| |
|
2008/2009 Board Members |
Donna M.
Straat, President
Jason Landau, President Elect
Ellen Dunn, Membership
Director
Stacey Lyons, Professional Development
Sara Hopkins, Financial Director
Amy Eisenberg,
Member At Large
Fenella Pearson, Communications
Christine Bottacari, Student Rep. |
|
Message From the President |
“Everyone wants to go to Heaven but nobody is willing to
die.”
O.K. I’ll admit that this quote is somewhat off the subject, but
it caught my attention and made me chuckle.
Translated, we all want a dynamic, inspirational chapter – one
which creates Design Forums, Town Halls, Fashion Shows, fund
raising events and, of course, highly informative educational
venues. However, these programs only thrive with your
participation. (Ah-ha….that’s where she is going!) Our dues
merely supply the framework and seed monies. It’s us – each of
us – being willing to get involved, which brings all this to
life! It’s our energy, talent and creative drive and a
willingness to help with the details, that make each of our
events successful. New volunteers are our strength!
I understand a reluctance, perhaps an inherent modesty, which
tends to hold some of us back. Others feel the pressures of
their work, home life, etc. – we all have such complicated
lives. Perhaps one might get involved if asked, but
unfortunately, if we don’t step forward, no one knows who we
are. The benefits of belonging to a group such as ours go
unfulfilled.
Coming soon are the annual elections for our Board of Directors.
Terry Scarborough will be chairing the Nominating Committee and
will be posting open positions and qualifications. This is a
hard working Board, yes, but it also a closely cooperative and
warm group which really cares about where we are headed.
Come join us – we welcome you!
As to events and programs, Stacy Lyons will be needing
volunteers for committees. This is a great way to get your feet
wet; so, if you can help, contact Stacy! None of this needs to
take an over-whelming amount of time if lots of us get involved.
Bring along your friends – it’ll be fun! A few hours with many
“hands” equals highly successful results.
Finally, I’ve yet to talk with anyone ever involved who hasn’t
expressed an abiding enthusiasm for the time spent -- a new
appreciation for the organization, a closeness to members & new
contacts & friends made. To make anything matter, one must get
involved. Many thanks to all those who have been and/or continue
to be the heart and soul of our wonderful Chapter.
Hope you all have a wonderful Holiday!
Donna
Donna M.
Straat, ASID
President Ct. Chapter ASID |
|
Interested in Becoming a Board Member? |
|
ASID CT is seeking candidates for the 2010-11
term.
If you would like more input in the chapter's future, please
contact Terry Scarborough, ASID, CMKBD, who is chairing the
nominating committee.
Do it today; we need your help now!
terrys@kitchensbydeane.com
or 203-972-8836. |
|
|
Student Corner |
|
Real World Design took place during the first week of November.
Design professionals from the ASID Connecticut Chapter had
students shadow them, allowing them to experience a day in the
life of an interior designer.
Alison Roberts, a senior in interior design, at the
University of New Haven, attended a trip to the D&D building in
New York City with designers, Maryanne Howell and Ellen Dunn and
also with two other interior design students. Alison stated, “We
had a great day experiencing all that the building had to offer;
looking at textiles, finding accessories; and learning about the
construction of various products. To see all of the resources in
the city that are available to designers was a real eye opener
and made me excited to get into the field! I really appreciated
Maryanne and Ellen taking the time to explain the products and
educate us on the practice of interior design!”
Real world design week was a great experience for Alison and
many other students whom participated. It is wonderful when
Interior Designers in the field can reach out to the upcoming
generation of interior designers, there is so much knowledge
that an experienced designer can offer to a student entering
into the profession.
|
|
Fabiana Ferrer, Nancy Coleman, Cristina Arbelo students at
University of New Haven, with Terry Scarborough of Kitchens by
Deane in Stamford and Fenella Pearson of Fenella Pearson
Designs, Norwalk |
|
|
Your Board needs YOU!! |
 ASID CT is planning our First Designers Homes Tour, to take
place in April 2010.
We are looking for volunteers to help our Professional
Development Director run this great new event.
Six ASID designers' homes in southern Fairfield County will be
included in the tour, which will be open to the public for a
fee.
Future plans call for similar events in the Hartford area,
northern Fairfield County as well as New Haven County.
If you are interesting in joining our team and helping plan and
organize, please contact Stacey Lyons at
stacey.lyons@live.com |
|
|
|
|
Upcoming Event Spotlight |
|
|
|
Designer News |
 |
Hollie Sutherland,
ASID, LEED AP
Hollie Sutherland of Hollis Interiors designed a
“green” room for a Weston, CT, showhouse in the fall of
2009. Green in the environmental sense is beginning to
be integrated with Interior Design in a more natural and
affordable way. Decisions on sustainable design impact
homeowners’ budgets, health and well being.
Some of the many green features in Sutherland’s show
house bedroom include no VOC paint, sustainable fabrics
of jute and organic cotton made with non chemical dyes,
UV protection shades, custom bed made with a sustainable
wood frame, mattress made with organic cotton, chemical
|
|
free wool and natural latex.
Examples of repurposed furniture are the Duncan Fyfe settee and
logs turned on end for a truly organic table. One can feel more
than see the green features in the room due to the absence of
chemicals, better air quality, and improved lighting.
|
|
 |
|
The trend in sustainability is no longer a trend. That means
living in a visually appealing home that doesn’t ask too much of
the planet. Green and beauty work together in a seamless and
affordable way. Sutherland recently received the LEED AP,
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design accredited
professional, and is expanding her business to help clients meet
eco friendly goals for their homes.
