Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

When teacher Clara McGillian and lecturer Nicholas Felstead first picked up the keys to their first home in May 2019 they knew there was a renovation and interiors mountain to start climbing.

Armed with very little DIY experience and a limited budget but a vast amount of enthusiasm they dived in to rescue a 1930s period property stuck in the past.

Even though the couple had viewed new-build houses they were desperate to live in a specific and respectable area also convenient for commuting to work; but so did many other people.

They were constantly being priced out of the area where they wanted to live and increasing the buying budget was not an option.

The only answer was to take on a renovation project - find a cheaper wreck and revive it.

So the hunt began for a property that had not been touched for years that was looking for some modern love.

In return for the makeover the house would repay the couple by adding value to their property investment.

Clara, aged 31 and originally from Northern Ireland, says: "When we first walked in and saw the original front door with the stained glass, we just knew that we had to have it! We could see so much potential in the house.

"However, at this point, we didn't even own a drill and we totally underestimated how much work was involved.

"It was like a time warp! It had elderly previous owners who we think last decorated it in the 70s - we found a date for 1972 under the wallpaper in the hallway.

"We also had found out that it had been empty for approximately four years and so it was quite musty and damp."

The couple had previously been renting and were anxious to banish years of magnolia memories and express their style on the interiors of this three bedroom semi in the Bridgend area.

But before colours, textures, furniture and accessories could even be considered, there was a whole house to drag from the past into the present day, from top to bottom.

Clara says: "We knew the house needed a whole rewire and we actually discovered that it had the original electrical consumer unit from the 1930s.

"Therefore, we got an electrician in straight away to start the work. We were renting at this time but we only had enough budget to rent for six weeks more before having to move into our new house. We were very much under a time pressure.

"We began by stripping all the wallpaper off every single surface, ceilings included, and we ripped down the old lath and plaster ceilings. Some were quite damaged and drooping."

The couple knew that at this demolition stage that any walls that were no longer welcome needed to be removed and moved to the skip.

This courageous and confident property pair knew exactly how they wanted to open up the most sociable space at the rear of the house.

So the wall between the then kitchen and dining room met with a sledgehammer, as did the wall from those two rooms to the hall.

Now, when you open the front door you are greeted by a pleasing visual journey into the home, down the hallway and into the kitchen diner at the back - all from the front mat and a touch of genius.

Clara says: "While the full rewire began, we also got a builder to come in and remove the wall between the dining room and the old galley kitchen.

"While this was going on, we also got plumbers in to re-plumb the whole house as it too had all the original plumbing. They also put in new pipe work for some new radiators as some rooms didn't have one."

Clara says: "We did keep all of the old radiators too as we couldn't afford to replace them all and they were in perfect working condition. We then got the whole house skimmed, which we were hoping to avoid but the original plaster wasn't in a great condition."

Then the tenancy was up on the couple's flat so, whatever state the house was in, they had to pack up and move in.

There was no kitchen, only one electric socket was working and the walls were only half-plastered.

But the state of the house made the couple work even harder to continue the renovation job they had started, as quickly as possible.

They spent the whole of the summer of 2019 grafting and ploughing their way through the DIY jobs, doing as much as they could themselves to save money.

Although a new experience for both of them, the couple successfully fitted their own kitchen, taking the time to measure accurately and rechecking everything was level during the installation; time consuming but necessary.

It might have taken two weeks but installing the kitchen themselves saved Clara and Nick a considerable amount of money, with the only expenditure being the worktops.

A professional was booked for this tricky job that requires specialist tools and if bodged, would have set them back financially.

Once the major renovation, structural and installation work was complete, then came the fun part; the interior design.

The couple looked to the house itself for that first spark of inspiration.

Clara says: "After renting for a decade, we were so sick of magnolia walls and brown carpet!

"We wanted our home to reflect our personalities but also to be a place where a happy atmosphere is created. We also wanted to tie our style into the home.

"The windows and the front door have stained glass and the colours are red, green and yellow.

"Were not huge fans of red but we used pink, green and yellow as base colours for the house and tied in shades of grey."

Now each room has its own identity and personality and yet fits effortlessly into the overall interior design scheme but this was not particularly planned.

Clara found inspiration on Instagram but she also gave herself the freedom to be spontaneous and try things.

She says: "Im not one of those people who plans or uses moodboards as Im far too impulsive!

"I usually decide on the atmosphere I want to create in the room and go from there - I think you need to get a feel for each room and then go from there.

"For example, I wanted our bedroom to be calming so I went for a dark green as I associate that colour with nature.

"Other rooms, I actually began with a piece of furniture so in our living room, we already had our blue sofa and then I bought our rug, so I planned the living room around those two items."

The overall look the couple continuously had in the back of their minds was to create a feeling of warmth and happiness in every space, in every room.

The shades and tones in the stained glass in the front door were the first step to injecting the once drab home with a welcome shot of colour and visual sunshine.

Clara says: "I wanted to walk through our front door at the end of a long day in work and feel instantly pleased so I chose colours and styles that make me feel happy."

And the couple have certainly achieved that.

From the moment the sunny yellow front door greets you and you walk in, you know this is a home full of joyful colour and intriguing personal design statements to enjoy.

Clara says: "I definitely have a thing for pink, green, yellow and grey! I think they are colours that complement each other well, this colour palette is running through the house.

"I love to have lots of cosy things like cushions, fur and throws. Personally, I think it makes the space feel much cosier and more comfy."

But despite the lack of planning, or maybe because of it, there are multiple interior connections between each space in the home as well as individual rooms with individual personalities.

There's a palette of strong colours but teamed with muted tones and neutrals, black accents and tactile soft fabrics and eye-catching metallics, the scheme is successful in creating balance.

Each room has zones and each space in that zone has intrigue.

The sunny yellow front door greets you and is offset by the dark grey wall up the stairs that sets a dramatic backdrop for an eclectic collection of wall art and mirrors, drawing the eye up to the first floor.

The stairs are colourful pastel stepping stones that are given extra impact being next to the dark grey wall and being framed in white.

The hall itself has a welcoming display of plants, instantly connecting the nearby outdoors to the indoors.

The lounge is a comfortable and inviting space, wrapped in a cocoon of Farrow & Ball's Sulking Room Pink shade that brings warmth coupled with the soft, tactile fabrics found throughout the space.

Drama is created by the introduction of jewel colours, with the emphasis of darker tones of green and blue.

Finally, the fireplace might be the bargain feature of the home, with the biggest expense being just the time to strip the wallpaper, remove the old gas fire and rip the plaster off.

And what a most appealing central feature it is, perfectly toning with the on-trend tones of dusky pink that is the backbone of the design in this room; and cheap to achieve.

The kitchen diner, now opened up, connects to the other spaces by continuing the tones of green and pink.

The use of the dark green in the dining space is dramatic but it is working hard to visually zone that space, create a more intimate atmosphere in this corner especially by painting the ceiling and connecting the room to the rest of the house.

The dark tone is also a perfect backdrop to the added wall art. Who knew one pot of dark green paint could work so hard and achieve so much?

