12
Apr

Sunrise Beach House

Architecture, House Tour, Houses

4 comments

Traumhaus gefunden… Schönes Wochenende!

Dream house found… Happy weekend!

photos: toby scott for real living, styling: kylie jackes via cabbage rose

8
Apr

Living Room I Love

Living room

2 comments

photo: Dominique Vorillon for AD

2
Apr

Interview with Raji Radhakrishnan

Designer, Interviews comments

1 comment

“If you are happy where you are and hopefully with the people you want to be with and doing what you love, you are successful.”

Raji Radhakrishnan

Raji Radhakrishnan is a Washington, D.C. – based interior designer. Although Raji received an MBA and worked as a research director she decided to follow her heart and moved into the world of design. I’m always impressed by people who made the choice to follow their passions. Meanwhile Raji’s fabulous work has been published in many magazines including Traditional Home, Metropolitan Home, Washingtonian, Spaces, Home & Design and Veranda. Enjoy the interview. I sure did!

How would you describe your own style?

A thoughtful mix of styles & regions. I try not to clutter the space (and my mind) with anything less than the best so that the space will evolve to be truly the best it can be.

What inspired you to get into design?

Early travels and being exposed to beautiful spaces at a very tender age definitely ignited the passion. But, I’ve been an artist all my life. Painting a story whether through a dance ballet or an canvas or for that matter by creating whole spaces are all great mediums if you are good story teller!

Looking back at your first project what decorating knowledge do you wish you had back then designing the interiors?

Quite honestly, I’ve always been quite happy about the decorating work I’ve done from my very first project. I do project specific research before I start every project since each is completely different anyway, so I don’t think I have any real regrets there, but, it’s the business side of it that sometimes gets me! What I wish at times is that I had worked for a well established designer at least for a couple of years before I took the plunge to start out on my own. That would have given me a chance to learn all the “other non-decorating” things involved in running a decorating business without having to organically learn everything on my own!

Is there a designer that has influenced you?

Oh, plenty. Starting from Robert Adams, Sir John Soane, Le Corbusier, Charlotte Perriand and a few contemporaries including Jacques Grange.

Some designers believe that the first piece for any room is the rug or a painting that sets up the colors palette. What is your first source of inspiration?

Good question! I’ve never done a project inspired by a rug or fabric or painting. To me they are all one of several characters I cast in the play. It’s my overall vision, based on the architecture of the house/apt and my client, that inspires me. After observing a space and listening to clients, slowly but surely a story or at least an angle of style emerges. And I develop it from there. In my logic, having a holistic vision is first and most important and then I go about selecting the right colors, furniture, fabrics, etc, that fit with my vision and plan.

What is the biggest mistake people make when they decide to decorate their homes without the guidance of a professional designer?

Impulsively buying things without a proper holistic plan. And I don’t even mean a floor plan but buying things without even taking the time to understand how they want their rooms to look, feel and be used.

How do you achieve a good scale? Scale is a really interesting and difficult topic.

Scale is about having a sense of proportion in relation to different aspects of a room. Da Vinci’s Vitruvian man is nothing more than each part of the body being proportionate to every other part, so that the whole is pleasing to the eye and is quietly functional. You want to make everything in a space similarly appropriate. It requires thinking three dimensionally (how wide, deep and high the room is) and fearlessly addressing every vantage point. You can’t just assume massive pieces of furniture are best for a large room. Even when you are designing monumental rooms, you still have to consider the all important human scale.

Look at it this way, even in a rambunctiously grand room, you can address the large expanses of walls, windows, ceilings, floors, etc. with grand scale gestures like large paintings/patterned wallpapers, ceiling to floor curtains, huge area rugs, etc., (which essentially become part of the shell) as long as these elements don’t interfere with the humane functions. So, when you get down to addressing the eye level furniture, lighting, etc., that affect the functionality of the room on a day-to-day basis, ensure it is all scaled/adjustable to personal levels. And don’t forget to bridge the two (monumental and human) by addressing the residential scale – an example: in a 20′ tall room, think about hanging wallpaper or adding paneling that goes up to only say 10′ high or simply hanging curtains only on the windows that are 12′ or below. That’s one way of looking at scale.

