Inspiration: Interior Designer Kimberly Hall

We came across interior designer Kimberly Hall’s work in a New York Times’ story on an office makeover. I contacted her and asked if she’d share her own home office. Our timing was fortuitous as Hall and her husband had recently bought an apartment and turned the kitchen into a workspace. Here it is!

How long have you worked from home? Since February 1. And where is home? The Meatpacking district (14th between 8th and 9th.) What do you do? I am an interior designer.  We work on predominantly residential work at the moment but we have also done contract work such as restaurants, retail, and office spaces.  I was an associate at the Rockwell Group for 7 years so I have a strong background in hospitality.

Six years ago I opened a store called Kimberly Hall Kids, specializing in children’s’ furnishings and interior design.  I had a small storefront and office on 21st Street and tried to pull off running the store (which did a lot of custom and one-off work) as well as my interior design business.  It quickly became too much and I tried to expand accordingly.

In the end, one was diluting the other so I decided to close the store and focus exclusively on interior design work. My office remained in the same space until this year when my husband and I bought a new apartment.  We had been living in an 800 square foot rental with 2 dogs, 2 young children, and the 2 of us. It was time for a change.  The market was right to purchase and we found a 1500 square foot apartment.It had a 300 square foot wing at the back that was perfect for my office. It had high ceilings and I knew I could get most of what I needed in if I went vertical (a favorite trick of mine.)  It was a great solution for us as it gave us a way to afford the apartment, reduce my “rent” and I now have more time at home to spend with my family.

I gutted the space, which had been the apartments kitchen (I still do not have a kitchen, for the record) including all of the walls and ceiling.  I really wanted a classic loft feeling and by exposing the brick and all of the thick, old rafters, I have really achieved the feeling I was looking for.  It was also, thankfully, the most economical solution.

Describe your style? My style is definitely eclectic, although I’d love to come up with a new word for that. I love almost all “styles” but get most excited by mixing styles and periods. We have done quite a few traditional homes with very contemporary interiors. I look at each job as a challenge to give the client what they are looking for and to personally challenge myself to come up with ideas and solutions that I have not come up with before.  I tend to use a lot of color and incorporate art and other objects of personal significance in my interiors. Sometimes I have gotten the most exciting results using items that I could never have imagined fitting into a project.

As an interior designer with multiple clients how do you keep your office organized? I’m thinking here of the physical space but also your computer. Are there any particular programs you find really useful? We organize our projects into binders and I LOVE plastic page protectors!  I should buy some stock. We also have a fantastic program that synthesizes all aspects of the design process from a business standpoint.  It is called Studio Designer and interfaces accounting, purchasing, contacts, etc. into a single program.

I currently use a Mac but when I used a PC, I loved Outlook. I wish the MAc version was up-to-snuff, but so far I can’t seem to get it to do everything I want it to.

Regarding the physical space, we have it lined, stacked and otherwise filled, floor-to-ceiling with reference materials.  It is clearly much easier to find information since the advent of the internet but I still like to keep hard copies of many of my favorites. We also have a fantastic materials library that we keep in bins that we load onto Ikea Expedit bookshelves. These are my favorites as I am a big fan of cubbies as opposed to shelves. I just find that it keeps things neater. We have literally thousand of fabric samples that arranged by color and sometimes type which makes it much easier to put schemes together than going shopping every time.

When you are designing a home office what do you keep in mind? I think it is imperative to have good “cord management”, especially in a home office.  Having a jumble of cords is not only unsightly, it is extremely frustrating to problem solve if you don’t know what you are looking at.  We make sure that we always place outlets in an appropriate location in relation to the work surface.  I also find it very important to have a “place for everything” (as my mother used to say.)  I especially like mail sorters which have a variety of slots.  I label each slot with a project name or other type of category and anytime I have something related to that particular subject, I just slide it in there.  It’s sort of an interim holding zone for paper that have not yet been filed into binders or files.

Obviously lighting is extremely important in a home office and I make sure to include adjustable task lighting in every project as well as a sliding keyboard tray which alleviates back and posture problems.

File cabinets are also a necessary evil but I try to make them attractive by choosing all white or even sometimes colored.  Bisley offers the best colors.

Is there any piece of home office furniture you covet? I have always coveted a glass-topped desk on horses. Unfortunately, the nature of my work (or perhaps the way I work!) will never allow this but I keep dreaming that someday I will have an impeccable, clean and clear workspace with nothing on it but a computer and a phone.  Also, like in all of the magazine photo shoots, there will be no cords attached to the computer or the phone.

I already have the item that I most covet and that is an Aeron chair. Several years ago I herniated a disc and this was the only place I felt comfortable.  I slept many a night in that chair!

