Friday

Hope all of you enjoy a nice 3-day weekend.  I plan to hit a few vintage furniture stores and flea markets this weekend.  I’ll post some photos of the fun stuff I find.

Also - I posted new Q & A on the Ask Kenneth section - I talk about everything from wedding floral arrangments to the benefit of having a twin

Saturday

The Rock-n-Chair-ity fundraiser was a huge success.  I really enjoyed hosting the event and being back home in Baton Rouge.  A big highlight of the evening was meeting the various artist who designed chairs that were auctioned off.  By the end of the night, we tripled the amount of money we set out to raise.  It will go to a great cause for the Woman and Infants in Baton Rouge.

I love the fresh green and blue colors used in this handpainted paisley patterned chair

These chairs for kids were very popular.  The chair in the middle is titled “the time-out chair” 

This director’s chair was made of bamboo and custom silk-screened fabric.  Sitting in front is a vanity stool with a hand painted fabric.

Friday

One of the areas that will benefit from the fundraiser I am hosting tomorrow night is the neo-natal intensive care unit at Woman’s Hospital.  It is hard to put in words the passion these doctors and nurses have for their jobs. 

Each year Woman’s Hospital of Baton Rouge delivers over 8,500 babies.  It is the only independent Woman’s hospital in the country.  Their mission is straightforward: to improve the health of woman and infants.  They offer state of the art cancer screening and provide a mobile lab which travels the state offering mammograms to those unable to make it to Baton Rouge.  These programs are vital to the woman and infants of the Baton Rouge community ranging from special needs assistances and a much needed Neurodevelopmental Clinic for infants as well as care for sexual assault victims and prenatal education.

It makes me proud to be from a community that takes such great care of their own.  I hope you will check back after Saturday to view photos of the one of a kind chairs we are auctioning off at the first annual Rock-n-Chair-ity event for Woman’s Hospital of Baton Rouge

Dr. Dunbar with me in the neo-natal intensive care unit.  Some babies are born as early as 17 weeks premature.  They are so small they can fit in the palm of your hand.   

If you would like to make a donation please email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or visit www.womans.org

Tuesday

Just a quick update - check out the new page I’ve added to the website.  On the home page, you’ll see a planet Earth in the right hand corner.  This new area, called Happy Planet, is a place where I plan to share ideas, products and organizations which promote good things for our planet.  If you are part of an organization or want to share ideas, please email them to us.  In addition to discussing environmentally sound design, I want to share information on charities and organizations which help others lead a better life.

Also, I will be hosting a fundraiser for Woman’s Hospital in my hometown of Baton Rouge this weekend.  The concept for the event is ROCK-n-CHAIRity.  Local artists are designing chairs to be auctioned off.  All money raised will go to help the prenatel care unit in the same hospital I was born in 36 years ago.  Check back as I will be posting photos of my trip soon - should be some fun stuff

To read more about the event and my interview http://www.2theadvocate.com/features/People/9250026.html

Gabriella St Amant, chairwoman for the fundraiser shows off some of the chairs being auctioned.  I can’t wait to see all of them.  I will post photos, so be sure to check back

Photo by Patrick Dennis for the Morning Advocate.

Wednesday

Design is in the details.  All elements should come together in a way that feels effortless while conveying a thought-thru design plan.  With all of the different pieces that go into a design, I find it interesting to think about the journey each piece travels until it is placed in its final position.

Here is an example of a light fixture that I found on www.1stdibs.com .  The key to shopping online is looking for good quality construction while realizing that paint can do wonders.  This piece was purchased from a store in NYC.  While it looks boring, I knew it had potential.

The style was perfect for the Hammer Project, but the color left a lot to be desired.  I wanted to bring out the details of the knots which gave the tubing a bamboo motif, enhancing the asian style.  I make quick notes on the photograph so my finisher can see the concept.

Once the fixture arrived, additional notes are made of areas needing attention.  Working with vintage pieces requires a little extra work - but it is worth it.  Notice how the fixture comes to life once it is painted red with a black undercoat.

I inspect everything before it heads off to its final home.  Sometimes a little touch up is required.

Hanging over an 19th century prayer table used as a dining table, the newly installed chandelier comes to life in its new home.

Monday

Take a look at this youTube clip for more behind the scenes of a Loft I designed.  It is also featured in Traditional Home’s Sept issue on newstands now

Friday

When building a new home it is never too soon to start designing the interiors.  I find it works well to do a walk-thru during the framing phase to get a sense of the spaces.  This helps to create a furniture plan.  An accurate furniture plan is crucial before drywall is installed so that mechanical items such as outlets, switches and A/C controls can be placed without interrupting the location of art, lamps and furniture.  An accurate furniture plan also helps with the location of lighting which is crucial to the design.  Getting this right before drywall is installed will save a lot of headache later on.

I spent Wednesday and Thursday in Maui doing a walk thru of one of my latest projects.

The future kitchen and dining room.  Our client’s contractor, Jamie, installed temporary plywood walls so we could get a sense of space.  This extra work was a great idea as it helped visualize the room layout.

Another important element I take note of is the “experience” you have as you approach the home from the street.  The interior design experience should be a continuation of the exterior design.  Additionally, tracing the path of the sun helps understand the effect natural light will have on the interior spaces.

Amazing views are the main focal point for this new home.  Therefore, the furniture layouts will face in this direction.