Remember your grandmothers avocado-green kitchen? It could soon be yours. Or maybe it will be pink, mauve, emerald green or buttercup. Anything but white, because the revolt against the white kitchen has begun.

Last November, the cover of Elle Decor featured a Steven Gambrel-designed kitchen awash in a shiny turquoise even the ceiling gleamed like an iridescent underwater wonderland.

On Pinterest between November 2018 and November 2019, searches for dark-green cabinets jumped 367%, plum kitchens went up 107% and pink kitchen walls spiked 121%.

For decades now, cabinets have been relegated to white, brown or maybe black, and it has been even longer since appliances were allowed to be anything but stainless steel.

But the Instagram kitchen invariably a clean backdrop of basic Shaker cabinets, simple subway backsplashes and marble countertops finally has some competition.

Jenny Dina Kirschner, an interior designer in New York, recently painted the cabinets pink for a client in Long Island, giving the room a decidedly 80s vibe somewhere between mauve and millennial pink. The color picked up the pinkish tones in the Calacatta Vagli marble countertop.

Were starting to see more daring use of color, Kirschner said. Its a rebellion against the white kitchen.

Breaking the mold is risky when 43% of homeowners choose white cabinets and a third choose white countertops, according to a 2019 Houzz report. Try something bolder than wood cabinets or black soapstone countertops and you might fail.

Unlike an unfortunate coat of paint on the living room walls, the wrong choice of cabinetry could cost a homeowner tens of thousands of dollars. And money aside, its not easy to rip out that chartreuse backsplash if you later regret it.

Yet cracks in the color-free facade are emerging. Between 2018 and 2019, BHG.com consumer insights found a 115% spike in interest in cabinet paint trends, and a 10% increase in interest in colorful kitchen cabinetry.

And from March 2018 to March 2019, interest in blue and green for paint and home decor rose 50%. Navy cabinets have become increasingly popular, as have two-toned varieties, with choices such as blue for the lower cabinets and blond wood for the uppers.

Greens of all shades have been nudging their way onto the stage, too, appearing as emerald cabinetry, avocado backsplashes and sage pendants.

In a throwback to the 1970s, the age of wacky-colored appliances also is back. Want a retro fridge? Big Chill carries them in colors such as beach blue, cherry red and pink lemonade. The appliance company BlueStar offers hundreds of color options as well as custom colors for its products, letting customers personalize down to the color of the doors, trim and dials.

Have a specific shade of purple in mind for your oven? Dacor can match a swatch you provide to the color of its appliances.

Anything goes these days, said Gideon Mendelson, an interior designer in Manhattan. He is currently designing a yellow kitchen for a couple on the North Fork of Long Island, which he described as a sophisticated buttercup. Its not going to be sweet and cutesy. Its not quite mustard. Its happier than that.

Who doesnt want a happy kitchen? With the world so dreary, a little yellow can go a long way. In these uncertain times, we are drawn to colors that dont need to be impeccable, that can hide the messiness of life.

Theres a sense of energy and nourishment in bright colors, said Ingrid Fetell Lee, the author of Joyful: The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness.

Alessandra Wood, the vice president of style for Modsy, an online interior-design service, told me that homeowners are looking for comfort and coziness in design choices, so why not our kitchens, too?

In this really unstable world, we are looking for anything that makes us feel comfortable, and we are definitely turning to our homes to do that, she said.

Just look at the color Pantone chose for its color of the year: classic blue, because it highlights our desire for a dependable and stable foundation. (See a related story on Page D4.)

Paint companies Sherwin-Williams and PPG also ushered in the new decade with blue as their picks of the year in a collective nod to what might soon be our new neutral call it bluetral.

We also are living in our homes differently. After decades of relentless moving, Americans are moving at the lowest rates since the U.S. census began tracking our mobility, with fewer than 10% of Americans moving between 2018 and 2019. Baby boomers are aging in place and millennials, facing rising housing costs and stagnating wages, are less likely to house hop. With no plans to stake a for sale sign in the front yard, why commit to the safe and listless colors of a staged house?

Greige, that dreary hue that is neither gray nor beige but took over our homes for more than a decade, is decidedly out. The relentlessly white kitchen might be next.

It made a lot of sense in the era of house flipping. White looks clean and is unlikely to offend a potential buyer. Who hates white? And if your home is perpetually one renovation away from its next open house, white is a natural go-to color. Its a kitchen designed for future buyers, not the specific tastes of the current inhabitants.

But lets face it: White looks clean only when it is clean. The rest of the time, it is not the most practical color for a room that regularly gets splashed with marinara sauce. There is something to be said for a little color to hide the imperfections.

Were living in our spaces longer, so theres an extra level of consideration that people are giving to them, Wood said. Were thinking, How do I make this space into a space that I really feel comfortable in?

So if there is no buyer on the horizon, if the kitchen remodel is just for you, the view widens.

Why not wash the whole room in turquoise? It doesnt really matter what some fictional buyer might think. You can be you and paint the cabinets pink.

The rest is here:
Colors are heating up again in the kitchen - The Columbus Dispatch

For details, go to VF.com/CreditsTRAVEL & ENTERTAINMENT

Listening to: Liz Goldwyns The Sex Ed.Desert island books: John Steinbecks East of Eden and James Salters Light Years (2).Vacation spot: My family home in Piemonte, Italy (9). We donated half of it to the Italian National Trust and live in the other half.Plane must-haves: Cashmere blanket and eye set, Tata Harpers Resurfacing Mask, and Shiva Roses Glow Face Balm.

Architectural styles: I know this is a contradiction, but I am drawn to both beaux arts and 1930s. And I cannot imagine a world without modern architects such as Le Corbusier, Philip Johnson, Mies van der Rohe, and Oscar Niemeyer (13).Furniture: Cristina Celestinos furniture, tiles, carpet, wallpaper, lightingshes a renaissance woman.Career idol: Madeleine Castaing (6).Recent addition: Maison C fabrics, adapted from the wallpaper line I cofounded with the artist Costanza Theodoli-Braschi (5).In bed: I love Olatz pajamas (3) and D. Porthault bedding (1).Flora: Bodega flowers arranged in vessels from antique stores upstate (7).Candle: Diptyque Feu de Bois (11).Dish set: Wes Gordons Carolina Herrera tabletop line with Cabana (12).Four-legged friend: My 17-year-old Chihuahua, Klaus. He is a grumpy old man but my first baby and love of my life.

