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Does Florida’s interior design practice act protect the public?
Under oath, advocates say “no”!
When questioned under oath, not a single proponent of the Florida licensing law was able to cite any benefits to consumers from licensing interior designers or harm that had occurred to the public in the 47 states that do not license interior designers: When [...]img alt= border=0 src=http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=idpcinfo.wordpress.comblog=7275367post=157subd=idpcinforef=feed=1/

Attention Florida interior design students!
Have you been bombarded with increasingly urgent requests to participate in the “Yes I Am” lobby day on January 12th in order to “protect your profession?” Please be advised that the shrill, desperate messages you may have received from the Interior Design Associations Foundation (IDAF), some professors from the Florida State [...]img alt= border=0 src=http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=idpcinfo.wordpress.comblog=7275367post=149subd=idpcinforef=feed=1/

I enjoy working with designers and have a great relationship with those I currently collaborate with. It seems they always have a clear vision of the grand design scheme and usually provide me with strong guidance on finishes and colors. I#8217;m not afraid to admit that our firm has been pushed creatively by designers and [...]

Michigan design community, wake up and smell the coffee: Your right to earn a living is in jeopardy!
A RESTRICTIVE PRACTICE ACT IS BREWING AGAIN!
Once again, the Coalition for Interior Design Registration (CIDR) has re-introduced legislation, SB 974, which would prohibit you from marketing yourself as an #8220;interior designer#8221; and make it illegal for you to practice some aspects of [...]img alt= border=0 src=http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=idpcinfo.wordpress.comblog=7275367post=129subd=idpcinforef=feed=1/

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www.SusanBerryDesign.com, SusanBerry@ClassicalHomeDesign.com Orlando, Florida Home of Luxury Home Designer, Susan Berry, ASID. Palazzo del Lago, the 2006 Street of Dreams in Bella Collina, represents the very finest in architectural design, interior innovation and handcrafted artistry. The interior detailing, materials selections and exterior details and specifications are the work of Susan Berry, of Classical Home Design. [...]

p style=text-align:center;a rel=nofollow target=_blank href=http://www.pkstudiosblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/Ole-Paseo-Clubhouse_005.jpgimg class=aligncenter size-full wp-image-665 title=Ole-Paseo Clubhouse_005 src=http://www.pkstudiosblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/Ole-Paseo-Clubhouse_005.jpg alt=Ole-Paseo Clubhouse_005 width=500 height=333//a/pp style=text-align:center;strongemWhat does the future community look like? /em/strong/ppAs architects, we#8217;re always thinking about cutting-edge design and how we can best advise our clients. When it comes to master planned communities, predicting future trends and consumer needs is ultra-important because of the long time span of construction and enormous capital outlay./ppWe need to think 5, 10, 20 years ahead of our time, because that#8217;s when sales and re-sales are going to occur and the concept of the community will be tested in the market. At times, it#8217;s a scary thought. But we accept the challenge with open arms and sharpened pencils./ppRecently at PK Studios, we#8217;ve really focused on looking at communities, and particularly #8211; clubhouses. We dusted off the crystal ball we#8217;ve been hiding in the mezzanine./ppTrying to come up with a future master planning concept is not an easy feat. We#8217;ve spent countless hours pouring over data, researching trends, understanding our target demographics, and interacting with other thinkers in the architectural and planning communities./ppstrongSo what do we think?/strong/ppTo understand the buying habits of consumers, we first need to understand the consumer. The US population of those aged 55-64 is rising rapidly, and will be about 35+ million by 2015. These are not your #8220;father#8217;s retirees.#8221; They love interaction, activity, experiencing new things, diversity, and a host of modern amenities. Until the current recession, they also had the money to back it up. But don#8217;t be fooled #8211; to a large extent, they still do./ppThe trends of what people want are pretty clear #8211; golf is down but not out, while outdoor activities like walking are in. So are fitness centers, spas, and cultural activities. #8220;Green#8221; hasn#8217;t caught on yet, but the indicators may be a few years behind, and eco-friendly living has the potential to emexplode /emout of the gate and into the spotlight./ppConsumers are increasingly inter-connected, Internet-ized, and pushed to get more done in less time. At the same time, they love the interaction of being with other people and want opportunities to connect on a personal level. Oh yeah, and they hate being thought of as #8220;old.#8221;/ppstrongTranslating Demand/strong/ppWith everything we know and trends we can measure, the challenge becomes designing a community that people will cherish for decades to come./ppWe believe we have the right solution. What are some of the components of our dream community?/pulliResort-style living./liliProximity and activity./lili#8216;Village Centers#8217; (like a rel=nofollow target=_blank href=http://www.pkstudiosblog.com/2009/05/project-profile-ole-at-lely-clubhouse/Ole/a) instead of traditional #8220;Clubhouses.#8221;/liliA lot of open space with integrated activities./liliFeatures that encourage a pleasant active/outdoor lifestyle./liliIncredible level of service and personalization./liliDiversity amp; authenticity in product./liliIntegration of high-performance green design, beyond the typical #8220;superficial#8221; features./liliDiversity in market reach, including senior care and employee housing./li/ulpThe list sounds like a tall order, but it#8217;s not impossible. With a strong idea about what the community should be, we turned our attention to the village center concept. What does the successful community center of the future look like?/pulliIt#8217;s a semi-private club, rather than completely private./liliThe emphasis is on activities and interaction./liliFitness and spa centers are emphasized and top-of-the-line./liliCatering to current emand /emfuture club demographics (think emyoung people/em)./liliThe atmosphere is fun, relaxing, and definitely emnot /emstressful./liliThere#8217;s a lot of choice when it comes to dining./liliServices are not only offered, but are customized and go beyond the basics./liliTechnology is prominent, cutting-edge, and perfectly integrated./liliCommercial components are integrated in the club, including hotel uses, entertainment, and services (like groceries and banking)./liliA lot of outdoor amenities, including a variety of water #8216;options#8217; and other activities./li/ulpThat#8217;s a lot to think about, for sure. In many respects, we#8217;re putting together the #8216;ideal#8217; community. Developers, with the help of their architects (and their investors) will have to prioritize the list and choose the most high-impact features./ppTomorrow#8217;s buyers are astute. They are looking for value, and they will know if you#8217;re selling them short. Through our inter-connected studios, we are creating the community concept of a lifetime as an integrated and well thought-out package. Get on board!/pimg src=http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PKStudiosBlog/~4/hj5Mb61ssoU height=1 width=1/

