Isolation Invites Innovation

Here, today, find designer focus and pro-tips for improving our living spaces. Most of us have spent more time at home than we have in years.  Sure, we usually wake up, prepare for the day and return in the evening, to end the day.  Weekends are usually that bonus time around the house – unless we spend them on road trip excursions. However, being at home every day is unusual for many and has provided opportunities to critique and take stock. Go from “making-do” to making better, with a little focus on the details and some professional help!

New catch-phrases like “shelter-in-place” have become part of our vernacular. Staying home has resulted in massive numbers of internet orders, cautious home improvement store visits and related activity.  The shared anxious energy and creative energy  spawned, from our restricted living and working regimens, is “going viral!”

Well, we certainly never really considered that trendy term of something being popular being a REAL virus spreading across the planet – but the humor, common complaints and simple joys, of this surreal modification to our lives, are “going viral” all over the internet.  From the vantage point of the design world, we are seeing a multitude of comments about people going  stir-crazy and making plans for needed home and office improvement.

HOME DEPOT – Pick-up in the store or have it delivered FREE to your doorstep!!

We are finally – and I say finally, after nearly everyone else we know has done so – ordering  storm doors. Yes, to leave open and let in the light of day!!! It has taken being around the house for so many consecutive days that has geared us to the circadian rhythm that our orientation provides and illustrated the need to avail our interior of a significant missed opportunity for natural light! Just never seemed that important…until now! We have labored over having lights (glass) in new primary doors, but after weighing the options for light, security and transparency have opted for clear, full-panel laminated glass storm doors with interchangeable screens, for fresh air – weather permitting.

Yes – Anderson DOES do double storm doors – but try finding that information on their website or even through Home Depot – they’re terrific – you just need to inquire!!!

This unique opportunity to be quarantined inside our homes has given us an opportunity to evaluate the flow, function and lifestyle within our private environments.  Have you noticed any things that you want to change as a result of this confinement and forced, close-up evaluation?

Here are a few topics and tips that have come-up in recent conversations from both consumer/clients and designers:

More perceived space:  Perhaps open a wall or completely remove a wall(s) and connect two rooms for better communication and visual enlargement of the floor plan.   

Adding mirrored walls or individual mirrors add depth and also expands a space to give it a perceived increase in size.  

Add cozy color and texture with area rugs, throws and accent pillows.

Add skylights for more daylight.

Change paint colors for a refreshed feel.

Remodel kitchens and bathrooms – people have been sharing intimate spaces and preparing meals significantly more than regular lifestyles dictate and now recognize limitations in their current designs.

Re-upholstery of existing pieces that function well, but need to be refreshed and modernized.

Purchase new furnishing to improve the comfort, function and visual appearance of the interior.

Desires for additional lighting or replacement fixtures, to improve and enhance the quality and color of light inside all rooms for tasks, ambiance, accent spots, indirect illumination, decorative fixtures and even landscape lighting to highlight the features of the plantings and exterior structures, have been heightened.

Workplace design has migrated into homes prompting consideration for a more efficient permanent pocket of living spaces designed for that specific purpose of home-offices. A few from our website portfolio are illustrated here…

Before – this cluttered space was serving as an office – but without organization or pleasing aesthetics.
After – this same space reorganized furniture placement, added new work-surfaces and cantilevered shelves to match existing teak pieces, creating an atmosphere of organization, enhanced workspace and display of personal hobbies and memorabilia.
Before – this room doubled as a sewing room and home office – but the lack of organization made it inefficient and unpleasant.
After – by adding storage, cutting a steel trundle bed (found in their storage unit) down to window-width, and rearranging the workspaces, this same room can now comfortably accommodate a guest, organize work and sewing spaces and pleasantly display art and memorabilia.

For both working from home and schooling from home – the needs, for this space, have become critical. Imagine, down the road, more on-line courses might be considered and even more opportunities to work from home now that the practice has been proven!!

Even a pocket tucked in the corner of a room can be ample space for quiet focus and an organized workspace.
Areas designed for study can also be used for arts and crafts and other projects.

Office spaces will reflect this modification in the working environment, by creating more flexible workspaces allowing a variety of scenarios for performing tasks between home and office and an increasing appreciation for a more fluid arrangement of office layouts and furnishings. 

During this isolation, I have enjoyed several ZOOM continuing education classes offered by Knoll that have centered on workspace layout and furniture both at home and in corporate settings.

Here are more helpful tips from Knoll for your consideration when planning a home-office. https://www.knoll.com/shop/work-from-home/home-office-setup-guide

Patio perk-ups to expand the enjoyment outdoors –  at both home and office – maximizing the livable exterior areas of either small balconies to expansive spaces, backyards, decks, improved  landscaping,  outdoor kitchens and fully-furnished furnished living spaces – are seeing increased attention to detail.

Woodard furniture – one of our favorites –  has been designing and fabricating for  well over a hundred  and fifty years. Since 1934 they have perfected the art of metal furniture design and fabrication. As industry leaders, their expertise brings  a collection of superior craftsmanship and a wide variety of materials and styles to accommodate both commercial and residential applications.

Let’s keep moving forward through this pandemic with positive vibes for creating enhanced living spaces – both inside and out – for more productive and enjoyable living!  

The Wealth of Art That is Our Elegant Library of Congress

If the Basilica in my last blog didn’t get your juices flowing about incredible public art spaces, the Library of Congress was our next stop. Yes, it houses nearly everything having to do with writing, recording, documenting…but the building itself is amazing! It in itself is a wealth of artistic detailing. The interior has more gold leaf – not gold paint – but hammered metal gold leaf – than any other building in our Nation’s Capital. Inside and out, the craftsmanship of the stone carvings and architectural embellishments is magnificent. This inestimable landmark is so much more than the sober name suggests.

