Re-Designing One School at a Time

Natalie Younger Interior Design just recently spent this past Friday designing a faculty lounge at Baldwin Hills Elementary School.  This is a collaboration with LA's Best, an after-school enrichment program, who's mission "is to provide a safe and supervised after school education, enrichment and recreation program for elementary school children ages 5 to 12 in the City of Los Angeles." 

Our mission at NYID is to re-design one space at a time throughout the City.  With the donations of vendors and companies that I work with in my Interior Design Business and all the help from the volunteers that donated their time to help paint, hang curtains, and change a space in one short day I think this is something that as you can see has a dramatic impact on the surroundings of the people that teach and care for the children.  It's something I hope brightens their day because we appreciate the amazing job that they do!

 

Below are the before & afters, the only request was that we incorporated yellow!

 

 

 

Thanks to The Sofa Company for donating the custom sofa and to all the silent donations!

And to the hardworking volunteers, special thanks to Lynette, Sean & Jose!

We couldn't have done it without you!

Cozy Dog Pad

My clients have the most adorable dog Buddy, I took a quick picture of him the other day. He looks content to guard over his new territory... When designing for a client you have to keep in mind that it extends to the whole family.  In most cases there's a designated spot where the dogs get their Zzz's in too!  In this case, I added wainscoting and finished it in a high gloss paint and grey Porcelanosa tile to hide the dirt.  The panelling can be wiped off just as easy if he gets his paws on there...which I have a feeling he just might!  

Paint: Dunn Edwards-Soft Pumice, Antique White

Platform Beds

So busy here-but had the chance to post a couple inspiration pictures for a new swanky loft in downtown Los Angeles.  Sometimes a space has inherent things you have to design around.  For instance the client loves the new bed they bought before hiring you, and now you are faced with using that in your design concept.  This bedroom starts out as a blank slate with only the sparkling lights of the skyline in the backdrop.  Our client likes images of rooms with low-lying beds.  Using a platform bed for the master bedroom and building around it to bring about that feeling of peace and a whole new experience to the old saying "going to bed"...is the next step!

Below are some of the images that start the ideas that will lead to the new master bedroom...stay tuned.

Serie Architects!

Found this jaw dropping ceiling on Design Boom, "the physical construction of the installation required over 2 months of work by 20 individuals - 5 staff
members from serie architects and 15 students. 120 plywood panels serve as the underlying structural system,featuring a pixilated grid of 150 mm diameter perforations that hold the more than million threads".  

One person may dream up this crazy idea, but it takes a team to see it come to life!  To see more images find it here!

Serie Architects: The Monsoon Club

Serie Architects: Tote India

Serie Architects: Tote India

Custom Designed Table by NYID

Just designed a new table for one of our clients here at NYID.  This as well as several other custom pieces have been designed for the marketing firm MUSE Communications located in Culver City.  It's exciting to see an idea take shape and materialize with the help of several skilled craftsmen.  I can tell you that the poor little model has seen better days!  The day that I cease to shock our contractors, I might have to retire.  But I can tell you that I definitely had them perplexed once again on just how these diagrams and mini models would actually come to life!  Here's a preview of one of the tables.

 Inspiration takes shape-Spiral staircase by Manuel Maia Gomes who

is a popular Portuguese architect this is from

“House Antero de Quental".

Pendant Lights!

The life of a designer can be interesting and challenging in so many ways.  I know that people think we sit around all day er'day picking out paint colors and pretty things.  But that is a small percentage of what we actually do.  I always joke that I'm not an Interior Designer but a problem solver because that is really what we spend most of our time doing.  Case in point-you think once you've found those amazing pendants that are crazy perfect in just a click of a button, you wait a week and they arrive...that is rarely the case.  I had to take a picture of the packaging that the pendant lights from France arrived in.  Ordered over 40 days ago, just to be sure to have them installed by deadline, stranded in customs for over 3 weeks, 100 emails and they finally showed up!  Just in time, totally worth the wait and what an impact they will have in the room!  No need to look for replacements, problem solved.

Goccia Pendant Light by Stephano Papi

DWELL EVENT LA Convention Center

I was invited by Kohler to attend the Dwell Event this past week, and although I came with them it didn't stop me from taking a spin around the other vendor booths.  While there were a lot of things that I had already discovered there were some that caught my eye!  If you know me, I looove lighting...and I do not discriminate-- lamps, pendants, chandeliers, sconces...you name it, (to some, they may even say that I cross the line-- buying before there is a place for them, while I do admit that I have lamps and chandeliers stored in the office just waiting for a new amazing home to belong to, for every one I bring back to the office, I had to let two go!