Top 10 tips for being a successful interior designer

http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-29616848

Sophie Conran, the award-winning English interior designer, is the daughter of designer and restaurateur Sir Terence Conran and the sister of fashion designer Jasper Conran.

She says it sometimes feels like design has become part of her DNA.

Here are her top 10 tips for being an interior designer.

1. Start young and see what excites you

I had a dolls' house as a child. I decorated it, furnished it and even put wallpaper up, so I sort of started interior design at quite a young age for some small, inanimate clients!

We moved home when I was about eight years old. My parents bought a dilapidated old school and then spent the next few years doing it up. We basically lived on a building site, and I got to see the whole thing stripped back to the bare bones. I found it really exciting and I think that experience probably sparked my initial interest in interior design.

2. Believe in yourself

I left school after my O-levels, and then I did a year of retakes because I did so badly. It is so important to believe in yourself, and tell yourself that it is going to be ok.

I failed at school and not going to university meant that I wasn't particularly confident when I started out and I didn't feel great about myself then. I was quite badly dyslexic and everything was a bit of a struggle, apart from the arts. Reading, writing and spelling were all a bit tricky.

I always loved designing things. With anything in life that you want to do, if it interests you and you spend enough time doing it, you will learn it. You just have to care enough about it to try.

3. Practise your maths, it's not all choosing lovely curtains

I think it is very competitive now. I would always encourage people to stay in education for as long as they can, really. I think it shows staying power, demonstrates a certain seriousness about things and allows you to get your thoughts in order. Even though I didn't do it, I do think it's a good thing.

Getting some sort of grounding in architectural interior design is a very good thing to do. You need to learn to do things like scale drawings and maths is very important too. It's not all choosing lovely curtains and fabrics!

4. Consider an internship

When I left school, I became an apprentice milliner - I really wanted to make hats at the time. Looking back, it was a great thing to do because it is so important to learn a skill, to work with a team and to understand seasonality.

I would totally encourage people to go for internships. They give you an experience of the industry that you want to be in and allow you to find out if it is the right one for you. It means that you start from the bottom and you get access to amazing talent in the real world.

I'm very lucky to work in a field that I really enjoy, but I wouldn't take on a job that I felt was going to be unpleasant or difficult. I think it's important to work with people that you get on with and that you can see eye to eye with.

5. Don't blow the budget

You don't need to spend a lot of money to make a room look and feel good. Time frames and budget constraints are probably the most difficult thing to manage about the job. People don't want to spend too much money and if you go over budget, then people understandably get upset.

I'll make suggestions and put together a mood board using images from books and magazines. Try and get all your ideas in one place visually, from bits of fabric to tiles to floor finishes, put all the bits you might want to use together and see if they work together on paper, that is always a good place to start.

6. Be brave

A long time ago, when I first had my flat in London, I painted my sitting room yellow and blue. I thought it would be a good idea, but it wasn't and it was hideous! I was 20 years old, I was brave and I thought this could work, this could be fabulous.

It didn't and it wasn't, but some of the other things I tried did - and I think it's important to be brave. When you're spending someone else's money steer clear of something you think might be a mistake, but do try and be brave. Otherwise we'd all live in a very grey world, wouldn't we!

7. Don't aim for perfection

Things don't have to be perfect to be beautiful. If you go into a room and it's all perfect, you don't feel comfortable. A home interior is not an abstract thing, it is about people, it's about the way you feel, the way you interact. It's about family and friends, it's the backdrop to your life.

We used to drive down to France every summer when we were kids and my Mum would stop off in Limoges, which is famous for porcelain. She would always insist on buying seconds from the factory shop. They were all wobbly and bent because they had been misfired, but to me they were beautiful and filled with character.

That was a big part of what inspired me to create the Portmeirion collection. If things are too perfect then it is without character, it's not good to be too precious about something. The more you strive for perfection, the more it disappears. Don't aim for perfection, try to create a relaxed environment, that's what I think is important.

8. Look for inspiration in everything and get to know your clients

I get my inspiration from all over the place; books, magazines, the internet, shops and my relatives of course! It is like being in a family of doctors sometimes, we spend a lot of time together and are inspired by similar things so we do talk about our work with each other.

Our enthusiasm can be slightly contagious I think, and it sometimes feels like design has sort of become part of our DNA, but everyone in the family has been incredibly supportive of me and encouraging and it's lovely.

Thinking about how a room is going to make you feel is essential. That is what good interior design does. It's about creating an atmosphere. You absolutely have to know something about the people you are designing a space for. You need to find out about the way they lead their life, which rooms they use the most and you must always consider form and function.

