The reality show that follows the work and lives of professional interior designers Top Design shall return on Wednesday, September 3 with 13 brand new contestants and a new host, top model and design aficionado India Hicks.

The second season is said to be more intense and the stakes are higher! The contestants shall be critiqued by some of the most influential names in the interior design industry. Inside scoop tells us that the challenges will range from redesigning a fall out shelter to competing in a full design triathlon. Different personalities with creative egos shall add spice to the show.

Todd Oldham shall be mentoring the contestants the second time around. While head Jonathan Adler shall head the judging team along with other judges such as Margaret Russel and Kelly Wearstler. Those three shall decide the deserving winner of the $100,000 cash prize plus a four page editorial showcase in Elle Decor magazine.

J. Design Group, an interior design firm located in Florida offers a complete range of outstanding design services in different communities throughout Florida. Though all their works are real stunning, their Living Room designs are nothing but outstanding. Here are some of their sample design.

The interior design of this living room incorporates hidden pot lights to create a romantic atmosphere. Again, our designers flowed the colors of the couch and the dining room chairs to ensure that both rooms flow into each other naturally.

Large rooms for entertaining have many windows and it is important to dress them up and create conversation pieces. The window coverings, hanging wall lamps and the addition of a flower holder accentuate this living room.

Open space, lots of windows ensure that this living room will be an excellent room to entertain your friends and acquaintances. The window coverings and lamp shades accentuate the room. The classic touch of a rose under each lamp provides the finishing touch.

See more of J. Design Group’s Living Room designs at their website.

Nielsen-Wilson Design was honored with three awards in the 10th Annual Interior Design Awards, presented by the American Society of Interior Designers Colorado Chapter. Nielsen-Wilson’s designs were selected from a record number of entries to take top prize in three of 27 categories, the most of any design group this year.

In the category Primary Residence over 5,000 Square Feet, Nielsen-Wilson took top honors for the open yet intimate design of a Monument, Colo. home with expansive Rocky Mountain views. Inspired by nature, the firm combined natural tones, original art and well-defined spaces to balance the home with its grand surroundings.

Nielsen-Wilson won the Design Elements category for two features in a Monument, Colo. home. Four horizontal wooden bars cross the home’s main entry, evoking strength and masculinity. The four bars are repeated as troughs that catch and redistribute water in an entryway fountain.

Finally, for the category of Un-Built, Non-Commissioned Work, Nielsen-Wilson’s plans for a 30-year-old Vail Valley building lobby and mezzanine were recognized. The building had to be redesigned rather than rebuilt, so Nielsen-Wilson re-imagined the space to create a 50-foot fountain that turned the building’s open mezzanine into a dramatic design feature.

The American Society of Interior Designers holds the Interior Design Awards annually to recognize the most outstanding design projects by Colorado firms. Entries are judged on the design process and how well the result reflects the space’s intent. This year’s award submittals were juried in San Francisco, CA.

For more information on Nielsen-Wilson Design visit www.n-wdesign.com.

Source: PRWeb

An unrivalled leader in glass production, with an internationally acknowledged know-how in acid-etched processing and an ever-evolving offer in technological and design-oriented solutions, OmniDecor is presenting a new line of patterns.

At Fiera Architektonika – Lingotto in Turin, June 30–July 3 – the DecorFlouDesign collection confirms once more its commitment to innovative development and to the cooperation with the most creative designers in the field, with the launch of a new line of patterns designed by Defne Koz.

With her training in Ettore Sottsass’ studio and a cosmopolitan background steeped in both the ancient and the contemporary of Turkish, Italian and American culture, Defne Koz has acquired specific skills in the field of glass design. From Murano glass to crystals, from laser-cut sheets to prints, she has experienced first-hand the material’s wide potential. Her skills have now been brought to ideal fruition in her project for OmniDecor.

In line with the company’s tradition of state-of-the-art R&D and aesthetics, the patterns by Defne Koz express to the fullest the unique versatility and architectural essentiality of glass sheets. Architecture played a major role in inspiring Defne Koz’s project for OmniDecor. The environment of light and shadow, movement and transparency, brings DecorFlou glass to the fore in eliciting the dynamics of both the visual and tactile effects of Defne Koz’s patterns. Her research has focused on patterns adding a third dimension of depth to a bi-dimensional platform, as well as evoking a feeling of “softness” from a hard material, as further proof of the flexible and wide-ranging expressive potential of glass.