What is a desk accessory you can’t do without? I love low, acrylic trays for organizing small objects on my desk.  I put my stapler, tape dispenser, paperclip cup, electric pencil sharpener as well as post-it notes clustered into these trays so that I always know where something is when I need it and things don’t get scattered all over the work surface.  I also have a tiny stack of plastic drawers that house my binder clips, push pins, extra post-its, and digital photo paraphernalia such as card readers and memory cards.

What would you change about your own workspace? If I had the space, I would like a “return” on both sides of my desk.  This would allow me to keep the center surface clear while allowing me to keep my “piles” organized to either side.  I also wish there was a way to input USB devices into the computer in a neat way besides those “hubs” you get from Staples. I can’t tell you how many of those things I have velcro’d to the shelves above my desk in an effort to alleviate the jumble.

What do you love most about your space? I love the contrast between the rough shell with the brick and wood and the bright, white, minimal, desk surfaces and bookshelves.  I also especially love my FLOR cow-print carpet tiles (below).  It adds the playful touch that I needed in the space and is extremely practical for spills, stains, and possible expansion!

What inspires you? I love to solve problems. For me, being an interior designer is a blessing and a curse. I am able to create wonderful looking, functional spaces but it is very difficult to turn it off. Everywhere I look, I am evaluating what I like, what I don’t like and how I would improve something.

I also love to read and to look at design magazines and books. I am constantly clipping images and creating image files on my computer. By having this comprehensive visual library, I am able to communicate to my client (and to myself) a vision for each particular project. I create concept image boards that are an impression of the vibe of the project. I find that if these are carefully edited, they become a very accurate “visual blueprint” of the project. I may keep a page from a magazine of a room that I hate but it has a fabulous button detail that I will want to remember for a future project. I can sometimes build an entire project out of a detail like that.

As a visual artist (I studied painting and photography) I am especially aware of proportion and composition. Since so may of my projects incorporate disparate items, I use this knowledge to make them look cohesive and balanced.  This is, for me, the inspiration and the challenge. How do you make something successful from nothing?

High Five

This week on the web:

1. Design By Proxy OK, so interior designer Susan Stewart likes Herman Miller. But besides that she has a great eye for interiors and her blog features really nice work. Where to start: Stewart’s take on the amazing Rosa Muerta.

2. The New Yooxer A site that is so cool there is no About section. All I can tell you is their design coverage is spot on. Where to start: The Milan Furniture Fair Report.

3. Yellowtrace Dana Hughes, an interior designer from my hometown (Sydney) gives her take on all things stylish. Where to start: Click on the interior design category for some great eye candy.

4. Bloesem And while we’re globe trotting here is a design blog by a Dutch woman living in Kuala Lumpur. Where to start: The post on hanging plants. Why? Because every office needs a bit of green.

5.  Fine Ting Og Sjokolade Seems fitting to end in Norway with a blog in Norwegian (and a bit of English). I don’t read Norwegain but I do know a good blogger when I see one and this woman (who I suspect isn’t Twiggy) has a great eye for beautiful interiors, images and design. Where to start: Gulest, which I think means yellow. I spied a nice little Eames chair at the kitchen table.

Operation Design

Herman Miller and the Eames Office are two of the collaborators working on an interesting project in support of Operation Design – a not-for-profit that connects students with architects and designers. Twenty Eames Molded Plywood Lounge Chairs are being worked on by street artists and will be displayed in the windows of Barneys New York from May 11. If you like what you see you’ll be able to but the chairs in online auction. Stay tuned for more information and pictures of the chairs.

Heather’s Garage Conversion

Not even the rain that is drenching Southern California can put a damper on my spirits today. Thanks to our awesome contractor, Billy, we beat the rain and got the framing finished before the storm hit. I have office walls! And a generous new storage space at the back of the garage. The weather over the next few days will dictate how quickly the drywall goes up.

And the first sunny day we see, Billy’s crew will be fabricating new carriage doors for the front of the garage. From there we can move onto my true passion: paint.

Unplggd: Making Your Office Greener

“While living digitally has made us greener in some aspects it also has its eco drawbacks. From the amount of waste created to make all our digital doodads to the amount of power it takes to power them, a home office can easily become an epicenter of waste. So, how do you make your workspace green?

While we’re sure there are tons of ways you can optimize your home office to be environmentally friendly (share yours in the comments) here are a few tips.

1. Power down at the end of the day. Turning off a 75-watt desktop monitor can save up to 750 pounds of carbon emissions a year. We recommend plugging all your equipment into a single power strip and simply flipping the power switch on the strip when you’re done. A tip from the folks at Wired‘s How-To Wiki page, power down a printer before flipping the switch “as printers need to seal their cartridges before shutting off.”

