founder and design director, David Chang Design Associates International
David Chang was honoured as SBID International Design Awards’ Master of Design in 2018. He is a registered professional member of NCIDQ, ASID, SBID and IIDA, and has more than 25 years of experience in hospitality and high-end residential interior design and management experiences in North America and Asia. In 1998, David Chang founded David Chang Design Associates International (DCDA) in Vancouver, Canada, and then expanded to China’s market in 2006, establishing firms in Guangzhou, Beijing and Taipei to provide exclusive upscale design services on landmark projects for local top developers. Deeply influenced by Chinese and Western cultures, David Chang emphasises attention to culture and history as sources of inspiration, thereby creating vitality and rich artistic essence for each project. Moreover, David Chang emphasises interior spaces’ comfort, functionality and the creation of soul in each design. Based on these philosophies, David Chang’s innovative works have won numerous design awards in the UK, Italy, Canada, and China.
F Bistronome Restaurant | DCDA
How has China begun to rebound from COVID-19? How is your studio coping, and are projects that went on hold coming back to life?
After nearly three months of diligent social distancing, mask wearing, hand washing, and staying at home, the daily number of new COVID-19 infection has come to an abrupt halt. All walks of life are up and running again. During the outbreak, our studio shut down entirely from late January ‘til late February. To minimise the economic damage caused by this pandemic, we reopened at the beginning of March with employees working three metres apart. Every team member wore masks at all times, and their temperatures were checked upon arrival, at lunch time, and before leaving work. Hand sanitiser was also provided three times per day during office hours. Staff were divided into two groups. In March, the first group worked Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, while the second group worked Tuesdays and Thursdays, and then in April the groups switched days. All projects were on hold during these three months. By the beginning of May, projects that has been placed on hold indefinitely began to resurrect in the catastrophic aftermath. Signs of intriguing new projects are also springing up in the market, but that being said, supply is still far more than demand.
Beijing Shimao Loong Palace Type B Villa Luxury Show Villa | DCDA
Who is one of today’s cultural influencers, and how will their perspective influence your future?
There are many cultural influencers across the globe, and one who inspires me the most is Bill Gates. He and his wife Melinda established a foundation whose mission is ensuring children and young people survive and thrive with better healthcare and education so they can rise out of poverty, empowering the poorest people - especially women and girls - to transform their futures, while saving lives by providing adequate medical care to those with greatest needs. In the field of luxury interior design, all our clients have enough wealth to afford our services and products. In other words, we only design for the rich and famous. Inspired by the mission of the Gates Foundation, I see several approaches we could take in our future designs. We can donate our design skills to not-for-profit organisations, charity groups, or foundations. We can also donate a portion of the annual revenue generated from our designs and services to these charity groups.
What’s the best way to design for sustainability?
No matter how sensibly and proficiently we design and build, it’s not possible to 100% eliminate negative environmental impacts. But we can surely minimize them to get as close as possible to zero. The best way to do this is incorporating renewable resources as much as we can during the design and build processes, and then planning how they can be easily recycled or composted once their usefulness has expired.
Poly Garden Sales Center | DCDA
What is the one of the most important lessons you’ve learned in your career?
All design-related professions belong to the field of applied arts, whether interior design, architecture, graphic design, or product design. Applied Arts are all the creative disciplines that apply design, science, and decoration to objects or spaces in order to make them aesthetically pleasing and functionally practical. This means we can’t just focus on how we feel and what we believe an object or space should be. The most important lesson I’ve learned in my career is that we must also try to feel and understand the perspectives, psychological needs, and functional demands of end-users.
David is one of the prestigious experts invited to join the extraordinary jury for the SBID Product Design Awards, alongside other renowned professionals across industrial and interior design, brand development, architecture, educational research and forward-thinking enterprise. Click here to view the full judging panel.
The SBID Product Design Awards 2020 is open for entries.
Entries close Friday 14 August!
To find out more about entering, visit www.sbidproductdesignawards.com
We can all agree that COVID-19 has caused drastic changes in every respect of day-to-day life and consequently, is pushing people towards making different assessments and decisions than they would have made before, with an entirely new perspective on what's important. Perhaps it is the first time in modern history that we have really lived the concept of home; its spaces and its livability.
For many, the enforcement to #STAYATHOME has paved the way for an incredible kind of rediscovery that has brought attention back to our environments which, now more than before, represent the constant background of our lives.
