Cheat Sheets for Designers

When you go to design school you spend countless hours learning correct drafting techniques and perspective drawing. You are told that everything should be drawn exactly to specification on drafting velum using a laborious process of measuring to the nearest inch with an architects scale and plotting furniture exactly on your original drawing. I can't tell you how many hours and weekends I spent at the drafting table!!!!

When I got out into the real world of design one of the first revelations I had was that there was no way in hell that this method was going to work for me. I needed a streamlined process to quickly turn out sketches and floor plans for my clients. No client was going to pay me to spend 12 hours drafting a perfect floor plan.

I found a small magnetic furniture layout for sale in th back of a design magazine and it changed my life. I could use the little "to-scale" pieces to quickly determine what the furniture placement should be on existing plans and I could quickly trace the pieces onto a floor plan to be rendered in by hand.

These systems have come a long way since the old days ( I still use my old one! ) . They now offer multiple scales, perspective layouts, and exterior templates, among others.

The first system is The Board. It is a magnetic system that uses an underlaying board on which you can arrange your room or elevation. You can lay your floor plan on top of the board and use the individual elements right on the plan.



This system has hundreds of pieces in all different shapes and sizes. The only thing I don't like about this one is the images are somewhat overdrawn and they are a bit distracting. However the system makes up for it by it's sheer size and variety of shapes.



The Board offers 1/4 layout scale for floor plan development and space planning as well as elevations of many of the pieces.

They offer many supplements including kitchen & bath.


The second system is the EZ Decorator. It is a vinyl overlayment system which allows you to overlap peices on top of each other to create intricate floor plans and perspective drawings.


You can create your layout , photocopy it and then use the copy for presentation or use it as a guide to produce a hand drawn rendering.


If you do a lot of window treatments there is Mastervisions, by Sally Tucker. It is a vinyl overlay system exclusively for windows.

They have a new supplement for pillows and also offer a cd version.


These are great tools to speed up the design process but I don't feel that they will replace hand drawn plans by designers. I am a staunch proponent for hand rendering and I believe that these systems should be used as a tool to facilitate faster rendering techniques. For the homeowner or DIY'er they are a great assistant when planning your furniture placement and helping you avoid making costly mistakes.

Both systems come in many configurations, none of which are particularly cheap. The basic systems may be worth the expense if they can save time and help you avoid making costly mistakes.

What Would Jackie Do?

A loyal reader wrote me and suggested that I include a regular feature in my blog that would address readers design problems or questions. Sounded like a good idea so I’m putting out a call for entries.

If you have a very specific design challenge please drop me a line at
jackie_vontobel at msn.com. Include all pertinent measurements, attach photos or drawings of the space, and a detailed description of what you would like to achieve and I will give you some suggestions and show sketches of your room. Be sure to include your email address so I can ask questions if necessary.

Suggested Topics

Window Treatments

Bedding

Slipcovers

Accessories

Custom Cabinetry

Kitchen Design

General Space Planning

Many Thanks - No Dry Rot

Well my friends , I'm back and I'm semi-coherent, minus four wisdom teeth. I have had a few surgeries in my day and have given birth to three children au natural but this was by far the most painful experience of my life. I am still feeling the lingering effects which include a swollen face and killer sinus headaches. Not to mention I am still unable to really chew anything. But I feel like I am over the worst of it.

I'd like to thank all of you for your kind thoughts and encouragement while I was under the weather. You'll all be happy to know that I did not get "dry rot". Although a few of you scared the hell out of me with your descriptions of it's symptoms. As far as I know I've had no complications thank goodness and as soon as the gaping holes in my mouth heal up I should be good as new.

Here are a few special thank yous courtesy of some of the creative geniuses at Etsy for all my wonderful well wishers. You're kind words we're very much appreciated.



Latin Love

Literal Interpretation


Pretty French



Botanical



Sparkly

Vintage


Preppy



Perky



Whimsical



Jungle Love



Brutally Honest

I'm Out of Commission

Just a quick hello my friends - I unexpectedly found myself having all four of my wisdom teeth pulled out on Friday and I will be out of commission for a while. Not having much fun!!! This really sucks. I'll be back as soon as I am able. Keep up the good work while I'm gone.
This is how my head feels

Anyone now if these are still available?

Who's Gonna Get Your Vote on Domino??

