All Around the World

France
I believe a lot of the french decorating styles are similar to any european style. I know each country has a different or special element, but I believe a lot of them incorporate nicely together. Whenever I see french designs I think straight edge and clean. Sometimes I also see a lot of formal elements in their style. Lots of floral prints and heavy drapery. I love French decorating. I feel they take a more artistic approach to the word decorating. Maybe this has something to do with the fashion capital of the world?
http://www.houseandgarden.com/renovate/directory/interior/jacquesgrange
Architectual Digest September 2007

England
The overall style of English homes I feel is very cozy. Whenever I look at english decorating I think of a cottage or house nestled in a back field with wildflowers. I feel many of the influences are country oriented. Many of the homes have beautiful, vibrant gardens. This is also another quality of english work; the plant life. Looking at anything in the english colonies you will notice a lot of green and ponds, lakes etc. Another production of the english is also the flower prints. They are everywhere from inside their homes and on their town corners.
The English Home August 2007

Sustaniable Design

I love this structure. I think everything about this idea is beautiful. Not only doe it add character to an environment, but it helps out the atmosphere as well. Everything from the carbon dioxide levels to color make this project a sustainable element.
Featured in The Green Guide to NeoCon 2007.
http://www.greenscreen.com/home.html



This product is made out of entirely recycled materials. The materials include plastic rubber and other random pieces. This is such a great production because not only is it helping the environment, but it looks extremely attractive to others. This is a very sustainable design and I take much pride in its work.
Featured in The Green Guide to NeoCon 2007.
http://www.ecostar.carlisle.com/home.html


This company specializes in making homes more defensible to moisture. Along with moisture comes mold and other types of bacteria. This production helps make the residency more homey and overall a healthier lifestyle for everyone.
Advertised in Green Source July 2007
Featured in The Green Guide to NeoCon 2007.
http://www.mortarnet.com/mntech.htm


This linoleum is quite special. Not only is it durable and easy to maintain, but made from naturally renewable sources. This helps not only the environment, but us. The pieces are easy to put in yourself and will save time and money. This is a very sustainable source of material to use on future projects.
Featured in The Green Guide to NeoCon 2007.
http://www.johnsonite.com/en/flooringSystems


This feature is one I thought very interesting. It allows for flooring made out of the bark of cork oak trees. With this production no trees are ever cut down with the intention of making this flooring, but they are the left overs from other productions. They are also considered sound proof making your apartment living much better for the homes below you.
Featured in Environmental Design and Construction April 2007.
http://www.acousticorkusa.com/index.2.jpg


Based in Pennsylvania, Roof gardens are becoming more and more popular. They not only create a beautiful roof display, but they also very affordable. They are far less then the costs of "normal" gardens and they also help improve the earth's atmosphere. Creating an easier breathing environment for everyone and a greener place to live.
Featured in Environmental Design and Construction April 2007.
http://www.carlisle-syntec.com/
http://www.theurbanbrain.com/denver/wp-content/uploads/2007/01/greenroofs1.jpg


The InterfaceFlor Commercial I read about was very intriguing. It told the viewer in the advertisement about the brand and the qualities of it. This company uses both nylon and PLA a renewable corn based fiber that helps conserve the products of the earth. I think it is a very sustainable idea and will hopefully be used for years to come.
Appeared in Environmental Design and Construction February 2007.
http://www.interfaceflor.com/default.aspx


The DuPont company located in the outskirts of my hometown, in Wilmington, Delaware has also added a sustainable resource. They have decided to produce solid surface materials that cater to food elements. This new type of material is also fire rated, making it safer to in homes. This is a great addition to sustainable design in homes.
Appeared in Environmental Design and Construction February 2007.
http://www.corain.com/

Light Shelf products have also been made to keep energy saved. This product was made with the intention of cutting down not only energy, the the cost of it too. The shelf was designed to allow light to continue and come into the room while something is placed on it. It also allows viewers from the outside to look in a wonder what the object is that is on the shelf. This is very friendly for an office space, but also a home or other type of facility.
Appeared in Environmental Design and Construction February 2007.
http://www.vistawall.com/

Fluorescent light fixtures are another element that has been improved and now they are suitable for offices and interiors. This new product has the lighting balanced and fixed. I think this is a good step for the environment because it makes us more cautious of the energy that we use everyday on minute projects. It will helpfully become more popular allowing the environment to be friendlier by the day.
Appeared in Environmental Design and Construction February 2007.
http://www.lightolier.com/home/home-swf.jsp


