Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

It has been observed that the most profound technologies are those that disappear (Mark Weiser, 1991). They weave themselves into the fabric of everyday life until they are indistinguishable from it, and are notable only by their absence.

The feat of reticulating clean potable water into every house, so that it is constantly accessible at the turn of a tap, is a great example of the outcome of large scale civil engineering projects, combining with metallurgy, hydrology, chemistry and physics. But we never notice it until it is no longer there. Similarly, the adoption of household items such as the refrigerator, washing machine and stove. And of course let's not forget the feat of the domestic electricity supply grid. Prior to the construction of national grid systems, electricity's customers were entire communities and the service role was in lighting the town's public spaces at night. Domestic electricity was an unaffordable luxury for most households. Today we simply take it for granted.

Computers are also disappearing. Today's car has more than 100 million lines of code, running in more than 100 microprocessor control modules. What we see in the car is not these devices, but instead we have cars with anti-lock brakes, traction control, cruise control, automatic wipers and seat belt alarms. Each of the car's underlying control systems are essentially invisible, and about all we get to see is the car's human interface system. This visible system, essentially an entertainment controller and navigation service, is currently the space where both Apple and Google are jostling for position with the auto makers, while all the other microprocessor systems in the car remain unremarked and little noticed.

So how should we regard the Internet? Is it like large scale electricity power generators: a technology feat that is quickly taken for granted and largely ignored? Are we increasingly seeing the Internet in terms of the applications and services that sit upon it and just ignoring how the underlying systems are constructed?

What about the most recent Internet revolution, the massive rise of the mobile "smart" phone? Will the use of a personal mobile computing device be a long lasting artefact, or will it be superseded in turn by a myriad of ever smaller and ever more embedded devices?

What should we make of the mobile smart phone industry? Is this all-in-one device headed down the same path of future technology obsolescence as the mainframe computer, the laptop and even the browser?

Or are these devices going to be here to stay?

How did we get here?

One way to answer this question is to look at the evolution of the computer itself. Computing is a very new industry. Sure, there was Baggage's analytical engine in the 19th century, but the first computers appeared in the mid 20th century as programmable numerical calculators. These were massive feats of electrical engineering, built at a cost that only nation states could afford, and were of a size and fragility that they required their own building, power and conditioned environment. Valves are large, require high levels of power and are fragile. For the early computers, such as ENIAC, a small cadre of folk were taught how to program them and a far larger team of specialists were employed to keep these behemoths running. This model of computing was one that was only accessible for a few, and at a cost that was completely unaffordable for most.

The invention of the transistor changed everything. Transistors were far more robust, used far less power and could be produced at far lower cost, leading to the advent of the commercial computer in the 1960. These units, such as the ubiquitous IBM System 360, were used in large corporates and in universities and research institutions as well as in public agencies. They still required dedicated facilities and a team of operators dedicated to keep them running, but now they branched out from being numerical calculators into information storage and manipulation devices. These computers could store and manipulate text as well as numbers. At the time computers were seen as the device itself and the giants of the industry were manufacturers whose logo was stamped on the hardware. The value of the unit was the hardware: by comparison the residual value placed on the software was almost incidental.

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The Mobile Internet

Mario Batali #39;s Studio Kitchen featuring Caesarstone Countertops
See the entire video here: http://www.mariobatali.com/videos/via-alta-studio-kitchen/ Via Alta Productions Mario Batali #39;s production company creating innova...

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Mario Batali's Studio Kitchen featuring Caesarstone Countertops - Video

"The New York chair is another trend where the shape and proportion are very important, as is the mix of materials with metal and fabric," says Attica's Suzanne Saul, using these Saba Italia chairs---and their flippable cushions--- to illustrate a style she's onto. Citing a Trend Bible post about shape and proportion replacing surface interest, she says with these chairs, "shape is such a strong component. It's like a drawing that's been brought to life. That's what makes its so engaging, you can really feel the design process." Attica Furnishings, 1566 Barrington Street

KEW's Ray Frizzell is seeing concrete everywhere. From coffee tables to countertops, to coat hooks, salt and pepper mills to house numbers, it's popping up in various corners of homes, making a statement. "Concrete plays into that overall trend of the more industrial aesthetic," he says. "It's also material that's really affordable and the think the juxtra of something that's so raw and heavy incorporated into things you don't typically see makes it interesting." KEW, 1861 Granville Street

