MICHELLE CHIANG

Rendered Chairs

Look what I found! I did these chairs in college for an assignment. It was a one-night project. A blueprint machine was more accessible than a copier, so these chairs were done on blueprint paper. I miss the good old days when I stayed up all night in the classroom with close friends and work on projects.

Social Media Coaching – June 11, 2013

We had our first Social Media Coaching workshop on June 11, 2013. We are very grateful that Archer Weiss provided their beautiful conference room for the workshop.

We started the session by welcoming all the attendees and introducing our generous hosts Barbara Archer and Marc Weiss.

Susan made a easy-to-understand presentation on using Pinterest for business. She even included a step-by-step guide. Some of us had started using Pinterest, but for personal use only. This image-driven website is one of the best E-marketing tools for designers to showcase their design styles and expertise.

After the presentation, everyone was motivated to start creating their business presence on Pinterest. There were three “tutors” going around helping everyone. At the end of the class, over half of the attendees signed up for the next workshop on Houzz.com.

Our next workshop is on Tuesday, July 9th. CLICK HERE to get details and register!

Japanese Garden 水芳園

水芳園(Garden of Water and Fragrance) is in Van Nuys, California. I feel very fortunate to have such a beautiful place nearby.

Wood Look Tiles are IN!

Combining the low maintenance of ceramic and porcelain tiles and the warmth of wood, wood look tiles are the current favorites of many designers.

Top Tile Trends From the Coverings 2013 Show — the Wood Look

Los Angeles Central Library

Months before the Downtown Los Angeles Architectural Walking Tour, I had the opportunity to tour the Los Angeles Central Library. This was also an outing with members from Conejo Association of Professional Interior Designers (CAPID).

Selected by flavorwire.com as one of the 25 Most Beautiful Public Libraries in the World, the Los Angeles Central Library was built in 1926 with a new addition finished in 1993.

We started the tour from the “Spine” in front of the library. As you approach the library from the street, the “Spine” take you through the evolution of written communication. The pyramid on top of the library and the overall design of the building demonstrate the heavy influence of the ancient Egyptian culture in the 1920’s.

Inside the library, there was a mix of old and new. After the 1986 fire, the library went thought an extensive renovation and expansion. For the purpose of not exceeding the height of the original building, the new 8-story atrium has 4 stories that are below the ground level.

Los Angeles Central Library The Rotunda is the highlight of the library. The murals illustrate different periods of California.

The Children’s Literature section is absolutely beautiful with painted ceilings and murals on the walls. The carpet subtlety depicts characters from the Rotunda murals.