The reorganisation of domestic spaces is one of the first needs that emerges from this, and will be a compromise between the needs, the type of activities performed and the square meters available, both for those who are renovating or buying a house, and for those who simply want to restyle their interior design to create more pleasant and comfortable home environments.
The popular open space entrances that overlook the living room or kitchen will be re-evaluated, preferring instead a partially isolated entrance that acts as a filter for the home. Hybrid solutions can also be adopted that can host, for example, a wardrobe, a shoe rack and a small bathroom, where hygiene-related actions can be performed.
The kitchen, even a small one, is the place of the "carefree meeting" where we cook, experiment and also try out playful activities with the little ones. Staying at home has forced - or perhaps enticed - us to spend more time back in the kitchen. A return to the origins but also a chance to spend more time together, setting aside home delivery services like Just Eat for some quality cooking time! We begin to focus more on making kitchen spaces more adaptive for cooking with the family and performing other activities (like homework!).
Smart working areas will be essential for future flexible working possibilities. From a minimal desk or a coffee table as a support surface on the side of the sofa to a deeper shelf inserted in an equipped wall, creating smarter working stations will become increasingly important. These spaces should be close to natural light, so as to feel less constrained and 'boxed in'! Alternatively, using perimeter lighting systems that give the environment a calibrated and homogeneous light can help to simulate the solar one.
Introducing more plants into the home helps us feel less detached from the outside world. Bringing more of nature inside, together with relaxing fragrances to perfume the air, can improve our mood - as well as productivity!
A multi-functional bathroom can also double up as a space-saving fitness area. Integrating bathroom furnishings dedicated to personal care into a gym system could help keep you in shape at all hours of the day with compact fitness corners, suitable for any types of space.
Air purifying becomes a key concern. As our awareness of health and hygiene comes to the forefront, we look to keep the temperature of rooms controlled in order to promote psycho-physical well-being; evaluating the use of machines capable of transforming oxygen into ozone to fight bacteria, viruses, mites and moulds.
Finally, we cannot forget the outdoor environments too (even if it's just a balcony or a small terrace) - outside areas have been seen as a real luxury throughout the quarantine period, providing that all important access to fresh air and open space. The value placed on outside areas and gardens, what they look like and how to maximise them, will become bigger considerations moving forward in a post-coronavirus world.
In short, it is necessary to design quality houses, with intelligent solutions that allow you to optimise spaces that are no longer a trivial copy and paste from design magazines but that, on the contrary, are able to reflect the personality and way of life by those who live there!
This post is part of a series exploring the ways that the health emergency of Covid-19 has changed the way we conceive public and private spaces. Click here to read the first post.
About the Author
Elisabetta de Strobel is an internationally acclaimed Interior Designer and Art Director, originally from Rome. Her studio offers expert consultation services for interior design, product design, branding and strategic market analysis.
If you'd like to become SBID Accredited, click here to find out more.
This week's instalment of the #SBIDinspire interior design series features a 1960's inspired Hotel Public Space. 2019 SBID Awards Finalist, Smallwood, had the challenge of ensuring a strong arrival moment for guests, given that the hotel entrance shares a lobby with the office tower and the residences. It was therefore important to give the guest a strong visual impact and to zone the arrival experience of a Waldorf Astoria that could easily compete against the multiple design languages of the adjacent office and residential lobby spaces.
SBID Awards Category: Hotel Public Space Sponsored by Viva Lagoon
Practice: Smallwood
Project: Waldorf Astoria Dubai International Financial Centre
Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE)
What was the client's brief?
The client’s brief called for a mid-modern approach, and unusually for Dubai, without any cultural references to the locale but a design that reflected the styling of the exterior architecture.
What inspired the interior design of the project?
The client gave the styling of the American television series “Mad Men” as the design direction, so a strong New York sixties feel to the interior architecture and FF&E was used throughout.
What was the toughest hurdle your team overcame during the project?
To create a series of zoned spaces across Level 18 that prevented square meterage from being lost to circulation. With a total interior width of 25metres and a length of over 80m, Smallwood created ‘rooms within rooms’ so that the spaces interconnected, obviating the need for multiple circulation routes.
What was your highlight of the project?
The opportunity to design an interior of a hotel in the Middle East with a cool aesthetic very different from the more typical hotel projects in the region.
Why did you enter the SBID Awards?
