designs by human.

Procrastination...

2012-01-26T21:42:00.001-08:00

Seeing how I signed up for this trade show months ago there was always comfort in saying "oh, I still have (insert months here)", now though I am down to hours with nothing really planned! Although I do say I do my best work under pressure and with limited time, but on the other hand it's nice to have it all planned out like all my other projects. Not to say I didn't do anything, I have actually been working on lots of little details for the show that really you can't see, kind of that behind the scenes type of work. All that being said I am excited to meet all the people of Boise this weekend and come Saturday morning we should have a good booth that everyone can enjoy, but I can't give it all away there, we have to save our best ideas for your home, right?

designs by human. Open House / Reveal

2012-01-20T15:38:00.000-08:00

A special THANK YOU to everyone who came out to see our open house on January 13, 2012 in Surprise Valley. The event proved to be a very good success with a turnout that far exceeded our expectations. I was excited to see a lot of old friends and make a lot of new one's. We appreciate all the feedback and kind comments on the entire project.

The event created a lot of buzz about designs by human. and the more the merrier, if there is any way we can be of assistance to you please don't hesitate to contact us.

Classic Contemporary Kitchen

2011-02-09T11:48:00.000-08:00

About:

This was a kitchen, original to the house built in the late 80's, the layout worked well for the space and the functionality was in good order. It was just a little dated and to much of the mono tone going on. The space was kept up very well as the original owners whom built the house lived there and they obviously took care of everything they owned and kept it all nice and neat. We wanted to keep that feeling but brighten up the space and modernize it a bit.

Design:
The layout portion wasn’t changing at all; it wasn’t in the budget for new cabinets or floors, so it was down to working with what we had. The first issue was a slightly awkwardly placed island that at the time didn’t quite fit in the space and left you confused as to how it was supposed to be utilized. I advised the owner to add some lighting that would start bringing it within the realm of the kitchen, and then the vertical tile to the wall would help tie it into the backsplash of the rest of the kitchen. New quartzite countertops throughout the space topped off the freshly painted (white) cabinets. The upper cabinets had an awkward space above them that made the room feel shorter than it was, the client saved a bunch of money due to the handiness of her husband, and he rebuilt the uppers and extended them to the ceiling. New hardware topped off the cabinets. The backsplash chosen was a 1x2 white glass tile, meant to sparkle and add lightness to the space with a bit of drama. The space was finished off with some accessories and a bold contrasting paint choice for the walls which took the modern and added a nice touch of elegance.

It is truly a stunning space and always amazes me every time I walk in there, makes me even happier to know that the clients still love it!

If you have questions or comments, please feel free to email me at info@whatisdbh.biz

(Note: All photography done by Annie Brown at Let it Shine Photography)

Light vs. Dark (Contrast is the way to go)

2010-09-15T08:39:00.000-07:00

I have recently run into this a lot, this year in particular with business picking up. Clients asking me to design them a bright and light space but are somewhat disappointed when I show them something other than all beige and tan tones. Beige Home Depot travertine tile and granite are out, and I wish they were never in, sad to see so many people actually wasted money on these awful products but the reality is if they are happy I guess that’s ok (in the design world). This just leaves more room for great design later on. I always try to push, or nudge my clients the slightest bit to have contrast and step outside of there comfort zone, not necessarily black and white, but when you have contrast the light plays off of those surfaces so much more than tan tan tan or beige beige beige. Don’t be afraid to step out and get some good contrast in your space, it will keep you interested much longer and you will have a more meaningful "relationship" with your space. Although, that doesn’t keep me busy but if I can create a beautiful space and make my clients happy that is the best feeling ever!

Design happy and please send us your comments!

2010 09 10

2010-09-10T15:05:00.001-07:00

It has been an amazingly busy past couple of weeks! Trying to wrap up one project while starting a couple others and getting more. You always have to have something on the burner, even if its just the back burner. I was completely excited this week since I got new images back from my photographer (Let it Shine Photography) for a kitchen that was completed a while ago and as always the images turned out amazing!
We also found out today that Silestone (Quartz and solid surface manufacturer) did a small post about this kitchen via there Facebook and online websites!

2010 08 17

2010-08-17T08:27:00.000-07:00

I need some assistance and ideas for getting new clients. I was thinking about it and there are how many homeowners in the US?! Now, not everyone of them wants to hire a designer, nor needs one but look at the amount of people that are coming in and out of Home Depot and Lowe's on a weekly basis. First off, I am not a fan of those stores, since they offer little style and crappy products at not that great of prices. IKEA however is a big box store that works. So how could I attract those hundreds of thousands of people that go into an IKEA store (or similar, say Pottery Barn, West Elm, CB2, etc) each day to come to me and ask me for assistance in designing there space. Obviously if they are in those stores, they have some inclination to re-decorate or renovate there home, right?

Soon we will be embarking on an out of state marathon for marketing and trying to reach new clients and make new connections nationwide, tell your family, friends and neighbors if they are wanting to renovate, decorate, and design (or anything related).

dbh. is Moving

2010-06-09T13:30:00.000-07:00

Recently over the past few months I have wanted to get a storefront for designs by human. and finally have come across a location and venue that works! I am setting up shop with a client of mine at there auto dealership on 30th and Main Streets in Boise. It is a good working environment and will allow me to interact with people looking at vehicles who may also be thinking about design. As part of my contribution to the venue I have agreed to help them around there, so it will be a nice change of pace on a daily basis. I should be getting settled in there over the next few weeks starting on Monday so come in and say "hi"!