When it comes to lighting, 31 Westgate's Ken McRobbie and Colin Blanchard are going for the gold.This piece from Aerin Lauder, Este's granddaughter, speaks to the sophistication that comes with the colour. "Gold adds immediate warmth and luxury. It can make a space feeltimeless, elegant and chic. Aerin Lauder believesgold is a modern neutral that works with anything. When applied to smooth and refined surfaces---gilded pieces can elevate a space and give it a modern look." 31 Westgate, 2698 Agricola Street

Deb Nelson tackled three kitchen trends to watch in this design of hers: warm metals, thin countertops and oversized ranges. "Warm metals are a trend whether we're talking about lighting, hardware or accessories. It's not like silver's leaving town, you can mix metals with stainless steel. There are no rules!" she says. Nelson also gave us the skinny on why thin---we're talking two centimetres---natural stone countertops are her top choice: "It's a sleeker, cleaner, modern finish." debnelsondesign.com

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On Monday, interior designer Elissa Ellie Cullman will join architect Allan Greenberg in an intriguingly named program at The Society of the Four Arts The Uneasy Marriage of the Architect and Interior Designer.

Cullman founded New York City-based Cullman & Kravis 30 years ago and has designed interiors for a number of Palm Beach homes. Greenberg runs his eponymous firm, which has offices in New York City; Greenwich, Conn.; and Alexandra, Va.

As a preview, the Palm Beach Daily News asked Cullman for a little insight into the delicate relationship between those who build houses and those who decorate them. Heres what she suggests, in her own words.

CHRISTINE DAVIS

*

The success of a professional marriage between an architect and an interior designer (and often the client, not to mention a long list of other design professionals like painters, contractors, landscape architects, lighting designers and art advisors) is based on the same principles as any personal I dos collaboration, support, teamwork, open-mindedness, mutual respect, flexibility and harmony:

* Building a strong team from the ground up is the secret for success. A complete team can consist of an architect, interior designer, landscape architect, painters, contractors, lighting designers and on and on. Every detail must be addressed and analyzed from so many different perspectives, so a talented team of pros who work together in a spirit of harmony and flexibility will result in a much stronger final product.

* The designer and architect should be engaged at the floor-plan stage because the decorators perspective about such important details as furniture proportion and placement has an critical impact on the architects scheme such things as the height of a chair rail in the dining room or the length of a wall in the bedroom to accommodate a king-sized bed and two night tables are good examples of when the decorators input to the architects plan are invaluable.

* Lines can be blurred between each partners domain when the partners collaborate on each others choices and challenges, the results are seamless and effective. There is no good decorating without good architecture, the good bones that make a decorators work sing.

* The clients vision is the inspiration in the professional marriage: Architects and designers dont work in a vacuum. Teamwork wins the day. If a client has strong directives and opinions, the pros must team up to make it work for everyone.

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Designing a happy marriage between decorator, architect

On Monday, interior designer Elissa Ellie Cullman will join architect Allan Greenberg in an intriguingly named program at The Society of the Four Arts The Uneasy Marriage of the Architect and Interior Designer.

Cullman founded New York City-based Cullman & Kravis 30 years ago and has designed interiors for a number of Palm Beach homes. Greenberg runs his eponymous firm, which has offices in New York City; Greenwich, Conn.; and Alexandra, Va.

As a preview, the Palm Beach Daily News asked Cullman for a little insight into the delicate relationship between those who build houses and those who decorate them. Heres what she suggests, in her own words.

CHRISTINE DAVIS

*

The success of a professional marriage between an architect and an interior designer (and often the client, not to mention a long list of other design professionals like painters, contractors, landscape architects, lighting designers and art advisors) is based on the same principles as any personal I dos collaboration, support, teamwork, open-mindedness, mutual respect, flexibility and harmony:

* Building a strong team from the ground up is the secret for success. A complete team can consist of an architect, interior designer, landscape architect, painters, contractors, lighting designers and on and on. Every detail must be addressed and analyzed from so many different perspectives, so a talented team of pros who work together in a spirit of harmony and flexibility will result in a much stronger final product.

* The designer and architect should be engaged at the floor-plan stage because the decorators perspective about such important details as furniture proportion and placement has an critical impact on the architects scheme such things as the height of a chair rail in the dining room or the length of a wall in the bedroom to accommodate a king-sized bed and two night tables are good examples of when the decorators input to the architects plan are invaluable.

* Lines can be blurred between each partners domain when the partners collaborate on each others choices and challenges, the results are seamless and effective. There is no good decorating without good architecture, the good bones that make a decorators work sing.

* The clients vision is the inspiration in the professional marriage: Architects and designers dont work in a vacuum. Teamwork wins the day. If a client has strong directives and opinions, the pros must team up to make it work for everyone.

