Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Los Gatos Town Plaza Park, which holds a regular farmers market as well as outdoor concerts and plays, is two blocks away, while the highly ranked Los Gatos High School is about half a mile away. Downtown San Jose is a 20-minute drive, and San Francisco is about an hour north.

Size: 2,525 square feet

Price per square foot: $1,182

Indoors: A white picket fence separates the front yard from the street. Like many Victorian houses, this one was originally painted in bright colors and trimmed with gold leaf; a previous owner painted the facade white with black trim.

The front door opens into the main living room, which has windows facing the front and side of the house, refinished hardwood floors and original crown moldings. A wall originally separated this space from the parlor, which has a separate entrance, but the current owners shifted the floor plan so the rooms face each other.

A doorway in the main living room leads to a dining room with intricate crown molding, slate-gray wainscoting and gray-and-white botanical wallpaper. Beyond the dining room is an airy kitchen with a pressed-metal ceiling, a silver-and-red-enamel range and a center island.

A winding staircase leads from the kitchen down to the lower level, where there is a family room with doors out to the backyard. Two guest rooms are on this level, plus two bathrooms (one is a powder room; the other has a claw-foot tub).

Off the parlor is a hall that leads to the kitchen and has a staircase up to the second floor. Turning left at the top of the stairs leads to the primary bedroom, which has a peaked ceiling and windows facing the side and rear of the house. Across the landing are two guest rooms; one is currently in use as a home office, while the other has space for two single beds and a play area. The bedrooms on this level share a bathroom at the end of the hallway. An update by the owners included the installation of a large walk-in shower with glass walls, a black marble-tile floor and a wooden vanity.

Outdoor space: Mature trees are planted along the sidewalk in front of the house, creating shade in the front yard. More line the backyard, which is landscaped in grass. Across from the main house is a guest cottage painted in the deep greens and bright pinks of the Victorian era. Inside are a bedroom and a bathroom, plus a small kitchen with a pressed-metal ceiling. The driveway has space for two cars, and additional street parking permits can be bought from the city.

Taxes: $35,820 (estimated)

Contact: Matthew Paulo, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, 408-396-9875; mattpaulo.cbintouch.com

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$3 Million Homes for Sale in California - The New York Times

For 60 years now, a tropical forest has lived in St. Louis, capped off by a botanical bubble that serves as a beacon for the Missouri Botanical Garden.

A thousand guests gathered on Oct. 1, 1960, for the dedication ceremony of the Climatron, the worlds first geodesic greenhouse.

"Our life will remain endurable and desirable only so long as we remain in contact with nature," Detlev W. Bronk, president of the National Academy of Science, told the crowd.

The 70-foot tall dome, 175 feet in diameter, covers more than half an acre with 2,425 panels of heat-strengthened glass. It has no interior support or columns that go floor to ceiling. With an average temperature of 64 degrees at night and 85 degrees during the day, its favorite year-round attraction. LED lights were installed in the Climatron in 2018 for the nighttime event Flora Borealis, and now the beacon can beckon in a rainbow of colors. It will be glowing Wednesday and Thursday night this week for the 60th.

The Climatron closed for three months this spring and summer as staffers worked inside to make it navigable during the COVID-19 pandemic. It reopened in August.

As the weather cools during its birthday week, visitors will once again seek out the Climatron for an escape to the tropics, right here in St. Louis.

Excerpt from:
Happy birthday to the Climatron! Take a look through 60 years of pictures. - STLtoday.com

This post is part of a series sponsored by The Detection Group.

Gravity is not your friend when it comes to leaking water. Water always seeks the lowest point in nature, and in commercial structures, notes Laurie Conner, President & CEO of The Detection Group.

In a commercial, multi-story building, you can chase the origin of a leak for hundreds of feet across, then up and down any number of 20,000 square foot floorplates before you locate the leak source. Youll find spaces in your building you never knew existed, all the while the leak continues its drip, drip, drip waiting to become a flood. And your worst friend ever, mold, is sinking its ugly tentacles into drywall, carpets, cabinets, and ceiling tiles. Insurance companies are acutely aware of the issue as they pay out on over $10 billion annually in water damage claims more than fire and theft combined.