We believe SBID is a highly prestigious design awards competition and it is a great way to showcase our new projects across the region to both operators and developers.
Questions answered by Joshua Rayner Roger Judd, Interior Design Director at Smallwood.
We hope you feel inspired by this week's Hotel Design! Let us know what inspired you #SBIDinspire
If you missed last week's Project of the Week, featuring a charming Chicago Hotel, click here to see more.
Continuing to support the profession of interior design, interior designers in practice and the businesses which underpin the industry, SBID shares the official government advice released for interior design; offering essential guidance on how the industry can begin to return to work safely amid COVID-19.
The document has been prepared by the Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) with input from the Society of British and International Interior Design (SBID) and the devolved administrations in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, in consultation with Public Health England (PHE) and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
The advice provided is designed to help employers, employees and the self-employed in the UK understand how to work safely, keeping as many people as possible 2 metres apart from those they do not live with. We hope it gives the interior design industry freedom within a practical framework to think about what is needed to continue, or restart, operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. We understand how important it is to work safely and support your workers’ health and wellbeing during the pandemic, and hope this guidance will be useful for businesses as they develop new ways of working - or to help them prepare for a time when they are able to reopen.
To access the information on Coronavirus Business Support in the UK, click here.
To stay up to date with the latest Government updates on coronavirus, click here.
To hear the design industry's thoughts on the impact of coronavirus, click here.
Staying six feet apart. This is the reference measure that will regulate our private life and social interactions in public spaces for quite some time, or perhaps permanently, after the pandemic.
The new regulations, which will become even more operational as commercial activities and entertainment places begin to be reopen, force us to totally rethink the configuration of public spaces and the measures implemented to maintain safe, hygienic environments which are mindful of allowing for a new lifestyle social distancing. Not only limited to public spaces, this same necessity will emerge also in the private sectors.
The good old 'entrance' area may be back in fashion - and with a similar function of the past in the public and in the private sector, it is likely to be used to store clothes and objects that must be sanitised upon entry into a building, or even allow space for a screening process to take place before being permitted access. Here, we will also have to wash our hands and wear what you need to preserve yourself from possible infections.
When considering our future environments, material selection will become a key consideration. Let's first consider some data. The virus resists:
In light of this, it is easy to understand how even the mere choice of surfaces we will come into contact with will be crucial - not just the floors and walls!
Aside from the surfaces we touch, the new reality will drastically affect the entire environment that surrounds us; from furnishings to the division of spaces. Fundamental changes will then be applied in the furnishings and organisation of public spaces: layout of restaurant tables, clear directional signage to control traffic glow, access to sales counters and screening, distancing of hairdresser and beautician stations, etc. In these public spaces, we can also also see it becoming important to install forced ventilation systems for air purification.
The above image represents a group of workers in the Honda factory in Wuhan, China during their lunch break. A grid, drawn on the ground, highlights the safety distances imposed. Very cold and militarian isn't it?
In this case, appropriate interior design intervention would certainly have had the ability to recreate a more pleasant environment full of positive spirit, especially after the feeling of solitude experienced during to the coronavirus quarantine.
It will not be only these strict hygiene measures adopted which will change the world we know today. The change in mentality will be more far-reaching. As awareness of our environmental impacts and concerns over climate change has heightened since the world came to a standstill, societal attitudes are changing on a global scale and our lifestyles may never be the same. As we begin to shift away from the patterns of wasteful consumption and throwaway culture - instead we look to the preservation of goods and the value in buying for longevity.
Hopefully, the art of conservation will pave the way for a better world, a better world will be one in which people will try to build a better future: better to have a small house with a small garden, than being stuck in an apartment! Who knows if, with these premises, urbanisation will reverse its trend!
Keeping you informed. For the latest daily updates on government and business relevant to the interior design industry during the coronavirus pandemic, click here to read more.
This week's instalment of the #SBIDinspire interior design series features a hotel public space designed by Studio K Creative to feel like a beautiful, private estate. Hotel Zachary is inspired by Wrigley Field’s original architect, Zachary Taylor Davis. The charming floor plan includes a central bar, which creates an intuitive path that takes guests on a walk reminiscent of Davis’ own home by incorporating his family heirlooms, repurposing his architectural sketches into key art pieces and paying homage to his love story with details that honour his wife, Alma, and their children. Hotel Zachary is an authentic design that represents a piece of Chicago history.
