learning beyond the confines of our studio walls.

rural studio. a fascinating concept developed by the late samuel mockbee. mockbee wanted to teach architecture students from auburn university (my school i am oh-so-proud of) to "build beautiful and creative homes for people who were living in the worst conditions of the area - for free - and often using recycled materials like tires, hay, cardboard and carpets as well as local materials & designs that fit in the environment they are built in" (link here). 

what is so interesting about this project? the people these students are helping generally have never received any help from the outside community like this. they do not ask for these houses or structures, these people are approached and are often reluctant to accept such a generous gift. since this project began, rural studio has built several homes for underprivileged families and 5 or more large projects for the community. the studio is extremely prestigious, competitive and only offered to architecture students in auburn university, located in auburn, alabama. i sometimes wish i was in architecture so i could have the opportunity to do something as amazing and wild as this - maybe i will one day? i'm only 22.....

enjoy a few of these images i've added - they are inspirational, beautiful, a little "out of the box", but so are architects, right?

visit www.ruralstudio.com for more images & information.

freelance work.

when i have spare time, i love to design invitations, posters, announcements, etc. my sophomore year , we learned style, design and graphics from the master... peek. the most intimidating lady you'll meet, but once you're done with her class, you feel as if she is your best friend. her class was one of the most challenging classes i have ever taken, and while i did not describe it as fun during the time, it is my favorite class i have taken in auburn, as well. i have never had a professor as good as peek. she has allowed me to think "outside of the box" and learn beyond what is required. so i have taken my education in interiors and paired it with my love for design to make these invitations/posters for friends. if you ever want an invitation, please get in touch with me... i would love to help you out!

a fashion show invite designed for my friend and business owner.

 put on by myself and a few other bridesmaids honoring one of my best friends. can't believe she's getting married next month!

a private shopping party at a fabulous store, the pink alligator, in my hometown of hanover, nh.

a poster put together for my friend and dance teacher. it was a great show!

divine design.

candice olson. you may know her from her popular show on hgtv, 'divine design'. it is one of my favorite shows and i always watch, not only for her immaculate designs, but for the impressive renderings. she seems to go into a poorly designed (or not designed at all) room, do a few quick sketches that would take me days, throw together her materials & samples and get to work! half an hour and some hilarious moments later, the room is complete and looks amazing. she has a talent i can only hope will come to me with time. i strive to throw together a room with such candor and strength the way she can. who knows, maybe one day i'll have my own show on hgtv - we have the same last name, that has to count for something, right?

 beautifully rendered floor plan with notes.

 perspective of a living room. check out the detail of the materials - the print on the rug to the ceramic base on the lamp.

elevation of a bedroom.

elevation of a fireplace and shelving unit with dimensions and notes.

perspective of the elevation from above.

 before.

divine design after.

the perfect kitchen.

i love a well designed kitchen. while i might not be the best cook, i do appreciate a thought-out kitchen with good work space. this past semester i took residential studio, which focused on kitchens and baths. to plan a kitchen is such a formula and is way ore complicated than i initially thought. i have a whole new appreciation for kitchen designers (and know why they get paid the big bucks, now). here are a few designs i love. while they may be different designs, they all are functional, which is the most important part of a kitchen. enjoy these photos and let me know what you think! which one do you want for you home? my fav is either the first or last :)

windsor smith.

windsor smith. this is a designer to look up to. her work is beautiful, timeless and classic, with a few punches of modern. i love how she mixes a rich, delicious chocolate suede couch with a rather clean lined, light coffee table. her work can blend, and it can stand out, but beyond it all you can feel her love for travel. every room has a neutral palette with the pieces of furniture, casework and artwork that speak and tell the story. i love the drama with the sense of undertones she holds in each of her rooms. timeless and sophisticated, all in one. 

dream home.

