Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Below Deck viewers often see the chef reviewing the preference sheet with charter guests or presenting their dish and dessert.

But for Below Deck Mediterranean chef Hindrigo Kiko Lorran, coming out to talk with guests is his least favorite thing to do.

A preview clip shows chief stew Hannah Ferrier already having an issue with the guests over their request for shellfish. The guests are about to play poker and one asks, What happened to the oysters we ordered? Ferrier explains oysters are coming the next day and the best way to get what they want is to pop the request on their preference sheet when they arrive onboard. Clearly, communication with these guests is key and Lorran does not love being in this position.

The crew wonders if Lorran has discussed dinner with the guests. Did you speak to them after lunch about dinner, Ferrier asks Lorran. He says while he didnt speak to the guests, hes going to follow the primary preference sheet requests.

I need you to talk to them, Captain Sandy Yawn insists. Please dont avoid that. While Lorran agrees with Yawn he truly does not want to have to meet with the guests.

RELATED: Below Deck Med: Does Captain Sandy Have Another Chef Problem?

I hate to talk with the guests, he admits while laughing. Its because English is not my first language, and Im so nervous of that. You know, just let me cook. Lorran has had a few comical language snafus with the crew thus far. While the crew thought the mixups were funny, a mixup like that could prove to be embarrassing for everyone.

Although chef Ben Robinson from Below Deck and Below Deck Med was often very charming and talkative with the guests, he didnt always love guest interactions. Last season, he struggled with broken appliances to prepare meals. He knew some of the dishes were arriving at the table cold and the galley kitchen on Sirocco was cramped.

Viewers may recall when Yawn dined with guests and she called for him to come up to talk to the guests during dinner service. He looked slightly panicked at the request. Why, why do I need to do that, he said looking pretty worried. Is it good or bad?

RELATED: Does Chef Ben From Below Deck Med Get Lost on Sirocco?

Robinson was still new to the boat and unfortunately just finding the table was a chore. I dont even know how to get to the table, he said as hes seen opening random doors to find his way to the guests. By the time he finds the guests hes greeted with applause. Oh wow, that is a relief, he said once he realizes the guests simply wanted to thank him. A guest says, No dont be worried, it is good.

While Lorran may not feel comfortable due to language constraints and Robinson worried about guest complaints, other chefs have had to deal with guests invading their space while they worked.

Chef Adam Glick from Below Deck Sailing Yacht had a few flirty guests who not only gushed about his dishes but made themselves comfortable in the kitchen while he cooked. He was gracious and friendly, but clearly it was extremely awkward.

RELATED: Below Deck Guest Challenges Chef Adrian and Reveals What Was Really Going on With Brandy

Also, chef Adrian Martin from Below Deck season 6 had guest, Helen Hoey extremely interested in what he was cooking. He seemed intimidated and a little concerned she was more than just interested in his food. Hoey returned for season 7 and was a little insulted he joked about her during season 6.

Below Deck Mediterranean is on Monday at 9/8c on Bravo.

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'Below Deck Med': Chef Kiko Reveals the Real Reason Why He Doesn't Like Talking to Charter Guests - Showbiz Cheat Sheet

(Screenshot from Google Maps)

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At about 6:30 last night, a brush fire ignited out in the desert near the southeastern end of the Salton Sea. Because of strong dry winds, it wasn't long before the flames traveled half a mile west, jumped Highway 111, and landed in Niland a small town with a patchwork of mobile homes and trailers surrounded by ready-to-burn brush.

There were calls to evacuate the entire town as 30 mph gusts made it difficult for firefighters to get a handle on the blaze. Reinforcements from Cal Fire in San Diego were called in to help the Imperial County firefighters.

One person was killed, an estimated 40 homes were destroyed, and 130 people were displaced, though the numbers are still being tallied.

A tragedy anywhere, but even more so in Niland, where an estimated 57 percent of the population lives below the poverty line.

"I don't see it being rebuilt. For my family at least. Which is kind of pretty heavy for me to say," said Pastor Elijah Baaga, whose family members lost two homes in the fire. He lives in nearby Calipatria, but has deep ties to the Niland community.

He said his family has lived there since the 1920s, when his grandparents emigrated from the Philippines to work in the agricultural industry.

"My aunties and my uncles, they were part of the generation that lived there for a long time," Baaga said. "They were there when the economy was booming in Niland. There were banks and packing sheds, and agriculture was booming."

Now, it's a low income part of Imperial Valley with people struggling to get by.

"It's like pure trailers all throughout the city. A lot of the city has been deserted and people have left their homes. It's almost like a ghost town. It's pretty impoverished," Baaga said.

The impact to the town, he said, will put further strain on those living there. And he fears that the strong sense of community that he's always felt in Niland, will diminish if people fail to recover post-disaster.

For now, those who have been displaced are either staying with family and friends, like the Baagas, or in hotel rooms paid for by the Red Cross.

The long-term plan for recovery is unclear and will take some time to pan out.

According to Linsey Dale, public information officer with Imperial County, a local assistance center is being set up so that residents can meet with both government and nonprofit agencies that might be able to help them.

See the article here:
Estimated 40 Homes Burn As Brushfire Tears Through Small SoCal Town - LAist

An updated general plan presented at the special Murrieta City Council meeting Tuesday, June 16, could potentially bring thousands of homes and jobs to families in the area.

Senior planner Carl Stiebl and Brian F. Mooney, fellow of American Institute of Certified Planners, presented a general plan for the councils consideration.

The general plan and general plan environmental impact report were last updated in July 2011, as reported by presenting staff. This focused update included land use changes in certain areas with zoning changes, updates to specific general plan elements, a supplemental and final EIR, an updated Climate Action Plan and implementation of vehicle miles traveled.

The updates address new state legislation since 2011, economic development opportunities for the city, project streamlining and improving the overall quality of life for residents, as reported by staff.

The Base Project (also known as the draft project)

There are six planning areas where there are land use changes as part of the project. Areas 1, 2 and 3 are in the southern portion of the city, and Areas 4, 5 and 6 are located in the northern and eastern portions of the city.

Area 1

This area is located south of I-15 between Madison Avenue, Monroe Avenue, Guava Street and Elm Street. This area currently has the U.S. Customs and Border Protection facility, two churches and various residences. There is also a hotel currently in process in this area.

