Adriel Designs

10/02/2023

I would like to thank ASIDOC for choosing our project for Best Large Kitchen 2023. I am grateful for the recognition.

09/20/2021

Thank you ASID OC for awarding me the Gold Design Award for Universal Design

08/30/2021

What’s Wrong With This Picture?
Week 4 ! Imagine coming in from the garage with an armful of packages and opening the door. BAM!

OUCH! SURPRISE! You should never put anything that blocks a doorway.

The purpose of a coffee table is to be able to put something on it within reach of the sofa.

There is plenty of room for that table to have been placed in its appropriate place 12-18” away from the edge of the seat centered on the longest section of sofa.

The rug also intrudes into the walkway of the door. It should have been placed far enough under the sofa to clear that walkway.

Although the fireplace is kind of awkward, I can see why they didn’t put it in the corner where it belongs. It would have blocked access to the window. But having said that, it should have been staged in such a way that would make it look more intentional. The clock should be moved closer to the fireplace, sort of fitting in the curve. So it relates. Items hung on walls shouldn’t just be placed randomly, they should relate to things either next to or underneath.

Which takes us to the art work between the windows. It is hung too high.

Now to one of my pet peeves.
The window treatments. Good design is all about scale and balance. This room is fairly large and the windows are large and yet, there are two skinny pieces of fabric hanging on the sides of the window. And I will bet you .53 cents they don’t touch the floor. They are not operational, meaning they don’t close. They don’t add anything, they look skimpy. It would have been much more effective to take the art work down, hang stationary panels on both sides of the windows that met in the center of the wall. I would also have hung the rod higher to make the room look taller. All of this would have given the room some substance and luxury, would give the illusion of being able to close and would have actually made the room look larger. If the budget had allowed, I would have added shades, or made some sheers that would have obscured the not so pleasant view outside.

08/23/2021

Week 3 of What’s wrong with this picture?
Week 2’s photo featured poor symmetry and accessory styling!

At first blush this looks like a really pretty vignette with those beautiful greens and aqua.

However, it’s off kilter. The art work is centered pretty well between the windows, but the sofa and lamps are off center. And there isn’t really a reason for it. And although the lamps are the same model, the shades are different sizes.

The point is, if you’re going to go for a symmetrical setting, it really needs to be symmetrical. Just having one element that is off is going to be uncomfortable to look at and live with. You’ll never feel quite right looking at that scene.

A word about the accessories. While the colors of the items on the end table are great, the sizes and placement aren’t quite right. We usually choose odd numbers for accessories, of course there are exceptions. But in this case the vase is too tall for the other items around it.

Items must relate somehow to each other. They could have added some books and placed the fish on top of them to make the fish taller, but not as tall as the vase and then moved the cup and saucer close to them. But really the scale of the fish is too small.

Take a look below for your third challenge- What's wrong with this room?

08/16/2021

What’s wrong with this picture?
The window treatments shown are stationary panels.
When well-designed they should all be the same length.

When designing window treatments, ask yourself what is the function to be?

In this case, if the function was to keep light out they did not accomplish this because only the dark panels are keeping light out and on the side window the center of the window is open. Though the sheers cut down the light and allow you to see out they are only in the center of the window in the front and not at all on the side window.

If the purpose of the panels was for privacy, once again they did not accomplish this as you can see through sheers and the side window is completely exposed.

If the purpose of window treatments was just decorative, then my recommendation would have been to put the panels on the side window on the outside edges of window to make it appear the window was larger and to have it start midway between top of window and ceiling and go down to either ½” off the floor or puddle it on the floor. This would make the room look taller. I would use Roman shades out of the same fabric for the bay window in the front. Or use shades on all the windows, fabric or woven.

Bottom line: There is no reason why you would have three different lengths of window treatments on one window, and four different lengths in one room.
What do see in picture #2?

12/14/2020

Even Christmas Dinner for two deserves something special. Not the usual crowd this year, but we will create something special just for the two of us. Designs, decor, table top, decor

05/16/2020

05/16/2020

Fresh, live plants and flowers have an energizing effect on our moods. Think of why we bring fresh flowers when we visit someone in the hospital. I always suggest having something live in every room, but especially now it seems very relevant. Not only do live plants help us feel renewed, but they ac...

05/16/2020

05/16/2020