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…
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…
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.
DIY Like an Architect: Uniting Parts with the Whole
Architecture class at ArtCenter’s Saturday High: week seven. My creative teens are mastering the concept of uniting parts with a whole as they learn how to think like an architect while we work our way through the steps of DIY Like an Architect: 11-step method.
DIY Like an Architect: Designing with Scaled Drawings and Models Simultaneously
Architecture class at ArtCenter’s Saturday High: week six. My creative teens are practicing how to think like an architect while working on steps 8 and 9 of the DIY Like an Architect: 11-step method.
DIY Like an Architect: Designing with Models
Architecture class at ArtCenter’s Saturday High: week five. Last week my creative teens started scaled drawings — step 8 in the DIY Like an Architect: 11-step method. Some of the kids are eager to build already; they are moving right along to step 9, a scaled model.
DIY Like an Architect: Designing with a Floor Plan
Architecture class at ArtCenter’s Saturday High: week four. My creative teens are practicing how to think like an architect — ready to tackle step 8 of DIY Like an Architect: 11-step method — zeroing in on a floor plan.
DIY Like an Architect: Understanding Scale and Proportion
Architecture class at ArtCenter’s Saturday High: week three. We are working on understanding scale and proportion. First two sessions were devoted to initial brainstorming steps of DIY Like an Architect: 11-step method. Today my creative teens are sharing the insights — building presentation skills is one of the objectives.