Perpetually worn accessory: My nonnas wedding band (10) and FoundRae charms.Go-to shoe: Sneakers from my baby daddy (currently Off-White Nikes), Gucci loafers, or Le Monde Beryl slippers (4).Supplements: Wooden Spoon Super Green Protein and anything Dr. Gabrielle Francis at the Herban Alchemist tells me to take!Workout: Walking through Central Park and Ballet Beautiful with Mary Helen Bowers.

Morning beverage: Bulletproof espresso before I take my daughter to school.Indulgence: Daily croissant (8).Restaurant: Sushi of Gari on the Upper East or Upper West Side.

Continued here:
The Wing Designer on Diptyque Candles and Nikes - Vanity Fair

In terms of residential design, there is where we are, and where were headed. Contemporary conformity is fast becoming a thing of the past. The name of the game is bespoke, as custom pieces predominate, commissioned art is emergent, textures are mixed in brand-new ways and exteriors move toward individualized modes of modernism. As savvy and exacting clients become increasingly game for the type of statement homes not typically seen in the region, these five design studios are pushing boundaries and conjuring the unexpected.

Instead of working with clients who view the artwork as the last step in a project, Chad Jensenartist, furniture maker, designer and founding director of Method &Concept, a Thomas Riley Companyfollows the atelier model. We love working with clients who are either starting to build collections, or who already have collections, he explains. A recent project illustrates the process. When clients wanted to reimagine their master suite, furnishings followed art. We started this whole room palette based on a custom-commissioned piece of artwork that we proposed. Once we figured out what that art was going to be, we built the room to support it. And because the clients had a preference for the traditional, Jensen tapped classically trained painter Carmelo Blandino. Commissioned art is a leap of faith, Jensen says, both for the atelier, which counts on the artist to deliver, and for the clients, who put their trust in Jensen. In the end, Jensens clients find their faith well-placed. Drew Limsky

I look for inspiration on the Internet on a daily basis, but then when I start the design, I dont look at anything, says Carrie Brigham, a bright new light in the local designcommunity. Born and raised in Naples, she earned her BA in interior design at Florida State, and founded her firm in 2017. If Brigham has an ethos, she says its all about using material and finishes in an unexpected way, in a way thats unique to the project. For example, in the kitchen featured on her websites landing page, rustic meets polished as a wooden hood is surrounded by waterjet mosaic tiles. What accounts for such a bold contrast? Im obsessed with every building material known to man, she says. But her favorite material is marble: We live in a world where everyone wants everything to be durable, understandably, from manmade quartz to porcelain tile, but the natural beauty of marble is unparalleled, surpassing any material created to emulate it. For a designer relatively new to the industry, Brigham exudes certainty. DL

Rene Gaddiss design arsenal often borrows from runways, glossy mags and maybe even a chic clients closet. The Naples-based interior designer, and owner of Rene Gaddis Interiors, draws from her degree in apparel merchandising, design and production from Iowa State University when she tackles any project. In one room, she framed a vintage Herms scarf with buttery golden hues that amplified the warm wood floors and metallic light fixtures in the space. Gaddis compares home design to picking out an outfit, with accents and lighting acting as jewelry or a blazer. You start with the staple pieces and add complementary details that can easily be changed with the fads or seasons. Her affinity for trends and bold pieces fits particularly well with her roster of seasonal clients who are more open to experimentation when designing their second or third homes. When a client comes to me with a unique design concept, Gaddis says, it really gets my creative juices flowing. Jaynie Tice

Husband-and-wife team Brandt Henning and Michaela Reiterer Henning met cuteat an AIA lecture. Michaela had founded her Naples-based architectural and interior design company in 2010, while Brandt was working with another firm. I was helping to organize the lecture andMichaela was an attendee, Brandt recalls. Indiana and Italy were joined by design. He became a partner in HLevel in 2013 and the firm emerged as a meeting of their modernist minds. We were tired of seeing what was happening in South Florida, cookie-cutter homes, Michaela says. When the two realized that the area hadnt yet picked up on the tropical modernism and sustainable elements that were starting to blossom in Miami, they saw their opportunity. What clients like about our design is that its clean but also warm and livable, Brandt says. Its not a cold, stark, harsh modernismwe celebrate natural materials. Brandt says that one of their projects in progressa 3,000-square-foot house located on a magical, beautiful site on the Estero Riverillustrates their values. Their goal is to have the home LEED-certified. Its somewhat of a camouflage-type of home where the lines between the built environment and the riverside setting will be blurred, Brandt explains. The house will tread very lightly on the land. DL

Juggling clients is not for Leili Fatemi, principal of Leili Design Studio in Fort Myers. I dont know how other designers approach their projects, she says, but what I hear from my clients is they like that I take total responsibility from start to finish. Im a boutique-type businessIm not accepting five or 10 projects at once. Fatemi regards each project as an utterly unique creation informed by a clients needs. I was working on a bachelor pad project and my client said, Give me something that no one else has in Southwest Florida, she remembers. So I came up with a lounge for what I call the Bobcat project: at one end is a TV set within a stone wall, and on the other end I designed a full bar anchored by a stacked column, illuminated in blue. Soon after completion, she met one of her idols, designer Thom Filicia, at a Kravet event. When he heard about the project, the star of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy asked to see some photos, and in no time Bobcat was published. Naturally, that one-of-a-kind column was prominently featured. I enjoy doing custom work, she says. I like to create from scratch. DL

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Designing The Future - Gulfshore Life

When Tracy Steel was a teenager in the mid-1990s and working at her parents' Christian bookstore at West Ridge Mall in Topeka, she likely had no idea that she one day would be the author of a book that would be sold at similar stores across the nation.

But that is exactly what happened with the release of her book"A Redesigned Life: Uncovering Gods Purpose When Life Doesnt Go As Planned," which was released this past August by Revell Books, a subsidiary of Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Baker Publishing Group.

"This book is a great fit for any woman, age 18 and older, who is living a life that hasnt gone as she planned," Steel said, "and who is wondering if God is there and if he cares, or for anyone who wants to go deeper in their faith."

Steel said her parents, Wayne and Roxie Davis, owned the Lemstone Bookstore from 1995 to 1998 at West Ridge Mall. The store was located in the lower level of the mall near the Dillard's store entrance.

Steel recalls those days with fondness, remembering how her parents enjoyed interacting with the people who came into their small store.

