Brandalyn Youd-Design

Rendering: Modern Lodge

2012-01-02T22:33:00.000-08:00

Our final project for Rendering was to chose a picture from a magazine that we wanted to recreate in our own renderings. I started with a bright european influenced room, but at last minute decided it didn't have enough character and color so I switched and pulled this one out in a few hours. This is one of my favorite parts of interior design. I hope to get a few more renderings done of my previous color board projects so I can put them on display for the Portfolio Event in April.

University of Utah: Chemistry Student Center Remodel

2011-11-30T23:24:00.000-08:00

This happened to be one of my favorite projects to work on. We were paired up to redesign a chemistry student room on the University of Utah campus. The best part was that it had the potential to become a real design project. We met with the Chemistry lab instructor, Holly, and her students to get a feel for what they wanted to see in the space and presented the final design to them a couple weeks later. Aubrey Smith and I created a space that would represent the school, chemistry, and be a comfortable place for them to relax, take a break and study. We went to go with a design concept that had the potential to be easily accomplished by the students themselves. That would make the possibility of it happening much higher and easier for the students to visualize.

Johansen Residence: Remodel of an Apartment Space

2011-11-30T23:19:00.000-08:00

For Studio 1 this past Summer 2011 we worked on an apartment remodel for a chosen client of ours. I interviewed my cousin Kara and her husband Grant to create a space that they would enjoy living in. We decided to go with dark woods, rich colors, and an ethereal master bedroom.

Work in progress with renderings of the living & kitchen elevations, and floor plan

Board 2: Bedrooms Renderings of the master bath, bed, and child's bedroom

Final Board for Bedrooms

Final board for main living/kitchen

Final Board for living room and overall colors

Perspective Drawing: Kitchen

2011-11-30T23:12:00.000-08:00

Summer 2011, Final Perspective drawing of a kitchen.

Grayscaled

Perspective Drawing: Master Bedroom

2011-11-30T23:06:00.000-08:00

2nd attempt at a Perspective Drawing. This time we had the chance to pull in our own creativity to the space and work with a wall on the diagonal. At first these were quite difficult, but have started to become much easier and simpler to view the final product.

Inspiration for the rug and Morroccan motif

Final Product, a little warped from moisture

Headboard Inspiration

Perspective Drawing: Living Room

2011-11-30T22:58:00.000-08:00

This is my first attempt at a perspective drawing from this past Summer 2011 Term. I experienced a few glitches and skewampus angles, but am slowly learning the mathematical procedure to the drawings.

Invitations, cards, logos, & all things design...

2011-04-20T20:35:00.000-07:00

I've been busy working on some fun graphic design projects & thought I'd share a few of the recent designs created for numerous occasions...

I absolutely love when family gets together & this past week we had 3 major reasons to gather, A wedding, a new baby boy and a new baby girl! We had a little family shower following the pre wedding dinner, here is just a fun little invite that was sent out.

Logo that I used for my Space Planning projects for school this past semester. Inspired by an invitation I came across while doing my usual design web binge

You may have seen this from my previous semester of Interior Design, its an informative poster for the "Mock" Furniture Market in SLC.

For each project we turn in we include a Title Block, here is one I used on my concept board for my friend Aubrey Smith's dream kitchen.

Birthday Invitation for the big Two Zero!

My mom is inspired by the Blogger world and decided she would create one of her own for her calling as Preparedness Specialist. Here is the logo I came up with for her front page.

Check her Clever Pomegranate Site out

*You may not see the logo up quite yet, it takes a bit for her to figure out some of this rapid technology craze.

A friend I met through our trip to Thailand with the HELP International Organization, Garrett Jensen, called me up a month or so ago in need of a logo revision. We played around with a few ideas, this was my personal favorite, not sure if we ever achieved the perfect fit, but it gave me something fun to do!

*Check out the amazing HELP International program

*Also Check out GUVU's facebook page

Another fun invitation that went along with the SLC Furniture Market

As I mentioned earlier my family gathered together last weekend for my beautiful cousin's wedding. I created her invitation to be sent out to friends and family, take a look.

The past few months I have had the great opportunity to work with my cousins in their real estate office. This has given me some great opportunities to pull together some design, marketing & web design.

