INT 323 Kelly Munsell Personal Blog

  While bathrooms are not usually the first room that comes to mind when thinking of a home they are still very important. What goes into a bathroom is also important. We want a comforting space, especially since bathrooms are not wide open spaces. We don't want them to feel like a cell and one way to prevent this is through the use of towels and bath mats. They can liven up the small spaces simply by their color and patterns. They not only add visual interest but because they are cloth and a softer material they can help with sound absorption and make the space echo less. The linens found in bathrooms really tie the space together more than we think. But they are not just there for show. They have practical uses. Because of this we must consider not just their aesthetic features but their functional ones as well.  While cotton is the most popular fiber used in toweling and other bath textile products, bamboo fibers have been growing in popularity. Bamboo is not only eco-frien...

Choosing the right carpet for a space is important. It can help tie a room together and define the space. Different colors and patterns can communicate a multitude of different ideas or atmospheres. They can either add or detract from the overall look of the space. But choosing the right color and pattern isn't the only important aspect of carpeting. One must also consider the type of installation method that will be used for the carpet. There are a few different methods that all have various pros and cons. These methods can be placed into two main categories, wall to wall and tile installation.  There are three different wall to wall carpet installation methods. The first of these is a direct glue-down installation. This is where the carpet is directly glued to the floor. This method requires the floor to be very smooth and level because any imperfections will be seen through the carpet. These imperfections can also cause wear spots to appear, decreasing the life-span of the carpe...

While most people don't give a second thought to carpet, there is a lot that goes into carpeting and it's construction. There is a variety of ways to tailor the overall look of the carpet, from it's construction method to the fibers used to the pattern or it's color. Carpeting has a few major different elements used in it's production. This includes the base fabric, the backing, and the pile yarns. Pile yarns make of the top of the carpet, or what's seen and used. This is the part of the carpet that comes into direct contact with it's user. Pile yarn height and weight are key factors for the durability and wear of the carpet.  Pile height is the length of the tuft from the backing to the tip. The higher the pile height the more material there is on the wearing surface and so it can be more durable. There are a few different styles of carpet that affect pile yarn height. There are two main styles of carpeting called cut and loop. Cut styled carpeting is where...

Wallcoverings can be very beneficial in a variety of different spaces and locations. Not only do they help protect the walls, but they can also help with other functional uses such as sound absorption. They can also help to create a more aesthetically pleasing space. There are many different types of wallcoverings, from wallpaper to fabrics to textured surfaces. Different textures can either be built into the covering or simply be printed on to only give the appearance of texture and depth. Commercial wallcoverings are slightly different than residential ones. Commercial coverings are usually designed for heavier traffic and usually come in a 54” width rather than 21” which is more traditional for a residential wallcovering. They normally have a treated surface as well, whether it be antimicrobial or some other treatment. Wallcoverings for commercial usage are usually made of vinyl because of its durability and easy maintenance. In terms of design, commercial wallcoverings tend to be...

This week we were able to continue our work in organizing the Interior Design studio. There were a few different things we worked on. The first of these was getting wood for the drawers underneath the workbench table. Professor Meissner was kind enough to allow me to take some wood from the shop to use for this. We now have the wood but we will need to cut it down into 6 15" x 1" x 3/4" strips for use. If necessary we can also paint them black if they can be seen underneath.  Another area we started to work on and tackle was the stack of boxes behind the shelves. These boxes are full of samples that need to be sorted and organized. After class on Tuesday we took one of the boxes filled with fabric samples and sorted them into groups based on brands and collections. The samples had holes in them so we were able to hook the samples together using bead chains. This may not be how they stay but for now they are more organized and sorted than before.      Along with obtai...

 Last week we had focused potential ideas for renovating and organizing our studio space. It was a great start and we did get some work done in the studio organizing and rearranging. One of the first things that we did was pull some of the carpet out and sort through what we had. We threw away a lot of old carpeting that was either ugly, duplicates, or stains. This was to reduce the amount of carpet we had overflowing the shelves. There were a few carpets that we pulled out that we were able to cut down to size and use as a flat surface for the open shelving units. One carpet sample couldn't fit the entire shelf but since we had duplicates we were able to patch them together. Once in place they did not shift or move and so, despite not being one big piece, they still worked very well.     This method of using the carpet to cover the gaps in the shelving worked amazingly well and allowed for more organization of the binders. It allowed us to stand them up rather than havin...