Design A Room Around This

August 8, 2012 by Suzanne Lasky

Does anyone recall the television commercial where a successful looking couple is being led upstairs in an architectural firm while the principle goes on and on about their accolades? They get to the office to discuss detail he asks them “And what can I do for you?” and the wife pulls out a faucet from Moen (?) and says
“Design A House Around This”

As an interior designer I am often faced with a similar challenge–there is often existing furniture, artwork, flooring that needs to be a focal part of a room design. I am here to tell you, that challenge is addressable. A different design challenge is when there is NOTHING to start with, literally a blank slate. That is when S Interior Design
begins a process to uncover what the individual client’s functional needs and aesthetic desires and style preferences are. Some clients are eager to dive in and uncover their design preferences, others need a bit of prodding. We do our best to make it fun, not painful……sometimes there is a reluctant spouse that needs extra convincing.

We have repeatedly said a good design will come from a good design plan. Interior Design is not random shopping trips to stumble upon the right furnishings. It must start with a solid design plan

Here is a design challenge for you–Design a Room Around This (Pillow). Do you get inspiration from the colors? The geometry? The style ?

Wood Floors-Basics You Should Know

August 1, 2012 by Suzanne Lasky

Wood flooring is more popular than ever. In Arizona, I have more clients requesting wood flooring over tiles which were the prior go to flooring option for most. There are so many options not only in how the wood floors look, but how they are constructed and it can get a bit confusing . S Interior Design thinks that this guest posting will help take away some of that confusion. If you love the look of the wood floor, but your budget doesn’t allow for that, there are also some good alternatives available; wood look laminates (have come sooo far!) and even tile that emulates wood planks.

Until just a few years ago your options when fitting wood flooring were very straightforward. Equally they were also limiting, as wood in its natural form does not fit outdoors nor does it fit well in areas that experience humid and damp conditions such as the kitchen, bathroom and basement. So what has changes and what are your options nowadays?

Types of Wood Flooring: Today you can choose between two types of wood flooring technology, each offering its pros as well as cons. The two are engineered wood and solid wood.

Engineered Wood Flooring – Each planks is made of three syntactic materials and a layer of solid wood. The use of solid wood on the top means that they look exactly like traditional wood flooring, however the use of syntactic materials underneath means that engineer type does not inherit the limitations of wood.

Typical Uses – If you intend to fit wood flooring in a potentially humid area such the bathroom, your only safe option is engineered wood. If you intend to fit the floor yourself, it is possible to fit these planks in a floating installation so glues, nails and staples are not required and it therefore makes engineered easier to fit.

Solid Wood Flooring – Each planks is made from complete natural wood. These are the traditional types that until a few years ago were also your one and only option.

Typical Uses – If longevity and durability are an issue, such as in commercial properties, solid wood offers a service life potential of 100 years. Additionally, the surface can be sanded and coated again every few years thereby making the floor look brand spankin new.

Grades Of Wood: Both solid and engineered types are made from solid wood. Made completely from solid wood in the case of solid floors or as a top layer in the case of engineered floors. The solid wood is divided into levels of grade. It is an indication to the visual side of the plank, nothing to do with quality. Your choice of one grade over the other depends on your design taste and budget, as the higher grades will cost slightly more.

Prime grade – Prime grade wood flooring are cut from the middle of the tree which means that the floorboard will have the least amount of colour variations between the planks and knots are very few in between.

Select grade – Select grade wood flooring are cut from the second ring from within the core of the tree which means that the floorboards will show some colour variations between the plank and some knots can be expected.

Natural grade – Natural grade will feature sapwood and black knots of up to 30cm in size. Compared to the previous two grades, price difference will become more substantial making this grade very popular when fitting wood floors on a tight budget.

Rustic grade – Floorboards will feature sapwood and black knots of 35cm. There might be unlimited colour variation between the floorboards. Rustic is the most affordable option.

Colours Of Wood Flooring – Another changing aspect of wood flooring are the colours of the planks. In the past the species of wood (e.g. Pine, Walnut, Oak etc) would have determined the colour of the plank. While this is still true, flooring technology has allowed for special colours to cover the planks and thereby meet the precise shade to compliment your interior. Examples of bespoke colour include:

It is always a good idea to consult with professional interior designers prior to fitting wood flooring. These options and considerations make wood flooring less straightforward than it used to be. However, it also means that wood can fit more interiors than ever before as well as suitable across more areas in your home or commercial property.

Guide and images by Oak Flooring company Wood and Beyond. London based company of solid oak flooring, engineered, decking and worktops. Its woods are FSC sourced (stands for Forest Stewardship Council).

3 Creative Ways to Save on Remodel/Build Projects

June 22, 2012 by Suzanne Lasky

I was approached to host this guest post for our blog. Of course, before we accept a guest post, we research the company that is asking for the placement. The post below provides some interesting ideas to consider before embarking on a Remodel or even a new Build of a home. The writer supports a company that provides building plans for a set fee, versus hiring of an independent architect to create plans from scratch. With these plans in hand, you MUST still build your local team of experts including the general contractor and an interior designer.

How to Save on Remodeling in Today’s Economy

Sometimes embarking on a remodel of your home is done not just because you need a change of scenery, sometimes it is out of sheer necessity. With families growing, more adults are keeping residence in their birth homes and people moving back in, the home that you’re in right now, may be bursting at the seams.

Also, because of an unfavorable job market due to a shaky economy, people are turning to self employment and setting up home offices or running businesses from their home.

Remodeling is now more than just a stylistic option because you want to change the look of a room, it has become somewhat mandatory since the home itself has become re-purposed. But what does this mean for you if you NEED to remodel your home but you can’t necessarily afford to? Chances are, you’ve already solicited a quote from a contractor and realized that remodeling price tags that read $60,000.00 are par for course. What’s even more daunting is that the average American makes significantly less than this per annum which means that for many of us, remodeling, while necessary, may be nothing more than a pipe dream.

Don’t worry! We can’t promise to cut your costs in half but we can provide you with a few tips that can help you achieve your remodeling goal based on your financial limitations. One example from inception is that you can save on house plans and floor plans by actually doing them yourself seeking the reduced-cost services of online vendors who specialize in these plans, solely. Here are a few others that you can use today!
1. Ask you contractor to dip into his leftovers!

Contractors almost always have surplus building materials from jobs that they have completed and they may not always find a use for them. Ask your contractor if he has anything in stock that would be suitable for the remodeling you’re engaging in that he would be willing to utilize either gratis or at a reduced cost.
2. Let go of the “‘Aint nothing like the real thing, baby!” mentality!

There are certain accent materials that look wonderful and will last a long time that you may want in your remodeled home – but they cost an arm and a leg. The material market now however has really met the needs of the consumer on a budget and has produced comparable, reasonable facsimiles that you can use instead of pricey originals. Solid oak flooring is very expensive, but you can use engineered oak flooring instead that is significantly cheaper and equally attractive and durable.

3. Going once, going twice, SOLD!

Building supply auctions are a great opportunity for you to outfit your home with high-end materials, furnishings and appliances for much less than the retailers can ever dream of offering. Federal Government Surplus and Seized Property Sales are exciting avenues you can turn to to get the most bang for your buck. Do you research and you’ll come out a winner!

Christine Cooney loves learning about architecture, gardening, and cottage house plans. Her goal is to devise contemporary home plans for her own dream house.