4/19/18

What Interior Designers Really Do

I wanted to do something a little different on the blog this week.... So, QUESTION:

When someone asks you what you do for a living, how many people really understand? 
 Maybe they get it because they're in the same field as you, but beyond that... Does your family understand? Your best friend? The person across from you at said networking event?

When I started working as an Interior Designer (a position which I otherwise thought was very specific) it became apparent to me just how many people DID NOT GET IT. Most know that I do stuff with homes, but like... is it hard work? Do I just color all day? Do I run around with a cup of hot starbucks, and yell at contractors??

Instead of boring you with the day-to-day-play-by-play, I've instead  re-created one of those "What people think I do" Memes (click here for an example)

Enjoy:


WHAT MY FRIENDS THINK  I DO
 
source
 They know that what I'm doing is a little out of the box, and definitely creative, but beyond that... things get a bit blurry. Dear Friends, while I love to color, I'm sorry to say that kicking my legs up on a table covered in crayons isn't my job.



WHAT MY PARENTS THINK I DO
They aren't exactly sure what it is I'm doing, but they know it's positively AMAZING and that I'm the MOST AMAZING SPECIAL LITTLE GIRL WOMAN EVER! And they love me very much.
(shucks, guys).




WHAT SOCIETY THINKS I DO
Yep, they're the cutest! Nope, that's not what I do. They do some of things that I do, but my design business is much more a-la carte and client collaborative. Oh, and I don't currently do renovations (aka. I don't knock down walls or bust up kitchens). For more on what I actually do, check out the  menu of services, here.




 WHAT MY CLIENTS THINK I DO

The look on my client's faces when I solve a design problem, is priceless and deeply rewarding. It is the heart and soul of why I do what I do. There is nothing better than a client staring at me as if I just pulled a little white rabbit out of a little black hat...



WHAT I THINK I DO
"AD TOP 100, Featuring Lauren Taylor"
*sigh*
...someday
(because I dream big, and you should too)




WHAT I ACTUALLY DO

Yes, I meet with clients and contractors. Yes, I shop for fixtures/furniture/products. But mostly my job is here, inside this laptop. I often work in my pajamas, and have spilled salsa on my keyboard more times than I can count. I'm just like you! Except you probably put on real pants to go to work..

Want to know more? Reach out!
Click Here to fill out the Contact form and 
set up a complimentary Phone Consult.

L


4/12/18

Your Bedroom is meant for Two Things: Here's how to Feng some Shui into it

News Alert: Your Bedroom is for two things and two things only.

Up-

Bup-

Nuh nuh-

Don't interrupt me.

Only TWO THINGS

1. Sleeping

2. THE OTHER THING

That's it.

Up-

Bup-

Nuh- Yes, I know you're on your laptop/tablet/phone in bed right now reading this... uh huh.. yeah... no... that's not one of the two things... yes.... no.. nope. 

A Couple Notes on Feng Shui:

If you aren't familiar with Feng Shui, and even just the thought of that phrase elicits sounds of ringing bells and wizards flying around, I get it. But that just means that you haven't yet been exposed to the beauty of Feng Shui (as bell-ringy-y as that sounds). So instead of giving you the full run down, I want to simply focus on one of the main ideologies of Feng Shui; and that is that every room, should have a purpose, and every thing, should have a place.



When we look at our bedroom, a place where we should be sleeping and DOING THE OTHER THING, I must ask, why are we bringing our work in there? Our laptops are not sexy, nor do they help us sleep so that's a problem.

Our minds are extremely responsive to patterns, so it's important  we pay attention to the connections we are creating on a day-to-day basis. For Example: Do you ever feel suddenly hungry, the moment you enter a kitchen? That's because you know that's where the food is and that's where you (generally) eat. So when you go into the bedroom, you want your mind to have a similar response by either kicking into rest mode, or kicking into no-pants-party mode. You do not want to be cross contaminating that space with your work, or any of the following:
  • food/eating
  • watching tv
  • making crafts/projects
  • exercising
  • Kids.....
I'm not going to say much on the last note, since I don't have children and can only imagine the immense responsibility. But I will stick my neck out enough to say this: if there is anything you can do to mitigate the amount of parenting/kids/craziness in your bedroom, you and your partner will feel results in a very positive way.


