Interior Design Today

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Sinopsis

Join host Mary Knackstedt as she discusses current news, trends, and topics as they relate to the Interior Design and the Interior Design Industry.

Episodios

  • Interior Design Today - Episode 034

    10/09/2013

    Welcome to the Interior Design Today radio show with Mary Knackstedt.In our 34th episode, Mary talks about the renaissance of Harrisburg.I live in Harrisburg and also in New York. There is quite a bit of difference between the two. Both have very interesting qualities. John O'Hara once said that Harrisburg is the perfect place to do research because nothing ever happens to break your train of thought. In some ways it is a quiet city, but it is also a city that has a lot of opportunities. It is now ready for a major change. My studio is located on the river, with a beautiful view. A wonderful location. Except, when the river starts to come up. Then you really go a bit crazy. There is nothing that you can imagine that is like a flood coming into your living room. Unfortunately, our first floor has had 8 and a half feet of water. That is a lot of water, and obviously it can do a lot of destruction. When you live along a river, this is what you can expect.Fortunately, I have been working with a number of architec

  • Interior Design Today - Episode 032

    10/09/2013

    Welcome to the Interior Design Today radio show with Mary Knackstedt.In our 32nd episode, Mary talks about concrete.Concrete has become a major material in our interior spaces. Kitchen counters, desks, wall finishes, floors, so many different ways of using concrete as a functional and an art form.It has been fascinating to see the extensive range of finishes used on concrete, making them polished and finished, not just industrial looking. At one point, we looked at concrete as a material when we wanted informal use. Something casual and functional, but now we're seeing it used in a more refined and finished way. It is wonderful to see the extensiveness of the opportunities for this material and the fact that it can be brought into almost any style of space.Next time you are considering a finished and practical top, look at concrete. It is often a very practical and artistic material.Please subscribe to the video or audio version of the radio show via iTunes or listen to it at http://interiordesigntodaypodcast

  • Interior Design Today - Episode 033

    10/09/2013

    Welcome to the Interior Design Today radio show with Mary Knackstedt.In our 33rd episode, Mary talks about technology in design.Technology has really changed the way we design and build. We love all the features, but sometimes they really aren't very beautiful. In other cases, they eliminate a lot of storage. I think of all the audio and recordings that we've had, and now we have just a very simple iPad which can hold all of that information. Things are now so minimal, and the quality is excellent. It really has changed the way we design things.I've been amazed at some of the features we have in televisions. I'm working on one now which is above a fireplace (not my favorite place to put one), but considering the room, the client wants it there. It is definitely the best location. On the other hand, they tell me they never watch television, but they must have a 60" screen. Isn't it sad that our very best wall is taken up by this big, black screen, which is not used. I decided that we've got to do something dif

  • Interior Design Today - Episode 031

    10/09/2013

    Welcome to the Interior Design Today radio show with Mary Knackstedt.In our 31st episode, Mary talks about fans.Fans come in many sizes, shapes, and designs. They do some incredible things. In a typical kitchen situation, we either have the ceiling fan or the fan above our stove, or we had the fan that came from under the burners (through the lower part of our room). Suppose we have a room or a building that is on a slab, and we have a cathedral ceiling. We don't really want to see that venting go through our beautiful opening into the cathedral space. We have fans that can be brought in from the sidewall and handled in many different ways.Today, a fan doesn't need to look like a fan, or have a large space taken up in your kitchen. It can be done in so many creative ways.If you're interested in more information, just get in touch with me for resources and details.Just remember, fans can be creative, and a special part of the design. They're practical. They work. They're very attractive, and they can be instal

  • Interior Design Today - Episode 030

    09/04/2013

    Welcome to the Interior Design Today radio show with Mary Knackstedt.In our 30th episode, Mary talks about urinals.We've seen incredible styled sinks. It has just been amazing, the marble, the crystal, the beautiful ceramics. Here is one example of a floral design. Now notice the urinals. I've heard so many clients say, "I'd really like to have one as part of my master bath so that my husband has the convenience of this. Also, I would like something attractive." Well, now we have it. Isn't it amazing, the artistry that is used for such functional things? When you're planning your next powder room or your master bathroom, or any particular bathroom where you think it might be convenient to have a urinal, just consider that there are all types of designs.It's been fascinating to visit the many hotels and see the beautiful waterfalls that are also urinals, or the abstract designs that have been featured, or the troughs, on and on. Now, we're looking at floral designs. What next? But how much fun?This is design,

