Worth Repeating 

Written by Laurie Lehrich

Visual Rhythm is one of the most powerful principles of effective architecture and design.  It has been described as a timed movement through space.  It strengthens a concept, gives weight to a design, and I find that there is something reassuring and solid about a predictable pattern or detail.

One can achieve rhythm in several ways: through repetition, linear rhythm, alternation, and gradation.  I see these methods employed daily in architecture,  kitchen design, and interiors.

This is one of my favorite New England photos that illustrates how soothing a repetitive design can be.  This fence may be found in Bennington, VT.

Another effective use of rhythm in the tile pattern, the wine shelves, and the even in the wood grain. 

 I have no idea what this is; I liked it because it reminded me of a similar project way back in college.  Fun times. 

Another method for creating rhythm is by way of alternation. M.C. Escher was a master at this technique.

Gradation Rhythm in wood slats created as a room divider.

Two lovely examples of linear rhythm. 

Written by:  Laurie Lehrich

Nationalism vs Patriotism

Nationalism- na·tion·al·ism

Function:  Noun

1. national spirit or aspirations. 

2. devotion and loyalty to one's own nation; patriotism. 

3. excessive patriotism; chauvinism. 

4. the desire for national advancement or independence. 

5. the policy or doctrine of asserting the interests of one's own nation, viewed as separate from the interests of other nations or the common interests of all nations. 

6. an idiom or trait peculiar to a nation. 

7. a movement, as in the arts, based upon the folk idioms, history, aspirations, etc., of a nation. 

Patriotism- pa·tri·ot·ism 

Love of and devotion to one's country.

I started out with the word “nationalism” and while looking into what it means to be a nationalist, I thought I would find some heart warming images and words that meaningfully represent our love for the good old USA.  What I found was interesting in that the words nationalism and patriotism tend to be interchanged frequently.  Many people think they mean the same thing, and evidently, they do not.  

Check out this blog post by Tom Harper that describes their respective definitions with George Orwell’s “Notes on Nationalism” written in 1945.  I think history has shown that not much has changed in the last 60 or so years.

http://whohijackedourcountry.blogspot.com/2006/07/patriotism-vs-nationalism.html

I like the Patriotism definition best.  It is purer of heart and meaning, without compromising others’ love of their homelands, and it really focuses on the positive love, devotion, and service to one’s country.  So if it is OK with you, dear readers, I will swap these words out for the purpose of this blog and share some patriotic images with you that I hope will stir some emotion and pride in your country.  

Some of these images require no explanation.  Take a moment to remember.

Below, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.  

Written by:  Laurie Lehrich

Artisan- ar-ti-san

Function:  NOUN

a person skilled in an applied art; a craftsperson. 

I believe it is a safe assumption that we all appreciate the skilled artisan touch whether we find that in handmade chocolates, leather goods, textiles, cheeses and breads, metals, or any number of other mediums.  

Written by:  Laurie Lehrich

Designing Out Loud

My ‘currently job-seeking’ daughter recently asked me what my favorite part of my job was.  “Wow”, I said.  “That’s a tough one; there are so many things that come to mind”.  I love the pure enthusiasm and excitement of my clients when discussing their dream kitchens and homes; I love the creative people I work with and what I learn from them; I love learning about great new products and materials, and incorporating those into our projects.  I love seeing the tangible end result of hard work and a community effort by my team members and many other dedicated people who touch each and every job.   

Basically, it’s the process that gets me going.  I once read that Michelangelo said of his magnificent sculpture of David, that ‘he was already in that blank block of marble, I just had to get him out’.   Similarly, it is my job to find that perfect space for my clients from a sheet of white paper.  It is there, it is just not always immediately apparent.  Some of my best ideas might develop on a napkin or the back of my shopping list while Krogering.  You never know when that light will turn on and illuminate the answer you have been searching for.  Yes, I do keep a pad near my bed. 

Once that space begins to emerge, there is the reality of engineering it that kicks in.  Often behind the scenes, this is the part that clients and casual bystanders don’t readily see, however, it is what makes a truly great space possible.  

This part of the process produces those beautiful loose sketches…visual brainstorming, like drawing out loud.  Those sketches have a wonderful quality to them, and really help us communicate complex ideas or construction, and figure out how to make all those memorable details work. 

Note the adjoining islands in the next two photographs taken from this year’s Atlanta Symphony Showhouse.  The two separate islands make for great circulation and ground the perimeter features to the islands’ respective centerlines; however, they also connect and become one large island for the times that you may need additional counter space.  This feature makes for a very versatile space.  It is the creative idea outside the box and the engineering that makes this possible.  

