Tricia's Blog

Dreams of Traveling

Why have I been dreaming of traveling to exotic lands lately? Is it because I have been sick with my daughter and cooped up inside too much this winter? Is it the thought of Spring Break around the corner?  Is it celebrating St. Patrick’s Day in a pub with my kid like pubs were designed to be enjoyed?  I’m not sure, but last weekend I recorded dozens of travel shows on TV and have been watching them since.  The ideas of being back in Tuscany eating the best food in existence and looking at beautiful art pieces and architecture.  Kicking myself for not visiting Glasgow, Scotland when I was less than an hours drive. How I would do anything to be over there now and see the Charles Rennie Mackintosh art and tearooms.  I long for authentic and spontaneous Celtic music and the joy it brings even on a bad day.

                     

If I am ever caught in a daydream, it is usually about traveling.  Even if I could travel everywhere on my list, it would never satisfy me. Why not dream? Isn’t that where creativity stems from? Isn’t that where logic can go out the window and passion comes to life? In all of my design work, I allow myself to dream. I have to in order to feel what a well-designed space will be like when complete. I have to use all my senses so I can see the details and what the surroundings will be.  How do I imagine a kitchen I am working on? It may be full of people and fresh foods in the middle of a summer barbecue in session. Where friends and family are helping in the kitchen and others are in the living room telling stories.  It’s not just my dream; it is my clients’ dream that I have to feel.  I have to ask enough questions so that I can understand what their goals are, but more importantly what their dreams are. 

What is life without dreaming? What can give me more inspiration for a dream than a new environment and a foreign scene? I have found nothing so far.

~Tricia

2009 Job Market for Interior Designers

I was able to be a part of a wonderful event in Portland.   I was on the committee to plan the annual IIDA/ASID Student Career Day last Saturday. One of the highlights was bringing in an outside speaker Kenneth Roberts with Interior Talent Inc. who discussed skills and requirements for getting an interior design job in this market. 

Here are some of his discussion points that I found most useful:

Expected Job Growth for Interior Designers in 2009
1. Health care
2. Institutional (schools, prisons)
3. Civic/Government
4. International (China, Mexico, South America)

Top Positions Being Hired for Interior Designers in 2009
1. Project Manager
2. CAD and 3D Rendering In-house
3. BIM and Revit
4. Health care and Government

Top Skills Design Firms Look For
1. Project Management
2. Commercial Building Code Knowledge
3. Technology
4. Sales

Have the Internet work for you! 
Great websites that notify you when companies of your interest are hiring:
www.watchthatpage.com
www.googlealerts.com

Don't get discouraged.  No means "Just not right now".

Thanks for a wonderful event sponsors and committee members. I look forward to working on it next year!
~Tricia

New House?

My husband and I have been looking to move for the last 6 months. I know, I know the economy is horrible, but this might be the best time for us to afford a house we would normally not be able to get in to. We would stay in Portland and have found a couple of neighborhoods that we like, but a house we like? Not so lucky! So... we are thinking of the possibility of building.  I know what is involved with building, at least I think I do, and it seems quite daunting. But where else would we get exactly what we are looking for? 

Here is a Building Affordability Checklist from the book "Blueprint Affordable" by Michelle Kodis.

1. Simple Floor Plan - Keep your floor plan as simple and modest as possible.
   
2. Square Footage - Watch your floor plan's footprint.
   
3. Simple Detailing - Design your house to rely on straightforward element vs. those that are more complex.
   
4. Splurge Carefully - Splurge in limited applications
   
5. Materials - Learn to appreciate the inherent elegance of basic and don't be afraid to use materials in unexpected ways.
   
6. Recycle - Incorporate recycled items into your cost.
   
7. Stock Sizes - Opt for off the shelf sizes.
   
8. Go Local - Choose local available materials (such as woods) will lower shipping costs.
9. Finishing - If you can leave it exposed, do so.
   
10. Climates - Study your building site's climate and weather pattern and focus on a plan that shields the home from the elements.
    
11. Basement - If you can omit a basement, do so, you'll save thousands in excavation costs.
    
12. Long-term Planning - Choose materials for their durability and life-span.
    
13. Utilities - Create a floor plan that encourages natural ventilation and that is economical to heat.
    
14. Do it Yourself - If you can be your own contractor great, otherwise work closely with your contractor to make material decisions or save in labor.
    
15. Research - Research the materials and finishes you want. Knowledge is power!

View my current design project!

Keeping up on the web...

Do you know how geeky I was on a Saturday? I hung out at the house and signed up on Twitter and Linked In and listened to two webinars on creating a blog for interior designers.  I'm usually not like that, but I was having fun in my computer world.  I wasn't going to join Twitter because I thought I wouldn't have time to keep track of one more site during my busy day.  Guess what, I've found it is fun, and easy, and I think it will be a good way to learn about some interesting business people out there.  So, follow me to Twitter under the name tricialawyer. It's free and I'll like meeting you all. 

