design blogger's challenge: student edition

maison21 recently received an email from a design student, who though without a blog, was eager to participate in our design blogger's challenge, so we thought we'd post his entry for y'all to see.

Hi Maison! My name is Derek. I've been a long time follower and fan of your blog. You have such beautiful and inspiring work! Anyways, I just couldn't resist joining in on the fun of your obsessive compulsive decorating disorder challenge. I don't have a blog so I thought I'd email you my entry. I'm a student designer, so virtual design allows me to use my creative talent without having to break the bank! Your comments would be appreciated!

and here's his entry:

a beautifully schemed room with a hint of beige! I'm not big on neutral colors, but I managed to distract from the beige by using blue and green accents. Tell me what you think! Constructive criticism would be appreciated!

Black Granite and Steel Dining Table by Osvaldo Borsani Tecno, Italian Empire Wing Chairs by Decorative Crafts, Inc, sputnik inspired chandelier by InMod, Ikea curtain panels, walls are Dunn-Edwards' "White Sand" by (DEW-336), floating burl-veneer credenza, Marbro peacock feather lamps, extra-large blue steel mirror; stools, cerused oak floor and blond cowhide from original M21 challenge post (In the background, "Attention Cherie" by the stunning April March is blaring throughout the room... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2z83BakF-YE)

well done, derek! maison21 approves! you asked us to give our our opinion via some constructive criticism, and if there is one thing maison21 is never shy about, it's voicing his opinion. so here we go...

maison21 thinks the room is excellent student work, polished and professional- of course you had an excellent foundation to build upon from m21's original post (just kidding, btw- we're conceited, but not that conceited). the gaudy but cool empire chairs and floating milo baughman-esque credenza are true genius, especially paired with the table and stools; industrial and hi-tech modern, without being cold or stark- not always an easy task to pull off. we also liked the way the steel of the mirror frame is picked up again in the legs of the table, and while not a fan of black granite in general, we think the choice of it as a table top works beautifully to add to drama in this application, so maison21 is liking it here.

now here's what m21 didn't like: while we enjoyed the vintage touch provided by the marbro lamps, we wish you had echoed the vintage lighting approach with your choice of a chandelier- a 70's venini or mazzega crystal number would have upped the glam factor of the room considerably (similer to below, but maybe a bit bigger), or conversely, a vintage industrial or deco influenced modernist brushed steel fixture would have a been great choice too. while we understand you were trying to do the "cheap n' chic" thing (and we always like that), the $299.00 inmod chandy just isn't quite grand enough to hold it's own with the other fab elements of your room. so we recommend going a bit more upscale with your chandelier choice.

our only other criticism is relatively minor as well: while m21 used some inexpensive west elm curtains in our room, we can't say we love your ikea versions. both choices are off the rack pole pocket panels but the west elm panels are a bit more tailored up top, and hang without added fullness, whereas the ikea version in your photo collage, has that weird extra flange of fabric over the pole, and the gathering used for fullness makes them all bunched up and ruffle-y. that particular style of mass market curtain panel always reminds maison21 of a cheap home-sewn elastic waist granny skirt, so we avoid it like the plague, and recommend more tailored styles- like grommet tops or hidden tabs (like the ikea curtains below). the tailored tops are just a bit more polished, so don't look quite as store bought.
overall though, derek, we were highly impressed with your entry, and can't wait to see more of your work in the future! and we're also sure that your design future is going to be quite bright. good luck, and thanks for playing!

a note to anyone thinking about posting an entry in our design blogger's challenge- don't worry, dr. maison21, PoD (professor of decorating) will NOT critique your entry. we only did it in derek's case because he is a design student and specifically asked us to. the rest of the entries will be just for fun, k?

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