How to Feng that Shui into your Bedroom:
  •  Take down photos of friends and family. I know this sounds kind of harsh but... you don't want them at the pants-free party for two. Maybe you think "but Lauren, it's just a photo!" and to you I say "Do you want to look at those faces when you're -"
  • Paint and decorate the room in soft colors. Pretty much any color is available with light pigmentation, from white to grey and the whole rainbow in between, you can find something gentle that will fit your decor.

  • Soft Lighting. Lamps with dimmers are ideal, they offer a bright enough light to read by (which is totally still allowed by the way, because Reading = Sleepy) and soft enough light to set the mood once in a while (or like, all the time, whatever you're into). If you don't have a dimmer, just get something with a soft shade and be picky with the bulbs you select. For extra credit, throw a few candles in the mix.

  • Select Art Carefully. Pick pieces that provoke happiness and a sense of calm.Don't make it too complicated when you go hunting for art; just look at the piece and ask yourself "how does this make me feel?" If happiness and calm crop up, ta-da! That's right for your bedroom.

  • The Bed should be accessible from both sides, with a bedside table on either end. Simple enough, your bed should be easy to get into; and each side needs a spot for books, water, candles, etc. 


L

4/5/18

Designers you should know: India Mahdavi

Hey, hey you! Have you ever heard of a thing called Instagram?

Oh you have? Well then I'm guessing that this place looks familiar:


Recognize it?

*squint*

*squint*

Ahhhhh there it is. Oh wow! That place is familiar!

So where are we? This is Sketch, a restaurant in London that probably has good food, but more importantly, has been coined the most instagrammed restaurant IN THE WHOLE FREAKING WORLD. And why wouldn't it be? Can you imagine visiting this Life-Size gum drop and NOT taking a photo?

Didn't think so.

India Mahdavi is the designer-brains behind this haven and after reading up on her work at Sketch, I went down a rabbit-hole of internet research that left me saying her name, on repeat, for like three-days-straight.

To save you the three days of burning red eyes and a laptop overheating your private parts,
I've gathered some highlights below:
  1. It took her a month to find just the right shade of pink for Sketch, in London. Since then, this color has been coined "Millenial Pink" (so like, hey kiddos, meet your maker).
  2. Born in Iran but grew up in multiple countries. She now lives and works in Paris.
  3. Speaks French, English, German, and Farsi (when asked which language she dreams in, her reply: "I dream in Color")
  4. Deeply inspired by color, with a seriously imaginative mind. That, plus a hefty degree in architecture, graphic design, and furniture design; this woman is not only creatively gifted, she's perhaps one of the hardest working designers (or dare I say, artists) of our time.

Her work makes my head spin. This woman pulls things out of her head, like she's making cotton candy at a festival. While I, literally could not design a chair if you asked me to. I'm the kind of designer who knows what to do with beautiful things, but if you put me in an empty room with a pad of paper and pencil, all I'm going to come up with is this:


India has described the fantasy-land that she lived in, in her mind as a child; a place she calls Palapimsosak. This place is filled with candy, color, toys, and all the joys a child could dream of (and then some, I'm sure). Originally invented as a way to cope with the constant change she experienced growing up, Palapimsosak is now reflected in all her work.


While India does offer Residential Design, the bulk of her recognition has come from commercial projects; and its no wonder, because she's NAILING IT.

One of my design philosophies is that residential homes are somewhere that should be peaceful, calm, and welcoming; a place to rest your mind. While in commercial design, I believe the opposite. Hotels and Restaurants in particular, should be an adventure, an escape, and an experience; a place to put your mind in motion. A place that makes you feel something new, and exciting; something you've never felt before, and that makes you want to taste it again and again. To me, every single Mahdavi design does just that.


Finally, no two Mahdavi designs are alike, and when hired, she is very clear with clients that the project will be unlike anything they've seen before. They will get the "Mahdavi" look, but it will be unique to their location, their building, their project... In my opinion, this is what elevates Mahadavi from being just a designer or architect, to being a true artist. 


For more on India Mahdavi, check out her website: India-Mahdavi.com

And for even more on her, try giving a visit one of her restaurants or hotels - and purchase two tickets, because I'm tagging along.


 
Pucci, New York City