"They enjoyed talking with their customers," she said, "and considered it an honor to sell paper-backed messages of hope and inspiration to all who came into their store."

Steel said she came from a family of "book lovers," yet never thought of herself as a writer.

She was born and raised in Topeka, attending Berryton Elementary School and graduating in 1994 from Shawnee Heights High School. She then attended Kansas State University in Manhattan, where she graduated with a bachelor's degree in interior design in 1998.

She said she graduated in May 2019 from Phoenix Seminary with a master of arts degree in biblical and theological studies.

After she graduated from K-State, she said, she had "dreams of owning her own interior design firm, moving to New York City and making millions of dollars. But as I mention in the book, none of that happened. Ive never lived in New York City or made anywhere close to $1 million, in ministry or now as a writer. And that is fine by me. As God continues to redesign my life, Ive come to discover that his plans for me have far exceeded what I always thought to be best. I trust him completely and will continue to follow him wherever he leads me next."

Over the past several years, Steel said, she has "had the privilege of traveling and speaking at various conferences. Ive met with women of differing ages and stages of life across the nation and listened to their frustrations and heartaches. All of them, who identify as Christian women, were surprised by their lives because they werent turning out the way they had planned. They wondered where God was in the midst of their shock, surprise or grief.

"I wanted to come up with a fresh, encouraging and creative way to encourage them and help them to see the purposes of God whenever life doesnt go as planned. For my own life, along with the Bible itself, has taught me that God is with us and that he is moving in the middle of the mayhem and mess."

Before going into the ministry, Steel said she worked in the corporate world of interior design for several years. Then, she said, God called her into a different kind of interior design.

"This type of interior design entailed me taking the words of the Bible and redesigning the hearts and minds of women with its truths and hope," she said. "As I remembered the set of 'design principles' that I used as a human interior designer to create functional and beautiful spaces for my clients, I thought about God, who is our master architect or designer. I wondered if he uses similar principles as the ones I used as he is redesigning our lives."

Steel said she found that to be the case, as God "uses the principles of movement, emphasis, pattern, contrast, balance and space to tell us something about himself or what he desires for us whenever life doesnt go as planned. I dive into these more deeply in the book, showing how we can apply them in our own faith walk, while combining them with real-life stories from other women who have been shocked or surprised by life, as well."

In her book, Steel shares the story of her mother, Roxie Davis, who died at age 61 in October 2012. Steel said her mother was a "devoted teacher" at Berryton Elementary School just southeast of Topeka.

"I also write about her death and battle with breast cancer in the book, and know that if she were still here, shed be so proud, but that if she was still here, the book would not have touched as many lives as it already has," Steel said. "Her death was not in vain, and God has used her story in 'A Redesigned Life' to redeem much of what she suffered. I am incredibly grateful to him for doing so."

Steel and her husband, Chad, who is a pilot in the U.S. Air Force, have two children ages 9 and 11. Steel noted she has moved six times during the first 12 years of marriage, "making me a professional mover and Walmart and Starbucks locator."

At present, her husband is stationed in Washington, D.C., "but I still make it back to Topeka to visit my father, Wayne Davis, and his wife, Kathy, my grandparents Dale Davis and Betty Crouch, and my sister Jamie Cooper."

"A Redesigned Life: Uncovering Gods Purpose When Life Doesnt Go As Planned" is available online at Amazon, Christian Book Distributors, Barnes & Noble and Target. Steel said the Barnes & Noble store in Topeka also has copies on its shelves.

To read Steel's blogs, reach her via email, or subscribe to her newsletter, visit http://www.tracymsteel.com. Steel said she enjoys interacting with readers on Facebook @TracyMSteelMinistries or on Instagram @tracymsteel.

Excerpt from:
Topeka native pens book on A Redesigned Life - The Topeka Capital-Journal

The 50 States Project is a yearlong series of candid conversations with interior designers we admire, state by state. Today, we catch up with Phoenix, Arizonabased Jaimee Rose of Jaimee Rose Interiors, a longtime journalist who pivoted into design full-time in 2013. In addition to sharing a speculative build project she worked on with a trusted builder, she tells us how the Southwestern climate influences her work, why she believes in next-level customer service and how choosing a word of the year helps her firm achieve its goals.

You were a reporter before becoming a designer. What was your journey to owning your own firm?I started untraditionallyI was a newspaper reporter and TV journalist for almost 15 years. I wrote for the Los Angeles Times and USA Today, and was a Pulitzer finalist [as part of the Arizona Republic team that reported on the shooting and recovery of former Arizona congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords]. But my mom was a designer and my dad was a Class A contractor, building bridges and roads. Design was always my passionI did it for my family, for myself, and for friends for fun on the side. Then I had one friend, the wife of a big baseball player, who asked me to do her house. I was like, I dont do that. And she was like, Ill give you my credit card. And I was like, Oh, OK. Ill do that.

That was the first one. Then it was the rest of the baseball team, and then it was the rest of her neighborhoodit just took off. I saw that journalism was dying, so I decided to switch and do design full-time. In 2013, I went and worked for a firm that my friend owned for a couple months to get the lay of the land. I learned and absorbed as much as I could, went back to school and took AutoCAD, methods and materials of construction and SketchUp, and then started my own firm.

How big is the firm now?I have a team of 13. Its grown really quickly, and Ive found design was something that was always instinctual for me and creative and joyful. Its been a lot easier than journalism, which is so funnyand I learned every hard lesson [about the business] in the first six months. I had a client who didnt pay me $25,000 and I lost my money. After everything that happened in the first six months, I was like, if I can still keep going, then I think well be good.

What kind of work are you doing, and how big are the projects?The bulk of our work is in Arizona, and we do mostly luxury residential projects. Were currently working on a 15,000-square-foot house. Most of them are at least 5,000 to 6,000 square feet and multimillion-dollar budgets, which is amazing, and Im grateful every day. But we have also done projects across the countryright now we have projects in San Diego and Coronado, California; Washington, D.C.; and Chicago.

This project was a speculative build for a builder we love and have worked with many times, so the trust was there, says Rose. The property is on the main thoroughfare of the most desired neighborhood in Phoenix, with other spec homes going up on either side of itso the pressure to impress was high!Isaac Bailey

Are those clients across the country ones that you worked with in Arizona first and then they have other properties, or is it new clients?Amazingly, they are people who have found me on Instagram, and theyre like, We want to hire you. Come to Washington, D.C. Its a very flattering phone call to get, and exciting, rewarding and fun.