As for setting up a blog, well, I may be changing blog addresses in the near future. I listed to www.TheWordPressWizard.com by Cathy Perkins. I was dreading it, but so far she has some wonderful advice and some of it is against TypePad. 

I'd still love to hear from you all, so send me some comments. 
~Tricia

The New Year Brings a Parnership!

Happy 2009!

How are you all feeling? I am refreshed from about 3 weeks of break.  Who knew Portland would be bombarded with snow, snow, snow? It forced the whole city to take a break. I didn't think I needed one, until I had it.  I may have been doing little design work, but I had been doing a LOT of thinking.  I have some  New Year's resolutions and hey, I've been sticking to them.

One very exciting event that has occurred this  New Year is a business partnership.  Innovative Design Group has partnered with two other residential design firms in Portland to create a one stop shop for design-build.  Yes, we truly are the whole gamut. Design through Building. 

This is what we now offer:

• Extensive interior space planning and consultation for you or the builder

• Entire permit set drawings for new or remodels that will pass city requirements
• Detail written budgets and scheduling with you and your builder
• Kitchen and Bath space reconfiguration and material design with kitchen bath certified designers
• Furniture, lighting, and architectural material selection
• Purchase of furniture, lighting and architectural materials with more discounts and choices
• Window treatment custom designs and installation
• Extended choices and price points of art and accessories, including insulation
• Indoor plant specifications and maintenance personal
• Much, much more!

I look forward to providing you with more exiting business news in future 2009 blogs!
~Tricia

Christmas Time

I can't believe I haven't written a blog in about a month! I feel horrible. I have been busy like everyone else and now sick like everyone else. I've thrown 2 really big parties within the time and have been enjoying this slow work period with an excuse to be with my 2 year old. 

The best things I've done this holiday season so far are:

• Visit Peacock Lane
• Go through PIR Lights
• See the Zoo Lights
• Thrown a cocktail party
• Played in the snow in my own yard
• Christmas shopped on-line and at the Dollar Tree
• Gone to the Children's Museum
• Prepare for a New Year's Sunriver trip
• Eat a lot of chocolate
• Relax by the fireplace every night
• See a lot of my family

I know none of this is design related, but this is a renewal time for me.  Once Spring hits, I'll be going gonzo with work and design will be my only focus.  I promise to write next week but in the mean time cheers to all!
~Tricia

When is a Product Green?

I'm sure you have had an ear full of "Green" Design.  I want to briefly highlight the fact that it is not easy to pinpoint a green product and green design is quite complex.  There are several agencies that do the work of identifying green products. I'll list those agencies on the side of my blog for your use.    Here are some important determinate:

• What are you, your family or your clients health issues? What products with give off little or no chemical off gassing to disrupt the health? These are products that will be important for you.
  
• What is the life cycle of the product? This is determined by: raw material extractions, local social impacts, manufacturing tolls, transportation distances, installation methods, questions of durability and clean ability and end-of-life recyclabitlity.  

American Society of Interior Designers and the U.S. Green Building Council has an excellent guide for residential green design, called REGREEN.  Not only does this give a 100+ page of guidelines free off the internet, it also provides check sheets for evaluating green products.

Being consious of Green deign is the first step, living a Green life is the second. Take the time to figure out your Green goals, and use the available resources to help you reach them.
~Tricia

Interior Design Statewide Legislation

What is statewide legislation for interior design? 

In Oregon it is organized by the Interior Design Collaboration of Oregon.  The IDC has the sole mission of protecting the public's health, safety and welfare by working to enact meaningful interior design regulations.

An independent, non-profit coalition ventures to speak as the single legislative voice of the interior design profession regardless of the individual's business association or professional affiliation, as the profession becomes recognized as an essential component of the built environment design team.

Working to establish state-wide criteria for the level of competency interior design professionals must possess, including education, experience and examination, IDC continues to raise consumer awareness of interior design responsibilities while safeguarding the public.

Click on this to see which states currently enforce s licensing.

2008 Remodelers Home Tour

I was able to go on the Remodelers Home Tour this weekend that was put on by Oregon Remodelers Association.  I was pleasantly surprised.  It will be hard pressed for me to go back to the Street of Dreams, but I really enjoyed this show and will go back for more. The builders, architects, and even some homeowners were around to guide you through the home and talk about the remodel candidly. There were so few number of people touring the homes that often times it was a private tour and I had a long conversation with the people involved.  The home that stood out from the rest as being uncommon and full of imagination was the whole house remodel off of Council Crest constructed by Petrina Construction, Inc.  As a designer, it was so wonderful to see creativity and sustainably come together in a house built for function for an active family.  This house will be featured in Metropolitan Home next month.  Some of the the furnishings may not have been suitable for me, but you can't deny that this family has a lot of fun living in the home. How refreshing to see! All homes were of high quality and represented the Portland metropolitan area well.  Thank you ORA for a great tour!