9. Take your time with colour and lighting

When it comes to making decisions about colour, my advice is to do it slowly. Try colours on a small area of the walls you want to paint and look at them at different times of day. It's about instinct and how it makes you feel again. Always try things before you make any final decisions.

Lighting is also essential because it's all to do with mood. I like to have lots of different light sources, low level lighting as well as ceiling lights and I like to have quite a lot of control over them as well, with lots of different switches and dimmers.

The functionality and the atmosphere are the most important things to get right. The fabrics, the floor coverings, the furniture the lighting are the tools that you use to create that. Don't make rushed decisions if you can help it, apply a process of elimination approach if you can. The more you do it, the more confident you will become in your decision making.

10. Be empathetic and think about how a room makes you feel

You've got to be able to empathise with your client. Being an interior designer can mean lots of things, there's a little bit of being a nanny in there, a little bit of psychology and lots of empathy.

When you have designed a space or an object or anything really and the client loves it, that is why I do what I do. That is the best feeling and the best thing about the job. If you create something and you put it out there and you know that somebody else is genuinely thrilled with it, then that is your reward and there is no better feeling!

How Interior Design Is Making You Fat (Okay, Eat More)

By Gabriella Vigoreaux https://www.yahoo.com/health/how-interior-design-is-making-you-fat-okay-eat-more-94096161174.html
We make thousands of food decisions every single day: What to eat for lunch? How full do we feel? Should we stop eating now?

What so many of us don’t realize is how much design in our environment affects each and every one of our food decisions. Imagine: if, by tweaking the decor of your office or home, you could somehow influence the foods you eat — eventually eating healthily could become a mindless act.

In his new book, Slim By Design (out September 23rd), Cornell Professor Brian Wansink argues that the key to being naturally slim lies in changing the structure and design of places where we consume most of our calories — namely local restaurants and grocery stories.

For example: If you sit at a table that faces away from the buffet at a restaurant, you’ll be less likely to go back for seconds. If the entrance to the supermarket is through its bakery, you’ll be more likely to stock up with sugary carbs — like cookies and muffins. And if you store your chips in the front of your pantry, you’ll naturally reach for those first.

SEE MORE: The New Super Food Replacing Quinoa?

At home:

1. “You can roughly predict a person’s weight by the food they have sitting out,” Wansink writes. That means: put those tempting foods in a place where they won’t stare you down when you’re hungry. Keep a bowl of fresh fruits and healthy snacks on the counter for easy snacking.

2. Make it easier to cook. Keep you kitchen tidy and organized with plenty of open space for food prep.

3. The more time you spend in your kitchen the more you will eat. Make your kitchen less lounge-y and more efficient by eliminating comfy chairs, TVs, iPads, or anything that would tempt you to linger around all that food.

At restaurants:

1. Practice the “Rule of Two,” which allows you to order any reasonable entree you like plus only two additional items. You could choose a cocktail and a dessert, an appetizer and a piece of bread, or maybe two pieces of bread if that’s what you feel like eating.

2. Be a pro at reading menus. Dish descriptions are very telling of how caloric a meal is going to be. Look for words like seasoned, roasted, marinated, fresh, and boiled. Avoid anything creamed, crispy, smothered, fried, or loaded.

3. Menus should be designed to indicate which options are healthier, but they usually aren’t. Dont be afraid to ask your server what the lightest entrees are or if something can be served in a half-sized portion.

SEE MORE: 3 Surprising Healthy Ingredient Swaps

At the supermarket:

1. Try dividing your cart, either mentally or with an object, like your purse or scarf. Are you trying to eat more fruits and vegetables? Place them in the front half of the cart and all other food items in the back. If you’re forced to ask yourself whether something belongs in the front or the back, you’re more likely to want to fill up the front.

2. Hit up the produce section first while your cart is empty and browse the entire selection. You are more likely to to put fruits and vegetables in your cart if it’s empty. Once your cart is full of healthy produce, hit up other healthy aisles, like canned foods or frozen fruits and vegetables, before going to the chip or candy aisle.

3. Supermarkets should highlight in-season produce with proper signage, healthy facts, and even tear-off recipe cards with ideas for how to cook the items.

At the office:

1. Pack your lunch whenever possible. You usually assemble brown bag lunches the night before or the morning of, when you’re already full, so it’s easier to pack healthy items. If your work has a cafeteria, ditch the tray. You’re less likely to to overeat if you can’t carry all that food back to your table.