I have thoroughly enjoyed the readers design competition that's been going on at Domino for the past few weeks. So many of the rooms that were submitted were very inspiring and original. I love the fact that the magazine featured so many of the rooms during the ongoing submittal process. Many times magazines hold design competitions and cherry pick the few submittals they deem worthy of publication never letting us see the range of what was actually sent in. Domino should be commended for putting it all out there. The good the bad and the sometimes ugly. It is so much fun to see the variety of entries and to see if you can pick the winner from the start.

My favorite room from day one has been Steven from Des Moines!! I adore this room. It is vibrant, creative, full of energy and shows a deeply personal side of the occupant. It is not a sterile attempt to "create" design. It is a room that seems to have been grown and cared for over time until it reached it's lovely maturity as we see it now. Every piece is interesting and well placed. The proportions are great and the colors are vibrant and invigorating. Great job Steven from Des Moines - I hope you win!!!

My pick for runner up is this lovely, feminine room by Catherine from Mill Valley. This gal is obviously chock full of talent as she hand painted and glazed all of the surfaces herself. Great Job! I love the tranquil feel of the space and the vibrant punch of energy she has thrown in with the careful placement of hot pink accessories. The eclectic and unexpected mix of period and mid century furnishings adds a modern flair to what otherwise would have been a pretty safe room. I also commend her for her savvy use of texture as a key element in the room.




Get on over to Domino and cast your votes. I can't wait to see who wins.

Helmut Newton - Philippe Starck & The Sahara Hotel

Diving into my November issue of Metropolitan Home I noticed that two of the featured residences in the magazine were proudly displaying copies of uber-photographer, Helmut Newton's gargantuan book, Sumo, published by Taschen. It is a larger than life volume of Newton's famous fashion and celebrity photography selected and edited by his wife. The book is so large that it requires it's own custom made stand to support it.


The stylish stand is designed by none other than super designer and over-achiever Philippe Starck. The volume is the grand daddy of all style books with a price tag big enough to match it's exuberant size. It originally sold in limited edition for $10,000.00!!! Rare copies go for around $15,0000.00 today, if you can find one on the market.



Above - a picture of Starck working on the design of the stand for the Tome.

Starcks designs can be seen all over the globe and are not restricted to interiors. He has designed cars, yachts, industrial goods, and even plastic silverware.


Recently he has signed a five year exclusive contact with SBE Entertainment Group, the restaurant, hotel and film empire currently being built by 31 year old investor Sam Nazarian. One of Starcks assignments for Nazarian is to rebuild The Sahara Hotel here in Las Vegas. Nazarian hopes to re-vamp the less than stylish Sahara into a mecca for the young and beautiful celebrities that frequent his other nightclubs such as Area and Hyde Lounge and restaurants, Abbey and Katsuya.

I can't wait to see what Starck is going to do with the property. I'm sure it will be super dramatic !!! I'm told by insiders that he is beyond eccentric and his vision is less than easily understood by those responsible for carrying it out. I will keep up with the gossip as the project progresses and share what I hear along the way. Should be a very interesting ride!

Many Thanks

I am happy to send my sincere thanks and a big hug to my good friend Joni at Cote de Texas. She has graciously included me in her top 10 influential blogs list. All I can say is - I'm not worthy - I'm not worthy !!!!!!

Another big thanks to The Decorating Diva for including Jackie Blue Home in her Best of the Web list.

Life is Chaos & The World's Most Expensive Dogs

I've been neglectful in posting this last couple of weeks as my life has descended into total chaos. I did post a very long and, some who saw it said, amusing post earlier this week about my great husband and his job but he got nervous about it and I had to take it down. I'm sure you would have loved it had you been permitted to see it. You see it 's not just H&G that's censoring us but our own family members!!!!!. We can't get a break.

Anyway, this week I am doing some work on my house. They say the shoemakers children have no shoes - well, the designers house is always a total mess and is never ever finished. I cringe every time I find out someone is coming over. Most of my distressed has been caused by the family pets.

I never thought I would become a dog person. I thought dog people were weird and a bit psycho. I've always had dogs and cats but they we're just pets to me. They laid around, ate, took up space and we're basically a pain in the a$$ to arrange care for when I went out of town. Then two years ago, on a whim, I bought my husband a miniature dachshund. Her name is Peanut and I now refer to her as my husbands clandestine "doggie luuvvvver". Not in a literal sense of course - that would be weird - but the two are inseparable.


After we got Peanut we couldn't bear for her to be lonely so we got her a little friend - another mini-dachshund named Marty. They are both adorable little things only about 8 pounds each. We call them cat-dogs because they have a lot of cat-like qualities. They climb on things and sleep on top of the sofa back or around your neck and of course have to sleep in bed with us. (too much information ??)


