A Dressing Room Closet Built For Two

With master bedroom closets being all the rage. I thought I would share this article with you by Lori Glider.

Planning the perfect closet is never an easy task particularly when you have to share with your spouse.  Often one partner has more "inventory" shall we say than the other and rarely are they willing to give up an inch of linear space. 

In one of my projects the layout of the master bedroom - simply said just doesn't make sense.  Currently the original dark, dingy and window-less walk-in closet is located on an exterior wall, which faces the beautiful lush back yard. The single windowed master bath looks directly onto the neighbor's house.  From a planning perspective it only makes sense to flip the master bath/closet layout in order to maximize the lovely view to the lush yard from a new master bath - and plan for the new closet/dressing room where the old bath was located. 

Gutting and shifting the walls to create a bright and spacious master bath and his-and-her closet and dressing area will take this master suite from the ordinary to the extraordinary.  It's about creating a perfect blend of practicality and luxury in the master bedroom suite.

Keep these ideas in mind when planning the perfect closet for two:

• Don't feel you need to use up every inch of wall space by sacrificing natural light.  Adding windows or skylights will display your wardrobe clearly.
• Strategically position full-length mirrors to reflect some of that natural light - and to catch a good glimpse of yourself.
• Keep as much inventory as possible in plain sight.  Make sure it's well organized, color coded and easily accessible.
• Separate the his from hers - and provide enough space to meander through the shelves and racks.
• If space allows provide an island for plenty of extra storage.  It's also a terrific surface area for changing out your handbags and organizing accessories.
• Provide a make-up vanity area preferably near a window for natural lighting.
• Don't forget good general lighting coupled with recessed lighting to highlight your hanging wardrobe.  Using dimmers will add that extra touch of ambiance as well.

Whether you're planning a closet/dressing room that takes your breath away or a highly practical well-organized closet for two - use these principles to help guide you through the planning process.  

 

Lori Gilder, is an Award winning Interior Designer specializing in high-end residential renovations and additions. Lori is the CEO and Founder of Interior Makeovers Inc. and LoriGilder.com. She is dedicated to providing accessible design expertise and guidance, tailored to fit each individual homeowners lifestyle.  Sign Up Now to receive your FREE copy of "15 Money Saving Strategies When Planning Your Home Renovation" LoriGilder.com  

©2010 Lori Gilder. Interior Makeovers Inc.

Designing Maine: I found this photo of a cute bathroom. I am a tru...

Designing Maine: I found this photo of a cute bathroom. I am a tru...: "I found this photo of a cute bathroom on HGTV. I am a true lover of the use of wood and all things natural they bring warmth warmth to any ..."

I found this photo of a cute bathroom. I am a true lover of the use of wood and the natural warmth it bring to any room. But when it comes to bath rooms it’s a no go for me. Life today is crazy enough; we don’t need to be introducing material in a room that adds to our workload. Teak is one of a few woods that can handle the moisture, but to keeping it looking like it does in this picture will take a lot of work. One of my many goals when working with my clients to design their space to be low maintenance so they can enjoy it after a hard day at work, not come to see more work! So when choosing materials for a project make sure that they enhance the space without add to you stress pool!

I found this photo of a cute bathroom on HGTV.  I am a true lover of the use of wood and all things natural they bring warmth warmth to any room. But when it comes to bathrooms it’s a no go for me. Life today is crazy enough; we don’t need to be introducing material in a room that adds to our workload. Teak is one of a few woods that can handle the moisture, but to keeping it looking like it does in this picture will take a lot of work and each year as the finish wears it will take more time. One of my many goals when working with a client is to design their space to be low maintenance so they can enjoy it after a hard day at work, not come to see more work!

So when choosing materials for a project make sure that they enhance the space without add to you stress pool! 