We parked in the garage of Union Station and walked the few blocks past the Supreme Court and the Capitol Building to our destination of the Library of Congress. The brilliant blue skies behind the bright white edifices belied what some regarded as the oppressive heat. I however am a heat freak – it’s summer – bring it on!

Columbus Fountain at Union Station also known as the Columbus Memorial is a public artwork by American sculptor  Lorado Taft, located serves as a tribute to the explorer Christopher Columbus.
The Supreme Court – cool, brilliant white against a striking blue sky – at 100 °
Crouching to get a shot of our Nation’s Capitol Building.

Symbolism is executed with every inch of the design details both inside and out of the imposing Library of Congress. Ascending the exterior stairs sets the stage for arriving at a monument of immeasurable wealth of human dissertation and history. Here I can only touch on the tip of the iceberg…

Picnic tables out front at our Library of Congress…relax, grab and bite and read a bit before going back to work!!!

From an inauspicious beginning of modest expectations to greater expanses with devastating fiery catastrophes in between, the Library of Congress has an amazing story. Thomas Jefferson played a significant role in re-building the foundation of what we now have today.

While waiting for the tour to begin in the magnificent Thomas Jefferson building, we were directed to two remarkably entertaining exhibits on the lower level – a Gershwin gathering and a Hope homage.

The George and Ira Gershwin Room is a tribute to the two brothers and their contribution to American music. This nostalgic and very familiar subject matter makes you hum and tap your toes. The exhibit presents George’s piano and custom-designed writing desk, Ira’s table and typewriter, self portraits and myriad documents that trace their lives and amazing careers.

The Hope for America Exhibit focuses on the varied careers of Bob Hope along with other recognizable entertainers. The exhibit offers the satirical humor – crossing party lines – both socially and politically for which Hope was so appreciated, admired and beloved. Hope received the U.S. Congressional Medal of Honor and the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his commitment, in his nearly 50 year service, entertaining the men and women of the armed forces abroad.

As the actual tour began, we were introduced with a short film as an overview of what was to come. We were then guided up a staircase and gathered in what was a most astonishingly beautiful, expansive space full of piercing, daylight, sunbeams glancing off incredibly detailed architectural stone carving and sculpture. Vast murals, vaults and arches in the 360 degrees of beauty from floor to voluminous ceiling was staggering.

” Founded in 1800, the Library of Congress is the nation’s oldest federal cultural institution. The Library seeks to spark the imagination and creativity and to further human understanding and wisdom by providing access to knowledge through its magnificent collections, programs and exhibitions.” Thomas Jefferson stepped-in to save the Library of Congress after a few inauspicious starts.  Not enough time devoted here to a history lesson – learn more at https://www.loc.gov/  –   but this grand space into which we entered is the Thomas Jefferson Building.

The focus of this blog is to share a bit of the art and decorative embellishments of this stunning architectural environment – beginning with the Commemorative Arch by Olin L. Warner (1844-1896) featuring a young man to the left and a bearded elder man on the right signifying that the process of learning never ceases…

Grand staircases on opposing sides of the space are adorned with carvings of “putti” – Italian for little boys – as they are pictured representing various occupations from gardeners to astronomers – the depiction of each vocation is fascinating with what it means to have that respective knowledge to pursue one’s career path.

Beneath the string of putti are representations of the 4 corners of the globe depicting figures of each, Asia paired with Europe and American paired with Africa.

Minerva, the Roman Goddess of Learning and Wisdom is aptly featured in a series of statues and images.

Most fascinating to me, up in an adjacent domed ceiling area was the “Evolution of the Written Word,” a series of lunettes by John White Alexander (1856-11915). Having previously written about the importance of handwriting for a million reasons that go beyond, but are directly connected to, this depicted evolution, I found this to be simple, yet profound. It is a beautifully rendered and fascinatingly distilled artistic expression of a very significant timeline. Beginning with The Cairn – we see them stacked stones on beaches for fun and on paths in the wilderness as markers, but here Alexander renders primitive man communicating by stacking stones to possibly mark the dead, a passage or a place of significance. 

As the history progresses, Oral Tradition becomes the means of communication – but only/obviously in personal contact. Words are created. Then Egyptian Hieroglyphics enter the scene with images representing words depicted on surfaces.

Picture Writing on animal skin – and ultimately more refined to vellum – becomes a more mobile means of communication.

Theologians recording ancient stories of biblical history brought monks to the art of the written word in compilations of the Bible as the first manuscripts/books became recorded.

And then an exponential leap in communication came with the invention of John Gutenberg ca. 1400-1468 of the Printing Press! Asia had its versions of printing machines even before Gutenberg, but inspired by seeing grapes at harvests being “pressed,” he put that concept into the process of placing individual letters in place and pressing them onto paper. Western Europe then had a movable metal type process that increased productivity of printed material – printing the first ……in Western Europe. The tour guide sadly explained to us that Gutenberg died a pauper as his investors, not patient with economic fluctuations, excused him from his rightful place in the business and left him to live out his life only to receive proper recognition posthumously.

It is the first complete book extant in the West and is also the earliest to be printed from movable type. This rare version is printed on vellum.

Unfortunately, at this point in the tour, we had to excuse ourselves with a quick wave and thanks to our guide as we were departing later that afternoon. Before leaving the building though, we dashed upstairs to discover the main Reading Room – entering from a way upper tier, we had a bird’s-eye view of this grand space. The scale was daunting and the spectacular architectural detail was breath-taking. The WOW-factor was palpable!

The Reading Room.

Eight giant marble columns each support 10-foot-high allegorical female figures in plaster representing characteristic features of civilized life and thought: Religion, Commerce, History, Art, Philosophy, Poetry, Law and Science.

Layer upon layer of intricate, symbolic details.

The 16 bronze statues upon the balustrades of the galleries are a tribute to men whose lives symbolized the thought and activity represented by the plaster statues.