Proposed land use map for Area 1

A proposed land use map for area one includes a change to innovation, which works well, according to staff, in close proximity to the existing business park, commercial and just south of the transit-oriented development area to the north.

Area 2

For Area 2, the existing land use map is located on the east side of I-15 south of the freeway split to the city border of Temecula along Jackson Avenue. The existing land use designations include small areas of single-family residential, multi-family residential, commercial, as well as a large area of Office Research Park with office zoning, which is a more limited zone.

This area covers The Springs Healthcare Center, Temecula Valley RV and the Murrieta Palms Mobile Home Park.

Proposed land use map for Area 2

The majority here would change to innovation, according to staff, with open space along the city owned parcels and the Warm Springs Creek, with multi-family residential for the mobile home park and commercial for the one parcel down at the border of the city of Temecula.

Area 3

Area 3 is located along Murrieta Hot Springs Road, and this site is developed with a strip commercial center and buildings that include a bank, restaurants, stores and offices.

Proposed land use map for Area 3

This is a cleanup item to change to commercial and match the way this area has developed over time.

Area 4

This area is a large area in the northern part of the city along Whitewood Road and Clinton Keith Road. The area is developed with some industrial and storage-type uses, rural residential and large lot land use designated areas. The majority of this area, other than whats near the freeway is located within the Eastern Municipal Water District. The area that has ORP has an encompassed health facility and grading for future medical office development thats currently in process along the I-215.

Proposed land use map for Area 4

This area would significantly remove the existing ORP from the area, an innovation area south of Baxter Road on both sides of Whitewood Road, with adjacent workforce housing, both multi-family housing and single-family located in close proximity. It would also change the RCA owned parcels in the southern area to open space.

There are also two alternatives in the project that provide options for how the land use in this area can be changed.

Area 5

This section is a smaller area than the adjacent area four across the I-215. This area is located north of Linnel Lane and along McElwain Road, just north of the existing Target. Its currently completely designated ORP, it contains a few existing residences with very steep terrain to the west and north. A hotel was also recently approved in Area 5.

Proposed land use map for Area 5

This area would remove the ORP, replace it with innovation along the freeway, also add multi-family residential for worker housing at the intersection of Linnel Lane and McElwain Road and single-family residential at the parcels with the steepest terrain to the north and west.

Area 6

Located within the Murrieta Springs Specific Plan in the eastern part of the city, this section is east of the Los Alamos area. The parcels are undeveloped land that have been acquired by RCA for conservation. Locations are adjacent to the existing open space in the Murrieta Springs Plan.

Proposed land use map for Area 6

This section is a cleanup to the area to make all the parcels open space. This helps with conservation and open space goals, including those in the general plan, and an addition matching RCAs intended use for the properties. A subsequent amendment to clean up the Murrieta Springs Specific Plan is necessary and will be completed separately, according to staff.

Alternatives to the project

Alternatives to the project are considered in the draft EIR. In consideration of alternatives as part of this process provides options to adopt a project that achieves the overall goals.

The city may choose to adopt the draft project as presented, or an alternative or parts of alternatives, given that theyve been fully analyzed.

The alternatives primarily look at different potential considerations of land use designations in two areas.

Alternative 2

Alternative 2 offers a different arrangement of land uses in Area 4. It would further reduce the amount of proposed innovation in area four from the draft plan, with more multi-family residential instead.

It is primarily seen in the northern part of the area where the parcels that were proposed for innovation east of Whitewood Road and south of Baxter Road, except for the innovation area around the recently developed encompassed health facility along Whitewood Road.

The parcel at the southeast corner of Clinton Keith Road and Whitewood Road in this alternative also changes from single-family to multi-family. According to staff, this creates more of a corridor running north to south of multi-family along the east side of Whitewood Road, but still provides a large innovation area.

Staff reported that they received a number of comments during public review in support of this alternative. The planning commissions recommendation was to adopt this alternative based on their deliberations and the public comment.

Alternative 3

There are different arrangements for land uses in Area 2 and Area 4. Alternative 3 replaces the proposed innovation in Area 2 with commercial. In Area 4, this alternative replaces innovation southwest of Baxter Road and west of Whitewood Road with multi-family, creating more of an L-shaped, smaller innovation area.

This alternative also adds two small areas of commercial at the northeast and southeast corner of Clinton Keith Road and Whitewood Road. Comments were also received in support of the alternative from public review.

The council can choose between the draft land use map or these alternatives. Alternatives 2 and 3 then are changes to the base project.

The project also includes a water study. It also included public workshops and public review. Twenty-six comments were received during the time period for public review, in which many supported Alternative 2.

Some comments from staff came with concern about losing innovation to make room for more housing.

Before a motion was made, Mayor Gene Wunderlich gave one final comment.

I very much want to thank the city for an excellent job of updating this and providing a very comprehensive plan, Wunderlich said. The concept of innovation districts didnt even really exist the last time we did a general plan update, so this is all new, its spreading like wildfire across the country because it is so flexible and allows so many different uses.

The focus really is very friendly, integrated communities that incorporate a mix of housing and the office design and these and so forth with sufficient landscaping and hopefully an attraction for what we focus on here as a city, new business startups, business incubators as well as some well-known anchors in some of these tenant buildings, Wunderlich said.

A motion was made to adopt the recommendation by staff for the resolutions that were outlined in their report, for the first reading of the ordinance as outlined in staff recommendation, and that council adopts the map that is Alternative 2 with the addition of the multi-family in the corner at Baxter Road and Whitewood Road.

The motion made by Councilmember Kelly Seyarto included the innovation in Area 2, with concern for the direction that commercial property is going in.

The innovation area is able to capture a lot of what would normally be, maybe commercial, retail, Seyarto said. I think it provides the flexibility we needed for that particular parcel. Theres so much competition and dwindling demand for commercial, and I want to make sure that, at least in the next few years because I look forward to seeing how this plays out for our community, so for that area Im still fine with the innovation.

The motion passed unanimously.

To see the maps of each area, learn more about the Innovation Land Use, updates in state legislation affecting the general plan proposed project, or the agenda items of the June 16 meeting, visit http://onbase.murrietaca.gov/onbaseagendaonline and click on the 2 p.m. City Council Special Meeting link for June 16.

