I loved this story in the AJC the other day, mostly because it is a good commentary on the untainted, not-yet-too-cynical, fresh approach that companies are likely to get from student designers. Staybridge Suites has decided to hire Savannah College of Art and Design students to design its hotel rooms.

“Every three years we work to evolve our standardized room program,” said Robert Radomski, vice president for global brand management extended-stay.

Normally, he said, the company would go to tried-and-true professionals who have years of experience, But sometimes, he said, their ideas can be recycled and they often must juggle multiple assignments, making it hard to focus on one client.

“This time around when the cycle came due . . . we were thinking we’d like to take a different approach,” he said…“They represent the next generation of designers and the next generation of travelers.”

This post does not seek to disrespect or devalue the work of experienced professionals!  I just loved doing student projects and get excited when I see people tapping students for fresh ideas. For example, The Beltline Project in Atlanta started out as Ryan Gravel’s thesis project at Georgia Tech.

Do you have any student projects you’d like to share with us, either current or from way back in your portfolio archives? Do you have any good student project stories, good or bad? Share them with us in the comments section!

This just in from the fabulous Vanessa de Vargas of TurquoiseLA. If you are in L.A. this weekend, be sure to catch this sale!

We are delighted to invite you to our premier designer tag sale, a HIGH-END DESIGNER SHOPPING EVENT!! Please feel free to forward this to your friends and contacts!!

The Designer Tag Sale is an interior designer yard sale/tag sale organized by interior designer Vanessa De Vargas and design editor Vanessa Kogevinas. Hosted by entrepreneur Amy Swift (SMARTY.), the sale will feature over ten top Los Angeles designers selling items from their personal inventories including small furniture such as side-tables, lamps, rugs, pillows, art, accessories and more at incredibly low prices! Nothing will be over $200 and prices will run as low as $5.

Designers include Molly Luetkemeyer, Ron Woodson, Jamie Rummerfield, Lindsey Dann Miller, Vanessa De Vargas, Paula Smail, Carla Lane, Jennifer Culp, Michelle Workman, Krista Ewart, Kelly Van Patter, Erica Islas, Jonamor Décor, Stephanie Visser and Cory Pernicano.

Confirmed vendors are Sobe, Elixir G, New Editions, and Yelp who will be participating as a media sponsor.

Free gift bags will be offered to the first thirty attendees and will include items from Henry Road, Bueller Designs, Blue Pool Road, Yelp, Fauna Pet and C Magazine’s newest issue!

There will also be a raffle with gifts from Apartment Therapy, Kreme wallpaper and Anney Friday Jewelry. Complimentary entertainment will include Elixir G Margaritas, Yvonne’s Gluten-Free Cookies, light passed appetizers and beauty treatments. DJ New Berlin will be spinning.

Any non-purchased/left-over designer inventory will be donated to Biet T’Shuvah, a local Venice residential treatment, spiritual and education center.

The Designer Tag Sale will also feature free mini-consultations and appraisals by designers so we ask that you bring pictures of your home and furniture items if you wish to participate.

Entry fee is $10. Cash only please.

We look forward to your participation and support, and thank all of our participants, without whom this event would not be possible!

Check out our blog for websites and more info!!

 

Designer Tag Sale logo and invitation designed by Tatiana Kogevinas.
All rights reserved.

After seeing Kristen Bell’s Hollywood home in the last issue of In Style, I decided to try and find out more about her designer, Stacey Vurduris. She has a few of her projects up on flickr, right here. Below are a few of my favorites, which feature great texture achieved through using beautiful tiles:

To see more of Stacey Vurduris’s work on Flickr, click here. Her website is here. The Kristen Bell In Style spread is here. Here’s a peek, God I miss Veronica Mars!

First three photos via flickr. Last photo by Francois Halard, via In Style via StaceyVurdurisDesign.com.

In a continued effort to find environmentally friendly design right under my nose, I present the Netto Collection Moderne Dresser. I’ve been rather obsessed with all things David Netto since that iconic Ione Skye issue of Domino. It has influenced my personal style so much, from the doughnut phone to the striped rug, the rattan to the beautiful wood floors. Now I just need a hanging chair…

What makes it green? It is made from sustainably harvested wood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. All composite materials meet the stringent European “E1″ toxicity standards. Finishes are non-toxic and non-VOC emitting. The is safety certified by the Juvenile Products Manufacturing Association (JPMA).

Netto is one of my favorite designers. He has such a range. He handles California Neutra houses, Park Avenue apartments, Hamptons showhouses, teenager rooms, exhibitions, nurseries and restaurants with aplomb. To see more of his design work, check out the portfolio on his website. Here’s a teaser for what you’ll find there:

I love the way he considers every object in the room, especially the way he can work a neutral palette to highlight texture and art. This makes each item, like that chair and even the firewood basket, a piece of sculpture. Brilliant!

Thank you for removing the paper towel roll and random dishtowels when styling this shot. They tend to ruin even the best of kitchen design images!

Ione Skye home from Domino, via flickr member xJavierx.

