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March 12th, 2010 | Interior Design | 2 Comments
Wow, it's been a month since I posted. The last I blogged I was off to Fashion Week courtesy of Brizo faucets, where a small group of designers were invited to attend the Jason Wu show and after party. And from there it was a flight straight to San Francisco where I finished-up this super-small (700 teeny square feet!) urban loft in the Financial District:
Interiors Photography by Greg West
And these two events: Fashion Week and the Urban Apartment had much in common. Both were examples of fashion emulating home interiors.
Fashion dictates what trends become popular in the home.
There once was a two year lag, now the gap is closing. Now we’ll specify finishes for a project and later that day, I’ll open a magazine to see the current month is featuring the same hue that I just specked for the wall finishes.
Fashion is dictated to us through industry insiders and if you’re unsure of what this means, just click here to see how fellow designer Paul Anater brilliantly described this very same process.
In last month’s issue of InStyle magazine, there is a spread with over-the-top, fabulously high heels with the brightest color we have seen in shoes in a long time. (I snuck the spread right in with the interiors-to show the correlation). The Jimmy Choo and Versace platforms knock you over with their color; fiery oranges, egg-yolk-yellows, and electric blues, and all paired with black; to give us this great contrast.
This very same contrast is what we are seeing in the home, and what I brought into-our short on space, but big on color-Leather District apartment.
Blog authored by Andie Day & Sabrina Velandry
January 30th, 2010 | GALAS, Interior Design
Interior Design Ideas for the New Year
Deja-Vu, All Over Again
With many of us looking back to the good ol' days before the recession, it is no surprise that items from the past are resurfacing. Refinishing rather than discarding old furniture can give your house an updated look for less money, and is a nod to the past in a creative and innovative way.
The Home Office
In an economy that lacks exciting job opportunities, many people are drawing upon their entrepreneurial spirits and starting their own businesses. For those entrepreneurs or even telecommuters, converting an unused room into a home office gives you a convenient place to escape the family and get down to business for a while. Being in an office setting, even one located within the house or apartment, makes it easier to focus on the job at hand (read: away from the TV and potato chips).
Loft-Style Living
Young urban professionals (yuppies) and retired urban professionals (ruppies) alike have abandoned the suburbs for the convenience and excitement of city-living. Loft-style living boasts spacious floor-plans, high ceilings, and large windows; which are especially attractive for urban apartments where every square foot of living space makes a visible difference. The need for space and an abundance of light is by no means limited to city-living though; loft-style living is just as desirable in suburban and rural settings.
Bacteria Resistant Countertops
Out with the porous, bacteria-ridden, high maintenance food surfaces, in with the quartz! A great way to eliminate potential health hazards for you and family is to use non-porous, non-absorbent materials such as Cambria, a natural quartz surface, for your countertops. Cambria is mold, mildew, stain and bacteria resistant, along with being extremely durable. It can used in both kitchens and bathrooms and unlike granite does not need to be sealed or polished.
Hands-free faucets
These faucets are becoming increasingly popular in our fast-paced, germ-conscious society. Hands-free faucets, such as this one by Brizo, can quell the spread of germs in your household, conserve water, and can make using the kitchen or bathroom sink easier for all.
Stay tuned for more Twenty Ten design trend updates next week!
January 4th, 2010 | Adaptable Design Philosophy
“Consumers are redefining value to take more careful account of not only what a product or service costs, but what importance it occupies for them and their families.” -Nancy F. Koehn, Historian Harvard Business School; published in the Boston Globe January 3, 2010 excerpted from the article; WHAT’S AHEAD FOR 2010: GLOBE ASKED EXECUTIVES AND PROFESSORS WHAT VARIOUS SEGMENTS OF THE ECOMONY FACE IN THE NEW YEAR.
I recently was having a conversation with our publicist, Sabrina Velandry. ‘Recently’ probably isn’t quite the right word, as we speak to each other at least once a day, probably more like several times a day.
In this particular conversation, Sabrina was relaying to me her father’s take on the NECN Dreamies. Her father, Phil, is retired, in his mid-60s and lives on Boston’s North Shore with his wife of 40 + years; in short, he is indicative of our base, our firm’s largest demographic, that of course being the Baby Boomers (who incidentally are *the* most expansive demographic, with 72 million strong, and strangely a largely ignored consumer.)
Our project was featured with two other finalists. The first two were gorgeous, heirloom, to-die-for homes. One was located in Newport, and the other an enormous and ornate estate in Dover, New Hampshire. Each boasted an impressive square-footage of living space, and each contained custom millwork and exquisite craftsmanship throughout. One of the homes in particular took four years to accomplish.
