The Great Outdoors...

 Spring is upon us.  The sun is shining, and new
blooms are ready to be planted.  There is something
very serene about planting your own garden,
growing something fresh from the ground.
When creating your garden space take into account
what surrounds you.  Do you live on a hill, in the
mountains?   Try adding rocks or boulders that
coordinate with your outdoors.  Add plants
that are indigenous to your area.

Also take into account the space you have available for planting.  These planter boxes to the left can easily be placed anywhere and can hold a variety of plants without taking up too much space.  Similarly the planter boxes below are placed vertically along a fence as seen in the picture, or along a wall.

Think of the materials used to build where you live, inside as well as outside.  Look at the colors, and think of adding an element to your garden using similar materials, or coordinating materials.  Making the indoor and outdoor spaces cohesive with one another, will bring an added element of comfort and tranquility.

Enjoy the outdoors, the sunshine, and the peace a garden space can bring to you.  Design your space to fit your needs and aesthetic.  Don't be afraid to try new things, and get creative.

Skip Ordinary...

Stairs.  Something simple that allows a person to go up and down.  Sometimes they are inside, sometimes they are outside.  Usually straight, rectangles or blocks placed one on top of the other.

 The great thing about design is that you don't have to stay within a certain "box."  If you can imagine it, there is usually a way to make it happen.  There is no "design ceiling."  The possibilities are endless, even with something as simple as creating a staircase.

Good or Bad Idea?

I came across this in my "travels." I am not sure if this is such a good idea.  Many people do enjoy the soothing sounds of water to help them sleep.  Blue color tones have been known to have a calming effect as well.  My concern is, what if the people living and using these sleeping spaces are sleep walkers?  I know sometimes if I have to get up in the middle of the night, my eyes do not work as well when I am half asleep.  I can't see as clearly, and I am often just a little bit more clumsy than usual.

That being said, "to each his own."  I personally don't like trying to sleep and swim at the same time.  The smell of clorine isn't exactly appealing, but, if you can think it, I am sure someone can build it.  And maybe you want to hop right out of bed and swim a couple laps to get your heart pumping.

Um...Okay...

Sometimes you just have to wonder where people come up with this stuff. 

When I see a product, or a house, or a piece of furniture, I ask myself, "is this a good idea?"

Sometimes the answer is a surprising, "yes!" 

And then there are the times where

I just have to shake my head and giggle.

These lounge chairs by Animi Causa, made of 120 pleasant balls, joined together in a way that allows them to move into many positions depending on your mood.

This next item is something that may come in handy for those long walks.  There are those times when you feel like you just have to sit down, and you don't want to sit down on the ground and ruin your dress.  Look no further than the "bubble butt dress."  The back of the dress inflates as you walk to instantly become a cushion for your tush.

I know there are times where I can't find my phone or have misplaced my keys and I feel like I have to turn the house upside to find these lost items.  Well now I won't have to.  If I lived in this house the upside downness is already done for me.

I believe living in this house would mean that I couldn't have ordinary furniture.  Maybe something furry and colorful would work?  Or maybe a bookcase that would allow me to walk and read at the same time?  With the bookcase I might just be able to hook it up to some sort of device to create electricity as the bookcase rolls around.  Then I would be environmentally conscious.

As for the last two "furniture" designs...I have no words.

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What You See Is...

Let's say you wanted a design on your wall, or maybe a whole building.  Maybe you just want to know what that couch is going to look like in your living room.

I could tell you that the wall design is going to be 6 feet by 8 feet and that the thingy is going to swing next to the other dohicky and around to the what not.

A better idea would probably be to draw a little sketch so that you can visualize the concept better.

A lot of people in this world are visual learners.  They want to "see" something before they make a decision.  They want to know what that color on the wall is really going to look like before making the commitment.  That's where sketching and rendered drawings come in handy.

The cool thing is that you don't have to do all this by hand anymore.  There is "Google SketchUp" which is a free downloadable program, "Photoshop", and for the more advanced, "3D StudioMax."

Go ahead and make that extra effort to "show" yourself, or somebody else, what the design plan is.

It's an important step to learn proportion and scale so that you can make your design the very best it can be.  Plus you can avoid the added headache of making a big mistake and having to start over.

The best thing to remember if you don't think that your artistic skills are up to par is

PRACTICE    PRACTICE    PRACTICE

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Inspiration...

There are often times that I find inspiration in the great outdoors.  It could be the landscape, or the way the trees lean with the wind.  The great thing is that inspiration is everywhere.  You can take anything, like the texture of tree bark and make a pattern.  You can take the colors of a sunset and paint a room, or create a chair inspired from the shape of the clouds after a storm.  I want you to use your own mind to create something magical.  Even a tablecloth can be magical.

Mies van der Rohe...

 He coined the phrase, "Less is more," and when you look at his designs you can see exactly what Mies van der Rohe meant.  The above Farnsworth house was built in the 20's.  It was ahead of it's time and was considered to be the new example of modernist style.  It was built for Edith Farnsworth, a doctor in the Chicago area.  She had some property and asked Mies van der Rohe if he knew anyone that could build a house for her.  Mies said he would do it himself.  The house was built for one person as a weekend house.  It was entirely glass and steel, made to view and use the surroundings as art.

I find his creations inspiring because of the simplicity.  The sleek lines and simple concepts.  You only need what you need and nothing more.

It Gets Better With Thyme...

There are many things in life that I find inspiring or fun to do, and cooking is one of them.

I am often drawn to the kitchen to create a new and exciting recipes.  I am a self-proclaimed foody and love to eat delicious cuisine, so why not make it myself.

Kitchen appliances and gadgets are another place to find intriguing designs.

 Some are novelty designs.  The design enhances the look of the gadget, but doesn't necessarily improve the function of the product.  Maybe you want a sassy red stilleto to hold your mixing spoon, or flip a burger with a rock and roll edge.  Maybe you can't decide if your food is naughty or nice. 

Most of the gadgets that I find base their design concept on the obstacle of saving space.  Many people don't have gourmet kitchens with ample storage space for every cooking utensil and widget they could use or want.  So nesting bowls and utensils are born, and the creation of colasping measuring cups are actualized.

Other forms are shaped with a specific function in mind.  Something that is used for one thing.  Sometimes it enhances the function, or just adds an artistic, contemporary look.

This contraption above is a citrus squeezer designed to direct the juice into the glass below.

Then every so often a thingamajig comes along where the form, although crazy looking, improves the function and is made for more than one item.  Take for instance the "FoodPod" created by Fusionbrands. It reminds me of an alien life form, or the blob from the old movie "The Blob," but the idea is simple and innovative.

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It's Just Business...

When it comes to branding a business, you need to consider the product or service being sold or given, and who the audience is.  Who do you want to attract to your business.  Take the above logo.  The Dainty Dish is a small business that specializes in baking pies for any occasion. 
 It has that homemade vintage feel.

You want the logo to stand out in a crowd, and be just simple enough. 
You want your brand to be memorable.

When creating a business card, it's important to incorporate the logo.  You may also want to consider an unconventional shape.  Many people get many business cards throughout the day

and you want yours to stand out.

CLICK HERE to LISTEN to the latest single from DAN & JAMES "GET TO YOU"

AVAILABLE NOW at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/danjames13
and coming soon to iTunes