The open-plan kitchen uses a more neutral palette of white, grey and black to create a bright and inviting space.

High shine worktops bounce light around, there's a nod to the age of the property with the choice of a Belfast sink and of course there are 'pops' of pink and green to catch the eye.

Arguably the kitchen has two main features that are instantly engaging; the central and sociable island unit and the cooker area.

Recessing the black cooker into the old chimney breast frames the space and successfully allows the installation of hidden, integrated lighting.

The statement tiles behind the cooker ensure that the eye is drawn across the whole kitchen, to the end of the room; it anchors the space.

Softness is introduced into the area through the cushions on the black metal breakfast bar stools, the plants and flowers. The choice of metallic hanging lights adds a touch of glamour to the space.

The kitchen diner has gone from two dark and lonely rooms to a bright and inviting sociable space.

Upstairs the three bedrooms have been shown some interiors love too.

The third bedroom, currently a dressing room, illustrates the impact that just a slice of dramatic wallpaper can bring to a small room without overwhelming it.

Using the wallpaper above the picture rail and on the ceiling gives the room a cosy feel but as it is elevated it is an accent.

If the wallpaper were used as the main interior feature on all the walls in a room this size it could feel rather overwhelming.

Clara's idea is cheaper too as it uses less wallpaper, although she says it was a challenge to paper the ceiling.

Clara has then created a band of candy pink under the picture rail before the soft pink takes over on the walls.

This banding is another clever idea, creating a gradual journey from a strong pattern to a soft pastel. Without the layer of candy pink, the transition between strong pattern and pale pastel might have visually looked too jaring.

The choice of yellow chair not only adds a focal point at ground level to balance the dramatic ceiling, it also visually connects to the stained glass panels in the window.

The master bedroom features the jewel-like dark green that can be spotted around the home and again it provides a perfect backdrop for art work and informs the colour choices of cushions.

Painting the slim panel of wall by the window - not stopping at the corner - is another great idea to pinch.

It creates a more visually dramatic effect by almost hugging the end of the bed that would not be there had the painting stopped suddenly at the corner.

Softness is created in the space via velvet cushions, a soft grey accent, plants that mirror the art work and the fluffiest of central light fittings.

The second bedroom illustrates that you can create a stunning effect by using paint creatively, and is a cheaper option than buying enough wallpaper for four walls - all you need is some paint and some water.

Decant the paint into a separate container, start painting at the bottom of the wall including the skirting board, add a small amount of water for the next layer up and blend. Patience is required but the final result is soft, inviting and engaging.

By not continuing the dark blue paint effect up to the junction of the wall and the ceiling, Clara has created balance in the room between the white floor and the white ceiling.

Colour fading into white creates the visual effect of extra room height, as the eye follows the paint's journey up the wall to its white destination.

Accents of pink and white, touches of metallic gold and tactile accessories such as cushions, wall art, plants and strings of light all add extra layers of softness and visual interest.

And then to the despised bathroom.

During lockdown the couple decided to tackle the bathroom, a space they were so unconnected with that they spent as little amount of time in the room as possible.

The couple decided to brighten up the bathroom as a temporary measure with only a budget of 180 to spend in this space.

Clara says once they have the budget, time and materials they will eventually rip it out and start again.

Clara says: "The bathroom was so dated. It was a place that we didn't really want to spend any time in. Ideally, we would have loved to rip it all out, however, it wasn't a priority as it was all fully functional.

"We decided to give it a budget makeover to try to make it a nicer room but it actually ended up much nicer than we thought possible."

So collecting the materials for a colourful transformation were gathered together.

In total Clara and Nicholas, 35, and originally from Shropshire, spent a week brightening the budget bathroom.

They got the materials from Homebase, with Ronseal One Coat tile paint on the tiles and the walls painted once the floral 1970s wallpaper was stripped off.

The shower curtain became a cheap and cheerful focal point from Amazon and the mirror was sourced from Dunelm.

Clara says: "We used Ronseal Diamond Hard floor paint on the floor boards. The grey paint for the bath panels and the pink paint for the sink unit were both paints left over from other parts of the house. The stars on the tiles were made from my Cricut machine and we used permanent vinyl.

"The main challenge was that Nick had to remake the bath panels as I accidentally threw the old one in the skip months before. So we bought MDF, cut it to size and then sealed the edges with PVA.

"I hated the old sink unit. It had a fake marble top and it looked so bad. However, by painting the unit pink and painting the fake marble top white, it totally transformed it and now I absolutely love it."

Clara remembers that fitting the kitchen was probably the most challenging project as the couple felt they might be stretching their very recently learnt DIY skills.

Read the original here:
Incredible budget transformation of dated semi-detached house into a colourful and popular Instagram home - Wales Online

The 50 States Project is a yearlong series of candid conversations with interior designers, state by state, about how theyve built their businesses. Today, were chatting with Charleston, South Carolinabased Cortney Bishop about how her firm has survived tremor periods, how she found her perfect photographer, and which Oprah quote has influenced her staffing strategy.

What was the moment you knew you wanted to be a designer?My family moved about every two years for my fathers job when I was a young child. When she was about 30 years old, my mother said, I want to stop moving and [have] my own career, so Im going to keep the girls in [one place] and you can commute from here. She is a very creative woman and had always wanted to have her own business, so she decided to take a chance and launch an interior design firm. She was a one-man show with a thriving business downstairs in the basement. I think that was probably the first spark.

I love that. Did you pursue design right away yourself, then?My father was a huge businessman and it was always about economics with him. And I was quite an entrepreneur as a childI would have lemonade stands, or make and sell braided barrettes with ribbons, or stationerywhatever I could do to make money. He pushed me to continue to get my business degree and go into the corporate world. Once I graduated from the business school at [the University of Georgia], I went to work for [a] consulting corporation, where I was selling beautiful beach club memberships to high-end resort communities. I was doing very well and I loved it, but then I met my husband in Paris.

We were there to see a rock band that I loved at the time, and we hung out in Paris for about 10 days and I fell madly in love. By the time we came back to the States and had our courtship, I decided to marry him. I moved to Bozeman, Montana, with him, and we [eventually] came back to the South and settled in Knoxville, Tennessee. I had a new husband, a new life, a brand-new community, and it was at that point that I decided this was my chance: I wanted to go into either fashion or interior design. They both seemed in line with what I felt capable of doing, but I chose interiors based on the opportunity to do it for the rest of my life and knowing that I was in a community that would engage and support it. Plus, I felt like I could bring something to the community at that time that was a little edgier.

How did you take that leap?I found a job at a design gallery that sold beautiful furniture and art with a design firm connected to the business, and I attached myself to one of the designers and learned everything I possibly could for two years. And then I asked her to leave with me and start our own business. For five years, we [ran] Barlow and Bishop together, and we were great. And then, 16 years ago, my husband and I moved back to Charleston, [near where I spent summers as a child] on a barrier island named Kiawah Island. [Thats when] I decided that it was time to go out on my own.