Hello All,
It seems like every week someone ask me what an interior design does or assumes it's just a decorator. Yes I'm a decorator and much more this is a nice over view of what I do for a living written in the Princeton Review. I hope you enjoy it. Feel to let me know if you have any questions or pass this along.
Lori

 A Day in the life of a Interior Designer
An interior designer is responsible for the interior design, decoration, and functionality of a client’s space, whether the space is commercial, industrial, or residential. Interior designers work closely with architects and clients to determine the structure of a space, the needs of the occupants, and the style that best suits both. The position is a combination of engineer and artist, and it takes a unique type of mind to handle both of those concepts well. Interior designers have to be good with more than color, fabric, and furniture; interior designers must know materials, have budgeting skills, communicate well, and oversee the ordering, installation, and maintenance of all objects that define a space. They also have to know about electrical capacity, safety, and construction. This broader range of required knowledge distinguishes them from interior decorators. Interior designers have to be able to work with contractors and clients alike, planning and implementing all aesthetic and functional decisions, from faucet handles to miles of carpeting —and all this usually must be done within a fixed budget. Interior designers are hired for their expertise in a variety of styles and approaches, not merely their own personal vision. Therefore, they have to be able to balance their own tastes and their clients’ tastes—and be willing to put their clients’ tastes first. This requirement can be frustrating at first for many who enter the profession. Interior designers are often asked to begin their planning before construction of a space is finished; this means that they must be good at scheduling and comfortable reading blueprints. This element of the job comes as a surprise to many new interior designers, who expect to have less of an administrative and technical role and more of a role in influencing the overall feel and appearance of a space. Those who thrive in the industry say this ability to balance the practical with the aesthetic is crucial to being a successful interior designer. Interior design is hard work, but those who do it well find the work very satisfying.
Paying Your Dues
The academic and professional requirements for most areas of design are fairly general, with the emphasis on portfolio development and professional experience. Interior design, however, has nationally–standardized requirements. Interior designers must have a bachelor’s degree. Employers look favorably on those who have studied engineering, design, and art. Those who want more specific study complete interior design programs. Across the United States and Canada, there are 105 colleges and universities accredited by the Foundation for Interior Design Education Research. Interior designers must also be familiar with federal, state, and local interior design codes (involving such issues as capacity, flammability, and stress levels). To be federally licensed, prospective interior designers must pass the qualification exam given by the National Council for Interior Design. Professional organizations are significant in this field, and many interior designers find it helpful to join one or more of them. To become eligible for membership, one must have completed two to three years of graduate work, worked in the field for two to three years, and passed the federal licensing exam.


Original Post by the Princeton Review
http://www.princetonreview.com/Careers.aspx?cid=82

So You Hate your Beautiful House!

So you have a beautiful house, all your friends comment on how lovely it looks, so why do you secretly hate your home? It’s simple and it happens more often than you think, your home is all glamor and no functionality.

So how do we prevent this from happening? We are all unique so the first step is; understanding ourselves and our habits. This may sound simpler than it is when you add in the family dynamics, but this analysis is critical to the design process. It should be considered before planning a new home, or renovating a home. Have you ever heard the expression “a job well planned is a job half done” This couldn’t be more accurate when it comes to your residence. The planning stage starts with research about you and your family, not with a space plan.

Maybe you are one of those many people whose charming dwelling is sending your stress levels through the roof.  How do you determine this is the cause of all your stress? Take a look around your home is it cluttered? This is one of the most common symptoms. Do you often have headache shortly after arriving home each evening. A dysfunctional home could be the cause. No matter what the issues are, there are often fixes that are not budget breakers, and to figure out these fixes, you just need to step back, analyze your lifestyle to determine how to best modify the home to meet your individual needs.

It is important in our crazy hectic lives that our homes are our safe haven. It is the place to go when retreating from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. We constantly hear how stress is one of the biggest silent killers we face in our lives. Don’t you owe it to yourself to take the initiative to remedy the situation?  Good design functionality needs to conform to your distinctive lifestyle; it does not have to be sacrificed for form and splendor.

So does your home serve you and your way of life? Any room that performs well can be made exquisite, but not every dazzling room will work for your daily routine. The bottom line is, you can secretly hate your glamorous home, but the good news is it is fixable.

Eco Friendly Wedding

I found this article in a newsletter from eart911.com. This is a great website to learn about eco friendly products. I was pleasantly surprised to see that they did a piece on Eco Friendly Weddings. What a great way to help educate others on how easy this process can be. Being eco friendly is almost always better for our personal health so if you don’t care about the environment you should at least do it for your own health. It just feels good to do the right thing and can often save you money.

Here are the hightlight from the article.

1. Put your research hat on, browse the internet, read “The Green Bride Guide” and talk to your vendors for suggestion.

2. Invitations that leave no trace.

a. 100 percent post-consumer recycled paper.

