D2S Editor Favs: Week of April 14, 2008

  Favorite Mind-Blowing Designs

Check out Stanislav Katz, a designer with wild ideas to share, including the violin tray, great Bauhaus-inspired bookshelf, and his so-cool spider table.

  Favorite Use of Design Archives

Take the MyHomeIdeas website out for a spin.

It's a well-organized collection of home and garden ideas from Cottage Living, Southern Accents, Southern Living, Coastal Living, and Sunset magazines, with some great online extras like how-to videos and home project planning tools.

  Favorite Antiques

Liza Hyde presents antique Japanese scrolls, textiles, and screens, such as the 1920 Taisho period Archery Lesson (above), two 5 foot 7 inch x 6 foot panels. 

  Favorite Controversy

Ever since the Watch Out for That Pillow Op-Ed piece appeared on April 1 in the Wall Street Journal, design professionals have been up in arms. Our position at D2S is a clear one: we're Switzerland. We see both sides of the issue of licensing professional interior designers. For example, there are many greats who are not licensed, nor do they care to be. Shelter magazines feature many designers who are ASID and NCIDQ certified professionals and the initials after their names are dropped by the publication when their work is in print, presumably not to draw attention to the many design icons who are unlicensed. Licensing is a good option for those who wish to be licensed, and for those clients who find greater peace of mind hiring someone with external credentials. Here are some links to keep watching as this dynamic discussion continues:

1. WSJ.com Forum discussions on this article are attracting hot debaters from both sides of the licensing fence. Make your voice heard!
2. The Interior Design Profession's Body of Knowledge is a fascinating document for us all to read and react to. If there's one thing that upset us about the WSJ article the most, completely setting aside the issue of licensing, it was the way design professionals all got lumped into a fey little ball of color-selecting, pillow-purchasing style Nazis without education, intelligence, or professionalism. Untrue. Demeaning.
3. Washington Votes is a forum where you can monitor reactions to 2008 Senate Bill 6707 (addressing the practice of interior design).
4. Look into the Interior Design Freedom Blog.
5. Check out official WSJ reaction articles sent in response to the original op-ed piece.
6. Read Radley Balko's incendiary piece on FoxNews.com called Artificial Standards, then check out ASID's response letter.

  Favorite Fix-Our-Yard Resource

Living Green is a San Francisco treasure, a full-service showroom, design, landscaping, and products service with a California flair. Lovely portfolio, too.

  Another Favorite Living-Green Company

livingreen (not to be confused with San Fran's Living Green) is a Santa Barbara and Los Angeles based store and gallery for green building solutions for residential and commercial use. We love their "Shades of Green" buyers' guide to show just how green their offerings are. Go to their online store for materials that are non-toxic, energy efficient, all natural, sustainable, and recycled.

  Favorite Outdoor Dining Accessories

The Santa Barbara Umbrella is much more cha-cha-cha than other outdoor umbrellas on the market. We think they're a hoot and sure to brighten any patio or poolside.