Bottom photos from David Netto Design

I miss Vogue Living magazine. Every now and then, Vogue will throw me a bone with some heart-stoppingly gorgeous interior spread. I was just giving an issue from a few months ago a last flip before it hit the recycling bin, and I had to pause. The home of Michael and Alexandra Misczynski left me in awe. It seems so simple; with its limited palette of neutrals and black. However, the clever use of a variety of textures makes every piece and surface stand out. In spite of this, it is all perfectly balanced. This is not an easy feat my friends. It’s hard to tell on the screen, but the glass in the piece below is exquisite – old and warped. It stands out because of the way they have every element in that room perfectly arranged.

I’ll give you a little teaser of Francois Harland’s gorgeous photos, then link on over and enjoy the entire slideshow yourself.

Photos by Francois Halard for Vogue, as seen on style.com

Nina V. Freudenberger is the founder and principal of Haus Interior LLC, and TheCultivatedHome.com. After attending Rhode Island School of Design and graduating with her Bachelors of Architecture, she worked as senior designer at Kondylis Design for four years. With a prestigious client list of over 25 projects, Nina opened her own firm to continue the vision of elegant and sophisticated design while retaining the experimental energy of the contemporary world.

1. Make your own wall art. We bought pre-cut cubes of wood from Home Depot  (about $1 each) and painted them 5 different shades of green of Benjamin Moore paint to create our installation piece. And no need to be obsessive over the painting!  The key is in the hanging which just takes an hour at home and a ruler. Go for bright colors such as corals and yellows.

2. Instead of the expense of wallpapering an entire room, why not cut down the cost and keep it focused? Buy fewer rolls and just paper a focal wall, behind your bead, your ceiling, as a faux headboard or even just in the back of your bookshelves. You will get your daily “glimpse” which will make you feel stylish and chic without paying thousands.

3. Paint your walls with horizontal or vertical stripes! Depending on the space and your patience, this is a simple way to make your space look larger or your ceiling height taller. This is a simple afternoon activity which I have done myself, and all you need is the paint color of your choice, some blue painting tape, a ruler and a level.  Tape out the increments of your desired stripe, and smooth it to the wall by applying pressure so that paint cannot seep underneath. And the rest is just layering on that paint! Get creative with your paint color choices, I love bold colors, so try green or a deep purple.

4. Extra space? Why not add a splash of color with buying books by the yard from your local bookstore or thrift shop (books which are either used or not in demand) and cover them with Read the rest of this entry »

What do you get when you mesh an iPhone with an interior designer? Either a really style savvy phone, an interior designer who is always connected or perhaps a bit of both. In this case I’m talking about the new Mark on Call iPhone/iPod Touch application. Created by L.A. based interior designer Mark Lewison, the app will let you create rooms in accurate shapes and sizes, lay down flooring, add and place architectural pieces, appliances, furniture…you name it, all via your phone. You can even take iPhone photos of colors and textiles and place them in the room to see what works what doesn’t. I’ve seen people come into our office with intricate sketches of their spaces trying to decide what will go where…but now you can do it all by phone!

My, how technology rocks/rules our world.

Video from Mark on Call

I showed you Thom Filicia’s bathroom with the white toilet and the black lid last week. There were a few more shots on his website I had not seen before and I want to share them with you.

I do not think my work area could ever look this clean and organized, but perhaps if it was decorated like this, it would inspire me to keep it neat:

Finally, this seemingly randomly arranged area is a wonderful composition and has touches of the nature study aesthetic I love so much. Filicia keeps things clean and modern, but also adds a warmth through texture and items found in nature:

For more of our favorite art arrangements, click here and here.

Finney, the dog nephew, posing.

Loft progress installment #3. I finally had a weekend open to put away a grand total of 7 boxes. We still have about 3214564 boxes (actually more like 17) left to unpack, a trip to Mexico and company coming for Thanksgiving (aka those boxes will never be touched!). Aye! With the time I did have available I was able to take the Flickr photos I promised of all of our furniture. This way you can get a sense as to what we are working with, our style, and our challenge!

Interior designer Murphy Moon passed along three floor plan suggestions which I have been eager to share:

I love the way Murphy encourages a distinct separation of work and living space…I never would have thought to create a platform for the office space. If we can only make the separation of work/life happen! Cooper’s photography business is a work from home job so he likes to have either music or the TV on during the day to ease the silence. At the moment the TV is within easy eye distance to his desk but this just may have to change. Here is a glimpse into Cooper’s “office” with the “his and hers” Steelcase desks:

Hopefully you can sense that we are still a ways off from having the place as we vision it…currently we are living in “survival mode.” We need more lighting, a few rugs, and dining chairs. But, we are getting there. If you have suggestions on how we should arrange things, bring it!

It is not too late to enter California Home+Design’s Achievement Awards! The deadline for entries is this Friday, Nov 21. If you are a design professional and you have completed a project worthy of some bragging rights, submit it!

The full scoop with submission requirements: http://www.chdmag.com/chd-awards-submission-guidelines