Practice: Studio K Creative
Project: Hotel Zachary
Location: Illinois, United States
With a location across the street from Wrigley Field, the client envisioned a hotel inspired by the original architect of the ballpark, Zachary Taylor Davis. They approached Studio K with the desire to create a lobby that would act as a warm and inviting community space that felt authentic to Chicago’s history. The goal was to establish an approachable, versatile home base for visitors looking for a classic Chicago neighbourhood experience.
Hotel Zachary is inspired by Wrigley Field’s original architect, Zachary Taylor Davis.
The greatest design challenge was creating a space adaptable enough for guests to enjoy a cozy breakfast, important business lunch or hip happy hour all within the same central area. The lobby had to move seamlessly from day to night. To achieve this transition, we worked meticulously with lighting designers to get the levels correct for different hours and functions, effectively creating varying atmospheres depending on the time of day.
Since this was a legacy project, our team worked very closely with Zachary’s family to ensure the design was genuine and deeply personal. It was very touching working on a project that involved a person with historical significance.
We met with his family descendants, went through their photographs, his original sketches, his original blueprints and assorted artefacts that were passed down, including love letters between Zachary and his wife, Alma. All of these pieces were either incorporated into key art through the space or inspired various design choices. There was a lot of storytelling weaved through the process which made the outcome truly authentic.
Hotel Zachary means a great deal to the city of Chicago since it celebrates a piece of history and elevated the neighbourhood around it. We are very proud that our first completed public space in a hotel has received such an overwhelmingly positive reaction from locals and visitors alike, and wanted to bring it into an international market.
Questions answered by Karen Herold, Principal and Alicia Kelly, Senior Designer at Studio K Creative.
If you missed last week's Project of the Week, featuring a luxurious Italian Villa, click here to see more.
As lockdown now begins to lift and life starts returning to a very new kind of 'normal', we've had the time to re-consider our lifestyles and re-asses our living environments. For many, the new normal sees much more of our time being spent at home. The focus therefore turns to residential design, as we look to upgrade tired interiors or reconfigure homes for a more functional layout. This month we're sharing some of the inspiring interior designs from last year's SBID Awards finalists, offering some much needed interior inspiration as the importance of residential design continues to grow.
Christopher Tan Design - One KL @ KLCC
Based closely on an aquatic theme, the use of blue accents and fluid lines infused a sense of serenity associated with the attributes of water. Engulfed by sleek, stylish furnishing details, this sophisticated design serves as a contemporary upgrade to the apartment while retaining the architectural brilliance of its structure. Functioning as a sanctuary and a place to entertain, the aquatic themed design, inspired by the pool, instinctively emboldens the interior with an aesthetic that echoes the chicness and grandeur of a home located at the heart of a city.
Kirsten Schwalgien Design - Loft BuresQ
Situated in one of the most iconic Modernist buildings, the loft adapts its historic space to contemporary use as a habitable, sophisticated home. Private zones were separated from the living area with a wooden clad ‘box’ and the gallery featuring industrial glass windows was included for enhanced privacy. All original pillars supporting the 4 metre height ceiling remained exposed and the rooms were developed around them. KSD designed almost all furniture custom to the place and person, not only in size but also in context, legacy and aesthetic. Main materials include veneered varnished chestnut, natural stone and original brick. Green marble was paired with elements in untreated brass that will age naturally developing a beautiful patina. KSD focused on specific qualities and tactility of materials, alternating textures cold with warm, glossy with raw, soft with hard.
Li Yizhong & Associates - Fortress Villa
To suit the personality of the owner, the structure of the space had to be free, open, smooth, and imposing. The building is on sloping land, with a difference of nearly one floor between the front and back: the entrance is low and the large garden is high up. The design included a sunken garden, which improved the ventilation and lighting at the back of the first floor and improved the quality of the space. On the second floor is the living room, dining room, kitchen, and a bedroom. This floor is benefits from an open and free layout closely connected to the outdoor garden, thus expanding the boundary of human activities and increasing the sense of freedom. The living room space is double height, which highlights the momentum of the space. The original beam cannot be removed because of the structure, so a bridge was designed to the third-storey balcony, increasing the level of space.