Shhhhhhhhh……it’s the Reading Room

And with that – we only had enough experience and education about this incredible resource and monument of artistic beauty to whet our appetite for more and surely lure us there again for more information about all that comprises this amazing public gift and resource.  

Ta Da!!! Seriously – standing there in awe…taken with my phone!

There are so many wonderful things to see and do – get out there and see it!!!

Paper Airplanes – Happy Joy

This week, upon arrival at the Denver airport, as I navigate this architecturally dramatic facility, I’m funneled with the masses making our way, from the gate area, to the trains, to the terminal. When suddenly, gracefully overhead as we ascend the escalator, large versions of paper airplanes hover above. Probably steel, but with the familiar fold and form of the simple paper origami originals, they were a whimsical attention divergence.


When I arrived at the top of the escalator, I realized that they were also above the escalator across the way so I walked over there (to the surprise of the masses with whom I had been funneling along). A couple in the crowd even called out “hey” or “ma’am” …I turned to see some were concerned that I had lost my way and expressed concern that I follow the pack. I waved to these helpful strangers indicating with my phone in hand that I was stopping to take a photo of these wonderful suspended planes.

This ignited a curiosity that led me to investigate a bit more. I have since learned that they are part of the Denver International Airport’s Arts & Venues Denver: Public Art Program 1994. There are 140 of these suspended would-be-paper (steel alloy) planes and they are the work of artist Patty Ortiz titled Experimental Aviation. A well-recognized artist and curator of contemporary art with decades of art management experience she “believes that art intrinsically is a social object and when placed as an action in relationship with the viewer ad participant that art carries a profound interconnectedness within real experience.” And there I was experiencing the simple loveliness and joy that these airplane sculptures conveyed, in context with the often monotonous air travel experience.

Kids who love paper airplanes never seem to grow up. I’ve written about this before, in the blog about Federico Leon de la Vega’s TEDx Talks a couple of years ago. Watch his Talk and see the final scene as the planes fly through the audience. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9j_pLgCr1U

Paper airplanes are timeless tools of communication set flying from one person to another often with a secret note inside. Unfold and discover the message. Like passenger pigeons of days gone by…but unlike their obsolete and ultimately extinct message-delivering cousins, paper airplanes are timeless.

Never taking up the art, it has fascinated me forever. Origami seems to be originated from the Japanese word for folding – ori – and paper – kami = Orikami. Japanese art is so fine in all of its forms. And back to the paper airplanes, San Francisco hosted a competition Origami-Palooza complete with education and presentation of many facets of origami work including the Paper Airplane Challenge. Last month “The Paper Airplane Guy,” John Collins, the world record holder for paper airplane distance was there to assist in honing your paper airplane folding skills to insure greater success with your paper airplane flying! https://japancentersf.com/events/origami-palooza-great-paper-airplane-contest/

My happy observation of this past week and my advice with it – grab a piece of paper and try your hand at folding and flying a paper airplane!!!!!

Da Vinci, The Genius

When you hear the name da Vinci, Leonardo da Vinci, its undeniably familiar. You might instantly call-up a synonym – genius. But what do you really, other than the Mona Lisa, recognize? And what do you even know about her and the painting itself? For the past several months now nearing the end of its run, the exhibition Da Vinci, The Genius, at the Albuquerque Natural History Museum, presented by Grande Exhibitions of Victoria, Australia in collaboration with the Museo Leonardo da Vinci , Rome and the French Scientific engineer Pascal Cotte is an amazing consolidation of information on this singularly remarkable man.

An artist or even designer are such understated titles for this man of extraordinary inventions, concepts, engineering, art and science, because he was the true Renaissance Man! He touched so many things to advance countless trades and disciplines many of which are the basis of machinery and equipment in use today. But as brilliant as the universal exploits of this amazing polymath are, this would be a tedious blog if I focused on the many pulley systems, gadgets, mirrors, SCUBA suits and even flying machines that he created in his lifetime.

Rather, I would like to use this fascinating field trip that I just experienced to examine how I as a designer have been influenced by da Vinci – specifically, the spectacular rendition of the Golden Mean – nature’s perfect ratio that occurs in nearly everything around us. This common mathematical ratio is used to create subliminal perfection and pleasing compositions that mimic the perfect ratio found in nature and specifically, for my purposes, in design.

If you remove this square from the rectangle, you’ll be left with another, smaller Golden Rectangle. This could continue infinitely.

I have written about this previously in greater depth. It is a subject that has no limits as the application of this ratio helps assure good compositions whether you realize it or not. For graphic designers it is a must. For interior designers and architects it the formula for so many aspects of their work. People in art and design have employed the use of this perfect ratio for thousands of years. If you apply it – it is foolproof.


But back to the exhibit…there he was – the iconic man rendered in gold on black. You’ve seen it. But to know him is to see the perfection in the proportions that da Vinci used to create this perfect figure.

Right there in a commanding focal point was da Vinci’s drawing of Vitruvian Man. The accompanying video explained the relationship of all the dimensions as they related to the perfection of the Golden Ratio. Time and time again it is evident in the sections of this perfect anatomy.

Da Vinci correlated that the perfection of the proportions should be applied to represent the perfect human anatomical body and that it was an analogy for the entire workings of the universe.

His magnificent study of knots became sought-after for luxury fabrics used in 15th century fashion – many of which costumes and finery he designed. Interpretations as lover’s knots – the bond between them was a popular notion of his time and afterward.


It is an exhibition worth seeing. Even if you have stood in front of the real Mona Lisa and have visited sites exhibiting his vast creations and noted observations, this exhibition is worth a visit!

Bring Elegant Functional Pottery into Your Daily Life

Powerfully, pretty, porcelain, pottery graces the urban storefront window this month, of the east gallery of PATRICIAN DESIGN, with elegant, functional inspiration.