2. Opt for eco-friendly electronics. The Electronic Products Environmental Assessment Tool offers listings (similar to LEED for architecture) on the greenest computer equipment. There’s a EPEAT Quick Search Tool on their main page that lets you look at which products fit within what level of greeness — bronze, silver, or gold. You can then look at each product’s point spread from how they rated in the reduction/elimination of environmentally sensitive materials to energy conservation to packaging. Lenovo’s ThinkVision L2251x computer monitor has the highest EPEAT rating, 21/25.

3. If you have to print, use recycled paper. Ideally, you should be doing all your work electronically, but for those times when you need to print something out use recycled paper, which saves thousands of trees a year. Wausau PaperExact Eco uses 100 percent post-consumer recycled content.

4. Buy used. Before you go buying new printers, keyboards, monitors, desks, chairs, and shelving for your home office, look through craigslist. You may find gently used items of what you were going to pay premium price for a fraction of the price. Plus, by buying something used you’ll be helping the environment by not having one more thing produced or put in the trash.

5. Install Deep Sleep This Mac OSX (does anyone know of a PC version?) widget puts your computer into hibernate mode, totally switching your system off, so that no power is being used. When you turn your computer back on, it won’t have to do a total restart, but rather it will be in the exact same state — same apps open, same tabs open in your browser window — as when it entered hibernation. You should eject all external devices before entering hibernation mode so they aren’t improperly ejected.

By Sonia Zjawinski”

RescueTime – or not

[Discover just ran this fascinating piece by Christine and I couldn't resist it for Lifework. I'd love to know if any of you try this software. You'll have to read to the end to see why I've included a photo of Jim and Pam's wedding from The Office, courtesy of NBC's official site. Cerentha]

It started where it always does, with me wishing for more time. Since 24 hours a day is all any of us get, I’d need to be more efficient. Enter RescueTime, software that records, in a very Big Brotherish way, where you spend your time on your computer. As you use Word or Excel, shop at zappos.com, or play Farmville on Facebook, RescueTime is running in the background, mercilessly recording ever minute of it.

Initially I thought it was cool. The very first day, RescueTime awarded me a blue ribbon and told me I was in the top two percent of users—oh, the rush! But it turned out I hadn’t properly launched the program the day before, and those stellar results were only for the previous five minutes.

I have several computers I use throughout the day for different projects. Every time I returned to the computer on which I’d installed the software, RescueTime demanded to know where I’d been. The default responses include “Leisure” and “Other work” and the program allows you to customize. (I created a category called “Doggy management,” since I have a high maintenance dog.)

Often it was tough to be accurate. On a normal day, I might be away from my main computer for four hours, during which I’ve worked on a client’s project, thrown meat in the crock pot, and played tennis. There’s no way to log those activities individually, unless you remember to return to your computer between each one.

Furthermore, I sometimes found myself responding to the constant “where have you been, young lady?” like a recalcitrant teenager, clicking on the “None of your business (don’t log this time)” button, even when the time had been spent productively. While this tactic was personally gratifying, it did not help my productivity score.

To its credit, RescueTime did curtail my Facebook habit. I work alone and Facebook is to me what the water cooler is to office workers. RescueTime noticed when I lingered there too long (something you can set in the preferences) and notified me. I learned how to go to Facebook, skim my friends’ status updates, comment on a few, and leave. No more disappearing down the rabbit hole!

That worked great until a friend emailed me a link to Superwolf Ogles, a Facebook page written by a cat who is in an open relationship and has political leanings (Meo-ism).

Impossible to resist, right? I took a quick peek. Soon I was looking at a picture of a young woman named Steffani sitting on the Great Wall of China, and then at wedding photos of another complete stranger.

RescueTime waggled its Big Brother finger at me, but, already on my way to the video clip of Jim and Pam’s wedding dance (on “The Office”), I just sneered. The only one who can rescue my time is still me.

The Playlist: Jayne Michaels of 2Michaels

2Michaels—a Manhattan-based interior design firm run by identical twin sisters Jayne Michaels and Joan Michaels—is known for its spare, timeless, and undecorated style. Between design projects ranging from a Tribeca loft and a beachfront cottage on Martha’s Vineyard, Jayne talked to us about her work, the musicians that filled her childhood home, and realizing a new taste for classical music.

What do you listen to while you work? Right now, I’m listening to the classical radio station WQXR, which recently became listener-supported. I had never been a huge lover of classical music, but I’m drawn to it now. It calms me; even some the broadcasters’ voices have a soothing quality (Midge Woolsey in particular). I’m rediscovering Debussy, Prokofiev, Bach, Beethoven, and even Gershwin.

How do you listen? I listen from a speaker system. I also listen to my iPod quite a bit.

Do you have any favorite music websites/providers? I used to listen to Rhapsody before getting an Apple computer (Rhapsody isn’t compatible with my Mac). Now I occasionally listen to ITunes and Pandora.