What is that like, starting fresh?The business degree really paid off. I enjoyed building the business almost as much as the work itselfstrategically thinking about how to grow a brand was so exciting to me. The outreach part felt like it always came naturally. We threw beautiful costume parties in town for nonprofit events, and I just continued to keep my name out there and be involved in the community. We bought a lovely home on Sullivans Island and I was able to renovate and decorate it myself, and then, as people started to come over, my name started to get mentioned.

A warm, inviting living area by Bishop marries classic and modern influences.Courtesy of Cortney Bishop Design

What drew some of your initial clients to your work?At the time, I think I just had a different perspective. I wasnt formally trained, so I didnt play by any rules, and it might have paid off that I was able to mix things up. It caught on through this renaissance of younger, fun, different types of people moving here that were wanting something Southern but a little more modern. [Not playing] by the rules wasnt great when I was growing up, but it served me in the end.

Weve built our business slow and steady. I always felt that we took a more modern, edgy approach to Southern design. Theres a beautiful Low Country aesthetic here, which I appreciateI mean, my mother was a very traditional designer, very influenced by Europe. She was very organized, everything was on point, and everything was holistically designed in one period of time. But I went in with a more relaxed, bohemian mentalitythats how I live my life. Theres nothing pristine or perfect about me or my home and family life, and I think that was refreshing at the time. We played this wild card in a town that is very traditional.

It sounds like there was an audience that was ready for it.Floor plans were changing, formalities were breaking down. Parents were wanting to spend more time with their kids instead of having parents in the formal room and the kids [somewhere else]. Things were starting to happen in architecture that alleviated those compartmentalizations, and we started doing things like deeper sofasthe more European-depth, relaxed furniture. Nothing oversized, but playing a little bit more with frames and sizes. Islands were at countertop instead of bar heightthose kinds of things were becoming quite appealing here. Also, this is a beach community, with barrier islands everywhere, so I think that coastal L.A. vibe is also something that was slowly growing here through our work.

Classical architecture, rustic elements and modernist shapes cohabitate seamlessly.Courtesy of Cortney Bishop Design

Do you still feel like an outlier in the Charleston design vernacular, or has the look and feel of the city caught up?When I moved to Charleston, there was an old guard of interior design firms that were extremely talentedand then the next jump was to people my age, this younger guard of women that were in our 30s. There were three or four of us trying to gain steam and do something a little differentand that was all before social media. And then [there was] the social media explosion with Instagram and everybody caught oneven the do-it-yourselfers caught on. Its just a matter of evolution of lifestyle and design, and I do feel like everybodys catching on to a little bit more relaxed living.

What has your approach to Instagram been?When I moved to Charleston and started out on my own, I knew that having good photography was extremely importantnot just somebody who could take a good picture, but a photographer that really captures your light and your vibe. Id already been working with a couple of photographers who I loved when I stumbled across a young womanshe was actually shooting a piece on my home for Rue magazine and showed up at my doorstep. She came in so nonchalantly with her backpack on and was like, Im just going to shoot your house. I was like, OK, great, what can I do to help? And she was like, Oh, nothin. And she toured around and took these incredibly bright, happy, vibrant shots of the house, and it just clicked. In that moment, I was like, This is my girl, shes getting my vibe. She got the energy behind it.

I think its extremely important to get a photographer who really can capture that for you and then invest in it. Invest in the photography every time you can, because you only get the opportunity to really shoot something one time before they live in it, right? To have her as a partner in building the business, and later in building social media, has been great for us. For me, its about putting out a quality interior design shot every day and trying to be a little lighthearted about itbut showing the work consistently. We really do try to do one post a day; thats the expectation that I hold for myself. Though its starting to get a little more complicated ...

With COVID?With everything reopening, yes. Weve got to workweve got to design these homes and make our deadlines and make our clients happy. And I realized that social media [could be] a full-time job, so were starting to fill those positions in the firm now, which is something I never really thought we would do[hiring] somebody in charge of making sure these projects are shot all the time, and that theyre capturing the lifestyle of the design firm as well as informing the community about what were doing and whats coming up. That is a full-time job, and it is extremely helpful. I would say 80 percent of our clients were coming from Instagram until this year, and now its a lot of people who are moving to their beach houses permanently until this COVID disaster ends.

What does the rest of your team look like, and what are you working on now?I have an incredible team: two lead designers, who each have assistants that are really partners in the choreographing, budgeting, and making sure that we stay in our number and on time. I also have a commercial team that helps me with the boutique jobs, plus a business management team. I really love residential, but I also continue to want to execute something for the community to enjoy, so this year, we have signed on for a lot in the Charleston area.

What kind of projects are those?We designed the Longboard restaurants in St. John and St. Thomas a few years ago, and now were doing one in our hometown on Sullivans Island, which has been really fun. Were also renovating an old hotel on Meeting Streetits going to be really hip and energized, definitely not the formality that Charleston is used to. Weve also partnered with a wonderful development company to do a big Kiawah project of oceanfront condominiums along with a beach club. Ive always wanted to do a beach club out there, so its kind of full circle. Im excited about all the opportunities that have come my way, but Im also biting my nails all the way to the holidays.

A breakfast area with ample natural light.Courtesy of Cortney Bishop Design

A whitewashed living room.Courtesy of Cortney Bishop Design

Left: A breakfast area with ample natural light. Courtesy of Cortney Bishop Design | Right: A whitewashed living room. Courtesy of Cortney Bishop Design

As youve gotten busier, how has your role in the firm changed? How hands-on are you with each project?I think thats the hardest thing. But the team that I have here, theyve been with me awhileone for 10 years, others for seven and five. We have a family of girls that we can trust.

Im a little ADD, so I like to do a lot of things at one time, and this career, it works for me. I can jump from project to project, I can have my thoughts in many different places, and it somehow turned out to be a gift. I remember Oprah once said, Surround yourself with people at the same tempo as you. I know Im really quick, I like to do a lot at one time, and they get that and are there to support me creatively and logistically so that I am able to be involved in every project.

Now, do I know how many projects is the max? No, I have no idea. Im always looking at them and saying, Oh, shit, Im so sorry, what have I done? They know when to look at me and say, OK, Cortney, thats enough. And when I get that cue, I know that I need to back off. This year has been an especially interesting one, right? We all dont know what comes next.

I feel like were all reassessing what our boundaries and limits are right now.Absolutely. We just dont know. Im grateful for the workload, and for the opportunities that weve received throughout this pandemic, but Im also almost scared to choose what my next year is going to look like. I dont know what I want. The one thing Ive decided is that were not going to travel to other locations for a home build or a commercial project unless its with one of our tried-and-true partnerssomeone who understands how we work.

How much were you traveling before?Weve had so much fun being able to traveljust the access we have in the modern worldand I was riding that. I was flying to Morocco for rugs, going to Paris for the design shows, and now thats all gone. It went away in one year, so were recalibrating. Were also going to pause on [taking on] homes in New York or Atlanta or wherever it may be along the East Coast. Were going to take a little break from that and focus on our own community. Theres so much opportunity here, and its fun actually being home. Thats something that Ive realizednesting is good.

