Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Residential Portfolio

We've updated our Residential Portfolio and have now instituted a self-imposed moratorium on Ink wall colors.  Apparently we're smitten.  Enjoy!

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Bocci Studio Tour + Omer Arbel

Photo by Fig

Inform Interiors was kind enough to host Hope and I for the weekend and we had the pleasure of attending several intimate events over our three days in BC.  Although I've found it nearly impossible to rank my favorite, I'd have to say that our time with Omer Arbel and touring the Bocci office and production facilities was the most inspirational and mind shifting in terms of shaping Fig Studio for future success.  As many of you may know I never set out to be an entrepreneur or business owner. I just wanted to design my heart out and work my creative muscles until I became old and gray, still creating from my rocking chair on a porch somewhere.  What I learned during my short time with Omer, is that design is inherently entrepreneurial and that there is no reason to fight the business side of your creative endeavors.  Approach ideas with openness and see where they take you.  You don't have to take traditional routes in Interior Design or what your professional practice publications tell you.  Why not play with materials, shapes, and construction and decide it's function later?

Bocci 28 Series as displayed at IDS West and 14 Series at Vancouver's Inform Interiors Showroom  Photos by Fig
I'm lucky enough to have recently specified Bocci's 14 Series pendant fixtures on a current project on the Columbia Gorge in White Salmon, Washington.  When grouped, the ethereal quality of these lights allows volumes of space to be turned into an artistic focus.  The above right photo demonstrates a few different combinations of the 14 series while the photo at the top of this post takes the concept a few steps further and envelopes a 5-story stairwell at the Bocci offices.

White Salmon Residence. Architect: Giulietti/Schouten.  Interior Design: Fig Studio Rendering by Tim Schouten

Bocci's creative process and Omer Arbel's design philosophy really got me thinking about the path Fig Studio will take in the future.  How can we turn our love for good design into an accessible product for our clients and collaborators. How do we weave our tapestry of ideas?  Fig is still an infant, and we have the chance to really shape where we go and what we become.  I'm so grateful to have the opportunity to meet visionaries like Omer, Brent Comber, and Ross Lovegrove at events like IDS West.  My goal for the next year is to seek out as much information as I can, continue to experiment with new ideas, and allow myself the freedom to try. 

Oh yeah, specifying amazing light fixtures is pretty cool.  I think I'll do some of that too.

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

IDS West + Vancouver BC

 Photo by Fig
I'm recovering from a near-perfect long weekend in Vancouver BC, which included a recharging trip to IDS West trade show and auxiliary events hosted by Inform.  My friend and fellow interior designer Hope Telford and I met the whirlwind trip head-on and enjoyed nearly every second of our time in chilly BC.  We spent a fair amount of time exploring product booths in the Convention Center and we definitely spent some time drooling over design details in the building itself.  The multi-layered end-grain wall paneling somehow seemed quintessentially Vancouver.  The structure was built during preparations for the 2010 Winter Olympics and has lived on as a beautiful resource for this growing city.


Photos by Fig



Trade shows are the perfect opportunity to recharge your design batteries, hone your editing skills, and meet new and interesting products in the world of interiors.  With Dwell on Design last Spring, IDS West, and my upcoming trip to the Milan Furniture fair, I'm focused on what's new and fresh in my industry and can pass these ideas on to my clients.  Knowing how to distill all of what we see into our design library and knowing what to toss aside is a great exercise in editing.  Let's face it, not all trends are worth following and may not be the right fit for every client.  Good designers know where to direct their focus and know what to leave back at the show.  I'll be sharing my favorite finds from IDS this week and may throw in a few from Dwell on Design last Spring.  Until then-  Fig.