Design According to your your Sign ~ Nevermind

Your whole life you think you are a Leo.  If you believe in designing according to where the sun's position was along the zodiac path the day you were born, you gravitate towards these colors:

You love gold and sheen ( I never met a paillette I didn't like).  You live in grand style, value excellence, quality, and LOVE drama in design.  Leos have a creative flair that is reflected in their homes and the way they entertain; therefore making them good hostesses.  They love hides and animal prints for their exoticism.  Warmth is most definitely conveyed!

Then all the sudden astronomers tell us that the Earth's alignment has shifted because of the moon's gravitational pull after centuries and has altered the signs.  WHAT??  It can't be, I'm not a Cancer; because if you're a Cancer, these are your colors:

Nostalgia defines this sign's personality.  Cancers are homebodies (which I most certainly am not).  They like the protection of home, it is their retreat.  I think that applies to everyone, though.  They like soft muted colors, functionality, a casual, comfy environment.  OK, I get all that but- Cancers like large entertaining spaces, they are conservative in style, and very attached to sentimental belongings and gifts from others.  Cancers use curves in their decor, and they are control freaks and perfectionists (not my words but I have been accused of both).   Part of my identity is rooted in the belief that I am a Leo, so I am just staying a Leo!  And what's with the new sign they added?

How do you know how to design for Ophiuchus, the serpent barer?

To learn more about designing for your sign see windsorcottagedesign
credits: diduknow.org, windsorcottage.com

Inspiration is where you find it

Designers are always asked, "Where do you get your inspiration?"  The answers range from travel to museums to 1st Dibs.  The truth is it's everywhere, all around us, you just have to observe.

I was inspired by a trip to Turkey when trying to come up with an idea for my Serene Salon

Jess @ The Love List was inspired by the Kate Spade Store when she was asked to design a logo

Do you think Pierre Hardy was inspired by this screen and the way the light shines through the glass circles?

Do you think the AKRIS designer Albert Kreimler was inspired by his surroundings while sketching and sipping espresso on the Amalfi Coast?

or Stella McCartney was studying still lifes?

     

    

Roberto Cavalli must have NEEDED a console table to match his python dress (It is one of his signatures, after all);  hard to tell which came 1st.

And when he ventured out back he was inspired to design this little number for his upcoming 2011 collection.  While he was relaxing ~ his friends the Missoni's stopped by for a Lemoncello

Vincent Wolf famously captures his journeys to far off lands in photographs that translate into globally infused rooms with interesting color schemes.  This umbrella in Madagascar was the inspiration for the color scheme of one of his interiors.

I think part of the creative process is being a keen observer.  Figuring out what to do with it is where the real talent lies, and I am always in awe of those that do it so well!

credits: CLI,The Love List, BG, ID, Vincente Wolf

The Rammed Earth House

Rammed Earth building is the process of compressing or tamping down a mixture of damp earth with sand, gravel, clay or cement.  An external support frames the desired shape of the walls and the earth forms around it.  The cost of the materials is low but the labor can is high.  Like any sustainable building, the initial output may be a little higher but over time the cost of running the home will be lower.

Pise de Terre or stuffed earth construction is as old as time. The Great Wall of China is made this way, as are many European Castles and pyramids in Mexico.  Who knew?

You can really create any look you want and rammed earth walls work with any kind of architecture, from Napa Valley Estate to Adobe Modern and everything in between!  Indigenous clay and earth give character and color to earthen homes.

The walls, with their excellent thermal mass, absorb and release heat; it cools in the summer and warms in the winter.  They can be stuccoed, plastered or left bare to expose the rhythmic layers of sediment.  I think this is where the beauty of the process lays.  I'm transfixed by the magnificence of those natural striations!

(There's that Aspen house again, How did that get in there??)


The Rammed Earth House is termite resistant, non~ toxic, fireproof, sound proof , it self regulates humidity ( great for asthma sufferers) and is inherently bio degradable.  Ya know that little rough luxe house I want in the woods ~ I may build it myself.  You can take workshops.  Steven....




For pictures of the process step by step:.rammedearthhomes.com/workshop_progress.htm
credits: rammedearthhomes, Drew Owens, rammedearthinfo.com, dornob.com, flickr