Tiny Green and MEAN!

Ok, I know I haven't posted in some time, but I've been busy:) Recently, I came across this little product...really I was looking for another type of abrasive pad for a job but could not find it. Next to the spot on the shelf at Wal Mart was this little product made by 3M. I read it, thought I'd give it a try and wow, I'm glad I did!

It's made of natural wood fibers attached to a sponge. The old scotch brite pads are so abrasive that they will scratch glass, fiberglass, metal, hard plastics....this natural fiber version does not:) I can't tell you how many times I've seen scratched fiberglass boats from owners who think the other scotch brite pads or soft scrub. Now, there's a product that is slightly greener, made from wood byproducts normally thrown away or used in some types of composite boards.

I tested this in place of the other pads I used to use, abrasive enough to help remove surface oxidation, but nylon woven fiber was soft enough to not scratch the shiny surface...I did a little spot, buffed thhe wax away and found not a scratch, then did a larger spot, still with no damage and surprisingly mean to stains and oxidation, these little pads work! They worked so well that I handed them out to my detailers and let them use. We now have a new product, though more pricy than the older pads I used, these are slightly greener...and definitely MEANER, without being destructive to anything but the bad stuff:)

Stay tuned for more design related projects soon...need good photos first!

New Pics off LOFT404 have been found and added to that posting, scroll down to see them!

I'm organizing things and found more pics of the interior and the people that made LOFT404 so memorable...also found the last flyer for the last event held there. Scroll down to the LOFT404 finally enjoying it section and check out many more pics...I'll keep digging for more! And thanks again for stopping by!

New Azul Pics!

You waited, I procrastinated, but finally, here they are! Untouched/unedited pics of some different views of restaurant, interior, furniture, lighting, bathrooms and overall atmosphere... Here they are:)

A little piece of Tesla, for only $90k?

Ok, one more green research item before getting back to design pics... I came across this car and company while researching racing electric engines verses gas...

http://www.teslamotors.com/

Ok, now onto next thing...those pics of Azul I finally had taken:) They are still unedited/touched but still great pics of a fun project and great little space

Its the Little things

I found this today on treehugger and was tickled ...green:)



















Check it out...maybe you need a little extra juice ...tell you neighbors...next thing you know, you've just turned your building green without even asking your lousy landlord for help:)

Here's the link:

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/03/easy-install-affordable-solar-panels.php


Also.... if you want to know what to do here in the city of Brotherly Love...check out:

http://www.gophila.com/C/Things_to_Do/211/Top_10_Lists/663/Top_10_Ways_to_Go_Green_in_Philadelphia/392.html

...some of them are very "Duh!" but at least they are trying... I'll dig up some more clean, mean and green info bites soon!

and thanks for stopping by:)

Lofty Beginnings

Ok, I know I shouldn't show the unfinished version, but I'm really only waiting on the 6" casters for these Room Divider/Waredrobe/Mobile Dressing room/Ambient Light Furniture...designed speecifically...for lofts:)

Stay tuned for the final pics, and shots with real live people to help with scale (yes a pair of shoes probably doesn't do the job;)

These are modular and can be connected sideways, in a straight line, in clusters and are also strong enough to support a platform on top...oops almost gave away next designs;)

Panels are made of extruded, UV blocking, super lightweight, translucent, polycarbonate and to help with moving and custom user configuration, the panels are held on with magnetic strips.

Height without casters is 68" but with casters will be 76". They can be made taller, but there's a method to my madness...stay tuned!

Project Updates!

New projects on the table this month... It's a banquette, it's a stereo system, it's an expandable to queen size guest bed, it's storage and it's custom designed and built for a trinity (notorious Philadelphia style home with tiny floor plates, but 3 stories tall).

Next is the beginning of my lines of loft furnishings that solve multiple Loft headaches in one design. Photos of all of these are on the way.

Near future projects... line of indoor/outdoor garden/landscaping furniture and systems for urban indoor gardens AND redesigning the wheel chair and redesigning the current ADA bathroom... YEAH! So stay tuned!!

New News! Rough pics of 2 new furniture pieces:)

Hi Everybody, Finally after a way too long break from updates, I have new pics of 2 new furniture projects. First project is a double coffee table design for a relaxed modern home here in Philadelphia. The clients are actually the same guys from the 428 N 13th loft 'trick out' posted much earlier here.

