Gensler Dallas, a global design, planning and strategic firm received the Pinnacle Award in Interior Design for the second time in three years. The announcement was made at the Texas/Oklahoma Chapter of Interior Design Association’s (IIDA) annual Gala with the Pinnacle Award as the highest honor that IIDA can bestow upon a design company.

The firm that has over 3000 professionals networked across 31 offices on five continents was also honored with a Design Excellence Award (Honorable mention) in the Corporate Category for its outstanding design on its recent office relocation.

 “We are delighted to receive this honor and to be recognized as one of the premier firms in the Texas/Oklahoma Chapter. IIDA is an important professional organization to Gensler. Not only are 75 percent of the Dallas office’s interior designers members of IIDA, but 100 percent of our five principals are active members of IIDA,”  Judy Peseck, principal and managing director of the Dallas office said as she received the award.

Source: Pegasus News Wire

What better way to wake up to a breath of fresh air (not literally) and set the mood right at the very start of the day through a hearty breakfast inside your bright and enchanting new kitchen. Retro style is the answer. Transforming your kitchen into one takes a bit of creativity. Tips to a kitchen with a hint of this non-traditional style is to keep it bright and if not contrasting colors, use odd combination of colors.

To make it easier for anybody interested, Bauer Interior Design showcases a couple of excellent retro inspired kitchen designs.

This 1960’s kitchen was rescued with just a cosmetic makeover with 1970’s colors - avocado, harvest gold, tangerine and cobalt blue. A vintage late fifties gas stove adds authenticity to this theme.

This contemporary-lined kitchen draws its inspiration from the streamlined-deco era with a touch of sixties’ jazz greats.

A fifties diner is recreated in this colorful kitchen. Red, black, yellow and white tiles are a playful choice next to these white cabinets.

This narrow galley kitchen expands its interest with the use of colors and materials. The lavender, terracotta and green colors flow from wall to floor to cabinets.

A bowl of Cheerios would be perfect in this 1950’s retro-diner kitchen.

Lou Ann Bauer, a veteran designer is a product of U.C. Berkeley’s BA in Fine Arts and San Jose State University’s BS in Interior Design. Combining her expertise both in art and interior design allows her to create artful and whimsical style that pretty much became her identity in the industry.

She started her own business, Bauer Interior Design twelve years ago and is located in San Francisco.

See more of her amazing work here.

The Greater Fort Worth Builders Association Presents the 19th Annual Kaleidoscope Homes for the benefit of the Cook Children’s. The event is hosted by the Montserrat West Fort Worth Estate where the million dollar home tour continues until September 21 of this year. Reports say that the event is flocked by a huge number of crowd.

The prestigious Judges Awards at the VIP Party were one of the main highlights. Kaleidoscope of Homes Co-Chairs Cary Clarke and Ken Hackett, along with Bonnie Dolan with Colonial National Mortgage, the sponsor of the coveted awards presented the awards for outstanding achievement in design excellence and creativity.

“The judging was exceptionally close in virtually every category. Each showhome represents almost a year of intense preparation by hundreds of dedicated companies and individuals. We wish to thank all of our showhome builders, to recognize their contributing Builder Association members, and to provide each of them an Outstanding Feature award.”

The following are the list of winners:

Best of Show

Winner – John Askew Company

Runner Up – Braswell Custom Homes

Best Craftsmanship

Winner – John Askew Company

Runner Up – Braswell Custom Homes

Best Furnishings

Winner – Braswell Custom Homes

Runner Up – John Askew Company

Best Exterior Design & Elevation

Winner – John Askew Company

Runner Up – Sean Knight Custom Homes

Best Landscaping

Winner – Glendarroch Homes LLC

Runner Up – John Askew Company

Best Kitchen

Winner – Braswell Custom Homes

Runner Up – John Askew Company

Best Master Bedroom Suite

Winner – (tie) John Askew Company and

Braswell Custom Homes

Runner Up – Watson Group Builders

Best Interior Design

Winner – Braswell Custom Homes

Runner Up – John Askew Company

Best Overall Floor Plan

Winner – (tie) John Askew Company and

Braswell Custom Homes

Runner Up – Sean Knight Custom Homes

Among the Kaleidoscope of Homes Judges Awards winners were John Askew Company, which won Best of Show and was runner up in the kitchen category, among others.

Dubbed as “the most distinctive residential development” in Fort Worth history, Montserrat offers a unique address with stunning estates on spacious home sites that set the standard for stately living in Fort Worth.

It is situated on more than 30-acres of land, stunning green place and 150-foot cliffs overlooking Mary’s Creek. Other features include striking vistas from the city lights of the downtown Fort Worth skyline, rolling hills and a state of the art technology 24 hour guarded entry and full time concierge services.