Here is a photo of their office & new logo that we used on their website.

Logo to be used on their business cards, letterheads, website & all marketing materials.

Previous logo option

For my dad's law practice I put together a design for his business cards, website, billboard, and marketing materials.

That sums up my graphic designs for the last little while, I'm excited for more to come!

Urban Stem Flower Shop: Space Planning Final

2011-04-20T19:12:00.000-07:00

It's the second round of finals for my Interior Design program and this one presented a great challenge, but definitely expanded our knowledge & expertise on a design presentation.

Our task was to come up with an original retail concept, create a name & brand, design a retail store to accommodate the necessary tasks of the business, sketch up and grayscale each wall elevation & floor plan, create a concept board, and most importantly create an entire model from floor to ceiling in 1/4" scale to complete the look and design of our business.

We were so lucky & were given the opportunity to partly chose who our design team members were. Amanda Egbert, Lindsay Robbins and I had not gotten to work together, and took up the opportunity right away. As soon as we received the assignment we went straight to work!

Above is the final presentation with the concept board, model, and of course a touch of flowers.

Here is our concept board that I sketched, gray-scaled, and put together. It displays the exact look of each wall, the company logo & name, and on the right corner you can see the swatches of fabric and materials that will be used in the store.

Closer detailed look at the wall elevations and textile choices.

Above you can see the drafted floor plan that we based the model off of. After we decided how we wanted the store to work, and the flow of the customers & employees Lindsay and Amanda helped to sketch out the floor plan and two of the walls on Auto Cad so the parameters were laid out.

The entrance of the 1/4" model of the flower shop, Lindsay & Amanda did such an amazing job of capturing each and every detail. I was quite impressed!

Arial view of the "Urban Stem" Flower Shop

Here you can see the desk, work tables, and retail decorating spaces.

Along with the main structure of the model we had to incorporate the lighting. Here you can see through the glass ceiling, where each can light and pendant light was placed.

My wonderful group: Lindsay, Amanda, our instructor Carrie Anne and I.

A great finish to a semester of fun, learning and expanding our skills. We recently received our grades back and were elated to see a 100% Final Grade on our Flower Shop, Way to go Design Team! Thanks Carrie Anne, we'll miss you, have a great time in Connecticut.

First Project in Space Planning

2011-03-27T17:43:00.000-07:00

I'm finally posting my first group project for my space planning class. We designed a home that was ADA (American Disabilities Act) Approved. We were given the floor plan, and were to give it a colonial design. We loved working on the project and planning of it. In this project I was in charge of the floor plans.

La Maison Bakery

2011-03-27T17:38:00.000-07:00

In Space Planning our recent assignment was to create a restaurant. The only parameters we were given was the floor plan, it had to have a bar of some sort, and that we were unable to move walls out. My group decided to do a yummy French baker called: "La Maison Bakery" (The house bakery) that was on Main street in Park City. We wanted it to be family friendly & boast a comfortable place to come whether it was after a day of skiing, or alpine slides.

Our color scheme was very calm to help emphasize the beautiful colors of the food.

Tiles to be used in the bathroom & backsplash area

My workspace in my new apartment. I now have a beautiful view of the mountains that I could never grow old of, and love my great new set of rendering markers that make all the difference in the world!

My finished rendering of the bar area. Took some time, but in the end I had a blast doing it and coming up with the little added details. I guess I've always loved to color, now it's not just in coloring books.

Elevation of the seating area across from the bar.

Outdoor bakery window

Viva Las Vegas!

2011-03-27T17:18:00.000-07:00

Vegas turned out a little chillier than we were hoping for, but needless to say it was gorgeous, and so fun to walk around with a design perspective. We had so much fun shopping, sightseeing, and ... driving around a lot

My adorable friends Aubrey, Samantha & paige. We were just "voted" in as the presidency of the 2011-2012 school year for the Interior Design program. We're so excited to get started on a fun year with new activities and ways to network with designers in the area.

I loved the ceiling designs in the hotels, check them out.

Beautiful glass art, as seen in the Energy Solutions Arena

Loved the color combinations and gutsy prints of these stunning suits.