One such insurance company, FM Global, through its internationally recognized testing laboratories, FM Approvals, recently updated their FM Approval Standard 7745 to better accommodate leak detection systems for water and hydrocarbons. They included strict standards for the application of 21st century, IoT wireless technology for identifying water leaks in commercial buildings.

At The Detection Group, we applaud FM Approvals for introducing more stringent standards for remote wireless leak detection. Not just because The Detection Groups Trident Wireless Water Leak Detection platform is the first and only system to receive FM Approval, but because Trident wireless leak detection and remote monitoring of water leaks is the future. Here is why:

Every facility should have a Trident wireless water leak detection system. Water leaks are a universal problem that almost every property manager or building owner has experienced. Interior water damage can result anywhere water flows in a building, including plumbing; boilers; water tanks; HVAC systems; sprinklers; fire risers: toilets; restroom and kitchen sinks; ice makers and refrigerators anything that has a water supply.

Three weeks after the installation of a Trident wireless water leak detection system in a 38-story office building in San Francisco, the building engineer called to tell us he received an alert at 5:30pm on a Friday afternoon. A toilet was overflowing in a 17th floor restroom, which was not equipped with a floor drain. The engineer believed the water would have migrated down to the lobby before anyone discovered the overflow. By preventing one disaster, the Trident system paid for itself many times over.

Be prepared. If you have experienced a catastrophic water event you know how disastrous and expensive it can be. If you havent, odds are you will. There is no reason you should have to with The Detection Groups Trident wireless, remote sensing technology that can be installed in any size or age building.

Learn more about The Detection Groups Trident System at thedetectiongroup.com

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Gravity is NOT Your Friend. But the Chase for Water Leaks is Over! - Claims Journal

Water/sewerPublic/private

Originally just a two-room Cape with a central chimney and a loft built for settler Nathan Tobey in the late 17th century, this 330-year-old First Period home is a modern-day winner, recipient of the towns 2019 Historic Preservation Award. The home dates to roughly 1682; it was built in preparation for Tobeys marriage to Mary Sargent and bequeathed to him in 1710 upon his fathers death.

Under the careful supervision of the various owners in the centuries that followed, this Cape Cod home was greatly expanded to eight rooms and four bathrooms. It has grown wings in the centuries since it was first built, and owner Janet Chakarian, who received the preservation honor, renovated it. The town praised Chakarian and her team for removing lead paint from all of the walls and floors, revealing the warm luster of the original oak and pine flooring. She also repaired, rather than replaced, the windows.

Clustered off the front hall are the living, family, and dining rooms, and in the hall off the dining room, there is a full bath with the laundry and then a fully updated kitchen, a walk-in pantry, and a bedroom used as a den. Off the family room, a small space known in First Period homes as the birthing room could be used as a home office, according to Chakarian.

The living room features exposed wood beams suggestive of the ribs of a clipper ship, wide-plank wood flooring, several windows overlooking the backyard, and a wood-burning wide-hearth fireplace with a beehive oven thats original to the house one of five fireplaces in the home. The ceiling is just 6 feet high.

The room flows into a dining room that offers exposed beams and a replica of an antique chandelier.

A hallway off the dining room leads to a full bath with a black-and white octagonal ceramic tile floor, board-and-batten wainscoting, a porcelain pedestal sink, and a shower with a clear-glass door and a subway tile surround and then the eat-in kitchen.

The kitchen was updated in 2017 with the installation of new white wood cabinets (some with glass fronts), granite counters, stainless-steel appliances, recessed lighting, and an island with seating on three sides and a microwave on the fourth. The wide-plank pine floors are original to the kitchen. There is a pantry off the kitchen and a bedroom with blue bead-board walls that is used as a den.

The family room can be reached via the dining room or the front hall. It has exposed beams, French doors to the stone patio and backyard, built-in bookcases, and a fireplace.

The second floor of this home consists of two wings. The one that starts directly above the front door contains the owners bedroom, which is nearly 170 square feet and features wide-plank flooring, a fireplace, and exposed beams painted a softening white. The second bedroom, across the hall, is roughly 145 square feet. It is painted a bright pink and has a fireplace. These two bedrooms, with their Federal-style fireplaces, are believed to be mid-18th-century additions.