Sponsors for this year’s event is Autbahn Motor Group, Star-Telegram and Tom Thumb.

The Kaleidoscope of Homes private gates are open daily except on Tuesdays from 11am to 7pm to give way for visitors to tour the showhomes. Tickets are sold at $12 for adults and $8 for children.

Visit the Forts Worth website for more information.

Feng Shui, pronounced as Fung-Shway or Fung Shwee is a Chinese geomantic practice in which a structure or site is chosen or configured so as to harmonize with the spiritual forces that inhabit it. It is an ancient practice believed to utilize the Laws of both heaven (astronomy) and earth (geography) to help one improve life by receiving positive Qi. see Wikipedia.

Feng shui’s history starts way back the B.C. era where Zhou Dynasty leaders used the certain practice including indicating an appropriate time to build a capital city.

In modern times, architectures and interior designers in Asia are very much influenced by this. They design, orient, create placements or arrangements in accordance to the percepts of feng shui. It is said that a good environment brings in positive forces that enhances our well being while a bad environment causes illness. One belief is that a landscape and water flowing (perhaps a fish pond or a river flow at the back of your house) affect the flow of a healthy or a bad life force (chi or energy). However, if a ‘good’ environment or a home’ structure and/or design is not in alignment with with the principles of feng shui, then it would still cause bad luck, one way or another. May it be health, family, or financial problems, designs that do not correspond may cause any of that.

You can now take a look at your surroundings at home, perhaps the position of your bed brings in negative forces that causes your frequent depression. Meanwhile, office spaces situated at the basement of buildings are believed to bring in bad luck to the firm.

If you want to be successful in business, everything in your house, from the location to the direction it faces must comply to the rules of feng shui.

A highly successful entertainment figure in Asia is claiming that her prosperity was brought in by her obedient correspondence to feng shui. Every corner, furniture, piece you’ll see in her house has a meaning to it.

Would you believe it or leave it?

There are hundreds of information websites about feng shui. Anyone intrigued can research more about this said belief.

Homeowners who want to help keep the Earth healthy are changing out everything in their homes from the floor to the heating and air conditioning and now even window coverings. In an effort to help provide customers who are looking for the highest style but more renewable sources for window coverings, Payless Décor is now offering a full range of bamboo products that can offer just the support needed.

Payless Décor offers a wide range of products including window coverings that are traditionally made from wood products, roman shades and much more. The current line of bamboo blinds has a design with all of the quality and style of any other products on the market, but these are made from an easily renewable source.

Bamboo is a renewable source of wood, which is widely available throughout the world. Because it grows so quickly—compared to more traditional wood and wood-like plants—products made from bamboo are more Earth-friendly.

Those looking to invest in these products will find low costs and high quality available through Payless Décor. This retailer offers customizable bamboo products as well as standard style window coverings.
For additional information about bamboo and window coverings, visit

About Payless Decor: Payless Décor is a leading retailer of wall covering products, including a large line of bamboo blinds and shades, horizontal and vertical blinds, and much more. They lead the way in quality, affordability and style in every product they offer.

Source: PRlog

The Kensington Park is the ideal place for business, relaxation, vacation or any leisure travel situated on Union Square.

The hotel’s style coalesce a classic sense of sumptuousness and style with modern amenities to make your settle as comfortable and tranquil as possible. Furniture and fixtures includes the use of mahogany desks and armoires highlight each of their 92 spacious accommodations.

They offer luxury rooms for tranquility, embellished with Queen Anne antiques and the ultimate extravagance - the Royal Suite furnished with comfortable canopy queen bed, designer Duvet covers, feather beds & down pillows, fine linens, twin fireplaces and a whirlpool bath. The dining and living room offers a space perfect for couples on their honeymoons also for small receptions, gatherings and business meetings.

The Kensington Park Hotel other than it’s lavishness also offers a smoke free environment. People who chose the hotel left some remarkable testimonials during their stay.

The Royal Court Suite, of course, was perfection. It was roomy enough for all of our guests to gather after the ceremony, and so richly furnished that our friends thought we spent far more than we had! We loved that we had a large sitting area for our guests, and that the two bathrooms could accommodate everyone so easily. We also enjoyed the feeling of being pampered by coming in to our room to find complimentary water, toiletries, and newspapers, not to mention the coffee and tea and the outstanding cleaning service.

Source: www.kensingtonparkhotel.com

The sitting is collaboration between chair and human, an activity requiring alertness in today’s sitting and not just a matter of plopping down. According to some of the designers, the best sit you can come up with is one that’s just not soothing enough but also boosts you to adjust. I believe to be able to satisfy yourself from sitting you wouldn’t want your body to stay in the single position indefinitely. And not only does a nice chair have to carry your bottom comfortably; it now must also be persuasive and deliberate a sense of discussion especially now that we’re living in a modernized way. Designers also consider innovating some styles that catches every eyes attention. Every chair’s body architecture is also another way designers thought of to create a new look about their furniture. According to other designers, some seating encouraged you to not solely carry your bottoms. It may also be intended for anyone to lean up against.

