to have this unique bar was Get the Look: Great Gatsby
I wanted to keep the theme not only in the furniture but also the actual architecture of the building. I wanted to have these interesting tin decorative ceiling panels that, other than the picture shown in the mood board would be a shinny silver color. In the case of it being to much I would like to have the cross beams as well.
Aside from the only seating being at the bar I chose to have simple tables that will be set around for the costumers to be able to enjoy their drinks, talk and take a break from dancing. I went with a simple black set of table and chairs because it is still classy and will flow with the rest of the space. It also has a practical function of being easier to clean unlike white. I took a tip from the article of Gatsby Tips that pointed out that you don't want to go over board with whites, silvers, and golds. The black is a good complimenting color to the rest of the pallet that's being used.

For my other mood board I wanted to work on the exterior of the establishment. I imagined that the client just so happened to have a location a hill that would warrant a wonderful view. Let's say the client wanted to offer a balcony area to their costumers that way, perhaps, they could get some fresh air and take a break from the club. I wanted this space to be simple but still hold the theme and the style of the era. The people who take the time to be there, I feel, should enjoy the view of the beautiful modern city around them. One of the first things I want to make sure of, for safety purposes, was that these guests had enough light. Needing light doesn't mean it can't still be a form of romantic lighting which was very popular during that time. I decided to add hanging Edison bulbs from a simple frame work for a roof with no roof actually in place so that they can look up and enjoy the stars. If romantic lighting was popular I want to definitely add that to the club. Having some seating outside is important but I wanted most of it to be just open space. I stuck with the classy black and white. There wasn't anything in the articles provided to us about outdoor furniture. Although, with a little more research I found that in that time they would use lawn chairs typically. So with that I wanted to try and use classy lawns chairs that would be easy to clean. In the chance that the guests would bring their drinks outside I added this wonderful Art Deco table. Art Deco was very popular back in the 1920's. The style would range from art, that I also added, to furniture and architecture itself. It is also gold, which at the time was used a lot. I also added a few art pieces just to spice up the space a bit. I made sure that they were modern throwbacks that fit the style and era.

Space

In order to create separate spaces in my studio apartment I tried utilizing the furniture. I mostly used this with the living room. I used a curved couch and the corner of the room to designate that space separate. As for the kitchen I have an island that I will use as a table. I do not see a big need for an actual dining room table because it will most likely just be me living there I made sure to put some space between the kitchen and my bedroom. I would ideally place a room divider there in order to further the separation and in the chance that I would have guest over, I can keep that area more private and to myself. I don't like clutter so I only wanted to put in as much furniture and such as I needed. I love wide open spaces so the windows I have added will give the apartment a more open feel to it. 

Line

When it comes to the elements of design, line is one of the most common that we are aware of. Line has a way of adding to a space in a variety of different ways as well as invoking a feeling while we observe the room. Most of the time we will not know that we are subliminally being effected by these lines. 

Vertical Lines:
The vertical lines in this example would be the shelves. They bring your eye up toward the ceiling and down toward the ground. The feeling that comes with a line would be formality, organization, and class.






Horizontal Lines:

Horizontal lines have a tendency to move your eye along the way from side to side rather then up an down like vertical lines did. These lines give you a cozy, casual feeling. A place you can relax and be comfortable. It is easiest to remember this because you sleep horizontally and that is a very casual and relaxing position. The shelves and the stacking order is where the horizontal lines are present.




Diagonal Lines:
These lines are very exciting and energized and give life to a room or space. The example shows diagonal line with the  staircase. It makes the space feel a little more lively.





Curved Lines:
Curved lines is a soft and calm line. It is also seen as a feminine line. The example shown incorporated the curve line with an arch doorway and with the filigree around it.







There are many types of lines in a home and the way they can make us feel also varies from line to line. Why not go around your house or any building/interior space and notice the lines around you and see if that is effecting how you feel.

Texture

Texture is a very important tool that an Interior Designer has. There are three different types of texture that I have used in this particular example to get a better understanding of the use of texture and how it affects a space.