Recalibrating. Thats such a good word for it.Trying to decide the best way to not stress, right? To live our lives the best way we can and appreciate what we have.

The wood ceiling adds a soft glow to a dining room with a view.Courtesy of Cortney Bishop Design

I love that your team has stayed with you for so long. How have you cultivated that, and how did you know when it was time to grow?I never could have been an interior designer on my own. My mother managed everything on her own, but I need that person to bounce things off of, whether it was my original partner or my very first hire, Leigh, whos still here. I needed somebody by my side. That one person turned into another person, which turned into another personand even if we didnt have the jobs to support three or four people, we still figured it out and made it fun. [Sometimes that meant asking] if someone could work part-time for a while, but we somehow held it togethereven through the economic crash, [when we were] doing nonprofit events or parties to hang on. And then things started picking up.

I always call those tremor periods. I feel like God tests youthrows a million things at you, and if you can break through that without having a nervous breakdown (or maybe you have one or two, but you still keep going), you have to push yourself to make those moves. Ive always put myself in risky situationsI love to push the boundaries and see what Im capable of, and so just going for it [is a big part of it for me]. I get the looks from the girls, like, Really, did you just sign on for that? But you never know until you try! And I dont feel like failure is actually a failureits more like: Oops, well I learned from that. I wont do that again.

What was the most transformative change you made along the way?The best advice I ever got about hiring was from Holly Hunt. My mother-in-law was at a lunch event with her in Colorado, and she said, My daughter-in-law has been working so hard and her business is growing, what one piece of advice would you give her? And Holly said, Tell her to hire a business manager no matter whatit will pay for itself by saving her so many headaches and getting her out of the logistics. So six years ago, I hired Blair. She processes all the money and gets all that office stuff off my plateand thats the best money Ive ever spent. Shes a great adviser, she cuts all the checks, she makes sure the checks are correct, that Im not paying too much for shipping or tax somewhere, and that were competitive when were pricing out shippers. Shes also human resources now for the team and can make sure theyve got their IRAs and insurance set upall the things that they deserve, and that I wouldve never been able to process without her.

And you hired her because of Holly Hunts advice?Yes, of course! It was a godsend. I asked my CPA to put the word out, and then Blair walked through my door and said, I hear you need somebody. And shes been perfect. Shes the biggest cheerleader for us, and its helped us get to the next level. And now weve grown again with a few more hiresfor social media, as well as for things like the Harwood House fabric line and building that brand with a second collection.

A stylish set of bunk beds with plenty of storage.Courtesy of Cortney Bishop Design

A dark ceiling makes a statement.Courtesy of Cortney Bishop Design

Left: A stylish set of bunk beds with plenty of storage. Courtesy of Cortney Bishop Design | Right: A dark ceiling makes a statement. Courtesy of Cortney Bishop Design

How have you landed on the right processes for your business?One of the things that taught me a lot was getting somebody in here that wasnt in the business. Hiring Blairshe understands business management, and she listened to my ideas and helped me break them down. We did a whiteboard diagram and she asked me: What makes your clients happy? The first thing I said was: Coming in on budget and on time. And if thats the ultimate goal, then how do we make sure that the client is comfortable with the money that theyre spending [during] the entire process?

And you retooled your business around that idea?We made it a priority to create processes to track our budgets, and now we have an incredibly strong business structure. When clients are interviewing us, we can pull out all the spreadsheets, starting with what we recommend the builder spend on finishes, whether its tile, appliances, cabinets or hardware. We give the budget numbers to the builder with the client in front of us, so theres no under-bidding the jobif theyre going to hire us, they know that the tiles going to be $60,000, and the plumbing is going to be $45,000, or whatever it may be. We give the builders numbers that we think are appropriate for the job, and on top of that, we continue to give the clients spreadsheets that allow them to follow along with the process.

From there, we do the furniture plan, then the RCPs, and then we provide a lighting budget that correlates to the lighting allowance, and then do spreadsheets and budgets for every line item. [Whether its] the bed, pillowcases, household essentials, or art and accessories, theres a line item budgeted that theyve agreed to. At the end of the job, they land at $450,000 (or whatever the budget is), turnkeythey know thats the number and were not going to go over it unless they find something thats, like, a $50,000 piece of art we werent expecting.

Were all working from a [shared] document, so theres not all this, Oh, heres another hourly bill that you werent expecting. Or, Heres the shipping costdid you know about those? Or the receiving cost? All of that stuff is not good business. We wanted to be black-and-white. Especially with money, its never good unless everybodys on the same page.

How did that require changing the way you worked?Its a lot of work on the front end, and we put in the time. We did a two-week workshop to find the holes in the system and [figure out] how to create a safety net for our clients to feel comfortable. Then we created the templates and the spreadsheets. We all go by the same process and everybody is aligning to that budget spreadsheet at all times. The budget spreadsheet also carries ETAs, locations, lead times, where is the product at this momentthats what the lead designers assistant does, shes calling the vendors to ask, Is this going to be in on time? We only have four weeks until install! Im grateful that my father pushed me so hard for that business degree, because its really helped me. If we have a reputation for anything with our clients, Id say its that were really organized and thoughtful about their money.

Did instituting this new system change the way clients reacted to the process?Absolutely. Its unbelievable how blown away they are. I see it on their faces. I think they just werent aware.

That so much was happening behind the scenes for their project?I think theres always this concern clients have that its going to be extremely expensive, and how do we keep it from getting out of control? It doesnt matter what the budget is, everybody should feel good about knowing where theyre going to end up. And that, to me, was extremely important in gaining their confidence and loyalty.

An ethereal bedroom blends a medley of textures in soft hues.Courtesy of Cortney Bishop Design

Did that spreadsheet and road map change the way you talk to clients about money?Absolutely. I start the conversation by saying, Youre driving this train. You hired us, you like the work that we do, and this is what that typically costs for us. But youre in charge, so if $350,000 isnt what you want to spend on your home, then lets talk about it. Is it $250,000? OK, this is what we can do for that amount of money. Theyre going to have to understand where maybe the quality versus the luxury is going to playwe love the high-low game, but we have standards on design and like to work with people that we love who want quality work.

We also ask for money upfront, because you know how fast you have to get things moving, so its really important that we get the money invested in the company to keep the wheels turning for them. We will say, Your total budget is $550,000. Were requesting $350,000 now, and well request another 25 percent in six weeks, all lining up to their installation date.

Whats the biggest thing you wish you had known when you started your firm?How much I would be invested in it emotionallyhow much of a toll it would take on me. Were intuitive people; were trying to create this beautiful environment for [our clients] to live in, whether theyre creative or not. Which, by the way, some are, and they can see things three-dimensionally. Others are like, I dont understand. It looks dark, but the walls are all white. You have to build it for them, and thats really tough, and I get really deflated when I hear them say that. Im like, No, its going to be so beautifultrust me! You want them to ride the ride with you, and sometimes its more difficult and you sacrifice some of the design because of that. I get so emotionally attached to their feedback. Its like always wanting to be likedyou feel like youve done something to disappoint them, and thats hard.

