Guest Blogger: Emily of emmarie Web Design

When I started the process of looking for a web designer to do my online store, I looked far & wide.  I was nervous and totally got what it felt like being on the other side of things.  (A client looking for a designer = kind of scary)  I know NOTHING about web design and was looking for someone who could translate my style into a website which is no easy task.  My language is interiors .. but web design???  I had no idea how to get "me" into my website.   It was a long search to find "the one."  (Emily!)  Even once I found her, it was hard for me to covey to her what I wanted because I didn't quite know what it was, but she helped me get there. 

Emily's visiting today to talk about inspiration & how gathering it in unexpected places and using points of reference can get us to our final goal of creating whatever it is we're creating.  I didn't even know quite what she was doing when she did it but am so glad she did!!! :)

-ps- I am dying laughing out loud right now because when I first wrote this post I typo'd and wrote "online sore" ... a very sweet commenter let me know.  thank you so much!! :)   (you've probably noticed, but I don't proofread the blog so don't look too closely or you will definitely find more!! ;)

===========  Emily of emmarie Web Design:

I have always been a sucker for good design. Typography, interiors, graphics. You name it, if executed well, I will drool.

My favorite thing about designing is gathering inspiration. My favorite thing about gathering inspiration is gathering it in places you would never expect.

When working on designing Lauren's online shop, Lauren sent me inspirational pieces in the form of interior shots. She was showing me her style, and I was actually able to take these images of rooms she's designed (and her rooms definitely make me drool) and turn them into a website with the same style.
Don't get me wrong here; designing a room is far from designing websites - goodness knows the mess I've made of my own living room (though I do love my bedroom - pat on the back) - but it is very possible to pull inspiration for graphics from non-graphics.

And this works in every way possible, which is something that I think creatives sometimes forget. Designing a room? Thumb through a wedding invitation catalog. Designing a rad new typeface? Visit a fabric store for pattern overload. I'm an adamant enforcer of "get out of your studio so you can get some real work done!" Reach out of your design-y comfort zone and pull inspiration of less likely places. You might find yourself to be oh-so surprised at what comes of it.

Where are your favorite places to find inspiration?

Emily is a web designer and developer for her own studio at emmarie Web Design. You can also find her on her blog, teaching the basics of starting and running an online business at Indie Shopography, sharing small business showcases and resources at Piccola Mag, and on Twitter, where things sometimes get a little funny.

Thanks so much Emily!!!



If you'd like help creating a home you absolutely love, contact me about our design services.

Before & After: Happy Kids' Art Wall

This past Summer, a client of ours moved into a large newly-built home.  There were so many areas to address (we're still going) but one of the most important areas in making a house feel like a home is the kitchen.  Our client had collected a ton of her children's artwork and so we thought it would be great to make a focal point in the kitchen dining area out of it.  My client's style is bright & happy & fun so the colors were perfect.  We started out with this:

And we ended up with this:

We had so much fun creating this collage!!!   In the evening, the sconces create the prefect glow around the artwork.  We still have to do a bit of styling to do (a zebra rug was in our original plan & we need to put something pretty on the table- I'll be sure to get a final professional pic!) but I am loving the vibe!!!   The curtains are this great red medallion pattern that's happy, fresh & graphic.

This is something I've been meaning to do forevah for my boys & so my client's project gave me the get-up-and-go I needed.  It was super-easy but had such a big, personal impact on the space.  (I love easy high-impact projects.)  We picked up frames this weekend for house & I'm now scouring my house for the boys' artwork.  (I'm not as organized as my client with my kids's stuff! ;)  I'll be sure to share pics when we're done too!

My clients kids are so proud to have their artwork displayed in such a prominent spot in the house.  (They now even have plans for more walls!! :)  If you've got a spot for it, I think it's one of the coolest things you can do to make your kids feel like they've been included in "decorating" your home. 

I'm off for the day & hope you have a great one!! :)

INFO:

*The paint color remained the same... it's the difference btwn cloudy & sunny & cameras.

*Curtain fabric is by John Robshaw

*Pendant & Sconces by Visual Comfort}

If you'd like help creating a home you absolutely love, contact me about our design services.

Architects Have Great Tools - Exterior Color Studies

At Ron Brenner Architects we have been working on a series of color studies for a client of ours.
I have included a number of the studies below.  The client has selected a medium gray for the base body color; however I also did a couple of non-gray variations.  The black roof is a given on all schemes.  Which one would you choose?

scheme 1 - all white horizontal clapboard siding

scheme 2 - gray board and batten siding, rusty corrugated metal inside porch and in 'link" area

scheme 3 - dark gray board and batten body color with white clapboard inside the porch and in link area

scheme 4 - gray board and batten body color with dark plum inside the porch and in the link area

scheme 5 - gray board and batten body color with white clapboard inside the porch and in the link area

scheme 6 - gray board and batten body color with dark gray shakes inside the porch and  in the link area

scheme 7 - gray board and batten body color with white shakes inside the porch and in the link area