Las Vegas City Center
“When you start using senses you’ve neglected, your reward is to see the world with completely fresh eyes.” - Barbara Sher Las Vegas has endured a few fashions in which to dress herself for each decade, which started with the cityscape dressed up with neon lights and blinkin…

Living the Green Life
There’s a new book out that tells the story of Garden Atriums, what many believe to be the most sustainable housing community in the U.S. Designed by architect and first resident, Dr. Stuart W. Rose, the Garden Atriums are a cluster of seven homes with virtually zero utility bills, where …

Anti-Nu reclaimed everything on Etsy
As a frequent shopper of online handmade marketplace Etsy, I was excited to stumble upon Anti-Nu's shop full of buried treasure. The collection sold by Anti-Nu is a virtual thrift store and curated collection of found objects that are very much worthy of a second life in your home. "I just ca…

A Letter to the Editor
It has come to my attention that certain parties have been using this site for personal aggrandizement. Cindy’s Salon exists for a disinterested and high-minded design dialogue, not for soliciting comments or showing pictures of impossibly cute children. Next thing you know, people will…

Sketching Vs. Computer Rendering
In the time that its taken me to complete my bachelor’s degree at NYSID I feel as though I’ve witnessed a shift in curriculum preference towards computer rendering, and then back to sketching. Despite what I’ve been taught, what individual professors prefer, or what is advisabl…

A Different Museum Experience
I recently visited the Guggenheim museum for the Filling the Void exhibit, where the museum invited artists to come up with ideas on how to fill the large void in the center of the building. Their ideas ranged from materials to climb, to futuristic concepts, to trees and vegetation growing into the …

Blogger Laureate
Sorry for my absence last week, but I had a dog emergency. Ms. Biggs had to go to the emergency room, but please don’t send her any get well cards as she is out and doing well, at least as well as a 14 year old dog can do. It was touch and go at one point when I had to decide to agree to eithe…

Torlys Leather Floors: Recycled Gorgeous
Getting rid of a favorite pair of old shoes, a worn out handbag, or a no longer wearable leather jacket wouldn’t be so painful if you knew they would find another life—under your feet. This is the concept behind Torlys Leather Floors— making use of materials that would other…

Magtenlight bike light self-charges as you pedal
Biking is both great exercise, and an untapped energy source. The Magtenlight is a great way to turn your pedal power into a light source to keep you safe at night. The contact-less dynamo and ring of 28 magnets attach to your wheel and spokes to generate energy as you pedal. As the magnets move p…

There Must Be a Cheaper Way: Simplifying the Roof Deck
I am working with Mark Kreyenhoff of John Reimnitz Architect PC on a shared roof deck for our cooperative in a small industrial loft building in SoHo. I became especially motivated for this project last June when I was in the fantastic gardens of Wörlitz, the German version of a British lan…

Sketching vs. Computer Rendering
Sketching and computer rendering are both valuable tools. On one hand, sketching helps show an idea to a client very quickly at the site. It also shows your personal style. Even though sketching is not a tool that will clearly express final ideas, it is a good way to introduce a …

The Golden Mean
Many designers and architects have heard this term and probably know the meaning, but very few use it in their design these days. Why is that? Why are we not employing this simple mathematical system of proportion known since ancient Greece as a great tool for creating harmony? The Golden Mean…

Best Buy starts E-cycling program
Electronics giant Best Buy is attempting a new green feat by offering a recycling service for all customers, no matter where you bought your old electronics. As E-waste is a growing problem right here at home and in developing nations where we often ship our used devices to be "dealt with,&qu…

Past Forward
Designing for our time: how does this play a role in living for our future? We have examined and studied many of the progressive thinkers of the past, absorbing the context of their thoughts and their understanding of time in reference to their prospective generations. How does this apply …

Traditional vs. Modern
When I think about “Traditional vs. Modern” my attention is directed immediately to interior design. I get a vivid image of a living room decorated in traditional blue paint, hard wood floors and Chippendale furniture when I think about traditional design, and when I think of Modern desi…

My Happy Home
I want to share this picture because, to me, this is all about a happy home, and best of all, it's our home. Our weekend house in Bucks County, Pennsylvania is a place where we spend time with our family and often our friends. No busy traffic, no schedules, no stress; instead, it's all…

The Rug Company: A Temporary Home
While The Rug Company is renovating their real showroom in SoHo, they are occupying a temporary space on Spring Street in Manhattan. I happened to be passing it on my way to a lunch meeting and just had to pop in to check it out. What a brilliant idea: tin foil on the walls, co…

Design and Art:Good Companions
After a weekend crammed with almost a dozen art fairs around town, in venues from armory, to piers, converted industrial space, and conventional (or unconventional) museums, fairgoers must acknowledge that the vaunted barrier between art and design is not only breached, but well and truly …

Tom Mannion: Another Word for Brilliant
I can't get over the talent of photographer Tom Mannion. His work is incredible and he has teamed up with some of the best to create some wickedly delicious work: Faye Toogood, Suzy Hoodless, and Michelle Ogundehin, to name a few. His interior shots are beyond brilliant and the hour yo…

The Gyeongbok Palace, Seoul
“And then, build a bustling wonderful city of the 21st century, with a restoration of a spectacular skyline, which Manhattan, of course, needs. So, that is really the design as a whole.” - Daniel Libeskind The daunting scale at the Gyeongbok Palace intimidated me as a child, drivi…