How do you decide what projects to take on, or how do you know when to say yes?It has amazed me how much of the journalism skill has transferred to design and customer service. As a former journalist, you can imagine that I have a lot of questions and answers that we go through. Those reporting skills are helpful in designI get so detailed. Im also watching the clients body language. We get designs finished so quickly [as a result], because weve asked the questions and listen to our clients.

Obviously, if theyre coming to us from one of our builders, then we know were going to take that [job]. But if theyre one of those clients where youre just not sure what their budget is or what their look is, we [have a conversation]. Ill ask them, Whats your budget? They might say, I dont know. You tell me. Ill say, OK, what do you think is an appropriate amount to spend on a sofa? A coffee table? A lamp? A piece of art? Those answers tell me what their budget really is and what their spending expectations are.

How can you sort out whats lack of education and whats lack of budget?This conversation [is typically] on the phone, not in an email. If they say, I think a sofa should be $1,000, Ill say, OK, they certainly exist, but Im going to show you sofas that start at about $3,000. If they say, Oh, no, thats not for me, then I know. Or if they say, OK, why? then I explain. Im looking for a cue, too. Its an interview, and of course, we always want to make sure that were choosing clients that we think we can make happy, because that is the job. So, Im listening for those cues, and if I get any red flags, we dont do it. We also have a project minimum. We do not take projects if they dont have at least X amount to spend.

I know that that can be a personal number, but is there a ballpark of where that is for you?Ours is $60,000 if they only want furnitureand were still not sure if thats enough. Build budgets are typically much higher.

Not enough in what sense?If thats what they have to spend, and its a single room and were never going to hear from them again, then its probably a no. But if its, We want to do the whole house [eventually, but] do these two spaces first, then were probably going to take that project. We want to build lifelong relationships and return clients.

The kitchen, to me, is timeless joy: simple, clean lines, a spare black-and-white palette, gorgeous glazed brick from Waterworks on the wallsand that rolling ladder, which brings major charm and utility, says Rose. Now I want a ladder in every kitchen!Isaac Bailey

How many projects are you working on at a time?Probably 30 to 35which sounds insane, but theyre not all full-service, right-now projects. Some are in the planning phase and for six months were meeting with architects for two hours every other week. Other clients [may have] moved into the house three years ago and now the new babys coming so were doing the nursery.

When building your team, where did you grow first?I hired an assistant to help me with errands, filing, sample wrangling and all those things. I had that position for two years. Then I hired an assistant designer and a bookkeeper. Then we needed another bookkeeper, then many more designers, and then somebody to do purchasing. We found a courier service to run all the errands, which is a tip I learned from my business coaches, and is so much more affordable than hiring an employee. Its $25 [per errand], which is worth every penny.

Where do you shop, or how are you ordering, and how are you finding the things that youre putting into projects?My business model definitely is still aiming to profit from selling things that we buy wholesale at a markup. Most everything that we are specifying comes from trips to market and relationships with wholesalers that we take time to study and develop and research and recommend with utter confidence for clients.

For building materials like tile, countertops, cabinetry and light fixtures, we tell our clients, Look, we do profit on light fixtures. Its in our contract that we are the lighting vendor. Were going to profit on wallpaper if you buy wallpaper. Were going to profit on cabinet hardware and probably designer mirrors. Nothing else is marked up. I believe in full disclosure on financials, that you tell a client exactly where youre being compensated. Now, you dont have to say exactly how much, but you give them an idea so they are never surprisedand you never feel nervous, like, What if they find out?

Wooden beams and a whitewashed arch frame a hallway in the Phoenix spec home.Isaac Bailey

How do you break down what youre billing for?We do a flat fee, so for a build project where were helping clients get to a great set of plans and flexing all the finishes and doing all the drawings and the complete annotated spec book with spreadsheets, thats flat fee based on square footage and level of detail for the house. Thats phase one.

Phase two is furniture. We ask for a flat fee, and its pretty big. But after they hit a certain number, then almost all of that flat fee is credited toward their furniture once theyve placed the order. That was done to protect me recently. A few times weve had clients who had hired us to do furniture, and of course we had deposits, but we designed the whole houseevery single piece down to the coffee table bookand then they buy nothing because its a football player who got transferred or the clients financial circumstances change. It was a really big time suck for us that needed to be remedied. So, we get a very large deposit on phase two now and tell clients that as soon as their orders hit that number, then almost all of that deposit goes back to you.

What markets do you see as most vital for your team?We use our local design center for fabricsKravet, Pindler, all the luxury houses are there. We do most of our furnishings through visits to High Point Market and Atlanta Market, and a little bit Las Vegas Market.

When youre at market, is that mostly about vendor relationships, or what else are you using market for?Historically, its been very focused on just product researchfinding the fabrics, learning about new lines we could carry. Sometimes we even write orders if we know we want [something]. I keep a small inventory of accessories and pillows and lamps that we know we can always use. But more recently, now that I feel that the product research is there, were starting to work on our vendor relationships because someday we may want to change the way we work with our vendors.

It also helps to have those relationships when there are issues, or even things to celebrate. There is so much that we can all learn from each other, and the more time we spend with vendors and engage with them, the more we learn. For instance, we recently opened an account with Hickory Chair and spent a lot of time with them at High Point Market. We sat down with Ray Booth and he told us exactly where his inspiration point came from for this handle on a little table. It was magic, because then that translates to the moment when were telling our client about this piece.

The little telephone table, right? I love that piece.Im obsessed with itand with him. He is just the nicest guy. I met him for eight seconds in a hallway and took a picture with him two markets ago. [When we sat down with him in October], he was like, I remember you, youre Jaimee. Hes extremely inspiring because hes been able to meld his architecture skill with design and translate that into product. He has a coffee table book, which is something else that I would love to dowith the writing background, that would be a fun and natural fit. Hes also a genuinely kind person who I can tell takes time to connect with people. I think hes inspiring lifelong dedication to him and his creation and art and talent.

That is something that I want to pay more attention tothe experience that Im giving to the people who hire me and my team, and make sure that Im creating something like that. Even if its just for one [person], this memory of a truly beautiful experience.

What are the first steps to doing that? What does that look like?Well, the first step, I think, is our word for the year: fancy. We want to give people a fancy, fanciful, luxurious experience. It came from asking for feedback from our clients and realizing we had opportunities to serve with more elegance and care. It came from spending time with Ray and other people at market and realizing that all business is about human relationships.

