Jill Seidner Interior Design

INTERIOR DESIGN PORTFOLIO GALLERY {Jill Seidner Interior Design}

Photo: Los Feliz Residence living/dining/bar area with sweeping view of the hills. Custom area rug by designer Jill Seidner.Sofa from Crate & Barrel.		Photo: Los Feliz Residence Home Office. Benjamin Moore paint colors selected by designer. Area rug from West Elm. Desk and chair – client’s existing furniture.
Photo: West Hollywood Residence Master Bedroom. Benjamin Moore paint colors selected by designer. Custom headboard, bedding and drapery from the Silk Trading Co.		Photo: Long Beach Residence Master Bedroom. Headboard and bedding from West Elm. Night stands from Room & Board.
Photo: Hollywood Hills Dining Room.  Benjamin Moore paint color selected by designer. Dining room table and chairs from ZGallerie.		Photo: Encino Condo Dining Room.  Full scale makeover of a condo including all new flooring, paint, and furniture.

About Jill Seidner Interior Design

Los Angeles & Orange County,California based interior design firm Jill Seidner Interior Design specializes in commercial and residential interior design projects. In addition, Jill Seidner Interior Design, provides on site design consultations (for specialty needs such as color consultations and space planning), and virtual interior design services including an affordable complete room design package.

About Jill Seidner

Jill Seidner is a graduate of the Interior & Environmental Design Program at UCLA.She has over ten years of experience working freelance for top interior designers in Los Angeles (including past celebrity clients).  In 2007, Jill started her own design firm, Jill Seidner Interior Design, and has since taken on a range of interior design projects. Jill is the Los Angeles contributor to the popular design blog, Material Girls.

Web: Jill Seidner Interior Design

Photos courtesy of Jill Seidner of Interior Design and Cecilia Gavia. All copyright of their respective owners.

10 Home Office Design Tips

Quick Tip #1
When buying furniture TRY IT OUT. Sit in the chair, bring the chair up to the desk. Can you reach comfortably, do your feet touch the floor, do you feel support for your lower back? This is important because a bad chair will lead to bad posture which will make you tired and achy both of which are not conducive to working successfully.

Quick Tip #2
If using a standalone monitor position it 16 inches to 28 inches from you and align the top of the monitor even with your head. Your eyes will thank you.
This is not so easy to achieve with a laptop. If you are a laptop user take more eye breaks.

Quick Tip #3
Reduce eyestrain and the early need for glasses by simply adjusting your monitor to match the lighting in the room. If you have monitor glare, purchase a glare screen or MOVE your computer setup. If you move, make sure that the computer is at a 90 degree angle from the source of glare.

Quick Tip #4
Having a problem because you feet don’t touch the floor when you sit back in your chair? Buy a foot rest; Don’t make one out of phone books or old folders! You need a good support system or you will eventually experience numbness and pain in your legs.

Quick Tip #5
The color you choose for your office is important. Greens and Blues are always good choices. Studies have proven that greens and blues lead to less eye strain and to better concentration. Neutrals work well but can be less than inspiring. I HIGHLY recommend staying away from bright whites and yellows since they tend to reflect the most light and that leads to eyestrain.

Quick Tip #6
A clean, pleasant smelling office will invite your clients in. Your perfect office image can be ruined in 2 seconds if it smells bad. All your hard-work to create an office for success is GONE if there is a bad smell.

Quick Tip #7
A cluttered desk may work for you but not your client. Keep an organization system close by so that you file away documents and keep your desk open for your current project. Trust me stacks of folders from your last 5 projects which are precariously close to sliding off your desk will not impress your clients.

Quick Tip #8
Buy the best office furniture you can afford. Don’t think short-term. For example you may think that your kitchen table and a few chairs you picked up at a garage sale would be great for your office. NO. Invest in your business success. If you don’t believe in your potential to succeed your clients aren’t going to buy into it either.