2. Talk to your boss about encouraging walking meetings, when the weather permits or setting up a fitness room with occasional programs mid day.

3. Most office break rooms look like something out of a prison movie. Making them visually appealing with posters, pictures, and plants can encourage workers to eat a lunch in there instead of eating junk food at their desks or going out. Additionally, break rooms should be well-stocked with free healthy snacks.

SEE MORE: 5 Foods That Can Help Reduce Stress

In the lunchroom:

1. Schools can give vegetables creative or descriptive names to make them sound more appealing.

2. Move snack foods, like chips and cookies, behind the counter and offer them only if requested.

3. Feature healthy entrees by making them the most prominent in the lunch line and displaying the name on a menu board outside the cafeteria

Want to know if your food radius is slim by design? Wansink includes a score card at the end of each chapter so you can see just how much work needs to be done in your kitchens, offices, favorite restaurants, schools, and supermarkets.

DIY candy mint Christmas tree

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http://www.sheknows.com/holidays-and-seasons/articles/978495/diy-candy-mint-christmas-tree

Easy & fresh holiday DIY

The holidays are many things, but they are not cheap! Between the gift buying, the traveling and the food costs, we're often left with just a few bucks to decorate! Instead of spending those last few cents on an overpriced centerpiece or mantel display, why not make a few of these adorable mint trees?

You can't beat a craft that costs less than $5. This mint tree only takes about 30 minutes to make and instantly adds some holiday pizzazz to mantels, coffee tables and even centerpieces! In addition, this is one craft your kids will love to help you make!

Supplies:

• 1 bag of regular red circle mints
• 1 bag of wintergreen circle mints
• Hot glue gun
• Assorted sizes of styrofoam cones
• Silver glitter glue

Instructions:

1. Unwrap the mints
   
   With dry hands (this is very important, otherwise the candy will get sticky), unwrap each candy so you can glue it onto the cone.
   
   DIY candy mint Christmas tree -- mints

2. Glue mints onto the tree
   
   Using your hot glue gun, glue the mints onto the tree, right next to each other, covering up every bit of space on the cone that you can.
   
   DIY candy mint Christmas tree -- glue mint on tree
   
   We did two layers of red and one layer of green and repeated until we got to the top of the tree.
   
   DIY candy mint Christmas tree -- glue mints on tree
   
   DIY candy mint Christmas tree -- overhead view

3. Fill in holes with silver glitter glue
   
   Since you can't overlap the mints, we added some silver glitter glue to cover up some of the holes. It gives the tree a bit of a tinsel look!
   
   DIY candy mint Christmas tree --add glitter

4. Let dry and enjoy!
   
   Let the glue dry and clean up the loose strings with a cloth. Display on your mantel or table and enjoy!

More easy DIY holiday crafts

DIY chalkboard mugs
DIY holiday hair accessories
DIY holiday decor ideas

3rd Annual Home Decorating Contest

Last year's Grand Prize winner of $350 cash, the Baldauff Family.

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http://www.moscowvillager.com/article/20121120/NEWS/121129994/1001/NEWS

Get into the spirit of Christmas! Let's light up Covington Twp.!

Covington Twp. is once again looking for the most festive homes of the season!

Judging is for exterior decoration only and will be judged on: use of decorations, neatness, use of color, brightness, appeal, detail, layout, creativity, content, originality and overall appearance.

Judging will take place on the evening of Dec. 18, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. (lighting will be required).

Only Covington Twp. residents may enter.

Impartial Judges decisions are final.

Awards will be presented, including the $350 cash grand prize, on Dec. 20 at a reception held at the Moffat Estate at 7 p.m.

To enter, please fill out the form below and return by 1 p.m. on Dec. 5 to: Light Up Covington Twp. Holiday Decorating Contest, 20 Moffat Dr., Covington Twp., PA 18444.

Forms can also be dropped off in person at the Municipal Office at the Moffat Estate on Rt. 435, Covington Twp.
Please be advised, contest participants may have photographs taken of their home and family for display at the mansion.

Note: Previous Grand Prize winners may participate only once every five years.
For more information call 842-0457. (Township employees may not participate.)
Covington Twp. Christmas Home Decorating Contest Entry

FILL OUT - CUT OUT - AND RETURN

Must be received prior to 1 p.m. Dec. 5

Name:______________________________________________________________
Street Address:_____________________________________________________________
Telephone:_________________________
Signature:__________________________
Directions to your home from intersection of Rts. 502 & 435:

Furniture, decoration store opens in Port Royal

http://www.islandpacket.com/2012/06/15/2103606/furniture-decoration-store-opens.html

Three women have teamed up and moved their consignment businesses into the recently opened Cottage Home in Port Royal.

