How To: Whites & Brights

The fresh cleanliness of whites mixed with the fun intigue of bright colors and the sophistication of mixed textures makes “Whites and Brights” a hot new design trend.
Tracing its roots to fashion runways, this contemporary style is perfect for any home. Just start with white walls, light floors, and neutral furniture. Add in some textured accessories such as rough wooden tables or thick woven linens. Finally, throw in bold color on doors or accent pillows.
Can’t stick to just one style? This look works seamlessly with industrial and boho touches.
Thrift stores are a great place to hunt for pieces with good bones that can be painted in a bright color, making this style easy on the wallet and easy on the planet.

          My inspiration:

1. Redsmith Dining Chair
2. Flutter Pattern Rug
3. Wake Up Call iPhone Dock
4. Purple Library by Lindsey Coral Harper
5. Finn Rocker
6. Hainsworth Chair
7. Living Room With Pops of Color
8. Paeonia Wallpaper
9. Perch Barstool
10. H2OMG Bottle

If walls could dream… they’d dream about dazzlingly colorful accents.
What are you dreaming about?

“Whites and Brights” Style Small Home

With environmentally friendly design in mind, I designed this small house to be just that. It’s just over 900sqft and has 2 bedrooms and 1 bath. This house is designed to not only help the environment in its production by using eco-friendly materials, but help the environment in its future by fostering a healthy lifestyle. It’s hallway-less floorplan creates a open, friendly feeling. Other elements, such as the partially outdoor shower and use of sliding doors, help maximize useable space.

The interior is designed in a “Whites & Brights” style, with white walls, light concrete floors, and neutral furniture. Pops of color from accessories bring the design to life, and a mix of textures add sophistication. This design style helps to incorporate industrial finishes as well as antique pieces with a clean and contemporary flare, helping to keep the house environmentally friendly. See my post on How To: Whites & Brights for more ideas. The exterior is all salvaged materials, from shipping crates to barn wood.

If walls could dream… they’d dream of a bright, eco-friendly lifestyle.
What are you dreaming of?

LHouse

I named this house after it’s shape, the letter L. But it’s kind of a sideways L, with the main living spaces along the left side. I picture this house up in the mountains, with a driveway snaking up to the side of the house and the main wall of sliding glass doors taking in the beautiful mountain view.

On the ground level is the 2 car garage and a laundry / mud room connecting it to the family room with a staircase to the main level. Also on the ground level are two bedrooms with a bathroom. Up on the main level is a great room and the master suite. The great room has a large living room with dramatic high cielings. There’s also a large kitchen and a dining area. Above the kitchen is a loft that could be used as a play room, library, sitting room, guest room, or as storage. The master suite is also large, with an attached bathroom and a walk-in closet. There’s a half bath in the hallway as well.

If walls could dream, they’d dream of beautiful mountain views.
What are you dreaming about?

Philadelphia University

Philadelphia University is a leader in the fields of architecture, design, engineering, business, textiles, and health and sciences. They offer an accredited 5 year Bachelor of Architecture. It’s a “industry-centered, liberal arts-infused education, blending academic scholarship with hands-on, professional learning.”
The average class size is 18 with a student-to-faculty ratio of 14:1 and just under 3,000 undergraduate students. It’s a competitive college to get into, and fairly pricey at $30,356 in tuition and fees, but their undergraduates’ career placement rate in major-related jobs is consistently above 90%. The university itself sits on 100 acres in the East Falls section of Philadelphia.
Still want more? Visit http://www.philau.edu/arch/index.html

University of Idaho

Another architecture program I found interesting was at University of Idaho. It offers a Bachelor of Science in Architecture as well as an accredited Master of Architecture. It’s a great blend of creativity and arts with science and engineering. Alumni get jobs as architects, draftsmen, carpenters, urban planners, set designers, and more. The program is recognized for it’s research and expertise in sustainable design, green design, health and wellness issues, as well as social justice.

Now what’s the college like?
Recognized by the Princeton Review as one of the best public universities in America, it’s a public research university located in the beautiful and rural town of Moscow, Idaho. It’s on a semester calendar. Its colors are silver and gold. It has just over 12,000 students. Its out-of-state tuition is $16,384, ranked third by Newsweek’s “Best Colleges For You 2012” for affordable public research universities. Its acceptence rate is 61%. It has a variety of sports teams, clubs, and facilities.

Want more info? Check out their website:
http://www.uidaho.edu/caa/architecture/bsarch

The Architecture of Life

Don’t have much time for architectural drawing these days. It’s sad, I know. But there’s a great thing about architecture; even when you don’t have time to sit down and study it, it’s still all around you. It influences everything about your day; from your mood that first second after you wake up, to the way you get to work. So my question is, how do you think future architectural advancements will affect daily life?

Syracuse University

Another wonderful New York architecure university is Syracuse. It’s a private school in the mid-sized city of Syracuse, New York. Here’s some facts:

• 20,407 students
• 49% acceptance rate
• $36,300 tuition
• semester calendar
• school colors are orange and white
• 80% graduate within six years

Syracuse offers both a B.Arch. and a M.Arch program. ArchDaily ranked it’s B.Arch. as 8th in the United States.

For more information visit:
http://soa.syr.edu/index.php

Rice University

Another university with an amazing architecture program is Rice University. It’s a private university located in the large city of Houston, Texas.

• 19% admission rate
• $34,900 tuition
• just under 6,000 students, about 200 of which are in the architecture program
• semester calendar
• school colors are blue and grey

Rice offers a Bachelor and a Master of Architecture.
DesignIntelligence ranked Rice University as the third best undergraduate architecture program.
http://arch.rice.edu/

Want more?
Visit my reviews on CalPoly and Cornell!

Front Door Makeover

It’s the final week of If Walls Could Dream’s “New Years Resolution Guide to a Beautiful Home”. Last Friday we madeover the kitchen.

This weekend… makeover your front door!

Your front door is the first thing people see when they come to your house. A beautiful front door makes for a beautiful first impression.
Before you start, give it a good dusting to get rid of nasty spider webs and bugs.

Then, pick a bold color! While a bright red or a teal blue is too bold for an entire room, it’s perfect for a front door. (And it’s easy to repaint if you hate it)
Not that gutsy? Neutrals can be bold too! Try a dark chocolatey brown.
Paint shy? Get a new doormat with a graphic pattern!

Now, accesorize! Add some greenery and a table and chair if you have room. And don’t forget the classic door knocker!

1. Sherwin-Williams Red Bay
2. Sherwin-Williams Black Bean
3. Sherwin-Williams Cape Verde
4. Pottery Barn Botanical Door Knocker
5. Crate and Barrel Circles Rubber Doormat

National Portfolio Day Event Review

I attended National Portfolio Day at the San Francisco Art Institute this past weekend. I wasn’t sure what to expect and I had never made an official portfolio before, but I learned a lot and had fun in San Francisco.
Here’s my top 5 tips I wish I knew beforehand: