Validating Creative Teen’s Journey
As DIY architect providing architectural services online, I am all about giving support in the effort to validate a creative journey.
Our Dream Home Was Designed to Cultivate Family Relationships
Thanks to my daughters, I have charted a career path of an architect whose main objective is to foster creativity. I have included them in my experiments. And they have validated my efforts time and time again. Building our dream home is a good example of the collaboration.
Creating the Appropriate Environment Requires Whole-hearted Involvement
In case you’ve been wondering why I am all of a sudden talking so much about my daughters, I’d like to explain. The reason is my new e-how-to-book DIY Like a Hummingbird: 10 Steps to Naturally Well-designed Kids’ Spaces.
How to Help Creative Teens With Setting Goals
My daughter is going away to college in a year; she will be completely in charge of her destiny. There is a lot to teach her, as all other creative teens, about setting goals between now and then.
Introducing a Framework
Setting up my daughter's space was the first thing I did as an architect-expectant mother. It was the framework, and the standards were intuitive: clean lines, not too cute, and nothing overpowering. I couldn’t possibly know exactly what was needed for support and engagement.
The Artist’s Prayer
The key to any creative pursuit, whether it’s writing the artist’s prayer or parenting, is willingness to make a commitment. It’s critical to give undivided attention.
Involving Kids in The Things You Love Levels the Playing Field
My younger daughter's senior year of high school. She is leaving for college in a few months. As I am used to involving kids in the decision-making process, we're discussing my next career move. The idea of providing online architectural services that support DIY home improvement enthusiasts came to mind when I was walking through a garden designed by a landscape architect I interviewed to help me with mine.
How to Nurture Your Kids’ Creativity: #1 Is to Respect Their Feelings
I have been preoccupied with how to nurture my kids' creativity ever since they were born. Recently my daughter Mia told me that a toy I made for her when she was approximately five years old is the inspiration for a collection of handbags she is designing: “Your favorite handbag as a transitional object.”
An Urban Apartment: 5 Tips for Organizing & Displaying Your Collections
I know this client since the 80-ies; he is my ex-husband. Actually, he is one of my biggest fans these days and talks about the great job I‘ve done remodeling and organizing his urban apartment when I am not there to hear it.
Designing an Outdoor Kitchen: 5 Steps to Thinking Outside of the Box
Opening your mind to undefined possibilities is what they call thinking outside the box. My friends reached out to me last-minute; they were starting a project in the backyard — installing an outdoor kitchen and a new hardscape.
Born out of necessity: Space-saving Desk Does 5 (actually 10) Things at Once
Space-saving design is born out of necessity. It solves, simplifies, and gives an alternative. Sometimes, it even anticipates a problem before it occurs.
Turning a House Into a Home: 5 ways to mix old and new
Imagine turning a house into a home. House vs home. What is the difference? I conjure up an image of an apparatus programmed to cooperate, even anticipate and inspire. It's a sophisticated contraption attending to all of my whims — ascertaining that my emotional and physical wellbeing is taken care of. It's designed with efficiency and adaptability at its core to make life delightful.
Above-ground Pool in the Front Yard: 5 Ways I Used Constraints to My Advantage
My kids, my students, and my fellow DIYers (those home improvement enthusiasts I consult online as Alla DIY Ally) have all heard me exclaim time and time again: “That’s a blessing in disguise!” I love when perceived design problems (like the ones I've encountered while designing an above-ground pool) are turned around and emerge as opportunities. It's so much fun to use constraints to your advantage!
How Difficult Is Simple?
Mary Little sat right next to me at a panel discussion. Once the Q&A part was over, she asked me to reflect on it. I welcomed a conversation -- always too shy about approaching someone myself.
DIY Like an Architect: Learning How to Masterplan
Architecture class at ArtCenter’s Saturday High: last week. My creative teens have practically learned everything about how to think like an architect. We've come full-circle and are practicing how to masterplan through mind mapping and collaging. It's the final step in DIY Like an Architect: 11-step method.