  • Interior Design Today - Episode 029

    26/03/2013

    Welcome to the Interior Design Today radio show with Mary Knackstedt.In our 29th episode, Mary talks about the 2013 Architectural Digest Show and DIFFA.It was a great show this year, featuring a lot of different artisans and companies from different parts of the world. There was quite an upgrade of quality in many of the things, especially many of the kitchen features. There were many new and "techy" contributions, which are really part of convenience and which also provide space saving and other elements. There are marvelous conveniences and things that we can do with technology that we could never dream of before.In addition to that, they also feature the DIFFA dining by design. This is where different companies and designers working with them feature their design for dining. Some of them were very different than before. There was one by Benjamin Moore which you could definitely tell was a painting company because they showed how you could use color and paint in many ways. It was very rich and very fun, but

  • Interior Design Today - Episode 028

    26/03/2013

    Welcome to the Interior Design Today radio show with Mary Knackstedt.In our 28th episode, Mary talks about books.Books. Are you still keeping and storing books? What do they mean to you, and how do you present them?It is quite interesting. We look at one group of people that says, "Why should I own a book? I can do everything on my tablet, or I can get my information in many other forms. Why do I want to read?"I'm finding that clients see books as treasures. They want them presented in a way that is easily accessible. It is something that is really part of their lives. We are designing many more ways of storing books. Of course, it depends upon the value of the particular books that you own, whether they are something that are truly investments or whether they are something that is just there for informational resources. I have been very surprised when looking at my own library and noticing certain books in stores, and realizing that I have had the book for several years. I refer to them occasionally, but I d

  • Interior Design Today - Episode 027

    26/03/2013

    Welcome to the Interior Design Today radio show with Mary Knackstedt.In our 27th episode, Mary talks about entertaining and conversation.We do a lot more entertaining and visiting this time of year than usual. How do our spaces, our living rooms, dining rooms, kitchens, contribute to the enjoyment of the visitors that come into that space. It's so interesting. I was listening to someone on Saturday tell me how they so enjoy going out for a meal and having somebody serve me. I think I much more enjoy going into someone's home or inviting people into my home and having the pleasure of discussing a personal subject or something that is just for us and not having everyone around listening to what we're doing, not having to hear others and picking up the noise of the space.We've been taught, that when we want to communicate properly with a person, they should be no more than 6 feet away from us. Which means, as we look at our spaces and plan our seating in any space where we want conversation, we should consider t

  • Interior Design Today - Episode 026

    10/02/2013

    Welcome to the Interior Design Today radio show with Mary Knackstedt.In our 26th episode, Mary talks about powder rooms.Powder rooms are quite different from bathrooms. They can be fun. They're something that we use occasionally and we always have them ready for our guests. We can incorporate some fine art into our "surprise" space. Powder rooms can be in many parts of your building, but one of the things I try to be careful of is that I never want them close to an area we are using for conversation or other purposes. I always like to tuck them around the corner or have them out of the main trafficked areas. We really consider their function a bit more private.When you open the door of that powder room, let's make sure it makes a statement. Let's make it fun. We don't need to worry about the light for shaving or doing cosmetics, and we don't have to worry about showering or bathing issues. This is strictly a space we use for a few minutes. We can make it a surprise so that when your guests return from the pow

  • Interior Design Today - Episode 025

    08/01/2013

    Welcome to the Interior Design Today radio show with Mary Knackstedt.In our 25th episode, Mary talks about bathrooms.How many bathrooms do you have in your house? At one time, we thought it was wonderful to have one, maybe one and a powder room. Today, it is not unusual to see everyone having their own bathroom plus a few extras. What do these bathrooms look like? Right now I am working on one that is quite small. It is fascinating how the various people who are supplying the components are saying, "this is really tight, this is really small." No wonder because the one we did last week was 15 x 20. Many of them are even larger than that. Some of them are larger than the master bedroom, the living room, or even the dining room.It is amazing what people are putting into their bathrooms today. We did one a while back where the people had a party when they finished their bathroom. They filled the bathtub with ice and served champagne in the bathroom. I guess we can have parties in our bathrooms...We are now learn

