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  • urban apartment, architect on demand, advice without strings

    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.

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  • outdoor kitchen, architect on demand, advice without strings

    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.

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  • space-saving desk, architect on demand, advice without strings

    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.

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  • turning house into home, alla diy ally, architect on demand, advice without strings

    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…

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  • above-ground pool, architect on demand, advice without strings

    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…

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  • masterplan, DIY Like an Architect

    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.

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  • uniting parts, DIY Like an Architect

    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.

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  • architect on demand, advice without strings

    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.

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  • models, DIY Like an Architect

    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.

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  • floor plan, DIY Like an Architect

    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.

    Read More DIY Like an Architect: Designing with a Floor PlanContinue

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Get to know

  • Meet Alla
  • Testimonials
  • Accolades
  • Get in touch

Get inspired

  • DIY like an architect
  • Kid-Focused Design
  • Idea books
  • Blog
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  • get to know
    • meet Alla
    • testimonials
    • accolades
    • legacy
  • get started
    • DIY like an Architect
  • get inspired
    • kid-focused design
    • ideabooks
    • blog
  • get in touch