Texture, geometry, the dynamics of clear versus opaque: everything conspires to bring to life an architectural element that is the fertile focus of Defne Koz’s designing passion, with the creation of patterns specifically conceived for different processes and surfaces. An alternation of surfacing and vanishing perceptions constantly renewed by the slightest change in surroundings.

Source: www.omnidecor.net

Futuro Futuro, Italian manufacturer of high-end modern kitchen range hoods, expanded its recently-introduced Acqualina model line with new configurations in early 2008. Now available in several sizes of ceiling-mount and wall-mount versions, the radically-designed product offers to the modern kitchen owner an effective kitchen ventilation solution that combines advanced technology and authentic Italian design.

Futuro Futuro, Italian manufacturer of high-end modern kitchen range hoods, expanded its recently-introduced Acqualina model line with new configurations. The radical design is now available in ceiling-mount as well as wall-mount versions, with the signature curved capture panels available in tempered glass or stainless steel.

Part of the Futuro Futuro collection of design-conscious modern range hoods, the Acqualina model line features a radical multi-curve design that captures the essence of motion. The model line’s technological features include:
· Powerful tangential blower motor.
· Patented sound-absorbing chamber.
· Illuminated multi-function electronic control panel.
· Halogen lighting with patented tool-less “Easy-Open” light fixtures.
· Easy installation and maintenance.
· Available chimney extension and recirculation kit for ductless venting.
· Available remote blower kit and wireless remote control.

The new Acqualina series range hoods became available through Futuro Futuro’s exclusive United States distributor in early 2008. For more information, homeowners and kitchen professionals should visit www.FuturoFuturo.com.

Woods may visually be hard but can be soft in the illusion. Aswoon, by Susan Woods, focuses in highly original well-designed pieces that cross the line between design, form and function. Form meets its function with her sleek and eco-chic masterpieces.

Aswoon also offers consultation and cooperation with their clients when creating custom or limited edition works with different materials such as metal, wood, plaster, paper and other associated materials. Her project, the “New Wave” line, is made of made of bent plywood; each piece is designed and handcrafted by Susan Woods to the client’s specifications. So much more than a chair, it is a work of art destined to be a conversation piece for a lifetime.

Undulating panels of molded poplar plywood turn elegant space dividers into architectural additions, though some see them purely as sculpture. These rippling partitions stand up to ten feet, imbuing any room with an effusive earthy air. Some serve as multi-use functional objects.

In addition, the New Wave Line comprises of artistic furniture such as lounge chairs, public seating, wooden couches and tables.

The pieces shown, partially prototypes, can be custom-reproduced in any size and with different finishes or coatings. Others already shape the interior of public spaces or private living environments.

Visit www.aswoon.com to see more of their eco-chic designs.

Leading New Zealand fashion designer Sherilyn Catchpole whose label State of Grace epitomizes femininity, romance and theater has brought all three to bear in a specially designed rug she’s created to raise money for Save the Children.

Sherilyn cites the Hans Christian Andersen tale, The Princess and the Pea, as inspiration for her rug which is to be sold at a Designer Rugs charity auction in August.

Her finished rug will sit alongside those of other Kiwi designers Zambesi, Cybele, MoM*D and WORLD who have each been invited to design a unique, single edition rug to raise funds for their favorite charity.

Sherilyn says she was delighted to take up the challenge on behalf of Save the Children. “There are so many needy children who need to be nurtured, nourished and given the chance of a future we all deserve.”

Save the Children New Zealand Executive Director John Bowis, says: “We’re delighted that Sherilyn has chosen Save the Children as her charity. It is an excellent example of the many ways in which people from all walks of life can work with NGOs to achieve lasting improvements in children’s lives. “

Though she’s never designed a rug before Sherilyn says she’s always wanted to extend her designs to another medium. “I like new challenges that allow me to use my creative skills in new ways, so when I was approached I was very excited.”

