Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from 7Side Design

Hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas. Have been traveling and spending time with friends and family which is why I have not been posting as much as I would like. Santa brought tools and inspiring magazines and I cannot wait to get back to the work bench.

2010 is upon us and I am very excited for the future of 7Side Design. Here's to a great year and many more projects and posts coming your way.

Retail Inspiration

With Christmas and and the gift giving season here it is all but impossible to avoid a trip to the mall. These trips I would generally loathe, especially this time of year, if it were not for the great display and interior design that goes into many of these retail spaces. Every trip I am pulling inspiration on colors, materials, textures, patterns and the results of what is likely a very nice budget to work with.

Our local mall is full of great inspiration including the likes of Puma and Lucky Brand, but I also keep up with The Cool Hunter (www.coolhunter.net/stores) for the latest retail design from around the world.

(image from http://www.thecoolhunter.net/)

Also worth a look is Wallpaper's (www.wallpaper.com/directory/retail/2009) Retail Directory 2009 for the most happenin' stores of the past year.

(image from http://www.wallpaper.com/)

Hackin' and Recyclin'

All 7Side products use the best quality material possible, but that doesn't mean it came right off the shelf.

I make a conscious effort to recycle seconds and seek out scrap material that would otherwise be wasted. I will never hide the fact that something has been repurposed, in fact I think materials that get a second lease on life add unique character to the clean modern look that is 7Side. Look for more on the new life we are bringing to this dresser in the near future.



I am also working on some small projects that are in the spirit of the "IKEA Hacking" phenomenon inspired by those design savvy Swedes that will bring affordable, modern furniture into your home as long as it can break down to be 4" thick or less (that's not a knock). It is fun to utilize materials from existing products and transform them with your own style and purpose. Modifications range from mild and clever to unrecognizable and absolutely impressive. Check http:/ikeahacker.blogspot.com/ for examples from the hacking community.

Crafting for Christmas

Somehow this time of year people seem to take extra time to think of others and I have been busy doing just that. Creating gifts for family and friends. Its great working with the materials all the while thinking of the special person that the final product will be going to. I will share some of these projects after the new year (don't want to ruin the surprise!) but here is a teaser pic for now.