PURE / Clean Interiors Reaches Out

There comes a time when we need feedback.

I have been a blogger for years, and it never ceases to amaze me how many people kind of stalk bloggers and offer no comment or reaction to the blog.  Expanding readership is a huge goal, but knowing if your words are affecting others is even more important.

The initiative of PURE / Clean Interiors is not a sexy one.  It is full of cautionary information and downright factual stuff.  Not meant to shock or scare anyone, but educate and help people to make adjustments in how they furnish their interiors.  Dispelling old beliefs that all is well.  Challenging buying patterns of Americans to buy it cheap and replace it often.  Stretching our limits of understanding of how things are made and how things have come to be.

I want feedback from my readers and want to get you in the loop of understanding of my goals.  See if I can serve you better, and help you in more avenues.  Please respond with your comments.
It will help everyone!!

Thank you!!

Recycling : The Ultimate PURE / Clean Interior Response

Okay, so we laugh at our kids when they go to a thrift store to buy a sofa, a bed or even worse clothing.  But they may actually be on to something when it comes to a PURE / Clean response to their environment.

Anything that has been used and is not soiled or contaminated has actually probably off gassed all of its offending chemical properties and may even have been stored outside, which also helps this process!

I have never been an advocate of used furniture, because I have had visions of upholstery loaded with cat dander or worse, but in reasonable situations, it can actually be a good way to insure a clean response to interior pieces.

 Many articles have been written about recycled materials to build something in the interior, but what about actually repurposing pieces that have been used and using them in a different innovative way?

"If you wisely invest in beauty, it will remain with you all the days of your life."
- Frank Lloyd Wright

Architects and Designers have known forever that investing in something that is existing is a great way to create beauty in something that is already here.  More people are staying in their current homes, rather than building new.  We are choosing to remodel, and refurbish instead of moving on to new surroundings.  It is easy to get swayed by glossy approaches to selling us a lifestyle, instead of seeing the beauty in what surrounds us already.  Think of large retailers like Restoration Hardware, and Pottery Barn.  They are selling a lifestyle that can actually exist in our current surroundings with creative energy and a fun spirit.  Most of the whole Industrial Look is repurposed looking.  It is limed, and distressed, and old.  It may not actually be, but a replica created with paint finishes and chains, but it is a concept that is very popular today.  Seeing manufacturers replicate this look is a very interesting trend.  Innovative homeowners have painted, replaced hardware, and repurposed things for a long time.  Think file cabinets made into metal dressers, old industrial lamps made into chandeliers, and distressed finishes added to fine antiques to update their chic.  Many people keep finishes perfect on old pieces only to find that their children have no interest in a fine mahogany piece that needs to be polished and maintained to keep its beauty.  We are less fussy today.  We want to have some fun in our interiors and play a little with color, finish, and hardware.

Our next trip to the thrift store will be less about finding a bargain, and more about finding a shape, or size of a piece that we want to work with and adding embellishments that make it what we need today.  About time that a PURE / Clean Interior was truly about having some fun and expressing that attitude in our everyday world.

Interior Toxins and Child Developent

Why do some people get heart disease, diabetes, asthma, are diagnosed with autism, or develop cancer?  Research has proven that chemical exposures during child development may contribute to health problems that arise later in life.

Many of these toxins are environmental and are obvious.  Prolonged exposure to air pollution in the urban environment is one.  Early exposure in infants or prenatal  in the way of gasoline or other fossil fuels will affect children's cognitive development. Children that have had this exposure have scored 4 points lower on cognitive tests at the age of five.  The Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health have found this evidence in many tests.  Prenatal exposure also gives these children the added dimension of scoring higher on tests of anxiety, depression and attention problems at the age of five.

Endocrine Disruptors found in fire retardant chemicals applied to every sofa manufactured in the US have been found to cause even more problems.  They mimic hormones and interfere with the function of the body's hormones.  They typically mimic estrogen are found in these fire retardant chemicals used to conform to the California flame retardancy acts of the 70's requiring all upholstery to be able to be exposed to open flame for 12 seconds and not burst into flame.  These chemicals are particularly dangerous as they alter the critical hormonal balances required for proper health and development.