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Mother Earth

By Laurie Lehrich

Mother Earth: a common metaphorical expression for the Earth and its biosphere as the giver and sustainer of life

When I think about my own mom and design, I sometimes think these two couldn’t be further apart.  My mom, a bookkeeper by trade, was a young woman during WWII and went to work instead of finishing school while the men were off at war.  She didn’t know much about architecture or design as I recall, and didn’t really know how to ‘accessorize’.  In retrospect, our modest home was a hodgepodge of furnishings and items that were simply perfunctory, perhaps with a few sentimental items mixed in.  Our home was embellished with a lot of “kid made” decorations and art projects to fill in the voids.  

What she lacked in a sophisticated design palette, she made up for in encouraging our creativity by keeping us in a seemingly endless supply of Crayolas, Elmer’s glue, and construction paper.  Further, she continually pointed out how we could embellish our “artwork” by the use things around the yard, the nearby woods, or beach.  Flowers, twigs, stones, seashells, and a myriad of other “finds” on our walks could be consumed into our art.  She proudly displayed our creative efforts as fine works, and encouraged us to keep expressing our individual selves without reservation.  

Thanks Mom, for all those boxes of sharp new Crayola-64s with the “built in” sharpener.  Simple pleasures and broad smiles to be sure.  (I bet you smiled when you saw the picture!)

As an adult and a design professional, I realize now that my mom’s influence comes back to me in many unexpected ways.  Some that I bet would surprise her as well.

Because of my mom, I have a huge appreciation for Mother Nature as an influence on both architecture and design and I look to the great outdoors for inspiration more often than not.  I love natural materials; colors and textures that bring the elements outside in.

My own bathroom reflects natural elements.  The serenity of this space, for me, comes from the representation of earth and water in the color and material selections.

A view of the interior shows the highly polished “watery” slate floors that bridge the interior to the exterior without visual interruption.  Note that the corner windows have no vertical mullions at the bend for an unobstructed view to outside.

Bridges

By Laurie Lehrich

I read this article recently on the most beautiful bridges in the world.  I wanted to share these, in case you missed the article, and because of how intensely beautiful they are; how they fit seamlessly into their respective surroundings; and how they nod to the culture of the cities and countries where they reside.  They are the enduring testament of superbly creative thought, engineering, craftsmanship, materials, architecture and design.   

Voted Norway’s Construction of the Century, this graceful five-and-a-half-mile stretch of concrete bridges in Norway is a fluid monument to design. Connecting small islands, eight successive bridges twist and swell in mind-bending fashion.  This looks like a still photo that captures imaginary giant hands shaking out the earth like a tablecloth and the bridge rising and bending in response!

Henderson Waves is Singapore's tallest pedestrian bridge at 12 stories high. 

What a creative way to conceive of and design a pedestrian bridge! 

Navajo Bridge is a spandrel arch bridge in Arizona's Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, 467 feet above Marble Canyon and the Colorado River.

The 18th-century Iron Bridge in the West Midlands region of central England was the first arched bridge to be built of cast iron. The designer, Thomas Farnolls Pritchard, had no precedent to go on, so he based the design on carpentry techniques.  I love the completion of the “circle” in the bridge’s reflection.

The 16th-century "Old Bridge," or Stari Most, in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, was rebuilt in 2004 from its own rubble.  The locals have been known to take a 66-foot dive from its central arch into the Neretva River below.

Sydney's Harbour  steel-arch bridge is the tallest of its kind, at 440 feet.

Written by :  Laurie Lehrich

 Clan 

Function:  Noun 

1)  A traditional social unit in the Scottish Highlands, consisting of a number of families claiming a common ancestor and following the same hereditary chieftain.

        2) A division of a tribe tracing descent from a common ancestor

        3) A large group of relatives, friends, or associates.

The word clan actually originated around 1425 from the Gaelic “clan”, which in turn originated from the Latin root for plant, or “offshoot”.  The Celtic languages had no –p, so it substituted a –k or –c and the word we have today is clan which is what we know as family, friends or people with a common interest or bond of some sort.

For as long as there were recognized clans in Scotland and Ireland, design of fabric, family or clan crests, and jewelry has always been used as a tool to identify them.   

Modern designers using clan inspired prints.

Modern architects design cluster homes that keep clans living close together but allow for private quarters. 

Written by:   Laurie Lehrich

love·bird 

Function: Noun

 1)  any of various small usually gray or green parrots (especially genus Agapornis of Africa) that show great affection for their mates 

Of course, we typically use the phrase as an expression of two people madly in love. 

Love Birds in Terrycloth

This says it all… 

Design Galleria

Toboggan- To-bog-gan [tuh-bog-uh n]

Function:  Noun

1. a long, narrow, flat-bottomed sled made of a thin board curved upward and backward at the front, often with low handrails on the sides, used esp. in the sport of coasting over snow or ice.

Function:  Verb (used without object)

2. to use, or coast on, a toboggan

3. to fall rapidly, as prices or one's fortune.

 http://www.rockymountaindecor.com/img/cache/product/Classic_Wooden_Toboggan_3626_main.jpg

A Toboggan Hat

en.wikipedia.org