Living color at home - T63 (Thurs. 3:30 - 5:00)

For a homeowner, aside from lighting decisions, is there any other decision more fraught with fear than choosing color? You can tell your clients, 'it's only paint - if you hate it - repaint'....but that doesn't assuage their fear (nor would it make them feel better about the prospect of paying for the re-painting).

The description of this seminar/panel calls the home a mini-ecosystem that depends on the artful engineering of light and color. I could say the same for what's growing in my refrigerator but that's beside the point. The point is this: the more you bring to the table, the better your client will feel.

Color me there (oh there I go again - amusing myself)!

Real green building: making the building science and quality connection - T21 (Thurs. 10:00 - noon)

I was going to try to be pithy - you know - real green vs really really green? The truth is that the folks at Building Green have been on this bandwagon longer than most people. Back when it wasn't 'cool' - back when people blithely threw out their trash without separating the recyclables. Back when paint cans didn't list their low-VOC properties. You get my point.

You can say you are interested in learning more about green building, or you can put your money where your mouth is and really really delve into the idea of making the connection between science and quality.

I'm done preaching....

How to choose your clients - a strategy for successful relationships W68 (Wed. 3:30 - 5pm)

I fear that given the economy, people might be afraid to just say no. You have to ask yourself who it benefits if the relationship between architect (or designer), and client ultimately crashes and burns. Is it possible to become an expert at client selection, cultivation and development? You've all heard the expression that great design starts with great clients (I might be paraphrasing a bit), and if that's even partially true, I think you should beat a path to this workshop.

Crown Point Cabinetry - booth #834

Do you think homeowners will ever tire of re-imagining their kitchens? Someday I'd like to study the psychology of kitchen design. I think more than any other room, there is a deep-seated need to create an 'environment.'

Do I think that Crown Point Cabinetry has a therapist on retainer to help consumers? Probably not because it looks as though they've figured out the whole environment thing on their own. Good for them...good for us!

Swenson Granite Works - booth #843

No no....not the pool...the pavers. These things don't just pave themselves you know. Like all good design projects - the project should look greater than the sum of its parts. But when you break down the parts - it's critical that each one be greater than the the other. There's a circular thought for you!

Remember - it's always important to sweat the small stuff - and then jump in the pool to cool off.

If I were a Carpenter.... (Artisan Area)

I'd build furniture that looked like this! I love the floating effect that this piece projects. Sebastian Carpenter, like many Artisans, is multi-talented. He provides clients with elegant furniture, interior design services and space planning. He has done a lot of work in the United Kingdom, but I think it's time that we here in New England take a good long look. He's in Wenham for God's sake - where's your sense of Nationalism!

Timberpeg - booth #669

Post and beam? Mortise-and-tenon joinery? These are terms that have been around for centuries. Nowadays this style of building seems to have become most popular for 2nd homes (particularly in ski country). I say it's time to expand your thinking about this warm and inviting style and start thinking about how your primary residence might benefit from a little joinery. The good folks at Timberpeg will be happy to educate you.

Thoughtforms Corporation - booth #556

Thoughtforms, according to their website, has been building for four decades. Clearly, they aren't resting on their laurels.

I love this image - and believe me - they have some amazing projects listed on their site - but this one spoke to me. What did it say? It said that all challenges, big and small, will be met - beautifully.

Rimadesio - booth #561

I think closets and closet-systems had become important long before Carrie Bradshaw asked for one in lieu of an engagement ring (sorry...pop-culture reference). Having said that - I know many people who would kill to have more closet space. My condo in Rozi has such tiny closets that all my clothes are hung on the diagonal. That is so NOT 'Sex and the City.'

I will be swinging by Rimadesio's booth - just to dream.

Getting to yes: overcoming homeowner fear of architects and contractors (T26 - Thursday, 10:30 - noon)

I don't want to sound too Tony Robbins here but - everything comes down to sales. Everything. The scariest root-canal is less so if you trust your Dentist right? I know - I just compared a homeowners fear of architects and contractors to fear of root-canals. If that analogy set your teeth on edge (oh, I'm just amusing myself now)- I was trying to use a profession as far from sales as possible.

You all know the expression, 'good news travels fast - bad news travels faster.' You must recognize that in many cases, your client (or potential client) has heard nothing but horror stories about jobs gone awry. The deck (not that deck) might already be stacked against you. Wouldn't you want tools (I'll leave that pun alone) to help your client overcome their objections?

Look at me...trying to get you to 'yes' by attending this seminar!

Boston's boutique hotels (Tour TT3 - Thursday 9:30am - noon)

I love how the word 'boutique' went from 'a small fashionable shop', to also mean 'any small, exclusive business offering customized service.' So French n'est-ce pas? And not to be outdone by our French friends - Boston has its own burgeoning boutique-hotel market.

Join architects from Cambridge Seven Associates as they explore two of Boston's most-talked about historic projects. I haven't seen the Ames Building yet, but I've been to jail....I mean I've been to the former Charles Street Jail (phew) and I've seen its transformation. To say that Cambridge Seven worked some magic on this building would be like saying Houdini performed magic tricks. Oh la-la!

The biggest energy mistakes architects and builders make (W81 - Wednesday 6:00 - 7pm)

No one wants to be told they've made mistakes, or are about to make one....particularly architects. Like doctors, architects are the specialists in their field - and not knowing the answer is akin to a dr. looking at an x-ray and saying, "um...I don't know."

Are there any more important issues in our industry right now than energy and sustainability? Okay, yes, unemployment and the economy are obviously very important - but we can only tackle one important issue at a time in the allotted time slot.

What's the saying? Pre-warned is pre-armed?