The opening of this the second  installation of the Resilience exhibit features a collection of porcelain pieces that is intended to be an entirely functional  ensemble of art.

It’s been refreshing to have these well established artists paired with exciting emerging artists presenting their expressive talents, in the form of something that you can use and enjoy, to enhance the aesthetic connections in your daily life.

Resilience, conceived by Helen Atkins, an exciting emerging artist herself, is the manager of consignment art at PATRICIAN DESIGN.

Her concept was to “explore the experience of local female artists at various junctures if their careers.”

As a recipient of the Makeshift Grant Project, “Resilience” is funded by the downtown Albuquerque Arts & Cultural District and the Albuquerque Community Foundation. The name of this project suggests that the strength and flexibility of clay as it is formed is an analogy to similar characteristics in the course of a woman’s life. Strength and flexibility – resiliency and tenacious fortitude are the features the two share  and which are celebrated with this show.

In addition to this relevant topic of women, the functionality of this collection is what is even more expansive. No gender specific appeal to this wonderful work, the idea that pulling in from the disposable practices of everyday life, strikes a universal chord.

To pull in and focus on what  you have and use in your daily life is the beginning. Evaluating between pure function and added beauty being introduced as an enhancing element is the trick. Then discovering individual pieces that bring enjoyment  while contributing to the function as well as the aesthetic of the scene,  from an interior design standpoint, is wonderful.

Your “scene” should be exclusively personal to you and your life experiences.  It is personal and wonderful to incorporate handmade artwork in all aspects of a design project. To appreciate the detail and have the opportunity of taking that artwork all the way to daily tableware is pure joy. These and other potters that we feature at PATRICIAN DESIGN offer just that – the opportunity to incorporate art into the simple functions of eating and drinking.

Artist  Kathryne Cyman is a master of the 400 year-old Japanese process of Arita pottery.  Please read more about Kathryne’s journey at http://art.unm.edu/kathryne-cyman/   Showing alongside her capable student Jordyn Bernicke, the two present simple, elegant, affordable pottery pieces for you to bring into your  daily life.

Imagine the soft, delicate yet durable cup in your hand from which to sip and relax. Even to toss o.j. on the run – the basic action of drinking from a handmade vessel, in a color and finish that makes you smile, is an enhancement to the day.

Sensory perceptions ignited by the feel and the look of a beautiful piece of pottery is restorative.

We are privileged to have this exhibit and to meet these fine artists. We are privileged as a community to have this program at UNM.  It appears that the natural beauty of New Mexico, life lived close to the earth and celebrated by Native Americans for generations is a parallel practice to the Arita process by the artisans in Japan.

This exhibit proves that to admire the techniques that produce beauty is to acknowledge the importance and value of including these elements in our daily lives.

The CREATIVE PROCESS of Interior Design

At the outset of a design project, certain first steps are common. It is after those initial steps that things can take two very different directions. First you have the desire or need to make some changes/improvements. You decide with whom you want to work to design and implement.

If you take the time to plan every aspect of a project, make all the selections, get all the details down on paper—well notated and drawn so as to convey every intent, you may begin and proceed without hesitation. The project can be scheduled and run accordingly. Easy peasy—with that prior proper planning.

Whoa—is that real life? Well it works for many. It works for those too busy to delve into the many possibilities, to be open to the evolution of the process, to enjoy the adventure of creativity. I’m talking about the projects not requiring permits – fabrics, finishes and furniture. New cabinets in a kitchen, switch out the counter-tops, get new updated back-splash…rearrange, replace, recover furniture…paint walls, hang art, mostly cosmetic enhancements in this case.  Clearly some just want it done—and have no interest in the creative process.  However, do you ever have a second thought? Does one decision affect the next? As you experience the design and implementation process, might you change you mind…have another idea? It happens all the time. It is more realistic, fun and feels like a true artistic endeavor.

But is your intent to create an art piece? Is it to experience an artistic endeavor? Or do you just want some new pieces, finishes, an update? These are two very different situations that require different processes.

True design is centered around the unique requirements and desires of the client. It is responsive and reactive. It is also proactive and filled with anticipation. The design process is one of balance and equation. If…then…

This process is intuitive and educated. It is based upon expectation and perception. Like tipping back in a chair…back…back…until you might fall and then—you catch yourself and all is right with the world—exciting but measured.

Why do you hire an interior designer? With all the information available at your fingertips, why do you need to pay someone to do what you like? If you know what you like, you have the time and you have gathered a folder of ideas, why do you need a designer? Might it be to sort through options? Or to decide between choices of fabrics, groupings, arrangement, scale, style? Merely to hold your hand while you make those decisions? Do you have 5 photos of sofas? Do you have a million pictures of materials? Have you picked up or ordered clippings of fabrics? How do you decide among these many options? How do you know you are making the right/best decision given your options? What is timeless? What is trendy? What will last? What is practical? Which direction should it go? What goes with what? Ha—its funny if you start looking at your options and asking those questions…and there are a gazillion more during the process.

The idea behind hiring the right professional, is that they will help make the best decisions that will narrow your search and selections resulting in a distilled version of the gazillion ideas your have pinned, clipped, saved, collected and visualized. Not to mention they might and should bring other new ideas to the mix. The end result of responsible design consultation should provide a design you would not have had, that you like better than your efforts alone and eliminate costly mistakes saving both time and money.

The most difficult part is to recognize that not everyone receives information and processes it the same. One person’s mental image of a design concept might not be the same as another’s. Conveying ideas is an abstraction that can only be somewhat helped with illustrations and models. From quick sketches to well rendered illustrations, dimensional drawings to actual models, nothing will ever exactly convey what will be the finished product.

A sketch like this TV cabinet suggests a possible solution to an a/v issue…

Finished similarly to this piece of finely crafted knotty alder.