The first example would be Visual texture. Visual texture is simply the appearance of the surface. For the sample room I created I showed this in the pillows on the ottoman as well as the ottoman itself. The pillows have this leather like quality but other than that they appear to be smooth which is a nice contrast to the busy print that is on the ottoman. I also added a unique and colorful glass chandelier and the painting that hangs along the staircase.


Tactile, the feeling of the surface, is also present in the sample room. It's shown in the bed frame that has a woven basket like texture to it. The clock above the bed also shows this kind of texture. The basket and the room divider also show it. The interesting thing about the room divider is that there are two different textures that are used in making it. This gives it a unique feeling if it is touched.

The final type of texture that I used in creating my sample room is known as audible. Audible is the sound that the surface makes when it is rubbed. Everything has a sound when it is touched. This is probably the easiest texture to confuse or simply look over. To show this I tried to pick things that would be obvious and would make very different sounds from each other. I have the cabinet by the staircase. The cabinet has glass and some metal work on top. To contrast that I added the bed side table which is made from a section of wood and will have a rougher sound. I also added the books on the bed side table to give a various because it appears that the books have leather bound covers. Finally, the chest at the foot of the bed would have a smoother sound that would be broken up because of the leather straps that go around it.

Texture is a very important thing when it comes to Interior Design. Learning and understanding how to use and apply it properly to a space will get you very far.

Every House Has A Story

While I was on the tour no house really stood out to me for some reason. Don't get me wrong, they all were beautiful and were magnificently created but they all seemed like they were done before. There was nothing extremely special about them. I was left a bit disappointed that I didn't walk away with a favorite. It wasn't until we looked at a book about Summit Ave and the stories about the houses that I found one that I really enjoined.

It it was a really quirky and adorable house that looked like something out of a storybook. It was located on the 808 Goodrich Avenue in St. Paul. This colorful Victorian home was the work of Diedrik Omeyer and Martin Thori. These two Norwegian born architects were known or creating some of St. Paul's most effusive Queen Anne homes. Shockingly enough when the house was completed it sat empty for about a year.

The house had held a variety of different families such as; a cloth merchant, a Unitarian minister, a wholesale merchant,a physician, and a well known attorney. The poor house had fallen into disarray do to time and the crazy weather that Minnesota is known for. It wasn't until 2002 that a young property manager decided to take on the project and lift the house's spirits. He had a few hiccups along the way but eventually he restored the home to its original state and gave it such an iconic paint job that defiantly
caught my eye.

James J. Hill House

 

James J. Hill was a Canadian born man was asked by a reporter late in his life how he found such great success in his life and his career as a chief executive officer of the Great Northern Railway. His reply fit the bluntness that surrounds him, "Work, hard work, intelligent work, and then more work."

James was not only a wealthy man but a hard working man. In 1893 when the economy fell into depression many businesses at the time began to collapse. Because of James and the drastic cost-saving measures he took he kept the Great Northern Railway running.

When the economy got back on it's feet with more prosperity, trust-building, and consolidation James no longer had to  restrict himself to his cost saving measures. 

Though James is a very interesting man with a great history behind him, we did not go to Summit Ave to just learn the history of him. We went to learn and explore the wonderful houses and mansions that grace this street in St. Paul, Minnesota. On this street, at the end in fact, is a dark mansion that sits across the street from the Catholic Church. This was the famous James J. Hill House. He built a house that not only suited his family but was also a symbol of his success. 

James hired a Boston firm, Peabody, Stearns, and Furber to handle the project of constructing his home under his observation. The firm was known for their impressive mansions. Mr. Hill made sure to be envolved with the whole process from the planning, to the construction, then to the furnishing.

Hill was so picky about what he wanted in his home that he replaced the architects after they ignored his requests. He then had his interior design team, Irving and Casson to finish up the home.