Sheree Stuart Design - Toronto Penthouse
The design of this two-story penthouse located in the heart of downtown Toronto takes a cue from the clients’ love of travel and their growing collection of Asian antiquities and art. The design team has imbued the space with the Japanese aesthetic of simplicity, modernism and an earth-toned palette. Every aspect of the penthouse is customised, from the lighting, millwork and flooring to the furniture and cabinet hardware. The result is a luxurious and tranquil retreat that more than meets the homeowners’ objectives and satisfies this designer’s criteria for a successful project: a customised interior that enhances the clients' living experience, delivered on time and on budget. The unique design of this penthouse fits beautifully into the wider environment and features 360-degree views of beautiful downtown Toronto.
AND Design Co - Chapters
Chiseled volumes, striking artworks and understated luxury define this home. The property bears a footprint of 2,500 square metres, with 1,000 square metres built-up. The layout of the house amalgamates into the letters H and I, which are the initials of the client’s names, making it a signature feature of the house. The ground floor has a double height foyer, a formal and informal living room, parents’ and guest bedrooms, a prayer room, dining room, kitchen and powder room. The outdoor space houses a swimming pool, sit-out deck, a dining nook and servant’s quarters, while the upper floor has the master bedroom, kid’s bedroom, another guest room, a gym and an open terrace. The concept of the project revolves around the idea of diminishing the barrier of built and natural environment by bringing in the exteriors within the interior habitat.
Cass Calder Smith Architecture & Interiors - Lagoon House
This 2,100-square-foot weekend residence was built in Seadrift on the Stinson Lagoon in Marin County, California. Although the lagoon is filled with Pacific Ocean sea water, it is shallow and warm – much like a lake and so used for swimming, paddling, and many other non-motorised water sports. While beach houses are often tattered and somewhat quirky, this one is meant to be modern and refined, yet casual. It was created for a family of five that live in San Francisco who surf, cook, craft, and party.
JIXI DESIGN STUDIO - 360 degrees, 180 degrees, 90 degrees
The design of the house is based on the situation of the building and the advantages of outdoor window views, with a 360-degree circle as the main axis. Double moving lines are adopted in the porch, making the centre the beginning of the space. The flowing circle runs through the public space, breaking the thinking that indoor space requires square planning to effectively use the space. The moving lines naturally and smoothly guide the movement within each block. Ceiling, spatial allocation, and even wall design all carry the round form, which lets the sensibility of flowing and roundness expand in space.
SHANGHAI BENJAI ARCHITECTURE - Shangkun Yueshan Peninsul Showcase
The Shangkun Yueshan Peninsula Project is located in Sheshan Plate, Songjiang District, Shanghai, an area surrounded by mountains, rivers and shade, all of which are aspects of island life that city dwellers desire when escaping urban living. The concepts of art and home were the starting point of the project. Using advanced colours, changeable space and concise lines; the design paints a picture of the modern dweller’s art and life intertwined. The most interesting feature is the ‘pipe’, which gives the project a more playful feel and an artistic edge; it makes the whole design more individual and dynamic. The whole underground space uses design to create a joyful feeling. It's an amusement park and an art salon; the space is staggered and the joy here is extraordinary.
Godwin Austen Johnson - Serenia Residences The Palm Jumeirah
Serenia is an exclusive gated beachfront residence located on a unique beachfront plot on the crescent of The Palm Jumeirah. This exclusive community offers residents an unrivalled connection to nature and relaxed bliss with its sophisticated architecture and contemporary interior design; floor-to-ceiling glass blurs the boundaries between outdoors and indoors providing panoramic views of the city skyline and ocean and a tranquil home.
STA Architectural Group - Palazzo del Cielo
With sweeping views of the Atlantic, the 47th-floor Palazzo del Cielo is perched atop an exclusive, oceanfront tower and located on Florida’s Riviera – Sunny Isles Beach. STA took great pleasure in handpicking each finish, travelling throughout Europe and Asia to find a unique collection of luxury stones. They created a memorable palette of materials which flow effortlessly – imbuing the space with a strong sense of permanence, freshness and colour. STA curated a collection of furniture and art with a colour palette echoing the accents of the natural environment and designed enormous, hand-cast light fixtures and hand-woven area rugs to fill the vast spaces of this penthouse. The end result is the culmination of a seven-year journey for STA and their long-time clients – one to craft a space that can be called ‘the world’s finest’.