And this tired, yet fabulous contemporary sofa – can you visualize it in an elegant, classic navy stripe with new wooden feet? Watch for this transformation in a coming blog!!

It’s all conceptual. It’s not real—until its real. How’s that for a profound observation? Both designers and clients need to be very clear on this prior to committing to a design process. Visualization can be tricky. It effects expectations.

Communication is key. Choosing good, descriptive words…tangible samples of materials… illustrations…models…not all projects warrant the latter examples. The cost of the communication tools must be weighed against the value to the project.

 

So the creative process is fun and adventurous. The permutations are endless. So many choices, so little time. But if you make one decision, you narrow your steps. With each decision you build toward the finished product. And the beauty of giving yourself permission to “create” means that you can change your mind at any time, massaging the process as you proceed.

It takes patience and resilience. Art is creativity—opening the mind to possibilities.

Creativity is defined as the tendency to generate or recognize ideas, alternatives, or possibilities that may be useful in solving problems, communicating with others, and entertaining ourselves and others. (page 396) What is creativity? – California State University, Northridge https://www.csun.edu/~vcpsy00h/creativity/define.htm

The entertainment factor (above) is an interesting point—because it relates to the previously mentioned—fun! This creative process can be and should be FUN!!!

Being prepared to make alterations, fine-tune, add details and work toward that place that determines completion. Like a painter in front of a canvas…knowing when to stop. It can be over-worked. It can be compromised by going too far beyond that which is good. This does not merely refer to clutter or busy design…each is applicable and depending upon the definition and eye of the beholder (again perception) it can all constitute good design. One man’s clutter is another man’s complex design. But who makes those decisions? The critics for one—if the work is out there to be critiqued by the professionals, but the bottom line is the end user. If it solves the issues, serves the purpose, satisfies the desires—that is success. YOU (the end user) determine the success or failure of your design project.

But that determination of success or failure is a shared responsibility. It is a team effort of communication, contribution and patience with the process. The creative process has few limitations. Budget for one is important and physical restrictions—but other than those—designing is as though a living organism’s path. Designing is the abstract – to tangible way of navigating the fluidity, growth and development of the creative process.

So be free to explore and enjoy the possibilities. They are endless. Seeing the design materialize with the additions, and deletions, changes and modifications is part of the exhilaration of it all. It wants to be exciting and feed that thrill of anticipation and fulfillment of desire.

Create—and enjoy—it is good for your life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aging in Place Isn’t for Sissies – Finding/Providing Dignity and Comfort for All

Aside from tedious wills and other legal asset planning and consultation, the design decisions for aging in place are more than challenging.  With the best laid plans available at the time, we look into the far distance to a time when we might not be getting around so well. It is with these faint thoughts sneaking into our reality that jars us a bit. Thoughts for the future about downsizing, getting rid of “things,” making modifications for accessibility and ease of maneuvering. This might mean re-redesigning a bathroom, moving to a lower level, selling a multi-story and settling into a single level. Yet, not everybody has the luxury of aging in place.

I’ve studied it through initial interior design courses, continuing education, and on to incorporating applicable features for clients and even family in homes and offices. It’s amazing how abstract anything can be until it touches you personally. In one class for example, we were asked to get into a wheelchair and ascend and descend a ramp – one of adequate slope and one not-to-standards which proved much more challenging. We were asked to access a restroom and navigate the space including making a side transfer to a toilet from the chair.  We noticed heights of things difficult to reach from a seated position, angles of mirrors, and the strength required to do many basic actions. And shy having this actual challenge in real life, these exercises were sobering and valuable when it came to considering facilitating maneuverability and accessibility in life/design planning.

Whether an aging scenario, a progressive disease, a vital young  person being impaired by an inconvenient injury, or worse a permanently debilitating catastrophe, the reality of those situations is enormous. Some injuries are temporary while others are life-changing, but all require consideration while they and related limitations exist.

Anticipation. We can maybe imagine and anticipate such scenarios, but it is easy to dismiss and put aside for another day. That day came a couple of weeks ago for me. My mother was hospitalized which, in hindsight, was over-kill that nearly killed her. The life-changing things that followed were remarkable and came on so quickly. No time to carefully plan – just figure out  how to fix things, how to make due, how to work-around the issues.  We had always intended for her to “age in place.”  Her home was designed, by her, for her and took into consideration many things based on speculation 20+ years ahead.

Once this change of events unfolded, all of my senses were heightened. I saw everything differently. I was keenly aware of my surroundings even more than I am as a normal course of responding to my design instincts. I became critical and incensed.  I wanted to assign criminal fault to such things as color choice and lighting.

I learned that not all situations are the same level of good or bad. They are dependent upon the eyes  thoughts and reactions of the individual. Beauty, as we know, is in the eyes of the beholder. But many things I encountered transcend that very true phrase. Sensitivities are so very important. Aging in place is tough. It is not for sissies. But it exponentially worse with dementia. Being moved to an aging facility other than your own home is another story completely.

With all the professionals with whom I have spoken whether neurologists, gerontologists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, or home health nurses, each have common denominators on the subject that crosses between disciplines. But I can also see how individual’s design sensitivities, or seeming lack thereof, play a significant roll in their ability to thrive and even survive. I am not over-stating this imperative.

Dementia has triggers and although some may be similar among individuals, like “sundowners” (an anxious reaction to fatigue and end of the day dimming of light), or other confusing or anxious moments brought on by physical discomfort, change of environment or sleep deprivation – there are endless other triggers that are unique to that individual. Understanding what those unique triggers (and pleasures) are is key to affecting the quality of life that results from effective or ineffective design decisions.

In the past two weeks, I have seen hospital interiors that were so busy and confused of materials that it seemed impossible that they were selected in the first place and more so that they were approved, purchased and implemented as well as assisted living facilities that ran the gambit from dated and irresponsibly neglected to posh and resort-like.

