 Well, the reality is you don’t have to. We come from a society that is "off the rack". It’s all about convenience and instant gratification, right? Wrong. How many hundreds of times do we really settle? Well, if it fits, great, but it’s not the color that I envisioned or the fabric and color are excellent but I am not crazy about the style. I see this in clothes, furniture, even automobiles and things like vacations! The big ticket items are more difficult, like purchasing a home – I have heard people say that “I wish I could pick up this house and place it in this neighborhood!” Well, unless you have unlimited financial resources to build a custom home, you are reduced to what the market offers. But… that does not stop you from making it your own. Sometimes you can find readymade products that work wonderfully, but a lot of the time not.  This is why the words “Custom made” need not be so scary! In a lot of cases the costs to have things custom made are parallel, if not sometimes even less expensive than “off the rack”! You know we have all settled on things that were “close” but never really warmed up completely to whatever it was, sometimes even regretting that purchase, whether it be a pair of shoes or a sofa. The only thing that you might have to concede is the time it takes to have something produced custom. But you know, you should really enjoy the wait, knowing that the build up to that “perfectly made item just for you” is coming! Also, the satisfaction of knowing that whatever it is, no one out there will have one quite the same as you!
So… think twice and don’t panic at having things custom manufactured. If you think about it, everything is manufactured, even all that “close but not quite” merchandise that was just mass produced! If you are making an investment, why settle?
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 Artist’s rendering of the proposed project (2008) Yesterday we attended the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Headquarters Grand Opening Ceremony! We are proud to be the interior design firm selected to provide the tenant improvements to the developer’s core and shell building. The public only gets the condensed media version of the project, but this project started for us in 2007, as we began the feasibility studies to determine if this project could even be built and what it would take to accomplish it. We met with several LVMPD bureaus to evaluate many factors; employee counts, space requirements, operating problems, transportation and travel costs, leasing information, equipment requirements, department interactions, etc., etc. This information was then developed into a hypothetical space plan to determine the required size of the new campus. Several more meetings were held between public officials, Metro and the developer to get this project approved and underway. The official Ground Breaking was held on October 23, 2009, and things really got moving.  Carol Howes, Sheriff Douglas C. Gillespie, Larry Ward at Ground Breaking Ceremony The next official milestone was the Topping Off Ceremony, held on July 15, 2010. After that, our job became extremely busy, as we coordinated the tenant improvement build out of all the interior office spaces in all three buildings. On the first day of moving people into the completed project, there was a small Flag Raising Ceremony.  Flag Raising Ceremony  Sheriff Douglas C. Gillespie speaking at yesterday’s ceremony And the culmination of all our efforts was recognized yesterday, October 26, 2011, at the Grand Opening Ceremony. Here are a few more pictures of the completed project: We sincerely enjoyed working on this project, as everyone on this project team was a pleasure to work with. We wish the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department the best as they continue to protect and serve the community, all from their new home!
-Carol Links Related To This Post: Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department: http://www.lvmpd.com/  No…Not that kind of stoned! This kind of Stoned! Ever really wonder what the differences are and the best uses? Well we hear all the time in the real estate world and again on that HGTV about granite countertops, as if Granite is all that is available! (By the way, most granite counters less than 10 years old use resin to fill natural gaps in the stone, and they can’t take the heat from hot pots, which is why a lot of people want the granite in the first place!) There are so many other choices out there, and if specified and used in the right application, they can live a lifetime or two if cared for properly. Stone is a natural material and can be so beautiful if maintained correctly! Being that it is a natural material, it requires different care than simply swiffering or windexing like we would see in synthetic products.
