I converted two-thirds of a detached 3-car garage into a studio; it’s my “Garden Room.” It would be great to take over the rest. I could set up a tiny kitchen and a bathroom with a sauna in the remaining area. As I imagine it, I define its guidelines.
I call myself DIY Ally because I help DIYers with their building projects online. I get a lot of questions about simplifying circulation, a way people move through spaces and rooms. Last month, I received a contact request from Trinidad asking for advice on a “residential concept” that had major circulation issues.
The work of architect Carlo Scarpa has been an inspiration and a point of reference in building a life that reveals who I am without pretenses.
Daughter Nastasya interviewed me for a class assignment. She wanted to hear about the day I left The Soviet Union, my place of origin, as a political refugee.
Last year, in addition to being under a tight deadline, I was working with a very tight budget. Consequently, I compromised on stone walkways, opting for “pool sand,” which turned out to be a mistake (soft underfoot and sticks to shoes). A year later, I am ready to fix it and am trying to decide between dry or wet construction.
Yesterday, I went to LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) with the sole purpose of collecting tips on displaying objects. I wanted to see what can anyone learn from a museum to apply at home.
In my previous post I wrote about nature-inspired design and my visit to a construction site four months ago. This week I was fortunate to come back and see the progress. My fellow DIY-er, who is too private and wishes to remain anonymous, is building a series of structures among the existing trees in his garden. I am in for another treat!
11-Step Method Helps You DIY Like an Architect
Day two of my DYI Like an Architect two-day workshop at Art Center College of Design. Everyone is very enthusiastic about the process of approaching a design project with the 11-step method.
How Do You Start a Design Project? 11-Step Method!
The first day of my DYI Like an Architect workshop at Art Center College of Design went really well! We tackled how do you start a design project question by learning DIY Ally's 11-step method.
If you would rather lose a limb than surrender control of your dream project but would enjoy learning some tricks of the trade, the workshop I lead might be of interest. It is a two-day DIY Like an Architect workshop offered at ArtCenter College of Design.
Hello, my name is Mia. Alla DIY Ally is my mother and I have been consulting with her recently in the process of moving into a new studio apartment in lower Manhattan. Although some of its aspects were very outdated, as a renter with a budget even smaller than my NYC closet space, remodeling was out of the question. With the help of Home Depot and DIY Ally inspiration I was able to make some affordable and impactful changes.
A potential client (she is in her early seventies) recently shared with me that her contractor would not hear of a curbless walk-in shower. He talked her out of it. As DIY Ally, I would like to make a case for it. It’s quite doable and is certainly worth the effort.
I received an email from a new client Heidi: “I have a wet bar in our dining/living room that we want to repurpose and make into something else.” She wondered if a small coat closet and a computer desk might be incorporated to turn it into a more functional space. Another alternative would have been to replace “the wet bar with a bar area against the wall, and ideally still include a small computer space.”
If you are looking for inspiration, playing tourist might be a fun place to start. Pinterest, Instagram, and blogs are all great sources. However, if you want to stir up some creative juices, a fieldtrip is better. It’s more enjoyable because inspiration flows together with your experience.
Identifying needs is not the same as making to-do lists. Recently, I was asked by a reporter to suggest 5 home decor/design projects that “can make a big impact without much effort.”