Quick Tip #9
When home is work and work is home it becomes difficult to make a clean break. Set fixed hours that you are at work and stick to them. It’s tempting to work more when you should be focusing on other aspects of your life. That rule also holds true for when you decide that the laundry needs to be done or the garage cleaned out. Set your hours and honor them.

Quick Tip #10
Use plants liberally in your office they will liven the office immediately. Plants add color, soften hard lines and work great for hiding unsightly areas! Silks are beautiful and easy to care for or if you have a green thumb life plants are perfect. IF you do have life plants don’t let them get brown and look like they are dying or your client will interpret that as a lack of paying attention to detail.

Eco Friendly Office Chair Mats Made from Bamboo

Stop feeling guilty about that awful plastic office chair mat. There is now an environmentally safe solution to the age old office problem posed by desk chair wheels and unyielding surfaces such as carpet.  Anji Mountain Bamboo Rug Co. has created eco-friendly Roll-Up Bamboo Office Chair Mats – made from (as the aptly named product title) – bamboo.

Dark Cherry Wide	Natural Wide	Dark Cherry Narrow

Images copyright of respective companies.

Home Decor Buyer Resource:Anji Mountain Bamboo Rug Co.

3 Ergonomic Keyboard & Pointing Devices You Will Love

Working from home is a dream come true for many of us. However, making the transition from an employer’s office configuration(or the dreaded cube) isn’t always easy. Most home offices aren’t set up from the get go as a true working environment. Ergonomics,productivity and human factors design aren’t typically considered in the home office design. 

Choosing the right desk, office chair, productivity configuration (yes, there is an efficient, productive and comfortable work station configuration), monitor, foot rest and keyboard and mouse sets can make your home office either a delight or a pain far worse than that tiny, life sucking cube you left behind. We hope to make your transition from the corporate cell to your dream home office easier with our top three picks for ergonomic keyboards and pointing devices. 

1.  Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Desktop 7000 (includes wireless keyboard and mouse as shown above) takes the top prize in innovative, ergonomic design. The mouse fits very comfortably and in our tests* significantly reduced fatigue associated with pointing device usage. In other words, the Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Mouse 7000 helped us be more productive – specifically when engaged in mouse dependent work tasks, such as compilations of digital design sketchbooks.

The only drawback (and temporary at that) to the Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Desktop 7000 was the initial usage of the keyboard. It’s a split keyboard which created a bit of a learning curve for us – compared to using “standard” keyboards. However, after becoming familiar with the split keyboard design, we absolutely loved the keyboard. Again, wrist and hand fatigue were significantly reduced in our opinion relative to standard keyboards we tested.

Overall, Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Desktop 7000  provided comfort and reduction in hand and wrist fatigue (and pain) and we love it for that.  Price-wise, it run’s about $120 and is available via Microsoft.com and other office supply stores.  We picked ours up for about $95 after discounts and rebates at Office Depot.com.

2.  Logitech Cordless Desktop Wave Keyboard and Mouse set is a mid-priced ergonomic option that is easy to use and comfortable. The keyboard is more intuitive to use (based on the standard keyboard design most users are familiar with) than the  Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Desktop 7000 which means that you will be up and running quickly with the Logitech Cordless Desktop Wave Keyboard.  The Logitech Cordless mouse that comes with the set is fine for basic users, but if you do lots of mouse initiated tasks, then we recommend upgrading to a more powerful, ergonomic pointing device. As mentioned earlier, the Logitech Cordless Desktop Wave keyboard and mouse set is an excellent ergonomic choice and a very affordable price point ($79). Available at Amazon.com and other office supply stores.

3. It’s no secret that laptop and netbook integrated keyboards are ergonomic nightmares. Our fingers get cramps just thinking of typing away for any period of time on our laptops.  We recently reviewed the Microsoft Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 6000,  and we absolutely love this ergonomically designed and very stylish Bluetooth enabled mobile keyboard for extending your workspace beyond your home office.