Safecoat is a type of paint that is proven to be sustainable. The paint is named Scientific Certification Systems Indoor Advantage Gold Certified. It is not Toxic and the chemicals have low VOC's. This paint is just a small change that can be made to make your design more environmentally friendly.
Found in Environmental Design and Construction February 2007

Leaf Drawing

Designers

Elizabeth Balish's firm is located in Washington DC. She is made famous through her designs for Jackie Onasis. Her designs differ from European chic to modern-esque. She does everything from sculptures to designing rooms. She makes any room a new idea, project instead of the same type of style she differs from client to client which is a hard quality to find.
http://www.elizabethbalish.com/index.htm

Carri Lynn is a designer based out of Raleigh, North Carolina. She specializes in english and french country. Her mission is to make every room lovely. I believe she has tried to the best of her potential to make this statement true. her work looks very personal and practical. Her designs are appreciated because they cater to the clients needs through floral and other european countrh flairs.
http://www.carrilynndesign.com/

Edward Lobrano has some of the most distinctive designs I have ever seen. He is based out of New York City, New York. His designs demand attention from all viewers. He has a certain sophistication to his work with bold colors and patterns that intrigue lots of clients to pay for his services. I can imagine he is an expensive designer judging off the appearance of quality put into the rooms he has created.
http://www.edwardlobrano.com/


David Netto is a designer that is based out of New York City. He has worked on everything from restaurants to domestic work. He has been noted in several big name magazines for his designs. His style is very contemporary and modern looking. His designs for New York City apartments are very appropriate and I can imagine that a lot of clients are pleased with his work.
http://www.davidnettodesign.com/content.php?mode=company


Lisa Davenport is a designer that is located in Glastonbury, CT. Her designs have won her several awards, which seem to add class and prestige to many homes in her area. By looking at her work she appears to be a very big fan of wallpaper. Personally I admire that she still uses it considering everyone is so against wallpaper in the most resent years. I am still a huge fan of it as my room was just newly wallpapered to emphasize a pattern that would take weeks to duplicate using paint. I think some of her work is busy looking, but for the most part fascinating to the eye.
http://www.homegalleryct.com/index.html


Located in Monroe, Connecticut, Barbara O'Brien has been designing everywhere from Charleston, S.C. to New York and eventually opening her own firm in 1991 with co worker, Amy Shannon. O'Brien's firm includes designs that appear to be from New England. They include simple patterns and colors that compliment the area and sophistication of the home. Some of her projects have little spunky accents throughout the room, which is quite surprising the the viewer.
http://www.barbaraobrieninteriors.com/Interiors_by_Barbara_OBrien/index.html


Vicki Richardson is known for receiving several awards in the state of Georgia for her designs. Looking at her work was somewhat disappointing. The more I saw, the more I was upset with. Her designs started off being very intricate and beautiful. The more I looked I saw the designs becoming out of date and boring. It seems as if she would have great ideas, but needs to bring all of them into the 21st century, or atleast update her website's portfolio.
http://www.vickirichardsoninteriors.com/index.htm


Annie Speck's firm is located in Laguna Beach, California. She specializes in both commercial and residential projects. Her style is fairly simple and somewhat plain. It reminds me very much of California living. The projects are mostly contemporary or modern but they also include bland traditional spaces. Her areas are very crisp and straight appearing.
http://www.anniespeck.com/index.html


Alexis Ulrich is an Interior Designer that is known for her extreme;y artistic ideas. She is known to base her ideas off of specific themes that the client asks for. Her firm is located in California, but known to fly extensively. She has taken design to a new level through drama and flair. I loved looking at her designs and would love to see them in person.
http://www.alexisulrichdesign.com/index.html


This designer's firm is located in Providence, Rhode Island. This is the head design of Taylor Interior Design. Her specialty is designing a space that can be functional for up to 20 years. Her firm's style is very New England oriented. It contains clean lines and lots of contrasting colors. She is very versatile between English country styles and some contemporary features.
http://www.taylorinteriordesign.com/index.html

Graphic/Media Design

I feel that this design is quite busy. the words are very legible and bold, but there are too many of them and they look quite cluttered. The colors are extremely loud and draw the reader in, but all of the writing gets the viewer lost and confused. The set up is very appropriate; with the number and location at the bottom. But, the rest of the add could be downsized a small amount.
http://www.furnituredealer.net/RRC/aac-s.jpg

This advertisement is very straight forward. It consists of a couple of simple words that describe this product. It allows the viewer to be intrigued by the colors and very readable font. The picture shows a great image of the product along with the company's name is very easy to find and all of the necessary information is listed on the site.
http://www.chadnmitchell.com/Images/Shaw_Furniture_Ad-tn.jpg