pWe are jumping out of our skin today and finally ready to announce the launch of strongPK Solar, Inc./stronga rel=nofollow target=_blank href=http://www.pksolar.netPK Solar/a will specialize in the design and installation of innovative solar products in Southwest Florida and beyond./ppstrongemHow did we get here?/em/strong/ppThe idea of solar energy is not new. Actually, we#8217;re jumping on the proverbial #8216;bandwagon#8217; of sustainable design. strongBut we#8217;re doing it with some pretty neat products./strong/ppAbout 6 months ago, the idea of a developing a solar carport prototype hit us. strongemWhy a carport?/em/strong/pp style=text-align:center;img class=size-full wp-image-620 aligncenter title=pk-solar-carport src=http://www.pkstudiosblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/pk-solar-carport.jpg alt=pk-solar-carport width=500 height=375//ppFlorida is famous not only for the warm weather outside, but also for the toasty temperatures inside your car. In fact, the National Safe Kids Association says a black interior can get to strong192 degrees /strongwhen it#8217;s 78 outside! Frying an egg on your dashboard is not out of the question./ppOther than the obvious comfort issues and A/C loads when you start your car, all that sun is bad for your interior finishes and bad for your exterior paint. A carport is also nice when you#8217;re trying to get into the driver#8217;s seat during a typical afternoon deluge, when the parking looks like the Mississippi./ppOn the money side, a carport is the most affordable form of car shelter you can build (a garage being the obvious alternative). It goes up quickly (like emweeks /emquickly), and encounters little municipal resistance./ppstrongemSo what does all this have to do with solar?/em/strong/ppBy combining a solar solution with a carport, we can not only add functionality to an already functional piece of structure, but we can actually do it very economically./ppWhy? Because a carport with solar features qualifies for aem whole lot /emof government incentives, while one without them does not. strongAha!/strong So#8230;you get a carport (features above), and some solar (at little, no, or even emnegative /emcost), with the one feature we haven#8217;t mentioned yet #8211; emPower./em/ppUsing net metering, the solar carport can offset about strongone-third/strong of the power we use in our own 10,000 square foot office building. emRun a quick calculation #8211; that#8217;s a lot of zeros saved at the end of the year.br //em/ppThere#8217;s all the other #8216;little#8217; stuff too, like #8216;oh gee #8211; my property value just went up,#8217; and #8216;holy smokes, look at this tax deduction.#8217; emNo big deal, right?/em/ppPK Solar will also offer commercial retrofit services (like rooftop installations) and develop other custom solar solutions and products in the future. It#8217;s going to be a fun ride!/ppOur mantra and focus isstrongemone-stop shop. /em/strongWe promise our clients that we#8217;ll take care of everything for them, and we intend to come through on that promise. You give us money, we#8217;ll give you a carport. Simple as that. strongNo headaches, no problems./strong/ppThe new company website is live at a rel=nofollow target=_blank href=http://www.pksolar.netPKSolar.net/a. We encourage you to stop by and take a look./pimg src=http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PKStudiosBlog/~4/7GUMitf_IFw height=1 width=1/

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