Photo Credit: KnOizKi

When you look back to the ancient times, people have its history in ornamenting different kinds of chairs. It has been extensively used as the emblem of authority and from thousands of years it has been an article of state and dignity until today. From time to time chairs have been diversified in size, shape and sturdiness with the fashion not only of women’s dress but of men’s also. Also considered to be called as bench or stool, these pieces of furniture have evolved its design as the use of technology increases in its construction. From all-metal folding chairs, metal-legged chairs, the Slumber Chair, molded plastic chairs and ergonomic chairs, recliner chairs (easy chair), butterfly chair, beanbag chairs, the egg or pod chair, plywood and laminate wood chairs, and massage chairs, thus this thing creates a history of its own and will never be departed in any place, events or circumstances.
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Featuring just the right lighting to accentuate your home decor is very important, and thank goodness, lighting has made an outstanding melioration in the past decade. There are no longer white bulbs that cast yellow auras around the room, at present you can buy mood lights which give a soft glow of pink, blue or purple. The modern light bulbs are endearing accession to any rooms, from residential to commercial places. They can be used in small bedside lamps or elevated light fixtures for the total effect. Children’s rooms are more cheerful when utilizing mood lights and teens enjoy it.

Today you can possess the great lighting furnished by fluorescent lights, in the convenience of a little bulb. The fluorescent bulbs are available in a size that will fit most lamps and fixtures. A lot of the designs are floods, globes, rings, circular bulbs and tubular. Other compact fluorescent bulbs even have added special features nowadays, such as smell eliminators, which break down odors while enduring to shine bright.

Lights itself can be captivating, but creating new designs can be enchanting. This Margarita Suspension is designed by Miguel Herranz, consisting of six petals made of natural, painted and reconstructed wood veneer with chrome metal structure and clear cord. From its stylish design its ideal to place almost anywhere, from dining areas, bar, boutiques, shops and even pharmacies. It doesn’t just create brightness but its unique style also gives you a touch of freshness, soothing in the eye and a sense of being close to nature.

Source: Ke-Zu

From choosing your bed to color of your ceilings, lets talk about curtains. Well, when it comes to gracing the bedroom, curtains genuinely merit a special remark. They can comprise an advantage and be beneficial, not simply to keep away the shades of the sun that enters its way inside your room thru windows and doors, but in addition to that it also secure your sense of privacy. Curtains functions as great decorations to emphasize the appeal of your room.

Photo Credit: extravigator

There are some important things that you need to consider when choosing some curtains. It is very crucial to be clear just about what sort of curtain are you reckoning out for. You might chose to purchase different and distinct styles that could lead a refreshing look in your bedroom or rather shop for something that matches well or can blend with the furnishings inside your room. Well, in such instance, you have to keep the theme of your bedroom in mind and consequently make the proper selection of color and pattern. Look for curtains that are a delighting and appealing in sight and get well blended with its entire look, while asserting their unique identity. Make up ones mind if you chose a dramatic idea or just a simple theme for your room. As soon as you are clear about the style and design, the succeeding thing to think over is whether you want the color of your bedroom curtain to blend with that of your room or regard to apprehend colors that leaps out. If you want to fall in a consoling feel, then reckon of the colors that unwind you and help in reviving your energy. Do consider the fabric whenever you want to show purpose and not to block the sunlight. Look for silky fabric or net curtains.

Let me feature the designer behind Polo Ralph Lauren’s Company. He is non other than Scott Sanders, graduate with a degree in Interior Design from Parsons School of Design. He started his designing career at Polo Ralph Lauren company’s interior design.

This designer has endowed with talents and has been influenced by his raise. His father and grandfather are both professional residential developers. He developed his interest in color, texture, compositions and shape way back in his childhood years in Ohio where he was always accompanied by his father in construction sites environ with different design elements. Even at a very young age he was also assigned in choosing tiles and bricks. During times that he wasn’t in the construction site, he spend his time creating house plans and playing with his Lego sets in detail.

Today his profession brought him clients who oftentimes ask for more of his designs. His creations include residences in Palm Beach, Jumby Bay, Bridgehampton, Aspen and New York City. From creating a smallest theme to a brilliant idea transforming every place a surrounding with comfort truly clients keeps coming back.

His passion in designs and vision in creation has made him to be prominent and his projects are featured in different publications and several books. He was also featured in Gotham Magazine as one of New York City’s Top 100 Designers way back March of 2004.