Today is The Day to Be Inspired

Inspire.

When you say it slowly, it really is a funny sounding little word.

But this little word describes something huge.

It's that feeling you get when you see something beautiful and all you want to do is just bask in the beauty and be still. It's the way someone's words can lift you off the ground when you've fallen so deep. It's the sound of single music notes all played together to create a masterpiece. It's someone else's life that is lived in such way that calls you to some sort of action or mission. It can be as simple as a summer rainstorm or as complex as the La Sagrada Familia Gaudi Cathedral in Barcelona.

Inspire isn't just a little word for from it comes greatness.

Today, I want to fill you with inspiring things. What you do with it is up to you.

Amazing tile detail with a sense of humor

Beautiful jewelry by Cathy Waterman

Who knew desserts could be so inspiring?

Color combinations that make me happy

What woman isn't inspired by her clothes?

Awesome furniture placement and use of color makes me want to spend time in this room

One of the most amazing and intricate cathedrals in the world. I could sit on a bench outside this place for hours and still not catch every detail.

Words that inspire

Amazing Grace Lyrics

John Newton (1725-1807)
Stanza 6 anon.

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

T'was Grace that taught my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear
The hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come;
'Tis Grace that brought me safe thus far
and Grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me.
His word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.

When we've been here ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun.
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we've first begun.

Beautiful and calming design

This piece gives me chills

Bach's Cello Suite No 1

Fun and unexpected design

The late Great Alexander McQueen, I wonder what inspired him to create these?

Natural inspiration

This inspires me to organize my office at home!

Unique architecture that just doesn't seem real

A simple daisy

Breaking the rules with a white floor.

The Cinque Terra coast with bright colorful buildings

I am always inspired my Anthroplogie display windows

As Interior Designers we are also artist and our inspiration comes from all different places. I think everyone is an artist in some way, whether it's the way we dress, the way we cook or even just the way that we fix our hair in the morning. These are all ways that we express who we are. So, what inspires you the most? What do you do with your inspiration?

~Jessica

Splash Trend - Suzanis everywhere!

Here is one of my favorite trends right now, suzanis!

What is a suzani you may ask.

According to wikipedia:

a Suzani is an antique and decorative tribal textile made in Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and other Central Asia countries. Its name is from the Persian سوزن Suzan which means needle. Art of making such textiles in Iran is called سوزنکاری Suzankāri (needlework).

Suzanis can be used for many different decor items in your home based on how bold you are or how brave you are to follow a trend.

The first step for those who like to be a little trendy but not overboard would be just simply adding some fun pillows to your room. Suzani pillows are a great way add a little color here and there.

The next step if you are a little braver would be to throw one over the back of a sofa for a bold statement that will take that boring old couch from bland to brilliant.

You can also hang one on the wall or use one as a table cloth.

Try adding one as a bed cover to spice up your bedroom decor.

And then if you are are really bold try my favorite, suzani as upholstery!

The good news is that even though suzanis are a trend right now they have been around for centuries so they won't be disappearing anytime soon.

For a suzani throw you can expect to pay between $250-$800 depending on the age and size. For suzani pillows you can expect to pay $50-$300 depending on size and how nice the embroidery is or if it's just a suzani print. For suzani upholstery items you can expect to pay around $600 - $4,000 depending on size of item (chair, settee or sofa).

You can find Suzanis online on ebay but it's better to actually see it in person before purchasing. Another Time and Place on Henderson in Dallas, TX carries lots of different suzanis. Also check out Material Recovery on etsy for some really cool pillows, lamp shades and upholstery.

How would you use a Suzani?

~Jessica

DIY Friday - Statement Boards

We all want a lot of bang for our buck. If you're like me, your always open to a little hands on project if it will save you some money. That's exactly what we have for you today. Statement Boards!

Statement boards are a great way to cover a large space with something that will really stand out. It's also a lot less expensive than trying to cover the wall in art.

Here is a step by step:

1. Measure your space and draw a plan. You can even tape up pieces of paper in the sizes that you are going to make so that you can play with the layout and size and make sure it is going to look good.

2. Use 1x2's cut at a 45 deg. angle and attach one to the wall and one to the boards to attach the boards to the wall. You must attach them to the wall on the studs because the MDF is very heavy.

3. Pick out your material. You can use fabric, wallpaper or wallcovering. We used wallcovering.

4. Cut boards to the sizes that you measured in step one. We used MDF boards because they will not warp like plywood does.

5. Prime or seal your boards. We used primer. You must seal the MDF even if you do not it will cup or concave.

6. Cover the boards in your material. You can use a staple gun or glue, however we used wallpaper glue since we used vinyl covering as our cover. It is thick paper so some of the edges came up when we wrapped the board. If you want some of the boards to be magnetic like ours, you have to have sheet metal cut to the size and glued to the boards. It is not a simple process because the glue has to be able to adhere to the sheet metal and it stinks! Make sure to glue outdoors or hire a cabinet maker and have him make the boards, like we did! Because you have metal on one side the other side has to be sealed with a wood sealer or painted with primer.

6. Attach 1x2 pieces that are cut at the 45 to the back of each board. We added them at top and bottom so that we could rotate our boards like a puzzle and change the configuration.

7. Hang your boards and play with the arrangement to get the look you want!

8. Enjoy your creation!

I also wanted to post pictures of the concept boards that we received! Congratulations to Claire and Jessica for submitting your boards and being featured on Studio B Creative Juice!

Concept Board by Jessica Robertson with Counterscapes

Concept Boards by Claire Patrick

If you decide to make statement boards for your home or office, send us pictures. We would love to see them!

~Jessica

"What Were They Thinking Thursday" - Boring Offices

I'm sure we have all had those jobs. The ones where you are sitting in your grey colored cubicle, listening to the faint hum of the fluorescent lights, making animals in your head out of the 80's textured wallpaper and thinking how much longer do I have to be here only to be exasperated by the fact that it's been 2 minutes since you last glanced at the clock. Blah! It's enough to make anyone pull their hair out.

If we have to be at work, why can't we be in a visually and mentally stimulating place. This will actually help employees to work harder and more efficiently because they will be happier! I can speak from personal experience, yes the description above is an eye-witness account, that working in a space filled with bright colors, clean lines and art on the walls actually makes coming to work amazing, loving what I do helps too! But, even if I hated my job, I still wouldn't feel depressed and glum because of my environment.

Let's take a look at some really depressing spaces:

First rule, DE-CLUTTER! Just looking at this office makes me feel overwhelmed.

Second rule, UPDATE!

Third Rule, add some COLOR!

Fourth Rule, Look Professional! This is your place of business, it should look good and make a good first impression to your clients so they will feel good about doing business with you.

Now let's look at some great designs of work spaces. I would love to be in any of these work environments!

Don't be afraid to have some fun with your workspace!

Google Offices

This is a great example of how a little color goes a long way!

Or a lot of COLOR!

Your office should match your company's image. This is the Anthropologie corporate office and it looks like their stores.

Every office should provide snacks for their employees. Sometimes we just need a little sugar to keep going!

Don't be afraid to have a little fun in your office. Laughter and fun will actually help productivity and job satisfaction.

If you have the means, think about providing a gym for your employees. Encouraging health and fitness will also help to increase job productivity and satisfaction. The healthier we are the better equipped we are for our jobs.

Now that's a good looking office!

~Jessica