The new store at 920 14th St. is owned by Indre Palencia, who is using the home-turned-office-turned-bookstore as retail space for herself and vendors Barbara Marsh and Ginny DuBose.

A New York native, Palencia was an interior designer for 25 years. When the economy crashed, she turned to retail.

"This was my hobby and my passion, so I was finally able to do it," she said.

She originally opened Cottage Home last year at 1632 Paris Ave., then moved to Consign and Design on Paris at 1406 Paris Ave. Palencia opened her most recent location June 2.

The store includes furniture, antiques, decorations and other home items. Palencia said her specialty is furniture she and her husband paint.

Marsh's specialties are art deco and vintage and costume jewelry. DuBose focuses on local items and makes crèches with indigenous Lowcountry materials, according to the businesses' website. They were previously part of Consign and Design.

"It's a little culmination of our passion and interests," Palencia said.

Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Information: 843-379-5599, www.cottagehome.webs.com

In other news about town:

A new nail salon celebrated its grand opening Friday on Boundary Street. Liberte' Nails is at 2303 Boundary St., Suite 6. Clients with military IDs receive a 5-percent discount.

Hours: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday; 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays.

Information: 843-524-8888

Plans to open a frozen yogurt shop in downtown Beaufort have failed after the business owner was unable to obtain financing, according to developer Steve Patterson. The space at 722 Bay St. is still available for rent, and Patterson said there has been some interest from prospective business owners.

East Coast Liquidators has opened at 481 Parris Island Gateway in Beaufort. The store sells items such as furniture, toys, clothing and electronics at a discount.

Hours: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday; noon to 4 p.m. Sunday.

Information: 843-522-6830

Last-Minute Occasions party supply store is opening Monday at 1808 Boundary St. in Beaufort, with a celebration planned for 11 a.m. Door prizes, coffee and doughnuts will be available.

Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Thursday; 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday; 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 12:30 to 5 p.m. Sunday.

Information: 843-379-5444

Captured Moments Photography family portrait studio is celebrating its grand opening Wednesday of its new location at 509-B Adventure St. in Beaufort. Festivities will begin at 4 p.m., and the Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce will conduct a ribbon-cutting at 4:30 p.m.

Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday and Wednesday; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday; and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday.

Information: 843-379-0223, cmoments.com

Home sweet home

http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Homes-and-Gardens/Interiors/Home-sweet-home-31052012.htm

Their passion for the lovely things in life has inspired Cambourne couple Kevin and Jenni Hairsine to launch their own home accessories business EMU. Louise Cummings pays a visit and prepares to shop until she drops . . .

Kevin and Jenni Hairsine have a masterplan – to fill homes across the land with ‘lovely things’. Passionate about upcycled furniture as well as beautiful home accessories and describing their idea of heaven as “drinking tea from china cups, while dipping into a good book”, the husband and wife team are the brains behind stylish homeware company EMU (it has nothing to do with shaggy Australian birds, before you ask. . . explanation later!)

Stepping into their charming shop on the main street of Gamlingay, it’s clear they have achieved their dream, creating a sheer haven of loveliness. Pretty pink polka dot wooden hearts hang next to shaker-style garlands and decorative bird houses in pastel shades. Shabby chic abounds with rustic trugs, shiny tin pails, one-off jelly moulds, occasional tables and old chests. “This cabinet started life in Macy’s in New York,” Kevin smiles, as he points out his latest upcycled pride and joy. “It was shipped over to England, and when it arrived with me it was all warped and in a bit of a state. It took abut eight weeks to bring it back to life,” he explains, giving it a satisfying tap.

Elsewhere there is a simply divine pine dresser which Kevin has transformed using the finest Annie Sloan paint in duck egg blue, an old chest rescued from a house clearance in France, not to mention the charming distressed Gustavian table.

I find myself diving into a box of dainty ladybird motif pegs, and have already selected a Mr & Mrs garland for my impending nuptials, and a clutch of rustic wooden plant signs, before I remember I am here to interview enterprising dad-of-three Kevin, 32.

We sit down to chat over a frothy latte in the gorgeous Crafty Cupcake Café, which is run by vintage-loving Faye Boissieux – from whom Kevin rents the space for EMU.

Surrounded by strings of bunting and home-made corsages, Hull-born Kevin explains that both he and wife Jenni were in completely different careers before their gorgeous homeware brand was born. His background was in catering, with chef stints at top venues in the City and across Essex, including working for the famous Roux Brothers, while Jenni was a freelance editor.