The full bathrooms on this level have been updated and are back to back: One is painted blue and white and has a shower with a clear-glass door and a white porcelain pedestal sink, while the other offers green and white walls and a mid-century porcelain pedestal sink and tub. Both are green. The flooring in each is a weaved pattern of white and corresponding iridescent blue or green ceramic tiles.

The final bedroom is above the kitchen and overlooks the backyard. It comes with transom windows on one side and its own bath consisting of an antique tub, a painted wood-plank floor, and a white porcelain sink on metal legs.

This floor also offers a small front-facing room adjoining the owners room (currently used as a toddler bedroom) and another backyard-facing small room adjoining the pink bedroom that could be used as a dressing room.

The basement is unfinished. The house sits on a stone foundation on a 1.06-acre lot surrounded by stone walls, and includes a private pond.

The home is listed on the Massachusetts Historical Commissions Inventory of Historic Assets of the Commonwealth and as a structure of significance in the Town Hall Square Historic District, which is on the National Register of Historic Places nominations for Massachusetts.

Tori Harrison of Sothebys International Real Estate in Osterville has the listing. As of press time, an offer had been accepted on the property.

See more photos of the home below:

Follow John R. Ellement on Twitter@JREbosglobe. Send listings tohomeoftheweek@globe.com. Please note: We do not feature unfurnished homes and will not respond to submissions we wont pursue. Subscribe to our newsletter atpages.email.bostonglobe.com/AddressSignUpand follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter@globehomes.

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Home of the Week: An award-winning Cape antique for $524,900 - Boston.com

The school board was in approval for the high school to update and renovate the Kerr gymnasium. The overall cost to the project is around $350,000.

The decision came after a recommendation by the Facilities Committee on Sept. 8, and was later reviewed by the Finance Committee at its Sept. 21 meeting the same day as the monthly school board meeting. The administration pushed for the project to be done now as they said it was doubtful that the funds would be available in the future without taking on additional debt.

The flooring project would be done by Baseman Bros., Inc., who installed the gymnasium floor at the elementary school. The company also installed the current Kerr gymnasium flooring system at the high school in January 2001. The fact that the floor is almost 20 years old is another reason for pursuing the project.

District Administrator Matt Shappell noted in a memo to the board that the floor is in poor shape and is arguably at or near the end of its life.

In a letter from Baseman Bros. Vice President and Estimator Vicki Marshall to Sara Michalski, Project Manager for Findorff Construction, it was noted that the current style of floor in the Kerr gym (Mach 1) has been discontinued. Marshall suggested using the Robbins Bio Channel Star floor an anchored system as it is the same thickness and no adjustments to the basketball backstop would be necessary.

Marshall also stated that the Bio Channel Star option has better characteristic performances it is designed to move up and down with the impact of the athlete as well as side to side to allow for expansion and contraction due to heat and humidity.

The anchoring eliminates dead spots as it holds the floor system down or limits the amount of separation between the pad from the concrete during humidity swings, Marshall said.

In addition to painting the surface of the main basketball floor, Baseman Bros. will also paint lines for two cross basketball courts, a main volleyball court (with two cross courts), and six badminton doubles courts.

Also within the project, the current bleachers with be replaced with new wooden ones as they are cheaper to maintain and replace than its counterparts.

The overall renovation would also allow for a larger visitors section of bleachers, making it the same size as the home side.

Itll be nice to have the visitors not walk past the home section of fans (when they enter), McCracken said.

Also, a benefit for adding more bleachers is for Poynette to possibly be able to host neutral-site games and sectional games during WIAA tournaments. Currently the gym is not sanctioned by the WIAA for those types of games.

The estimated timeline for the entire project was to begin toward the end of September with demolition, and then paint the walls in the first two weeks of October. The installation of the flooring is scheduled to be done by Thanksgiving, according to the districts timeline. Lastly, the installation of the bleachers, and any other necessary work should be completed by Christmas to finalize the project.

Other ongoing construction

There will still be possible renovations to classrooms at the middle and high schools. Each room costs about $20,000-$25,000 and consists of new flooring, paint, ceiling, furniture and other small upgrades.

The work will be done as time, and the budget, allows.