[So far,] weve been focusing on our projects and spec books and making sure that our portfolio is awesome. Now that all those items are checked off, we need to transition to making sure that the relationshipthe experienceis also there for the consumer. So, the first step is just realizing it. The second step is making sure that the client is always number one. Its easy to be like, The client called with a question, but oh, my gosh, look at this to-do list. Yes, half of this list is stuff that serves them, but they dont know that. Its about making calling them, making sure theyre happy, our top priority. I know its important and I know its the right path.

I love that you said you have a word of the year. What were some of your previous words?Last year was elevate. Wed been doing projects that were goodthey were excitingbut we wanted to compete with top-level [local] designers and projects. So we focused on elevating, and by the end of the year we had hit some major goals. We had the projects that we wanted. We were working with the builders that we wanted. The year before that was systems, because I needed to create systems. Whatever the main thing we need to do for the year is, thats the word.

We wanted the project be edgy and progressive while still appealing to as many buyers as possiblenot to mention while staying on budget, says Rose of the project.Isaac Bailey

A bathroom detail, highlighting tilework in shades of gray.Isaac Bailey

Left: We wanted the project be edgy and progressive while still appealing to as many buyers as possiblenot to mention while staying on budget, says Rose of the project. Isaac Bailey | Right: A bathroom detail, highlighting tilework in shades of gray. Isaac Bailey

How do you keep that top of mind all year? I feel like my resolutions tend to lose steam by the end of January ...I write it on a note and tape it to my monitor, so Im staring at it every day. I used to do that when I was a reporter with sentences that I loved; for a while, I had an Adam Gopnik quote taped to my monitor. It just sinks in.

The team members all know what the word is, too. Last year, wed be like, Well, do we [take this project]? And Id be like, No, we elevate! Or theyd say it to me. We were talking to a client last Fridaya great client with fabulous projectswho has a new baby and was just having the worst day. I was like, OK, we need to send her a couple bottles of wine and some treats. Lets do that tomorrow. And my assistant Jen was like, Yes, fancy! So, we did it. Little things matter to clients. They love it when you remember their birthdaylast year, we started making sure that every client got a gift or flowers, or at the very least a phone call, on their birthday. Those little things create the big thing, which is a lasting memory of a fabulous experience.

We were talking earlier about storytelling, and Ray Booths telephone table. Does having that connection to the piece make it easier to sell to clients?It really has made a difference. Were able to explain and romance the pieceto give them something to dream about and fall in love with. For upholstery, it is so important to me that we sell our clients comfortable furniture. Out here in Arizona, we have these big, huge houses and people are all about laid-back comfort. I promise my clients that I will never sell them anything that I havent sat in or that isnt comfortable. So, I spend lots of time at markets doing that, and we take photos of ourselves in the pieces to show them.

Are you showing them the photo for scale, or is it really about saying, Look, this is me sitting here?Both. We do have a few pieces in our studioa chair from each of our go-to upholstery linesthat they can sit in. But that exact sofa is not going to be in the showroom next door for us to walk them over to. You can show a client a picture of a sofa and theyre like, OK, that looks comfortable. But if you send them a picture of you in the sofayoure sunken in and you happen to look real happy, theyre like, Oh, that is comfortable. If you dont have a showroom to go to, it helps.

What do your design presentations look like? We do it similarly for both phase one and two. We have these big wooden trays, and we create a vibe tray. If its a bathroom, then its a piece of the tile, a wallpaper sample, and we try to get the faucet and a photo of the lighting printed out and matted. Ill go and buy fresh flowers and put them in a vase on the tray, so it looks pretty. We do that again for a living room, but its layering textiles and wood finishes and photos of art. They have that in front of them with each of the materials that we want them to be able to touch and feel. When were presenting that, behind us is a big TV screen with the design boards on it. We make big PowerPoint presentations and go through it so they can see the details of each individual piece.

Are you showing them a rendering, or some sort of representation of the finished room as well?It depends on the service level. We show them AutoCAD drawings. If its a kitchen or a bathroom, we are going to elevate it. Sometimes we will have the room built in 3-D and SketchUp for themwe have someone on our team who can do that. But its time-consuming, so we dont do it for every project. Weve found that we can Photoshop boards together for finished rooms so that they look a lot like the finished room, but its still a lot of PhotoShop time.

Is that what people need to get across the finish line?Ive found so, yes. That helps so much. It was interesting, because the friend that I worked with when I went out on my own, she didnt do that. She didnt give any idea of what the finished space was going to look like. She just showed them individual pieces, and they made choices. I thought that was cool, but that doesnt work for people now, I dont think. They expect to see what its going to look like: How do I know these all go together? We take a lot of time in the beginning to help them, to build trust, make sure they have the utmost of confidence in me and my vision. But it never hurts to say, Yes, I know this is going to look fabulous, and Here, see, isnt that beautiful?

Rose's relationship with the builder meant that she was able to make bold choices throughout the homeincluding spelling out the property's ZIP code in the tile of the laundry room floor.Isaac Bailey

Whats the next big thing you want to figure out?Id like to start doing our own product lines. Whether that means were partnering with a manufacturer or not remains to be seen. When Im looking for pieces to use in my projects, Im not always finding what I want, so Id like to [get to] that level. But that also means I have to spend a lot of time working on my social media profile to make myself and my firm attractive to people who would partner with us.

You manufactured a wallpaper line on your own. How did you decide that was the way to go?I had an idea for wallpaper that we wanted to put in a spec house. We found an artist, she drew it, we researched different printers, they printed it, we did the math on how much money I did not make on it, and figured out that we needed to find a different printing company. But, you know, that means a trip overseasand thats just not what Im doing yet. But it was a fun experiment. I learned a lot. We still set it, and we do get requests for other patterns, though that will probably not be happening for quite some time.

How do you describe your design style? What are clients coming to you and your firm for?Our design style is clean, fresh, a little edgy and based in tradition, but the hallmark of my work is light, white and airy. Most of our rooms are limited in color. Were in Arizona, so we have these big, expansive spaces filled with all that beautiful desert light. We do some color, but I am definitely more interested in layered textures and layered time periodscreating interest with age and history and varied tones rather than with color.

How does the climate influence what your clients are looking for, or your design sensibility?We dont like leather sofas. Theyre hot and you stick to them when its 120 degrees in the summer. We also stay away from heavy chenilles, and even velvets sometimes feel too wintry. We have winter for two weeks, and its really more like autumn.