According to Microsoft this new addition to their computer accessories offerings is:

Microsoft’s thinnest keyboard ever — just a few millimeters thicker than a AAA battery at the back — the Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 6000 tapers down toward the front, so the keyboard is light and easy to pick up. And to enable the small footprint to still deliver ultimate comfort, the keyboard uses a Comfort Curve design for a more ergonomic typing experience over the straight keyboard layout of notebook computers. Microsoft’s Comfort Curve design encourages natural wrist posture with a slight 6-degree curve that is easy to use with virtually no learning curve.

This fantastically thin, Bluetooth enabled mobile keyboard was a delight to use, though when we first pulled it out of the box our first thoughts were “no way” will this be comfortable – too thin and  where’s the voluptuous ergonomic curves?  Five minutes of using the keyboard and number pad and we were sold.

The Microsoft Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 6000  fits perfectly in our laptop case (no bulk), leaves room to spare on those tiny cafe tables and makes working away from the office comfortable and productive. We also love that there is no USB transceiver needed for this to work which means one last thing to worry about losing.

Now that we are huge fans of the Microsoft Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 6000 we are hoping that a wonderful ergonomic travel mouse is in the works. We love our  Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Mouse 7000 but it doesn’t travel well – kind of bulky and heavy.  Hint, hint to Microsoft you’ve spoiled us with the Microsoft Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 6000; please, please consider designing and producing an equally fantastic lightweight, ergonomic mobile mouse.

Pricing for the Microsoft Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 6000 is about $90.   Available at Microsoft.com and other office supply stores.

*Tests based on subjective criteria and non-scientific.

Saxon Henry Style Maker Look Book: Home Office

Shopping Resources: Home Office Look Book Decor by Style Maker Saxon Henry

Saxon Henry writes about design, architecture, the arts and travel.  Her articles and stories have been published in a variety of high-profile and prestigious publications such as the New York Times, Robb Report, Wall Street Journal, Woman’s Day and Modernism Magazine.

Her new book on architecture “Four Florida Moderns” has received rave reviews from design publication giants including Modernism, Luxe Interiors, The Miami Herald, and AD Italy.

Saxon edits and writes the digital design magazine “Design Commotion” an absolutely beautiful online compilation of all things design. She has also recently launched “Roaming by Design ”a digital publication that fuses beautiful design and international travel.

Saxon is currently writing her memoirs “The Road to Promise” – a fascinating read that publishes every Wednesday.

RELATED: The Decorating Diva Book Review – Four Florida Moderns

Saxon Henry on the Web:

• Saxon on Twitter
• Saxon Henry’s Website
• Four Florida Moderns on Facebook
• Design Commotion on Facebook.
• Roaming by Design on Facebook

Home Office Decor by Style Maker Saxon Henry

Ralf Groene of Microsoft Corporation

One of the predominant design trends for 2010 is the “Home Office” and all indicators show that we desire stylish and functional digital equipment from mobile phones to netbooks to home computers. Microsoft is one of the companies leading the way in designing digital hardware that provides us with the technological functions that we need to be productive from home or on the move without forsaking style. 

Recently we had the opportunity to interview Ralf Groene, Senior User Experience Lead of the Hardware Group at Microsoft Corp. regarding some of the interesting designs Microsoft has introduced into the market over the last few years, including the Arc Keyboard and mouse and the Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 6000.

Ralf is responsible for the industrial design of all Microsoft Hardware products, and manages a team of eight industrial designers in the User Experience Group who work on a variety of designs (some of which are discussed in this article). 

Many artists/designers find inspiration in a wide variety of places: street style, travel, fashion, art, nature, architecture, furniture, trends, hobbies and countless other venues and objects.  Could you share some specific inspirations for designs like the Arc Keyboard and the Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 6000?

Our inspirations come from all over – we definitely look to fashion, architecture, automobiles and trends all over the world. Inspirations also come from observing what people do with their digital accessories.

