Happy Easter!

Happy Easter! This year, my friend Carolyn and I decided to help the Easter Bunny out by hiding eggs in Studio. They are EVERYWHERE! I even think Carolyn hid one in a blind. I was doing some research about the holiday and found out that Easter is the second biggest holiday , with Halloween being number one. Also, there are more than 700 million Peeps made each year for the Easter season. That's a lot of marshmallow! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and didn't eat too much candy!

"Look Better Naked"

As many of you know, I have started my weight loss journey this week. This means saying goodbye to the sofa and hello to the gym. Like many people, I personally hate going to the gym, until I saw this design. The David Barton Gym in New York was recently opened, thanks

to Studio Sofield and Gensler. The

gym looks more like a hip night

club thanks to the use

of unique lighting, bright/bold colors, unique textiles

and accessories, and even a disco ball DJ booth. This building is 37,000 sq. ft. and is four

levels. As William Sofield says, "So many other gyms are about fluorescents and Clorox" and I personally believe he has set his gyms away from that stereotype. I would definitely want to work out at this gym because I personally feel like I could workout while getting my groove on!

To read the article about the David Barton Gym and view more images of the space, visit:

http://www.interiordesign.net/article/536282-Look_Better_Naked.php

Barbie's Dream Chair

Spring is here, which means that it's time to spend more time outdoors in the sunshine. If you're like me, this means getting your lounge chair out of storage and realizing that it may be time to invest in some new outdoor seating. Bobby Berk Home has created a new outdoor chair that is made out of recyclable linear polyethylene. This seating, named Queen of

Love Fancy Army, was inspired by the Louis XV style furniture. This chair looks like it should be placed at the Barbie Dream House in Malibu instead of someone's backyard, but if you are looking to add a bit of whimsical to your backyard, don't worry, it comes in black! So find your shades, put some sunscreen on, and go buy this chair as a way to officially welcome

back spring!

To read more about this chair, visit:

http://www.bobbyberkhome.com/product/furniture/10328-

39056/linvin-queen-of-love-fancy-army.html

To see images of Barbie's Malibu Dream House, visit:

http://www.digsdigs.com/barbie-dream-malibu-house/

Wise Owl Books

Reception Area

Open Office Area

Conference Room Area

This past week, my time has pretty much been spent working on my studio project for a company called Wise Owl Books. This publishing company has about seventy five employees (including a cat and dog) and were moving into a space that was around twenty thousand square feet. The main issues with this space were the fact that not only was the height of this space twenty two feet, but it had a stepped foundation of two feet two times in the space. This project helped me see what my weaknesses and strengths are as well as helped me improve my Photoshop skills. I am definitely happy this project is over!

NeoCon 2011

I am extremely excited to be going to NeoCon this year. Not only do you visit various manufacturer showrooms there, but you also get to see what's up and coming for the year in terms of furniture and textiles. As someone who gets excited about specifying textiles an furniture, I feel that this experience will be a vital for my growth as a designer. I also think that it will be beneficial for my senior project, as there will be a variety of opportunities to meet vendors, which will be helpful in receiving samples or updates on new products. Will I see you there?

To visit the NeoCon website, visit: http://neocon.com/

To see a booklet from day 3 of NeoCon 2010, visit: http://digitallibrary.interiordesign.net/doc/Library/2010-show-daily-3/2010061601/#0

Changing The Way We Learn

The way we communicate has drastically changed over the last years. Instead of calling, we text. Instead of writing a letter, we email. This change in technology has also changed the way we learn. Instead of sitting at a desk, obtaining information, and regurgitating it when necessary, we use networking, collaboration, and technology to help us gain knowledge. So why haven't desks been changed? Steelcase has answered this question by creating a new classroom chair called Node. This chair is designed not only for collaboration, but for team based learning. It also can be used by either right or left hand students, which is a plus. This desk helps students keep engaged, and is flexible for those who fidget, like myself. There is plenty of storage underneath, making moving easier and faster. It adjusts to the individual as well, so that you are comfortable, no matter what your body shape is. What do you think? Would this help you be more engaged in a classroom setting?

For a video about Node and its application in a classroom, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vv0saijwYc8

To view specifics on this product, visit: http://www.steelcase.com/en/products/category/educational/seating/node/pages/node.aspx

Snail Success

Talk abut being "shell shocked"! The Nautilus, located in Mexico City, Mexico, designed by Javier Senosiain, was inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright and Gaudi when designing this home. He calls his concept bio-architecture, in which organic forms and natural principles remind us of our history, tradition, and cultural roots, creating simplistic and artistic living for his clients. What do you think? Would you like to like in a shell?

For more information about this home, visit: http://inhabitat.com/the-nautilus-giant-snail-shaped-home-fit-for-a-family/

To learn more about Javier Senosiain and his bio-architecture, visit: http://www.arquitecturaorganica.com/inicio_i.html