Lexington Howe can be reached by email at lhowe@reedermedia.com.

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Murrieta continues to develop future plan for adding thousands of homes and jobs to the area - Valley News

The old drive-in movie theatre screen at the Kootenay River Mobile Home Park in Ootischenia is no more.

The screen blew down onto the Kootenay River RV Parks property during a massive windstorm last Saturday at around 6 p.m.

My co-worker was working in a neighbouring site at the time and she watched it fall, said Victoria Peebles of the RV Park. She said one big gust of wind suddenly came and knocked it all down onto the ground.

While three vehicles were damaged during the incident, Peebles said luckily no one was injured.

It couldve damaged mobile homes if it had fallen the opposite way.

Peebles said the the owner of the mobile home park had a safety inspection done on the sign a few years ago, which didnt show any immediate safety concerns.

RV Park staff have tried to contact the mobile home park owner to help clean up the mess.

While the downed screen has been cordoned off with tape, people are still allowed to enter the RV park to view it as long as theyre 18 or older.

The Sunset Drive-in theatre operated from 1969 to 1986 and had a capacity of about 500 cars.

Castlegar News has also reached out to the owner of the Kootenay River Mobile Home Park for comment.

READ MORE: Drive-in theatre proposed for Grand Forks

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A severe thunderstorm warning for Winnipeg has endedas southern Manitoba endures yet another evening of serious weather.

Environment Canadaissued the warning just after 9 p.m on Tuesday and lifted it less than an hour later.A number of rural communities surrounding the city were also under warnings late into the evening.

The weather agency said meteorologists were tracking a line of severe thunderstorms that stretched from Lockport to Lake Manitoba that was moving northeast at 60 km/h.

Another line of storms prompted warnings in the Brandon area. Environment Canada said they were capable of producing rainfall in excess of 50 mm.

The line of severe weatherstretched from Gregg to Minnedosa to Wawanesa and was moving slowly northeastward, the agency said.

Much of southern Manitoba was placed under a watch earlier in the dayTuesday.

Up to the minute watches and warnings can be found on Environment Canada's website.

Meantime, Environment Canada has rated a tornado that touched down near Rapid City, Man., late Sunday afternoon as a preliminary low-end EF-2.

The weather agency said the twister, which touched down about five kilometres south of the town, which is located about 30 kilometres north of Brandon, had a maximum wind speed of 190 km/h.

The Enhanced Fujita Scale, or EF-Scale, is used by Environment Canada to measure the intensity of wind damage. It measures from an EF-0 as the weakest, to an EF-5 as the strongest.

The tornado destroyed two large sheds, snapped and uprooted hundreds of trees. It also left two barns with significant damage, flipped trailers and toppled grain bins.

Its path was 5.6 km and was about 200 metres wide, Environment Canada said.

Environment Canada said the same system dropped golf ball-sized hail, rainfall in excess of 150 mm, and a small area of downburst damage northwest of the tornado track, where a number of grain bins were toppled.

The storm also left a pair of mobile homes east of the community in ruins.

No one was injured or killed as a result of the storm.

The weather agency said it is actively seeking pictures of the tornado or damage it may have caused, and asks people call 1-800-239-0484, send an email to ec.storm.ec@canada.ca, or tweet to #mbstorm.

A series of thunderstorms left a swath of damage across southwest Manitoba on Sunday. Rising floodwater in its wake has led to even more damage across the region.

Severe thunderstorms associated with a low pressure system in North Dakota are pushing northwards into Canada on Tuesday evening, Environment Canada said.

The agency warned of large hail, torrential downpours and damaging wind gusts will be associated with the strongest of these thunderstorms. The threat of severe weather will begin to push eastward tonight as the low pressure system evolves.

The watch was issued for:

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Tornado near Rapid City, Man., had winds of 190 km/h as southern Manitoba endures more severe weather - CBC.ca

Youd think, from their matching polka-dot blouses and geometric necklaces, that designer Ghislaine Vias and Interior Design Editor in Chief Cindy Allen had coordinated their outfits for their appearance on Guests and Gusto, the web series hosted by the Savannah College of Art and Design over Zoom. But nothe design-world experts (and longtime friends) are just that in-sync. Together in conversation with Khoi Vo, vice president of SCAD Hong Kong, Allen andViasspent an hour earlier today reflecting on their careers and speculating on the future of design, especially at such a crucial moment in time.

I think I found success early on because I was fairly fearless, saidVias, who established her New York-based firm in 1999. When I look at something Ive never done before, I say, Oh my god, thats awesomeIve never done that before! And I think that I genuinely did have a design voice that was different from what was going on in New York City [when I was starting out], she continued. I think there was something about being able to really work from what moved me in my heart that allowed me to put something out there that was different.

Mission accomplished: Ghislaine has an amazing sense of color, said Allen. (Vias'projectsand productsare a testament to that). When the duo first met,Viaswas still a budding designer who had just finished an art-filled townhouse in New York, and Allen had just started at Interior Design. It was the projects photographer who introduced them.I saw something in [Vias], Allen recalled of that first meeting. She really kept growing and growing, and is just an amazing talent. So I think I was right on that score.

Allen also reflected on a pivotal moment in her career, as she related her early experiences at Interior Design to todays events. When something like [COVID-19] happens, it allows you to give yourself a different kind of perspective on life she said. My first issue as Editor in Chief was the September issue, which is always our New York issue. We sent the issue to press, and then 9/11 happened. It changed everything for me, and for the world. I grew up. I found myself really wanting to represent and care for a community.For designers living and working through the COVID-19 pandemic, Allen said, Youre getting experience as a designer just by going through this. Because what a designer does at the end of the day is solve problems.

Later, the topic turned to the future of design, with the spotlight landing largely on the promising next generation of designers. I think that activism is something, especially with young students, thats going to change everything, saidVias. Theres an empowerment of young people I really think [people today] are being more sensitive. Theyre working from a place in their hearts, trying to do the thing that feels good and feels right. I have a designer in my office whos vegan. She and I are going to take a vegan design course together and learn how to show more sensitivity to animals.