The outdoor furniture is a really big problem for designers in Arizona because it does not hold upit does not stand up to the sun here, which is so strong, it turns some performance fabrics yellow. You cannot do teak; that is a hard no. And metal is too hot. It's the hardest thing for people here. So, theres a few local people and manufacturers that we can use, but we have to spend so much more of our clients budget on the outdoor furniture to make sure that were not selling them something just for one summer.

What do you look for that does work?We look for fully upholstered items, a slip-covered sofa or chair. (Some fabrics dont hold up, but there are plenty that we know that do.) We recommend those because youre not touching anything hot, and those frames are fine with the fabric protecting them. Concrete is great for coffee tables and dining tables, but it gets hot, too.

We lean on the manufacturers when we havent used them before. I say, If I call you next summer because this [piece] didnt make it [in this environment], what are you going to do? Youre telling me it will stand up to our sunbut if I call you and say, OK, it didnt. Its been one year and its done, are you going to replace it or not? And if theyre not, were not going to buy it.

'The builder was nervous about that crazy French prison door I found and wanted to use in the butler's pantry,' recalls Rose. 'In the end, it was one of his favorite features, and the house sold before it was even finished. I'm particularly besotted with that gorgeous bronze strap hardware, which we had custom-made.'Isaac Bailey

Are there a lot of vendors who will say yes?There are, and those are the ones that we dont have to replace. Or if they say, Oh, well, we guarantee it under cover, we wont do it. Theres a company called Cavan, which was started by a local cabinet company, that makes outdoor furniture with a Belgian lookthat's my go-to for stuff that is going to be fully in the sun all day, every day. [The owner] lives here and hes making furniture for the people who live here.

Youve built an incredible career in less than a decade. As a relative newcomer to the design industry, what has surprised you most?I think that its important to remember that we are all still learningand to not be afraid to ask for help. I ask other designers for help all the time. I also have people asking me for help, and I give it, and then they give it [back] to me. I think that is one of the things that people either dont know yet or forget about the design community: Designers want to be helpful. I called a designer [I didnt know] because my client was obsessed with this light fixture that was all over Pinterest, and it was her work. I could not find it anywhere, so I called her after spending weeks looking. She was like, Its from this weird little place in Paris. She told me the name, we found it and the [client used] it. That kind of stuff bowls me over. I love it. I think one of the greatest things we can all do is help each other. And if you ask and you give, it comes back to you.

To learn more about Jaimee Rose, visit her website or find her on Instagram.

Homepage image: Jaimee Rose | Isaac Bailey

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Why this Arizona designer always chooses a word of the year - Business of Home

The office in Buffalo is getting a whole lot cooler.

No, I don't mean the temperature is going down. I'm talking about the trendiness and "hip factor" of the environments in which people work.

It's not exactly a real hot and sexy topic, but the office is where many of us spend the majority of our working days. And what's coming out now aren't your parents' work spaces.

To attract and retain a younger workforce, and in recognition of changing habits and desires, employers are redesigning their offices to make them brighter, fun and especially more conducive to collaboration. It's not just about the colors or textures, but the configuration, feel and features.

The goal is to support a happier and more comfortable employee, who in turn will be more productive. And it's what the new workforce is seeking, as they evaluate whether their employer or potential employer is keeping up with the trends. That's critically important given the talent competition that Buffalo faces.

"Those are the new decision-makers," said Jill Pawlik, spokeswoman for Uniland Development Co., one of the region's biggest office-space developers.

That's not to say that every workplace has been revolutionized. Many like The Buffalo News' newsroom remain just the same as they've been for years, or even decades. For others, the changes can be slow and gradual especially for more traditional employers that may be hesitant about radical transformations.

But the trend is clear. Out are the walled-in private offices, drab desks, uncomfortable chairs, bland carpeting and high cubicles. Here come more vivid designs, open spaces, "convening" or gathering areas, "resimercial" soft seating, conference "booths," and even recreational, dinette or relaxation zones to encourage employees to take that break and move around, so they can refresh their minds for the next task.

"That is a big piece of what we're seeing here," said Melissa Brinson, director of marketing, communications and business development at Millington Lockwood Business Interiors, which recently rebranded its interior design division, AMP Interior Construction. "It really is about tailoring the work environment to the individual."

That's particularly the case for incubator spaces or new offices for technology firms and startups, which are known for the youth of their workforce. Pingpong or pool tables, foosball, air hockey and other games are common features, allowing workers to blow off some steam and have a little fun in between cranking out code or designing new technology applications. But so are the bright colors, funky art, comfy chairs or couches, and central meeting spaces where coworkers can work out issues together.

"The heavy tech users need not just the physical break for their bodies, but for their eyes as well," Brinson said. "So those spaces have become extremely popular with the employees, and they're becoming more and more the expectation, that a firm would have a place like that where employees can go and unwind."

Take Uniland's new Hansa co-working space on Ellicott Street. That's a bit of a head-scratcher name, but it's Latin for "guild," meaning uniting people for a common purpose in this case, to share space. The facility will offer separate offices or suites as options, but there also will be an open space with tables and desks that can be shared, as well as other alternatives such as quiet phone booths, meeting and multipurpose rooms, and lounge areas.

"Weve designed areas for multiple uses to provide the most flexibility to meet the demands of todays workforce," said Mary Hazlett, Uniland's interior designer. "You choose where to work based on what youre doing."

Located in a former warehouse that Uniland is renovating, Hansa will feature what the developer calls a "chic industrial interior design and the fusion of modern office and residential furniture and decor." The decor will vary from meeting room to meeting room, with different lighting, carpeting and wallpaper. There also will be a meditation room.

"Every work zone has a design focus to create its own look and feel," Hazlett said. "Office design is no longer a one-size-fits-all model."

Or look at what Rich Products Corp. did with its refurbished information services department. The Buffalo food-service company revamped the space, taking out the rows of cubicles with six-foot-high walls and replacing them with a range of options workstations with dual monitors, a comfortable chair, a meeting room or the social area near the kitchen, or the new illuminated "cloud room" where there's no talking or phone calls allowed.

That, in turn, was based on what other companies did, including Sodexo. Great Lakes Orthodontics also redid its break room and cafeteria space as part of an expansion two years ago and now it "looks like something you'd see on a real hip college campus," Pawlik said.

"There are fewer and fewer instances where private offices really make sense," Brinson said. "People are just becoming accustomed to moving. They like that flexibility, where they're not anchored to a desk."

