2014, a retrospective

I often get asked how I come up with the designs that I do. While there is the complicated version that involves the many years of school and specialization, the study of Cultures and their relationships to buildings, of colour and space Perception, of lifestyle and human nature, the learning of fancy Words such as gestalt and their impact on design + all sprinkled of course with a bit of Talent without which none of us are ever good at what we do, there is a simpler version.

And while you can’t really get to the simpler version without going thru the complicated one unless you’re a genius, when there, it really amounts to this: learn how to see and you will see that which others do not. Skill and experience will make it into something that people will use and appreciate or hate. Because as we all know, there is no design that is liked by all, there is only politeness.

My 14 picks of 2014 – (warning: minor randomness present)

1. Even though in 2013….the holidays are part of the year they’re in as much as they are part of the year after. We spent them with our dear, wonderful family in their home, while ours was frozen under a skin of ice.

2. Dochia’s Office Relocation – nothing like-moving day; no matter how much you do, it still looks undone (this is the end of the first day).

3. Bloor Walk condo, Dochia’s recent elegant renovation at Yonge and Bloor, complete with the custom-designed and tailored boomerang couch.

4. Dochia’s start on Facebook, Twitter and other social media.

5. Visioni – the residential product winner from AEE. Art panels anti-scratch, UV-resistant and waterproof. More on this on the incoming 2015 Trends, to follow.

6. EUR – impressive public space, reclaimed.

7. Doors open Toronto – the Moose in Glass, Charles Pachter’s Moose Factory / house.

8. Ravello – the Brazilian addition to the Amalfi coastline, Oscar Niemeyer’s Auditorium.

9. Headless horseman in Ford Park, Michigan; the many acres of the Ford Park [much like our Pioneer village on a normal day] get turned every Halloween into a magical place full of candy and mystery, but not mysterious candy…I hope…

10. Spider dress, protection of personal space – textiles are like no other industry; there will be another place for elaboration but this is a new drop in the long line of paper making, rag-dressing, metal weaving trajectory of textiles history. It is no wonder that they are morphing into human form.

11. Bridal Path Neighbourhood – the entertainment bar/kitchen in the basement – great project; rest is still being wrapped up – follow us in 2015 for the finals.

12. Disney World – never thought I would say this: the cliché that always had me un-interested but surprisingly, I’ve enjoyed enormously, while learning why and how it became what it is.