Opaal Interiors - Mamsha Penthouse
Mamsha Al Saadiyat penthouse is a beachfront property located in the Saadiyat Cultural District. The penthouse offers a range of one to four-bedroom apartments as well as limited numbers of penthouses and townhouses. The residential property is adjacent to the 1.4km white sandy beach provide endless stunning sea views. These luxury apartments are is just minutes’ walking distance to the Louvre Abu Dhabi, Zayed National Museum and Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, as well as The District retail destination. Residents can enjoy the unique fusion of a lively downtown destination with a wonderfully relaxed coastal ambiance.
Roth Architecture - Uh May Residence
The residence harmoniously blends in with the environment, respecting and honouring the natural habitat that hosts it. With no straight lines or sharp angles, it respects the organic shapes of the ground on which it was built. There is real purpose in its design: to force us to be present, paying attention and observing our every step. The use of ferro-cement was specifically chosen to avoid the introduction of heavy machinery into the jungle, thus preventing the felling of 250 trees. Moreover, the material gives the space a cosy feeling. The finish, carefully crafted with local materials, makes this a unique space of purely organic forms. Meticulously conceived thorough attention to detail and amenities for entertainment, this property redefines life in the jungle, promoting a non-invasive dialogue between architecture and its natural surroundings.
The 2020 edition of the SBID International Design Awards is now open for entries.
Entries close on Friday 12 June.
Visit sbidawards.com to enter now!
This week's instalment of the #SBIDinspire interior design series features a luxury interior design which reflects the elegance and exclusiveness of its location. Since the end of the 19th Century, Gardone has been one of the most exclusive places on Lake Garda. Landau + Kindelbacher, used a range of colours rich in contrast, drawing influence from traditional stimuli: the aquamarine of Lake Garda, the painted timbers of the elegant Riva boats as well as the lemon-yellow touches from the surrounding lemon orchards.
The high-class furnishings and fittings and the incomparable setting beside Lake Garda, assure the attraction of the project. From everywhere on the site, one has a fantastic view of the lake. Both the architecture and the interior design have succeeded, with their individual designs for the luxury villas, in meeting the highest demands of the future owners.
SBID Awards Category: Residential Design Over £1 Million Sponsored by THG Paris
Practice: Landau + Kindelbacher Architekten - Innenarchitekten
Project: Villa at Lake Garda
Location: Brescia, Italy
The brief was to design a modern luxury Villa on this breathtaking building site at Gardone Sopra overlooking the Lake Garda catching in all those beautiful views over the landscape. The goal was to fuse interior design, architecture and landscape design into one consistent Project.
The inspiration came from all the southern colors you will find around the Lake Garda, the lemon trees with their Limonaia structures and the mahogany RIVA Yachts and finally the color of the water and the sky.
The very short timeline and just to get the design team physically on the building site, taking the James Bond proven Gardesana route on the east bank of Lake Garda.
The whole design team was invited to join the Grand Opening Party of the Villa and we could see that all our ideas had worked out perfectly.
The quality of the SBID Awards is really outstanding and we think it is one of the most prestigious awards within the interior design community.
Questions answered by Gerhard Landau, Managing Partner, Landau + Kindelbacher.
We hope you feel inspired by this week's luxury design! Let us know what inspired you #SBIDinspire
If you missed last week's Project of the Week, featuring a minimalist residential extension, click here to see more.
We spend about a third of our lives asleep. According to the Mental Health Foundation, it is as important to our bodies as eating, drinking and breathing, and is vital for maintaining good mental and physical health.
The bedroom is also one of the most important rooms of the home in feng shui philosophy. By incorporating certain elements into bedroom spaces, you can create harmony and comfort which can lead to improved wellbeing, better sleep and increased relaxation. Yves Delorme, specialists in luxury home linens and bedding, share key decoration tips for designers to maximise bedroom designs for the comfort and wellbeing of clients.
Choice of Bedlinen
To get the perfect bedding, first decide whether non-allergic filling is needed, then consider which tog rating is right for your client and appropriate for the time of the year. While thread count is a consideration, there are other important features to measure comfort, quality and value: the type of cotton, the feel of the fabric, and the nature of the finishing. The thread count of “standard” cotton or muslin is around 150; good-quality sheets start at 180-thread count; and a count of 200 and higher is considered ‘percale’.
Thread count also has to do with the yarn construction and quality of the yarn. With finer threads, like those produced with Egyptian cotton, more can be woven into each square inch, producing a finer, softer, more flexible fabric.