Observing what people do and combining those insights with a modernist design philosophy is usually the path from inspiration to design. The design team really likes to study modern architecture and listen to music. Most of our inspiration comes from then discussing ideas together.

When looking at the Microsoft Arc mouse in profile it appears to have the shape of a futuristic super car (both in the unfolded and folded mode) that seems to convey a sense of speed. What inspired the design form of the Microsoft Arc mouse?

When designing the Arc mouse, we were trying to find a form that provided some comfort in the hand, but was light and pure in form language. The Arc form came about naturally through the process of finding something that just worked. There wasn’t a moment where we looked at another object and thought that we should translate it into a mouse. The inspiration was more around creating something simple and light in form – something that captured the spirit of portability.

Guide us through the process of designing the Arc Keyboard and Mouse from the user research to the two-dimensional conceptual drawing to the modeling/proto-typing to the usability testing (and focus group feedback cycle if used) and to the final product development.

We made some early observations on how and what people carry in mobile environments. Those observations let to some basic principles on the Arc Mouse. For the Arc Keyboard, we studied people’s behaviors inside their homes and observed how they used their keyboards on desks, their laps and sofas. The second step was to translate these insights into objects and interactions.

We made a number of paper prototypes to see how a mouse should fold into a more compact volume. On the keyboard we printed out some 3D forms and started to use them in our living rooms and around our coffee tables. We studied how an object like a keyboard could blend into a living room environment while still being a keyboard, just hidden in plain sight.

After we built some prototypes we liked we made more precise models and tested them with real users. Here we ensured that the usability was where we needed it to be. We discovered that slight “dishes” on a key cap increased the typing comfort substantially and that a four-way arrow pad was more usable than discreet buttons when using it with your thumb.

On the Arc Keyboard the page scrolling function is compressed into one button – a very small mouse-pad that can be operated with slight shifts from the user’s finger. Tell me how it was decided to implement this technology and the ergonomic and functional considerations of this design.

When you use a keyboard strictly on your desk, the pace scroll buttons are mostly used with your index or middle finger.

In a scenario where the keyboard is used on the sofa we found that it was more convenient to scroll pages up and down with your thumb. That was the ergonomic insight that led us to this solution. The d-pad also gave us the advantage to save space and gave us the opportunity to make [the keyboard] even smaller.

As an industrial design engineer  working with hardware and software engineers in the development of keyboards and pointing devices, you have to concern yourself equally with the aesthetics as well as the functionality  (including ergonomic aspects) of the products you design, how do you reconcile these two design concerns which may at times lead to conflict?

Those two solutions are actually not in conflict. It is a decision which is based on the context for which you are designing for. On a keyboard that is designed for heavy typing we would probably always design discreet arrow buttons. The Arc keyboard is designed into an entertainment and productivity scenario. For those activities a single button solution for the arrow keys made most sense. The Arc Keyboard can be used on desks or in your hand or lap. This scenario set the stage for our decisions.

Tell me what motivates you to create beauty as the sculptor of functional art in the form of consumer products like the Arc keyboard and Arc mouse?

The motivation comes from the desire to never create beauty in a selfish, stand alone way. Beauty is the result of content meeting an expression in a clean and simple way. Designers in a way are the opposite of decorators. I’m constantly looking for expressions that fit a particular content, no matter if the content is typing, navigating an interface or making coffee. Hunting for the perfect expression is my motivation as a designer.

Microsoft could easily produce keyboards and pointing devices that simply meet the functional and ergonomic requirements without giving a thought to stylish design. Thankfully, they don’t. Can you tell me why designing a product that meets the functional and ergonomic requirements and is attractive, stylish and sophisticated is an important consideration for Microsoft?