Sherilyn has chosen three complementary colors – slate gray, pea green and sun-kissed yellow displayed as different sized spots on an ivory base. “The pea green color and shape it represents comes from the pea under the princess’s bed, while the other shades are from what I imagine her mattresses and night gown to be.”

Designing the rug has given Sherilyn new insight into the world of interior design. Her main challenge, she says, was in deciding how the design and large scale would sit in an interior space. “I now have endless ideas for more.”

The auction is to be held at Designer Rugs showroom in Parnell on 12 August from 6.30-8.30pm

Come to think of it these lamps are not made from the usual materials people would first think of. If you’d ask how, you might be surprised that these trendy lamps came from discarded materials. What kind? Simply these are made of discarded banners that explain why it’s called Bannerina lamps. More and more advertisers use banner mesh situated on different buildings and when you speak about the size just imagine how huge these buildings are in a commercial sites. Notwithstanding the waste it will create it has been increasingly utilized by different companies and normally these banners only have an estimated lifespan of around six months. And since Bannerina was born, the short life duration of these banner-mesh fabrics prolonged its life as an innovative chic design!

Bannerina leading lights has made an advantage from its durability, suppleness and structural rigidity of the mesh and basically don’t need superfluous construction element to keep their shape. They are also easy to assemble. You will never be bothered about the packaging fees since these shades can be stored flat when being transported.

Behind these eco friendly project was Katarzyna Okinczyc whose zeal for design was inspired from the ideas of modern issues and styles. Check out all her sophisticated design of light and mesh combo on Bannerina.com and add a stylish eco-friendly shades in your homes.

Source: www.bannerina.com

Colors don not just delight the visual perception but they’re also true agents of vibrational wellness. This is where designer Louise Russell focuses in her textile designs merging two elements – design and healing.

She studied and concentrated research on sound, light, color and homeopathy with some of the world’s most renowned experts. One of them was Dahli anaji Hohe who was recognized as the world’s master of the ancient science of sound and researcher of the psycho-spiritual dynamics of the subtle energy centers, charkas. Her research to acquire knowledge regarding vibrational influence of the environment on physical and subtle bodies was guided by Dr. D. Khlinghardt, an M.D., Ph.D in Seattle. She learned the use of Photon light machine – a therapeutic tool using color and hertz frequencies for both physiological and psychological problems – from Dr. S. Vazquez from Dallas and she’s been a certified color therapist under Theo Gimbell from Hygeia College of Color Therapy in England.

Photo Credit: carnegiefabrics

From the combinations of her acquired knowledge and expertise she created Carnegie’s brand called “Fresh Air”. Her style was to create ambiances that not just go far beyond aesthetic or what are just visually appealing but also work as a harmonious healing from the background. Fresh Air is a collection of fabrics that offers healing and wellness on physical and also on spiritual level. The soothing effect was made from the dilution of realistic images of its designs – flowers, mountains, and other nature design through pixilation. Thus these natural images generate energetic and powerful aesthetic information that makes a person to be homeostasis - the process by which the body adjusts its functions to compensate for deficiencies.

Check out other fabric designs at www.carnegiefabrics.com

Patricia Gray won the award for Best Contemporary Design at Seattle Design Center’s annual Northwest Design Awards Gala held September 28. Her problem solving, creativity, quality of design and beauty of the space for the Gastown Project prevailed in the competition, distinguished by its signature warmth, personal approach, and use of a variety of innovative materials and furnishings.

Patricia graduated from college with a degree in interior design and study decorative arts and architectural history at the Parson’s School of Design in Paris. She is a member of the Inter-Society Color Council of New York, the National Council for Interior Design, and the Interior Designers of Canada. In addition to that she is also a certified Feng-Shui practitioner. Her portfolio comprises feature projects all over the Canada and US, also including countries like Japan, Singapore and Africa.

Patricia Gray’s technique certainly does come from within. Her designs are studied and defined while being completely inhabitable and appealing. Her stylistic point of view is enduring and classic, yet still upholds an incontestable contemporary edge.

It isn’t common to stumble upon a blog from an actual interior designer. In spite of her busy schedule she also managed to update her blog almost daily where she features her inspiration, including other designers and architects that she admires. Patricia’s creativity has also been published in different notable magazines including the Architectural Digest.

Visit her site to view more of her designs at patriciagrayinc.com