To learn
more about Hollis Interiors visit:
www.hollisinteriors.net |
|
|
Industry Partner News |
Mary Douglas Drysdale Urges Design Community to Use Handmade Rugs
Internationally acclaimed
interior designer Mary Douglas Drysdale of Drysdale Inc. in Washington,
DC, urged the design and architectural trade to think green when using
floor coverings. Ms. Drysdale spoke on October 29th at a “Green Rug
Event” organized by decorative rug consultant and author Alix G.
Perrachon (currently writing a book on decorative carpets for Monacelli
Press/Random House for Fall 2010) and hosted by Eliko Antique &
Decorative Rugs, the Manhattan-based wholesale antique oriental and
decorative rug firms whose inventory is among the largest in the
country.
The designer spoke about how her alarming pulmonary reaction to the
toxic off-gassing from wall-to-wall carpeting triggered her passion for
handmade |
 |
|
|
oriental and decorative rugs. She presented Eliko’s “Green Kilim Collection”
of Turkish natural wool and hemp flatweaves, produced from recycled raw
materials from 40- to 80-year-old Turkish grain bags.
|
 |
Ms. Drysdale explained how
from something old, that could have been discarded, emerged a stunning line of
kilims featuring a dazzling array of contemporary geometrics in the
tone-on-tones and neutral hues. Through some Photoshop ingenious tricks, she
illustrated the dramatic impact of these kilims in her interiors. She then
showed how she integrated handmade rugs and textiles ranging from classic
antiques including Oushaks and Sultanabads to Amish hooked rugs and textiles in
her projects. Ms. Drysdale’s message to the design and architectural
trade was clear--think twice |
|
| before opting for machinemade
floor coverings. These feature a synthetic backing and a greater
degree of chemical components incurring a higher incidence of
“off-gassing.” Not to mention that carpeting is |
| still mainly produced
from non-renewable petroleum products which ultimately accounts
for up to an estimated 5 billion tons of discarded product—up to
1% of U.S. landfills—most of which is non-biodegradable. The
designer urged her audience to think of the impact of their
design decisions on the environment and to take a long-term
view.
Attended by some of the country’s top designers including Samuel Botero, Ronald
Bricke, Glenn Gissler, and Leonard Braunschweiger, the talk was followed by a
lively question-and-answer session. |
 |
|
|
For further information on the event, please contact Alix Perrachon at
914-834-2478 or
alixunlimited@gmail.com. |
|
|
New Peer Groups Being Formed |
|
The Connecticut Chapter of ASID is working hard to create
more value for its members, connecting members and providing new information
regarding the practice of Interior Design. We understand that meeting location
is always an important issue for members within the state. It is not possible to
satisfy all our members. We must try to keep the meetings in areas where the
majority of members live and work to promote the greatest possible
participation. Attending general meetings or participating in committees can
prove to be difficult due to distance and traffic issues within the state of CT.
For this reason, we have found that when members establish a Peer Group,
(designers within the same or nearby zip codes) they can network and share
experiences and information amongst themselves. Join a
Peer Group and you can expect to:
* Socialize and become acquainted with other local interior designers on a
monthly basis.
* Stimulate and challenge each other through the sharing of individual ideas and
creative thoughts.
* Support each other by acting as business/project sounding boards for all
members.
* Strengthen each other's business positions through the sharing of pertinent
and helpful information.
* Aid one another by group problem solving regarding any and all individual
business dilemmas.
The Peer Group members should feel free to voice any feelings or opinions to the
assembly and realize that all information will be kept confidential. There will
be no business subject that is off limits for discussion, but all discussion
conclusions will remain individual. No conclusions will be confirmed as group
protocol or doctrine.
This has been very successful with several groups already established. For those
who are interested in enhancing their membership participation through a Peer
Group, Alice Burnham, our Peer Group chairperson, is available to assist in
helping to form a group in your area. You can contact Alice at
aburnham241@optonline.net
|
|
|
|
|
Legislative Corner |
ICC Code Definition of “Registered Design Professional” Retained at ICC Code
Hearings in Baltimore, MD.
A code change was recently considered by the International Code Council (ICC)
Administrative Code Committee at its code development hearings in Baltimore, MD,
that would have changed the existing definition of “registered design
professional.” If passed, the code change proposal would have replaced this
definition to recognize only an “architect or engineer” as a design professional
who may submit plans to a building official for permit.
This code change, which was part of a larger proposal before the ICC
Administrative Code Committee, did not pass – meaning that the existing ICC code
definition of a “registered design professional” was retained: “an individual
who is registered or licensed to practice their respective design profession as
defined by the statutory requirements of the professional registration laws of
the state or jurisdiction in which the project is to be constructed.” Bruce
Goff, ASID, and codes consultant Bill Koffel, P.E. participated in the Baltimore
ICC hearings on behalf of ASID, working in concert with ASID staff and
representatives from IIDA to ensure that the existing “registered design
professional” definition would be retained in the ICC Codes.
The existing definition was secured via the efforts of ASID with its interior
design allies including IIDA and NCIDQ. ASID believes that opening up the
building permitting process to design professionals as registered or licensed
with their respective states enables the model codes to work well in conjunction
with state professional registration laws.
ASID will continue to closely monitor, and keep its members apprised of, code
and standard-related issues impacting interior designers, including Society
participation on model code development committees as well as standard
development committees such as the ADA Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) Review
Committee. |
|
|
|