hgtv's DREAM HOME 2k11. i want this home. it is located in stowe, vt - very close to my hometown of hanover, nh, and is GORGEOUS. the exterior of the home fits perfectly with the landscape, with it's adirondak architecture. the architect's and designer's of this home truly made it fit with the lifestyle of a skier - it is a ski in/out home, has a workable mudroom with plenty of storage, and utilized natural local materials to keep with the feel of the home.

take a look at these pictures, and marvel in the beauty.... but don't be too jealous because this home could be yours! start entering every day beginning jan. 1st. just log on to www.hgtv.com and submit your entry to win this dream home of 2011. 

vegas.

it is my old roommates bachelorette party this weekend. we are traveling to vegas, and me & 10 of my closest friends are helping her celebrate. while the weekend will be filled with clubs, shows and awful amounts of food, i will still take time to marvel in the "beauty" of the strip. the hotels i have heard, are something out of a children's book (that maybe is rated PG-13??). they are whimsical, and are literally an adult's playground with moats, and bars, and fountains galore... not to mention, gambling? 


while we are going during the off season, i am more excited to go now than during the summer because of the christmas decorations. do you think there will be any? not to worry because come monday morning pictures will be posted of my stay. of course they will be mainly interior shots, but i'll sneak a few funny one's in there too :)


happy weekend!

santa's house

ho ho ho! happy holidays :) (a little early but i'm getting way too excited...)

holiday decorations

i love love love the holidays. christmas-time reminds me of family, warmth, love and happiness. with that comes the wonderful decorations!

one of my favorite childhood memories is going and cutting down our christmas tree at our cabin in vermont (i know my parents are thinking... that's your favorite memory? all you did was complain about the cold, the walking, you're hungry, etc). my favorite part was decorating the tree. we have about three giant boxes of ornaments, and every single one goes on the tree. i don't lie. my family and i then turn on alvin and the chipmunks christmas CD and decorate until it's hideously full with lights, ornaments and garland. and mom - you get an award for never ever complaining with the worst job in the world - taking down the tree and alllll the ornaments that come with it (including the teeniest little blue car).

while these pictures are definitely not my house (nor are they my apartment), i love the decorations. there are so many ways to make a house feel warm and cozy for the holidays, and everyone's taste is different, but it still gives off the same message - the holiday's are HERE!

pride.

the semester is OVER!

i have been stressed beyond belief this semester - have had countless all-nighters (in a row), eaten WAY too much fast-food and candy, cried to my roommates, parents and friends too many times to count, and have told all of them i can't do it. i sound great, don't i? but the more people i talk to who are IN the field, the more i realize it is a right-of-passage, an initiation process, if you will. well... the initiation process sucks, but the feeling of self-sufficiency, amazement and pride i feel after i turned in my final projects is well worth all the pain i went through the past four months. below are some images of my final projects. enjoy :)

perspective of a student's apartment - residential studio final project - medium's used: autocad, google sketchup & photoshop.

perspective of an elderly-living apartment - residential studio - medium's used: autocad, google sketchup & photoshop

perspective of a luxury retail store in india - lighting design studio - medium's used: google sketchup, illustrator & photoshop

exterior elevation of a luxury retail store in india displaying my lighting detail in the window display - lighting design studio - medium's used: google sketchup, illustrator & photoshop

hermes

hermes. widely known for their beautiful handbags and scarfs, this company is a leader in the luxury market. originally based out of paris, france, hermes has taken control of this global market and pushed it to areas we never expected - like india.

my education in interior design has focused on many cultural issues and regions, all over the world - and currently we are focused on INDIA. we each got assigned a "luxury good" - chanel, louis vuitton, gucci and hermes. i was assigned hermes, and i am so excited i was. our project is to design a store for our luxury good within the booming city of new delhi, india. it is an overwhelming project, that we will present to the dean of our college, amongst many others once it is finished, but i am at the point right now where i am having fun with it!

below are a few images, most of you will recognize (the infamous scarfs) and a few you might not - india's ad campaigns involving elephants, which are a sacred symbol in their culture.

stay tuned because i will post photos of my work (as it comes along), but for now enjoy the beautiful and colorful images! ta ta for now....