These disruptors also increase aggressive behavior, early onset sexual maturation, changes in mammary gland development, and a decrease in testosterone levels and sperm production.

These disruptors found in flame retardant chemicals are leached into skin at contact.  Especially dangerous to babies and children, they have been found to cause cancerous tumors, and reproductive and neurological development.

Another alarming affect of these chemicals in the early onset of sexual maturity and the link that proves that early puberty can predispose a girl to more risk of breast cancer developing.  The mammary gland ( the milk producing structure of the breast) is uniquely sensitive to the effects of the toxic chemicals.  One chemical that is especially prone to do this is PFOA which is used in stain treatments on furniture.  Teflon, Stainmaster, Scotchguard, and other stain reducers create a sticky application that repels soil and offers chemical exposure that actually sticks to the person.  This chemical is transferred easily air born in the environment to becoming part of the water supply and ingested into children and babies.  Babies are open mouth, inhaling this treatment into their lungs on upholstered furniture, without the benefit of the filter of the nose.

Living PURE / Clean

I have been told that PURE / Clean design can be boring.  Many designers feel too controlled by the problem at hand and choose to ignore it or choose solutions that ignore it.

I absolutely agree!  Everyone knows that being creative when there is a challenge is much more complicated than being creative when the every option is a good one.

The first time in Interior Design school at Kendall College of Art and Design when we had a real client and a real budget everyone complained.  All of a sudden the twenty thousand dollar sofa that we wanted to use on the project gave way to a maintainable product from a major manufacturer with real specifications of long term wear and long term servicability.   Reality had snuck up on us and it had won!!

I always felt that having real problems to solve was much more interesting than making up scenarios of the perfect family living in the perfect suburban house with the perfect behavior in place to live in anything that I concocted from my own imagination.  All of a sudden, I found my calling.

With this new endeavor of helping solve real problems in an interior environment that has become much less than perfect - I feel challenged to not only solve the problems, but get designers to actually pay attention.

Design 101 - Flashback.
Interior Design is all about who is using the environment.
Interior Design is all about the end user being able to afford the solution.
Interior Design is all about problem solving.
Form Follows Function - Always.

As we specify interiors that contain no VOC's and are breathable and livable, we are reminded of the above concepts.  Our environment is like a living organ.  It creates off gassing of toxic fumes and can affect the person living in it forever.  Our duty as educated, certified, and licensed interior designers is to create beautiful interiors that are also healthy.  We did not take the Hippocratic Oath, but as professionals "we must first do no harm" and follow our physician friends into doing the right thing even when it is not the easier thing.
Watch this blog.  Read it.  Follow it.  We are introducing topics that are helpful and healthy for interiors of today.  We hope to make a difference in the lives of those who live in our interiors.  We hope to help designers to listen and to care enough to change old habits and think about health as well as beauty.  They can live together.

MDF Board is Rated as a Human Carcinogen by the FDA

I have previously talked about this topic and the interest was so huge that I wanted to revisit the topic with some timely information.

MDF board, or composite wood was the miracle material of the 90's.  Anyone that watches HGTV routinely sees it being used to solve many problems on an interior because of its eas in smoothing into shapes, without spintering or needing extensive sanding.

MDF board or composite wood is wood dust, scrap and bonded together with bonding agents that contain formaldehyde to form a very fine particle material that can be cut, shaped and planed into very thin sheets or boards and used in many ways in the interior of a building.  Most commonly it is used for decorative trim that is not enduring impact routinely.  Mouldings, door casings, decorative ceiling details, and decorative trims throughout a house.  It is easily painted without grain or inconsistency and easily sawn. 