What do you love to do when you are not designing?

Spend time with my family, travel, watch a great movie!

Who are your favorite artists?

Of the contemporaries, I like Vik Muniz, Anish Kapoor, Thomas Struth, Takashi Murakami and a few others.

Your favorite books?

Terence Conran’s Easy Living & The Essential House Book, Private House by Rose Tarlow, and Rooms by Marriette Himes Gomez.

What does success mean to you?

Well, doesn’t mean much really. A long time ago I realized it’s a moving target. But, I guess if you are happy where you are and hopefully with the people you want to be with and doing what you love, you are successful.

My signature Design Elements question – what are the most important design elements?

It’s a very subjective topic which prioritizes differently with people and spaces. There’s no right or wrong. But the following are usually important:

- Good (interior) architecture can not be emphasized enough.
- Appropriateness to the space and people living there is essential.
- I personally prefer a lived-in quality in any space.
- A regard for authenticity and good taste are nice to have.
- And stick to your vision!

photos: Matthew Worden via Wasingtonian, Raji Rm & Associates

30
Mrz

No Limit

quotes

1 comment

personal excellence

27
Mrz

Kitchen I Love

Kitchen

4 comments

design: Abigail Turin, photo: Dominique Vorillon for AD

25
Mrz

Interview with Jonathan Segal

Architecture, Interviews comments

1 comment

I can barely contain my enthusiasm for the work of Jonathan Segal. The San Diego based architect has been responsible for the design and development of over 300 medium to high-density urban residential, mixed use, and live/work units totaling over 300,000 square feet of construction. His strong urban designs have been awarded six AIA Honor Awards. “Jonathan Segal has been a champion of an alternate practice paradigm for architects: he develops, designs, and builds his own projects.” He eliminated the client from the traditional formula. His online seminar for aspiring architects / developers is named “Architect as Developer”. It’s about how to develop your own projects and take the first steps to design and financial freedom. Jonathan Segal believes that the most important design elements are proportion, harmony, rhythm, beauty and purity. He loves to collect and restore cars.

the union, photo: paul body

When did you first realize that you wanted to be an architect?

After I failed my chemistry per exam to get into class in college….no medical school for me.

Is there something that connects all your projects?

Urban design and strong individual planning notions and ideas for each project.

the charmer, photos: matthew segal and jeffrey durkin

Looking back at your first project what design knowledge do you wish you had back then?

Nothing…ignorance has always paid off.

You have designed incredible places. If you had no limits, what would be your dream project?

Thank you. I would have loved to see my q building built in the meat packing district in New York. So I guess a small project in NYC or Brookland.

the lemperle residence

How does your home look like?

We currently have a place in downtown San Diego, la jolla and McCall Idaho. Each is different. In their planning layout and relationship to their environment. The la jolla home is almost complete. It’s all cast in place concrete as is our Downtown penthouse in the Q.

What do you love to do when you are not designing?

Collect and restore cars and be with my wife and dogs. I’m trying to learn to relax, it’s not going well.

hsieh residence

Your favorite books?

Anything that deals with entrepreneurs and works by Clive Clussler. I have a hard time finishing a book.

You have been awarded 6 AIA Awards. What does success mean to you?

The National Aia awards are an honor but respect from your peers is all that one hopes for. Fortunately this success has enabled me to meet many great friends and more importantly speak in many cities and spread the word of architect doing their own development. Financial success has helped me not need any investors since 1998.

k lofts, photo: paul body

What’s your advice to the architecture students?

Don’t grow up to be poor architects. Work for a few years and learn the business of putting a good set of drawings together and then do your own work for yourself, NO CLIENTS.

My signature question – what are the most important design elements?

Proportion, harmony, rhythm, beauty and purity.

25
Mrz