March, 2009 - Browsing by month

Deborah Oertle combines 20 years of experience in high end residential cabinetry and professional relationships with interior designers when she owned the flagship showroom Rutt of Chicago in the Chicago Merchandise Mart. During that time Deborah worked with some wonderful clients: Kennedy family, Van Kampen family, Chicago Tribune family, as well as designing the television showpiece kitchen at the home of TV chef Charlie Trotter.

She always felt that there was a better way of doing this; whereby interior designers could retain control of their projects without the need to go through the traditional route. So, the concept of “factory-direct” for interior designers was born. With her partner, his business acumen and experience Deborah was able to see exactly how the business model would help interior designers. She continues to refine it to something unique in the industry.

How does the business model work?
Designers bring their concepts to us and we produce manufacturer’s drawings for them, as well as undertaking the order-processing, all as part of the service. We consult with them along the way and ultimately manufacture the finished product, which we supply “factory direct” to the interior designer at trade price. Interior designers are is thus relieved of all the mechanical “hassle” and receive a high-quality product at a very competitive price.

The service is to the trade only. Our service is nationwide and we have service representatives in key locations to provide every assistance locally.

Do you just produce kitchens, or is there more?
We produce high-end custom cabinetry for any room in the house. Of course, 90 per cent of our business happens to be kitchens and bathrooms, but we have also worked on libraries, dining-room étâgères, living-room entertainment centers, bedrooms, and mud-rooms. Also, because of our capacity to produce the most intricate wood carving, the company also manufactures high-end bespoke furniture, which we produce either as a one-of-a-kind or as a limited edition, according to a designer’s requirements.

What is your view on the current economic climate and its effect on the interior design industry?
All business also have to look at the way they work and figure out how to achieve the same ends through more competitive and profitable means. That is why our business model is so effective: it provides the high quality that people demand yet, being at trade price and “factory direct”, it is available at a price which end-user clients also find very attractive.

Tags: bathroom, Kitchen, residential cabinetry
Posted in Ideas and Inspirations | 2 Comments »

Arranging a group of pictures

There are plenty of opinions about how to design an “arrangement” of pictures. If you have a formal or symmetrical composition of several similar images that are the same size and frame, it’s fairly simple to create a balanced composition.

When working with a grouping of pictures or objects hung on a wall, think of the grouping as one large picture and relate the bottom of the entire grouping to the furniture underneath it.

• Does the center rule apply if you are hanging a tall vertical picture, panel, or poster? In this case, it may be better to think about placing the art so that the top one-third area of the picture is near eye level. However, the actual height of the piece will determine the best position on the wall. Again, have someone hold it lower and higher as you see what looks best.

• What about hanging small pictures? A small picture hung on a large wall can look out of balance. Look for narrow walls (such as the spaces between two doorways or windows) and consider hanging two or three small pictures in a vertical line. In this case, treat the center picture as the center of the grouping.
• Groupings in matching frames should be placed about 2 to 2 1/2 inches apart, or for a window-like appearance, even closer. Groupings in unmatched frames can have a little more space between.
• Use pairs of paintings for a symmetrical, formal look; conversely, asymmetrical groupings give a more casual feel.
  

Tags: artwork height, decorating, group art
Posted in Ideas and Inspirations | No Comments »

At FSID, we are often asked: “What is the optimal height for art?”
Not sure how high to hang art on your walls? You’re not alone! Most people tend to hang artwork too high, which can make it look like it is floating up toward the ceiling. The good news is there are many options for hanging your artwork so avoid the too-high hanging blunders and use my tips with helpful ideas and designer secrets for getting the best look for hanging artwork.

You may have heard that you should hang artwork so the center of the picture is at eye level.

Right away you may be confused, especially if you’re 5 feet tall and others in the house are over 6 feet tall. Also, does this eye level rule apply to all sizes of art or just large sizes? What about a grouping of several pieces of framed art? What if you are hanging a painting over a sofa – should it be hung at the same level as when the picture is used in a hallway? Approximately 60 to 65 inches from the floor to the center of the art is a place to start.

Begin to think of the artwork you are hanging as it relates to everything around it. Whether you hang a framed picture over a sofa, on a stairway wall, or in the hall, each of these spaces will have elements to consider.

• Will you mainly be standing as in an entryway or hallway? If so, it may make sense to hang artwork a bit higher than the 60-65 inch center starting point –especially if the ceiling is tall.
• In a room where you generally sit down like a dining room, family room, or office, hang pictures a bit lower, so they can be enjoyed at a lower viewing angle. Sit in a chair and have someone hold the picture against the wall, moving it up and down so you can evaluate the look.
• A large framed piece over a sofa or sideboard relates more easily when hung so the bottom of the frame is positioned 6 to 12 inches above the top of the sofa back or tabletop. This won’t work, however, if your artwork is very small. In that case, consider hanging the piece in a group of other objects such as plates, mirrors, or decorative items.