Choosing the right size duvet:
If the client in prone to toss and turn in their sleep, choose an overhang of 30-40 centimetres!
Bed Width (cm)
Recommended Duvet Size (cm)
Smells and Relaxation
Good interior design should appeal to all the senses: vision, hearing, touch and smell. Smell tends to be the most powerful link to emotions and feelings so should not be overlooked when it comes to the bedroom!
Whether you opt for fragrances in the form of candles, pillow mist, or room sprays, these soothing smells are proven to promote rest and relaxation. Another trick is to spray perfume on crystals; amethyst is a widely known as the sleep crystal - it provides a soothing and serene frequency. Perfect for placement on a bedside table!
According to feng shui, you should incorporate five elements in a home:
Fire elements are often considered the most powerful and can be represented through candles, or by incorporating the colour red!
Earth gives a sense of security and grounding. For this, using textiles in a granite or earthy colours, adding rock features, thick carpet and antique pottery can help to bring the earth element indoors.
Metal stimulates mental strength and intellectual abilities, making it easier to focus and think clearly; try incorporating metal elements with sculptures or bed frames for example.
Water helps promote calm energies in a room. Reflect this with additions like aquariums, water features, free-form artwork, or fluid glass statues.
Wood helps to develop creative energies such as inspiration, motivation and passion. This can be represented through wooden floors and furniture, as well as plants or trees.
Avoid Sharp Edges
Soften your space by adding more natural decor like plants, lamps, sculptures and other smooth edges to provide balance and fluidity.
Window Coverage
Daylight can disrupt sleep and influence our biological clock. Adding darker drapes or curtains along both sides of the window can create a cosier feel and keep light from the outside blocked out.
Minimise Electronics
EMFs are electric and magnetic fields created by electronic devices. They can be harmful and affect wellbeing, including influencing quality of sleep. Keep your smartphone at least three feet from where you rest your head.
Organise Your Bookshelf
Clutter is a low, stagnant and confusing energy that drains our energy, so organisation can make or break a room’s feng shui. Organise your books based on colour and weight - placing the heavier books at the bottom of the book case.
Adding a Headboard
A headboard represents stability and support in your life - adding a sturdy headboard to your bed creates a more secure feeling over a bare wall.
Bring Down Tall Ceilings
With a larger spaces, we can feel less in control of surroundings, causing us to sleep on high alert rather than fully relaxed. If you want to bring down the height, there are a few tactics like painting the ceiling a darker colour or adding visual interest to the lower half of the room with pillows, area rugs or vases. You can also hang crystals or use low hanging lights!
Keep Work Out
This is designed to be a restful space so if possible, resist the urge to convert some of this space into a small home office. Work associated items like laptops and phones create a distracting environment, making it more difficult to swtich off, de-stress and relax.
SBID Accredited Industry Partner, Yves Delorme shares its passion for luxury home linens since 1845, with a sophisticated collection of quality bed and bath linens made of the finest Egyptian Cotton.
This article was written by Prune Allain des Beauvais, Head of Marketing at Yves Delorme.
“Design is important because chaos is so hard.” Often quoted in the design community, this line from American satirist Jules Feiffer has never felt so relevant. We are living in a time of great uncertainty and we are all feeling overwhelmed and anxious. But this is only temporary. Eventually we will begin to reoccupy our shared spaces and start getting back to work and school, even visit museums and movie theatres.
As we move forward, the world is going to need the design community to help everyone feel safe and assured – particularly in our workspaces. “This isn’t going to last forever, but it will change the way we experience our built environment, in both the short and long term” says Inger Bartlett, founder of Toronto interiors studio Bartlett & Associates. “We need to be here to help our clients find effective ways to manage new expectations within their existing interiors. We also need to treat this as an opportunity to explore, innovate, and deliver even more adaptable workspace for the future.”
So what does the post-COVID 19 office look like?
Do we replace the ubiquitous water cooler with a hand-washing station? Will we gather (six feet apart) around the sanitiser dispenser to compare notes on the weekend? Perhaps. There are definitely changes on the horizon, but the good news is that we already have some highly favourable frameworks in place. Inger has long specialised in the design of workspace and is confident that the open office remains here to stay. “The recent trend towards Agile Workspace Design has left many of our clients with incredibly flexible open offices,” she explains. “These spaces are already built to adapt to constantly changing needs, to put people at ease and let them work in a way they feel comfortable.”