Working with Toni Leslie on this project, we first tackled a design for the sitting room area where the new home came with a standard gas fireplace, but was seriously lacking in style and 'luv':) Toni loves stone, as do I, so we went with a design for a flagstone hearth and stainless steel fireplace design. To really go with the full range of materials, we went with crushed glass firebed where the flames dance just above the glass giving a 'fire and ice' illusion. At first we thought, nothing green about this project, but after completion and firing it up, we found the highly reflective surface of the stainless material to increase the efficiency of the fireplace at least 3 times that of the original. This turned the only mildly heat efficient fireplace into a center piece, sculptural and yet functional. The picture is rough, we are waiting for more proffesional shots soon. The area above the fireplace will soon have a very large painting, yet to be chosen...but I am partial to the works of a local and international painter Jung Wha Ahn...although there is a chance a sculptural piece might go there instead.


After the fireplace was finished ad installed, we then tackled furnishings for the space. Toni and I decided to go with a custom piece so we designed low Asian influenced modern coffee tables to be made of Zebrawood. This material has amazing colors that work very well with the design palate of the space. After finding the price of real solid Zebra wood to be almost insane, we then contacted Formica and asked for samples of faux finishes. We were delighted to find that they actually had a real zebra wood veneered laminated for a fraction of what the real stuff would cost.

I then sent clients some renderings of what the pieces would roughly look like and after approval, went to work making the tables out of MDF, then after painstakingly smoothing and flattening the surfaces to be excellent glueing surfaces for the laminate, began the careful process of skinning the pieces on an ebony laminate for bases and zebra for tops and sides.


I would mention to anyone going with these materials, that due to the laminate having real veneer, it acts like this and is easily chipped...yes I made a few small whoopses throughout the process but luckily had enough in scrap to redo when needed:) These pictures are also rough and we will have pro shots soon!

Tea Anyone? How about Remedy Tea Bar :)

Remedy Tea bar on the 1600 block of Sansom was a project I did with Toni Leslie of Triple Layer Cake (Marketing and branding...and now Interior Decorating:)

I was involved in finding the right space for the clients, drawing up designs for what the space could...and would be, project management and custom fabrication and installation of many elements of the store. Toni Leslie was a pleasure to work with and provided color choices as well as a great juxtaposition of styles to blend well with my very modern styles.

Remedy is a booming success and plans are on the boards for an LA location to open soon...look for posts soon on the designs and outcome of that project in late 2009-early 2010. Here are a couple shots of the finished product, sorry for not havig eary shots...

LOFT404 Finally enjoying the space:)

The following photos are of LOFT404 after completion. I also built all the furniture, made the lights, watered the plants, decorated, designed and built the sound system and speakers, mixed the music and mixed the cocktails:)

LOFT404 during construction part 1

Since it's hard to place text exactly next to the image...I'll explain:) These are photos of Loft404 at midphase of construction, you can see the framing coing together of the kitchen, bath and laundry room platform which was done to have enough height to have an island kitchen sink drain back to plumbing stack in corner. Then plumbing was all run, electrical, then subflooring, then framing of the double walls...I love pockets doors, they take up so much less footprint in tight spaces where a swinging door would just be annoying. You can also see the concrete molds for the concrete and galvanized steel bathroom...and concrete counters as I was pouring them. Concrete is lots o fun and easy to customize a million ways, just need to follow steps for proper mixing, pouring, curing and treating/sealing.

LOFT404 (the beginning)

Loft404 was a concept to design and build a live in showroom at the lowest cost possible, utilizing recycled materials, new material uses, efficient space planning and even a fully functioning workshop! It grew and changed into something even more, an experiment in soft marketing and a young professional group emerged from some sociological tinkering. I later began entertaining a growing group of up and comers, friends, associates, competitors and eventually clients after seeing my work. I was and still am so proud of this accomplishment. Soon, there will be another space, with a different address, but it will still have that vivacious, thriving soul and positive, growing energy of LOFT404...

I searched around the city for a space close to downtown, yet big, cheap and raw. After months of looking, I found a building and eager owners who loved the idea of a raw space converted at no cost to them.