Currently I am trying to get everything planned out so the office area is much more pleasing to the eye. I need to get some sweet chairs, lamps, another computer / server and of course an iPhone 4.

Beta Testing...

2010-03-02T07:31:00.000-08:00

As designs by human. continues to change our imaging and marketing types we branched out to a few other cities in what we are calling "Beta Testing". Portland, OR and San Francisco, CA where picked in particular, due to there more outgoing nature and modern / industrial styles (primarily). I have been presently surprised with the responses I have received. We are going to keep up the work here and probably hop on the next flight out and see what we can do to get more involved in events and activities in those cities.

If you live in SFO or PDX (or any town / city for that matter) and need a project done please let us know!

Tiling - Part 1 of ?

2010-02-11T12:03:00.000-08:00

Searching for that perfect tile isnt easy, especially when the clients, hmmm dont want tile. I have never heard of such a thing. Although it inspired me to go with my motto and find new materials and different uses for common materails such as plywood. I cant get enough of that for finishing things, it just looks amazing! Anyway back to tile, there are certian places that tile will have to be used since the budget isnt enourmouse and I am not about to laminate the walls with a plastic laminate product. Stone slabs such as slate, quartz, or granite would work but are awfully costly to use as wall cladding in these small spaces. So I have hand picked a few tile options that are extremely nice and large format as I call them (12x24 or 18x24) that would be very nice to use in such situations. Images to follow here when I get some exact samples picked out.

New Website!

2010-01-20T22:38:00.001-08:00

It is official, four months in the making and millions and millions of dollars (well minus both those millions) the website is officially done! Although there will always be tweaks, cant help it you can mosey on over to whatisdbh.biz and have a look. I encourage you to look around and email me what you think. I am always open for suggestions, thats how we make things better right, right.

The funny thing is you should check back often, especially in a few more months, there will be a new new site more than likely which is already in development and I'm hopeful it will launch in Fall 2010, so stay tuned and send us your comments!

Traveling

2010-01-08T10:54:00.001-08:00

I am checking out all these travel sites as I am marketing across the country thinking I need to get signed up on these. So I did Southwest was the easiest, completely online just input your business information and all signed up. Now I get somewhat cheaper rates. Well all that said I am trying to put together travel design packages for projects located outside of the treasure valley. As a designer I want to be well rounded and have all kinds of experience to give my clients the best design possible. That is what I specialize in, unique and awesome design.

So if you are needing a designer for any project large or small and whether you are in New York or San Francisco, call me up and we'll work up a deal for you.

Powder Room Renovation

2009-12-02T21:06:00.000-08:00

There was once an extremely large vanity and a toilet. Unnecessary and impractical for this first floor powder room. We knocked a couple walls down making this room smaller and giving the space to the kitchen. I used an old piece of wood the clients obtained on a vacation in Spain for the countertop, the supports are all concealed behind tile and drywall to give it the illusion that it is completely weightless and floating. I came up with a few different options for mirrors but ultimately went with the less typical option to elongate the space. This option helped the whole space feel unified.

Residential Garage / Loft (On the boards)

2009-11-20T12:24:00.000-08:00

A commercial style loft will be incorporated into a garage for this project. This garage will have underground (below grade) storage for three vehicles. The use of more modern unique materials not seen so much in the residential market will be incorporated with the design. Tilt up concrete with form-tie knock-outs will add an amazing texture and a more industrial feeling to the project. Polycarbonate will wrap and illuminate the lower exterior portion of the residence. Glass curtain wall and metal panel will finish off the palette and create a nice clean space.

Kitchen Renovation

2009-11-08T21:59:00.001-08:00

With the blessing of a leaky dishwasher these residents were forced to gut and install a complete new kitchen. I took it from completely empty to completely finished. Giving cost cutting measures and high contrast modern design to fit the style of there traditional tastes, it is definitely a one of a kind. The kitchen quickly became a room to look forward to being in instead of getting out of.

Renovation is complete!

Exterior Renovation

2009-09-01T20:49:00.001-07:00

A home located in Boise needed some much needed upgrading, and not to mention clean-up. There were several tricks used on this house to cut costs, painting the outdated pink brick with a base brow color, then gel staining it to give it a more rustic antiqued finish adds a whole lot of depth to this project. The garage door makes the statement of the neighborhood.

Before :

Tweets

2009-08-20T12:00:00.000-07:00

As we continue to change the way the internet is integrated into business and our lives dbh. has started using Twitter. This will be an easy and effective way to allow clients, potential clinets, friends, and readers what is going on. You can start following updates at http://twitter.com/designsbyhuman.

80's Kitchen Renovation (In Progress)

2009-08-14T12:48:00.000-07:00

This modern fast tracked kitchen design was inspired by traditional elements that were brought into the design from around the house. A timeless look that will be with house for many more years improved overall functionality and highly improved the asthetic appeal. For less than $30,000 a new kitchen was born!

Before :

Church meeting room

2009-08-04T21:23:00.001-07:00

Coffee in church? This church wanted a hip space for there guests and visitors to enjoy when coming here. It is a multi-purpose room geared towards everything from get together, coffee, youth group, meetings, or just hanging out. Wood is ran vertically in areas to make the room feel larger, and the use of large, bold graphic prints really helps make a statement in the room.

dbh. is on the web (finally)

2009-08-04T21:03:00.000-07:00

After several months of being in business, it came time to use this tool we all call blogging. Although at this point I am not 100% sure what it entails, I will use it as a temporary and a long term update page for designs by human. Stay tuned, an awesome site is coming soon!