3. Location, Location, Location

a. When choosing a site look for a place that requires the fewest number of people to travel long distances. If the guest list is primary local than stay local.

b. You can also consider eco-friendly lodges or an organic restaurant.

c. You may not find all of these in one local, review which one will make the biggest impact on the environment and go with that as your priority.

d. Where ever you choose embrace the local fair with organic food. Although this may cause you to reconsider the time of year you plan your wedding in the north to get the best options on local produce.

4. The Dress

a. Consider a consignment shop or if Mom still has her dress hidden in a trunk dig it out and try it on, vintage themes can be a big hit at any wedding. If you’re not going with a formal wedding theme and going casual wearing something you already own is just fine.

b. There are also many eco-friendly designers who make wedding and bridesmaid dresses including Conscious Elegance, Conscious Clothing, Gwendolyn Gleason, and Chrissy Wai-ching.

c. Choose a color for your brides maids and let them pick a dress that looks great on them that they can where after your big day.

5. The Flowers & Center Pieces

a. Most Florists will assist you in creating arrangements form local plants and flowers.

b. Also consider plants for table center pieces that your guest can take home as favors.

c. Soy candles are another great option and great to set the mood for a night of love. If your hall restrict candles than consider LED string lights for decoration which use almost no energy and can be reused after the wedding for parties and holiday décor.

6. Gifts Registry

a. Consider “The Green Bride Guide,” it’s an eco-friendly place, but do register for gifts so you’re getting only items you can use.

7. The Honeymoon

a. Check with your travel agent for eco friendly packages,

b. Or plan a trip on your bike with a small back pack traveling across Europe or the US going from inn to inn and seeing the local sites. Or maybe a hiking and some camping. This is good for both you and the environment.

For the complete article go to: http://earth911.com/news/2010/05/31/green-wedding-101/

Rain , rain go away!

Well maybe not, as a former white water paddler rain make for a great spring for paddling. A great opportunity to get a little exercise and enjoy what Mother Nature has given us. Isn’t funny how much we all complain about the rain? I will agree it would be nice if we could control when it come and in what quantities it comes in, and yet if it does not come we are still complaining how we need the rain. So I’m making a new resolution to enjoy each day for what it brings. To be thankful for the wells that are being replenished with the rain, the fact I do not have to go out and water my gardens and most of all to be grateful to have clean water to drink. I am also happy to see many paddling friends enjoying a little fun out on the rivers.

This time of year the rain brings spring flowers, and if your gardens aren’t pushing peddles and budding up it will be soon. Of course that’s assuming you have a garden. Now is the time to look at what you’ve got and plan what you need to make next year’s spring garden all it can be. I recommend creating a garden journal it's a great tool to use for good garden designing. Buy a note book with graph paper pages. This allows you to easily sketch up your gardens to scale and locate what you have in your gardens. Label what you have for plants your plans and list it on the side of you sketch what the plants are. Look at where you could use additional color and texture. Do this in the spring, again in the summer and one last time in the fall. Creating a gardening journal will help with the planning process to creating a beautiful garden? Best of all if you’re not into white water paddling garden designing is an enjoyable project for a rainy day.

ABC Reports on Chemicals found in everyday products!

Check out this news report on the dangers of everyday product we use at home and work, and even worse that we let our kids play with! After years of research on how detrimental these chemicals are for our health the government with a little help from some of the more responsible chemical manufactures are looking to make some changes.


This is a quote from the report from ABC News story, "Chemicals In Toys, Furniture May Face Tighter Standards"

'"Products on American store shelves now contain a whopping 89,000 chemicals, with a core group of 3,000 making up about 95 percent of the chemicals in use. Some of these chemicals have been proven in studies to increase the risk of cancer, neurological disorders or reproductive defects. Mercury, for example, used to make button-sized batteries, can damage neurological development in fetuses and children. Asbestos, used in home insulation and brakes, among others, can cause cancer.

Yet the Environmental Protection Agency, which has primary responsibility in this area, is virtually powerless to regulate these chemicals."

Hopeful this will be the beginning of regulations that will protect from product which can be harmful to our health.

Read the full report at:

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/chemicals-toys-furniture-face-tighter-testing/story?id=9875081

Also make sure your Senators are planning to support a bill to restrict the use of many of these chemicals.

http://www.ewg.org/kid-safe-chemicals-act-blog/2010/02/senate-investigates-chemicals-in-people/