I knew that....(warning graphic photos)

What on earth am I doing inside on this beautiful Saturday. Working for a couple of hours. Then heading out to the Whitewater Park to get some biking in. Last week, I tried, but my dear son decided to take the radiator cap off his car while hot. Well, you know.  Doing well now, fortunately missed his face by a hair. He hurt his pride more.  I started to give him the lecture on car safety. He just shook his and said what we all do in similar circumstances and said... I knew that.

(Safety warning: don't do this-ouch and have to admit I did photoshop the color to make it look less painful online. Didn't want to really gross anyone out)

We all make mistakes that we knew better. Like the time I dyed my hands purple while screen printing because after I was done I realized I forgot to put on liquid glove. Stayed that way for three days. 

A good portion of my work is fixing these type of errors for clients. Moments when they knew better, but okayed something stupid on their house. One client was having his dream home built on the lake. First major error; the whole reason it was their dream house was they finally would get that pool they wanted. Yet, their builder forgot to tell them that since they backed up to the lake, they had a bigger setback.  Now, they couldn't have their dream pool, until they called me. I was able to design the project with the pool on the side of the house, giving it an ornamental fountain look. We were granted the variance-first ever of that type for a very high end community. Yea, right.

Until, while siting the pool and the client mentioned that he fired the builder, took over himself. I said uh-ooh. He said he was real happy with the pace things were going now, they just finished the upper terrace. So proud he was, until I mentioned that the spiral staircase was missing, now there was no way to exit the rear of the house to reach the pool. This on a 2m dollar home.  So, I designed a minimally invasive  yet attractive correction which wrapped to the side.

Mistakes keep me working. I would rather not come in after, but it is what it is sometimes people just have to learn their lesson.  The smartest fellow I met was a successful physician, a specialist. He hired me to be his ghost designer of sorts. The request he made preserved his ego, while letting me have the freedom to keep his project sharp.  Basically, he said: " Alice, I am a really good doctor, don't have time for learning this house stuff can you  give me weekly lessons on what's being done so I can take credit for it with my friends".  Now that's honesty. We came to a mutual agreement and everyone was happy.

In fact you might have seen some of my work, just not realized who made it happen. I am called in by other firms to fix glitches or when they have design blocks.  Yes, even the best have an off day, I fill in holes for the pros as well the general public on an as needed basis.  Sometimes a client is very creative, but doesn't know how to make their dream happen. We are the first stop. Before architect, before builder. Sometimes the client thinks something is wrong and just wants a second opinion. We work in total confidentiality.

I have no ego at this stage in my career, I do have confidence in abilities. It serves no one not to find a way to make it happen.  I am very tired of seeing people spend money for bad design. The new era of design, will be more, should be more collaborative and integrative. I love putting the right team together, seeing the talent. That to me is when magic happens. This is the era of creativity, where the right brainers take over-stay tuned and I'll betcha you'll say "I knew that"...

Part 2-when disruptions bring order

Legos, the new duct tape...

Credit: Venti Eventi - Bocchignano/Rom 2007

Thanks to Platform 21 who inspired this unique repair.

 I often think architecture goes to to extreme, dull to overly designed, often without a sense of humor. Today,  I was surprised when someone sent me this. After investigation this was part of a project for people to get creative with repairs. There were specific guidelines put on " platform 21' repair manifesto from the Netherlands. One of which was for product designers, to design the products to be repaired.  Such wisdom, this frustrates me to no end. I will never advise a client to use a product that cannot be repaired unless they  get a "deal" where it is less expensive to replace it than fix it. Never in a position where it is a safety issue, or foundational to the construction of the project. "Deals" should only be used in the superficial areas of construction.

This project was called dispatchwork. What I like about this it changes the way people think, it broadens the mind and opens it to new possibilities in design. It is the "far" right brained side of design.  The area which is true creativity, where inventions happen, where people solve the great ills that affect us. Sometimes it is just for the sake of saving money and not wasting something that has just had a off day.

A recent client was disgusted with her fountain. Leaked, lopsided, off color. So instead of buying a new one, I encouraged her to let me restain it with acid, as well as building an overflow pool for a basin. The fountain turned out wonderfully. See...

Can you believe this thing, with the wire hanging out was for a 3m house. Inexcusable. But, with a few hundred dollars we transformed it to a fountain worthy of the property.

So happy endings, I encourage you all to take another look yourself no matter what the broken item is, to see if a repair would take it to a new level. Expand your parameters and exercise both sides of the brain.

March Inspiration

I'll be listing in the inspiration links people who do design right-by my definition at least. Then it is my blog. &rew well he's just the best artist friend from South Africa I've ever had, unfortunately my only friend from South Africa-but will welcome more. Very talented, innovative; he even created the invitations for my son's wedding. (check out the beach monogram below) &rew is actually a bit embarrassed by the company he keeps on this list, a budding genius I'll say.

James Dyson of course, well there is a mind I would like to pick, the only one on the list I haven't talked with personally, but on my wish list. Are you listening, Mr. Dyson? Check out the Dyson Award, closing date June 15, 2009.

Richard Rhodes is just a "stone" cut above. Ewww, bad pun, but it works. If anyone knows stone, it is Richard. I first met him during a discussion on the Three Gorges River in China. I being just one in a crowd in that first meeting, fascinated that he saw fit to save masses of stonework that we can all benefit. His company has innovated how stone can be used and reclaimed. Cudos to them for being tapped for the new Ralph Lauren Boutique (another design favorite) in Greenwich. I will hopefully be posting some renderings of that here. They are going with classic limestone for the facade.


Richard Cameron of Ariel is well, an architect with a respect for the past and a vision for the future. The most humble architect I have had the pleasure to meet. What I appreciate is his graciousness in sharing his love for his art and encouraging others to respect the classic history of architecture. Beside the fact his renderings make me want to give up my pencils and concede. I want to hang his renderings on my wall.


Manolo Blahnik, what can I say I love shoes, yet this gentlemen takes them to a new level. He is an architect. His structures hold a weight a hundred times it own, its wearer can be raised a good five inches with a heal barely a quarter inch contact with a surface. His structure must enable its habitant to move while standing erect and believe it or not they are wonderful to wear. I just wish I worked in an industry that let me wear them, instead my footwear designer is the low key, but equal genius of Frye- 100 years and still the best boot design out there.

The Blue Talon in Williamsburg is a quirky addition, not that they are quirky, it is a fantastic restaurant. A gem we found while traveling south from DC. Now, my family was highly involved in the hospitality industry and I am no stranger to restaurants, this was a find. Every plate a work of art and delicious, and please order the hot chocolate-pure magic. Reminded me of the movie Chocolat. That's enough to list it here, but when I went to google it for a friend visiting that area I found out that it had burnt down and been rebuilt. They posted the plans and everything. Now how many people do that. Their team pulled off a great job and I believe it is the vision of the owners. Now, the quirky part, the fire happened the day after we visited the first time. No, we didn't have anything to do with it.

I've got a tagline on my company e-mail that just says Designer Genius (for our firm at least), but, I back that up with the caveat that I'm really just inspired by genius. Like those geniuses I list here. Cheers.