Just looking around and see lots of great new chairs.  Some of these are new introductions at Neocon, the always interesting June market that takes place in Chicago.

 This fun TWIST chair is designed by Stefan Heiliger and offered through Sandler Seating.  It has a foam shell and inner supporting steel frame sitting stylishly on a flat cross base.

Leave it to the talented Karim Rashid to wow us! His new Chakra chair, available in a variety of colors, is offered through Raynor Contract.   

Then, totally changing course, check out these great Versace chairs. Usually Versace hits me as over-the-top and depending how you use these chairs, they can still fit into that category. If they are used with care, I think they can make a great statement!

This is the Salome chair in metallic leather.

I also love it in this striking black and white fabric.

And of course, you can’t have Versace without having a Queen!  This is the glamourous and tasteful Queen Privilege Chair.

A bit more sedate, but still in shining metallic is this gorgeous chair by Modani.  Its timeless solid wood frame  and hand carved flowers give it a traditional look while its metallic finish and faux crocodile leather lining creates a beautiful look for a contemporary interior.

Back at the office, this next fun office chair has a few creators.  The Very Task chair is by Michael Welsh and Nicolai Czumaj-Bront’s from Haworth. The creative back is screen-printed in custom colors on nylon mesh by NoPattern Studio’s founder, Chuck Anderson.

Love this chair!  The Perillo is a contemporary lounge chair by designer Martin Ballendat, and is part of the always creative line-up by Dauphin. It is made of one continuous sheet of material, thermoplastic and polished chrome.  One of my favorite things about this chair ? It is reportedly 99.9% recyclable!

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Beasley & Henley Interior Design has been designing in different countries for a few years. Sometimes we wonder if we should change ‘Interior Design’ to ‘International Design’ .

We are working in China with our partners at the East West Design Alliance.  Comprised of Beasley & Henley Interior Design, R & R Planning and Design, and Outside Productions, and Ecoarchi Architects & Consultants the East West Design Alliance team is currently working on 7 homes in China. In fact, Pat Trefz of Outside Productions is there now creating new pool designs.

The location where the homes are being built, is called Thousand Island lakes and it is gorgeous. This picture shows the houses being built in the winter.

This is the area in the summer.

Now this is where I get to show our Design Principal Troy Beasley’s face on a huge billboard in Hangzhou China … Troy is on the far right hand side.

Also, one of our fav architectural firms in China is BLVD.  The link show Beasley & Henley pictures on their site along with info on the East West Design Alliance.

At the BLVD.com.cn website just click on any of the BHID pictures featured under the East West Design Alliance logo and we can check them all out. You can read it in English as well- just click on the ‘translate’ up on the top right of your screen.

In addition to International Design we are also starting to work on a package for energy efficient homes here state side.

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Too many people are disappointed in their do-it-yourself design projects, mainly because they don’t make the right decisions at the very beginning. Here are 10 Easy Steps to take at the start, to get your project going the right way.

Step 1:   De- Clutter:  This is the big first start to getting into shape for your great interior design project.   You don’t have to throw everything away, but get rid of the stuff you really don’t need or never use! Then live with the results for a week and do it again. Start with as clean a palette a possible.

Step 2:  Think Flow:  All spaces in your project are connected and flow together so you can’t just design one room. You may only have the money to do one room right now, but you have to plan for the entire space. One room touches another room, which touches another one, etc.  Your design will only be complete when you achieve an overall flow and theme throughout your house.

Step 3: Set your Scope:  Now you have to decide which room or rooms come first?  Get that straight and you are almost ready to plunge in!

Step 4: Don’t forget the ‘backgrounds’. You can redo everything, but if you don’t look at your backgrounds you won’t feel like you accomplished much.  Countertops, cabinetry, paint colors, flooring, shelving and more, all have a huge impact on your design. If they look shabby or outdated, everything else is a waste of time.

Step 5:  Set your budget.  Budgets aren’t just for small projects.  Even the most elaborate homes we work on have budgets or at least ‘targets’ in mind.  If you are redoing everything from scratch, then here are some rules-of-thumb for budgets.  Furniture should comprise about 40% of your budget, Artwork 8%, Window Coverings 12%, Freight 7%, Specialty Lighting+Lamps 7%, Plants 5%, Accessories 8%, Wallpaper and Paint 2%, backgrounds 10% , though that can vary wildly.  You will have to take from each of your budget areas to make it all add up to 100%.

Step 6:  Plants and Artwork. For many who are new to interior design, these two areas tend to be pushed to the background.  Big Mistake! Plants and Artwork make a room complete and are critical to the finished look.

Step 7: Use Simple Window Treatments. Trash the old heavy treatments immediately. Your room will get a much needed boost of light and energy. Simple, inexpensive panels or cornice can be purchased in many different fabrics from lots of online retailers. They will even send you a fabric swatch (see Step 4).

Step 8: Don’t waste money. If you are on a tight budget, then spend it where you need it.  Take  baby’s rooms for example. Tey are oh-so cute, but an expensive baby’s room can be a waste.  Baby’s need love and food and lots of hugs. All that other fancy stuff is for mama, not baby. So if you don’t have it, don’t spend it here!

Step 9: Make it usable. Don’t put a fussy sofa and two chairs in your living room because you ‘have’ to. If you won’t use it like that, then don’t do it. How about 4 club chairs and library shelving?  Be creative. Think of what you need, make it presentable and make it work.

Step 10: Do it like a Designer.  Designers plan everything before they actually do anything. They draw every built-in, spec all moldings, measure all furniture, select all fabrics and lay it all on a floor plan before they ever buy anything.  Know what everything is, where it goes and how it fits into your budget before you buy.

If you get all this, then you have passed Interior Design Boot Camp. Congratulations!   Keep these basics in mind throughout and you are off to a successful design project.

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