House in Hillcrest

It has been a big push by the clients to try and get into their house by Christmas, but finally we have resigned ourselves to the fact that it just is not a possibility.
 

That being said, impressive progress all round with walls being painted, ceilings and bulkheads being complete, kitchen cabinets starting to be assembled and the garden landscaping almost being completed.

House in Glenashley

So we are in the middle of the 'silly season' and Jossi Design is frantically trying to get projects wrapped up before builder take their long overdue holidays.  I know I am pretty tired but I am somehow managing to push through despite the pressure from our clients. 

So needless to say I am looking forward to the holidays, but first I had to go to site in Glenashley and see the progress here.  As you can see from the photos there is alot that still needs to be done here.  The client has been in Hong Kong so alot of the work was put on hold and now that he is back he is keen so see things moving again. 

There are some important decisions still to be made in terms of paint colours and finishes.  However I do have alot of work still to do in terms of the TV unit designs, Bathroom tiling layouts and specifications, Exterior design in terms of the paint colours and finishes to be used on the facade.

The ceiling completion has been held up by the Home Automation that the client has suddenly decided to incorporate into the house.  Thank goodness the ceilings were not boarded!  So as soon as the work has taken place within the ceilings we can board up, skim and move forward.

We will keep you posted with this project.

IID Christmas Cocktail Party

On Friday, 18 November, the KZN chapter of the IID had their annual Christmas function at The Square Boutique Hotel in Umhlanga Rocks.

A beautifully contemporary interior and a fantastic venue for members to socialise and unwind while sharing stories from the year.

Under the leadership of Jossi Design's own Jocelyn Jones, we toasted to 2011 and the (well deserved!) upcoming Christmas break.

The IID AGM 2011

So here I am sitting at Joburg International Airport waiting to fly back to Durban. I have just been to the IID AGM, this was held at the Pretoria University yesterday the 1st November 2011.

Although the AGM did not reach Quorum so no voting could take place, the AGM went ahead with the very comprehensive IID presentation and the report on the Financials.

The presentation was given by Madelaine Biezanek, and it was truly impressive to see the strides that the IID has taken in the past year, for example:

1) Membership has increased by 12% in the last year

2) The IID has a new legal team giving members support and advice where required

3) The IID and the legal team have travelled to all the regions conducting seminars on the Consumer Protection Act that affects all out business activities

4) The Legal team has produced a standard contract that IID members can use

5) The IID legal team is working on a standard fee structure for IID designer and decorator members

6) The newsletter is being sent out and members are advised to make use of this advertising opportunity as well as to keep informed of what is happening in the industry through the use of the newsletter

7) The IID website is getting several hits from members of the public therefore this is also a valuable marketing opportunity for members

The new National Council was introduced to the members present at the AGM:

• Myself, Jocelyn Jones being the KZN Regional Head

• Helen Buhrs - Pretoria Regional Head

• Dave Nemeth – Johannesburg Regional Head

• Trish Strydom – Eastern Cape Regional Head

• Heidi Jager – Eastern Cape Regional Head

The National Office is made up of Secretary Stefan Blignaut, Executive Manager Madelaine Biezanek, Membership and Public Liaison Manager Fehmida Jordaan. Then of course there is the current President Desmond Laubscher. The new President Elect (due to take over from the current President when his term is up) is myself, Jocelyn Jones.

It has been great working with the above mentioned National Office and current President and I am looking forward to working closely with them this year and with the new National Council.

Now it is pretty much time to board my plane back to Durban. I will keep you updated with progress about the IID but for more information visit www.iidprofessions.com or www.jossi.co.za

ARTWORKS

If you love contemporary design (as I do) you will probably be tired of the same old framed prints you see at the traditional decorating shops and professional framing companies.
Don’t get me wrong, it is not that I do not like prints, I have bought and displayed these in homes before at clients’ requests, there is just something that is more inspiring about original artworks. I find that you can almost always tell the difference between a print and an original, there is just more depth in a genuine artwork and for reasons I cannot explain, they capture and hold your attention much more than a print.


I think many people out there feel that original artwork is just too expensive and therefore they go straight to a supplier of prints and get these framed.


However I am here to tell you that if you look around and keep am eye open at markets, furniture retailers, designer showrooms, even some restaurants and coffee shops display artworks to sell, then you will find something right up your street, whether it is contemporary or traditional that you are after.

 Here are some examples of contemporary artworks that I have displayed at the moment. The first one is actually a mass produced oil painting from @ Home. This might not be what everyone has in mind when I say “original” artwork but it is an oil painting (not a print) that has depth due to the thickness of the oil on the canvas. The only draw back here is that each one at the retailer looks identical to the next one, but unless all your friends shop at the same shop as you, you will probably get away with this and no one will know the difference (also this shop is continually changing stock).

The next artwork is a photograph that has been produced onto photo-board. This one does not have depth in terms of paint on canvas, but the colours are so vivid and move across the canvas to create a vibrant and totally original piece. This artwork was purchased from a furniture retailer in Johannesburg.

And finally there is a true original artwork which is a combination of watercolour and oil on the canvas. This one I had commissioned for my daughters bedroom. The artists go by the name AHHA, and they will come to your home and see the room where the artwork is to be hung. They bring with their colour fandeck and choose the colours on site so that the artwork will work in that space. You give them the concept that you have in mind or you can visit their website and get inspiration from their previous works www.ahha.co.za. I have used AHHA many times on the various homes and commercial spaces that Jossi Design has designed and decorated and I have been thrilled with the artwork every time.

The best thing about all 3 examples above, they are affordable. If you look around at all the retailers and establishments already mentioned and cannot find something that grabs you consider contacting someone to create the artwork for you as AHHA does, and they are not the only ones out there.

Take it from me, a print might seem to be inexpensive, but by the time you have had it professionally framed it has cost you the same as one of the above mentioned artworks.

All I am saying is don’t go straight for the prints, explore other options and then if you go back to the prints at least you know that you are sure about your purchase.