Loving our Nieman Marcus cookies and our new favorite place to shop: Zara (you'll have to check it out if you haven't yet)

Parade of Homes inspirations...

2011-03-27T17:02:00.000-07:00

A few weekends ago my adorable friends from my Interior Design program and I decided we needed a trip South to the sunshine & would incorporate some design into the trip. The weekend worked perfect so that we could see the St. George, UT parade of homes and also head to Las Vegas for some shopping, design inspiration & yummy food.

One of the first homes we visited was a large vacation home on a hill that overlooked the red rock plateaus of the area. It consisted of four large suites, the biggest kitchen I've seen and some amazingly beautiful features.

Another home we visited was smaller, but beautifully designed by Alice Lane (Orem, UT). They have such great taste in color combinations, textures, and creating a serene calm environment.

The last home we visited was by far the most stunning of the bunch. It boasted beautiful views out of every window, stunning features, inventive designs, and amazing lighting fixtures.

View from the continuous glass window in the living/entry area.

Don't you love the railing? It was so innovative to place artsy pillars and added the clear plastic rods. I thought they really thought outside the box and created a piece of art for the staircase.

As I said, each room had amazing views to the red rock & back pool area.

The key to a great space is lighting, the use of lighting in this home was fabulous. They used it to help emphasize the unique features and detials of the home.

Don't you just want to sink into this tub and relax? The designers created a bathroom that felt like a personal spa, where you know you could relax and enjoy the views.

The sink was my favorite custom detail. Amanda Jones created a design so that the water would come from a faucet into one pool of water and drip down the side into another draining sink. It was stunning!

We had a blast, and learned that there is no limit to the amount of creativity that can go into a space to make it personal, beautiful and most importantly functional for the user.

Last Hooray for Elder Nelson!

2011-03-27T16:33:00.000-07:00

For Kyle's last outing before he headed into the MTC we met @ Texas Roadhouse to make sure he got one last delicious American meal! We're so proud of him & can't believe he's already off to Brasil to teach the Gospel.

Back to the beautiful Oregon Coast.

2011-03-14T00:07:00.000-07:00

The week after Valentine's Day I was able to catch a ride up with my life-long friend Mindy up to Washington and even all the way to Oregon to spend the quick weekend with my family. I love these quick winter/spring trips. They seem to be the best because we pack in everything we can, including a trip to the coast this go-round. We had so much fun together with everyone while we supported our B-Ball Star O'B. She had so much fun playing with her team and hanging with all the cute girls.

There were a few crazy moments which come without surprise from the Youd family including seaweed fights, salt water taffy competitions, and the boys competing as usual.

A slight "Dan in Real Life" scene

The best parents in the world who take us on such fun adventures.

And so the revenge began with the seaweed ropes

Brighton & I on the rocky coast, can't wait for him to spend some time

in Provo with me before his mission

Mother Daughter shot

The "Class Brothers" ... posing their moves in the candy shop

Here is the reason for the fun trip, our little O'B rockin the Basketball Team

Final Drafts...

2011-01-29T23:40:00.000-08:00

Oh drafting, what a challenging art, but by finals week we were ready to turn in our small drafts which included a floor plan, kitchen section, bathroom elevation, and an electrical plan as well. It turned out to be a fun challenge.

Starting off the new year w/ a Dream Kitchen

2011-01-29T23:25:00.000-08:00

My first big project of the new winter semester was for a class called "Space Planning." Although this may sound like a simple uninteresting class, let me tell you it is the opposite. I have a feeling much time will be put into working on projects of drafting and rendering plans for any specific space. Our first assigned project was to plan a dream kitchen for a fellow student. My client, my good friend Aubrey, wanted a kitchen with raw cabinetry, geode counters, wide plank wood floors, but also have an eclectic vibe. I achieved this look by mixing modern and rococo fixtures.

The elements of the project were a kitchen floor plan, elevation of the main wall, and some sample materials that were to be used in the room.

Kitchen floor plan rendered in a grayscale rendering

Elevation grayscale rendering

Inspiration Pictures...