The problem is that the bonding agents used to form this miracle material are toxic.  No one ever thinks that Formaldehyde is a healthy thing, but in truth it is a human carcinogen that is much worse in long term exposure than almost any other.  When it is cut, sanded or shaped the dust is absolutley toxic and releases into tiny particulates that are breathed deeply into lungs because of their size. 
California has been puting stickers on houses containing MDF or composite wood since 1988.  The warning:  "This house contains a chemical known to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive hazards."   This made the materials comply with the state's anti-toxin laws, but also ensured members did not face costly lawsuits from sick residents. 

Short term exposure casues irritation to the eyes, nose and throat.  Long term effects are cancer, reproductive interruption, heart and lung damage, skin lesions and birth defects.  It has been deemed the asbestos of the nineties by Roy Lockett, deputy general secretary of Bectu. 

The simple fact is that we do not know the long term effects of having these particulates deep in our lungs.  Asbestos was not recognized as a serious health risk until people got really sick.  The FDAs move is a strong one.  MDF now has to be disposed of as hazardous material.  Carbon filter breathing masks have to be used by workers working with it.  But the off gassing of this material with Formaldehyde as part of its chemical structure is the culprit that we do not want in our homes.   

PFCs or Perfluorinated Compounds in our Interior Settings

We all have challenges to keep our interiors as pristine and PURE / Clean as the day it was installed.

Every client asks me how to maintain textiles, area rugs, carpeting, and soft finishes so that their investment is protected.  The universal easy answer has always been to order carpeting with protective finishes like Stainmaster, or Scotchguard.

I have helped clients apply Scotchguard in the liquid state with a brush to so many textiles that I cannot count.  I have ventilated and sprayed Scotchguard aerosal bombs so many times that I have lost count.  Now comes the bad news.

These products have an active ingredient that is much worse than the dirt they are protecting us from.  I mean, dirt is dirt, right?  PFCs on the other hand never tell us what they are doing as we breath them in. 

First appeared in Teflon as an anti stick material for pans.  It was a miracle and everyone wanted their pans to be coated with this amazing stuff that  made our cooking look so cool!!
Then Scotchguard appeared and sofas stayed cleaner.  The same process of anti stick, but this time it was soil and mainly grease.  That troublemaker in an interior that is the hardest to deal with.

It just worked. 

When the carpeting industry got on board and offered Stainmaster that was part of the carpeting and started offering warranties, we all applauded.  Until we started hearing the rest of the story.

These products all contain the active ingredient PFCs.  They are a family of fluorine - containing chemicals with unique properties to make materials stain - and stick - reisistant.  Some of the PFCs are resistent to breaking down and are appearing everywhere in our environment.  They appear in contamination of our food sources, and our water supplies.  PFSs and PFOA are breakdown products of PFCs.  They are also in household dust, consumer products and food packaging. 
They are in personal care products like shampoo, dental floss and denture cleaners.  (think anti stick and you are pretty much there)

The PFC and is dirivitives are likely human carcinogens.  They cause liver, pancreatic, testicular and mammary gland tumors in the laboratory.  They produce liver and kidney damage, and reproductive problems.  They are also persistent and have a very long life in our bodies and our environment.
Exposure before birth has been linked to low birth weight.   Nasty chemicals that are being phased out, but since they are effective there is a huge push back in our industry to do it. 

Avoid stain resistant products that are part of the furniture industry.  Do not apply stain protectors and do not buy products where it comes applied already.  Never insure the cleanliness of a product by applying unsafe chemicals.  Do your research and maybe accept cleaning textiles and carpeting more with clean processes rather than applying chemicals that do not let dirt or grime stick to them.  Think washing with clear water or mild soap as opposed to dry cleaning with chemicals that are more caustic for people. 

Become a steward of reading labels and checking to see what effect these chemicals actually have on people.  They are always labeled.  Be the radical that you get tired of hearing from.  Be the watchdog for your family and your home.  You will breath easily because of it. 