Excerpt from:
Designing a happy marriage

As she embarks on her third decade in business, interior designer Lisa E. Erdmann follows an every-other-year schedule to decide when she will decorate a room in the American Red Cross Designers Show House, an annual fundraiser that benefits the charitys Palm Beach Treasure Coast chapter. On alternate years, she focuses on a different organization, from creating a table setting for a benefit at the Norton Museum to helping the Center for Family Services renovate its West Palm Beach offices.

But this year, shes returning her time and design talents to the 39th annual Red Cross Show House at a historic lakefront home in Lake Worth, which hosts a preview party Wednesday before opening to the public the next day for a month of tours.

My parents raised me to always know it was our responsibility to give back if we had the means to do so, Erdmann says. So picking a charity is important in my makeup, and working with the Red Cross is a pleasure. Its so well received that it helps expose our design talent, and it benefits them, too.

Land-development ties

Giving back is not the only way of thinking Erdmann learned from her family.

Her livelihood centers around homes and design, and she comes from a land-development family with a name certainly familiar to Palm Beachers. Her grandfather, E. Llwyd Ecclestone Sr. an early proponent of building luxury homes clustered around golf courses developed the South Florida luxury communities Lost Tree Village and Johns Island. Her father, Palm Beacher E. Llwyd Ecclestone, developed PGA National and Old Port Cove. Her brother, E. Llwyd Ecclestone III, meanwhile, has just finished work on a pair of houses he developed on speculation on the North End.

Erdmann graduated from Middlebury College in Vermont and attended Parsons School of Design while working in the design industry in New York City. Having also studied at Florida Institute of Technology, she founded Lisa Erdmann & Associates in 1994. Its based at her familys development offices in West Palm Beach but has also long maintained a Palm Beach address.

For this years show house, Erdmann is cooking up something special for the living room of the 1925 Mediterranean-style house known locally as the Birthday Cake Castle, although its formal name is La Florentia.

The 7,000 square foot house, recently bought by Scott Levine, was originally built by Sherman Childs. It received its Birthday Cake Castle nickname when former owner Upton Close gave the home to his wife, Margaret Fretter Nye, as a birthday present in 1954. With slender candle-like pillars, plaster swirls that resemble icing and graceful curves, it even has a birthday-cake stained-glass window in the stairwell.

Its grandly scaled rooms, casual spaces, and nooks and crannies of various shapes and sizes will be the basic ingredients for 20 designers, who will adorn them to create their own slices of decorating magic.

Link:
Stylish return: Erdmann among decorating veterans at American Red Cross Designers Show House

Ease of Maintenance While no floor remains entirely maintenance free, ceramic tile comes about as close at it can to being service free. Short of the tile application of the occasional sealant, applied once every four years or so, tile flooring requires only the regular cleaning that any flooring surface would require. With the installation of grout, tile becomes almost impervious to water damage, and can be virtually hosed off if necessary. Many specialty products are currently available that assist greatly in tile maintenance and upkeep, all of which can be found in nearly any home goods provider or supermarket.

Adaptability There is a tile option for nearly any application, and your imagination and creativity are your only limitations when installing tile. From porticos in a dining room to a tiled hearth in front of a fireplace, you can adapt tile to nearly any surface, indoors or out. Tiles adaptability has been exploited throughout Europe, and examples for tile floors can be seen in kitchens, living rooms, dining rooms and even bedrooms. In some destinations abroad, it is not uncommon to find an entire house tiled wall to wall, in an effort to keep cool.

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Cambridge Floors - Hardwood Floor Installation Vancouver ...

Unique Carpets & Floorings supply and fit an extensive selection of quality carpets, wood floors and designer flooring to homes and businesses in Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Shropshire.

Located in Hereford, our carpet showroom is stocked with carpet and flooring samples from Adams, Amtico, Axminster, Brintons, Brockway, Cavalier, Greendale, Ryalux, Stairrods, Ulster, Victoria, Westex, Woodpecker and many more so you have plenty of choice.

Contact us to find out more or visit the Unique Carpets & Floorings showroom, Hereford.

Unique Carpets and Floorings staff pride themselves on delivering an excellent standard of customer service, offering prompt, friendly and professional advice.

Non-commissioned staff listen to your requirements and then provide expert advice on the perfect choice of carpet or flooring.

FREE, no obligation site surveys and written quotations are provided on all carpets, flooring and installation.

Contact us to book your free on-site survey.