When I found loft404, it was 5 small office spaces utilized for a photography studio and business. The windows were blocked off, walls painted dark gray and ceiling painted black. There was only one powder room and we saw it was going to take lots of work, creativity...and love:)

After haggling lease details and options with some tricky landlords, I began the plan and design of the space. While working on this, I began setting crews onto nighttime demolition (as to not disturb nearby businesses). These are images of the space at demolition phase. The next post will show under construction pictures and descriptions.

5H, a "Mini" loft upgrade..

The pictures below are of a space I upgraded for a client in the loft district. The space was basically a huge cube with curvy sloping floors but so much potential. Client purchased space as investment hoping to eventually move to Philadelphia from New York in a few years, but have it rented out until then... Issues: Kitchen was totally non functional after being installed by a shotty carpenter, lighting, wall color and vast space had no sense of zones or gravity...well, other than the sloping floors:) Bathroom was sparse and rough as well as no storage could be found anywhere.

Biggest question potential renters asked, "where's the bedroom?" We in the Loft world often smile and say "wherever you like", but often to someone who truly doesn't know or have that gift of spacial vision, it's a turn off and the space went vacant for over a year, even at a very low price.

I wish I had the photos of the space before the work was done other than these camera phone picks, but please try to use some patient imagination:)

I planned to give a privacy wall for the sleeping area, but wanted to keep the feel of open loft space by keeping the wall low, in this case I used the standard 8ft height.

I like the sliding/rolling doors because they take up no floorspace when they open and close, making hallways and entry areas have less of a flow obstruction when using them. In keeping with the "factory" feel, I proposed to make the bedroom door a rolling old timber style door. I couldn't find anything from my sources for this type of hardware and doors other than 1 ton steel 6ft wide doors...so I made one from scratch and even made the track and wheels..everything. The wood was salvaged from another old factory building that was being demolished and the steel is all raw, hot rolled new stock steel. Wheels were cut from a shopping cart:)

Kitchen was then removed, walls reinforced and re-installed. Lighting was changed to dimming track lights and some walls were painted different soft earth tones to help designate zones of use.

3 days after completing this project the place rented, it was the first person to see the place after renovation, the leasing agents said it was immediate:)

The client is still happy to this day and is planning to move next year to her "new" loft. We have plans for higher end improvements, upgrades and possibly a lounge area above the kitchen/bath:)

Always Sunny in Philadelphia? It appears so!

What a great day! The weather outside is amazing, making it hard to sit inside and work. So today I'll be posting some more project pics up and later will be attending an open house for an architecture firm here in Philadelphia called UCI Architects (www.uciarchitects.com) I met the owners and heard a bit of what they are doing as well as what they wish they would be doing. I would keep an eye on this smaller firm, they have some great ideas and are very savvy on green technologies...perhaps I might even work on a project or 3 with them:)

Ok, off to get some photos of projects for your daily viewing pleasure... Get outside and soak up some of this sunshine!

More of my work:)

Starting from the top and working the way down are images from a loft upgrade I performed for a client in the Loft District area of Philadelphia...just above Chinatown. This was a 3 phase project, here are some early images of the loft (top) followed by finished images (bottom)...enjoy. Oh, and have your people call my people:)

And we Philadelphians make fun of New Jersey...I bite my tounge!

Ok, Ok, we in Philadelphia often make fun of New Jersey, the accents. the overuse of the word 'Contemporary', bad driving and the time it takes to cross this state to get to the ocean....but today, I take tons, but not all of it back! Check this article out... And feel free to 'ax' yourself how cool this is;)

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/10/new-jersey-deep-water-offshore-wind-farm-346-megawatts.php

A new restaurant I've done...

Ok, enough playing around today, a good friend just emailed to tell me...show your interior work, not your gadgets...so even though I know she wants one of those squeezy ball dispenser toys... Maybe today I'll post an example of a recent project... Azul. I planned, designed and hand built everything from the lights, to banquettes, to the huge solid steel bottle displays...even bathrooms, tables, counters and even found a great new designer/apprentice Ahley to make my little candle holders...ok so I like to get my hands dirty and micro manage a little;)

I designed Azul as a blend of modern styling mixed with old world touches that would be a great spot for sneakers to stilettos, Levi's to Armani. I wanted my client to take his concept of nuevo latin foods and tequila bar to a slightly higher finish...not just another dirty corner bar overcharging for food and drink, I wanted people to really feel like they were getting much more for their money and push that positive feeling to my client's bottom line.