Upholstered Pieces Can be Extremely Toxic

Upholstery adds drama and softness to interiors.
We all enjoy a great sofa whether we are cuddling watching a movie or in a casual meeting at the office.
Interior Designers use upholstery to create soft structure in interiors while at the same time bringing drama
in, in the form of textiles, shape, and wood or metal trim details.  Upholstery is the single most important element in an interior that has comfort in mind.  It is also the most typically toxic element in those interiors.

Foam is usually the worst offending part of the upholstered piece.  Foam can break down, with particulates becoming air born and ingested into lungs.  This is especially true with children who tend to lay on upholstered pieces face down breathing in more air than adults and typically do so open mouth, skipping the filters of the nose.  These particulates can be of inexpensive foam that is not encapsulated in any way with a textile liner cover, or down wrap. These offending foam components are usually from inexpensive imports, which are very common today.  Oftentimes foam components are imported due to the cost savings and used by US manufacturers.

Another toxin source in upholstery is fire retardants that are applied topically. The California Fire Retardant Standard established in the 1970's is the driving force behind the use of these retardants. The California code established the ability for a small open flame to sit on upholstered pieces for 12 seconds without burning.  Since most textiles cannot withstand this test, Fire Retardants are routinely used to be able to affix the California TB 117  label to upholstered pieces sold in the US.    Before 2005 these retardants were extremely toxic.  They were Tris, a known human carcinogen, and PentaBDE another toxic chemical.   PentaBDE has been phased out in use in the US.  Tris has been proven through sampling to be more prevalent today than before 2005.  Today 97% of all upholstered pieces are treated with newer fire retardants and Tris.  Scientists are having a difficult time keeping up with the industry in testing these new chemicals.  Not much is known currently about their effects on the human body short or long term.

The US consumer has very little resources to find out what their upholstery pieces are treated with to be able to pass the California TB 117 test for labeling.

Another element of upholstered pieces is MDF or composite wood parts that are typically internal and may not even be known by the owner.  MDF or composite wood parts off gas forever.  They are made of wood dust and bonding agents that are know human carcinogens.  MDF and composite wood is prevalent in the US manufacturing of furniture as it is easily shaped into smooth rounded shapes with very few splinters or splitting problems. It also can be made very thin and still be very strong.   MDF and composite wood was thought to be the miracle cure for the furniture industry since the 1990s.

Plywood in furniture manufacturing is another toxic danger.  Plywood is made of glue and wood chips or inexpensive wood layers made into a sandwich or series of plies.  These plies are held together with inexpensive toxic glue or bonding agents.  Plywood is never a safe internal element in furniture.  The glues and bonding agents off gas forever.  They cannot be encapsulated with paint or finishes.

The underlying dangers of furniture parts are activated with use or wear.  When an upholstered piece is sat on or lied on the stresses put on internal parts and that is when the majority of air born particulates take flight. The off gassing of the other toxins can happen even if the upholstered piece is never used.

The best advice to the designer and end user buying upholstered pieces is to ask questions of the manufacturer.  Only hardwood frames and higher end encapsulated foam with down or textile wrap should be considered.  Better yet the use of cotton or wood or soy cushions should be used.   No inexpensive plastic or metal internal parts to be used.  The use of organic textiles (cotton, wool or linen) must be used.   Ideally the piece should be covered in non bleached muslin and then slip covered in organic textiles so that the piece can routinely be washed with use.  This keeps dust from settling within the weave of the textile and breathed in by the user.

If you have questions about what to specify or purchase for your home, feel free to contact us at PURE / Clean and we will help you.



  

PURE / Clean Environmental is Launching

My focus on interior design that is liveable and clean is not new.  The book that I have been working on for two years is just about publisher worthy and being shared this week.  As I navigate this new initiative in my design practice and open up another avenue for research and comment, I am energized and ignited with a flame of curiosity and enlightenment.

The book has been a side line event.  A second focus for a while.  Now I am moving it to front burner and exploring its possibilities.

So much has happened in the last two years about this movement in the US.  Sadly manufacturers have  not responded with more furniture product offerings.  There is so much more interest from the consumer and the end user, that this must follow.  In our country you need only follow the commercial aspect of something to see that it is viable and saleable and then it becomes a true movement.