A playful kid's bedroom is fun yet sophisticated, complete with a pale pink pattern on the ceiling that echoes the rug.Courtesy of Cortney Bishop Design

What business decision has been the happiest surprise?One of the best decisions I made was to start a receiving company with my husband about three years agowhich was really incredible for streamlining the logistics of the company. It was so easy, and the reason we did it was because I wanted my own installers who were at my beck and call. Its all about the reveal, right? You work so hard and you want that moment to be so special, but we were realizing that things were broken, things were lost, we didnt have accurate data about what was being received at what time. It was extremely disorganized.

I just decided one day to look for a warehouse for rent. Had I known that it would be so successful, I would have looked to buy, but at the time we didnt have the cash. We found something right up the street from my studioits 5,000 square feet, and everything is received there. We have one warehouse manager who stays there nine-to-fivejust oneand then we invested in a Sprinter van and a 30-foot truck because we were working hard enough that there were plenty of deliveries.

Building that company has been really fun, but the benefits are really for the design firm. The level of satisfaction for my clientspoof, one second their house is sticks and bricks, and then in three days its fully furnished. Were able to take away their furniture that they want to consign, and its all organized for them. It alleviates any of the issues. Its a really great asset and service that weve added to the design firm.

Do you contract with other design firms locally, as well?Yes, we do. The goal was to gather four or five of my best design friends and take their business on. Unfortunately, Ive taken up most of the warehouse, but there are plenty of deliveries that my husband has choreographed with his team to subsidize the rent.

When is the right moment to take on something like that?I think a warehouse space is always a good investment in thriving cities. Were looking to buy one, but its impossibletheres nothing available. But if youve been in business in your community for three to five years and are continuing to get work, and are really excited about where your career is headed, I would say nows the time. Theres nothing worse than having four storage units with furniture stacked up to the ceiling, where you dont know what you have and there are lamp parts everywhere.

For me, it paid for itself in the quality we can deliver and our ability to build our inventory. We of course have those budget spreadsheets, and were specifying all the furniture along the way, but there are always those line items at the bottom of the spreadsheetthings like accessories or bedding. I hate to see something and then say, I should have bought that. If you have big home installations all year like we do, its worth it for me. I can also go ahead and pull the trigger on beautiful, unique pieces that are reasonably pricedquilts and bedding and beautiful textilesthe things you might not find at the last minute. We enjoy buying pottery from our vintage dealers. We probably install 15 to 20 pieces in every home, but we dont specify it until we install.

A subtle pattern on the wall creates soothing movement.Courtesy of Cortney Bishop Design

You also have a fabric line with Holland & Sherry. What made you take that leap?The fabric line was quite serendipitous. I always knew that I wanted to design textiles. I started to dabble in it four or five years ago, collecting fabrics that I loved. I started to drawyou know when you buy graph paper and start coloring, and you dont know how to get there but you start thinking about it. I talked to some people who knew mills that were good at printing on linens, but nobody knew how to do wovens, or where I would go to find a weaver. It seemed like I would have to travel, possibly even out of the U.S., to really get down and dirty and understand it. And so it was just this dream that was out there.

How did it all come together?I always knew in my heart of hearts that Holland & Sherry would be the perfect partner for meI dreamed of it. Honest to God, I did! I love menswear. My dad was always dressed to the nines in three-piece suitswhen we lived in England, he used to take me to Holland & Sherrys mens store and wed have his suits made there. I just thought, I want this oversized houndstooth and these pinstripesI want to make classic patterns edgy, so those were the woven scraps that I was collecting. I had tabled it because I had no idea how I was going to do it, but I was starting to gather the information on an investment to figure out how much money it would cost, when [Holland & Sherry president] Bryan Dicker called me and said, Hey Cortney, were so grateful for your business with Holland & Sherry, would you mind if I stopped by? My heart was just pounding, leaping out of my chest. Id never heard from him before, but I was like, Oh, my gosh, this is my opportunityand hes going to be here in 30 minutes. So I [decided to] gather the guts to say something to him.

He walked in and noticed the rugs in my studio. Within 30 seconds, he said, Youve got beautiful rugs in here, would you ever consider doing a rug collaboration with Holland & Sherry? And I was like, Yes. The lightbulbs are flying off. I was like, I dont know if Im ready to do rugs, but I would love to do a textile collection with you guys. And he was like, Well, hell, lets do it! You want to go have a drink at the Dewberry? So we chatted about business in general and I asked a few questions. I didnt want to freak out on him! I met him later that night and we never stopped talking about it.

The collection literally came so serendipitously. It was right after my father died, so I think he had something to do with it. The first collection was named the Cardinal collection in honor of him, and the fabrics are really inspired by those old suit pieces that he used to wear. So it really just came full circle for me, and Im so gratefulI could not be happier with the partnership.

Thats such a beautiful story. When you look ahead, where do you see an opportunity to grow? Or, what does success look like for you in this moment?I used to think about that a lot, but now I feel like Im just enjoying it. I feel like every day is successful in its own way. I get so much joy being in the studio with the girls here. Im really happy and I feel like the work were doing is excellent. I feel a lot of gratitude when I see how happy were making our clients and partners. Theres really nothing that Im dying to do at this point besides more of what Im doing now.

To learn more about Cortney Bishop, visit her website or find her on Instagram.

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Why this South Carolina designer launched her own receiving company - Business of Home

South Harrison, NJ, October 13, 2020-A school in South Harrison, New Jersey is encumbered by toxic mercury fumes rising from its floors, reports NJ.com.

The community is currently voting on a $1 million bond to remediate and replace the all-purpose room floor at South Harrison Elementary School. The phenol mercuric acetate (PMA), used to seal a rubbery surface to flooring, can break down over time and release fumes that are odorless but toxic.

From the 1960s to the early 2000s, schools, communities, colleges, universities, prisons throughout the country installed indoor gymnasiums, field houses, outdoor running tracks and similar rooms and athletic facilities, reports Penn Jersey Environmental Consulting. According to the 3M Corporation, their Tartan brand polyurethane flooring product (along with 8 other known brands) may contain as much as 1,000 2,000 parts per million (mg/kg) total mercury. It is now known that the PMA breaks down to metallic mercury over time, which is released as a vapor into the air.

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NJ School Voting on Bond to Replace Floor Emitting Toxic Mercury Fumes - Floor Focus

A $1 million bond referendum is on the ballot again in November after residents in a small Gloucester County town defeated it in the spring.

The proposal in South Harrison seeks to fund the replacement and remediation of flooring that is emitting toxic mercury vapors in the one-school town.

The all-purpose room in South Harrison Elementary School has flooring made with phenol mercuric acetate (PMA). The substance, used to seal a rubbery surface to flooring in gyms and other school rooms, can breakdown over time and release fumes that are odorless but toxic.