Original post:
Board approves $350000 renovation project of Kerr gym at PHS - HNGnews.com

The colloquial term for cellular space in offices is "cubicle," as in, "Working in that office destroys my soul -- it's a cubicle farm." Rarely does the word cubicle have positive connotations.

In recent decades, classic cellular office design was replaced by all kinds of semi-open layouts. The thinking was that eliminating walls would foster community and collaboration. At the extreme end of the open-plan spectrum, there's the "hot desk" setup: desks at a communal table and in private, enclosed booths, but nobody owns any one space day to day.

But now, thanks to COVID-19, everyone suddenly wants walls between themselves and their neighbors. The closer to hermetically sealed, the better. According to experts, we're seeing a resurgence of cellular design, with pandemic-driven innovations such as portable partitions and hand sanitizing stations.

The question some ask: Was this really entirely caused by COVID-19, or like so many societal changes, just accelerated by it?

A cellular office is one designed so each employee has their own private little space enclosed by walls -- not necessarily permanent or floor-to-ceiling, but tall enough to give each space some privacy.

Cellular office spaces can be traced back to medieval times, according to some design history scholars. The modern cubicle layout was created in the 1960s and hit its peak in the '80s. The first big dot-com wave brought open-plan offices back into fashion, with a focus on disrupting corporate structure and encouraging collaboration. But almost from the start, open-plan office spaces have annoyed people; thus, there's almost always been backlash against them and some push toward a mix of open-plan and cellular spaces.

In the process of finding a compromise between open-plan and fully cellular, all sorts of innovative hybrid spaces have been designed. There are flexible cube clusters that can be reconfigured as needed. There are the colorful work-play multi-environments favored by startups and hipster co-working spaces. And there are open-plan offices with breakout rooms all around the perimeter.

Even prior to COVID-19, the rule of thumb for office design was leaning toward a combination of open-plan and cellular design. And it's telling that getting one's own private space continues to be a perk of promotion to a higher-level role. For all the complaints people have about cubicles, very few people would choose an open desk over a corner office -- and that was before the pandemic.

Almost immediately after COVID-19 hit, there was a spike in demand for every type of easy-installation safety measure. These included:

Almost immediately after began the arduous process of determining whether these quick-fix solutions actually had any real impact on reducing virus transmission.

If, for example, it's determined that installing portable partition walls doesn't keep an office space safe when people are still breathing the same air, it will likely mean leadership focuses on improving indoor air quality, filtration, and ventilation. But these partitions might not necessarily come down if they make people feel safer.

Because social distancing has become synonymous with safety, it's safe to assume cellular office design will be the norm for the foreseeable future. The need for physical distancing plays well into the fact that many people truly hate the chaotic, zero-privacy environment of open offices.

But don't expect to see a return to the hushed, physically and psychologically blocked cube farms of 30 years ago. While people might be wary of being physically close to colleagues, most want to resume interacting in person with other humans again. They simply want to be reassured it's safe to do so.

Read more here:
The Return of Cellular Office Space - Motley Fool

Houstons Rothko Chapel is open again following a meticulous update by Architecture Research Office (ARO). The chapel originally opened in 1971 and is part of local philanthropists John and Dominique de Menils impressive cultural legacy, which also includes the neighboring art museum The Menil Collection. Designed collaboratively by patrons, abstract expressionist painter Mark Rothko, and local architects Howard Barnstone and Eugene Aubry, the chapel is an unassuming octagonal structure with windowless beige brick walls. It is both a site-specific art installation constructed to house 14 enormous bespoke paintings from Rothkos dark period and a consecrated interfaith chapel with a mission of promoting civil rights.

The most recent refresh by ARO follows a 1999 intervention that sought to address some of the buildings technical shortcomings, including acoustical problems and glare entering through the skylight. Neither the first iteration nor the previous renovation, however, lived up to the original designers aspirations, which were to create an environment for spiritual enrichment and self-discovery through art. Whether it was the bad lighting or the popcorn ceiling, something broke the spell Rothkos looming paintings were meant to cast.

It wasnt a restoration, said ARO partner Stephen Cassell about the firms recent work. It was about strengthening the original intent of the experience.