Does music influence your work? Music has always been an important part of my life.  My aunt was a bass player (upright); my brother, too (electric)—he even built a recording studio in the garage of our house. We’d come home from school and find various musicians sprawled on the furniture, playing their instruments. It was somehow comforting and also inspiring. I loved the creative atmosphere, crackling with possibilities and wonder. It’s carried with me in the choice of my career in the arts. I thrive in a creative atmosphere where ideas flow and boundaries are pushed.

Where do you find music recommendations? I have musician friends who keep me updated. I also follow music blogs and music critics from The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.

Who influences your musical taste? The Brits have been the biggest influence. I grew up listening to The Beatles, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Kate Bush, The Cure, U2, etc.

What artist best represents the work you create? There’s spontaneity to Radiohead’s music (at least it sounds that way). They’re distinct, unpredictable, and intelligent without being pretentious and hollow.

If your work was a song, what would it be? Lennon/ McCartney’s “A Hard Day’s Night.”

JAYNE’S PLAYLIST

Way to Blue, Nick Drake

Cambodia, Paul Motain

When It Falls, Zero7

Break on Through, The Doors

The Moon and the Sky, Sade

Acknowledgement, John Coltrane

Tomorrow Never Knows, The Beatles

Ain’t No Use, Nina Simone

Inside a Boy, My Brightest Diamond

Leyenda, Andres Segovia

The Look of Love, Dusty Springfield

Hope Street Tunnel Blues, Bruce Brubaker

The Collector, Charlotte Gainsbourg

I’m Not in Love, 10cc

Concierto de Aranjuez, Miles Davis

Running up the Hill, Kate Bush

Romulus, Sufjan Stevens

Quel Espoir, Beau Soleil

The Very Thought of You, Billie Holiday

It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding), Bob Dylan

Fever, Peggy Lee

Images: Jayne Michaels

Inspiration: Interior Designer Petergaye S. Kisielewicz

Florida-based Petergaye S. Kisielewicz is an interior designer and founder of Yahgie Interiors. She sells her textiles and homewares range and somehow finds time to blog about everything from beautiful interiors to excellent croissants. Here she shares her home office.

How long have you worked from home? And where is home? I have been working from home about 2 years now and I must say it took some time getting use to. I also have a production studio, but you do not want to see that. Home is in sunny Florida. I love it because whenever I am in a design rut I drive to South Beach where I always find inspirations.

Describe your style? How would you define your aesthetic? My style is a combination of my family’s blended culture… from European to Caribbean. I would say my style is ‘urban’ because this style captures culture awareness.

As an interior designer with multiple clients how do you keep your office organized? It is very hard to keep my office organized because I am running two businesses at the same time. One program that I recognize as a must have for any interior designer to stay organized is Design Manager.

When you are designing a home office for a client what do you keep in mind? Things I keep in mind when designing a client home office are the size of the room, outlet locations, the proper use of natural light, proper window treatments to block the sun’s glare on office equipments, the overall ergonomic design of the computer desk, and office equipment.

Is there any piece of home office furniture you covet? I must say the Eames Soft Pad Chair. I love that chair and the designers Charles and Ray Eames. The overall ergonomic design of the chair is very well thought-out.

What is a desk accessory you can’t do without? I cannot do without my bookshelf, but that is not a desk accessory.

What would you change about your own workspace? I would demolish one wall in my office and make the space larger but I cannot because it is a structural wall and it goes against local building codes.

What do you most love about your space? My view, I am overlooking the lake and I love it.

What inspires you? Traveling and experiencing people’s culture and their way of life, bright and bold colors, books, magazines, art, and inspirational quotes.

HGTV’s Home of the Year

Here’s the office from HGTV’s home of the year. What do you think?

Unplggd: The Right Laptop Position?

“With a late night project to finish and roommates taking up the whole couch (my usual “desk” space), I was lying on the floor to get my work done. It was all fine and dandy until this morning, when I woke up with sore shoulders. Under the jump, we’ll see some common laptop positions that can cause strain like mine, as well as one that doesn’t cause any strain at all. And we also want to know: What’s your favorite position?

So laptop owner, you bought a sleek notebook computer so you could take it around the house and leave it anywhere without it looking like tech took over the room. But since you’re living the desk-less life and don’t want any bulky ergonomic accessories for your laptop, you’re now stuck trying to find a comfortable position to actually use the thing.

Well it turns out that among a whole slew of uncomfortable, joint-stressing positions you and your computer could get into, there’s one that won’t have you sore the next morning. In a case study by Dave Malouf on Freescale Netbook Design, he discovered the most comfortable position that doesn’t but any unnecessary stress on the joints is “lying down in bed with the device on the thigh when the knees are kept up.”

So is that your favorite position? Or can you usually be found in one of the other, more uncomfortable positions? Or do you have another non-traditional position that keeps the pain away? Let us know in the comments!

Via Core77

By Taryn

(Image: Flickr user Alice Harold under license from Creative Commons.)”