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Design News Showcases The Latest Trends
By James R Blunt
You may have heard of "feng shui," which is the school
of thought that blends spirituality and art. It is believed that
color, pattern, space and lighting all have a great impact on
our emotions, our productivity and our spiritual nature.
By rearranging furniture and redesigning a room, we can feel
awakened, enlightened, rejuvenated and at peace. While this was
revolutionary design news in its time, the newest trend builds
on the principles of "feng shui," arguing one step further
that the human psyche demands a "return to nature" in
modern designs.
Green Building Materials And Green Technology
Green building materials, furniture and interior design services
are making design headlines all around the world, but particularly
in America, in places like Seattle, Portland, New York and Austin.
Last year, green building technology found a friend in the money-conscious
consumer who was looking to save on his or her energy costs. Traditionally,
sustainable design had been seen as "pricey" and "hardly
worth it," but now prices have dropped and consumers are
beginning to see where pennies can be pinched.
Energy Star Appliances
The LEED standard became the predominant licensing agency and
Energy Star appliances became mandatory for government buildings
in many states. More than 14% of all US cities have some kind
of "green real estate" program in place and insurers
agree to protect sustainable houses. These breakthroughs are clearing
the way for a more responsible and environmentally-friendly society.
Barack Obama made interior design news in January when he chose
Michael S. Smith, professional interior designer of the stars,
as his White House decorator. Smith has provided interior design
services for the likes of Cindy Crawford, Michelle Pfeiffer, Rupert
Murdoch and Steven Spielberg, among others.
A Mastery Of "The Mix"
Additionally, he was Elle Décor’s designer of the year in 2003
and one of Architectural Digest’s top 100 designers in 2002 and
2004. Smith’s style reflects a mastery of "the mix,"
says Kansas City interior designer Caroline McCallister. She says
Smith weaves traditional and modern, casual and formal, multiple
cultural influences, expensive and affordable.
He also has a deep understanding of 18th and 19th century decorative
arts and modern designs. Currently, he is updating Sasha and Malia’s
rooms, choosing from mainstream brand names, as well as a catalogue
of stored White House relics and antiques from the past 200 years.
Young interior decorators bring their own distinctive visions
to the table, according to the latest Baltimore interior design
news. For instance, 30-year-old Annie Zemarel Werden, who comes
from a background in Italian fashion and landscaping, adores historic
items in her professional interior design.
Most Clients Choose Green
"I like to use things that have a sense of history [like
an antique mirror], things you find when traveling or antiquing.
I like the charm of an old house," she explains. Ex-history
teacher Charlene Lester says that her style isn’t flashy but is
rather practical in her home designs. She adds, "Given the
choice of getting something green that costs a couple of hundred
dollars more, most of our clients go green."
Italian Expat Fabrizio Fiorini uses "transitional"
designs that aren’t exactly contemporary but aren’t traditional
either. He goes for "refreshing, upgrading and renovating,"
using bold colors and contrasting cold and warm shades.
About the Author:
James R Blunt has written a number of articles on architecture
and home improvement including The
Design, Architecture
And Design, Design
Development, Architectural
Digest, Architectural
Services, The
Architect, The
Architectural, Architecture.
Keep a lookout for more of his articles on this website.
Little Known Interior Design Facts....
What types of rooms can benefit from interior design?
There is not a single room that could not
benefit from interior design. Even if you think the space is too
small or it is unusable, it can be designed in a way to make it
very practical and beautiful. Many owners of single room lofts
often find themselves at a loss to do with so much open space
without any clear separation of the living area from the other
areas.
Interior designers can create separate
areas through decorations. The idea in that space would be to
maximize the amount of storage while clearly defining the separate
areas. If you have a small bathroom, you could redesign it so
that it looks brighter and seems bigger. It would be an optical
illusion but it would give the feel of a much larger space.
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