I am renewing the blog to focus on PURE / Clean Environmental and push my focus to share what I know.  Say what I learn.  And give back to a design community that has shared so much with me.

Create living spaces that are healthy for your families, your clients and  your loved ones.
Care enough to do your research and execute what you believe in.

We will explore topics that are real and timely.  We will try to change our little corner of the planet by doing it with grace and beauty.

Come explore with us and take a small journey.  A PURE / Clean one that your family, your staff, and you can live with.

The Whirrr of Lawnmowers is Breaking my Concentration

The beauty of having a home office / studio is not lost on me.  The distractions that come with the territory are just "part of it's charm" as an old friend would say.  I am five minutes from 75% of my clients, and the other 25% are just worth the drive.  I have all of my resources at my fingertips over three levels.  I have my warehousing of accessories, and smaller items a stones throw away.  Need I go on?  I know you all get it.


The pitfalls, are of course with the territory.  Lawn mowers, other yard equipment seems to be whirring all hours of the weekday.  During school breaks, my house is usually full of noise, and carving out concentration spaces can be difficult.  I manage it, and actually enjoy a little background noise.  Being able to have lunch with my family is GREAT!  Running errands when the noise level exceeds workable, is always a help.


New Albany is not exactly unique for the business owner.  It is a bedroom community essentially and being here, working and launching most of what I do from here, is somewhat unique.  I appreciate the beautiful surroundings, and the ability to work 24/7 in a safe and beautiful place. I have had a studio in the Short North, and parking alone was challenging.  The energy of my own space and my own rules is good for my business.


Summer can be a distraction to any business.  But the business of design can actually be fed by the more laid back attitude.  And the kids being around makes me lighten up and remember what all of this is for.  


So go ahead, landscapers.  Make your noise.  I do not mind.  I am just here, nose to the grindstone and ear to the ground.  After all, there is something to be said for knowing everyone's gardeners scheduled day, and pattern for lawn care.  They are just outside my windows and I can just about set my watch to what goes on.  Life is not only about seclusion and concentration.  It is also about being in the moment and the the scent of a fresh cut lawn.

Kitchen Design

Articles about inexpensive kitchen remodels are prolific!


We all know that if we can live with our existing cabinets (with their current layout
or a new one) we will save the largest percentage of our budget.  Replacing doors
and hardware is always a good idea if budget is a concern, and you can live with a 
reconfiguration of them or as they are.  


I do love the idea of adding a walk in pantry to an existing layout by bumping into an 
adjacent room (if this works in the layout) and the small cost that represents to the over
all design.  That is a good application of space vs. cost.


It is also always a goal to add upgraded appliances and stone counter tops.  There is no inexpensive way around these two upgrades other than doing an accent area (such as an island) with stone, and leaving the rest, or using poured concrete.  I caution you that concrete 
sounds like a great idea, but there are many horror stories of cracking concrete months
after all the contractors are gone and the sinks are mounted.  


One way to attempt to address the upgraded appliances option is to watch for discontinued
models being sold off from distributors at lower prices, or watching sale sites like eBay or Craigslist for removed appliances.  Of course there is danger with these options as you might
get a non working appliance with no warranty, or even a piece that is not what it is advertised to be.  I know many people that have sold appliances that they have removed from their kitchens during upgrades, and they were honest about their shortfalls.  But not everyone is honest and 
you take that risk when you go that direction.


To most people, nothing speaks status more than a Viking or Wolf range.  The higher BTU's alone will send most cooks drooling.  If this is your passion, you may have to budget for it, and only do the project when you can afford to do this.  I personally feel this way, so for me, the appliance budget in a kitchen leads the total budget.  I believe that real cooks live and die by their appliances.   


Plumbing fixtures such as sinks, faucets, and water filters may be able to be changed or added a later time.  These may be less of a priority because of this fact.