A hospital is supposed to take the curse off of the fears and trepidation that often accompany a visit while instilling confidence and comfort.  Without identifying the facility I ask you: In the mainstream of our society, does this combination of materials evoke confidence and comfort? What words correlate to confidence and comfort…at the least, order and cleanliness. Those would begin to establish confidence and comfort.  This scene at the lobby of a prominent local “Women’s” hospital is confused and harsh. Large black backdrop to the logo/signage (not shown) is heavy and reads more like a high-tech or machinery or mining facility –  contrary to an uplifting, soothing, comforting, welcoming environment of healing finishes and colors. Sadly, other areas had similarly jarring effects.

More interesting, by means of comparison, was the research that took me to a wide variety of well-regarded “upscale” assisted living facilities in the area. These were the facilities that were highly rated and referenced when asking around the community for recommendations.

This first one is managed by one of the world’s leading management companies. I will be contacting them regarding what we found when touring last week. The horror of this discovery was in being greeted by the point-of-arrival – newly remodeled to suggest upscale appointments, lovely living spaces, patio, dining room and even an attractive and believable bar area for cocktails and gatherings. Quite sophisticated and then…we were slapped in the face with the brutal reality that we soon discovered. The corridors of the rehab/healthcare and assisted living areas were dark and poorly lit. Colors were warm earth tones that further contributed to the drab, somber aura of depression. Not relaxing, uplifting or soothing – just plain dull, depressing and dark. Many more disturbing details were observed that are not applicable here.

By dramatic contrast was a light, sunny interior which benefitted from much natural light and even in the corridors which were reliant upon artificial lighting they read with a soft welcoming glow. The creamy walls and white trim paired with the soft light was easy, soft and comfortable. The over-all “read” was residential with enough hospitality to add interest but not to diminish the at-home feeling of the building and grounds. The interior and exterior spaces for both assisted living and memory care were clean, and pleasingly comfortable. The exterior spaces and were grand and  inviting with lots of beautifully maintained grassy areas, planting beds and trees for shade. Exterior spaces mean a lot when you are retired to this limited world view.

A fairly new facility caught our attention with pleasing new finishes and color, light and spacious, residential, but also with a bit of hospitality flair – however, with all the very practical hard surfaces, in much of the living spaces, it lacked comfort. Crooked lampshades and missing outlet covers suggested that attention to details was being replaced with smoke and mirrors of the overall effect. We were initially thrilled and then a bit suspect of this facility after our tour.

If one wanted fresh and stimulating, a brand new gorgeous property sets the stage for a would-be modern resort. Bright bold colors and contemporary furnishings, wonderful spaces, stunning modern light fixtures and great finishes belie the true identity of this assisted living and memory care facility.  Exterior spaces here also green and nourishing with juvenile plantings due to its new construction. It appears that the mature plan will be quite pleasing. A frail 90+ year old might feel too diminutive in this facility but the family would feel excited and uplifted. The questions is for whom is it designed? The upcoming generation of retirees perhaps – if not for sure – fabulous – or the current elders that come from a different age and era for whom it might likely be overwhelming with the modern approach, scale and finishes. Plan for the future though – it will be here before we know it!

A frightening comparison occurred when we visited a well-regarded faith-based retirement community of many facets and facilities. While a new structure of independent living apartments sports fine finishes, comfortable dining venue and an exceptional indoor pool, the assisted living wings were absolutely irresponsible in this observer’s opinion. Although these areas were decades old, poor color choices of spicy, yet muddy hues, drastically discolored plexi lenses over surface-mounted fluorescent lamps of many colors made for a freakish, scary interior that felt  both institutional and garishly executed and neglected by those who should care to say the least – an insult to most peoples’ sensitivities. We could not fathom how this had for so long been unaddressed – paint alone would have gone a long way to improve the existing conditions.  In no way could this interior be considered conducive to wellness or stimulating betterment. Even if you take personal opinion out of it, the lighting and colors did not feel fresh and clean. In the two previous examples, the first being quite traditional and the next being very contemporary, both had a freshness and quality of light and pleasing colors and finishes that were completely lacking in this last example. This interior to us was beyond our first  accusation of the drab interior being criminal in its negligence of good design practices given the management and money to do MUCH better. This facility headed toward intentionally and dangerously derelict in its duty to provide an environment that promoted improved health and wellness.

Of the first and the last examples, it seems that they are just providing pockets of space, claustrophobic and dreary – if not down-right depressing – yes, true, the latter littered with disorganized debris on the walls, both with odors of tired food and other unpleasing combinations.  We knew that if we had any fraction of sensitivity to light or colors or an awareness of order in our minds, that these two interiors would lead swiftly to our demise. While by stark contrast, the other examples were convincing enough to us that a fate being placed in either would be quite satisfactory even pleasingly uplifting.  And all of this comes back to knowing the individual and their sensitivities, history, interests and likes and dislikes – and some human sensitivities that transcend all. Yet some facilities deny anything to those with even limited capacity and lower the bar to treat all – including staff – like it doesn’t matter – it doesn’t make a difference. That is NOT an environment in which I want to spend any of my precious, allotted time or assign that of a friend or loved one.

I went back with the intention of photographing all of these examples…but with residents parked in every applicable shot – I felt invasive and obviously not cut-out for this kind of investigative reporting…

Like the 3 bears…one was awful, one was over the top and the one in the middle was just right. A new facility just opened and presented this third, middle offering. A stereotypical palette of oranges, neutrals and browns, and faux stone was acceptably common. It was new and fresh, had white subway tile with dark charcoal grout in the bathrooms, and “friendly” faux stone detailing around the residentially inspired exhibition kitchen. The footprint of the facility was small and would be considered intimate and easy to navigate – but we thought, for our purposes, too small and the white subway tile with dark charcoal grout in the bathroom would not have been an asset – nor would the pedestal sinks – providing no surface in your private bathroom. So just when we thought it was just right – those interior disappointments along with the exterior living spaces of gravel and concrete pavement – it didn’t fit the bill.