Stripe Obsession

2011-01-29T23:00:00.000-08:00

After looking through my design inspiration files I've decided I have a stripe obsession, whether it is horizontal or vertical does not matter, I just love them all. I feel that they add a sense of sophistication, but calm casualness to any design. Check out "Abode love's" blog for an amazing house of stripes!

Here are a few pics that have accumulated in my design loves:

I. Heart. Oregon.

2011-01-06T15:31:00.000-08:00

Some beautiful pics of Oregon I found on an amazing photographer's website: WhitneyDarling.com

One of my favorite hiking/viewing points: Multnomah Falls

Check her work out @ http://www.whitneydarling.com/

Finally... Barbie's Dream Getaway in Park City!

2011-01-06T12:36:00.000-08:00

Finally the final I had looked forward to, researched, and put most of my time toward... Barbies Dream Home in Park City Utah. A few posts ago I mentioned the surprise final that LaMar shocked us with in our Color Theory class. I knew I was really going to have to step it up for this presentation and try something unique and eye catching.

After lots of research on Barbie, looking for ideas, and even having an interview with our "mock" client, I came up with a look for Barbie that was fresh, stunning and created a feel of a winter wonderland. With clean, white, sparkling marble; fresh ice blue and cream colors; cozy ox fur rugs, and rich warm woods I pulled together a space that would feel like the ultimate relaxing get-way for Barbie from her hectic color-splashed Malibu home.

Floor Plan
Below you will see the floor-plan (wish the picture were better) but I made some drastic changes to it without changing any of the structural walls. I raised the floor for the kitchen and dining area to create a sense of coziness for the living spaces and also to help showcase the entertaining area. In the kitchen I make the kitchen bar into an island for easier access to the kitchen from both areas. I switched the place of the oven and refrigerator to create a better work space for the chef, and even slipped a computer station on the side for Barbie's communication station.

In the living area I placed a sectional sofa, sofa table, long fireplace-focal point & art work, and a couple seating chairs to go along. The deck was transformed into more of an entertaining space with heaters, great seating, and a table with a central fire-pit.

Her room had a large king size bed, glass shoe display case, new fireplace, and chez lounge. The bathroom had a great bench for laying clothing, purse and other items on, great storage under the sink, a deep oval bathtub/jacuzzi, towel warmer and steam shower. The washer and dryer space was changed into a closet space for guests, and entertainment equipment since she would have no need for that.

Barbie's VIP Suite floor plan in the Waldorf Astoria's top suite.

Final Presentation
The final color board, and floor plan are shown below. You can see the final colors come togeher, and beautiful textures mix to create the winter wonderland feel.

Detailed Description
Floor plan detail from left to right. The left side shows the materials used for the bathroom areas. The floors would be a shiny veined marble, with 6" molding in white. The shower would be in the ice blue tile with decorative strips to create a clean feel, while the shower floor would be done in the gray stones. Above the sink area I wanted to incorporate a mosaic wall done in horizontal strips (idea shown below). The top left white fabric and the bottom left striped fabric would be used for towels, and upholstered bench in the space.

Moving toward the center you can see a fun paisley blue and green fabric that would be used throughout the space in accent pillows and side chairs. The blue puckered fabric below would be used for a duvet cover, and the darker teal below would be used for the chez lounge.

At the top right of the board there is a white washed wood that would be used for the structural beams over the living space, the light blue leather for the side chairs, and a hot pink Barbie foosball table for entertaining. Below that you can see a nice cream fabric for the sectional, a dark zebra wood for the furniture, and then below that a rich, grooved wood for flooring in the living area, which would be covered in cozy ox fur rugs.

There were many little detials I had thought of to incorporate into the space such as monogrammed doorknobs, a white antler chandelier, and beautiful crystal light fixtures over the kitchen space that you can see in idea pictures below.

Final color board with most details added.

Pictures behind the ideas

Sofa sectional for living area

Above surface sink for both bathrooms

Foosball table with actual Barbie figures

Look wanted for master bedroom

Horizontal striped mosaic tiles on wall behind sink area

Beautiful, whimsical headboard for master suite

Chez Lounge to be recovered in master suite

Large antler chandelier for above living space.

Walker-Zanger tile for kitchen backsplash, and guest bath.

