Remember Sample Board Online is a one shop designer stop

In a few words Sample Board Online 

Is easy 

Is fun 

Is eco friendly 

Is cost effective 

Looks professional

Is great

 At Sample Board Online you can

Source and Select Products


Upload your plans and drawings 

Create professional sample boards

Develop specification sheets

Cost a project

Submit ideas to your client

You can do all this at the one stop designer shop 
Sample Board Online 

Are you taking full advantage of all the SBO features?

Do you have suppliers you would like to see on board?

Please let us know what you think and what you want. We would welcome your feedback

In a few words Sample Board Online 

Is easy 

Is fun 

Is eco friendly 

Is cost effective 

Looks professional

Is great

 At Sample Board Online you can

Source and Select Products

Upload your plans and drawings 

Create professional sample boards

Develop specification sheets

Cost a project

Submit ideas to your client

You can do all this at the one stop designer shop 
Sample Board Online 

Are you taking full advantage of all the SBO features?

Do you have suppliers you would like to see on board?

Please let us know what you think and what you want. We would welcome your feedback

Sample Board Online has a great New Tool

Ros and the Sample Board Online team continue to improve the SBO site

A great Text Tool has been added. We at SBO feel sure the additional tool will add value to the users experience.

Please have a play with the Text Tool and let us know what you think

You probably do not need instructions on how to use this brilliant new feature. But just in case you don't I thought I would show off the new tool.

Happy boarding

Kate of Recreate leads trend to recreate and reuse

When I made this post I forgot to acknowledge the International Colour Authority for the above information. If you go to the ICA website http://www.colourforecasting.com you will find colour forecasting publications. To get an idea of what is in the publications you can view an extract.

In the Sunday Herald last week US based interior designer Kathryn Ireland stated the biggest trend is to create barn styled homes. She also said less is more is still very much in fashion. Other designers are quoted as saying homes of the future will be open plan with fewer rooms. The kitchen living room with the kitchen looking more like a living rather than a utility room is a popular trend. People want easy of living and comfort. Deep soft sofas to provide super comfort will be in vogue to provide this desire for comfort.

Barn like living


Steven Mendel predicts furniture will have more storage space. For example ottomans will have space for books and tables will have hidden cavities for storage. Eco friendly furniture will be in demand as well as recycled furniture. The article summaries the trend as:


• Homes with barn-like rustic charm

• One-off pieces

• Versatile kitchen hutches

• Pre-loved furniture

• Outdoor lounges

• Recycled chairs and tables

• Furniture with storage cavities


All of the above trends have been slowly coming into vogue. I have noted this in new homes; kitchen, living, meals area and rumpus room all open to each other. Formal living and dining rooms have been out of favour for a number of years.

The wonderful world of design is constantly revisiting and developing a new solution to the styles and design of the past. Trends come and go so quickly now people can find it hard to keep up. Even designers can find it hard to stay up to speed.

Kate Thompson of Recreate is a supplier of recycled furniture to Sample Board Online. Her funky designs give everyday objects a new lease of life. A tin tub becomes an ottoman using floral linen fabric. Suitcases become a chair and side table. Milk bottles are transformed into lamps and an old typewriter also becomes a lamp. Old tin buckets are reclaimed to become stools.

"'It is the pervading law of all things organic... of all true manifestations of the head, of the heart, of the soul, that life is recognizable in its expression, that form ever follows function.”

Louis Sullivan

Designer in raptures over Sample Board Online

Designer in raptures over the Sample Board Online concept, today I presented the eco friendly, cost effective Sample Board Online design tool to the busiest designer in town. Rebecca was absolutely convinced the Sample Board Online concept was a real winner. She was so impressed she wanted to approach the suppliers she uses to invite them on board. 

SBO will save her time, energy and money

This lovely lady said the SBO tool would save her time, energy and in the long run money. She was delighted with the professional looking boards created on the SBO site.  Some suppliers in Australia have been a little bit reluctant to be the first to come on board. This is slowly turning around. Soon we will have an avalanche of suppliers wanting to come on board SBO.

Eco friendly electronic design tool  

Eco friendly, professional boards can be so easily created on The Sample Board Online website. The fact that the board can also act as a specification sheet is an added bonus. SBO will truly become the designers one stop shop. Designers encourage your suppliers to come on board. Rebecca said I want to use this brilliant tool I want the suppliers I use to embrace the excellent SBO electronic tool and come on board.   

And it acts as a specification sheet as well   

 'Good design at least part of the time, includes the criteria of being direct in relation to the problem at hand – not obscure, trendy, or stylish. A new language, visual or verbal, must be couched in a language that is already understood.'

Ivan Chermayeff

  

Conflict between old and new

The wonderful interior design trend of mixing old and new was a No No in the 1960’s. I lived in England during the swinging 60’s. One of my favourite pieces of clothing was a black Mary Quant mini coat. In my early teens I thought my ankle high white boots teamed with grey stockings were mod or wicked as the young ones would say now. But I am getting ahead of myself. The style of the 60’s is for another time.