So now we are officially "those people" who are crazy about their dogs and talk about them like they are children. No, I don't not dress them up in fancy outfits ( I tried but they won't keep them on ) I don't carry them around in a Louis Vuitton dog purse ( I tried that to but they barked constantly and tried to chew their way out), and I definitely don't take them to work with me ( I work at home now so they are with me 24 -7) .


Now here comes the expensive part. Just like bad little children those dam little dogs refuse to commit to housebreaking. They do not like the inconvenience of going outside to do their business but instead prefer the soft and luxurious carpeted areas of our home. They do not however, seem to enjoy dropping their load on the tile floors. Therefore, in order to rid my house of it's unpleasant dog poop aroma that even the strongest Glade candle could not quench, I am forced to go to great expense to put in wood floors throughout the house. I am hoping against hope that they will finally get the message and resolve to use the dog door. We did the downstairs this week and had to move everything into the entry and kitchen which are tiled. Talk about a disaster - I have way too much stuff. It looks like a furniture store after a bad San Francisco earthquake in here.



OMG look at the dust on top of those bookcases - for shame!!!!


All of this for a couple of over pampered dogs!!!!


In the midst of this flooring project I was getting ready to do a Home Decorating & Remodeling Show here in Vegas. I was hired to do some easy DIY window treatments for display and to give three seminars at the show. My display space was supposed to be 10' x 8' of floor space including three walls. When I got to the show on Wednesday to set up they had given me a 20' x 20' island space which meant I had to cover 3x's the space I had been told. So I have spent the last 3 days killing myself making new samples and setting up this booth. Not my idea of a good time!!! For anyone interested I will post some pictures of my samples in the next couple of days.

So today after working 12 hours at the Home Show I came home to my house which is in complete disarray. There is not an empty surface to be found or a chair in the right place to sit in. The home show ends on Sunday and then I can come home and try to put my place back together.


And by the way, one of the little rat bastards has already left me a nice fresh gift on my new wood floor!!!!!!

Mid Mod Love on 1st Dibbs

It's a good thing I am usually broke or I would spend hours putting together priceless rooms for my home on 1st dibbs. Every time I look at that sight it gets better and better.

Their online articles are full of inspirational visuals and good solid information. I learn something new every time I visit. I like the way their articles are written. They're down to earth, not full of old world antiquarian snobbery. They tell the facts as they are without looking down their nose at you. It makes me feel that even an unsophisticated slob like myself could become knowledgeable about vintage furnishings and style icons.

Following the advice posted by the Peak of Chic today I got my a$$ over there as fast as I could and proceeded to waste a few hours creating a fantasy room. Here are my picks for the day.

Are these Hollywood Regency chests not to die for? I luuuvvvv them! The latches are stellar and I like the detail at the base. I think I will use these as side tables for my fantasy sofa.


The genius of post war chic, Tommi Parzinger, created this fabulous set of dining chairs. He was such an amazing designer and was so ahead of his time. Imagine he was designing pieces like this in the 40's! What a trend setter.



I would slap some new snazzy lamps shades on these ceramic beauties and use them on my lacquered chests shown above. I think they will go together quite winningly.


This stunning Paul Laszlo console with cool brass fittings will go perfectly behind the sofa. Anyone have a large ceramic tang horse or giant piece of coral I can borrow for it? Perhaps a giant white whippet to sit beside it?


I'm in love with this credenza, also designed by the fabulous Tommi Parzinger. The man clearly knew what he was doing. This will go on the wall opposite the sofa and chests. I think a large mirror on mirror above it would be perfection. Perhaps some wall sconces.

These two James Mont beauties would get a drastic makeover. Perhaps turquoise lacquered frames with a bold print upholstery.


The masterpiece of the room is this Karl Springer lucite Greek key desk. Don't you love it? I know I do!


For the dining room a striking white lacquered credenza with fantastic drawer pulls.


Two Vladamir Kagan lucite club chairs to place in front of the desk. Too much lucite you say??? I say let's live dangerously!
Finally, a super cool brass stool in need of a total upholstery overhaul for the desk. Think zebra or possibly black faux mink.

Wouldn't it be great if you could do this for real. Just sit down at your computer and order up a great room online in it's entirety. Oh to live the life of the unbearably rich!!! I have to go now and finish choosing my fantasy wallpaper, flooring and accessories so I can sit back and relax in my fantasy room at the end of the day.