Other trends thatViasand Allen predicted included a stronger emphasis on health and wellness and a return to handcrafted decor, objects, and installations. Its like the world stopped and people were like, Oh, right, theres hobbies!Viassaid, noting that less time spent at work or running errands has allowed many people to explore new crafts and talents.Now is such an unusual time, and so unique, she added.You have to put your thinking cap on and do something that really takes this situation, turns it upside-down, so that something positive comes out of this. What are the opportunities right now? What do people need? What are some things weve never designed before?

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Cindy Allen and Ghislaine Vias Discuss the Future of Design on SCAD Web Series - Interior Design

Its obvious, but nonetheless worth saying: The interior design industry has been built on the talents of gay people. The inventor of the modern professionElsie de Wolfewas a gay woman. Countless iconic decorators have been gay men. Design has long been both a safe haven and a showcase for LGBTQ creativity and enterprise. Anyone will tell you that this was, is, and will continue to be a good industry to be gay in.

That fact obscures a lot of nuance. Forty years ago, you might have seen a lot of gay mens apartments in Architectural Digest, but you wouldnt have read about their boyfriends or partners. And while the design world itself is a welcoming environment, gay designers who step outside the bubble of showrooms in cosmopolitan cities will recognize that intolerance is very much alive.

To celebrate Pride Month, Business of Home spoke with 10 gay men and women from all corners of the design industry to discuss their history, their experiences and their hopes for the future.

OPEN SECRETSWhile the design world has always been a place of acceptance for gay people, it hasnt always celebrated their sexuality alongside their talent. For much of the 20th century, even well into the 1990s, it was tacitly understood that many male decorators were gay, but that fact wasnt always acknowledged in the mediaor even, in some cases, by the clients who hired them.

Jamie Drake, designer: I didnt have a coming-out-of-the-closet moment, particularly; I was in touch with the fact that I was gay since I was very very young. I knew some interior designers and assumed they were gaythere was only one I knew to be straight.

Robert Couturier, designer: Being raised in France, our attitude toward homosexuality is not the puritanical view that America has. It was just the way it wasthere was no question about it. So coming to America was really strange. The refusal of acceptance was something I found really shocking.

Michael Boodro, former editor in chief of Elle Decor and current host of the Chairish podcast: It was the era of confirmed bachelors. It was very much an acknowledged but unspoken thing.

Jamie DrakeBrittany Ambridge

Raymond Schneider, publicist: I was hired right out of Nancy Corzines showroom to work for [designer] Harry Parkin Saunders, and he taught me everything I knew about business. Behind the scenes, everyone knew he liked men, but the way he carried himself would in no way, shape or form allude to his private life.

Couturier: [Several prominent gay designers] got married. And Im not saying because they got married [to women] they didnt have a couples lifeIm not passing any judgment on anyone. It just wasnt acceptable to be gay, especially in society.

Drake: I think [gay designers who married women] probably felt they could socialize in circles with hetero couples easier being a couple with a traditional notion of a wife.

Couturier: I remember the president of Sothebys, Robert Woolley, he was absolutely wonderful. He was outand I mean, he was completely out. He would go to dinner parties and people would ask him, Whos your wife? He would point to his boyfriend and say, This is my boyfriend and my husband and my wife. Hes everything. It was something that very few people did. [Ed. note: Woolleys partner died of AIDS in 1986, Woolley himself died of AIDS in 1996.]

HOW AIDS CHANGED EVERYTHINGThe AIDS crisis devastated gay communities all over the world. The design industry was hit particularly hard, as the epidemic ravaged a generation of talent. One consequence of the pandemic was an upending of the established order: What before had been kept behind closed doors was now pushed out into the open.

Boodro: It was really the AIDS crisis that changed everything. Gay people no longer wanted to be secret. They confronted people: Were here, were queer, get used to it. Because it was really a matter of life and death.

Couturier: You had people in the streets, which was different.

Robert CouturierCourtesy of Robert Couturier

Boodro: People that ostensibly had not come out, or had not come out publiclythose people started dying. I remember Perry Ellis, and Rock Hudson obviously, but it had been happening a lot before that. When people started dying, it really ripped the pretense to shreds.

Drake: When I went to Parsons, I spent my first semester in a dorm. I was assigned two roommates and we became best friends. One was dead at 29 and the other one died six years later. I was the endgame caregiver to both of them, even though both of them had partners. Maybe it was easier if its not your life partnerto try and get through it. I know that was the case for one of them. It was just so wrenching for himit was easier to turn over the intimate care and the making of promises that then were broken that I did it. The promise was: Dont make me die in the hospital. I ended up making the decision he had to go to the hospital. I broke my word, but it was the right decision to make.

I think the blessings and success Ive had are for them as well. They might say, Look at what you did, and look at your apartment, and look at this and look at that. These are things that maybe they would have achieved, but they didnt get the chance.

Boodro: After AIDS, people were no longer willing to hide or pretend. There was this whole controversy around outing peopleit was a huge cultural shift. Suddenly, the pressure was to be out. I know it had a big effect on the design world.

Drake: It created a militancy.

Couturier: I was very close with [AIDS activist] Larry Kramer. I loved Larry Kramer. He was a wonderful person. Everybody always used to say, But hes in your face! And I would reply, Hes saying things to people that they need to hear. And he is right. He was all for outing people. And I said, Well, out peopleits completely OK by me!

There is a point where you dont have to be genteel and polite. Because the more genteel and polite you are, the more people take advantage of you.

PUBLISHING OPENS UPThe world of interior design media reflected the design industry at large: Gay men and women were generally free to be themselves within the industry, and the rooms they published were frequently designed (and lived in) by gay people as well. But it wasnt until the 1990s that what had once been subtext became text.

Boodro: Say a shelter magazine featured a designers home, and it was a gay designer, which many of them were. They would never really show the boyfriend or the partner.

Michael BoodroCourtesy of Hearst Design Group

Sabine Rothman, former editorial market director at Hearst Design Group: I went in very transparently. Im pretty transparent in general, and that was not going to be something I was going to hide. It was an incredibly inclusive environment [at Cond Nast, where Rothmans career began]. I had a lot of mentors and colleagues who openly accepted [my wife] Amy. We were out at parties and events all the time; it just felt very natural and supported.