Marketing firms Martin Group and Crowley Webb each completed major renovations of their downtown office space that gave a modern lift and airy feel to older buildings.

Most significantly, M&T Bank Corp. and developer Douglas Jemal are working on the bank's new technology hub at Jemal's Seneca One tower, which will eventually house 1,500 M&T employees on two sprawling pedestal levels and 11 floors of the high-rise. It will be joined by technology business competition 43North and its portfolio companies.

That space hasn't been designed yet, as the parties seek bids for the work. But the expectation is that both M&T and 43North will follow the same trends.

"They really understand that employees coming to work have a completely different set of expectations of what their working environment will look like," Brinson said. "They're responding to their workforce, and all of the companies that are really smart will be doing that."

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Out with the old office and in with new, hip spaces - Buffalo News

While building her new home in the River Chase neighborhood of New Braunfels, Judi Seibold had to make thousands of decisions. But one thing she knew from the beginning was that she wanted a large pantry so she wouldnt have to store food in her kitchen cabinets.

I want to be able to look around the pantry and see what I have instead of opening a million cabinets in the kitchen, she said. I dont want to go the supermarket to buy something and then come home and find I already had it.

Long little more than a linen closet for keeping extra jars of peanut butter and maybe a garbage can, todays pantry has morphed into a luxe room that serves almost as a second, secret kitchen. Its gone from overlooked to object of desire.

Search #pantry on Pinterest or Instagram and youll get an unending scroll of photos of extravagantly designed pantries, with dry goods and pastas displayed like museum art and boxes of food categorized by kind, size and/or color. Youll see wine refrigerators, microwaves and smaller appliances, all banished from the kitchen, standing ready to make coffee, toast bread or mix drinks. There are spaces set aside for a crafting or gift wrapping, second refrigerators, even wet bars.

People see all these pictures on social media and then they want their pantry to look like that, too, said Carla Royder, an interior designer in San Antonio. They like it when it looks like a high-end store.

On ExpressNews.com: Kitchen cabinet trends: paint 'em and keep 'em closed

And the larger the home, the bigger the pantry. Experts say that in a home with a price tag between $350,000 and $600,000, for example, pantries average 5 feet wide and 8 feet deep, while in the $600,000 to $2 million price range, theyll be about 6 feet wide and 12 to 15 feet deep.

Despite the belief that large pantries are high-dollar add-ons, builders often install them to cut costs.

Sheetrock and two-by-fours are cheaper than adding more cabinets, said Melven E. Belt Jr., regional sales manager for Kent Moore Cabinets in Schertz. But for homeowners, the perception is that a walk-in pantry is worth more.

One of the trends in pantry doors is to make them look like cabinet fronts, so they blend in to a cabinet wall and hide. Homeowners enjoy how they elicit gasps of surprise from guests when the doors are opened open to reveal the pantry innards.

Also trendy are barns doors that slide along a top rail, according to Beau Walker, CEO and owner of West Ridge Custom Homes in Bulverde.

Id say that 75 to 80 percent of the pantries we build have barn doors, said Walker, whose company specializes in building home from $600,000 to $2 million. The look may date itself, but thats what were doing.

According to Royder, homeowners often leave these barn doors open to show off their Insta-ready pantries.

People love their stuff and want it to be on display, she said. Of course thats a big commitment in having to keep it neat and tidy.

Other door options include pocket doors, which require less space than swinging doors, or no doors at all.

If youve got a beautiful pantry, why not show it off? asked Belt.

Some pantries are even moving away from the kitchen.

Interior designer Julie Bradshaw of Bradshaw Designs in San Antonio said shes seeing more pantries built either around the corner from the kitchen or down the hallway.

Its often closer to the back door, or the mud room, so the homeowner can dump the groceries there when they get back from the store, she said.

On ExpressNews.com: High-end laundry rooms now double- or triple-duty rooms

One area of disagreement about pantries is whether the shelving should be adjustable or fixed. Karen Meade likes the flexibility of adjustable shelving.

With fixed shelving you have a lot of unused vertical space, said the San Antonio professional organizer. So you end up buying can risers to make the most of that space.

Walker, on the other hand, said he usually installs fixed shelving in the high-end homes he builds.

Once youve got the shelving set, you rarely go in and change it, he said. Were doing adjustable shelves in only one home at the moment.

While pre-made adjustable shelving made of cheaper materials such as wire and particle board is available off the shelf, in custom homes like those Walker builds, adjustable shelving often is more than twice the cost of fixed shelving because its more labor intensive to install, and he uses higher quality materials, such as medium-density fiberboard.

Finally, over the past few years, Walker said hes been building a lot more 6- to 8-inch deep shelving, compared to the 12- to 16-inch deep he often previously built.

With the deeper shelves, things tend to get lost, he explained. The narrower shelves make it easier to find things.

Other popular pantry features include:

Motion sensors that turn on lights when the pantry door is opened. No more fumbling around in the dark for a light switch.

Library ladders that run along rails to reach items on upper shelves more easily. One drawback, however, is that these ladders take up floor space.

Movable shelving units that, like in a murder mystery movie, can be opened to reveal, say, a panic room or a safe for valuables.

Wild designs. Like the powder room, a kitchen pantry is small enough to give you the freedom to wow both yourself and guests you invite in. Make a splash with colorfully designed wallpaper or a bright, vivid paint job. If thats too much, at least paint it the same as, or a complementary color to, the kitchen.

On ExpressNews.com: 5 tips for a beautiful, organized pantry

Richard A. Marini is a features writer in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | rmarini@express-news.net | Twitter: @RichardMarini

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High-end pantries are now a second kitchen with extra appliances, work stations, gift wrapping areas and more - San Antonio Express-News

The late interior designer Mario Buatta's personal collection will be offered at Sotheby's in January. Courtesy of Sotheby's; Getty Images

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More than 1,000 items from the personal collection of the late New York interior designer Mario Buatta, who was known for bringing English countryside style to Manhattan homes, will be offered at Sothebys in January 2020.

A selection of furniture, fine art, and decorative objects from Buattas former apartment on Manhattans Upper East Side, as well as another one of his homes, the William Mason House, a historic gothic-style house in Thompson, Conn., will be sold from Jan. 23 to 24, with estimates ranging from $500 to $50,000.

Many pieces have long been exhibited in showhouse rooms and shelter magazines over the years, according to Sothebys.

