I spent all of last Thursday at the Architectural Digest Home Design Show at Pier 94 in New York City. There was much to see at the show, as I found myself snapping many more photos than I intended. I haven’t had a chance to go through all of them, as well as the press kits I picked up, so in the meantime, I thought I would post the images I did take while touring a highlight of the show, the DIFFA Dining by Design exhibit, which features dining installations created by several celebrated and up-and-coming designers, as well as design students.

An acronym for Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS, DIFFA was established in 1984 by Patricia Green and Larry Pond to grant funds to organizations that offer direct care for people living with HIV/AIDS and preventive education for those at risk. In addition to providing a gorgeous venue for a fundraising cocktail reception and gala, both of which seemed very popular events this year, as tickets were sold out, the installations are definitely a sight to behold and brim with creativity and drama.

Pantone’s 2012 Color of the Year has been making the rounds on various websites and was even featured on the Yahoo! homepage at one point. It’s a vibrant orange-red called “Tangerine Tango.”

But Pantone is not the only company with a color forecast for next year. This past fall, Benjamin Moore revealed its palette for 2012, which features colors that seem reflective of the uncertainty still lingering in the country as it struggles to recover and of perhaps the desire for comfort and the familiar in these troubling times.

Among them are tranquil blues with a green and/or gray cast, such as the company’s top pick, Wythe Blue HC-143 (shown on walls),

Montpelier AF-555 and a slightly purplish Amethyst Shadow 1411 (shown in wall stripe).

The forecast also calls for an array of grays, some of which have names suggestive of a more sober and subdued—but not necessarily depressed—mood: Nimbus Gray 2131-50 and Storm Cloud Gray 2140-30. And then there’s Sharkskin 2139-30.

Naturally, with the economy still up in the air and a future somewhat nebulous, one may find oneself yearning for clarity and purity—whites are still popular—as well as an emotional anchor, especially at home. Why not try on a rich earth tone, such as French Press AF-170,

Farm Fresh AF-360,

Masada AF-220 (shown on wall),

Dunmore Cream HC-29 or Fresh Olive 2149-30.

And for a hit of color, the 2012 forecast offers up Gypsy Love 2085-30 and Persimmon 2088-40 (shown on ceiling).

When I was in College my design class was fortunate to go on a tour of Milliken in Georgia as part of a Design Bus Tour the school put together. It was really eye-opening for me as a young designer.

Milliken is once again impressing me with their new website www.inspiredinspiring.com, which aims to share amazing images and spark the inspiration we Designers need.

Whether you are looking for images for a Mood Board or seeking Inspiring colors and textures, their site will have it all for you to discover.

Add it to your bookmarks and share what you like about their site.

—Ann Porter

A potential client walks in the door with a bunch of magazines in her arms. As her budget is more modest, one of her requests is to have “the refrigerator look like it’s a built-in refrigerator” because she doesn’t want to actually pay for the built-in refrigerator. She wants you to tightly frame in the refrigerator with cabinets. You agree and the work commences.

Except for one problem: Standard refrigerators shouldn’t be built-in. They need air circulation. In the fine print, there’s always something that reads roughly along the lines of “there must be ‘X’ inches of clearance on sides and top.”

If you’re not experienced and you miss this detail, the refrigerator may have a new shortened life. Eventually it’ll come around to: “You’re the designer/contractor and should have known better. Fix it.” If you’re an experienced designer, you catch it, let the client know and re-design with the added clearance—if she lets you.

Trying to achieve design ideas that clients are bringing through our doors can be challenging. In some cases, the less the client’s budget and/or materials match the images, the harder some push to achieve the same look.

So, even though you might know that framing in the refrigerator violates the recommended specifications or the room is too small to fit an island or a myriad of other frustrating details, but the client insists on it, what do you do? How do you educate them while still staying true to design principles?

Here’s what most long-term designers do: Write a disclaimer. Write or stamp it on all designs and paperwork and have the pen ready for the client to sign off: “The designer has recommended against designing the refrigerator as shown. By signing this disclaimer, Client A understands and accepts that she is overriding the recommended specifications and is solely responsible for any future operational problems that may arise.” Or something similar.

Words can be brushed off, but a printed disclaimer will accomplish one of two actions—it’ll absolve you from future problems, or make the client reconsider. Of the two, I prefer the latter; there’s less chance of unhappiness for everyone down the road.

Until next time,

Kelly