Glass display for master suite.

Crystal light fixture for above sink in kitchen area.

Side chair for living space.

Oval deep set tub, with hanging crystals surrounding shower head adds dramatic effect.

Personalized, monogrammed door knobs.

Above & Below: optional looks for kitchen area with changed tile backsplash and finishes.

Final Outcome

After all the work that went into Barbies dream house the time paid off. As a class we were split into three separate groups of 10+ girls with different criteria and a separate judge. For my group our time was cut a little shorter than all that we had prepared which made for a rush in explaining, but everyone's looked absolutely amazing -you could see such a large improvement from our first color boards to the final. For the 1st group that went Aubrey Smith won 1st place, hers looked absolutely stunning, and the time she put into it showed! I received 1st for my group, and the 3rd group had a great winner as well.

The hard work paid off for the class, and I can say I will miss it!

Finals Week: Lighting Project

2010-12-28T01:51:00.000-08:00

In the final days of my principles of design class I was to make my own light fixture. I had so many different ideas and really wanted to do a chandelier design, but due to time and utility restraints I decided to go with a simpler table lamp fixture. To accomplish my design I had to visit many hardware stores, craft stores, and even resort to some drafting supplies. Here is a list of the supplies I used:

-1 Crawdad Catcher (fishing dept.)
-1 Empty paint can
-1 ft. Heavy Duty suspension wire
-75+ Crystals
-3 Sheets drafting vellum
-1 Can metallic spray paint
+ trial & error assembly

In the end it all came together and was even done a couple days early! I was finally in class and about to present when it all came down... the whole structure came down and crystals were everywhere, but by then I just laughed it off and was glad my work was over.

The final project looked just how I wanted, elegant, whimsical and bright...now I just need to work on the sustainability.

Finals Week: Textiles Color Board

2010-12-19T17:59:00.001-08:00

Finals week brought on almost more than I could handle with a pile of final projects for 17 credits of classes, but in the end everything came together thanks to some late nights and many prayers. One of the first finals I turned in was for my class in textiles. We were to partner up with a classmate and swap a magazine clipping of a room in which we would change only the textiles in the room to change the ambiance and appearance of the space. This color board was a little different than any I had been doing before. It was to be 16x20, have all the specs on each of the fabrics chosen, and have labels for each. In the end I enjoyed putting it together and liked trying new things.

It ended up being a great learning experience for me because I was paired with a girl who had taste so different from mine. The challenge was great to push my creative skills and deal with "real world" design trials. She ended up loving it and I didn't mind it so much myself.

I found the best deal on a canvas from a nearby store covered it with a beautiful gold harlequin fabric and lined it with a black card-stock border to finish it off.

I'm trying new logos out to decide which I like best and working on something to go with all design types.

The final finished product with large textile samples, logos, a title and the inspiration magazine clip. She said she liked the dark maroon/reds, dark green, and blues. I chose fabrics that would bring in the rich color scheme she was seeking while keeping it classy and not too stuck in the 90's.

Yet Another Shocking Assignment we were Not Expecting...

2010-12-05T01:06:00.000-08:00

LaMar sprung a real curve ball for us this past week. We have been prepped for our final, knowing that this is our first assignment where we will interview a real client and design a room with a large color board for them (16x20.) We were expecting some fellow design friends or contacts he may have, but come to find out we are getting the coolest project yet...Barbie's 2nd Dream House! This time it is not the one in Malibu, but will be built in Park City, Utah. We are to take the floorplan of the top VIP suite in the Waldorf Astoria hotel in Park City and redecorate anything we would like, without moving walls. I'm so excited for the challenge, but a challenge is what it is going to be for sure. Its going to be tricky deciding how girly pinks, purples and you name the color fit for a cozy ski chalet. The next 2 weeks will put my creativity and time to the test. I'll take any suggestions and ideas!

First Try @ a Corporate Office Space

2010-12-05T00:49:00.000-08:00

This week for our color theory color boards we were assigned the project of a female CEO's office for an insurance company. The office space is 275 sq. feet, overlooks a beautiful park on the 10th floor of a high rise building, and has floor to ceiling windows facing North. After some research and inspiration searching I came upon the picture below of an achromatic space with high contrast blacks and whites, with some fun accent colors. I used this room as the inspiration for her office space.