Some facilities presented photos of the residents in their prime, back in the day – familiar nostalgia that was tastefully utilized. While others attempted a similar but disappointing effect with cluttered and disorganized paraphernalia of times gone by… Too much use of “cutes and quaints” craft store furnishings and decorative accessories looks like a cheap rendition of formality and refinement – missing the mark by miles. Theme areas invited some and completely turned off others making the percentage of the enjoyable spaces fragmented and limiting. Knowing this, it is apparent that designing for an individual’s personal environment is easier than designing to appease or please a group. Obvious differences are males versus females, age, lifestyle, interests, and over-all likes and dislikes. Due to the price tag on these units, the residents are well-heeled, have had decades of lifetime experiences circling the globe and collecting treasures either passed down or acquired over the years. A simple, tasteful balance between opulence and casual elegance, luxury and down-to-earth comfort would appeal to most in this bracket.

The recipe is pretty easy and loaded with common sense. Grand entries and intimate interior spaces, plenty of natural light, spacious common areas and visual and accessible connections to well landscaped exterior areas furnished for visiting and entertaining. Clean durable surfaces easy to maintain and being well maintained, soft neutral colors punctuated with fresh accents, excellent variety of artificial light, planned placement of postings, art and decorative accessories – policed for order and consistency.

For those with sharp minds and bright intellects it is more challenging to provide the convincing interiors that will satisfy their discriminating requirements. While dementia residents have hidden pockets of memory, clouded remembrances of comfortable familiar things and yet no less of a need to find a safe, pleasing place to call home.

I apologize for not having more photographs of the examples I reference, but I hope that my purpose and observations aid in the work to be done to place disabled individuals in environments that most satisfy their sensitivities and as a result promote the BEST quality of life. We are their advocates in many cases and must strive to view the world through their glasses.

Go on your own, in advance of the need – I encourage you. Know that interior designers and others involved with the interaction in or improvement of interior spaces will have epiphanies about what lies ahead for their clients, their own families or themselves – this is an important dialogue.

I might, with encouragement, provide more up close and personal critiques of specific areas of these facilities in an effort to offer further assistance and insight in emphasizing the positive and calling out the negative for improvement. Many of these residents are trapped to a certain extent – not having made this decision for themselves. It seems imperative that we raise the bar to insure safe, clean, sensitive, environments of dignity and comfort for all.

 

 

 

Would A Love Letter Be The Same Without Handwriting?

After having seen Federico Leon de la Vega’s presentation at TEDX Talks in September and after having seen some of the work in progress over the past couple of years, it was a treat last week to be in his studio to see the collection exhibited up close and in person!

Presented on fabulously enormous canvases and a few smaller studies, these bold graphic statements compile a contemporary collection that is quite astounding. The premise is quite provocative.

The idea that handwriting is a basic human means of communication having evolved into the very personal flowing script of cursive that each individual can call their own – in their own style – it’s almost as personal as a fingerprint. It is an extraordinary human function that should be protected, revered and certainly not lost to the fast-paced technology of the digital age!

Making one’s mark on a surface…a piece of paper…to convey a thought, idea, instruction, story, a doodle on a paper towel – a love letter.

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With Valentine’s Day approaching, it brings to mind the idea of love letters. We read them throughout literature and listen to them in songs. We hear of them being saved over time by recipients in treasured boxes tied with ribbon to be read over and over or merely saved for others to find long after…

These magnificent oil paintings convey the art of handwriting. They celebrate the simplest marks of hand to canvas with brush and paint looping in circles and jutting in spikes – the primary strokes of handwriting. These primary strokes are the foundation of mastering the control needed to make the continuous flow of letters that become each person’s personal interpretation of the alphabet in cursive style and an exclusive means of communication.

Style – handwriting conveys personal style. Look at yours. Is it always the same or do you mix it up? Do you stay consistent or do you express different styles of your own handwriting for different purposes?  Look at your friend’s handwriting – would you recognize it anywhere?

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It is thrilling to walk among these great canvases with their color and  bold strokes. It is arresting to realize that they are so simple yet so complex in what they are saying. We must recognize the value of handwriting. We must not let it be dropped from our schools’ curriculum. We must continue to see the importance of the pure, mind to hand, raw emotion.

Powerful spikes require starting and stopping – control.

Loose loops also require control to maintain uniformity.

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After control is learned, expression can take over resulting in that personal style that becomes each individual’s identifying handwriting.

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Federico reminds us in his talk, about how we might have attempted to write a love letter for the first time and how many times it was crumpled because it wasn’t quite right. The failed attempts of recording our feelings as we strive to say the right thing, to express our deepest emotions. Yet once accomplished, those words hand-written mean so much more than the same words conveyed by type or digital communications.

“From my heart to my mind, from my mind to my hand, from my hand to the paper I place in your hand,  so you may fold it and keep it near to your heart. No delete!”

The digital world is all around us. We cannot escape it, nor should we. However, the human evolution and the brain’s development that mastered the art of handwriting is a place that could be diminished and lost if we do not continue the art and practice of personal expression through this extraordinary medium.

All we need is love – sent via a personalized handwritten letter from the heart. Here’s to a Happy Valentine’s Day !!!

George Washington for President!

While in D.C. last week, in this most unusual season of the American Presidential election, it seemed more than appropriate, if not imperative, to visit Mount Vernon – the estate of our first president, George Washington.

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This historic property has been painstakingly maintained and developed into an exceptional educational facility on unspoiled grounds with uninterrupted, breath-taking views. Experiencing the beauty of the surroundings is magnificent. Learning about the history and minute details of this extraordinary man’s life is fascinating.