The home was finished in 1891 and is the most expensive mansion in the state of Minnesota. This extreme home is 36,500 square feet across all five floors. The mansion has 13 bathrooms, 22 fireplaces, 16 glass chandeliers, a two-story art gallery with a skylight, an 88-foot reception hall. All of this and still has the treat of having elaborately carved oak and mahogany woodwork. There is so much more to the house added up to $931,275.01 final total.

The James J Hill House is such an iconic mansion on Summit Ave. It starts you off with a great story behind the home that will prepare you for what else lies on that road that seems to be frozen in time.

Cass Gilbert -vs- Clarence Johnston

Cass Gilbert and Clarence Johnston are both famous architects in Minnesota, especially the St. Paul area. Johnston and Gilbert were childhood friends. They attended MIT together and each set up their own practice in Saint Paul. While the latter half of Gilbert's career was centered in New York, Johnston continued practicing in Minnesota and created 3500 buildings.

On the other hand, Clarence Johnston is known as the most unknown yet well-known man in the whole state of Minnesota when it comes to his architecture. He was one of Minnesota's most prolific Gilded Age architects. He left a legacy unmatched in Minnesota. He not only designed scores of mansions and stately houses,but has done dozens of academic buildings, churches, schools, sports palaces, prisons, hospitals, and asylums. Johnston is best know for his beautiful homes. There was no such thing, however, as a Clarence Johnston style; he composed in great variety. It is hard to identify his houses because he would compromise so much on the design element. This is one of the biggest differences between Johnston and Gilbert.

Cass Gilbert was so influential that he has a organization that is dedicated to researching and discovering new ways of how he contributed to  America's architecture. This organization is known as the Cass Gilbert Society. In the case of Gilbert his style was very transcendent which was a switch from his narrow minded view of the world. His buildings were works of art when it came to composition as well as being incredibly fresh and new. Gilbert, like many other architects at the time were very eclectic along with being far more inventive than the modernists gave them credit for being. They had only rarely copied historical precedent directly. If they did it was more of picking and choosing what they wanted. Some of his most famous buildings include the Woolworth building as well as the Untied States Supreme Court Building. These public buildings of his were in the style known as the Beaux Arts. This reflected the optimism of America. 

Both men are great architects with eyes of either pleasing themselves but staying within their preferred style or wanting to please the client. Gilbert and Johnston are very skilled and talented men and by witnessing their work on Summit Ave it is obvious as to why they are such well respected members of their field.

Summit Ave

Summit Ave simply is street in St. Paul, Minnesota that is made famous by the mansions that line the road. Summit Avenue is known for having preserved its historic character. It remains a well-preserved example of a Victorian residential boulevard. This street is part of two historic districts as well as two heritage preservation districts known as; Historic Hill District, West Summit Avenue Historic District, Summit Hill, and Ramsey Hill.

All this historical knowledge would not be available to us with such ease if it were not for the walking tours of the neighborhood. My interior design class had taken this tour and we got to see and learn so much about all different types of homes that are along this street. 
The first house that we saw and learned about was the famous Jame J. Hill House, which I spoke about in a previous post. This definitely made an impression and set the bar for the other houses along the way.    

Follow the in order to get more information on the walking tours and explore the beautiful Summit Ave for yourself. 
http://sites.mnhs.org/historic-sites/james-j-hill-house/summit-avenue-walking-tour

Here are a few of the photos that I took on my phone while I was on this wonderful tour.

Housing Characteristics

There are different housing characteristics that can be identified on any particular house. In this post I am going to show you a few of these different characteristics and how you can identify them.

Bay Window
A bay window is two or more windows that project outside of the wall of the house. Being moved away from the wall these windows let more light to enter and a wider view of the scenery outside.

Casement Window
These windows are unconventional as they will open by swinging inward or outward like a door. They usually have a vertical shape but are often grouped in bands or rows of other casement windows. 

Clapboard

This is another name for weatherboard or siding. This is the long narrow boards that are overlapped to cover the outer walls. This is most commonly used in a Colonial style frame house.

