Updates & Sketches

First and foremost, my deepest apologies for having been absent for so long!  

The last 4 months involved visitors, a trip home, a little sickness (just some sniffles, really) and work, lots and lots of work. If you're ever rolling your eyes at retail stores displaying Christmas in October, know that somewhere in the depths of that store, there is a designer ever so slowly turning into the Grinch and turning gray far too early. We'll suffice it to say that planning a holiday floor set is no small task.

Today's project is not a sweet baking one or a photography one, but one that goes back to my roots in school.  I've been missing sketching and brainstorming lately, so here's a little peeler set I drew up after needing too many types of peelers for one recipe. 

Thanks for reading,

A

A Bathroom Door

[If you've come to view my portfolio, see the Design Portfolio and Resume/Bio tabs.]

Good evening!  I hope you are all staying safe and dry on this rainy, gross day.

Today's blog post branched off of my Cafe Interior post from Saturday (below).  As I was picking out my cafe colors, textures and furnishings, I began to imagine what sort of a brand I would want throughout my cafe/shop.  Would it be a cute polka-dotted strategy of whimsy? A modern streamlined approach? Ponder, ponder. 

[If you are unfamiliar with exactly what branding means, here's a definition:
Creating a unique name and image for a product/company in the consumers' mind, mainly through advertising campaigns with a consistent theme. Branding aims to establish a significant and differentiated presence in the market that attracts and retains loyal customers.]


For some reason, my mental journey of "branding" for the cafe started with the signage on the restroom doors.  I began to sketch different graphics, but this sketch-session strayed further from the cafe to more of a "what would this bathroom door say about the establishment?"-session.  

Here are my concepts, their applications and what kind of an establishment I think they may be seen in. [Click each to view larger.]


 




Modern Twist :: laser cut from stainless steel; mounted onto dark-stained wooden door. 

Where :: a trendy, modern office/studio or restaurant.

Unique/Artsy :: bright-colored decal applied to a funky door that has a bold pattern.

Where :: a hip local clothing store or cafe/coffee shop; comic book shop or record store.

Metaphoric :: sand-blasted (deep) on frosted glass window set in a dark-stained wooden door in a mood-lit bathroom hallway

Where :: classy lounge bar/restaurant

Whimsical :: wooden door; laser-cut bright-colored acrylic bows; face circles are set in the wood - stained a different color than the rest of the door.

Where :: a cafe/coffee shop/hangout where customers have wide-rimmed glasses, and dress like Zooey Deschanel.

Minimal :: laser-cut from numerous materials - metal, wood, plastic, etc.

Where :: an easy placement in many trendy places.

Realistic :: decal printed to contrast door color

Where :: classy spa/wellness center or gym; where there is focus on the body

Also, I love this branding experiment, and felt it was relevant. Click, and enjoy! 


Thanks for reading!
A


Source: www.businessdictionary.com (definition of branding)

A Cafe Interior

[If you've come to view my portfolio, see the Design Portfolio and Resume/Bio tabs.] 

One day last week, I started to draw the layout of what I hope will one day be an awesome store where I sell my own products, after having manufactured them in my shop out back, after having designed them in my window-walled studio upstairs via a spiral staircase.  A girl can dream, right?

I also plan for this place to have a cafe featuring my BFF's recipes.  For the sake of the blog, and not completely publishing our awesome idea, I decided to do a post concerning only the cafe and hang-out area of the establishment.  The following images are guidelines for the layout, color scheme and overall vibe of the unnamed cafe (to be honest, we've thought of a very cute name, but I'm keeping it under wraps).  

The more I designed, the more I exclaimed loudly in my best Liz Lemon expression, 
"I want to go to there."

Quick Floor Plan

I know that this is usually the job of an Interior Designer, but who doesn't like shopping and piecing together a color palette? I started picking out my furnishings for the cafe, the outdoor patio and the lounge.

Larger View of Floor Plan with Call-outs

Cafe View

There you have it!  Perhaps you've just had a glimpse into what will someday be my cafe + design shop.

By the way, a little explanation on my fixation of manufacturing and selling my own product in-house:  In the field of design, I feel like so much is disposable and wasted these days.  I am really striving to be a part of something that is treasured and lasts for a while, rather than ending up in a junk pile in the garage after a season.  In my dream-job-search, I've narrowed that passion down to two possible dream-positions.  One being to design and sell individually-crafted products, perhaps with a small local firm, or to work at a multidiscipilnary firm alongside Architects, Interior Designers and Graphic Designers to design custom, specialty spaces [this project began to explore that].

Thanks for reading! Check out my resume and work in the above tabs!

List of Furnishings by Space ::
Cafe and Patio ::
Magnus Stained Chair - Restoration Hardware [9 Indoor / 20 Outdoor]
Bertoia Bar Chair - Knoll Studio  [10]
Min Table (Sm) - Design Within Reach [3]
Petal Dining Table - Design Within Reach [5]
Copper Shade Pendant - Tom Dixon at Lumens.com [3]
Clear Globe Pendant - West Elm [6]
Scrapwood Wallpaper - Peit Hein Eeek [Sq. Footage of Floating Wall]
Corian Solid Surface "Designer White" - DuPont [Bar]
Corian Solid Surface "Ethereal Azure" - DePont [Cafe Register/Coffee Counters]
Outdoor patio to be stone laid in radial pattern with moss between cracks 

Lounge ::
10' Lancaster Sofa in Brompton Cocoa Leather - Restoration Hardware [1]
Professor's Chair in Brompton Cocoa Leather - Restoration Hardware [4]
Contemporary Block Coffee Table in White - Furniture Depot [1]
Immer White Wood and Steel End Table - Casual Home Furnishings [2]
96" Boulangerie Extension Dining Table - Restoration Hardware [1]
Copper Shade Pendant - Tom Dixon at Lumens.com [2]
Magnus Stained Chair - Restoration Hardware [10]
Bertoia Bar Chair - Knoll Studio  [9]
Corian Solid Surface "Designer White" - DuPont [Bar Along Window]

Entry / Throughout ::
Bocci Suspension Lamp - Houzz [Entry]
Tobacco Road Acacia Handscraped Wood Flooring - Lumber Liquidators 
Brick Arches painted in an Antique White similar to Magnus Chair Stain

**Again, a girl can dream, right? What's a budget? =p

-A