Visiting old castles fanned my love of history. It was at Bolton castle I first heard the story of Mary Queen of Scots. I imagined myself as a prisoner in the cold damp dark castle. I have been fascinated with Mary’s story ever since. I have read many a book and watch every movie I could get my hands on about Mary. 

A few years ago while doing some family research I found one of my ancestors was a bishop present at the christening of Mary’s son James VI of Scotland who became James I of England. This I found amazing. At the same time I also discovered one of my great great grandfathers had died in the Richmond workhouse. I am rambling again.

The conflict between new and old was very evident in the 60’s. I felt the conflict the music, fashions and art of the 60’s on one side and the romantic notions of the past on the other. I craved the new but felt the pull of the ancient. 

All this was often on in my mind as I climbed the hill leading from Richmond market square to school. Walking past the beautiful Georgian buildings and older cottages along the cobbled streets seemed to encourage this.    
  

The furniture of Chippendale, Sheraton and Hepplewhite, The Chinoiserie influence along with Wedgwood ceramics all made a stamp on the elegant interiors of Georgian homes.

John Pile in his book ‘A History of Interior Design’ states

“The Georgian era of English design has become one of the most admired of all the historic periods. It is a period in which consistency of character, order and logic in concepts and elegance and restraint in detail became widely accepted by architects, builders and craftsmen so that a sense of unity extends from the largest works to simplicity of the modest terrace houses.” 
  

Norman Castle and Georgian delights

Memories of a Norman Castle and delightful Georgian buildings flood back at the mention of Heartbeat. Heartbeat the television series set in 1960’s Yorkshire will return to the screen next week. As I watch this show the songs playing in the background, the narrow streets, stone grey buildings, mini skirts and Yorkshire accents remind me of happy times spend there. 

It may sound like I spend a lot of time watching television but I don’t. I am very selective as to what I watch. Heartbeat is set in a place and a time when I lived there. I started school in Yorkshire and many years later I returned and finished my school years there.    

This is the place were I fell in love with Georgian architecture and history. We did spent some time in the South of England but it never captured my heart in the same way the market town of Richmond did. The school bus would climb the hill toward the ancient market square. 

The first site of Richmond the Norman castle built in 1071. The bus would then stop in the centre of the cobble stoned market square. The surrounding buildings are Georgian in style. Even the Woolworth store has been hidden within a Georgian style building. Nothing is allowed to spoil this beautiful town.

Richmond is the mother of all Richmond’s around the world. Richmond is a Norman word Riche-Mont meaning strong hill. The records of this town reach back into ancient times as far back as the Stone Age. Easby Abbey near by was built in 1152 and nearly destroyed during the reign of Henry VIII in 1536.

I remember hiding in the ruins. We were sent out on cross country runs. I must confess I hated long distance running and my friend and I would hide in the abbey until the others would return. We would then rejoin the group and run back to school.  I was much better at short distant sprints. 

During the next few blogs I will take a wonder through the architecture and interiors of this beautiful Georgian period. Richmond had it’s heyday in the 17^th and 18^th century. Think Jane Austin rooms, buildings and clothing. Maybe this is why I love Jane Austin so much.     

During the next few blogs I will take a wander through the architecture and interiors of this beautiful Georgian period. Richmond had it’s heyday in the 17^th and 18^th century. Think Jane Austin rooms, buildings and clothing. Maybe this is why I love Jane Austin so much.     

Grand Designs and Andrea Palladio

My favourite TV programs are design, architectural and history shows. My Dad had Foxtel installed to watch his beloved soccer. When I would visit I would put on design shows and other decorating shows. Mum and I also loved to watch old black and white movies. When Dad would arrive home after coaching soccer he would roll his eyes and say ‘When our Rosena visits I forget what colour television looks like’ Mum and I would just smile and ignore him.

One of my favourite shows during this time was Grand Designs. The host of the show Kevin McCloud would follow of adventures of people building their dream homes. I was amazed at the courage of the people building these grand designs. Eventually to my great delight the Grand Design shows were shown on the ABC. My husband ended up as addicted to the shows as I was.

On Tuesday night Kevin McCloud introduced his four part new series called ‘Kevin McCloud’s Grand Tour’. In the program he takes a tour of the wonderful buildings of Andrea Palladio. I absolutely love Palladio’s work.

Andrea’s buildings of perfect symmetry have had a lasting influence on architecture around the world. His villas were built on podiums and were approached by impressive staircases. They were often a perfect square and the interiors of the houses had a central hall often with a dome. The windows were usually large and high with columns and the widely copied Palladian motif. The Palladian motif is made up of two giant columns supporting their own entablature then two sets of smaller columns each supporting their own entablature.


I found it amusing that Kevin measured one of the buildings to discover Palladio broke his own rules. Andrea published a book on his architectural style. I had thought some time ago I must get a copy of his book. Then I promptly forgot about it. I have now found a copy and will order a copy sometime.



This idea of breaking design rules is an interesting topic. I have noted a tendency in some current interior design practice to break the rules of proportion. For example in some display homes I have noticed very small tables often have very large vases, sculpture or lamps placed on them.

'Design must seduce, shape, and perhaps 

more importantly, evoke emotional response.'

April Greiman