Architizer asks...why design???

During my lunch break while cyber surfing, I happen to notice the Facebook posting by Architizer. I read the following questions and it got my brain wheels turning....


Architizer 

We're in the middle of a design dialogue with Fly NY, examining the "why" in design. Some ideas to ponder:
Q1. In 3 words, describe when you 1st fell in love with design.
Q2. What passion drives you to create? Where is it rooted?
Q3. Do you feel different design industries connect? (ex. fashion, architecture, DIY). How should they?

scroll down to see my answers

a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kimberlypayne/2259017644/" title="002 by Kimberly Payne, on Flickr">

Answer 1:  High School Art I and Art II. I believe this is when I discovered my artistic strengths. I have  a wild imagination, turning literal objects into creative interpretations, as well as, turning creative concepts into literal objects. Around the time I was a senior in High School,  I knew I had to become an architect. I was not only inspired by the beauty of New Orleans' very own architecture, but I loved creating my own architecture inspired by modern artist and architects. 

Answer 2:  Music and dance is really what drives my creativity. When I listen to music, I instantly begin to write a story in my head and in that story, I develop space around what's inspiring me at that moment. Whether its my love-life, career, family-life, or just my hobbies...my feelings become images and they move and take shape to the music. My mother was (and is still) a great dancer. I danced for years - perhaps this is where my creativity is rooted. My father, who was an engineer, also has an artistic eye. The below image is a sketch he did of our home in Louisiana. Most of my creative talents come from my parents. The image above is my mom as an LSU Tigerette.

Answer 3: Absolutely, some designers are more focused on certain disciplines than others. I don't think being focused on any number of things is the right or wrong way to be (as a designer), but for me personally, I am interested in fabrication of objects (quilting, furniture making, fashion construction, industrial design) and the translation of beautiful images (photography, graphic design, painting). Architecture is connected in so many ways because it is not only the translation but is also the fabrication of spatial concepts. 

A "Matt Haly" Original Ottoman: Upholstery class 3 of 4

I think my left arm shoulder muscle is going to be more developed than the right from working on this ottoman. My right hand staples while my left arm pulls, stretches and creates tension in all the fabric and supporting fabric. Like I said in an earlier post...Upholstery is hard work!

After completing the burlap corners, we sprayed down the edge roll with the 3M foam fast spray (we used 313 to spray down the cotton batting). see above photo. The photo below illustrates where to spray the 3M foam fast spray. When pushing blue foam onto the glue area (the black line on the wood frame) be sure to push down tightly so that no part of the black line is exposed.

Like most steps in this process, do front, then back, then sides.

Glue is messy! Wash the glue off your hands!

Dacron is the white foam that goes on top of the blue foam that goes on top of the cotton batting. That's a lot of cushion. I mean, we need to be comfortable when sitting on this Ottoman. I think, at this time during class, is about the time that Matt Haly accused me of doing this step wrong and therefore I would end up with a Martha Stewart Ottoman! Some people like Martha's ottomans just fine.

The Dacron needs to be stapled tightly to all four sides just below the black line (that is now concealed by the blue foam). So magically staple your dacron on!

You should end up with little Miss Muffet's tuffet.

Fold corners over into a nice and neat tight edge. 

Next is the fabric layer. Yes we finally made it to the fabric. Staple the fabric using the same steps applied to the dacron layer.  Fold corners neatly cutting access fabric out before crossing one side to the other. Create a line that in directly above edge and where corner is below the actually corner of the ottoman. I think this when I told Matt, our teacher, that I was going to sell my crappy ottoman on Etsy as a "Matt Haly" Original. 

Before piping steps, cut access fabric off. We started with a 24" x24" square.

Piping is fun! Start in the middle of the length of piping & in the front of you ottoman. If you can tell what the front is anymore. Wrap around evenly. You should end up with an even amount on each side. Using a ruler, measure 11-1/2 inches from the base. Thats where the top of your piping should lay. Staple on a diagonal all the way around using longer staples. The ends of the piping are tricky. You must cut the left side of piping on an acute angle, then with the right side of piping, cut access about an inch overlapping the left side. Rip stitching of right side out, and cut right rope on an opposing acute angle so that they marry each other, then fold access fabric over, wrap left side and staple done. Easier said than done, for sure.

to be continued....

Upholstery Class #2 of 4

Photo-documenting the steps of upholstering is probably the best way to document this process, since most of my energy was spent ripping tacks out of the wood frame and tying knots and retying knots! Taking actually notes would have slowed me down. I think a visual journal is better than written words for this very tedious hobby.

In the above photos, you can see one side of the rope where by I looped the rope around the tacks and the opposite side of the frame, where I nailed the rope down. 

When tying the springs down remember to start with the shorter side of the rope. After looping it around the already in placed tacks, loop it around the second row down on the spring (on the side closest to the wood)...I know I am confusing the crap out of you right now...but this is more for me to remember what in the hell I was doing in class! haha. Loop it on every side of each spring, until the end where you nail it in place. If your shorter side is on the left, roll to the right. If the shorter side is on the right, roll to the left.  The longer side of the rope ties the string into place, but instead of starting on the second row down, tie knots on top row of each side of outer springs.

After every spring is in place, the outer springs 3-1/2" high, the center spring 3-7/8" high, cut the remainder of the rope leaving about 4 to 5 inches in lag. Next you will staple on sheets of muslin with loads of tension, as Matt says, "make it taut"...okay. This happens on all four sides. Make sure its taut! Taut: adj, stretched or pulled tight. 

After you staple the muslin onto the sides of the frame. You will place burlap over the top of the springs. Again, taut! For both process of stapling burlap and muslin, you must staple the fabric face down, then fold over the lag, and staple that side along the same row of previously inserted staples. Cut excess fabric.

Next you place this rolled cushioned-burlap stuff (i forget the name), I think Ben texted me at this point! You place this stuff at the edge and staple along the edge (actually it must be flush with the wood). Then glue down that rolled thing, so that there is no gaps. You can use spray glue. I hate spray glue. Push the rolled cushion thing down HARD! 

Then you create clean edges with four square pieces of burlap, Staple, fold, staple, make sure you have a smooth 90 degree line at the corner.

Upholstery Class #1 of 4

I decided to take an upholstery class this summer with hopes of learning how to make a slip cover for my funky couch and throw pillows for my bed. What's this- a staple gun?!?  I had no idea how much muscle would be required when tying down spring coils to the bottom of my "soon-to-be ottoman" wood frame. Last night was my first class at the Furniture Joint at 33 Great Jones, NY, NY with Matthew Haly. 


We began with a square wood frame for an ottoman. After writing our names on the bottom (then me discovering the bottom from the top), we stapled and weaved in the webbing. After stretching the webbing tight with a webbing stretcher (who knew they even had such a specific tool), we spaced the coil evenly apart and hand sewed the coils in tightly  with italian weaving thread (I think thats what Matt called it) and a very VERY large needle. After the spring coils were in place, we nailed in the tacks on the edge and tied the coils down so that they were no more than 3 1/2" above the webbing. This was problematic for me. I wasn't a boy scout, so knots are not that easy for me, nor making the knots so tight that they allowed for maximum tension whereby pushing the coils down to its 3 1/2" position. I need to do more arm weights at the gym apparently. 


The images below show the steps in order of progress.

TO BE CONTINUED....

2 Cooper is up and running

The Website for my latest project, 2 Cooper,  is finally up and running.

I believe the first move-ins will be July 15, 2010! Well that's the word on-site.