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organizing, ideas, beautification, lobby, architect-on-demand, advice-without-strings

Organizing Ideas: Beautification of a Lobby

I have to admit. My work schedule is getting more demanding. In the spirit of multi-tasking, this blog has become a platform for client meeting prep. Thus, I’d like to share my process of organizing ideas for a potential project. It involves a beautification of a lobby, a roof deck with a pool, and a…

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architect-on-demand, advice-without-strings

An Outdoor Bathroom Will Function as a Wet Room

I am in the process of designing an enclosed patio attached to an existing house. The added space will have an outdoor bathroom. We are making it wheelchair accessible; it consists of a toilet, a sink, and a hand-held spray (without a showerhead). Since there’s no shower enclosure per se, the entire bathroom will function…

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powder room, makeover, custom, vanity, cabinet, architect on demand, advice without strings

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.

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balcony screen, heat gain, privacy, architect on demand, advice without strings

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.

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redesign, powder room, steps, architect on demand, advice without strings

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…

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good environment, meditation, routine, architect on demand, advice without strings

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…

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articulating space, compositional tools, architect on demand, advice without strings

Articulating Space: Compositional Tools

I am not a conformist; it just doesn’t feel right to follow in someone else’s footsteps. Instead, I rebelliously change the world by instilling harmony in my personal environment. Indeed. The process of articulating space using compositional tools of my own is quite enjoyable!

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organizing space, synthesizing practical with sublime, architect on demand, advice without strings

Organizing Space: Synthesizing Practical with Sublime

Every morning before getting up, I reach for the roller shade, open it up, and soak in the view of my secret garden. In the previous post, I wrote about its architecture. I’d like to elaborate on the topic and talk about organizing space with a plan. In my opinion, it’s the process of synthesizing…

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shabby studio apartment, home, Home Depot, DIY Ally, studio apartment, architect on demand, advice without strings

How I Was Able To Turn a Shabby Studio Apartment Into a Home

Hello, it’s Mia Kazovsky, and I’m back for another guest post after over a year. Here’s a refresher: I moved into a studio on the Lower East Side of Manhattan at the beginning of 2016. In the previous post, I wrote about the first steps in the process of upgrading my digs. Today, I’d like…

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Hollywood Regency Style, remodel, architect on demand, advice without strings

How to Remodel in Hollywood Regency Style

Hollywood Regency Style, a synthesis of 19th-century French, Greek Revival, and Modern was never of interest to me. That is until last Wednesday, when I received a text: “Good morning Alla. I wanted to see how busy you are these days as my parents just bought a vacation home in Palm Desert that is in…

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