Providing Flexibility with Agile Workspaces
For example, the modular open breakouts and Town Hall gathering spaces that are essential elements in agile space will provide the flexibility to maintain physical distancing and still bring groups of employees together. And that interaction is something people will crave after weeks in isolation. In fact, an increased desire to connect and collaborate is one of the silver linings to be found in this crisis. Sharing this challenge is reminding us that we are strongest when we work together!
Mill St Offices
Edelman
Bartlett & Associates designed Agile Workspace for Edelman and Mill Street, both of which complement open office areas with small meeting rooms. Though these rooms will be ideal for accommodating virtual meetings, which we can expect to continue when we return to work.
Though we won’t be packing our existing meeting rooms to the same densities as before, they still have an important role to play. Workforces will emerge from isolation with improved technological capabilities. A higher level of comfort with using digital communication tools will mean these spaces are used as much for virtual meetings as face-to-face. They may also be used to accommodate small teams, as we look to distribute workforces.
Volaris
McCann
League
Breakout zones, such as the high-backed booths featured at McCann, the modular lounges at League and the cozy armchairs at Volaris, offer the option to maintain distance in small meetings. Alternatively, these can become temporary workstations when redistributing people in an open office.
New Ways of Zoning and Interacting
Free-desking or hotelling is likely to fall out of favour. As most clients emerge from this situation with new capabilities for remote work, the Bartlett team predicts this will lead to more rotating work-from-home systems, rather than more workstations, and new ways of zoning space. “Keeping teams that collaborate frequently together in a designated space is one preventative measure to limit the number of unnecessary interactions and potential spread of viruses,” Inger suggests. Should clients wish to define areas for these teams, B|A is ready to offer solutions to reallocate space, reorganise work groups, or introduce design tools such as partitions to modify interactions. We can develop design concepts that support individual corporate protocols for keeping workplaces safe. And by implementing visible changes we can help employees feel confident that their wellbeing is being protected.
While existing flex spaces will help us maintain some degree of distancing for as long as necessary, for the longer view six-foot-wide-by-36-inch-deep workstations could become a new standard for the open office; those dimensions would allow six feet of space between seated employees. Extendable partitions could also come into play for future preparedness: When issues rise, so does the screen.
Sage
Spacious lunchrooms, lounges, and Town Halls will also provide the flexibility to meet in groups and enable social interaction while still maintaining physical distancing.
Additional Health & Security Measures
Some of the biggest changes will be at the landlord level. Enhanced HVAC and air purification systems will be of interest and sanitation protocols will be of more concern to tenants. Entering an office tower could become a process akin to passing through airport security: some buildings will implement screening protocols that include temperature scans and ID checks. In order to prevent these processes from becoming too invasive, intimidating or time-consuming, designers will need to create dedicated spaces that are comfortable, inviting, attractive, and efficient.
Crown Lobby, 5255 Yonge St
The artful screen that defines Bartlett & Associates’ Crown Lobby project could help designate the elevator bay as a secure area. Entering an office tower such as this may become a process akin to passing through an airport. Flexible amenity space could be re-positioned as security zones, where temperature and ID checks occur before visitors and employees can access upper floors.
Utilising Hands-free Technology
New touch-free, voice-activated technologies could quickly replace current systems, particularly in reception areas–where we have already started to see digital systems take over–and in elevators. That’s not to say we anticipate losing the tactility of our spaces. An interior designer’s knowledge and understanding of finishes will be invaluable in creating safer workspaces that remain warm and inviting. Another positive outcome of this crisis is the innovation it is sure to inspire –we can expect new products, new materials and designers need to push for those and contribute to their development.
Selection of Materials and Surfaces
In the meantime, we must implement more seamless surfaces, antimicrobial fixtures and coatings, washable fabrics, and other finishes that are easy to maintain and durable enough to stand up to frequent sanitisation. “There are a lot of transferrable lessons to learn from healthcare design right now, in terms of surfaces, textiles and even furniture,” Inger says. “And that’s not a bad thing. Our offices are not going to end up looking like sterile hospitals. This situation presents a unique opportunity for different sectors to work together to find the best solutions. We are going to come out of this with stronger, more resilient communities and more beautiful projects.”
Bartlett & Associates is dedicated to innovation and excellence in interior design, incorporating creative design solutions across hospitality, workplace, retail, institutional and speciality projects.
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