I chose to go with a warmer tone of the achromatic color scheme with cream instead of a cool stark white. The space needed a punch of color to represent power and femininity so I chose a burnt orange/ red that brings the red power, yet also the fun joviality of the orange and yellow hues. The office space that I designed has beautiful marble flooring in large 18x18 tiles, with striking gold/silver veins. The walls are a silky cream, and there is a large area rug under the seating area near the desk. The side chairs are "Le Corbusier" done in the burnt orange leather, and the desk in a popping espresso finish. A nice modern ergonomic chair, gold art sculpture, and brilliant black drum shade with falling crystals add the final punch to the space. (details pictured below)

The finished product

Stunning art piece to be placed on side of room over a buffet/sideboard.

Beautiful sleek espresso desk

Le Corbusier leather chairs, seen here in balck, but will be covered in a deep orange leather

Falling crystals chandelier with black drum shade.

Modern ergonomic chair

Starting the project and trying to decide which textiles, flooring, finishes, and colors would go in the space. In the end the project turned out well, the professor thought it was overall a decent color board, but did hash on me for the use of black. But it seemed to work for what I had envisioned, and he liked it overall.

Shibui Inspired by a Peacock

2010-11-19T19:21:00.000-08:00

This past week's assignment for LaMar's Color Theory class was a hospital/rehabilitation room inspired by Shibui. This means we were to pick an object from nature and take the exact percentages of color from that object and create an inspiration board from it.

It was not supposed to be a true color board with wrapped fabrics or exact outlines, but a mixture of random elements that came from inspiration of the colors. I chose to do a peacock feather and loved the color combination that came from it. I would have never put the colors together, but when it was finally finished I really enjoyed and loved the colors.

A work in progress...

The finished product to present.

This was one of my favorite projects to do yet. I loved doing a vivid rich color scheme, and getting to use fun daily objects to apply on the board. -This technique is a great way to pull colors for a room. It is said that if you pick a beautiful object from nature and pull the exact colors from it, it will undoubtedly be beautiful, work in harmony, and prove to be timeless.

Mixing two of my favorite design mediums: Graphic & Interior...

2010-11-16T00:59:00.000-08:00

This week for my Principles of Design class we were asked to create a 20 x 30 Poster and a 5 x 7 flyer for a mock upcoming "Furniture Market" just like the High Point market in North Carolina, but this time it will be in Salt Lake City for the Spring of 2011.

I knew this would be one of my favorite assignments because it would be a great way for me to be able to put my love of graphic design to use in the interior design world.

After a lot of research and inspiration searching I came up with the following design for both my poster and flyer. I think it has a fun fresh yet classic look. I chose the grey and yellow colors because it is what everyone is craving these days and will help to catch the attention of the designers across the US. I'll post pictures of the 20 x 30 poster that maybe some clips of my inspiration pieces.

"Calling all Designers to SLC's Furniture Market which will forecast the top trends for the year 2011"

Instructors that inspire...

2010-11-07T20:53:00.000-08:00

I have been studying Interior Design at the LDS Business College in Salt Lake City now for almost 2 months, and have really come to love it. There are definitely ups and downs with some of the pre-requisite classes, but the classes in design I truly love. It was a difficult decision for me to decide between my passion and staying at BYU, but I now know that I have made the best decision for me.

I love what I'm studying! I'm doing well in my classes, and can't remember the last time till now where I could not get enough information from what the instructors had to teach me. I thirst for more design, color, ideas and information. I have come to find one of my favorite teachers that I have had through all of my schooling. His name is LaMar Lisman, he dresses classy, loves his job, is straightforward, says what he wants, and knows what he is doing! I look forward to every class he teaches in "Color Theory."

So far I enjoy the assignments of color boards we have had, and recently did well on our midterm, which felt great and reassuring that this is where I need to be and design is what I need to do.