Here is a wonderful link to tell you all about the different types of stones, the best uses, how the good earth formed them, and the best way to maintain them! Next time you are thinking about renovations or design … think twice about that laminate or ceramic… go on… be brave! Get STONED! http://www.stonecaretechniques.com/10_m.htm BergèreDo you.....  Wear It?  ...Drink It?  ...Use It? Well, we can guess that it is a French word … it is really a specific type of closed arm chair! There are all sorts of terms and descriptions in the Interior Design world. All styles have deep roots to parts of the world throughout time, from European Renaissance to Asian Dynasty to Egyptian Empirical Eras. Here is another… A Bishop's Sleeve… Should sound simple – is it really part of a religious garment? Well maybe if he is a Designer - but no, it refers to a drapery panel style seen here:  There is also cross over into the world of Fashion and Couture with Interior Design. As you can see, this is also a bishops sleeve design detail in this Gown:  If you really want to know more, check out the new section on our website: Interior Design Terms and Glossary! You can see it here: http://www.whldesign.com/glossary.html
Let me ask you… should artwork “match or coordinate” with an interior space? Well perhaps if you just want it to blend into the background. The interesting thing about art is that it is supposed to be noticed and have emotion and identity and promote thought and inquisitiveness. If you allow artwork to blend into a design, it’s lost. Art, especially very lovely unique fine art, should be enhanced and noticed. Some are not bold enough to do this, but it is not the point to use it as an accessory or filler in interior design. Art should also have love, meaning and significance to the owner. Art is to remind us of something special… a time… a person… a memory. Whatever it is, it is unique to all. Art should make you stop and take note. If you have ever stopped and looked at artwork and stated, “ugh, that is awful or hideous or wonderful” then you have been engaged. It caused you to render emotion, comment or reaction. Now, if you just walked past a piece that was so blended, it would be lost. There is no rhyme or reason either. Contemporary and abstract can be displayed beautifully in a traditional space and vice versa. Look at these examples and think about the placements either for your art or others as you go forward!!  Let’s talk space planning or floor planning. Are you a wall flower? I am referring to arranging your furnishings around the perimeter of the walls. Get off the wall! You know that is not really space planning. You need to try to be more creative with furniture placement by floating furniture and perhaps creating groupings. This works for all sorts of spaces and rooms. You know it really is just furniture and accessories. Think of mixing it up a bit. People are creatures of habit. You will be amazed at what a simple rearrangement can do. You create completely different environments and feelings in a space. You create new circulation and traffic patterns too. By simply rearranging your floor plan you help in even wear of furnishings, especially flooring and carpeting. Nothing creates a fresher environment and impact with zero investment than a simple rearrangement. Look at these before and after ideas and give it a shot! Before... The space is defining you. Circulation is right through the center of the space. Room looks sparse even with more furniture. After... You defined the room. Circulation is directed and guided around the perimeter of the space. Focus is on the windows and the seating is more functionally engaging for interaction and television. Space looks full and much more spacious than it is. It is an illusion. We were even able to eliminate a table. Desk area is engaged, while still having its own identity and the approaches into the space are more visual! Get off the wall! Floating furnishings works for any space even, in commercial spaces like offices and retail. It is much more engaging and interactive for the users!! Here are some other examples!! The proverbial question that at one point or another we all ask. Most of us recognize the classic umbrella words like “Country, Traditional and Modern”. But these are very broad terms. What do they mean and what are styles like “Wine Country, Urban and Moderne”? Well, really they are just more theme specific design styles that fall under the general umbrella terms. There are also terms like “Loft Style, French Country and Eclectic”. All of these really also fall under the big three! Here are some examples…  Moderne Interior  Urban Chic Interior  Wine Country Style A lot of time you can mix styles like traditional Wine Country which may be like…  So Stop and ask yourself or look around and think about … “what is my style?” Are you a purist or a mixture of ideas!
