A Growing Trend ~ Wellness Living

What do Leo DiCaprio and I have in common?  Our love of and respect for Delos Living.
This company was started by twin brothers who came from the financial sector and saw a need for marrying health and wellness indoors with the multi trillion dollar real estate market.  Call it wellness integrated design.  Unlike building green, Delos looks at products that could be put into interiors to support whole body wellness.  Flooring for less impact on knees and joints, circadian lighting for a better night's sleep, vitamin C shower heads, air purifiers, to name a few are products that promote better health.

Leo and Deepak Chopra are on board, putting their money where their mouths are, by buying real estate of their own in a Delos' designed project.  Below is Leo's new 10 million dollar eco friendly wellness apartment.

Delos is committed to advancing a better living experience:  better water, better air, better insulation for sound dampening.  They are rethinking how we feel when we are in a space.  Building products are put in place to allow a body to self regulate and hopefully reduce stress.  The point being to nurture and promote a sense of well being.  The mind/ body connection is alive and well in one of Delos' wellness residences.

With people living in close proximity to each other, the home should be a peaceful refuge.  The well being standard that President Clinton signed into action a part of the Clinton Global Initiative, gives thought to the way homes, schools, hospitals, etc. are being built, with the materials used in construction and the products put in place in the interior promoting health and well being.  We could all benefit from that and need all the help we can get!

I first learned of Delos when I was invited to design a show apartment in a new renovation in downtown Philadelphia.  The Icon has a floor dedicated to the well signature amenities offered by Delos.  It is possible, as I understand it, to "a la carte" some of the amenities into other apartments as well.

Here's a funny (not) graphic of the effects of lack of sleep on our bodies.  Pretty significant, I'd say!  We seriously do not spend enough time considering what seems inconsequential, but is absolutely not.   I am getting circadian rhythm lighting installed immediately!

Having this information will not only make me a healthier individual but a better designer, doing better work, because I will have put into place some of these products to nurture my holistic health!
Sounds like a win/win~





photos:NY Curbed

A Headboard Alternative

I am working on a show house apartment and have been giving a lot of thought to how I will fill the space.  It has to be reality based enough that potential renters can see themselves in it, but also have enough of a design voice that it showcases my work within the context of the apartment.

Thus far things are moving along as well as can be expected.  Sometimes begging, borrowing, and renting furniture can be challenging.  Coordinating the available furniture that does come your way is another element that must be carefully considered.  In a perfect world, it would be amazing if you designed a room with all the elements you envision and then are actually able to procure them, but that rarely happens!  You always need a plan B!

I was struggling with a full size bed situation. The room is tiny and very few stores stock full size headboards, let alone one that I was willing to use.  So I started thinking outside the box.  Anyone can put a headboard in a bedroom.  What else…..

Architectural details and reclaimed wood trim from old homes give a space more personality than any upholstered headboard.

Iron gates and grates, especially with a little patina, add a sense of provenance and make for an intriguing statement.

The same holds true for doors and shutters.  The  English, Asian, or French aesthetic layers the look.

Mirrors make perfect sense, and I am probably going in that direction.  They do double duty for expanding the space.

I long to create a short screen for a client that wraps the bed and night tables in softness and comfort but it is not right for this project.

LOVE  this.  A slab of exotic, live edge wood is all you need.  Take it one step further and add a platform.  Magnifiqué

Textiles and tapestries also up the drama of a space, while ironically taking up none.

So, while a store bought bed is the always obvious choice, think about taking the road less traveled. You may be surprised where it leads.

The Floral Experiment

Grab some floral water pics and go crazy.  They make the perfect little bud vases that you can wire onto almost anything to create the most gorgeous, most creative floral sculptures.  We are familiar with them to keep flowers fresh enough to be delivered, but they serve another purpose...

I am so enamored with the look and endless possibilities for wiring them onto almost anything to incorporate blossoms into an otherwise dry landscape.  Like little test tubes, experiment with things around the house or twigs and branches from the yard.  Incorporate twine and other materials.  You can't go wrong.

Flowers up the drama, and who loves a little drama?  Breathing a little life into an inanimate object feels powerful.  These objects by nature are soulless, but you have effectively changed that with the addition of one or more little buds.

Think about creating a floral sculpture of your  own.  What would it look like?