Superintendent Jim Lavender, who also oversees the nearby Kingsway Regional District, said he and other school officials hope a larger turnout in the general election will approve the proposal.

We did it in March and it failed, Lavender said Thursday. The voter turnout was 15%, maybe. So the thinking was, taking advantage of a general election were going to have a higher turnout. The board believes were going to have a truer representation of how the voters feel about this project.

If approved, the measure would add $62 to the residential property tax bill of $3,489.67 for the typical homeowner.

Lavender said the cost for replacing just under 5,000 square-feet of flooring could be less than $1 million if concrete under the floor is not also contaminated with PMA. He said any savings would be credited back to the bond amount. The superintendent said the district also qualifies for a rebate of up to 40% of the bond repayment from the state.

Lavender said the gym in the elementary school has been closed for more than a year after environmental testing showed mercury vapors in the room exceeded environmental standards of .8 micrograms per cubic unit of air.

The floors can stay in use by ventilating the rooms with fresh air and keeping temperatures between 68 to 72 degrees. The warmer the room is, the more vapors that are likely to be emitted. Students in the district returned to in-person classes on an alternating, cohort schedule for the upper and lower elementary school.

South Harrison is not the only school in the state, or nation, facing this problem. This type of flooring was widely installed until the early 2000s as an alternative to traditional wood floors for gyms and tile floors for cafeterias and all-purpose rooms which may also serve as auditoriums.

Washington Township, Gloucester County found it in flooring in eight of the townships 11 schools. Only one of the schools, Whitman Elementary, had levels that exceeded safe limits.

The remediation efforts in Washington Township were estimated at $3.2 million, officials there said. But an engineer the district hired to study the problem said she thinks it extends far beyond Washington Township.

This is not just a Washington Township problem, this is not just a state problem. This is a national problem, Annina Hogan said.

A bond referendum was passed in Deptford, Gloucester County in January that included funding to replace contaminated gym floors in three elementary schools.

The New Jersey Education Association warned its members last year that 11 school unions have sought help with the issue and that it suspects there are more mercury-laced floors out there.

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Bill Duhart may be reached at bduhart@njadvancemedia.com.

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Mercury vapors are seeping out of N.J. schools floor. $1M plan will fix it, if voters OK it. - NJ.com

Engineers at Viega use simulation applications to share results of finite element modelling with their customers, offering them valuable engineering support as they design radiant heating and cooling systems for both residential and commercial applications.

Imagine the race against time that emergency workers compete in on a daily basis, as well as the panic, stress, adrenaline and rush that comes with driving an ambulance or emergency helicopter. Now, imagine the emergency worker arriving on scene in the dead of winter, only to find the helicopter landing zone covered in ice and snow. Under such intense time constraints, can this area be shovelled quickly enough? What about emergency vehicles slipping on hidden ice? Is it worth the risk to be held at the mercy of these arctic conditions with such high stakes?

Fortunately, there is technology that can safeguard against these issues and it is becoming increasingly prominent: hydronic snowmelt systems. Piping encased in a thermal mass (typically concrete) allows for warm water to circulate throughout the area requiring snowmelt. With regards to an emergency situation, when designed properly, the system will prevent the buildup of ice and snow, thus alleviating the need for manual cleanup.

When it comes to applications where heating or cooling is required, radiant floor systems use a similar piping design to control space temperature and comfort by regulating the flow and temperature of water in tubing installed beneath the floor (Figure 2).

Viega, a company that both designs and manufactures radiant heating systems, helps tackle situations where special methods of temperature control are needed.

Although they have existed in various forms since the Roman Empire, radiant systems are turning out to be particularly useful in modern society for both commercial and residential applications. Radiant heating is used not only for floor warming applications but also to control the temperature of a room. When the floor can be kept at a warm temperature, it will give off thermal radiation in the room. This radiation will only be absorbed by opaque surfaces; in other words, it will be absorbed by our bodies (but not the air), creating a feeling of warmth.

A tubing layout is designed in a specific configuration by Viega. The tubing is then laid beneath the flooring in a panel system. Hot water (or cold water in cooling applications) runs through the tubing and heats the surrounding material. The uppermost surface of the floor then radiates heat to the rest of the room. This is just like when you move from a shady spot to a sunbathed one; although the air temperature is the same, your skin feels much warmer because of the absorption of thermal radiation. The special tubing is made of a cross-linked, high-density polyethene (known commonly as PEX). The cross-linking benefits are two-fold: It provides the capability to withstand higher temperatures and pressures and increases its resistance to stress cracking. These tubes are vigorously tested, adhering to standards for temperature and pressure ratings, minimum bending radii and pipe wall thickness.

The recent emergence of environmental consciousness and energy efficiency at the forefront of building design has contributed strongly to the increased popularity in radiant heating. Radiant heating systems pair quite well with modern, high-efficiency water boilers and since they dont circulate air and utilise lower water temperatures than a baseboard system (115F vs. 180F), they optimise the energy consumption. The water temperature in the tubing distribution is simply controlled by the opening and closing of valves and even yields a more constant temperature throughout the room.

Brett Austin, supervisor of heating and cooling design at Viega, uses the COMSOL Multiphysics software to design a system to meet their customers needs. COMSOL supplements our heating and cooling design and layout program, Austin says. We draw the layout on floor plans, move it into COMSOL and eventually share it with customers. Simulation allows us to provide engineering data to support our designs. When a project is proposed to them, a mechanical engineer from the site provides requirements for heating and cooling outputs, structural specifications, floor covering materials and usually a range of acceptable water temperatures. They then use simulation to determine tube placement and spacing, temperature distributions (Figure 3) and heating or cooling capacity to make sure the customers needs are met. COMSOL is primarily helpful for nonstandard applications where there is multidirectional output or more complex structures, Austin says.

Viega truly benefits from multiphysics simulation through the use of simulation applications and COMSOL Server to share them with their customers. When Viegas team is at meetings with prospective customers, they can now quickly adjust parameters, like water temperature or tubing diameter and show the output of the heating or cooling system on the spot.

Prospective customers often have many initial questions involving multiple iterations, Austin explains. But the simulation applications allow us to go above and beyond and offer them the invaluable service of visualisation. It is a great tool that allows us to share data virtually anywhere in the world from our office.

In environments like Southern California, cooling contributes more to comfort than heating. Thats why the Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center (ARTIC, Figure 4) came to Viega about installing a radiant cooling system. Because of the massive size of the building, a forced-air circulation system would be near impossible to achieve and hopelessly expensive. Once again, the team underwent the task of modelling smaller sections of flooring and extrapolating the data to the entire layout. This scenario, however, had some added difficulty and required quite the balancing act from Austin. For starters, because of the dome-shaped structure and high amount of window space (Figure 5), there were abnormally high solar gains that added significant heat energy to the building. The cooling capacity, therefore, had to be very high to counteract this. On the flip side, because of constraints from the engineers on the ARTIC side, the water temperatures in the tubing had to be much lower than usual cooling systems (50F vs. 58F); but as temperatures neared dew point at the surface of the floor in some areas that had closely spaced tubing, Viega wanted to ensure peace of mind to the customer that condensation was not a concern.