September is whizzing by! Nothing makes you feel more AWARE of time (and the lack of) when you are on the hook and committed to turn back a company’s operation, whether it’s a restaurant, office or REALLY time sensitive spaces like casinos, hotel rooms or suites! You become very accountable to your client for getting them back in service. This month we are at that touchy point of being in the spotlight as the contractors begin to wrap up some projects that have been cooking all summer! You get to a point where you have no margin left for error and everything MUST go as scheduled. Unfortunately, we are at the mercy of logistics, factories and suppliers to fabricate, ship, deliver and install, all at the same time from many different points. It’s a juggling act!!! If one thing goes wrong or is damaged in shipping or is delayed, it can affect the whole interior project and perhaps delay getting back in operation! That is the worst case when you have a client that has booked those rooms or planned a grand opening! UGH! Now THAT is the non-glamorous part that the vast programming on HGTV leaves out on all the design shows. It takes an army to produce and execute a design. Most people say that “Interior Design must be such an exciting and fabulous profession!” Well… it is when things go as planned and it isn’t when things fall apart, which happens more often than you think! Then you have to be very creative to figure out how you are installing furnishings when the flooring has not arrived! Truthfully, the design process and conceptual side of things is indeed wonderful, but honestly, it’s about 20% of the process. The other 80% is business, money, negotiation, whip cracking and problem solving, and at times can be very anxiety inducing and exhausting! HGTV shows share the artsy and glamorous part in that 30 minutes, but never show you the months of planning or REAL costs, and the production army behind the scenes. Now that’s the real design process! Below are some images from yesterday’s installation. We were waiting with the installation team for that semi to wheel up to the hotel for rooms and lobby furniture! Still missing accessories and final finessing! We had to wait for the adhesives to set. Yes! It is commercial artwork and lighting needs to be locked down! Next time you are in a space, remember, it’s a lot more work to get that together than you might think!! -Larry Here are some photos of our work in progress from this past week!As we approach the ten year anniversary of the terrorist attacks on our country, you may ask “What do interior design and 9/11 have in common?” Well, for one thing, art. “Art, in itself, is an attempt to bring order out of chaos.” Stephen Sondheim Art is very personal, whether one is the artist or the viewer. Artists throughout our country and the world were affected on that day. For many, the artistic outlet provides a form of healing, whatever the medium, and no matter the training or skill of the artist. Here are some websites that have some unique expressions.  Here is a National Tribute Quilt at the American Folk Art Museum.  Then we have some “Art Crimes” – in other words, graffiti. And, of course, there is children’s art, sometimes more moving for its raw simplicity (all from“The Day Our World Changed: Children’s Art of 9/11”). “Painting is just another way of keeping a diary.“ Pablo Picasso Inevitably, we went to war, and are still at war. But, how many of you know we have a military Art Program? If the quote above is true, then we have a wonderful visual diary from the Army. Follow this link for a brief history of the program and to view the artist’s works. It also has a link to the National Constitution Center’s Art of the American Soldier Exhibition. http://www.history.army.mil/museum.html#tab_3 Here are a few of my favorites. No matter what your political views, the end result is human lives have been changed forever by all wars.  Good and Evil by Hector Velez In closing, please consider supporting the Wounded Warrior Project and/or Christmas Can Cure to show your appreciation for the sacrifices made by our military and their families.
http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/ http://www.christmascancure.org/ -Carol Let's Go To Mesquite! Mesquite, NV Never heard of it? Well, if you are looking for a place to lay back and relax, and if you are an avid golfer or hiker, you need to check it out! It’s a nice quiet city, about 89 miles north of Fabulous Las Vegas! I have to think it was probably what Vegas might have been like circa 1940’s. Why Mesquite, you ask? Well, we have been very instrumental in helping to form and develop one of the strongholds there for years! The Eureka Resort & Casino Eureka Resort & Casino You might be surprised to realize that Mesquite, and especially Eureka, offers all the fabulous amenities like spas, fine dining and entertainment that Vegas can provide, just at a simpler yet still exciting pace. We have designed and provided some of the most lovely accommodations and venues that would rival larger cities. Eureka is a real first class operation, and a pleasure to have as one of our anchor clients! We would be lost without them. They really understand and appreciate the value of good design for their clients and guests. Here are just some of the examples of our successes with them: Eureka Resort & Spa   Mason Street Courtyard Cafe   Experience... The Buffet!   Coming To Eureka This Fall 2011 Our Newest Design! Gregory's Mesquite Grill The real deal in progress!:Also… not to forget… the new live entertainment venues… The New Seasons Lounge and Moon Bar! Sorry! … those designs are a secret right now! Opening in October 2011 I highly encourage you to explore Mesquite and the Eureka! You will be pleasantly surprised! Check out their website www.eurekamesquite.com before you go. -Larry |
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