  • Interior Design Today - Episode 024

    27/11/2012

    Welcome to the Interior Design Today radio show with Mary Knackstedt.In our 24th episode, Mary talks about the lessons we've learned from Hurricane Sandy.I have noticed that in many instances, contractors have not been quite as honest as they should be with clients. One of my clients had a roof problem, and they were referred to a contractor who was doing other rooves in the area. They asked for a quotation, and they were told $22,000. Another person came to look at the roof from quite a distance, they looked over the situation, didn't take any notes, and the client never heard back from them. The client called me, and I recommended someone we've used before, and they came and quoted them less than $12,000, just about half of the previous quote.The part that is so disturbing is that when we were children, we were taught that things were good or bad, black or white. As we mature, we really realize that everything is pretty grey. When we see this type of situation, this type of a scene, we find that people can

  • Interior Design Today - Episode 023

    12/11/2012

    Welcome to the Interior Design Today radio show with Mary Knackstedt.In our 23rd episode, Mary talks about Hurricane Sandy. What did we learn from Sandy, a natural disaster that has changed many people's lives? Almost everyone in the northeast knows of someone or a situation that has been devastated by this natural disaster.Now, we look at things like building codes, and we say, 'Well, what if things were not designed the way they were? What if the wind load had been stronger on these buildings so that they would not have diminished or disappeared? What if the construction systems that were used were more supportive?"Think of all the problems that could have been eliminated.In Harrisburg, there was a very serious flood in 1972, which caused many of the building codes to be changed. Yes, of course, it was a federal regulation, but not every community adopted those standards. Some of them just pushed it aside saying, "This doesn't happen here. This is not our climate or our problem." I'm wondering whether, now

  • Interior Design Today - Episode 022

    01/10/2012

    Welcome to the Interior Design Today radio show with Mary Knackstedt.In our 22nd episode, Mary talks about lighting. When you're lighting a room or a particular feature, there are now so many opportunities. I was looking at some LED lamps which I'm going to use on a desk, and it's amazing because their lifespan is probably 15 years. You really don't need to worry about light bulbs, and the beautiful part is that you can lift the lamp off, head it in different directions, it'll never get warm, it's really just a pleasant type of light to enhance a work area.Do I want this type of lighting everywhere in my room? No, not really. Nor do I want cans, coming from the ceiling, as one of my clients called it, a swiss cheese ceiling. Aren't we tired of these? There are so many other ways to interestingly light a room and give you a much more enhancing and beautiful effect. I was taught that you never use a highlight or a spot on people. Terriffic on a sculpture, plants, or other object, but definitely not on people's

  • Interior Design Today - Episode 021

    12/09/2012

    Welcome to the Interior Design Today radio show with Mary Knackstedt.In our 21st episode, Mary talks about glass. Glass everywhere! It seems that glass has become an important material, but why are we surprised? Don't we realize that the main material of our time is silicon. We went through the brass age, the iron age, and all the other materials, and now we are supposed to be mining glass, or silicon. It's the strongest material we have. It's hard to imagine, but glass is stronger than steel. When we're building with fiberglass and using some of those materials in our automobiles and other items, it really is an item of strength. Now we're seeing it become so fashionable in all types of furniture items and finishes. We are now doing some beautiful tiling in glass. We haven't seen this type of thing done for many years. Now it's not just one type of glass tile, but many many others.We have to look at where is the appropriate place to use it. Perfect for a shower wall, a bathroom wall, or a decorative wall. I

  • Interior Design Today - Episode 020

    23/08/2012

    Welcome to the Interior Design Today radio show with Mary Knackstedt.In our 20th episode, Mary talks about acoustics. It isn't just what we can see, but what we can hear. One of the most important things that we all appreciate is a good conversation; one in which we truly understand what the other person is saying and what is really meant. This takes in many components. We do need to be able to hear what they are saying, and then, of course, if we are fortunate enough to be in the same room as them, we're interested in their body language and how they respond; their persona. What I find to be a major issue in almost every interior space that I see is that so often we are not considering acoustics. It isn't just in the theatre, to be able to hear the wonderful symphony or theatrical production, but it is also a question of sitting in a restaurant and being able to hear what is being said by the others at your table. It is also frankly about not hearing what is being said by those at another table.I think it is