Improving this experience began on the exterior, where the architects darkened the paving of the entrance plaza to reduce glare and prepare the eye for the inner sanctum. The existing door was shifted outward and a new replica of the door was added deeper within the vestibule, forming an insulating airlock. The antechamber was emptied of its previous function as a bookstore (this and additional visitor services were moved to a new building across the street), resurfaced with acoustic plaster, and painted a slightly darker color. Acoustic plaster was also used on much of the main gallery, where the roof was replaced and a new, louvered skylight added. ARO worked with George Sexton Associates to tune the daylighting, which has a silvery quality that responds to exterior environmental changes, and on the electric lighting scheme, which consists of digital projectors embedded within a recess around the skylight and mirrors that bounce the projectors light toward the paintings. The rear wall, which holds the main triptych, was moved six inches inward so that a shadow cast by the soffit no longer cuts off the top of the artwork.

The team also edited out extraneous elements.

Weve renovated probably half a dozen midcentury modern buildings, said ARO partner Adam Yarinsky. They get diminished over time by incremental things: surface conduit, the stray light switch, the thermostat. The opportunity to cleanse that was really important.

ARO also discreetly integrated code-necessitated features like a fire suppression system and exit signs, none of which are visible from the inner sanctum. This attention to detail has brought the Rothko Chapel as close as its ever been to an ideal place for spiritual communion with art.

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Architecture Research Office brings the Rothko Chapel closer to its creators' vision - The Architect's Newspaper

Exterior work is moving along on the residential conversion and retail addition at One Wall Streetin the Financial District. Designed bySLCE Architectsand developed byMacklowe Properties, the projected $1.5 billion undertaking is the largest office-to-condominium conversion in New York City history. When complete, the property will yield 566 residential units with sales handled and marketed by CORE, as well as a 44,000-square-foot Whole Foods Market and a Life Time fitness center on the lower levels.

Recent photographs show the stepped design to the undulating floor-to-ceiling glass reaching the top of the steel structural addition. This entire section extends outward from the mid-century annex portion of One Wall Street. There is a layer of thin protective blue film on the majority of the envelope, but the final appearance is visible in the second level above the sidewalk scaffolding.

One Wall Street. Photo by Michael Young

One Wall Street. Photo by Michael Young

Most of the warm-colored stone envelope is now in place on the multi-story expansion and addition of One Wall Street, though glass installation has yet to commence. The southern elevation features a subtle outward curve and some minor grooves in the shape of the stone paneling. This small architectural detail is a nod to the skyscrapers sculptural Art Deco crown, and combines the use of modern construction methods and materials with the classic New York style of the early 20th century.

One Wall Street. Photo by Michael Young

Below is a view of the eastern side of the taller portion of the skyscraper, where the mechanical hoist still stands attached.

One Wall Street. Photo by Michael Young

Here we see the side of the residential addition that faces Wall Street with some steel framework awaiting its cladding.

One Wall Street. Photo by Michael Young

One Wall Streets residences and Whole Foods Market are both likely to open in 2021.

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Progress Continues on One Wall Street's Addition and Conversion in the Financial District - New York YIMBY

"Most people may think of LG as a washing machine and refrigerator brand but we provide solutions in many sectors that consumers don't see," remarked Dr. Lee Kam-gyu, head of LG's Air Solution business unit. "LG is constantly investing in capabilities to raise the trust of our customers and we will reinforce this commitment through better integrated solutions, expert insights and more dedicated support to become a trusted partner for HVAC in the region."

Since the pandemic outbreak and the increasing time spent indoors, concerns over indoor air quality have grown. Needs for high quality HVAC and air management solutions have increased due to the pandemic with LG's products which not only meet but surpass guidelines for clean air in the region seeing unexpected demand.

To further raise the value for MEA customers and enhance the level of trust in the brand, LG is focusing on its three core values of integration, expertise and commitment. As an integrator, LG will deliver even more optimized HVAC and energy management solutions for each and every project to achieve the minimal total cost of ownership (TCO) for its clients. With its deep expertise, LG will advise its customers with its technological experience-based knowledge to find the most effective and efficient solution to any problem. And as a committed partner, LG promises to go beyond the installation of its solutions to service, maintain and help manage its products through the system's lifecycle.