How can he thrive in this Washington Square meets Artsy Midtown community and yet sit almost literally on the doorsteps of Jefferson Hospital? Research, get to know your market. It takes more than just designing a swanky spot with high end finishes, it was more researching who his market is going to be, who lives there? Who works in the area? Who walks by on the way home from all parts of town? Where else do these people enjoy spending time and money around town? How do I convey/sell my client's product in this market?

The answer is complex, but not so hard to understand. Doctors, nurses, artists, students, bike riders, lawyers, some with income that is almost non existent all the way up to 7 figure incomes. It doesn't matter who you ask, if you ask this question, "Do you like to get more for your money?", the answer will always be yes. I designed Azul to do exactly that, give more for what you are actually paying for and so far, it's worked!

Azul has been one of the hottest spots in town to grab an amazing drink, quick bite, decadent meal, people watch or be seen, meet friends, take a date or have a corporate get together. The place has been so busy, that the owner still thanks me with this surprised smile telling me he can't believe how well the place is doing. That is worth more than any amount of money to me, a client who remains happy...patrons who just keep coming back and complimenting me often on the experience they've had there.

Have you been to Azul? What are you waiting for? When it comes to advertising my works, a picture is worth a picture, but a visit is worth...

Here's a link to some up and coming events, go check them out!

http://azulcantina.cmail1.com/e/459733/w4yi1jyy/

As always, this and all of my projects, designs, interiors, products and furniture can soon be found at http://www.coldrendesign.com/ The site is under construction, but will soon be up and running!

Something Orange and Fun

You can think of a name for it, but one day after squeezing the life out of my shampoo bottle and then tossing it in the trash... I thought, man, I wish I could have used that bottle for something, but it was a dumb design, it won't even stnad upside down to get the last bit of soap out...and even if it did, where would I put it? There's no room in this little shower... So sad, no fun and another bottle for the landfill... Ureka! Out of the shower I jumped, dripping water all way the down the hall to my computer (ok I'm lying;)

A soft sqeezable ball, about the size of a grapefruit but not too big that I can fit my hand around at least half of it, that's refillable with whatever soaps or liquids I want to put into it, but more fun than that...with tons of suction cups all over it so I can throw it across the shower and it sticks wherever, maybe I could use this thing in the kitch with dish soap, maybe kids would love to play with this thing in the bathtub?? It could be made in any color and I would never throw it away...I could get different colors for what ever the liquid inside might be... Ok, here's a concept rendering... anyone want one?

As always, this and all of my projects, designs, interiors, products and furniture can soon be found at http://www.coldrendesign.com/ The site is under construction, but will soon be up and running!

Monday, a grey day in Philadelphia...but there's always some sunshine here...

But wait, look what I found, something green, something full of flavor...a little political from time to time, but lets try to look at the substance and not the opinion here...today's website pick...

http://www.treehugger.com/

I found this article today and want you to know, if you have the investor, I want to build something like this!! ...ahem, only I would like to make it more green than I suspect Hilton will;)

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/10/eco-friendly-hilton-hotel-argentina-patagonia.php

Now, many know I am FAR from a granola crunching, dirty haired hippy who swears rubbing crystals under my arms really kills the funk, but this site is very cool and has links to tons of new ideas and concepts that just might give us a few more trees to...hug...metaphorically of course;)

Ok next post, a concept I have to keep some waste out of landfills... and as Palin would say, A darn fun way to do it! Stay tuned!

As always, this and all of my projects, designs, interiors, products and furniture can soon be found at http://www.coldrendesign.com/ The site is under construction, but will soon be up and running!

Humble Beginnings

Today I launch my first blog...

Stay tuned for updates on lifestyle, my designs, other people's design, cooking, engineering, fashion, environmental ideas, out on the town tips, reviews, travel, new stuff I find online...and lots of pics!

First tip...Can't go wrong with Coppola wines;) Yes that's me in a kitchen I designed for LOFT404.

Stay tuned, this and all of my projects, designs, interiors, products and furniture can soon be found at http://www.coldrendesign.com/ The site is under construction, but will soon be up and running!