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Working with Armadio and Nickels

Something I never tire of telling people, clients, friends … is how great the people I work with are.  I’ve worked with many different groups of people through the course of my career and there are always some great ones that stand out from the crowd.  At Armadio Kitchen and Bath the whole group is fantastic!

Through some stroke of luck, about 10 years ago, Phil Cervi, owner of Armadio, asked me to come to work with him there doing cabinetry design. I have found that this focus has been very compatible with the interiors work that I do. Phil has great installers, a scheduler and an accountant, and has added a number of other designers to the group over the years. He stands behind all of our work with a shared goal of great design and happy customers. He has created an atmosphere of mutual support amongst the designers, so we are all there for each other to help solve issues, and to keep current on design trends.

Armadio is a dealer for Nickels Custom Cabinets. Guess what?! The people at Nickels are terrific, too. I love working with Nickels cabinetry because they offer a top quality product for a mid-range price. They are happy to do custom work, have a great warranty, and completely stand behind their products. But I love working with Nickels, the company, because of the people. From Dieter Nickel, the owner, to – everyone else – there is a focus on producing a high quality product and meeting their customers’ needs. They are frequently meeting with their dealers and designers to keep abreast of the trends and what clients are asking for. Their designer support team and engineers are – well, indispensible to us designers. They help us look good to our clients!

This is my team.

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What “Home” Means

Le Corbusier was one of the pioneers of Modern architecture at the beginning of the last century, famous for his open plans and clean, geometric designs.  One of his best-known quotes is “a house is a machine for living”.

I heard this quote many, many times while I was studying architecture.  I appreciate that the massive changes that he contributed to the design world at the time were very cerebral and technical. However, they have provided the foundation for the modern and contemporary aesthetics that we are still loving and actively engaging with today.

I recently found another quote by Le Corbusier that I feel is much more fulfilling:  “the home should be the treasure chest of living”. Now you’re talking!

What “Home” Means – Part 2

I moved around a lot as a kid.  We lived in 10 different places by the time I started university, including a year in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.  That was pretty cool.  I loved that no matter where we were my parents always made our house feel like our home.  Because of this experience growing up, I have a huge appreciation for that concept:  home.  I will always bring that respect to my work with my clients.

Here are some of the many facets of “home” to me:
Beauty/function, spatial, tactile, enclosing/open, public/private, interior/exterior, safe, gathering/alone, messy, joyful, heartfelt, noisy/quiet, busy/peaceful, friendly, caring, playful, loving, warm, tender, personal, façade, designerly, quirky, curated, light/dark, small/large, group/self, adult/child, opacity/transparency, masculine/feminine, colourful/neutral.