Timing is everything!

Kelly Laplante has become one of my favorite designers. I love how she can make a room completely eco-friendly and beautiful at the same time. She is amazingly resourceful and creative. In fact, for a drafting assignment I am currently working on, I am writing about her.

I found out about her from my husband. He was doing some searching online a few months back and stumbled across a video for the Lexus Hybrid Living Suite at Fairmount Hotel in San Francisco. He sent me the video which then lead me to click around her website. I highly recommend you check her out and see what she’s up to.

Lexus Hybird Suite video

Organic Design - Kelly LaPlante

Last Thursday, I had the opportunity to attend a few seminars at the Pacific Design Center for Fall Market 2009. One of the ones I went called “The Preservation for Passion: Finding Inspiration in Design with Lori Weitzner”. Lori is absolutely adorable and the presentation was great! http://www.loriweitzner.com/  I was waiting for a friend and saw a glimpse of a familiar looking face. While I had my doubts I was 98% sure I saw Kelly LaPlante walking around the showroom. I finally had enough courage to go up and ask her name and it was her.

She was very kind and friendly and I couldn’t believe that I was actually meeting the girl of whom I had been admiring her work for so long and currently writing about. Of course, I wasn’t able to tell her all of this because I was so surprised that the whole thing even happened. Regardless, she was an absolute delight and I’m excited to have met her.

 

Like Seen on TV....kind of

Yesterday I was given an opportunity to design a Living Room and Dining Room like it was an HGTV style project without the many design teams you don't see in your screen behind the cameras. 

I was presented with the idea of this project last Wednesday and decided to go for it.

The project: Design and furnish a fraternity house. They got the keys Saturday afternoon and it had to be 

ready for Rush on Monday.

How it went down: We drive over Saturday around 2:30 pm and saw the house for the first time. It definitely needed help

they were going to try and get new pledges.

Here area few "Before" pictures taken that morning.

I think I counted at least 3 or 4 shades of orange used in these pictures. If it isn't showing through the pictures, this place was dated!

My wonderful husband went with me and immediately after went to shop out some furnishing ideas. We did that for about 3 - 4 hours and then to the paint store for another hour.

Sunday morning came along and we started working at the house at 8:00 am and it was already hot outside. We went shopping while a few people started painting. We came back to a freshly painted interior and started getting the furniture assembled. We hung all the new light fixtures and window coverings, put all the furniture in and finally finished everything 12 hours later at 8:00 pm. It was a long day but a lot of fun.

Here are a few pictures of the end result that night.

Special thanks to the Tiger guys that helped and the fraternity guys willing to work that day, now they can move in themselves :)

IDI Certificertificate Project

Here are a few pics of my final project for the Interior Designer's Institute. Now a small, much awaited, summer break! Special thanks to my "client" Hayley.

2009 Spring Final Projects

I finally finished my first two Interior Design project boards, presented them, and now posted them. Here they are!

The first one is a hotel lobby and lounge. I featured this Spa Resort Hotel in Vancouver, Canada. I used tranquil blues and green analogous color scheme and large furniture to create restful conversational spaces.

The second project was a VIP suite space planned, furniture books, specification books, floor plans, and elevations. Part of this project was to use 50% "green" materials. I choose some greenguard textiles, Bentley Prince Street carpet, and of course a low VOC Dun Edwards paint.

Update! My boards for the Hotel VIP Suite was voted best materials board by my piers and then featured in the Design hallway.