It is important for us that people love our products because they not only appreciate the function, ergonomics and quality, but also agree with the point of view on why we designed the product this way. Function and quality are a great starting point and always top of mind when we develop products. Microsoft has a particular point of view on how we think about digital media and digital lifestyle. It is important that we express this point of view in every bit and atom we create. I don’t see us as a team that adds some styling to products. We create products that enable and amplify the Microsoft experience. Design is an integral part of this exercise and goes way beyond the good looks.

Ralf shares his thoughts on a range of Microsoft products he has designed or collaborated on.

As I took on the design of whole Microsoft Hardware portfolio I started to realize that we have a couple of core stories we communicate to our customers with our products. We are in the business of enabling and amplifying software experiences and on one end of the spectrum we have products that are designed to be the best tools money can buy.

MICROSOFT ARC KEYBOARD AND MOUSE

What we discovered when we developed the Arc was that there was another audience that wanted the most seamless integration of products into their life. The Arc family of products does exactly that. It fits into people’s digital lifestyle.

Over the past years we have invested a lot of attention in understanding peoples digital lifestyle and created specific point of views towards a young and mobile crowd we call genD, the true digital generation of users.

MICROSOFT WIRELESS MOBILE MOUSE 4000

As people use their computers everywhere, they also want to look good at all times, people expect to use their mouse wherever they take their netbooks or laptops. One of the accomplishments I’m very proud of is our Bluetrack technology, cause it provides you with the ability to use your mouse wherever you want. This technology enabled us to bring true mobility products to market.

From this aspect I love our Wireless Mobile Mouse 4000. We worked with trend agencies to understand the fashion trends and launched this products as these trends became important. They are a very successful products for us and are often sold out.

MICROSOFT LIFECAM CINEMA

If I look at the other end of the spectrum I see products like Lifecam Cinema, our HD camera we recently launched. This product was designed for pure performance. I love the way it affords you an outstanding communication experience.

The physical product was designed to be out of the way. There is nothing extraneous on this camera, that’s why it creates such powerful character. We found a great balance of content and expression here.

MICROSOFT BLUETOOTH MOBILE KEYBOARD 6000 

Another product that stands out for me is our new Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 6000. Similar to the Lifecam Cinema, this Keyboard came to life by reducing it to its core purpose. Internally we called the theme fit comfort, because it provides a great typing comfort through our Comfort Curve keyset while everything else is stripped off. The result is an extremely thin keyboard that builds a great companion to a laptop. We saw people coming home with their notebooks, placing their computers in working areas that were much smaller than what we had seen from desktop users.

This small Bluetooth keyboard waits here for an extension of the computing experience. It’s great for long typing. The fact that left-handed people can move the number pad to the other side is a great benefit.

What new product designs can we expect to see debut from your design team in the next year or so?

We have an amazing User Experience group at Microsoft. There’s no doubt that our future will be filled with exciting products.

Amanda Moore of re:place

INTERIOR DESIGN PORTFOLIO GALLERY {re:place}

Photo: River House Bedroom Organic bedding and eco-friendly bedroom design using a neutral,earthy color palette.	Photo: Jay Street Living Room Living room designed with Green design principles. Mix of design styles add interest to the neutral color palette.
Photo: River House Living Room Modern styled living room. Neutral, organic color scheme and earth-friendly furniture, decor and flooring.	Photo: River House Home Office Streamlined, organic home office space.
Photo: Kids Room Vibrant, fun and colorful (pink, white and green) kids’ room with modern furniture designed with an eye toward eco-friendly design.	Photo: Modern Nursery Unique tree mural interpreted in a modern fashion adds charm in an elegant, restrained manner giving the nursery a warm, inviting characteristic.
Photo: Amanda Moore Owner of re:place interior design firm.	Photo: Modern Nursery (crib and wall detail) Bird “collage” wall mural gives the modern nursery a touch of whimsy.

Interior Designer Amanda Moore of re:place

Amanda Moore founded her New York based design firm re:place in 2001. Since the design firm’s inception Amanda and her design team have “specialized in contemporary sustainable design, family homes and nurseries” with a focus on using “recycled, found, natural, and environmentally friendly materials…to keep clients in harmony with the world that surrounds them”. 