Dormer
A dormer is the setting for a vertical window in the roof. There are multiple different kinds of dormers. For insistence, a gable dormer is if it has its own gable or a shed dormer if it is a flat roof. They are most often found in upstairs bedrooms.

Eaves
The eaves are the portion of the roof that projects beyond the wall. They are very prominent in Bungalows.

Fanlight

A fanlight is a semicircular or the arch above a window or door.

Palladian Window
This window is a three part window that features a large arched center and flanking rectangular sidelights.

Pediment
The triangular crown used over doors,windows, or porches. A very classic feature of a house.

Portico

A portico is the large porch the usually is accompanied with a pediment roof supported by classical columns or pillars.

Rafters
A roof beam sloping from the ridge to the wall. In many houses, rafters are visible only in the attic but they can bee seen in the main living spaces if that was the architects intent and design for the house. Usually that would be in a craftsman bungalow and rustic contemporaries.

Sidelights
The windows that are on either side of the front door. This lets in more light and opens the space.

Turret
A turret is a small tower, often in the corner of the building. Common in Queen Anne (Victorian) styles among others. A Turret is a smaller structure while a tower begins at ground level.

There are many more characteristics that a house can have but here are just a few to help you get started in recognizing these details.

Roof Styles

There are a few different types of roofs that a house can have depending on the style that you are going for. There are six most common ones known as; Gable Roof, Gambrel Roof, Hip Roof, Saltbox, Mansard, and Shed.

Gable Roof
This Style of roof is created by two sloping sides, forming a triangle at one or both ends of the house or roof. It is also described as being the triangular section of a wall formed by the end of a this type of roof. This style is shown in Neo-eclectic houses, Ranch, Tudor, as well as Cape Cod styles. These are not however the only styles that gable roofs are seen.

Shed Roof
A Shed roof is a simple , one-slope roof as seen in the picture to the right. This style can also be known as a lean-to roof. It is mostly seen in more modern homes.

Gambrel Roof
This roof that is defined by having two with two slopes on each side. The lower side will have a steeper pitch then the upper side. This roof style is commonly found in Colonial revival houses in more of a Dutch Style.

Saltbox Roof
This odd roof shape is a variation that was discussed above. It was originally created when a house was being added on to so they created a roof by adding a shed roof (lean-to) to the back wall of the house. This is a very unique and interesting style of roof that goes well with an equally unique and original vision for your home.

Hipped Roof
The hipped roof is when all four sides of the roof slope inward to meet at a peak or as a ridge as shown in the photo to the left. The "hips" are the lines formed when the slopes meet at the corners.

Mansard Roof
Lastly, the Mansard style of roof is when all four sides have two slopes, the lower four steeper than the upper four. This is a much older style of roof. It can be seen though in houses in a "Dutch" style of the colonial Revival.







There are many different styles of roofs that a home can have. These six are not all of the possibilities. The hope was that this would help you get more familiar with the different styles as well as learn a bit of the vocabulary when it comes to architecture.

Housing Life Cycle

The life cycle of different houses we live in throughout our lives was the main topic for this past week.
We started out the week with discovering both the physical and psychological needs that a house must fill in order to be healthy home environment.

Physical Needs:

1. Shelter - The house must provide shelter from the elements that rage outside.
2. Sleep - The house must supply a safe place for you and your family to sleep.
3. Food - The house must have a convenient place to prepare food.
4. Storage - The house must be able to store your things in an organized manner.
5. Safety - The house must provide protection from predators, thieves and other unruly characters.

Psychological Needs:

1. Love & Belonging - The home should make you feel as though you are part of a community or at least give you a sense that you belong there.
2. Privacy - The home should be able to be the place you go to in order to get away from all the stress. Having a good sense of privacy and that safe area is very good for your mental health.
3. Identity - The home should reflect your values and lifestyle.
4. Creativity - The home should provide a place for your own self expression. Make your home yours by adding variety/beauty and your own unique spin on it. 

Housing Life Cycle:

         A housing life cycle is the changes over time that depend on your needs and what you need at certain points in time. We worked on what we would want in three stages of our lives. We were asked to identify our needs/wants for when we were 22, 33, and 42 and work within a set budget.