Having met in Jenni’s native Braintree, the couple decided to move to Cambourne in 2003, where they bought their first home. Marrying at Madingley Church in 2005, their first daughter Milena, now 5, was born a couple of years later. Planning for another baby, it was when they were told they were expecting twin girls Zahra and Yasmin that the couple decided it was time to make a work/life change.

The couple had always dreamed of owning their own business, and didn’t take long to decide on their niche market. “People are spending more time at home, they want to beautify their homes, and there are always home improvement programmes on the television so that’s why we chose the world of home accessories and furniture.”

Jenni dreamt up the name Emu, as the couple wanted something short, snappy and slightly ambiguous. “It’s attention grabbing but it’s not related to any emu-related products, which is what we often get asked about!" Kevin smiles. "Our tagline is ’lovely things’ and that describes exactly what we sell.”

Rather than heading straight for the High Street, Kevin decided to take EMU down the concessions route, launching the family brand from a room at The Barn in Kneesworth in February 2011, then following a month later with a room at Swan Antiques, Interiors and Gardens at Hemel Hempstead. The response was heartening, with the home accessories selling well, and steady commissions coming in for upcycled furniture.

“It felt exciting to have something that gave us such flexibility,” Kevin recalls. “Jenni concentrated very much on the twins and that gave me the freedom to put my all into EMU.”

With the business proving popular, EMU’s online shop was launched last July and orders have come in from as far afield as Carlisle and Devon, with the website getting visitors from 50 different countries and receiving its first international order recently from the USA.

Not one to rest on his laurels, Kevin wanted a new challenge for 2012, which is where the Gamlingay shop comes in. Meeting Fay, owner of the Crafty Cupcake, at the Gransden Show, the pair got talking and decided Kevin should rent a room at the shop. EMU had its grand opening on February 23rd this year. “It’s a perfect spot as this is very much the hub of the village,” Kevin smiles, as we hear a group of children downstairs giggling over their waffles and ice cream. “Fay hosts book clubs here, craft evenings and knitting clubs, and has therapy rooms. The great thing is that Fay and her team man the shop for me, so I have time to be restoring furniture at my workshop or hunting for the next bargain which I can turn into an upcycled piece.”

Ultimately, Kevin and Jenni would love to bring Emu to Cambridge, but for now they are happy with the progress of their haven of loveliness. “It’s going brilliantly,” Kevin enthuses. “It has been challenging but it’s very enjoyable and has given us such flexibility as a family, which is exactly what we wanted.”

Visit EMU at www.emuhome.co.uk or at The Crafty Cupcake, 28 Church Street, Gamlingay.

TUUCI wins top International Interior Design Association award

Ocean Master MAX Cantilever recognized during HD Expo
Casual Living Staff -- Casual Living, 5/29/2012 9:19:00 AM
http://www.casualliving.com/article/551772-TUUCI_wins_top_International_Interior_Design_Association_award.php

LAS VEGAS — TUUCI received the top design award for its Ocean Master MAX cantilever parasol during the recently completed Hospitality Design Expo + Conference in Las Vegas -- standing out from more than 900 exhibitors during a crowded trade show attended by more than 7,000 people.

For the past 16 years, the International Interior Design Association, in cooperation with HD Expo, has presented design excellence awards in several product categories, recognizing the most innovative offerings during the hospitality industry's largest annual trade show. The Ocean Master MAX Cantilever was selected as the leader in the category of individual furnishings in the case goods and free-standing furniture segment.

"The gratifying aspect of this award is the fact that it's presented by design professionals who truly appreciate the commitment required to create products that are as beautiful as they are effective in meeting customer needs," said Dougan Clarke, chief shade architect for Miami-based TUUCI. "Our team is focused intensely on service to professional interior designers and the hospitality industry, which makes this award during HD Expo a validation of our strategic direction as an organization."

As is true of the entire TUUCI product line, the Ocean Master MAX Cantilever merges art and engineering within a highly functional shade structure. A polished and anodized marine-grade canopy structure cantilevers from a sturdy oval-shaped mast, easily closing over tables and chairs. With a patent pending 4:1 tandem-retrieving crank system, the Ocean Master MAX Cantilever provides up to 144 square feet of uninterrupted shade.

Available in a Classic canopy style, the Cantilever is crowned with TUUCI's "Ocean-Sail" finial design. It offers graceful and generously proportioned shade to any sun drenched environment, timelessly designed for all enclaves, traditional and contemporary.

The International Interior Design Association consists of more than 12,000 members in 50 countries.