Addressing Runoff With Rainwater Harvesting Tanks
I am working on a project, in the scope of which we have to address rainwater runoff from the new roof. My client suggested using rainwater harvesting tanks.
Design Camp for Creative Teens Visit & Tour
A few weeks ago I received an email: “Dear Alla, I got your name through a neighbor of yours, Monika Lightstone. My name is Sharon, and I am an ex-architect who currently is in charge of an art department at a yeshiva in Los Angeles, Ohr Eliyahu. In the summer, I run a 3-week design…
An Empty Nester, I Have All the Time in the World Now
I just got a “project of a lifetime.” It’s a small in-home childcare. Years ago, when my kids were little, I specialized in design for children and dreamt of doing a school. Never got a chance or was selected. Until now, that is. An empty nester, I have all the time in the world to…
A Powder Room Makeover: Design a Custom Vanity Cabinet
A couple of weeks ago I wrote about some of my design ideas for a powder room makeover. Aside from a custom wedge-shaped vanity cabinet, I’ve proposed a very straightforward, sensible fix.
Designing a Balcony Screen to Address Heat Gain and Privacy
I was recently hired by a condominium association to come up with a functional solution — a balcony screen — to address lack of privacy and extreme heat gain as experienced by the homeowners with units facing the internal courtyard.
How to Redesign a Powder Room in 5 Easy Steps
My friends are tired of the way their powder room looks and feels these days. They want to freshen it up, change the fixtures, replace a misbehaving pocket door. I think they should also redesign flooring and lighting. No big deal, right? But to them, even thinking about it feels like a huge undertaking. In…
DIY Like an Architect Workshop: Generating Ideas
Every time I teach DIY Like an Architect workshop through ArtCenter’s ACX, a sense of doing something meaningful gives me a jolt. Being able to assist with the process of generating ideas is uplifting. It’s so inspiring to come in contact with men and women who’d give up their Sunday to uncover new facets of…
A Good Environment for a Meditation Routine
I am getting better at living in the now. These days, I start my day by doing a particular meditation routine called Falun Dafa. Thanks to a good environment and my husband, an experienced teacher, with every practice I feel more confident and able to focus. At first, I was really distracted. Losing concentration is still…
Sauna Bathroom: Providing Enough Storage & Relaxation
This smallish bathroom is designed to feel as large as possible. It doubles as an entryway to a sauna and has to feel like a sanctuary, a space to unwind. A room for relaxation, it is supposed to be used by a few people at a time. And most importantly, there should be enough storage.
Transformation of a Shed or a 3-Car Garage
Okay, okay. You are probably tired of hearing about my garden. Let me tell you about the transformation of the garden shed/3-car garage instead. Located toward the back of the site, that’s where all the garden paths lead — away from the pressures of the city life, through a blue door.