Berniece Bienenstock Furniture Library Field Trip

Since our class is working on a project to submit to the Bienenstock Interior Design Competition, we took a field trip to the Berniece Bienenstock Furniture Library in High Point, North Carolina.  While there, we were fortunate enough to learn about the library’s history and have some time to dive into the extensive furniture book collection.  The library is located in the Grayson house, which was built in 1923 and later purchased by Sandy and Berniece Bienenstock.  This library contains the world’s largest collection of books and publications on the history and design of furniture, including a rare book room with books published as early as 1543.  It was a treat to not only see the collection of books, but also to admire the gorgeous architecture of the home, which is entirely original.

Driving by the Furniture Library in High Point, NC

Gorgeous, original interior architecture of the library

Books, books, and more books!

Imagine my excitement when I was able to 

experience a peek into "rare" book!  White gloves

were mandatory.

Our instructor had given each of us a design period to research, along with researching a designer.  My research includes the design style of Louis XIV.  This time period featured a very ornate style, drawing ideas from flora, fauna, mythology, architecture, and war.  Materials included walnut, chestnut, or oak and could be left a natural color or painted bright colors, or even gilded in silver or bronze.  It was very common to see inlays of materials such as tortoise shell, metals such as brass, copper, steel, etc. in the designs.  Louis XIV chose his personal emblem to be the “rising sun” as he was known as the “Sun King”, and this could also be seen in designs from this era.

Two of the most prominent contributors to this style were Charles LeBrun and Andre Charles Boulle.  LeBrun was a gifted painter who is known for large altar pieces and paintings of battles.  His most important pieces are at the Versailles.  Boulle was the master cabinet maker to Louis XIV, and was considered the most remarkable of all cabinet makers. Boulle carried out numerous commissions for princes, nobles, and ministers.

For more information on the Berniece Bienenstock Furniture Library, visit http://www.furniturelibrary.com/

2015 Design Competition

The Interior Design students at Randolph Community College are excited about the upcoming project for the 2015 Bernice Bienenstock Furniture Library Interior Design Competition.  This competition consists of developing a design for a holistic day spa specializing in therapeutic treatment for multiple sclerosis patients, based on a given client profile and project overview.   To prepare ourselves even more for the design and competition, our class held a "spa research day" to gain more insight on spa design.

We were allowed to visit any spa or massage therapy of our choosing, and could elect to go as a class or individually.  I decided to make a visit to Blessed Massage, in Troy, North Carolina, as I had been here before and was impressed with the knowledge that the owner/massage therapist has to offer.  Cameron Higdon Wallace is trained in a variety of modalities and provides massage therapy services not only to humans, but also canine and equine.  In addition to having a degree in in Exercise and Sport Sciences, she is also a licensed massage therapist.  

I chose to visit Cameron not only due to the fact that she has helped me with pain management in the past, but I felt that her medical background would be a good fit in giving some input on the medical spa project.  Cameron agreed that holistic therapies and massage can be very beneficial to multiple sclerosis patients and assist in their healing.  

You can learn more about the services Cameron offers here:  Blessed Massage Therapy and also on her Facebook page: Blessed Massage Therapy-Facebook

Beautifully Blending Gustavian Style and Rustic Organic Design

As we are back in school for an intense eight week summer semester, our newest project is to renovate a quaint, minimalist traditional 1930's home by transforming the style into a Gustavian, Rustic Organic blend.  During this project, we are responsible for space planning the home to effectively function for a couple that will be adopting a six month old infant within the next few months.  The couple would like to add some additional square footage to their home by adding a bedroom for their newest addition, laundry room, garage, and a small office area.  Incorporated in the design, will be custom cabinetry designed for the kitchen, bath, and fireplace walls.  We will also design an effective "age in place" home for the growing family and provide the home with wheelchair accessibility.  After interviewing the client,  measurements have been taken preliminary sketches are in the works.    

For those unfamiliar with the Gustavian style, it can be described as an unmistakable Swedish style that was imported by King Gustav III in the late 1700's.  Gustavian style is marked by grayed pastels, lots of whites and creams, painted furniture, clean simple lines, and fabulous lighting.  Just as Gustavian style lends itself to natural fabrics, such as cotton and linen, so does the Rustic Organic style.  Rustic design also incorporates re-purposing furniture pieces, pewter or patina metals, and earthy colors. We will strive to balance the styles by keeping the colors light and airy, while adding in some stonework and painted, re-purposed furnishings.  To accomplish the beautiful blend of Gustavian and Rustic Organic design, it is important to keep in mind the following characteristics:

• Painted Furniture
• Light Walls
• Gold Gilding
• Natural Fabrics
• Crystal Lighting
• Wood Finishes in Neutrals
• Stone Work

To get us started, let's look at some inspirational images!

Now that we have a good feel for the design, the fun begins!