This week we have been given an assignment to create a master bedroom for a couple in their mid 40's who want a pleasant retreat. The room needs to reflect an organic feel, and must include the color: Pale Peach...lets just say he gave us each a "challenge color" which basically means our least favorite color must be incorporated somehow in the room. At first I thought how am I going to make this work? There is no way that pastel peach will work for a husband and wife's organic master, but after searching for some design inspiration I have become excited about the challenge, and may even be able to say I don't mind the pastel peach anymore...

Here are some of my glimpses of inspiration to share:

I'm thinking of combining the rustic linen look with some deep rich neutrals: browns creams and taupe, with some fun greens, coral and maybe a hint of blues and my fun splash of peachy pink. I think it will all come together, I just have to remember stay organic, and gender neutral. We'll see how it turns out!

Finished Product:

I was so excited for this project to prove that I could really do a great job on each of my projects, but I learned a great lesson during the time of this color board and that is that time is precious, and when unexpected things pop up in your life to throw you for a whirl you just have to step up, face it, and roll with the punches. Needless to say I just didn't have the time I would have liked to put into this project and was definitely hurt by it. LaMar was just about as disappointed as I was on my board, but it has proven to be a great lesson for me. I will just bounce back and try my best next time!

1st Attempt at a Color Board

2010-10-17T23:01:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite professors, LaMar Lisman, had our first big Color Board assignment due this past week. Our task was to pick 2 color schemes, 1 mechanic and the other relative and design a room around them. The main focus of the project was putting together a professional color board to go along with it. We were critiqued in class right in front of everyone which made everyone start sweating bullets, and rightfully so...but that is why I really like him as a professor. He is honest, blunt, and will say what he thinks, but that is the way we learn best. By the time I had to go up I was pretty nervous, but it turns out he really liked my color boards, and even had a few positive things to point out. Here are the first two I did, and am excited to see my progress.

Sophistocated & Fresh Design... Kwinter Design

2010-09-26T21:03:00.000-07:00

New York designer, Brendan Kwinter-Schwartz established her firm in 2001 after graduating from the International Academy of Design in Canada. Her designs are fresh and sophisticated, with a classy elegance. Check out her beautiful designs at: kwinterdesign.com

Top New York Designer: Glenn Gissler Design

2010-09-26T20:48:00.000-07:00

As I was searching through top designers, I came upon Glenn Gissler's site and fell in love with his designs. He seems to know just how to make a space classy, elegant, kid friendly (if needed), comfortable, and absolutely stunning. You will have to check out his site: http://www.glenngisslerdesign.com He started his practice in 1987, and has been mentioned in House Beautiful's and New York Magazine's "100 Top Designers" list.

Inspiring Designer and Architect team

2010-09-19T19:28:00.000-07:00

As I was recently searching through one of my favorite design blogs, Nest Egg, I came upon this designer/architect duo and fell in love with their simple, chic designs. Designer, Melanie Davis of Turner Davis Interiors, and architect Stan Benecki of Benecki Homes, team up to accomplish beautiful projects. Their designs are out of the box and out of the ordinary standard. They are an inspiration for me to think about the bigger picture, and not stick to something that has already been done.
To visit their websites: Benecki Homes, www.beneckihomes.com and Turner Davis Interiors, www.turnerdavisinteriors.com

Splashes of pink & gold

2010-09-19T19:17:00.001-07:00

I've recently noticed a few color trends and one of my favorite being the rich chocolate brown rooms with touches of pinks and golds. Most of the pinks used have a violet/blue undertone, making them a little cooler and calming.

Just a Few of my Favorite Things...

2010-08-08T13:44:00.000-07:00

Well I'm officially 20 Years old, and decided it's time that I make note of what I enjoy so here are a few of my favorite things as of 2010... subject to grow/change.

A. Thai Curry

B. Northern Thailand

C. Grapes of Every Color

D. Nautical Style/Photography

E. Wedding Magazines

F. Michael Buble

G. Black & White/ Ribbon

H. Snow Skiing in Sun

I. Violin

J. Ice Skating

K. Tennis

L. Black & White Photos/ Ships

M. Unique Flowers

N. Acoustic Guitar

O. Pico de Gallo

P. Wedding Planning

Dream Destination: Southern France

2010-08-08T12:03:00.000-07:00

Since my travels to Thailand I have gotten the bug, and want to begin to see the world! My roommate told me about her amazing trip to Southern France where they rode a house-boat through the Canal du Midivilla, and Nimes. After hearing and seeing beautiful pictures it is now one of my dream destinations where I aspire to travel.