Boodro: I always felt like [founder and former editor in chief of House Beautiful] Marian McEvoy and [former editor in chief of Elle Decor and Architectural Digest] Margaret Russell didnt get enough attention for the way they were willing to present gay couples. When I worked with Margaret at Elle Decor in the early 90s, she would get a few hateful letters every time she published a house of an acknowledged gay couple. And that wasnt that long ago.

Rothman: In terms of how people name their partners, that has changed, and the way it was covered changed as a result. A lot of that was the result of [the legalization of gay marriage in 2015]. If the term husband or wife isnt available, you dont use it. Whereas once there would have been a discussion about how to cover a same-sex couple in a shelter magazine, now you just do it.

Boodro: Were there instances of people who should have gotten promotions or jobs that they didnt get, and maybe their being gay was a factor? Yes, there were. But it certainly was more open than a lot of fields. And theres been an appreciation for the talents of gay people in these industries for a long time, whether it was acknowledged that they were gay or not.

GAY WOMEN IN DESIGNInterior design in its modern conception was invented by a gay woman: Elsie de Wolfe. Strange, then, that over time the profession came to be associated with gay men. There are, however, many gay women in design, and their visibility in the industry may be on the rise.

Boodro: In the magazine business, there was a lot more openness about gay men than there was about gay women, and thats probably still somewhat the case.

Darla Powell Courtesy of Darla Powell Interiors

Darla Powell, designer: There are some gay women locally here in Miami who are decorators and who have reached out to me. I had another one reach out with some fan mailshe is in Florida as well, shes also gay and getting into interior design. I have a feeling theres probably more than the stereotype would have you believe.

Rothman: I dont know necessarily why gay men have been more visible in the industry than gay women. But I suspect that it has something to do with peoples perceptions about who has taste.

THE CLIENT QUESTIONWithin the industry, tolerance is the norm. But much of a designers career is spent interacting with clients, who bring varying levels of understanding of and comfort and experience with the gay community to the table.

Corey Damen Jenkins, designer: In the industry, its not so much a big deal to be gay, but when youre working in the field, it can be.

Drake: I can only remember one client who felt uncomfortable. My manifestation was gayI had very long hair. Ironically, he was in the hair replacement business. I think there was a discomfort there that I was gay, and the project did not go forward.

Jenkins: I had one client who thought for years I was straight. She had affiliated gay men with being very effeminate, with a limp wrist and a high-pitched, lisped voicea stereotype. We were having dinner with her husband, going over the project. Im not exactly sure how I shared with them that I was gay, but somehow it came out. And they were shocked!

They were deeply religious people, and they were raised not to agree with [being gay] from a scriptural standpoint. When I shared with them that I, too, was raised in a very strictly religious household, and that my family refused to accept me for being gayto this dayit broke their hearts. She said, But youre so nice, youre such a good person, youre always giving back to charity, youre so giving of your time with me and my kids and my family. And yet your family doesnt associate with you? And I said, No, because of something I cannot change.

It kind of shocked her, because we had fallen in love as friends, and as co-workers on this project. By associating with me closely, getting to know me, laughing, literally crying, you knowthe ups and downs of building a large homeit helped her to get to know a gay man without really realizing that she was doing it. It dispelled so many of the misconceptions and prejudices she had held for a very long time.

Corey Damen JenkinsCourtesy of Corey Damen Jenkins & Associates

Eche Martinez, designer: After the Pulse shooting in Orlando, I was really distraught. I happened to have a very quick meeting with a client Id been working with for years the Monday after it happened. I was so upset, and I said, Im sorry Im not as effervescent as I usually am, but this really hit close to home. She connected not only with the severity of it, but she said, I never told you, but when I was growing up, I lived in Orlando; two of my best friends were gay and we used to go to gay clubs. She had been thinking about the same thing over the weekend. I wasnt expecting to hear that, and we really connected. Its not like, Im in the gay bubble, these people are in the straight bubble.

Powell: In the beginning when I was doing social media, I was like, How transparent do I want to be? Do I show pictures of me and [my wife] Natalie on my feed? And once I decided, Screw that, I am who I am, and if they dont like it, they can go pound sand, the clients really started pouring in. I did lose a few followers on Instagram at first, but it skyrocketed when I really started honing in. Now our clients are ideal clients and nobody ever has a problem with it. They know its coming!

OUTSIDE THE BUBBLEIt may be rare to encounter intolerance about ones sexuality in a fabric showroom. But when designers leave the comfort of a famously open-minded industry, things can be differentespecially when projects take them outside of coastal enclaves and liberal-leaning cities.

Drake: The last time I experienced [homophobia] was my first time in Denver, walking down the street in some giant fur coatand they werent coming after me because of PETA. But that was a long time ago.

Powell: In Miami, overall I feel pretty comfortable. When I go up to northern Florida, forget it. People are driving around with rebel flags on their pickup trucks, and Im like, You know what? Maybe my wife and I are just friends here.

Mikel Welch, designer: I went to college in the south, in Atlanta. Theres a joke that if you go outside of the 20-minute circle, youre in Georgia; the rest is Atlanta. When I step outside that bubble and go into a Hancock Fabrics or something like thatyes, in smaller towns, it is not as accepting. Youre going to have a harder time

Not that I would walk in there raising a flag. But my jokey manner that I have, I may not have that going in there. I might tone down myself to make it more palatable to themnot that I should. Its a toning down and being aware of where Im at and how itll be a bit easier.

Rothman: Ive been pretty lucky. Ive been on photo shoots where I really disagree with the homeowner on their politics, but it doesn't necessarily move on to the subject of their thoughts on [gay rights]. Ive never felt uncomfortable. I have been shocked by some peoples politics on economic policy, but I probably shouldnt have been.

Eche MartinezCourtesy of Eche Martinez

Rio Hamilton, designer and marketing expert: [In Las Cruces, New Mexico, where Hamilton has a home], it takes so much explaining! I tell people that Im an interior designer, and I do branding and marketing for other people who are part of that business. Most people say, Oh, you go to Ashley Furniture and buy stuff for people? And I say, Yes, but I would never go to Ashley Furniture.