This advertisement I feel has a very good impact. Looking at it, it seems to jump out to the viewer. The patterns and colors makes the page appear to stick out which draws the reader in. The sections are also another intriguing part of this ad. I feel it is a little busy, but the message comes accross as clear and easily referenced.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/21/business/media/21adco.html

This advertisement I feel is poorly designed. It is too wordy and there are too many sections where words are placed. These words seem to be placed more for ornamental purposes then for advertisement. I think the color is bland and does not seem intriguing to the viewer. This also makes the viewer bored and wanting to flip the page to another product.
http://www.rwglicensing.com/images/Brands/WV/ad1.jpg

This advertisement was clever, but a little difficult to understand. I took from this site that the ad was supposed to represent the leather on the furniture is as real as the skin from the place they are from. It probably would have been easier to interpret if there was a small saying or blurb about the leather or animals of the safari. I think the point is humorous, but the message could be clearer. the logo is well placed, it is shown, but not overly emphasized.
http://www.adblogarabia.com/?m=200609

This design was great. the message was clear and humorous. I feel the set up was also very captivating. The picture was large and easily associated with. The product and saying was listed below the photo allowing the viewer to be easily intrigued. The flow was very well planned and probably helped sell the product.
http://www.adblogarabia.com/?m=200609

I really enjoy looking at this graphic everytime I see it. It shows not only great contrast in color, but it promotes the perfume through a seductive manner. The apples look detailed enough to grab and eat. The model looks very natural showing that natural beauty is what makes a girl beautiful and worth special things. The logo is simple and the saying is easily read and understood.
http://web.mac.com/adcrit/iWeb/adcrit/DKNY_files/bedelicious_02.png

This design is for Coca-Cola products. It shows that no other product can compare with the one shown here. Other products are not worth the price that you pay and they do not hold up to the same name as Coca-Cola. This graphic shows a great image and displays a popular product through making the viewer crave thirst and it's bubbly taste, refreshing taste.
http://free.ed.gov/resource.cfm?resource_id=166


This advertisement was very confusing. I got that it was talking about a feminine product through the color pink. I did not get the quote that was made. Or the picture demonstrated. I like the colors and how they incorporated with each other, but the saying needs to be altered. I believe it may be speaking about faking drunken actions? And how it is better to do that then have a fake product.
http://www.wineoffensive.com/images/tabfuel.jpg


This graphic design is an advertisement for graphic designs. To me I was very confused about this ad. I felt as if I had to look a couple times and then read about this ad before I could determine what it was for. I do not think an ad should be like this, it makes the viewer confused and looking over the page several of times.
http://www.benschilling.com/images/header.jpg

Products/Artifacts

This piece looks like a mirror instead of a picture frame. I feel it has a very intense purpose. It reminds me of the mirror from Snow White, where the witch sees her reflection and speaks to it. The portrait at the top reminds me of a lapel pin or a necklace.

This piece was an ornamentation taken from a piece of furniture. It shows lace and a formal collar on the model, which leads me to believe that the person who this was made for had money to spend. The piece is very victorian. I have to say my favorite part is the circular shape. It appears to look like a coin which I also love because I feel it looks like a piece of currency which is a big part of American and every other country's culture.

This piece was made to give regard to the angel Gabriel. I really enjoyed this piece. It reminded me of a Christmas ornament that we have at home. I feel that the feeling I get about this piece isn't way off of the actual meaning. The piece was carved in 1860, appearing to be in stone, which makes me believe it would be a lot older than it is.

This piece of artifact scares me. It makes me feel violated and frightened. It reminds me of a servant of the devil. It was uncovered from Bethlehem, Pa which I think is interesting. I would assume it was somewhere in Europe considering the time period and style it includes. Apparently it was used to ward off evil spirits, but I think it would enhance their presence.

This piece is titled the Lady with the Urn. It is a neoclassical version of a greek goddess pouring water. It once decorated a stately Scottish home. The piece reminds me of a bible scene with a woman going to a well to answer the lord's request. It makes me feel appreciative that such great sculpting exsists today and has for many years.

This piece shows a typical 19th century American farm scene. It demonstrates the life of a farmer. I could see this piece displayed in a farmhouse or another type of rural environment. The colors are a little bland, but I think they are displayed in a manner that would not look right any other way.

This piece has a lot of symbolism with it. It shows the angels delivering the cross to Jesus. The star at the top is supposed to be the holy spirit. The piece is another Victorian inspired piece. It shows much relevance to everyday and historical religion. I think it is very detailed and intriguing allowing viewers from all over to appreaciate not only the artwork, but story behind it.