Off of the coast of Southern France there are many beaches and of course bikes to rent and ride.

Photograph of the Nimes Canal. Bordering the canals are bike trails where you can follow the boat as it travels through the beautiful landscape and towns. There are many ports where you can dock up to eat at a cafe, or grab a baguette and walk the streets.

Starting Fresh

2010-08-07T23:45:00.000-07:00

Some changes have come in the last few months and I've decided to create a blog that displays my love of design and inspiration for what I want to pursue in the future. I was recently accepted into an Interior Design Program and can't wait to begin. My blog will be a mixture of inspiring design, colors, flowers, and projects that I have found, along with personal photos and posts.

Isaan People: Tipping Bucket, Check it Out!

2010-05-30T23:46:00.001-07:00

We are raising money for the Local Issan people of the hill tribes of Northern Thailand. Check out "tippingbucket.org" to see what it is all about. It will only be up for 3 more days so we can raise the money to help the tribe build a watchtower to manage their land and keep up their livlihood. www.tippingbucket.org

More Chiang Mai and Teaching in Chiang Rai

2010-05-25T07:29:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the cute children that we are teaching at a nearby school. They loved playing all of the fun games especially "Down by the Banks" and the paper fortune teller that was actually more of an English help.This is just for mom, The cutest hippos were cuddling together at the night safari, I got this picture just as the mommy was yawning. I don't think I have ever been that close to one of them. They look so friendly, but I'm sure they are quite the opposite.
Here is the central water way that encircles the main city of Chiang Mai, it was so pretty and lined with beautiful trees. I've noticed something, you can't see here, but most of the sidewalks that line the roads are black and white checkered. I decided I really like it, ill try to get a picture soon.

Chiang Mai Adventures Cont.

2010-05-25T07:12:00.000-07:00

Here is the view from the Temple on the hill of Chiang Mai. There are dragon/snake tails lining the sides of the steps up to the temple. The view of the city from the top was amazing. Here is the corner where our guest home was, located in the heart of Chiang Mai. It was a fun outdoor set up with just the adjoining rooms completely enclosed. It only cost us 150 Bot to stay in there with AC and everything per night which comes to about...$4.50. Not too bad for something so quiant and close.
Here is a photo of one of the many Wats located in town, the view was worth every moment.
This is the view from one of the canopies we were on waiting to zip line to another platform. The jungle seemed to go on forever. My favorite part was hearing the monkeys off in the distance as we swung like monkeys on our lines.
This is the group all together after our ride in the jungle. Everyone looks a little goofy with the doo-rags on from the helmets, but we had such a fun time, and the guides made it all the better so we made sure to include them.

Chiang Mai Adventures

2010-05-25T07:03:00.001-07:00

Chiang Mai was absolutely gorgeous with the Thailand jungle that you have always dream about. We took a weekend trip down to Chiang Mai and spent the weekend zip lining with the monkeys, watching chimps dance at the Night Safari and getting the sights in of the large city. It is unlike any place I have experienced, and the scenes out the window from the drive there were out of a story book.

Here are some of the crew, Dave our director in the back, Matt HELP International's main director, Kristi next to him and Ryleigh Allred next to me. We are getting ready to zip line at the Flight of the Gibbon in the jungle forests of Chaing Mai Thailand.

2010-05-13T07:15:00.000-07:00

Sawadeeka!
Hello, as most of you all know I'm in Thailand for the next month or so! We have a team blog that will be updated on the many things we are involved in. If you want to see what we're up to check it out @: helpteamthailand.blogspot.com

It will also have some fun pictures of the many adventures we are going on. Hope all is well in the states, -brandalyn

Happy Spring

2010-04-08T11:56:00.000-07:00

Nick and I went on a fun double date roasting marshmallows on what we thought would be a warm spring night... but Utah seems to change plans and make experiences freezing!

I sent Cam and Kate on a little easter egg hung, as you can see they ran around like little bunny rabbits