James Lee, president of LG Middle East and Africa, reinforced LG's experience and commitment in the Middle East and Africa. "The key reason behind our success in this region to date is our commitment to understand and respond to the real needs of the MEA market," said Lee. "Expanding beyond this will require significantly more technology, more innovation and especially more customer service."

Consistent with this strategy, LG has introduced products and solutions in the region that are designed to deliver the best technology that the company as to offer. For example, a new, ceiling-based DUAL Vane Cassette lineup boasts a powerful five-step air purification process that is seamlessly designed into the unit itself. With its new air purification-inclusive design, this advanced product delivers various airflow modes that are optimally customized for all spaces, delivering clean, filtered air to its indoor destination. What's more, LG's innovative Round Cassette for commercial spaces not only provides a luxurious design that makes a space look more inviting, it also covers large areas with flexible airflow compared to conventional 4-Way cassette. Its increased airflow and detailed wind direction makes it possible for its cool breeze to spread widely and evenly.

"As a global total provider of HVAC solutions, we look forward to enriching both human life and nature in the Middle East and Africa," said Lee.

About LG Electronics, Inc.

LG Electronics, Inc. (KSE: 066570.KS) is a global leader and technology innovator in consumer electronics, mobile communications and home appliances, employing 77,000 people working in 125locations around the world. With 2017global sales of USD 55.4billion (KRW 61.4 trillion), LG comprises fivebusiness units Home Appliance & Air Solutions, Home Entertainment,Mobile Communications, Vehicle Component Solutionsand Business Solutions and is one of the world's leading producers of flat panel TVs, mobile devices, air conditioners, washing machines and refrigerators. For more news and information on LG Electronics, please visitwww.LGnewsroom.com.

About LG Electronics Air Solution Business Unit

LG Electronics' Air Solution Business Unit is a global leader in HVAC and energy solutions with a comprehensive portfolio of proven expertise and performance. Launching Korea's first residential air conditioner in 1968, LG has paved the way for total HVAC solutions over the last five decades through strategic utilization of advanced technologies. With a well-established production base and industry-leading capacity, the company provides effective HVAC solutions for both the commercial and residential sectors. Its wide range of cutting-edge systems for heating, ventilation and air conditioning truly represent LG's initiative in offering the most optimized solutions for a variety of uses. Pursuant to its mission of "Innovation for a Better Life," the company offers solutions boasting high energy efficiency and reliability based on its state-of-the-art knowhow and technologies to ensure the most optimal environment for users. For more information, please visit http://www.LG.com.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1283522/LG_Air_Solution_MEA_Digital_Press_Conference_Overview.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1283524/LG_Air_Solution_MEA_Digital_Press_Conference__LG_Speakers.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1283523/LG_Air_Solution_MEA_Digital_Press_Conference_DUAL_Vane.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1283525/LG_Air_Solution_MEA_Digital_Press_Conference_Round_Cassette.jpg

SOURCE LG Electronics, Inc.

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LG Commits to Expansion Strategy in Middle East and Africa As Most Trusted HVAC Partner - PRNewswire

When looking to create an updated look for the larger than life fashionista talk show host Wendy Williams, production designer Andy Walmsley had the advantage of looking no farther than his own home for inspiration, he told NewscastStudio in an exclusive interview.

It helps that my wife is very glamorous, I live amongst glitter and sparkle at home, said Walmsley, meaning hes been able to add glamour, sparkle and camp, to his design repertoire.

Walmsley had just wrapped up projects for Ru Paul and also created a permanent drag race theater show in Las Vegas, so that, combined with his home decor, was all great experience in the new design for Wendy Williams.

Hes also familiar with Williams and her show, which returned for Season 12 on Sept. 21, 2020.

He was originally called up to see if there was a way to use the Wendy studio to also produce a talk show starring Nick Cannon (the two share production companies). Wendy tapes in the same Chelsea complex that is also home to Rachel Ray.

I returned with renderings and animations for a transformers type set that had walls that span around other walls and whole giant units that could pivot around to create a completely different set in the same studio which could turn around with about four stagehands in less than 30 minutes, he explained.

Cannon has filled in for Williams during some of her health challenges but his show was ultimately postponed from its 2020 debut after controversial comments he made on his podcast.

