Old meets the New.. We want old school back!!!

Have you ever cleaned out your closet and just couldn't get rid of that one shirt because you knew it would come back in style? Yes... We are all guilty by association.What people don't realize is that it applies to interior design as well. Never ever throw away an antique furniture because you will regret it. Just revamp it! Recently, I have been obsessed with contrast... with colors, materials, styles, decades. Everything! Here is a classic example of what I want to do with my new apartment.

YBD Project:

1.) Go to a garage sale and look for an antique raw , natural wood table. Older the better.

2.) Revamp it by sanding it down and coating it (clear no color)

3.) Dress it up with modern chairs (contrast:old antique table vs. new modern chairs)

4.) Chairs has to be modern and the material has to be some sort of metal (Contrast: texture; the raw natural wood grain vs. polished sleek metal look)

5.) Top it off with a traditional crystal chandelier (contrast: modern vs. traditional)

Bringing old school back is certainly hotter than ever!

So have a little fun...mix the vintage and the retro with a twist of modern and traditional to create something fabulous!

Green design can be like drenching ranch dressing on a healthy salad.

What is Green design to you?... Just because there is a "green" label on a product, does that make it eco friendly? The term "green" has been a boom among all products over the years. Whether it's a piece of furniture or cleaning supplies.. everything seems to be green.. but is it really good for you? So this is where my thought began... One day, I was researching flooring for one of my clients, and just like everyone else I was really into green design, so my first choice was bamboo flooring... its green, its durable, and about the same price... GREAT! Why not! Then I started talking to the installers and they were going through the methods of flooring... Then I asked them what adhesive they were using... then they mentioned a method which included formaldehyde, and VOC (volatile organic compounds).. dun dun duun... Basically, they are toxic chemicals which have significant vapour pressures which affects the environment and human health, mostly in adhesives or paints, and release harmful chemicals into the air. Then I thought... What is a point of that??? It's like going out to lunch, ordering a healthy salad...then drenching ranch dressing all over it... What's the point when it's done wrong?

YBD Guide to Green Design:

Always think how is it made? and what happens after I'm done with it?

1) Where does it come from?

2) How is is made?

3) How is it transported?

4) How is it assembled?

5) How is it disposed?

6) Is it recyclable?

Everything is Designed...

Today I was browsing the internet and came across a very interesting quote... One of those quotes you read and re-read again and think..."hmm.. I like that!" Even though most quotes are common sense, you can't quite come up with it your self... why is it always like that? Then again, perhaps that is life... So the quote I came across is this. " Everything is designed.. Few things are well designed." After I read that, I looked around me... the chair I was sitting in, the cup I was drinking my Starbucks Caramel Macchiato out of, the lamp, ... Wow.. everything is really designed... How fascinating! Take a look around... Everything you see was designed like that.. for some reason.. but not everything is well designed..

ybd: Pantone Chair... well designed.