This piece is very moving. It makes me feel powerful and inspired. I think that it demonstrates the style of the Reniassance era. It says that the lion has been known to be placed in entrance ways as guardians od the room. They are also said to be associated with loaylty and strength.

This cupid is considered an artifact. It was inspired by a Victorian furniture detail. It promotes the details of an early 20th century design. I think it is very formal and promotes a sense of peace and comfort that a guardian angel is looking out for everyone. The only complaint I have about this piece is where would you put it?
Taken from:http://www.historicimpressions.com/Victorian.htm

This chair was developed in India. I have to say it does not seem like much of a surprise. It has mostly a Mid eastern style to the seating. It is very detailed and the cuttings in the chair show that great time and effort went into this piece. I feel it would look beautiful in a formal dining room or even a foyer of a home.
http://www.alibaba.com/catalog/11760878/White_Metal_Furniture.html

Interior Environments

This piece was appropriately titled formal bathroom. I was in love with the rich reds in this space. I am a huge fan of stripes and this room really added a great level of contrast and prestige. The chandelier and other lighting fixtures also help add to the formal feel. The armoire is a rather large part of this picture, which makes me feel like it over powers the room, but I can not see the whole space to throughly judge that. I love the contrast between the red and white and gray slate flooring.

This foyer is very "themed." It shows complete spanish influence in every aspect. I have to say I enjoy looking at the different types of styles and this piece is no different. The moldings alone in this room show the detailed architecture of the spanish culture. I feel like this piece would not fit in with any type of house. It caters to spanish inspired homes and spaces. I also feel that it would not fit in a small sized home. The banister is one thing I would change about this space. I think the wood is too heavy and an iron staircase would look more presentable.

This space is very customized. I think the windows are very appealing and add not only light, but color and detail into the room. The beams, trim and furniture are all made of dark wood making this space very warm and inviting. I want to run on the curved comfy sofa and cuddle up with some hot chocolate on a cold winter night.The room appears to be very clean and organized.
Compliments of: http://www.collaboratedesign.com/


I really enjoyed critiquing this room. It looks very crisp and clean. It is very kid oriented and demonstrates a very organized space. The color work very well together, the sage, navy and brick all work well and the red makes the space pop. The idea is cute and simple. I really liked the font on the ceiling as well.

This space is very kid friendly. Personally it is not my style and I would change a lot of things about it. The painting is cute and colorful, but I feel the beds do not match this same kid friendly theme. I think the benches are a neat idea, they add the locker room aspect to the room. I think the baseball bat wood should have been incorporated in the room in someway. It would have added a more natural feeling.

This kitchen is very color complimentary. It includes very European inspired barstools which help to add to the Italian style kitchen. I feel this space is very well used considering how small it is. The working triangle is very accessible which is another bonus. This space has both attractive lighting and a ceiling fan. I think this space is used to the fullest of its potential. The only thing I would add is possibly a rug infront of the sink and the bar, there may be one there already, but you can not see in this picture.

This space is a lot different style then many of the other pictures I have critiqued. The colors compliment each other very well. The black wood in the room helps pronounce the colors in a more dramatic way. I enjoy the earth tones, but I know most people do not feel the same way. I think the carpet needs to be altered, but that is just one small addition I would alter to make the room more visually pleasing.

These photos were taken from: http://www.andiinteriors.com/


This picture is very pleasing the eye. It reminds me of the Breaker's mansion located in Newport, Rhode Island. The windows are opened to a beautiful patio outside almost every room. The ceiling is very detailed and colorful. It brings life to the room through the tiles and patterns located on them. The fireplace is also very beautiful, it looks as if it is made of a stone or marble material. I also really enjoy the painting above the mantle. It is complimented with two candle sticks that work very well in this space. Not only do I appreciate the painting, but the way it is just casually placed rather than hung on the mantle.

This picture shows a very high end living space. The ceiling alone appears to be either some type of marbleized painting technique or actual marble. The curtains are very simple which is actual quite stunning in this very intricate space. I am surprised at myself for enjoying the paintings in this space, they are somewhat modern and normally I would not agree they look appropriate, but I feel they work very well in this space. I also love the sofa, the entire structure of the piece of furniture is very simple, but yet appropriate.

This space is quite beautiful in my eyes. It demonstrates not only elegance, but it is sophisticated at the same time. The beams above are a dark wood contrasting with the pale walls and the sponged paint technique looks very artistic and European. The furniture is very formal implying that type of space. The chandelier alone is appears to be very high class and intricate.
Contracted from http://www.dezignare.com/newsletter/ceilings.html