Couturier: One day, I was flying down to Atlanta; it was 7 oclock in the morning, I was half awake, and this very proper American lady sat next to me and wanted to talk. She was asking questions, which became more and more pointed: Whats your religious background? Where do you come from? I realized I had become the picture of evil, as far as she was concerned. A foreigner, gayand when she asked me what religion I was and I said, Actually, Im Jewish, she looked at me in complete horror.

Welch: I stage for a closet company, so Im typically gone at least 10 days out of each month to set up a showroom. Im in Phoenix, Arizona, or Mobile, Alabama, and every time its different. I do have to tailor my approachin a lot of these red states, they dont understand why a man is in this position. This is a womans job is kind of the undertone that you get.

ADDING RACE TO THE EQUATIONA national conversation about race and inequality has rippled through all corners of American society in the wake of the killing of George Floyd, and the design world is no exception. Perhaps for the first time ever, the industry is taking a hard look at something designers of color have long known: gay or straight, racial inequality is still very much alive.

Jenkins: Being Black and gay is a completely different path than being white and gay.

Welch: Im very proud of the design industry, and Ive been happy to see that the design community is listening as a whole on the issue of race. But one thing Id like to see is an exploration about diversity within the LGBTQ community. When I walk through the showrooms, there arent many Black members of our community that are prominent. I do see lots of white gay men, but I really dont see much other than that. I would love for us, as we become more inclusive, to take a look at that. And not not just from a sales role, but in a leadership capacity.

Jenkins: There are all the stereotypes about how gay men are supposed to talk and act. Well, if you want to turn that switch off and act very conservative and have a deep voice and talk about sports, a white gay male can do that. A Black gay male does not have that option. You can be as unstereotypical as you can possibly be, but you will always be Black.

Welch: Racial relations within the gay community are just as bad [as the outside world]. You would think it would be a situation where you have two minority groups, they would feel some sense of camaraderie, but its not the case. And its sad. Once on a dating app, I had someone send me a message that said, No coons. There are some bars in Chicago and Atlanta that will say, No baseball caps, no hoodies and no hip-hop music. Its saying it without saying it. Even with workif there are four Black people together, its a Black business. But if its four white people, its just a business.

Courtesy of Mikel Welch

Martinez: More and more, were starting to realize that even within a very open-minded society like San Francisco, there should be more inclusion. The Black community keeps getting decimated in the Bay Area, especially the queer Black community. Theres definitely lots of room for improvement.

Welch: I have a difficult time doing gay pride interviews. I want my pride to be out there, but because I get doubly discriminated against, I oftentimes dont get excited about it. There are still issues that need to be corrected.

I am a gay man and Im proud of that. The design industry has been very kind to me. Ive been able to make some tremendous strides, but Im kind of at a point now in my career where Ive got to speak out because its not just about me. Ive got to make it easier for the people coming behind me now.

SAFE HAVENThe design industry has always been a welcoming place for gay men and womena place where many find a community that eluded them in other fields.

Boodro: [My being out] was understood but not discussed when I started in publishing. Im sure I thought I was hiding it more than I ever did. But the nice thing about the design world is that within that small world, you didnt have to pretend. Its not like I worked for a private company or even the government, where being gay could cost you your job.

Jenkins: It was pretty much dont ask, dont tell [at the car company where I worked prior to starting my design firm]. This was back in the late 1990s. I was kind of head down, blinders on. I wanted to do my job and go home. [When I started as a residential designer], being gay was much more out in the open.

Martinez: Growing up in Argentina, there was this overlap between your family and your friends from high school. It was never like, OK, five guys are gonna go to a gay bar. When I left Argentina 10 years ago, there was no the gay district or the gay bar. Moving to California, I really made a core group of friends who were gay men for the first time in my life.

Hamilton: In [UC Berkeleys interior design program], it was a relief: It was OK to be openly gay. Out of the classmates I had, maybe 50 percent of them were gay, and we all shared a common interestnot only in men, but in design. My first gay friends were in design school.

Powell: Im really a newbie, but my experience has been so positive. I feel so welcomed and accepted into the design industry.

Schneider: Were in a community that fully encourages us and celebrates us. The last decade, to me, has been the most accepting of all.

WHATS CHANGEDIn some ways, the raw facts havent much changed in 40 years. The design industry was, and is, a place where gay talent is celebrated. What has changed is the explicit celebration of gay identity, and the degree of normalcy.

Boodro: I used to think that you couldnt be a decorator unless you lived on the Upper East Side, had a navy blazer with buttons, and wore a tie all the time. It was a different world.

Schneider: I keep on going back to charities like DIFFA and Alpha Workshops that organized an entire industry. It was always welcoming to gay people, but we weren't running around with rainbow flags. It's really acknowledged nowit's discussed, and its reflected in social media more than it ever was.

Martinez: My experience of being queer back home was just a bunch of guys going out for dinner who happened to sleep with men. I slowly started to read more about it and get the subtleties about what it really means to be queer, or gender nonconforming or nonbinary. Theres definitely a more involved conversation.

Couturier: Young people today are probably equally as fluid as we all were when we were 16 or 17, except now its completely understood and completely normal and no one asks a question. Everybody understands.

Boodro: Young people are just much more open and relaxed about it. Even when you go outside the design worldto all my nieces and nephews, its just a given. Its not an issue. To us it was such an issue, and we fought so hard that sometimes you cant quite believe youve won the battle, and you still want to fight the battle. Sometimes you think, Oh, these kids dont know what we went through, they take it for granted! But thats the way it should be.

Homepage photo: Shutterstock

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Pride: An oral history of being gay in the design industry - Business of Home

The second club, the moody Les Deux Caf, was created in collaboration with the designer Michle Lamy and installed at Mr. Fortunes direction inside an Arts and Crafts bungalow cum crack house, resurrected and transported by truck across a parking lot to a new locale.

And it was at Les Deux Cafe, with its self-aware design quotations from Old Hollywood nightspots like Chasens, Scandia and the Brown Derby, that Mr. Fortune laid the groundwork for what is probably his signal achievement: the design of the Tower Bar, the clubby, walnut-paneled dining establishment that opened in 2007 and quickly became the Hollywood power nexus it remains.