Using COMSOL Multiphysics, they were able to determine what to do to prevent condensation from forming; installing a thin layer of insulation around the pipe. We worked out a solution with the onsite engineer to add an insulation layer on top of the supply tubing to slightly reduce the output, Austin says. It seems counterintuitive, but in this case, it prevents condensation in areas that had closely spaced tubing due to construction constraints. Additionally, on other projects, they have used COMSOL to run time-dependent simulations to help develop a control strategy where the slabs in the floor are cooled overnight to conserve energy. The chilled water is run throughout the night, cooling the concrete to a low temperature. In the morning, the water is turned off and the floor temperature stays cool for the remainder of the day. This contributes strongly to the reduction of necessary cooling power. Simulation was used to see how long the output will continue throughout the day and if this is a feasible strategy.

Even though snow-melting systems can act as a critical safety feature for emergency entrances and helicopter landing pads, they can be equally as useful at the other end of the spectrum: luxury. High-end ski resorts place extreme value on their customers safety and a sophisticated and reliable snow-melt system is essential to their experience. In a snow-melt system, the ground is kept at a warm temperature, which continuously melts snow and ice.

When Sun Valley Ski Resort, located in Ketchum, Idaho, came to Viega, Austin knew how sizable a task they were about to undertake. The ski resort wanted to install a radiant snow-melting system throughout the entire resort, requiring more than 60,000 square feet of walk areas and driveways. To deal with such a large project using simulation, Austin and his team had to model sections of the system. Fortunately, there are similar types of panels throughout most jobs, he explains. We used our internal program to draw out a section in a CAD format. Then wed draw a small cut-piece in the software, specify the radiant panel material properties and water temperatures and then run the simulation. Simulation applications made it seamless to present the results to Sun Valley representatives and played a major part in completing this job.

Sun Valley Ski Resort benefitted tremendously from Viegas design and installation. All pathways and areas with high foot traffic were involved (Figure 6). As it was not always feasible to plough or shovel these areas, another method of snow removal was needed. A snowmelt system such as this minimises any cleanup, reduces maintenance and contributes to a professional appearance as there is no need for salt or chemicals. It also, most importantly, adds an extra level of safety and reduces liability by allowing for ice-free zones.

COMSOL Server has provided a robust solution to couple Viegas services with their sales team. COMSOL has given much added value to our work and extended finite element modelling to our sales team, Austin says. It was very intuitive and easy to pick up the software and we plan on using more coupled physics interfaces in the future to increase our modelling capabilities.

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Promoted Content: The Unseen Wonders of Radiant Heating, Cooling and Snowmelting - The Engineer

Each leaf will have Hope written on it

The cathedral will play host to The Leaves of the Trees, an art installation by sculptor Peter Walker.

The artwork is made up of 5,000 steel leaves, each with the word HOPE written on them, designed to honour those who have died during the pandemic and to allow everyone to reflect on their experiences.

The Dean of Lichfield, the Rev Adrian Dorber, said the artwork matches the mood of people during the pandemic. He said: The pandemic has affected every facet of life and since the start of the lockdown in March weve experienced new stresses and challenges.

This large-scale work by Peter Walker, our artist in residence, matches the mood with the moment as autumn sees leaf-fall, shorter, cooler days and the approach of winter darkness.

We house the installation in holy space that testifies always to hope and we offer this exhibition as an opportunity to think, pray, reflect and figure out the nature of our hope.

All 5,000 steel leaves will appear as if naturally scattered by the wind on the floor of the cathedral.

Mr Walker said he had chosen steel as the material to help remind people of resilience and collective strength.

He said: As the artwork tours around the country the steel will age, rust and change colour, just as the leaves of trees do when they fall each year.

It is hoped that the simplicity and beauty of the installation will give people the chance to pause and contemplate on their own experience and also the wider situation that we find ourselves in.

Visitors to Lichfield Cathedral can view the installation from October 31 to November 25 during usual daytime opening hours.

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Reflective pandemic art installation to be hosted at Lichfield Cathedral - expressandstar.com

Tim Leiweke

New York Islanders and state officials gathered at the future home of the UBS Arena last Friday morning to watch as construction crews placed the highest beam atop the 885-square-foot facility.

Today is a very, very special day, Northwell Health CEO Michael Dowling said at the topping-off ceremony. The health system the largest in New York State has partnered with the Islanders and lead developer Oak View Group to provide more community-based wellness programs and ensure peoples safety and well-being while inside the future live entertainment and sports venue.

This is about hope, he said. This is about the future.

Construction on the nearly $2 billion project was delayed by two months when Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced his New York on Pause order in March, but now, Oak View Group CEO Tim Leiweke said, the project is back on track to open next fall. He and Islanders co-owner Jon Ledecky attributed that success to the hard work of the projects 10,000 union workers.

Its because of each of you that we are able to reach this important milestone, Ledecky told the workers on-site at the ceremony, with Leiweke adding that he cannot believe what a phenomenal job youve done.

Officials broke ground on the site last September, and they expect the roof to be two-thirds complete by the holiday season. From there, Leiweke said, crews could start working on the electricity and plumbing, and putting up drywall.

Crews have already begun installing the beams and stanchions for the stadium seats, and watched as the highest beam, signed by officials and union workers, was put in place on Oct. 9.

The facility is expected to open in time for the National Hockey Leagues 2021-22 season, and will house a 17,000-seat arena for the Islanders hockey team, as well as 20,000 seats for concerts. There will also be 56 suites, private clubs and 2,000 premium seats.

Musical artists, many of whom postponed their 2020 tours, will also benefit from a two-way ramp that will accommodate eight trucks, one of which will be able to drive right onto the arena floor, for artists to easily unload their equipment. They will also be able to stay in a four-season presidential suite, complete with their own greenrooms and offices that will be only 15 steps from the stadium.

They went out of their way to make sure we didnt cut any corners, Leiweke said of designer Populous at a webinar about the future of live sports and entertainment on Oct. 8, adding that UBS bathrooms are nicer than most arenas.

Oak View Group officials have also spent months looking into different sanitation technologies to implement at the new UBS Arena, and assembled a task force to discuss health and safety. They will also create new standards for health and safety at arenas that an independent agency would rate them on.

Our job is to ultimately deal with the virus, Leiweke said, noting that he had met with Dowling early on in the planning stage to discuss how they could safely open an arena during a pandemic, and Dowling informed him about the need for air-filtration systems.

The arena will now feature four massive air-pumping stations and technology that disinfects the air. It will also use ultraviolet lights to help disinfect surfaces and will feature outdoor spaces, and the grab-and-go technology that Amazon uses at its Amazon Go stores. Oak View Group was able to get that technology at its UBS Arena due to its naming rights agreement with Amazon for the Seattle Krakens new stadium.

Were working with the gold standard, Islanders co-owner Jon Ledecky said. We have to make sure a fan feels 1,000 percent safe when they enter the building.