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Did you know when Washington was elected our  first President in the initial forming of the United States, presidents were selected only through the vote of the Electoral college, rather than by popular vote? The 69 votes that Washington received in 1789, and the 132 he received in 1792 were all of the available Electoral College votes, and resulted in thereby making Washington the only president in United States history to have been elected unanimously.

Did you know that Washington’s presidency founded the United States Navy, established the nation’s official currency, created the State Department, and established the Supreme Court?

Gary S. Smith wrote in March 2010: While praising his military and political record, many scholars contend that Washington’s genius lies principally in his character. The only other American president who has been so highly extolled for his character is Abraham Lincoln. Since Washington, all presidents have been ultimately measured not by the size of their electoral victories or the success of their legislative programs, but by their moral character. His character helped sustain his troops throughout the travails of the Revolutionary War, convince delegates to the Constitutional Convention to assign significant powers to the presidency, secure ratification of the Constitution, and enable the new republic to survive in a hostile world….He took the standards of his age very seriously and diligently strove to be virtuous. To many, the crowning achievement of Washington’s character was his simultaneous resignation in 1783 as commander in chief o the American army and his retirement from the world of politics. Throughout the western world, his unprecedented relinquishing of power (which he did a second time when he declined a third term as president) was widely heralded. Unlike other victorious generals, he did not expect a political or financial reward for his military exploits. Washington’s character, Jefferson argued, probably prevented the American Revolution from subverting the liberty it sought to establish. The Virginian had a sterling reputation for integrity and honor, dedication to duty and his country, and remaining above the fray.

It is with such depth of character and broad view of his world that he was unanimously regarded as the only man who could effect change of the magnitude required to bring people together.

This many years after his death he still has a powerful effectiveness for bringing people together. The tour of this amazingly preserved property is intimate and familiar – even on one’s first visit. It’s partly scale and partly due to the well-versed guides that are scattered in every pocket of the place. They bring the historic home and it’s people to life.

While attending my Alma Mater, Mount Vernon College (no relation), in the interior design program, we toured this historic interior with rapt attention to decorative art and architectural details. One expects the facade to be white painted wood – but as you see it up close, you realize that it reads like beveled stone blocks. It is actually wood, shaped to replicate stone, with a sanded coating that gives a stone-like texture.

Interior finishes also reveal faux artistry upon closer inspection, with the paneled walls and doors painted with wood grain creating stunning matched patterns. Superficial treatments of faux finishes were elegant touches of the day.

Washington was truly a Renaissance man. He worked with the finest minds in agriculture and technology to develop new techniques for farming, implements and gadgets around the property. He recognized the toll tobacco took on depleting the nutrients in his fields paired with the time it took to grow and harvest and heavy taxes that were levied during trade and changed his operation to grow wheat which had limitless less expensive outlets for marketing and was easier on all counts of growing.

On the advice of his Scottish farm manager he created a distillery which produced more whiskey than any of its kind in his day. You too can purchase a bottle of Washington’s whiskey today for a mere minimum of $100 per.

His sensitivity to art and architecture, entertaining and hospitality, paired with the strength to lead the noble cause of freedom, managing troops, raising morale and keeping promises while always at the helm risking his life alongside his men and participating to the fullest in his every endeavor speaks to the moral character and brilliant creativity of this extraordinary man.

So,  to sum up this unprecedented level of discourse in the current election season and questionable characters on the part of our  candidates, I was left with finding levity in the Mount Vernon gift shop…

 

 

An Artist in the House Inspired by Rhapsody in Blue

An artist in the house is a rare treat. Yes, you who are artists and those of you who have an artist in the family are spoiled by  this continuum of creativity bursting about you. As a designer I am of an artistic nature. I think in artistic expressions, react to artistic stimuli, and make decisions based upon aesthetic sensitivities that I inherently have.

But these weeks being visited once again by our dear friend and respected artist Federico Leon de la Vega and having him painting on the patio and in what we fondly refer to as the estudio-garage, we are surrounded by the unique scent of solvents and products peculiar to his trade of oil painting and the genius of his ability to express his observations on canvas.

Canvases scattered about with partially  completed masterpieces, ideas started and left to dry or waiting for further inspiration while others begin and take shape in varying degrees of completion. A mountain standing on end about 4′ long by 3′ tall, a lemon rind un-peeling in an abstract interpretation of the bright yellow fruit. A still life of citrus lemons and blue pottery creating a classic combination of color.

But in addition to this wondrous collection of colorful and dramatic paintings surrounding us is Federico’s ongoing project of  Mind Your Calligraphy which continues to grow and expand on this very compelling subject. As any of you who have watched the YouTube video by the same name know by now, this fascinating, universally important subject about cursive touches so many imperatives in our lives. ejercicio-preparatorio-2-federico-leon-de-la-vega

Based upon his passionate observations on the subject and translating those observations into paintings illustrating the concepts and precepts that frame this topic, Leon de la Vega is compiling an exciting body of work and references to bring this more to the fore. His recent invitation to speak at the TED-X Talks in Albuquerque this fall are a further step in bringing this essential topic to the attention of those who can make a difference.

Here are two new paintings depicting inspiration from handwritten music scores. Federico met with a client who has a great love of music by his magnificent glossy black grand  piano commanding attention in the corner of his sunroom.  The two began discussing how handwritten music scores, like cursive, allow the individual the quick personal freedom of jotting ideas on paper that can later be transferred to printed, digital means. And in fact those simple personal writings of notes on paper become quite valuable as they are uniquely and spontaneously penned by the hand of the artist. What could be more personal? The two men focused on Gershwin as they further discussed their mutual enjoyment of music, the unique appreciation and connection of expression through handwritten musical creations. Resulting from this conversation, the composer became the focus of these two abstractions of Rhapsody in Blue.  Gershwin diptych