Like so many other newcomers to the land of self-invention, Mr. Fortune adjusted and burnished his biography as he went along. While he would eventually acquire some of the affectations of a swell, he was born Paul Stephen Fortune Fearon on Sept. 5, 1950, in a suburb of Liverpool, England, to Frances (Fortune) Fearon, a telephone operator, and Kevin Fearon, a production manager at a company that supplied Christmas hampers to Harrods.

When he was still a boy, Mr. Fortunes family relocated to a large and ramshackle house in Cheshire, England, within earshot of the lions roar at the Chester Zoo. Pauls natural flair was a driving force in the restoration of Cranwood, as the house was called, his brother, Mark Fearon, said in an email. Mr. Fearon and Mr. Brock are his survivors.

As a youth, Mr. Fortune often dragged his three siblings to country house sales and auctions, Mr. Fearon explained, not only helping his parents furnish Cranwood, but also showing an unwavering conviction about the correctness of his own taste. This was to be an earmark of his design practice and recurring theme in Notes on Dcor, Etc., a 2018 book he wrote that was equal parts portfolio, memoir and how-to.

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Paul Fortune, L.A. Designer to the Stars, Dies at 69 - The New York Times

For a world that celebrates and often steals from global culture and diversity, behind the glossy exterior, the interior design industry is ironically and startlingly uniform. From lists of top-50 UK designers to panel speakers to homes that appear in magazine shoots, those featured are often white.

Not that we really know. The industry doesnt have central statistics on its members (something some campaigners think needs to change). But for those people of colour working in the interior design world, it is blindingly obvious.

This issue, of course, is nothing new. But the shockwaves felt around the world from the urgent focus on Black Lives Matters campaigns have prompted some but by no means all to take a hard look at how the interiors world can work harder to become more diverse and tackle endemic racism at the heart of the industry.

Earlier this month, Yinka Ilori, the designer, creative director and founder of his eponymous studio, wrote a searing post on Instagram damning those in the industry who continue to pretend there isnt a problem. He pointed to the fellow Black and ethnic minority students on his product and furniture design course more than a decade ago, who studied for three years then decided not to pursue a career in interiors because they felt the industry wasnt diverse enough and they wouldnt be accepted.

The 2019 Dulwich Pavilion, titled The Colour Palace, was created by Pricegore architects and designer Yinka Ilori.

More damningly, he wrote about how last year, after unveiling his much-lauded Colour Palace commission in Dulwich, he received an email from a member of the public suggesting that the work would be better assembled in a Lagos shanty town where it might provide some shelter for the starving millions who live there. As Ilori put it: Im not going to sit here and say that racism doesnt exist because it does.

For years, under-represented designers have detailed similar experiences, ones that they still must endure today. Many of us dont feel comfortable, or feel uneasy, voicing it publicly whilst others may not even realise it, says Na Li, a qualified architect and co-founder of London-based design studio Holloway Li. But the world of interior design is currently shaped by the dominant culture of white males and white prestige. You only need to look to the popular top interior designer lists where there is a distinct lack of Black or Asian representation.

Alex Holloway and Na Li of London-based design studio Holloway Li.

Salsabil El-Awaisi, an interior designer and founder of SE Interiors, cites a common complaint: I often walk into a room and Im the only brown person in there. It did make me uncomfortable at the start of my career and it can be very draining. Ive had lots of patronising comments like, Wow, you run your own business, which, in hindsight, I realise are racist; they assume that Im not successful and well-educated, which I am. I feel that I have to work harder and prove myself a bit more, just because Im a person of colour.

Salsabil El-Awaisi is the founder of SE Interiors.

RACHEL COHEN

Meanwhile AlexandriaDauley, founder of Dauley Design and a tutor at KLC School of Design, says shes heard from people of colour predominantly young designers over the last week, who tell of turning up for interviews and being greeted with looks of surprise that they were not what the interviewer expected them to look like, or being told that they dont fit with the image of the brand. Once candidates were placed in jobs, they related experiences of being on probation [for] twice as long as white candidates and then later being passed over for promotion.

El-Awaisi adds that she rarely buys interior design magazines because they do not reflect a diverse range of designers. I find that in one month there might be a few Black or brown people, but it never feels consistent, it feels like a tick-box exercise.

The irony, of course, as Michelle Ogundehin, author, broadcaster and former editor-in-chief of Elle Decoration, points out, is that with any creative industry, great design grows from perspective and experience, so diversity is the path [by which] to reap benefits.

Michelle Ogundehin, author, broadcaster and former editor-in-chief of Elle Decoration.

Marianna Wahlsten

She says that by ignoring the wealth of talent out there, there have been missed opportunities. Ive been talking to a woman on Instagram (Laura of @NoFeatureWalls) whose home is full of beautiful William Morris wallpaper. But also, as her grandmother was a member of the Windrush generation and brought with her to England rich Caribbean influences, there is this confluence of expression that is extraordinary. I dont think that that style has been explored and celebrated. Watch this space, as Ogundehin plans to pitch an idea to the V&A for a potential exhibition that would examine the meeting of traditional British and Caribbean styles that exists in many homes around the UK, but is rarely given a platform.

But, while the conversation has moved to the mainstream, it is still not being discussed publicly by all. British Vogue contacted several designers, design schools and industry bodies, and many replied saying that they were not ready to respond to the issue; aside from a smattering of black squares, few big design studios have detailed what changes they intend to make.

Sophie Ashby and her husband Charlie Casely-Hayford, photographed for British Vogue in their home in White City.

Dylan Thomas

Sophie Ashby, creative director of Studio Ashby, is one of the few white studio directors who has made a public statement acknowledging the lack of diversity in her company, but promising to change through sponsored apprenticeships, mentoring and scrutinising her own recruitment strategy. In an honest and thoughtful Instagram post, she concluded: With what power I have, what I need to do is unlock a few doors and ensure the things I do are not transactional or token.

Meanwhile, to combat the lack of media representation, influencers have been using their platforms to amplify Black and minority voices online. Paula Sutton, who has a large, 368k-strong following on her @HillHouseVintage Instagram account, has been tagging fellow Black creators in the interiors world as part of an online challenge to build ourselves up as Black women, while Kate Watson-Smyth has used her @Mad_About_The_House account to showcase Black women and men who run interior design accounts to her 234k-strong audience.