I love kitchen design.  And I especially love doing a blue tape footprint on the floor and encouraging the client to walk the space, and make sure that there is enough room to open drawers, doors, dishwashers, and microwaves without getting in each others way.  Practical examples like this help us move through the trauma of all new everything without warning of what compromises we are making for the overall design.  

2012 - The Summer of Accents and Color

Everyday designers are asked what is the best way to get started on a new interior design concept.


There is not a universal answer, but there are some guidelines.


Wall color has the most impact to get started.  It is usually the least expensive, unless you are using a faux treatment, or wallcovering.  If you start with the color in the new space that will be your deepest (but not dark) or your strongest ( but liveable) you will have a huge start in the process.  


The next element is usually upholstered pieces.  I am talking about main pieces.  Think bedding in a bedroom, or main lounge pieces in a living room or family room.  If we are talking dining room, usually the table will give you the most impact after finishes.  From there we focus on accent pieces that give it the punch, the freshness and the surprises that create the look that is your goal.


Case pieces are usually the most expensive, and the strongest bones of an interior.  An accent piece that is oversize, an accent color, or the most interesting detail of the room gives you a huge bang for your buck and makes the room look more established.  


I am a huge fan of case pieces.  They are where you get the "old money" stature, or the "I am a closet designer" status, or the "I know exactly what I am doing here" reality!


The most precious pieces that people own tend to be case pieces that are handed down from generation to generation.  They are the ones that stand the test of time.  We also need to note here that they are the ones that are not typically sat on, spilled on or actually LIVED on.  They stand at the edges of a room and survive the impact of life.  They become our family antiques or our treasured pieces.  


I always start an interior project with the color scheme, the depth of texture, and the budget.  We work it from all directions.  If we have a small budget, we are honest about it.  If it is a strong area, meant to impress, and the budget is stronger, we are honest about that too.


Most people want to establish the look of their home at the front door.  When working in Michigan I always heard that Ann Arbor was a city of Entry Dazzle.  That every office or home in Ann Arbor understood that concept and grabbed your attention at the front door.  Often (I have heard) they did not venture beyond that point, but I would never be the one to point fingers at anyone's direction of concept!


As you begin your project remember the biggest starting points:

• Be honest about your budget.
• If you want strength of intent start with stronger wall color
• Main upholstery pieces are next
• Accent pieces follow
• Case pieces give you the bones for longevity and overall strength

When clients actually execute window treatments (more decorative in nature here) and art from the budget, you know that they get the concept and are willing to trust you to finish the plan.  
Which is always the nicest compliment that I receive.


Happy designing on Fathers Day!

Remember That Fun Element?

Another fun day in the Design World!


I had the pleasure of picking up two "tufts",
as I call them.  Too darling to be ottomans.  Too
girly to be called anything but TUFTS.   A tuffett
to rest a silk slippered foot!   Love these darling
pieces for fun spaces with girl time attitude!!


I will be sharing photos as we do our rounds with photography next
week!


Stay tuned for the visuals to go along with this!

Looping Around 270 on a BEAUTIFUL Wednesday

I had a pretty busy day with my design practice today.


From client meetings, and ASID luncheon and CEU, to drop offs and pick ups, my day was a huge logistics event.


Being busy is nice.  Being effective and on point is better.


I find that Columbus is an extremely easy city to navigate for meetings with clients.  I always hope that I will be on time, not need gas at inopportune times, and show up with my focus on the project at hand.  This is usually not a problem.  Today was an exceptional day.


Color has been the most stimulating topic of conversation with my newest clients.  


Everyone wants to be ahead of a trend, and yet not appear trendy.  
Color is the one area that is always fun to explore.  By introducing new and innovative combinations of color into inexpensive finishes (paint - accents - lesser expensive focal points) 
we can have fun with a direction and not invest the college fund in getting started.