LEED for Homes: a case study (W60 - Wednesday, 3:30 - 5pm)

I've read a little bit about this project, and it does sound intriguing. I think having the homeowner as part of this panel is very smart as I believe that she drove the project as much as Jan Gleysteen (the architect). I'm sure that one of the most often asked questions for a project like this is how long it will take for the investment in this technology to pay for itself in fuel savings? Given the cost of fuel right now - someone might be having the last laugh. However, I think there is more to the project than just cost savings. Come and find out.

Guerilla architecture...no working drawings! W26 (Wednesday, 10:30 - noon)

This is walking on a wire without a net! My palms get sweaty just thinking about it (wire-walking - not architecture...)

But - the same principle might be true - it might be exhilarating to go from design to construction without working drawings. As Philippe Petit says (the infamous WTC wire-walker); "my safety net is much stronger than anything else in the world -- it's my preparation."

Couldn't the same be true for architecture?

Harnessing the pwer of feng shui - W21 (Wednesday, 10:00 - noon)

Don't snicker....feng shui continues to be relevant, precisely because of the need for balance in our lives. Everyone has experienced environments that deplete our energy....so why wouldn't the reverse be true? I'm not saying that placement of mirror can change your life (or your clients life) - but aren't you a little curious to learn about some design elements that might?

Magazines: inside-out - W23 (Wednesday, 10:30 - noon)

I know that architects and designers look through magazines and say to themselves, "how the heck did so-and-so's project get published? That lucky devil!" You might phrase that a bit differently, but we know that's what you are thinking. If you want the inside scoop you'd best not miss this workshop. There are five (count 'em...five) magazines represented here - and each one has a distinct point of view. I'll fight you for a seat up front.

Hickox Williams Architects - booth #667

On their website, Hickox Williams Architects say, "Hickox William Architects believe that architecture grows out of an intimate and continuing dialog between the design team and the client."

We may never know whose idea it was to build an outdoor fireplace inside the chimney - but if that's what happens when you have a dialog with these architects - imagine what they might come up with when I start yapping!

Light + color: demystifying the lighting design process - T44 (Thursday 1:00 - 2:30)

Saying that light and color are critical design components is almost like saying that Michelangelo just painted ceilings. Talk to almost any homeowner and most will say, "I want more light." Then they say, "I'd like to add more color." Add to that, "I have this fabric that we must incorporate into the design scheme", and most designers and architects start heading for their color wheels, or their color theory books from way back when. This is when I say, "bring in the professionals!" There are people who really do this for a living, and I think it behooves us (yes, I said behooves) to listen to them.

Infusion Furniture - Artisan Area

Bar stools...to my mind, are like shoes - you can never see too many styles. No one wants to walk into a showroom and see the same counter stools they've seen a hundred times before. Look at these curved, rich dark walnut seats. I can almost guarantee that you won't see these reproduced everywhere. Just passing along an insiders tip.

Horner Millwork - booth #551

Here is another example of a most welcoming first impression. Horner Millwork provides such an amazing array of millwork products for its clients that it's really a shame to only show you one photo.

Welcome home indeed.

BuildingGreen - booth #351

The corporate mission of BuildingGreen, LLC is to facilitate transformation of the North American building industry into a force for local, regional and global environmental protection; for preservation and restoration of the natural environment; and for creation of healthy indoor environments—while promoting the well-being of the company and its employees, owners, and associates.

This is a lofty mission statement, but if you read the bios of Alex Wilson, the Executive Editor, and Nadav Malin, Editor, you'll understand how they can not only make that statement, but stand behind it.

Here are some of the verbs they use to describe how they will accomplish their goals: promote, serve, foster, model. These people are doers. Their website is filled with wonderful information on products and services. You will feel really bad about yourself if you don't stop by their booth.

Michael Hauck Designs - Artisan Area

This bench, which Michael Hauck says was inspired by an image of a Shinto Shrine gate, evokes a calm presence. I could not agree more. Sometimes a bench just needs to be a bench - and this bench is telling me to slow down and have a seat. Michael's other pieces all seem to have a similar calm presence. They don't all speak to me at the same time though - that would be really noisy. Besides, I don't really speak Japanese all that well.

The architect's guide to homeowners - W84 (Wednesday, 6:00 - 7:30pm)

Oh I love this idea! However, I also need a guide to children, ex-husbands, mothers (this would be a big seller), bosses - I could go on. I believe this workshop is more in the vein of the 'walk a mile in someone's shoes' philosophy - which makes sense. Homeowners are complicated because the process is complicated, and c'mon - we're talking a different language to them, aren't we? We say vault, and they think banking. It's a language problem, and there's no Rosetta Stone.

Spot on...Artisan Area

Meg Little, the artisan whose rug you see here, says that there is an inexplicable power to the handmade. I agree with that, and this image does not quite convey that power - so you'll have to stop by the Artisan Area to see and experience her work live.

Green home or leaky artifact? W82 (Wednesday, 6:00pm - 7:30)

New England being, well...New England...we might have more than our share of leaky artifacts. That being said - I am thrilled to know that so many people are interested in employing green technologies to their older homes. Maybe we should change the expression from 'everything old is new again' to 'everything old is green again'. I've seen the work of LDa Architects (they are part of this panel), and if they can articulate their knowledge as well as the homes they design and build - you are in for a treat.

Creating a healthy and healing home - W43 (Wednesday, 1:00 - 2:30)

Everybody is talking about greening the home - but I hope that they are also learning how to heal a home and how to create a nurturing space. In this workshop you will learn how fabrics and colors and furniture can work in harmony for your clients in a way that may transcend design. It's called design psychology; and if you think about people's reactions at the conscious level to space and color, then you'll understand why it's important to learn more about how people might react at the subconscious level. Let the healing begin.