Tags: artwork height, decorating, where to hang art
Posted in Ideas and Inspirations | 4 Comments »

Former Retailer Provides Her Own Economic Stimulus Plan for Main Street

The 3/50 Project unites small business and consumers in stabilizing their local economy

Having been an independent stationery store owner for fourteen years, Cinda Baxter understood the pain felt by retailers when the economy sank and consumers held back. What began as an economic downturn in the autumn had become a psychological tsunami by March 1st.

What the country needed, in her opinion, was a meeting of the minds between two groups that held valuable stakes in the game—small business owners and members of their communities.

Enter The 3/50 Project. With a tag line “Save your local economy three stores at a time,” the projectʻs goal is to promote shopping in locally owned businesses while thanking customers for the positive impact that decision has on a local economy.

“Weʼre constantly inundated with doom and gloom,” says Baxter, now a retail consultant and professional speaker. “The system is broken, the banks are frozen, the economy is bleeding.That’s all we hear. The images painted by the media are ghastly and devoid of hope. What we need—what we crave—as a nation is to pinpoint areas where positive change can occur, thenfeel good about having promoted them.”

By early March, sheʼd decided enough was enough, and that it was time to give retailers ammunition to fight back with. Rather than get tangled in complex messaging and deployment, Baxter combined a straightforward theme, a free flyer, and her blog as the mechanism to launch The 3/50 Project.

“We ask consumers to think about which three stores they’d miss if they disappeared, then remind them to return there,” explains Baxter. “Shoppers have become so rooted in thinkingabout the essentials that they’ve forgotten about the little gift store on the corner whose owner remembers their name.”

“Fifty comes from the idea that if even half the employed population spent a mere $50 per month in locally owned retail stores, those purchases would generate more than $42.6 billion in revenue,” she continues. “That’s a huge impact for a relatively small investment.”

Which leads to a third number on the flyer, sixty-eight—the dollar amount that remains in a community’s economy for every $100 spent in locally owned stores. By contrast, only $43 per one hundred remains local when spent in national chains; little or no revenue results from online purchases.

“In essence, the whole thing boils down to ‘Pick 3, spend 50, save the economy.ʼ Itʼs really that simple.” Since ease of use was key to store owners jumping on board, Baxter designed a free flyer for participants to download, print on any color printer, then hand to consumers with their purchases. “The idea is to look customers in the eye, put this right in their hands, and say ‘thank you for shopping in a locally owned store’ rather than just pop these in the bottom of a bag and hope someone sees them.”

Within 24 hours of providing the link on her blog, things began to light up. Retailers were sharing the flyer with other businesses. Property managers were spreading the news to tenants. Thank you notes were arriving via email every hour. Trade publications and blogs were asking about guest posts and columns promoting the plan, and a movie theater requested a copy large enough to display on their screens for waiting audiences to view.

“The best part about 3/50 is that itʼs so down to earth, so straightforward, so accessible,” reflects the enthusiastic champion of independent retailers. “This is a labor of love that store owners and customers can share.”

Given the level of interest, a dedicated website has been established to promote the movement, link to the free flyer, and list participating retailers and other supporters. It can be found at:

http://the350project.org

Tags: local businesses, small business
Posted in Ideas and Inspirations | 7 Comments »

In today’s online issue of Fast Company, Michael Cannell asks a critical question of inflential designers. He asked some distinguished design figures to come up with their picks for everyday objects in need of improvement. You can read the entire article here, http://origin-www.fastcompany.com/blog/michael-cannell/cannell/eight-picks-improving-everyday.

I was especially interested in three of them beginning with this one by Maya Lin, designer and artist.

Plastic Furniture
“Plastic lasts forever, so why not create amazing furniture designs that are collectible and made from all of our old plastic bottles and bags?”

Julie Lasky editor of Change Observer, a forthcoming web magazine affiliated with Design Observer.
Wire grocery cart
“Clumsy, child-unfriendly (despite kiddie seats), and hard to pull out of their clumps. I’m sure we can do better.”

Mitchell Owens, executive editor, Elle Décor
Plastic Lids for Take-Out Coffee
“No matter how well-designed such lids appear to the naked eye, they always end up leaking or dribbling when in use; the latter reaction could be a design flaw related to my own mouth, but I don’t believe so.”

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Tags: design, improvements, resource, Seattle
Posted in Ideas and Inspirations | No Comments »