I typically will pull a color scheme based on paint, textiles, and focal points.  The bones of an interior come in the larger pieces that tend to be the more neutral factors in a space.  The largest upholstered pieces tend to be more neutral, or the deepest shade of a strong color scheme.  By using the deepest shade on a larger piece a space is instantly grounded.  It give us an opportunity to play with lighter tones in a softer hand and lets us create drama around the deepest tone.   


If this seems lost on you, I suggest that you look through the interior shots included on this blog and on our website at www.christycollectioninternational.com.   There you will see what I am speaking of.  I always know when I have it right!  Those are the rooms that speak when you walk into them of unity and freshness.  I never get tired of those interiors.  They are my favorites.

Design Reflects Life

My clients are happy people.  I don't know if I just attract them, or if they attract me.

We design happy spaces together.  I find that the more design work that I do, the

happier it becomes.  Color is becoming more important to my work.  Playfulness and

the fun aspect of a space are beginning to be equal to function.  

I am learning that coming of age in a design practice means being able to take a few more

calculated risks.  Playing with texture, color, pattern and light.  People like to live in playful 

spaces.  People learn to smile more and open up to more design for designs sake.

As designers we are all teachers in one way or another.  We teach about balance, focal points, color pops, weight in a space.  But now I realize that the most important thing that I teach every day is to not take the space too seriously.  To have fun living in it.  To change it up when you feel the need.  To live in it with a happy and cheerful existence.

I laugh alot and smile alot while I am working.  It is not really work, but the rest of the world thinks so, so I will go with that!  My work is play.  My work is expression and loving the elements that make the whole process alive for me. 

All of the above reasons are why I will be a designer until the day that I die.  I will die in the saddle, as the cowboys would say.  It is like breathing fresh air.  It is like falling in love.  I never want to stop.  It is a life gift.

An Industry that Just Keeps Growing and Changing

The best single thing about being an interior designer is that our industry changes every day.

From Green environments, to Non Toxic environments in less than five years.

From Wrinkle Free textiles, to Natural Organic textiles in less than two years.

From Mega Mansions, to Small Living Spaces, and back to Mega Mansions in 

less than two years!

I am certainly not complaining about any of this.  It keeps it all interesting, feeds the challenge

of staying educated and at the top of your game.  I love to learn.  Research and fact finding

is at the top of my professional list.  The challenge of doing something that no one else is doing

has always driven me to become better and better at what I do.

I have always taken classes in International Studies, as the world has become flatter and more

reachable.  With the Euro crisis, and the Middle Eastern crisis all happening at once, the world just got extremely flat in no time at all.  Design is influenced by all of this.  As the world is more accessible people want their interiors to be indicative of the whole world.  An international focus with textiles, materials, accessories, and overall trends.  Christy Collection International is involved internationally with the newest introductions from leading designers worldwide.  As textiles, and furniture trends change we are at the top of the food chain.

Stay tuned!!  It is only getting better and better.

Stop Working SO Hard, It's Summer!

Okay, so we all get accused of this - right?  And we never know how 

to answer.

I mean, work is work.  When you are an entrepreneur, it just kind of goes

with the territory that you work harder than most!   But somehow, it never

seems like work!

Oh sure, we have our moments.  But design can hardly be considered work.

I mean, it is CREATIVE.

It is APPRECIATED.

It is LAUDED with ADMIRATION.

It is LOVED by MANY.  And ENVIED by MOST.

So I do not call it work.  I call it summer expression.

It inspires me to do my best work.  These beautiful sunny days.

These lovely sultry nights.  It creates a fire inside me (like a summer

fire pit does) of smoldering ideas, and igniting flames!

I love summer.  And mostly I love to create in summer.  I love the textiles

that celebrate it.  I love the colors that imitate it.  I love it when nature is brought

inside and we get to live in it, and snuggle up around a small piece of it.

So celebrate summer your way.  And I will CELEBRATE it MY WAY!!!

It just brings out the smiles and the laughter in every situation.  So bring on

the s'mores, and the long walks on the beach.  Bring out the family that never

ends, and the long days.  I am so ready to express all of that in my work.  Because 

remember.  It isn't really work at all!

