Reflections on Drafting

Drafting

As I ponder this Drafting final project, which is my favorite, I reflect back on all of the hard work I put into it.

This assignment required creativity and patience.

Patience for neat, detailed, meticulous work.

Work that had to be right, not "good enough" or "close" but right.

Exact.

No excuses.

There were late nights. Discussions of what should be. Discussions of what could be.

And, wrapped up in there, is a tiny piece of me.

See, no matter how late the night, no matter how long the discussions of making the spaces fit EXACTLY what we would want and need, I loved it.

I loved every moment of it.

This project gave me a taste of what it takes to be an Interior Designer. To be able to listen to what someone wants and mesh that into a creative, beautiful and FUNCTIONAL space.

I realized that I want this.

I want this more than I have ever wanted anything in my life.

I have never loved working so hard, investing so much of myself and pushing myself as far as I can go - then asking for more.

I realized that I am so invested in doing this and doing it well, it has turned into the breath for my soul.

Reflections on Color

Color Wheel

As an extra credit assignment, I need to pull a project I completed and write about it and what I learned from it.

I have chosen my very first assignment in this class, which was to create a color wheel. I had to mix the various paints and color match them to form a color wheel in a creative manner.

This is one of the very few assignments I completed this semester where I did not receive a perfect score. You must be wondering why I chose this as my favorite in the class. Seems a bit strange, eh?

The reason I chose this is because it was my first chance to be creative.

See, after leaving the "corporate world" and taking my life and turning it upside down, I wasn't sure if I really could be an Interior Designer. Sure, I'd played around here and there with it, but never seriously and NEVER as a career. It was a huge leap of faith and I was plagued with self-doubt.

Am I creative enough?

Do I have enough talent?

Can I bring something unique to the table?

This assignment was my first real chance to stretch my wings, push myself off the edge and see if I could fly. I didn't want to do the normal and really thought long and hard on how I could do this. How I could do it well and, most importantly, do it with creativity and "outside the box." 

Thinking of the color wheel and brainstorming, the light bulb clicked "on."

Wait, I have a light bulb?!? I was shocked. I had hoped and dreamed of being creative, but wasn't sure if I was.

Well, guess what!

I am! All of that brainstorming led me to a Ferris Wheel and this completed project.

At the end of the day, the score doesn't matter to me at all. I gained more from this assignment than a score.

I gained confidence in what I was doing. I gained the knowledge that I truly was creative.

Most of all, I learned that it was "ok" to follow my heart and dreams.

Sometimes, life doesn't go the way you plan. It doesn't fit into a neat box or Visio diagram. You can't PowerPoint it out with bullets and tidy points.

Sometimes, life takes you to a totally different place than you ever thought. This assignment showed me that it is all about the journey, not the destination....

...and sometimes, the detours are greater and more beautiful than you ever could imagine!

Now for some beauty...

I am not a fan of commercial art. E V E R.I wish people would support a local artist and have something unique instead of whatever the latest "Home is where the heart is" saying du jour or the latest "vintage advertising prints sold at every store across America" trend? I wonder what they think and feel when they see the exact same art in someone else's home. Where's the creativity people?!?!?

With that in mind, here is an example of the rubber meeting the road and an original that I own.

The artist is Ric Standridge. He is based in Greenville, SC and is probably one of the nicest and most interesting people I have ever met.

http://www.ricstandridge.com

Ric_Standrich

"Wow! You have a chandelier"

I admit, I LOVE perusing the Restoration Hardware catalog. Though not a fan of everything they do, I think they offer a few interesting pieces from time to time.For example, take this chandelier. I think the antique look is spot on and I love the finish of wood, zinc and steel.

This piece is ideal for those spaces where you want a great fixture without the "Wow! You have a chandelier!" reaction. (*shudders* I can still remember the first time I encountered that!)

I can see this hanging over a vintage mahogany dining room table with an incredible view from the floor to ceiling windows at the end of the table. This piece would give you soft lighting and allow you to "see through it" and not obstruct the view.

Restoration Hardware Chandelier

Not the usual...

Bear with me on this. Typically, I'm not a fan of cowhide...even the rugs. It smacks a "I'm a little bit country. I'm a little bit rock and roll" in that cheesy Donny Osmond way. (Sorry to all those Donny fans, but he IS NOT a little bit rock and roll...)

Any hoo...sorry for the tangent...I get a little sidetracked sometimes. Focus. Cowhide.

I think this chair is sexy. It's a wonderful blend of so many things. Vintage. Modern. Rustic. Refined.

I'm in love!

Cowhide

Inspiration!

I saw this and the possibilities to take this either Old World...as here...or Old Hollywood just overwhelmed me. I've got a gorgeous fully mirrored sideboard in the dining room but had NEVER considered doing a bath vanity conversion to it. Hmmmm...

Feast your eyes below!

Inspiration

Books the way they used to be!

As many people know...or will tell you...I love to read and am always burying my nose in a book.That being said, I love to design with books as well. However, it is a nightmare to find an interesting book with a fabulous cover. And NO, I'm not talking about that paper dust cover either. The REAL cover.

Thanks to Penguin Hardcover Classics, we no longer need to fret about this. These are GORGEOUS re-issued hardbacks.

Drool worthy, eh?

http://us.penguingroup.com/static/pages/classics/hardcoverclassics/index.html

All aboard!

Welcome! Hello there and welcome to my very first blog post where I will highlight design ideas, products and artwork that I find fascinating. I'm a bit nervous as I'm hoping you find my taste to be exciting and not something you want to spit out!

So, buckle up Constant Reader and join me on a discovery of beauty...