Then, last, but not least our home was featured. Our project, a seaside cottage is barely 1000 sq feet. The time to accomplish the gut renovation? 13 weeks flat. The home, our first to showcase in full, our Design for Life ™ theory throughout, was created so a widowed woman, living alone, could live fully and independently in her own home. This meant, among other things, installing a curbless shower, an induction cook-top that shuts off on its own, energy-efficient LED track lighting through out that leads the occupant to either the bathroom or an exit, and finally, built-in washer/dryer set that is conveniently located three steps from the master bed (sheets in need of laundering can be pulled from the bed, stuffed into the washer, and then plopped onto the counter after they’re dry in four easy motions).
Phil couldn’t help but notice; “The comparison of the other homes to Andie’s was striking. While the first two homes were eye candy, almost fine-art-like with their grandeur and composure, the last home featured, was something you watched and thought, I could have that.”
Phil went on to say, “the home, it’s like a gift that pays it forward again and again.”
Design for Life ™ homes are often built for those in their second half of their life. However, the design and technology we incorporate into our projects, such as the touch-less faucets with auto-set on the temp, to prevent scalding, can be flipped to suit the other end of the age spectrum brilliantly: no more worrying about whether your child is going to burn himself, or leave the water on.
“I love the idea”. Phil continued, “The initial investment pays for itself in spades in the form independence, autonomy and peace-of-mind. Children, with parents in their 60s, 70s 80s and beyond can rest easy knowing the home their folks live in is, quite literally, caring for them. And the parents enjoying it? Well, they get to pay it forward. Rather than a lifetime of savings being sucked dry from a nursing home (which can run anywhere from 3K to 10K a month), the home becomes more than an heirloom, a comfortable and accommodating living space that children and grandchildren can enjoy for years to come”.
“It’s something I could really see doing, an investment to myself and wife, but something I would feel great about passing down to my Grandchildren.”
Authored by Andie Day and Sabrina Velandry.
December 23rd, 2009 | Company Press
Just yesterday we found out New England Dream House has chosen our project for the 2009 Dreamies; a special broadcast honoring the best homes of the year. The program will air this Sunday, December 27th at 10:30am and again at 7:30pm. (For those in New England please check with your local cable listing for specific channel information for NECN).
The project is our most meaningful to date. Through innovative and thoughtful design incorporating Aging-in-Place and sustainable practices, the homeowner, an elderly woman living with Alzheimer’s; is now is able to live independently in her own home. We’re happy to report that she still lives there now, well over a year since we remodeled.
We are honored that New England Dream House has chosen our story for the 2009 Dreamies. Thank you New England Dream House for making our Christmas extra special this year!
If you're unable watch the show live, please visit their site www.nedreamhouse.com . The house will be on there starting December 27th.
December 17th, 2009 | Design Philosophy, Lecture Series
On Monday we had the good fortune to begin our lecture series at the The Krempels Brain Injury Foundation located in Portsmouth, NH. It's a non-profit organization founded by David Krempel, a survivor of a severe traumatic brain injury. David describes his “two years of hell” and why he and other supporters established the foundation. Each day, the foundation works to improve the lives of those living with brain injury. Mr. Krempels’ message is one of hope and inspiration; and resonates deeply with our company mission: Design for Life.
The foundation offers two programs including Family Support and Stepping Stones which is a community based day program working in post-rehabilitation “that increases independence, community reintegration, and overall quality of life.”
Upon arrival we were swept up in the rituals of the morning meeting. Mic in hand, each attendee (including our team) welcomed the group and shared a laugh or informational antidote. Camaraderie, support and empowerment were the take–aways for the morning. Attendees were given program options for the day with our lecture; Inexpensive Home Modifications, to be included.
About a dozen or so members packed into a small conference room and we presented our most meaningful project to date; a home renovation located on the North Shore of Boston. The project was quite literally created under 'do or die' circumstances. The client, an elderly women suffering memory loss from Alzheimer's had grown dangerously depressed in the nursing home where she had just recently been admitted. Her family felt that if her house, a 1950's sea-side cottage could be renovated to accomodate her needs; that she could again thrive. Every detail of the home was carefully considered, and created so their mother, could live healthfully and independently in her own home. (The project was also featured on NECN's Dream House if you are interested in seeing more).
It was exciting and heart warming to see the group members actively participating with questions and comments. Though the presentation was only 50 minutes, we were able to glean from their questions, their own daily challenges and struggles. Upon leaving, our team had agreed that our mission to create environments that lend to living healthy and fully in a home whose singular purpose is our clients’ well-being is more important than ever.