Dauley thinks that there needs to be deeper, industry-wide change. Inspired by the Royal Ballets outreach programme, of which her 12-year-old daughter is a part, over the last few weeks she has reached out to industry bodies, publishers, design schools and studios with the aim of inspiring school students; phase two involves creating a path of paid work experience, apprenticeships and mentoring throughout their careers.She has already had a huge swell of support from prominent industry leads: I dont think Ive slept, she jokes, but now is the time to get people on board.

Two other schemes also hope to address the problem. Design Can, of which Ilori is a board member, is a campaign, tool and active-resource platform calling for an inclusive and representativedesignindustry. Meanwhile Designfor Diversity, which was launched by Rukmini Patel and Kate Watson-Smyth last week, is an initiative for brands, bloggers, designers and stylists to commit visibly to operate diverse businesses via a sticker on their websites. Brands already pledged to participate include Heals, Rockett St George, Pooky and Audenza.

Those hopeful for change dont want to see the conversation brushed back under the carpet. Im sure lots of people want it to move on, so we can go back to talking about pretty things, Ogundehin says. I love talking and reading about pretty things, but I also want change. This cant be the end.

More from British Vogue:

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Interior Design Has A Race Problem And It Needs To Be Addressed - British Vogue

More often than not, maximizing a view means maximizing the windows. But this new colonial home on Christmas Lake, in Shorewood, doesnt give in to prevailing trends. A lot of people with lake homes in Minnesota forego window grids to have wide-open glass, but this family really wanted the authenticity of divided-light window grids, just like youd see on the East Coast, builder John Kraemer says. Even if you obscure the view a little, its worth it. Its authentic.

Divided-light Marvin windows are among dozens of details that make the home feel like its long been part of the landscape. From machine-cut cedar shingle roofing to copper gutters to a black charcoal granite chimney with gable steps, they create a period feel. Even the classic white-painted wood siding does its part, with clapboards closer to 10 inches in width versus todays more common six-inch profile. Its more reminiscent of an older colonial, says architectural designer Jeff Murphy, who worked closely with architect Dan Demeules on the design. Bigger boards are one of those details you might not pick up on immediately, but when you do, you feel something about this housethat it feels really historic.

That impression was important for the owners, who have family connections to Christmas Lake and for years lived in the propertys previous midcentury white colonial home, which their family had outgrown. They wanted a nod to what was there beforetimeless and not over the top, Murphy says. They wanted it to feel like it was there for generations.

To that end, he looked to the previous theme and sketched out a variationan asymmetrical colonial. A lot of people think of colonials and they think of a rigid symmetrical box, he says. But we call this balanced asymmetrywith details and scale that create balance. On the rear exterior, for example, a window-wrapped sunroom anchors one end, a bay bump-out the other.

The design lends itself to a comfortable, less formal feeling, starting with scale. The massing should be kept to a human scaleit shouldnt be very overpowering, Murphy says. Think about walking up to a lot of older houses. Theyre comforting and lower and cozier in terms of rooflines and even interior spaces. In this case, a welcoming front porch and entry vestibule are entirely devoid of dramatic volume. But Murphy and team took pains to prevent a feeling thats in any way cramped. When designing modern-day houses, you have to get a little creative to feel the rewards of taller spaces on the inside, he says. A lot of old houses have lower ceilings, and now people want 10-foot ceilings.

The home, with its comfortable style and scale, borrows much of its sense of space from a linear, open plan that makes the most of natural light and views in every direction, including those toward the lake. Spaces on the main level, in fact, are never more than one room deep.

Architectural details, such as columns and beams, along with furnishings and light fixtures, define the living room, dining room, and kitchen in the open plan, and white oak flooring ensures seamless transitions. The owners wanted a very clean look on the inside, with traditional bones but more of a modern tone in most of the fixtures and furnishings, Murphy says.

Neutral upholstery gets pops of color from pillows and antique rugs, the latter brought from the owners original home. Features like the marble tiles on the fireplace surround feel a little upscale, but the furnishings ensure that when you walk in, it feels like home, says interior designer Kelly Perry, a longtime friend of the owners who collaborated with fellow designer Martha Dayton.

The more casual approach to the floorplan and furnishings also accommodates the owners lifestyle. She [the owner] loves to cook but wanted to make sure she could be cooking with her kids and husband sitting nearby, Perry says.

A two-sided fireplace anchors the entire living/dining/kitchen spaceand departs from an interior primarily painted Benjamin Moore White Dove. Painted a high-gloss Benjamin Moore Black on the living room side, the mantel was probably the trickiest decision we had in the whole house, Dayton says. But it was the right decision, because the owners didnt want the room focused around seeing a TV. It also complements the fireplaces marble surround and visually connects to the kitchen island, which is painted the same color.

Another deep colorBenjamin Moore Hale Navycovers the other side of the fireplace, in the adjacent music room. She [the owner] really wanted a high-gloss blue mantel, but I encouraged her to paint the whole room, including all of the built-in bookcases, blue, Perry says. We went through probably eight blues before landing on this one.

Glass doors flanking the fireplace keep the space visually open while allowing it to be closed off from sound when someone is practicing the piano. That room becomes a really cool backdrop, Murphy says. Looking through the doors and seeing the blue bookcases in the background becomes art in itself.

That same level of thought and attention to detail extends to all corners of the house, top to bottom. Even when you go downstairs, the beams on the basement ceiling have cool bracket details, Kraemer says. A lot of people view the basement as a place to save money, but the owners wanted to do it up right and make it just as special as the rest of the house.

Interior Design: Martha Dayton and Kelly Perry, Martha Dayton Design, 811 Glenwood Ave., Ste. 370, Mpls., 612-850-9493; marthadaytondesign.com //Architecture: Jeff Murphy and Dan Demeules, Murphy & Co., 811 Glenwood Ave., Ste. 250, Mpls., 612-470-5511, murphycodesign.com //Builder: John Kraemer, John Kraemer & Sons, 4906 Lincoln Dr., Edina, 952-935-9100, jkandsons.com //Landscape design: Keenan & Sveiven, 15119 Minnetonka Blvd., Minnetonka, 952-475-1229, kslandarch.com

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One with the Landscape - Mpls.St.Paul Magazine