When working with the design for Wendy, however, Walmsley always wanted to keep a level of sophistication and refinement to the look no matter how over the top its star maybe.

Take the W in the shows rendition of Williams first name its a clean, well-angled motif and, while it showed up in an abstract way on the double doors she enters through on the previous set, it didnt match the letterform in the shows biggest piece of visual branding.

Walmsley addressed that by creating an internally lit installation of a giant W thats a typographic twin to the logo design. He also continued that notion by installing large dimensional versions of the show logo throughout the studio.

It helps that my wife is very glamorous, I live amongst glitter and sparkle at home, said Walmsley, meaning hes been able to add glamour, sparkle and camp, to his design repertoire.

While frequent viewers will note the basic layout of the set is essentially the same, Walmsley said that was a key part of how he approached the project after getting some sage advice about what types of things Williams and her team would be reluctant to change.

However, that guidance also helped him understand better where he could push the envelope and encourage the show to step outside its comfort box all in the name of creativity.

One change that he gently pushed through was dropping the cityscape backgrounds that appeared behind the double doors, in the audience area and the far right wall (those graphics still appear in some of the images in this article because they were taken while design work was still being done).

While the fact that element appears in the shows graphics package meant it could be a challenge to move away from and the show is quite proud of its New York City roots, he was ultimately able to install vertical metal sculptural screens with angles and accent lighting that was placed in many of the same places as the city imagery had been as well as serving as a layered element behind the giant W on the doors.

Ultimately, the look has the art deco feel of something you might find in Rockefeller Center or the Chrysler Building but also doesnt feel too much like Hollywood, Walmsley noted.

It helps that the angles in the units are a close match to the ones in the W.

One battle Walmsley opted not to fight (and for good reason) was making any changes Wendys famous purple chair or the table next to it.

It had just been replaced in 2016 and its become almost like another co-host just like Williams calls her studio audience thanks to its prominent on camera appearances during the shows Hot Topics segment.

Although Walmsley kept his hands off the chair, he did use it as a jumping off point for a key new glam element introduced in the new look.

I knew I wanted to do tufted fabric with plastic diamond buttons, he explained, but knew from experience it could be a pricy proposition to use real fabric.

As luck would have it, he was searching for 3D ceiling panels for another show and stumbled upon faux tufted panels for $16 apiece on, as Williams would say, the Google Schmoogle.

He ordered a piece and tested it out and was amazed at how real it looked, so another, much larger order was placed for the two by two-foot panels.

All we had to do was glue them to the set, fill the seams and scumble paint to fake a velvet fabric texture then glue the plastic diamonds on top of the buttons, he recalled.

Faux diamonds also found their way into the vertical columns, including ones that had been updated in the 2016 redo but the build team stripped those apart in order to install vertical lightboxes and columns of four-inch glass diamond-shaped paperweights.

Some of it you can see its fairly obvious and a lot of it you dont even notice its subtly lighting walls and areas that need a kiss of light.

Walmsley found those online too and ordered one to test at home (in his bathroom, thanks to its lighting fixtures). Pretty soon hundreds were on the way to be installed in these custom creations.

Another big update is the so called media wall which is now completely seamless and curved thanks to Unilumins Upad LED 2.6mm tiles in a 21 foot wide by nearly 10 foot tall space.

Viewers will also notice plenty of brightly edge lit elements created with a whole lot of LED tape both in places you might expect and some more subtle spots.

Some of it you can see its fairly obvious and a lot of it you dont even notice its subtly lighting walls and areas that need a kiss of light, notes Walmsley.

Other updates include bringing in metallic gold and violet textures to the spaces pillars.

The install for the new studio started in August 2020, but Walmsley was on the West Coast and traveling to New York would have required a 14 day quarantine, some ultimately he monitored the install remotely thanks to photos and video calls.

Like most talk shows, Wendy is forgoing a studio audience due to coronavirus, instead filling the seats with socially distanced staffers and crew.

Set Design Andy WalmsleyLighting Design Marilyn RennagelSet Fabrication Acadia ScenicDisplay Integration Resolution StagingLED Unilumin

Link:
The dippin' and doin' that goes into creating a glam, sparkly new home for 'Wendy Williams' - NewscastStudio