But the Oak View Group, the Islanders and Northwell Health are also making sure people in the community stay safe. They announced on Oct. 6 that, as part of the partnership, Northwell and the Islanders will create community programs focused on health, nutrition and physical activity. The partnership will also help Northwell expand its outreach efforts, Dowling said, and learn more about the communitys needs.

It will be continuous learning, Dowling said, with Leiweke adding that officials from the different organizations will learn more about the communitys needs before the first puck drops at the arena in 14 months.

A retail village included in the plans for the redevelopment project, however, may open a year later due to coronavirus delays, and the south platform of a new Elmont Long Island Rail Road station at the site will open around Nov. 1 of next year with the north platform serving westbound trains finished a year later. The station will include 5,500 parking spaces, with 150 reserved for commuter parking.

We will be fine, and we will get through this, Leiweke said at another panel discussion about the construction project on Oct. 8. Im not going to let a temporary virus affect what were doing here.

The project is being privately funded, Leiweke said, and is expected to provide a significant boost to the regional economy, at a time when economic activity has slowed because of the coronavirus pandemic. It is expected to generate roughly $25 billion in economic activity over the term of its lease, and developers have vowed to fill 30 percent of the arenas permanent jobs with workers who live in the surrounding area.

Additionally, 30 percent of contracting dollars for construction was earmarked for state-certified minority- and female-owned businesses, and 6 percent was earmarked for service-disabled veteran-owned businesses.

If you dont think New York is going to return, you are blind to whats going on around us today, Leiwekee said at the ceremony on Friday. To all of those that doubt New York, come visit us at UBS.

For more information about the arena, visit http://www.UBSArena.com.

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Highest beam installed at UBS Arena - liherald

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Wood County Health Department business inspections for September.

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Following are the latest results ofWood County Health Department inspections onlicensed food establishments and other types of businesses, which USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin reports regularly.

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Wood County inspections: Employees handling food with bare hands - Wisconsin Rapids Tribune

Kentucky voters who requested an absentee ballot for theNovember election can return them by mail or in secure drop boxes.

Henderson County has one drop box inside the county courthouse and is installing a second one outside.

County Clerk Renesa Abner said the drop box outside the courthouse will be under constant surveillance and it gives voters a chance to deliver their ballot 24/7.

"Part of that installation will be that its bolted down in the concrete, so it would be extremely difficult to, you know, take that away," said Abner. "Also our courthouse houses our sheriffs department. Their office is on the same floor entrance as that drop box, so I feel very safe having it outside.

Henderson County's registered voters can also choose early in-person voting that began Oct. 13 and runs through Nov. 2. Early voting is at the county courthouse or theChase Fulcher Archery Training Center on Garden Mile Road.

The archery center is a school district site and Abner said it's not being used for school programs now.

You can imagine archery, you know, its a very large facility for us to house the voting operation and socially distance people," said Abner. "Its in a good location. Its in a better location for maybe people who dont live in the city. Its in the city limits, but its going toward the county line.

Abner said the county has had about 5,600 requests for absentee ballots and, so far, a total of about 2,000 have been returned by mail and in the drop box inside the courthouse.

The deadline to request an absentee ballot has already passed.

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Henderson County Offers 2 Early Voting Sites and 24/7 Drop Box - WKU Public Radio

AMHERST Walking by the Studio Arts Building at the University of Massachusetts on Wednesday, passersby turned their gaze toward an unusual sight in the expansive second-floor window a full-size antique merry-go-round, sometimes lit up and spinning in the mostly empty building.

The curious stares are just what artist Kathy Fanelli hoped for when she installed the carousel, which she described as a large-scale, sculptural project that challenges and disrupts what we accept.

Merry-go-rounds are a beloved icon. Everyone loves a painted carousel its part of our culture, said Fanelli, who embarked upon the project for her masters of fine arts thesis at UMass.

Fanellis merry-go-round is not the typical carousel seen at fairs or amusement parks. Instead of a brightly painted spectacle accompanied by upbeat music, the 1924 antique ride has been stripped down to its bare essentials, such as silvery aluminum horses, bare wood paneling, mirrors and metal machinery. In place of music, the metallic creaks of the merry-go-rounds inner mechanical apparatus accompany its spinning.

I really wanted to reimagine a merry-go-round completely, Fanelli said, and I wanted to strip it and remove all of the paint and trappings, and the traditional things we associate with a merry-go-round, which are about illusion.

Fanelli knows merry-go-rounds better than most people. Growing up, she spent seven months out of each year moving about the Northeast with her fathers traveling carnival company, Fanelli Amusements. But Fanelli parted with the carnival to pursue art, and until her thesis project, she did not incorporate its imagery into her work, describing her relationship with the carnival as too close and commercial.

But approaching the project, Fanelli drew connections between the merry-go-round and other artistic and spiritual motifs that catch her interest, such as circles, meditation and Buddhist principles centered on illusion and hindrances.

Fanelli acquired the carousel from the New England Carousel Museum in Bristol, Connecticut, which initially offered the rundown merry-go-round to her father. Her family did not have use for it, Fanelli said, as it was in pieces, caked in decades of paint, and looked like junk by the time she began working with it.

Fanelli would spend the next year and four months stripping away paint, polishing the horses, rewiring a nearly century-old electrical system, and sanding the wooden surfaces, among other tasks, sometimes with assistance from interns. Much of the work required skills that Fanelli had to learn for the first time, such as wiring, welding, woodworking and lasering.

The experience was liberating,coming in and not knowing any of that, and just doing it, Fanelli recalled.

Stripping the merry-go-round down to its skeleton also creates asomewhat ghostly effect, shesaid.

You can see the parts of the merry-go-round that actually make it turn, she noted.Theyrenot covered up. I wanted all of that exposed so you can see the truth you can see how it works.

For Fanelli, this transparency is healthy, and a symbol of hope for a future based in truth.

The project also aims to destabilize an institutional space, she said.

Its interrupting that premise and suggesting that if you throw a merry-go-round in the middle of an institution, you destabilize it, Fanelli said. Its no longer a place you pass through. Theres a merry-go-round in it, its deconstructed, its reimagined and it doesnt belong there, so it disrupts the norm of the institution.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the project did not go quite as planned. The merry-go-round is not currently hooked up to a motor and must be spun by hand, which activates its lighting and the jumping motion of its horses. And ideally, members of the public would be able to come into the building to view and ride the merry-go-round.

Instead, Fanelli has only been able to show it to groups of up to five people at a time, and most of the public viewing is limited to those who walk or drive by the Fine Arts Center. Eventually, Fanelli hopes to move the merry-go-round to a museum.

But amid the rapid changes and tension in todays world, Fanelli says that that project ultimately asks how art projects can assist in healing.

I do believe everything we need we already have, and what needs to change is the internal inventory, Fanelli said. I think what needs to change is on the inside, so this is not something I made so much as something I reimagined.

This story has been updated to reflect the correct location of Fanellis art installation.

Link:
More musing than amusing: Stripped-down merry-go-round a revealing ride - GazetteNET