  • Interior Design Today - Episode 019

    31/07/2012

    Welcome to the Interior Design Today radio show with Mary Knackstedt.In our 19th episode, Mary talks about tabletops. Are you using a tabletop specialist? It was very interesting, but last week, I had a gathering in my apartment in New York. Fortunately, I had a specialist helping me. It was really exciting to see the way I did things and the little touches that Jay could add. He knew how to put some magic into that table. It was really fun to see some of the pieces that I had used in so many different ways being presented with just a touch of artistry which was something that I hadn't thought of. Fortunately, we had some nice pieces to work with, but he also added a few that enhanced the overall presentation.As I think about entertaining today, we all have many things that we can use. We don't want to use them in a boring style, we want something that's just a bit exciting and different. Especially if we are entertaining, often the same people, you feel like you don't want to put out the same food in the sam

  • Interior Design Today - Episode 018

    23/07/2012

    Welcome to the Interior Design Today radio show with Mary Knackstedt.In our 18th episode, Mary talks about storage. Are things where you use them? There's no point in storing things in the basement or the third floor if you're using it in the dining room or the living room. Are your cabinets properly designed for what you're keeping in them? Is it a matter that I have to move everything in and out of the cabinet in order to reach something that I use rather often? Look carefully at your storage. Just remember, the things that were important to you last year or last month may not be the items that you're using today. Things change according to season, but more than that, they change according to our interests and the types of things we're doing and the people that are around us. There are times when games are very important, yet there are other times when we have no guests around and we don't play games for months or years. There are certain things we use as part of our desk, but if we have the same type of co

  • Interior Design Today - Episode 017

    16/07/2012

    Welcome to the Interior Design Today radio show with Mary Knackstedt.In our 17th episode, Mary talks about the benefits of having a global team of designers who are able to work together. Mary was recently interviewed for a piece in the Philadelphia Inquirer about this very topic. They asked Mary if this was common, and she said "Definitely!"Our field has become so complex that no one person can know everything. Each of us have particular specialties. When doing a project, we're looking to produce it at the very highest level which often means we won't have all of the required talent on staff. Yes, we do have people on staff who are very good at supporting us, but when we're looking for the real experts, we have to go outside and find people that are truly knowledgeable in that particular discipline. We are so fortunate with today's technology that we can interact with people anywhere in the world. I'm finding that my consultants are often a continent away, not just downstairs or in the next building. Often t

  • Interior Design Today - Episode 016

    08/07/2012

    Welcome to the Interior Design Today radio show with Mary Knackstedt.In our 16th episode, Mary talks about needs analysis.What does this really mean? Often we have a building or a space that has been used for many functions, but those functions change. We run into the dilemma where the space no longer services the changing needs of the organization. We also may be considering moving to a different facility. What should we be looking for? Where should we put our investment? We know that our buildings are a very expensive part of our investment. Since I specialize in proxemics, I realize that interiors are really a tool with which we work and with which we live. They direct human behavior, but let's be sure that it's the correct behavior.A number of the designers that I work with specialize in doing nothing but needs analysis work. They sit down with clients and look at their preferred functions. What should be happening here? If you happen to be working at home, obviously you need a different facility. Maybe y

  • Interior Design Today - Episode 015

    28/06/2012

    Welcome to the Interior Design Today radio show with Mary Knackstedt.In our 15th episode, Mary talks about Window Treatments. What kind should you have or do you want? Today, our windows are being treated in many different ways. They say that we'll have no fading, but it is interesting that many furniture and textiles do fade. Any amount of light that you have, whether it is coming from an electrical fixture or the sun, it causes some degree of fading. If we want to protect our textiles, it is probably best to use a window treatment that will provide us with some type of protection, especially when you're not in the room.We have many different types of treatments today. It isn't just venetian blinds or verticals or traverse draperies, but so many other combinations; treatments that become invisible when you have them open, others that are really a beautiful embellishment which soften and detail a room. Some of our larger spaces really need a wonderful window treatment to finish the room. They add a lot o

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