Today I am at my Laurel Canyon jobsite to meet installers of protective window film.  I installed the bulk of this project in 2006.  I was amazed that even though the living room windows face northeast, the upholstery on the curved version of my Chamberlain Banquette faded.  The top photo below shows it just after it was completed.  The photo at the bottom shows it faded after a couple years.  I did not specify window coverings here because the house is so private, and the windows are situated high.  Not quite clerestory windows, they orient skyward.  As such, I wanted to leave them clean, without any treatments.

After I noticed the fading I researched a 3M product and installer to coat the windows.  Never a fan of traditional window “tints”, mirroring, darkening, or otherwise, I looked for a product that is virtually clear when installed.  I know this exists because of my experience working on retail projects.  Retailers use clear protective film so passers by can see inside the store, while protecting their wares from sun damage and fading.

I met with Roger Alba of Energy Control Center at the jobsite.  He showed me samples of the best available window coatings on the market.  I selected 3M’s Prestige PR70, a virtually clear window film, guaranteed for life.  This product is rated to provide 99% UV protection, and 97% infrared protection.  This will not only prolong the life of the fabrics, it will also help mitigate heat gain, all without changing the colors inside in any way, unlike conventional window tints.

Installation is fast and simple.  In the time spent writing this, the installer has nearly finished applying the tint to the eight windows being treated.

Happily, my client’s banquette still has a few years life left before it will need to be recovered.  He considers the money spent to protect it a wise investment.

To reach Roger Alba for a quote to protect your home or business call (800)479-6292, or visit:

http://www.climatepro.com

Be sure to tell him Bradley Blair Design referred you.

The top photo shows the piece right after it was completed in 2006.  The photo below it shows the piece in 2008, sun faded.

Recently, a colleague and friend asked me to design a collection of furniture to flesh out his wonderful existing line.  It was a delight and an honor to be asked, especially because this is a designer I really respect and admire, both professionally and personally.  However, with the downslide in the economy, he decided to keep the work in house, and rescinded the offer. 

I certainly don’t blame him for doing so.  Everyone’s feeling the pinch.  It’s smart to be conservative when things are so up in the air.

Still, it got me thinking about the many pieces I have created over the years.  I realized that having some of these pieces documented in my portfolio, and on the project shots of the web site just wasn’t enough.  So I called Brian Francis, my I.T. guy extraordinaire and started a dialogue about an update to the existing web site.

First, the update was to catalogue as many of the furniture pieces I have produced and have photography for as possible.  Second, the interiors shots needed to be enlarged.  The previous ones were too small, eliminating all the yummy detail we designers spend top dollar on premium photography for.  Third, a real home page was to be added at the front of the site to welcome visitors and act as a sort of table of contents.  Lastly, I wanted my very own blog page.

What began as a mere update turned into a major overhaul.  I spent hours digging up photography, scanning, cropping, and resizing images, researching specifications on pieces, including measurements and yardage required, and writing individual tags for the collection with this information, all to be added to the new web site. 

I am fairly organized, so I didn’t have to look too far for everything, but still, there were many parts to the puzzle, and I had to keep up with Brian who was inputting and writing the code for it all.

I am happy to say that the project is now complete, and I am thrilled with the results.  It’s no fancy Flash site, with moving images, looped music, flashing lights and disco balls, but it is an organized documentation of my work in a quick, easy to use, concise, attractive format consistent with the branding of my business.  The collection is up for all to see, and the pictures on the projects and press pages are finally larger.  Also, I have added more images to the projects page to better flesh out some of the jobs.

Lastly, there is the blog.  I am thrilled to have my own blog.  For the last several months I have been loosely blogging on my company Facebook page, which is great, but limiting.  Now I can journal about anything I want; discuss money saving decorating ideas, talk about trends, dish about projects, recommend places to shop.  The possibilities are endless.  Please stay tuned as I get this puppy up and running.  It’s going to be a fun journey.

My last words are this: if faced with some downtime during these trying times, use it productively to regroup.  Retool your web site like I did.  Be your own constructive critic.  Analyze what you do, and intuit what might give you a new edge.  Run with your ideas.  The sooner we prepare ourselves for the next upswing, the better off we’ll be when it hits.  For inspiration visit a museum show, watch an old movie, take a walk through your local botanical garden.  Hit some of the sales to retool your working wardrobe.  Get a new haircut.  Be ready.  It’s coming!