Get Ready for New Interior Images!

We are long overdue in photographing about twenty projects.

This happens in a busy and involved firm like Christy Collection International.

We are so busy in design, installation, searching for new sources, and updating

our current ones, that we just don't always photograph really great work.

But next week is the week.  I am setting aside time.  I am enlisting the help of a great 

photographer and hopefully we can start whittling away at this huge list of wonderful projects that we have completed!!  

Very exciting times for us.

I was asked yesterday if I ever sleep.

Good question!  Complicated answer.
(you might not be ready for this one!)

My almost waking hours are filled with design solutions.  If I have
a perplexing problem, but actually "sleeping on it", I solve the little
things that nagged at me when I was awake.  There is something about
twilight sleep that just agrees with the creative brain.  Things become clearer
and options present themselves.

It is really important for me to keep a notepad by my bed.  Not jotting something
down that was pretty monumental is a mistake.  Sometimes in the light of day and
the alarm, it can be forgotten.

My most creative color schemes have come to me in my sleep.  The most interesting
layouts.  The more intriguing storage ideas.

Must be something about a clear and rested mind.  Must be something about emptying
the clutter from your day and really thinking about it.

So now - tomorrow morning - as you awake.  I challenge you to stop thinking and let
your brain wander through your house, your office, or your second home.  Wander and
experience it as a new visitor.  Let it fill your mind with images and feelings that you never
see when you walk there.  See if it looks different.  See if it looks new.  A solution  to a
problem may present itself.  And you may have an answer that you never imagined!

Happy Summer to all of my fabulous clients!

As your thoughts turn to family time, and down time let
me remind you of something important.  Take an inventory now
of projects on your mind.  Think through costs coming up for interior
work for the rest of the remaining year.  Budget your goals for holiday
improvements, and end of the year changes to your home, vacation home
or office.

By doing this now, as kids are begging for your attention, or just disappearing
to the pool, you have a break in the action and can actually plan your expenditures
through the down times of summer.

You may think this is cruel and unusual punishment for a harried summer
home owner.  After all, you are outside more, and inside less.  This is exactly
when it is the easiest to see what needs improvement.  A bit of distance gives
you clarity about how spaces are being utilized and how they can be improved.

Remember it is much easier to paint, drywall, and remove finishes when doors
and windows can be open, or the family can escape to a second home.
It gives contractors much more flexibility which lowers prices.  When it is
easy to do a project, everyone benefits.  YOU get a better price. They get
fewer obstacles in their way to completion.

So stop what you are doing. Make a list of what needs change or improvement.
Enjoy this list by the pool, or on a beach.  Stop for a moment and think of your
living spaces, working spaces, or escape havens!  Improve it, and use it better.

And call us first.  Let us help you organize your work, and plan your changes.
Your designer is good at this.  We can help you through the rough stuff and make
it all seem so easy!

And then you can truly enjoy your summer!  Fall will be here before you know it.

Christy Collection International is launched!
As our manufacturers expand to global ones,
and as our projects expand to Europe, Asia,
and South America we found it necessary to
update our company to reflect our new focus.

We are designing healthy environments all over the world!
We are actively involved in design projects in the US (primarily
in Ohio, and South Carolina) and opening offices worldwide to
serve a growing and expanding population that appreciates all that
we offer the world.

Come watch us grow, and change to stay current, fresh and up to
date with all that is changing in our industry.

We lead the design profession in healthy, non toxic interior solutions
for residential, hospitality and healthcare.  We make a difference every
day that we work on this planet.   WE  make it easy to do business
with a world wide company.  YOU make it fun to do this.  YOU make
it worthwhile by growing with us and changing the world.

Watch our publications change and influence more countries worldwide.
Stay fresh and new.  Stay with us on our journey.

Challenge us to serve your needs.
Trust us to be a part of your lives.
Share your wonderful families, employees and guests with us
and we promise to change their interior experience forever.

Thank you for being with us every step of the way!