Some of Amanda’s most recent projects include designing an eco-friendly downtown bachelor pad for the star of such hits as “Titanic” and “Catch Me If You Can”, Leonardo DiCaprio as well as Charlie Sheen’s LA nursery.

Web: re:place

Photos courtesy of Amanda Moore of re:place and copyright of their respective owners.

The Home Office: Home Decor & Design Trends 2010

THE HOME OFFICE

In past years home office design wasn’t given much thought and the resulting office furniture and accessories mirrored that fact.  The home office as an after-thought has seen its last days. More and more people are working from home and they are creating functional, ergonomic, chic, stylish, unique and inspiring offices at home that are a far cry from the office of yesteryear, and even a further departure from the office they left behind in the world of cubicles.

Bisazza Home lacquered wooden writing desk with inlaid black and white mosaic tiles “Correspondances” designed by Andree Putman and a favorite of Rosella Bisazza for it’s chic and elegant styling.

Poliform wall unit offers an elegant storage and organization solution for the home office.

A stylish home office deserves stylish office supplies. Boring, manila folders need not apply. Office Max offers the DiVoga file organization system, while the go-to online shop for chic and never boring office supplies, Sorting with Style.com offers an array of colorful file folders and filing systems.

Home Decor & Design Trends Over The Years

See how design trends have strengthened, changed course or have been relegated to obscurity:

• Design Trends Report 2009
• Design Trends Report 2008

Interior Design & Decor Trends 2010 Reports:

1. Eco-Redefined: Home Decor & Design Trends 2010
2. Sophisticated Glamour: Home Decor & Design Trends 2010
3. The Home Office:Home Decor & Design Trends 2010
4. Outdoor Living Room: Home Decor & Design Trends 2010
5. Universal Design: Home Decor & Design Trends 2010
6. Colorful Past: Home Decor & Design Trends 2010
7. Tech Decor: Home Decor & Design Trends 2010
8. Glimmer & Shimmer: Home Decor & Design Trends 2010
9. Zen-full Decor: Home Decor & Design Trends 2010
10. Passion for Fashion: Home Decor & Design Trends 2010

All images copyright of respective owners.

Modern Home Office Design in An Instant

Guest post by Jena Briand of Growers and Nomad .com

When you sit at your desk at home you are usually paying bills, or emailing Grandma, or filling out paperwork for your kids’ schools. We’re guessing. The problem is that the clunky, wooden hand-me-down that you try to pass off as an "antique desk" is not really the most inspiring, or even comfortable, place to sit. Thus, the bills sit, unpaid. And Grandma, well, she’s not even speaking to you right now.
Don’t underestimate psychology of the home office. A dingy, old, cluttered one will make your already busy brain feel one way. A light, organized, airy one — well, you get the point.

Now to the "instant" part. Start with the desk and work from there. A quick measurement or two combined with some swift online shopping will set you on the path to office enlightenment. Here are our instant office selections. What are yours?

This Desk (westelm.com, $449), plus…

A Lamp Like This (cb2.com, $69.95), plus…

These Fun File Storage Boxes (The Container Store, $9.99, $12.99), plus…

A stackful of Le Pens ( ). Just for fun.

About Growers & Nomads:

The name is drawn from the idea that we are all growers and we are all nomads.
Each of us has both a deep need to ground ourselves in home, family and community as well as an innate curiosity that propels us to explore the world beyond. The ways we go about doing this is what makes us individuals and defines our lives.

Both parts of our selves—the rooted and the restless—are interwoven in our beings. Sometimes one part comes to the fore and is more dominant than the other; sometimes they mingle. But we built this site because, no matter where we journey, we always come home.

Growers and Nomads offers you a place of conversation—where you can talk to us and with others like you; a place to talk about how home is a metaphor for life.

Visit Growers & Nomads.