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Design Guide: The Source for interior design products, services and fine home furnishings.
Nooks and Crannies: Things That Make Up a Home
An architect from California, Berry Berkus, used to say, “humans love arches.” It’s true, we do. But, we love all special places. We love attic rooms with slanted ceilings, we love window seats, bay windows and clever niches. No one ever walked into a rectangular room with a flat ceiling and gushed, “Oh, I LOVE this space!” (unless it had a special feature like a window wall or something). So, remember to ask your architect or building designer to give you some special places, some special touches. Don’t just build a home that flows well and is attractive from the street. Those things are important, but create something that surprises you and makes your home feel distinctive once you get inside or when you encounter the backyard.
The Art Menu sells limited edition reproduction works of art in a variety of custom sizes and finishing options, all by Dallas area artists. All artists have been hand-selected by The Art Menu Advisory Board, a team of art industry experts who carefully review each artist and their unique talent. Once approved, the artists' original paintings are digitally photographed and reproduced as high quality, limited edition giclée canvas art prints that are offered at affordable prices. The Art Menu handles it all - from framing, to shipping and even local installation.
Archadeck of Austin Featured in HGTV!
Now that the show has aired, Design Guide can finally say how proud they are of one of its partners: Archadeck of Austin! Last year, Archadeck was offered a chance to be featured in a HGTV special and jumped at the opportunity. Archadeck was featured for their work on a complete backyard remodel in the Circle C area in south Austin. The complete remodel added a 1,000-square-foot deck with seating, eating area, fire pit, shade structure, children’s play area, hot tub and grilling equipment. It was an incredibly impressive remodel and we could not be any prouder than to share the wonderful news with you all!
Sanding it Down: Architectural Finishing Talks Wood
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Most will agree that the use of wood products in a design scheme is a good thing, no matter how our style preferences and our building trends are affected by modern times. Whether our taste in furniture or architecture leans toward contemporary or traditional, we will keep a special place in our plans for the look of natural wood. Many homeowners enjoy a delightful blend of stained cabinets, exposed beams, wood furniture, and floors inside their homes. Here is a professional look, through the perspective of Design Guide Expert John Lanford of Architectural Finishing, at the components of wood finishing, which may help you with the understanding and lingo of this varying subject.
Art Restoration: Preserving History
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Over the centuries, treasured antiques and art objects have suffered the wear and tear of everyday life. In order to preserve these objects, there are experienced professionals to repair them. Restorers and conservators have been giving new life to anything from cathedral murals to the ashtray you made in art class when you were 5 years old. It takes an amazing amount of skill and patience to be a restoration professional. Laura Pate of Brown Mountain Art Restoration and her tremendous staff have been conserving, restoring and preserving our treasures for almost 20 years. Pate, with a sterling art and design reputation, shares her insight on the world of restoration with Design Guide.
Forja Designs is a manufacturer and distributor of artistic wood and wrought iron products like doors, gates, garages, balconies, etc. They have a wide selection of magnificent products at your selection custom made for your Home. At Forja Designs they value every customer and welcome the opportunity to work with them. Since the beginning they acknowledge the importance of working together with builders, designers, architects, and homeowners to meet or exceed their specific needs.
Hawa Americas Inc.
Hawa Americas Inc. www.hawa.com is the U.S. subsidiary of Hawa AG, a Swiss manufacturer of precision sliding hardware systems. Hawa has been manufacturing high quality sliding hardware for doors, walls, furniture, and exterior shutters for over forty years. Hawa products can be seen at some of the best addresses in the world. Applications include sliding, folding, and stacking systems designed for use with wood, glass or metal doors and walls. Hawa's Dallas showroom is located at 1825 Market Center Blvd, Suite 345.
ASID Design Excellence Awards
The Austin Chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) held its 26th Annual Design Excellence Awards earlier this month in Austin to celebrate the best and brightest design talent the Austin ASID design community has to offer. The event was held at the Westwood Country Club in Austin and was a beautifully prepared and catered occasion. ASID Designers from all over Austin were in attendance as well as members of the media; all were eager to see the awards being announced at the ceremony. Design Guide is thrilled to announce that several of our partners have received top honors at Design Excellence: Palmer Todd Inc, Laura Britt Design, Spaces Designed Interior Design Studio , JEI Design Inc and Kimball Bonamici Designs.
Dallas Market Center: One of the Top 100 Places to Work in DFW
The Dallas Market Center (DMC), the world’s most complete wholesale marketplace, has been recognized by The Dallas Morning News as one of the Top 100 Places to Work in D-FW for 2011. This year’s list of the best places to work in the area includes 25 large companies, 35 midsize companies and 40 small companies; Dallas Market Center is featured in the midsize companies category.
Found At Sea: CAC Mosaic Designs "Message in a Bottle" Series
Award-winning artist Connie Chantilis of CAC Mosaic Designs has produced one of the most fascinating works of historic and scientific art, "Message In A Bottle" series. The concept of the Message In A Bottle series is about collecting objects that have a mystical appeal. Through urban archeology, these recovered objects are from the early 1900’s and before: iridescent bottles and burned glass, discarded spark plugs, oxidized metal items and other memories and pieces of the past buried in turn of the century land fills. The energy of the geological specimens entices the art lover with its natural beauty and healing properties.