December 9th, 2009 | Design Events
Dean Kamen, founder of DEKA Research and Development, is a self-taught physicist and highly successful entrepreneur. I had the privilege to hear Kamen present a key note speech entitled Inspiring Design at a recent Build Boston event. Over the course of his hour and a half presentation, Kamen regaled the audience with stories about several of his inventions, including a prosthesis inspired by the one Luke Skywalker wears in Star Wars and a water purification system that Kamen says would "wipe out 50% of human disease."
But what struck me most was Kamen's commitment to bettering humanity through scientific design and innovation. One of his projects is a nonprofit organization called U.S. FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology). Kamen launched the organization several years ago after realizing that many American teenagers couldn't name a single living scientist. "Our culture celebrates one thing: sports heroes," he says. "You have teenagers thinking they're going to make millions as NBA stars when that's not realistic for even 1 percent of them. Becoming a scientist or an engineer is." The organization's goal is to get people to value scientists the way they now value athletes. It's great to see someone like Kamen using his talents to improve society. I completely agree with his desire to improve lives, especially through design.
November 25th, 2009 | GALAS, Interior Design, New England Design Hall of Fame
The Clarke Luxury Show Room Crew
Kyle Hoepner on the Jumbo Screen...doesn't this look like the Academy Awards!
Jim Raftus of Clarke Corp, Andie & Rob Day
Rosemary Porto of Poggenpohl, Deb Grillo of Clarke, and Andie Day of Andie Day, LLC
My dear friend Deb Burke and I pose for a photo.
Sitting atop of the world, check out the view!
New England Home's Stacy Kunstel with inductees.
NEW ENGLAND DESIGN HALL OF FAME®
Earlier this month my husband and I attended The New England Hall of Fame sponsored by New England Home Magazine. The venue was the Longwood Events' State Room, which is an urban event space offering breathtaking views of the harbor and city. Located atop Sixty State Street, this chic and modern venue offers a genuine sense of being on top of the world. It is ideal for wedding receptions, corporate events and grand galas. It is the only independently-owned special event venue that can accommodate more than 850 guests in downtown Boston.
The views made for an incredible evening.
Cocktails were sponsored by South Shore Millwork.
The floral arrangements were done by Winston's-and were gorgeous.
The inductees were; Peter Forbes Architects, Cheryl & Jeffrey Katz, Gary McBournie, Douglas Reed + Gary Hilderbrand, Stephen Stimson Associates, Dalia Kitchen Design and Maryann Thompson Architects.
The celebration closed-out with a toast to the inductees, given by Alexis Contant the Vice President and General Manager of the Boston Design Center.
Attendees were given gift bags provided by FBN Construction and they included:
Raving Fans – A Revolutionary Approach to Customer Service by Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles-a very nice hard cover edition.
The gift bag also contained: Sweet Home Cookies by Dancing Bear Baking Co. The proceeds from the cookies go to homeless families.
As one can see from the photos, the turn-out was huge. It felt wonderful to be among so many creative individuals in the home design business. It truly was a night to remember.
October 28th, 2009 | Interior Design
Many people think that obtaining interior design services is an extravagance they can’t afford. Andie Day tells us why hiring a professional designer should not be considered a luxury purchase, but rather, a wise investment that actually saves clients money.
Get the look you want the first time.
It’s about doing it right the first time. The collaborative design process creates an environment that is reflective of each client’s individual style. Homeowners with do-it-yourself design projects rarely end up with the anticipated outcomes they hoped for. Hiring a professional with years of education and experience will give the client the look they’re trying to achieve.
Avoid dangerous mistakes.
Without the expertise, many mistakes are going to be made and some can even lead to hazardous living situations. For example, I know a woman who installed a high-polished marble tile in her home. It was so slippery that she fell and snapped her ankle. She’ll be out for months now and won’t be able to do many of her daily activities. A professional designer would have creative solutions for obtaining that high-polished look without it being a safety hazard in the home.
… And costly mistakes.
Often we meet with new clients where the entire contents of their home make them feel badly. For example, they may have purchased a dining set that doesn’t turn out to be what they really wanted. So then they might go out and buy a sideboard hoping that that piece will make it better. When it doesn’t they might buy a piece of art etc. They are hoping to marry all of the pieces together and are simply unable to do it. They are unhappy with the final outcome and feel badly that they have invested so much in furnishings that do not speak to their personal style. They don’t want to spend any more money, so they either have to live in a home that doesn’t make them happy or spend even more to get the look they were trying to achieve in the first place.
Have access to the latest trends and technology.