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Unique Carpets and Floorings Hereford

Photos/T. Julian Pertkiewicz

Clifton artist Sam Kapral has re-designed the American flag to place more emphasis on the 50 states and not just the original 13 colonies. By making the stars space larger, and decreasing the size of the stripes, he said he has accomplished one of his two goals. His second goal is to present the flag to the president.

CLIFTON Sam Kapral smoothes the prototype pages out along the dining table of his home, the Clifton home he's lived in for more than 40 years. There it is: the culmination of four long years of work, shown in pictures. His finished design still looks like the American flag, but it has been altered carefully to show a side of Old Glory that Kapral feels has long been overdue. As he adjusts the pages he beams his satisfaction at his hard work.

His neighbor of many years, Doreen Delancy-Williams, describes him as a very kind and passionate man. "The sweetest man you ever want to meet."

In his retirement he wishes to continue to share his designs with the world by helping make something new again. Although his doctor visits take up a lot of his time and energy, he has managed to see his flag design project through.

During Kapral's career, he has designed packaging for products such as fragrances, creams, and even product art for Gold Medal Biscuit Mix. Before entering retirement, he was a senior artist at Elizabeth Arden for 22 years, where he designed packaging for the company's cosmetics. In the 1950s he trained at Newark School of Fine Art, where upon graduation he was awarded the Designer's Guild award of first prize for one of his designs. In his basement studio he still keeps his portfolio of carefully preserved renderings and blueprints of his academic designs, now just over 60 years old. His designs appear ahead of their time, with clean lines and a minimalist presence of today's popular designs, with just a splash of color.

However, his experience goes far beyond technical design; from watercolors, to pencils, to sketches, to an oil painting of his late wife in her youth - his artwork tells the story of a man who has been artistic all his life. Now at 89, Kapral admits with a chuckle that he prefers to be a manager when it comes to most projects, like his home remodeling. However, the American flag holds deep sentimental value for him. When he realized it had not been updated in decades and he saw room for improvement, it felt natural to take matters into his own hands.

The modern flag design was adopted in 1960, which depicts all 50 states as stars. However, the same general design has been in use since its inception in the 1770s. When asked why he decided to redesign the flag, Kapral replies, "If there is a chance to upgrade something - well, we upgrade everything else." He goes on to mention how America upgraded from horses to cars. "When I was a boy there was only one car on my block... People used to say, 'if a car breaks, you should just get a horse.'" He draws this conclusion: if we stayed with the old ways out of fear, there would be little progress. "Now cars are everywhere."

Kapral's redesign begins with the stars. Instead of the tiny square of blue to corral the stars, it has been extended to the base of the flag. Over time, he has rearranged the stars into various configurations, until he found the staggered pattern he desired. Beside the panel of blue and white, the red and white stripes alternate uniformly as before, but now each of the stripes is equal in length.

His explanation is simple: the current American flag places too much emphasis on the original 13 colonies, represented by the 13 red and white stripes. There is not enough emphasis on the individual states as stars. "We should be proud of our states and show them all," Sam remarks. His final design shows the stars enlarged, to display more prominently against their blue backdrop.

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Clifton artist designs new flag

We received the Sun Portal system just in time for a storm power outage! We installed it in a few hours. The installation process was straightforward. Once installed and charged it functioned perfectly.

It was fabulous to have this bright light in our kitchen/family room during those dark nights. It was easy to read, work and cook by this light, even after many hours of use. It recharges completely during the day, even on cloudy days. It was a great comfort with the power out. The Sun Portal casts such a nice light we use it often, on a daily basis, now that the power is back on.

The system was complete as shipped. It was packaged very well for safe transit, with all of the necessary parts and with clear and precise instructions. It even came with a long drill bit to make the small hole in the outside wall, which is needed to connect the outdoor solar panel to the indoor light and storage battery unit, and with clear silicone sealant. That was a very thoughtful and nice touch. The installation instructions guided us step by step. The location of the solar panel on the outside wall is not too critical, since the panel has a very high output capacity for charging the battery. The location of the light on the inside wall is somewhat more critical, since you want the light to be in spot that can reach and fill the entire space - very handy in a power outage! We put the light above the TV on our southeast wall. The light was bright enough to reach our stove, sink and countertops more than 20 feet away. It does not interfere with viewing the TV. The integral shade does a nice job of diffusing the light.

Once installed and charged, the light worked very well. We love it! It is an attractive fixture and the very high efficiency LEDs throw a lot of light into the room. We have been enjoying this new addition to our home, especially knowing that we are using energy directly from the sun in our own backyard!

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LightPortal Indoor Solar Lighting System - Landscape ...