Born on Staten Island, New York, Buatta attended Cooper Union and the Parsons School of Design, both in Manhattan. He opened his own interior design firm in 1963 at age 28 and was reputed to reinvent the English Country House style for high-profile clients such as Henry Ford II, Barbara Walters, Malcolm Forbes, and Patricia Altschul, among others, Sothebys said.

In 1985, Buatta was tapped to decorate Blair House, the official White House guest residence. In 2001, he decorated pop singer Mariah Careys Manhattan triplex in gold, peach, and silver tones, along with flashes of crystal. The project was featured in Architectural Digest in 2001.

Buatta died in 2018 at age 82 in New York.

The auction will be timed during the Winter Show, formerly known as the Winter Antiques Show, which Buatta chaired for many years.

His personal collection includes English and Chinese export porcelain; English pottery and Dutch Delft; English enamels, silver, and glassware; English and Continental furniture, as well as an ensemble of fine art, featuring his well-known collection of dog paintings.

Highlights will be open to public view beginning Jan. 16 in Sotheby's galleries in New York.

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Sothebys to Offer the Personal Collection of Interior Designer Mario Buatta - Barron's

Determined to find a new job in 2020? If you're eager to take your career to the next level, why not start your employment hunt with our latest round-up of Employer of the Day feature firms.

MAD Architects is currently hiring a Business Development / Marketing Coordinator for their growing Los Angeles office. Responsibilities of the role will include: research, outreach to potential projects and clients, preparation of BD and Marketing collateral, etc. The ideal candidate should be extremely professional, possess strong communication skills and be familiar with architecture and development trends in the U.S. and Canada.

Landscape architecture firm Coen + Partners currently has multiple listings in their Minneapolis headquarters. They're seeking an experienced Design Director who will collaborate with Principals and Project Managers to lead design visioning across multiple projects throughout the office, and be actively engaged in business development and growth and mentorship of staff.

They're hiring Senior Project Designers and Project Managers who will be the lead on individual projects across multiple scales and project types. Ideal candidates will be rigorous, organized managers of the process, collaborative team members, and technically sound Landscape Architects.

Last but not least, the firm is seeking Project Designers (2-7 years experience).Under the supervision of Project Managers, they will develop projects from Concept through Construction Documentation and will be actively engaged in Construction Administration.

Focusing on high-end residential, commercial and Institutional projects, Atelier New York Architecture is hiring an Architectural Designerwith 2 years experience. Candidate is expected to be self-initiative when completing tasks and meeting deadlines, demonstrate teamwork and communication skills to work successfully with managers and supervise staff, developing problem-solving and creative abilities.

Pratt Institute is hiring a Project Managerto join their facilities department. Responsibilities include the coordination and completion of construction projects on time within budget and within scope; oversee all aspects of in-house and design consultant construction projects; set deadlines, assign responsibilities and monitor progress of projects and prepare reports for distribution to supervisor regarding project status. Deadline to apply is January 31.

Safdie Architects, Moshe Safdie's global practice, is seeking a Junior Interior Designer with excellent communication and organizational skills, and the ability to multi-task within a fast-paced environment. Candidates must be highly motivated, have the ability to work effectively in a collaborative team environment, and possess a willingness to assume both project-wide and office-related responsibilities.

Studio Link-Arc is hiring a Project Manager (7-10 years experience) for their New York office. ideal candidate will have 5-10 years of substantial work experience in leading architecture offices; Practical experience on cultural and educational projects, among other qualifications. Applicants with experience at avant-garde design studios and experience working in Asia/China are a plus.

They're also seeking a motivated and talented Job Captain. Candidates will have 5-8 years of professional experience in leading design offices through all phases of design and construction.

The University of Toronto's John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design is currently accepting applications for an Assistant Professor in Building Science through February 13, 2020.The right candidate will have a research agenda in any area of building science, including but not limited to structures; building envelopes; environmental systems; material analysis; passive building; building and urban metabolism; and building, cities, and health.

Yazdani Studio of CannonDesign has an opportunity for an Architectural Designer in Los Angeles. Qualified candidates must show excellent design sensibility and visualization skills, and have 0-5 years of professional experience.

Known for their swanky private clubs and restaurants catering to those in creative industries, Soho House & Co has multiple current opportunities in LA and NY. From junior project architects to senior interior designers, check out all their active listings here.

If you don't already, keep track ofEmployer of the DayonFacebook,Twitter,Pinterest, or theArchinect Jobs Instagram.

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New year, new job! Check out the latest opportunities from MAD, Safdie Architects, coen+partners, Studio Link-Arc, Pratt Institute, and more -...

South Korean designer Teo Yang has created a set of sculptural birdbaths inspired by the philosophies of traditional Korean garden design.

Developed in collaboration with Mallorcan tile manufacturer Huguet, the three objects each comprise a cuboid-shaped pedestal made from white and peach terrazzo tiles.

The surfaces are punctured by circular openings that reveal a ribbed terracotta pipe for transporting water to the upper basin.

Two of the designs feature spouts that allow water to overflow and trickle along external channels to reach the ground.

The main source of inspiration for the Three Isles birdbaths is the symbolism found in Korean garden design, where the number three is commonly used as the basis for the landscape design.

"It is fascinating to see how often things in Korean gardens come in a set of threes," Yang pointed out. "Three islands in ponds, three trees on each island, and three rocks on islands."

In addition to the symbolic importance of triplets in Korean culture, Yang's design is informed by the history and functional requirements of birdbaths.

"Three islands are created based on the utopian ideology, and also function as a resting ground for birds and other small creatures," said the designer.

"Thus, we hope to deliver the idea of coexistence between nature and humans by building three modern architectural islands for birds to rest," he added.

Yang's Seoul-based interior design studio created the Three Isles birdbaths for Wallpaper magazine's annual Handmade project, which pairs emerging and established designers with premium manufacturers.

The theme for this year's Handmade project was Love, which made the designer think of lovebirds.

His birdbaths also aim to evoke the attributes of generosity, forgiveness and kindness that are essential in a loving relationship.

Yang had never worked with terrazzo or terracotta before, but he was able to use the materials to create playful and original forms that evoke both Mediterranean and Asian influences.

Robin Grasby also utilised terrazzo in a collection of tables made from a self-developed material called Altrock, which comprises marbleoffcuts suspended in resin.

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Teo Yang Studio creates architectural birdbaths from terrazzo and terracotta - Dezeen