Designers make it their job to stay on top of the latest trends and technology. Aging-in-place and sustainable design are big trends right now, and both play critical roles in my design philosophy. If we go back to the clients with a house full of furniture they hate … what do you do with all of it? Probably either throw it away or donate it. By hiring a professional, clients’ homes can be filled with furnishings and fixtures they love that will work for them through all stages of their lives.
The same goes for the latest in technology. For example, Robern makes medicine cabinets and they have just come out with a beautiful new design where the cabinet door actually rolls up instead of swings out. This is a great safety feature as it decreases the chances of getting hit in the face with the door. They also have a cabinet that includes a cold storage shelf for medicines that must be refrigerated. These are simple advances that can make a big difference in people’s day-to-day lives. A professional would know about these things but I’m not sure the average client would.
Have a more enjoyable experience.
Attempting a do-it-yourself design project can be very time consuming and stressful. Not only does it require a lot of time and effort but it can also cause conflicts with family members who have different styles or ideas about what should happen. Hiring a professional designer allows you to continue to live your life while getting a design that you love. Designers are also equipped to work through conflicts among family members in order to find solutions that make everyone happy. These solutions could also include planning ahead for an aging parent that might live in the home or finding creative ways to help ease some stress for a family with young children.
Have expertise and a professional network at your disposal.
Designers are experts at knowing what materials and products are the best and where to go for these products. We have a network of connections for all layers of a project and can select the best quality materials that are long lasting and cost efficient.
The vast majority of people would never try to build a house on their own – they would hire an architect and a builder. The same goes for hiring electricians and plumbers – experts in their fields. Hiring a professional designer should be no different. Let us create a home that is beautiful, functional and filled with comfort.
~Blog authored by Andie Day & Sabrina Velandry of Sabrina, Inc
October 26th, 2009 | Company Press
Jim Raftus of Clarke Distribution Corp, Susan Howell of Howell Custom Building Group, Rob Day, Sean Clarke of Clarke Distribution Corp, Andie Day, Steve Howell of Howell Custom Building Group and our publicist Sabrina Velandry of Sabrina Inc.
Andie with Deb Burke and Joe Tanguay of Clarke Distribution Corp.
Andie and her husband Rob, catching their breath after receiving a Gold!
Michael Kim, architect, took home 3 (4?) awards!
Sabrina Velandry of Sabrina, Inc, Andie Day and Andie's daughter; nurse and mentor for AIP, Melissa Cummings
Daniel Flynn, Master of Ceremonies & Deb Burke, PRISM Awards Chairwoman
Last night was a spectacular event for us. Andie Day, LLC was awarded a Silver and a Gold at the Builders Association of Greater Boston PRISM awards. We were awarded a Silver in best whole-house renovation under 250K. The Gold was for best kitchen remodel under 75K.
Honestly, both awards came as a complete shock. Of course, this was a welcome shock.
BAGB put on a great show. The PRISM awards (Prestigious Results in Sales and Marketing) are considered to be the Academy Awards of home design. Chairwoman, Debra Burke of Clarke Distribution Corp, and the rest of the committee definitely did it up right.
Upon arrival, guests were tickled to walk over a boardwalk of stars with the names of various contestants and sponsors. The committee decided to do-away with the fancy sit-down meal that is usually the norm for this event. Rather, heavy hors d'oeuvres were passed and the guests were invited to choose from three food stations. Most of us stood around tall cocktail tables, which was perfect for mixing and mingling. No one stood at a table for very long - just long enough to enjoy roast beef with horseradish before someone else swooped in to enjoy food and cheer. This kept the tables dynamic and the conversation movin'.
The entries were stunning. We were so proud to be up there with the winners including, Leslie Fine, Howell Custom Building Group and Abode Green Build. The biggest winner of the night was Michael Kim, a reputable and inspirational Boston architect.
Master of Ceremonies, Daniel Flynn, was hilarious and kept the awards hopping with jokes and laughter. When presenting one very gorgeous and very large Balinese bathroom, he exclaimed, "Look at the size of that bathroom! I grew up with 6 older sisters and, for me, the bathroom was the key to the Merit mart." Hey, just because we're designers doesn't mean we're immune to a good joke - even if it does involve a bathroom!
Thanks to everyone at BAGB for making the PRISM Awards extra special for all of us. And a special thanks to all our friends at Clarke. We believe all of life's achievements are a collaboration, and we would not be writing this if it weren't for the support of Deb Burke, Sean Clarke, Jim Raftus and Joe Tanguay-thanks guys! It truly was a night to remember.
~Blog authored by Andie Day & Sabrina Velandry of Sabrina, Inc
