Custom Furniture Design

My first quarter back at FIDM I took a class named Human Factors. I mostly learned about Universal Design, which is designing with accessibility in mind regardless of whether or not the end user is able-bodied or disabled. The whole idea is that if universal design is done well, it is functional but does not stigmatize anyone because of their limits or disabilities.

My favorite project in the class was designing my own custom furniture piece. We began by first choosing a knob or pull for a furniture piece, then building the furniture piece around it. Although we didn't know at the time, the project was a warm up into designing with ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) guidelines; where you design building exteriors and interiors using the guidelines for people with disabilities.



I chose a charming gold twig pull that had pearls and crystals incorporated, I felt it was very organic and Art Nouveau. For the furniture piece I made a vanity with storage drawers. The wood is mahogany. The vanity is curved with an Art-Nouveau wood carving design for the top, which would be topped with a custom glass piece. The legs were inspired by the firefly design that was ever so popular during Art Nouveau. I also designed a matching stool, upholstered in a plum cotton velvet with touch of golden stripes.

Retail Store Design

The last class I took at Mt. San Antonio College was Visual Merchandising. Now, this class is not required for my major as it actually belongs to the fashion design program, but I have a strong interest in store design so I wanted to learn everything I could about it. The class was great, we learned all the different types of window displays and all the visual merchandising principles.

The final project was to design a retail store. I chose to do a children's clothing store that sold not just clothing but housewares (bedding) and shoes as well... all for children of course. This is was one of my favorite projects to date. Below is the presentation board I made to support my powerpoint presentation.



The store is named "Tuttitoot" which is my daughter's nickname.

Spa Project

Early last year I took my first rapid visualization class, I learned to hand render perspectives and although it was challenging, I had a lot of fun doing it. This is the final project from that class. We were instructed to design a spa. The first board is the concept and materials presentation and the second includes hand renderings.

After some research I found that there are not many maternity spas available. I know being pregnant isn't always a pleasant experience and I personally believe a woman deserves to be pampered, particularly when she is carrying a new life. Additionally, maternity massage is a special process it requires a special massage bed but also a masseuse who knows what they are doing. It is said that the webbing in between the hands and feet is not to be massaged when a woman is pregnant because it could cause early labor or braxton hicks contractions (false labor).

These are my hand renderings of the waiting area and reception desk (a little rough but I've gotten much better).

P.S. My spa is named La Perla [not after the lingerie company] because it means The Pearl in spanish, to me the pearl in an oyster represents a womb. I hope my concept is clear, I don't want problems with copyright infringement :)

Jackson Kitchen

I was very pleased to get these pictures from this kitchen I designed a few months ago. (These things take lots of time but are definetely worth waiting for)

All the cabinet work was custom and some of the extras including hidden filler pullouts on each side of the refrigerator and cooktop.

The family wanted an island design that could seat 6 people without making the space look crowded. The elongated island was my solution for them.

The Crema Bordeaux granite was a beautiful choice, I chose the same for my mom's kitchen. I dog-ear design at the end of the island gives the whole thing a more custom and elegant feel.

Following up!

I have a few pictures I must post, my dining room set is finally finished! I had to call in a professional when it came to the reupholstery... I tried, but it I wasn't getting the result I desired. I have no problem recognizing my limits, I may not be able to do everything but I can be resourceful and make sure it gets done...one way or another.

Pictures coming soon!

Normandy Kitchen

This before picture clearly shows a need for a remodel. The clients attempted to give their existing cabinets a makeover by painting them in contrasting white and black paint. However, the husband is a successful contractor and he was capable of doing a lot more.

Here is the after; a much more fitting traditional style.

A custom travertine tile backsplash design.

This rotating pantry unit is made by Thomasville Cabinetry.

Notice in this last photo, the wall cabinet is attached to the pantry cabinet. This is because in order for us to accommodate the large rotating pantry unit, the existing wall had to be removed. This involved retrofitting the light switch inside the pantry. This was apparently not difficult for my experienced contractor client.

Overall, the new cabinets look great. There are still a few more details that need to be worked out such as the replacing of the fluorescent light fixture for a more attractive recessed light application.

Entertainment Center

Here are a few pictures of a built-in entertainment center I designed sometime ago. The cabinets are made by Kraftmaid Cabinetry and the countertop is Wilsonart Laminate. For a small unit like this I recommended laminate to help keep costs low. Today's laminates have changed drastically from 30 years ago, they now include beautiful textures that add dimension and luminance and can

look like a much more expensive material. I will soon post pictures of my kitchen in which I used High Definition Wilsonart Laminate.