KSA Presents "Visual Discovery" at VANHA

KSA Interiors Presents "Visual Discovery: Creating a Meaningful Vocabulary for Your Next Design Project" at the VANHA Annual Conference May 21st-24th.

A design team from KSA Interiors, led by Cameron Stiles, CID, FASID, LEED AP; will be leading an interactive presentation at the VANHA Annual Conference in Hot Springs, Virginia. This collaborative and fun Design Thinking exercise will engage conference attendees in a mock design session where they explore Visual Discovery techniques and engage in role-playing collaboration scenarios. Participants will work with the KSA team to define design priorities and vision for the administrators, residents, and staff of the fictional “Heron Bay Retirement Community!”

KSA on Health, Safety and Welfare:

Quakes, Snakes and Irene

After the stress of last few weeks for all of us on the East Coast, I was struck by an important thought. Even though I am an interior designer, and a George Nelson Coconut Chair excites me almost more than anything else, what I want most of the spaces where I live and work are for them to keep me safe. 

As I was huddled under my work surface during the 5.9 earthquake; the floor bouncing, light fixtures shaking, the building rumbling and “cube bling” (slang for all the quirky mementos we designers collect) falling off the shelves, I was fearful that I would be left under a mass of rubble, waiting for rescue dogs to sniff me out.  Fortunately that wasn’t necessary and I was able to text many of my friends and family that all was well.  Our building proved strong enough to withstand the earth’s torrential movement. 

Fast forward four days as we meet Hurricane Irene.  A witch by all accounts, Irene stormed through our beaches, towns and countryside showing us her wrath by tossing down trees, power lines and blowing debris.  Most of us found refuge in our homes; the places that protect us from cold, heat, snow, intruders (namely the many snakes in my neighborhood) and all sorts of environmental monsters.  For some Irene showed that her ability to toss trees was stronger than our roofs could withstand.  Fortunately most inhabitants weren’t injured, but the storm demonstrated that our homes aren’t as strong as they should be.

The people who design and build our structures, including interior designers, are required to be knowledgeable about construction materials and techniques that make built environments reasonably safe from whatever the earth and Mother Nature throw at us.  Not only does the structure have to withstand the stresses of the environment, but the interior design must also provide safety for those living inside; no obstacles blocking our exit routes, no furniture falling on us, no materials that can easily become ablaze. 

Natural disasters offer us the opportunity to review and to assess, and our wrecked homes and buildings become the research labs of structural engineers, designers and code officials.  The experiences of this past week will be used to learn how to make the built environment more safe, so that maybe our new roofs can withstand the weight of falling trees and our spaces can endure quakes, snakes and Irene. 

Beth Dickerson, CID, ASID, LEED AP

KSA on New Ideas:

Each Monday at KSA we are inspired by a quote to kick start the work week. We are encouraged to share our thoughts with the office and I was particularly inspired by a quote from a few weeks back, “A ship is safe in harbor, but that’s not what ships are for.” by William Shedd. 

My initial reaction was what is the point of remaining “safe in harbor”? Do we ever accomplish anything by never going anywhere? I don’t mean this in the literal sense of taking sail, but getting out there and seeking new information. As designers we are asked by our clients to be their resource for new ideas. Find the solutions that they could not find.  If we continually seek the same resources or options, we are one day going to realize that we have repeatedly conjured the same conclusions. To best serve our clients we have to explore what else is out there. 

 

It is amazing how a quote from an American Theologian who lived in the 1800’s can still inspire us today. We view the world in a global sense as no other generation has before. The world’s news and information is at our fingertips. With a click of a mouse we can find an answer to almost any question. But sometimes that is overwhelming. We know there are other solutions to our client’s needs, but how do we even begin to find them?

Part of finding the right solution is the journey that gets you there. The path to the solution is just as important as the solution itself.  If we don’t go out there and explore, we haven’t truly exhausted our efforts to find the best solution.  Not just the obvious solution, sitting on a shelf in a book, but the one you have to really look for. The one that you have to set sail on a mission to find!

To remain in the “harbor” will only lead us back to the same solutions time and time again. Maybe we need to get out there and explore; we need to set sail to our ideas.

Erin C. Riggan, CID, ASID, LEED AP

KSA Presents "Best in the World" | A Client-Centric Approach

When powerful design solutions and devoted service come together it results in something KSA Interiors likes to call a “Best in the World” scenario. We define this as an intersection of inspiration, knowledge and deep understanding of where our clients achieve remarkable results uncommon to more traditional project approaches.

The design team at KSA rejects the idea that our clients must choose between ideals of "High-Design" or "High-Delivery". One does not have to negate the other. Quite the contrary, we have discovered that truly devoted service is the strongest foundation for powerfully impactful solutions.

Through adopting a Client-Centric focus, KSA has developed a culture and a methodology for delivering “Best in the World” solutions for our clients. It is at the heart of who we are, and it drives what we do.

We invite you to learn about our approach and about how you can apply these lessons by reading our newly released eBook: "Best in the World - Bringing a client centric approach to your clients and your organization."