When I am 22, with a set housing budget of $150,000 my main criteria for a home would be simple one bedroom, one bath with a nice kitchen that is big enough for me to cook in without feeling cramped or causing a lot of clutter. The apartment I decided on however is a two bedroom, two bath just in case I have a guest and want them to stay over. It also gives me just a bit more space to grow with me through my life as well. I decided to live in Lakewood, Colorado because I would have just graduated from college which is near there and will wanted to start working on my career. This location would give me a good commute time to any main cities near by in case that is where my job is. With My budget being only $150,000 I chose an apartment that was only 100 off from my max budget because it was one that did not need any renovations.

At the age of 33 I will hopefully have a family of my own. We had the option of randomly choosing another income so that made my housing budget go to $554,000. I wanted to get a house with enough rooms so that my kids can each have their own space. The open space and big kitchen were the real selling points for me. I enjoy the thought of having a big enough area for the whole family to be together. The location was because the Littleton school district is a very well respected one. It also is a good sized suburb not far from the city but far enough so that it is a good place to raise a family. I went under budget when purchasing this house but I feel like this was the best house for me when it came to what I hope for in the future.

For my last house, at the age of 42 and with a budget of $662,000, I chose a big enough house that if I have guests or life happens and for any reason my kids need to come back home for a while they will still be able to have their own space. I loved the front of the house with the patio and open space. I decided to live in the city because I think it would give me good access to things and when I am this age I am pretty sure I will want to be close to everything. I decided to not go up to my full budget because in case the house had a few issues I would have some money set aside so that I can repair what is needed, or rather pay someone to repay it because I won't want to do it myself at that age.



When it comes to the life cycle of a house it is really important to have a basic understanding of what you want out of life but of course there is no way to truly know what is coming until it is happening. The needs you have through out your life change and that is why the houses that you choose to live in change as well. The house you live in at any age should meet your needs as well as reflect yourself in it.

Interior Design Blog Review

In Interior Design we were asked to explore a few Interior Design blogs and websites. Many Interior Designers choose to have a blog because for them it can act like a portfolio that has easy access and show cases their style in a unique and fun way that sets themselves apart from other Designers.



One of my top blog sites was Houzz. There is such a big variety that you can look at and get inspired by to make your designers better. It could also just help open your eyes with the wide variety as well as showing new techniques, ideas, and layouts to gie you a more variety in what you are able to do as an Interior Designer.




Apartment Therapy was another great blog that I really enjoyed. It focused on making sure that no space is wasted in an apartment.This blog mostly focuses on tips and giving you ideas as to how to be mindful of the space and area that you have. I personally found it very useful because I will be moving into my own apartment in less than a year and will want to look at all the tips and ideas that they had. This blog is my favorite because of how useful it is to me at this point in time.

My final blog that I enjoyed was the Dwell. What I think made this blog so appealing to me was the fact that it was very organized. If you happened to be renovating a house it has a section with a few posts and photos to help you out. If you just wanted to look at some beautiful rooms and houses for inspiration, this blog also has that. With such a wide variety of things that are organized so nicely it's hard not to like this blog.



While I was exploring these blogs and many more I have found a few really cool trends when it comes to Interior Design and just housing in general. When I say housing I am really meaning on how you live. Some of the trends happened to be the rising interest in tiny houses. Tiny houses are typically 500 square feet. Some tiny houses are actually built on trailer beds (8 feet by 20 feet) which makes the living space to be around 120 square feet or less. The appeal of these kinds of homes are the way to limit the amount of useless things that we all seem to accumulate as well as avoiding the need for a building permit.


My second trend that I had found was again a new rising interest that renovates the way we build and live in homes. I very unconventional and nontraditional way to build a house that is becoming a very popular thing is using shipping containers to build up your home. With the containers you can make a really unique shape and add onto it as much as you want by simply adding more containers. It is also far more affordable than building a home in the traditional form.