Wedding Buzz & Fluttering Themes

It's wedding season and SMMS Design had the extreme pleasure of being apart of the happy couple's special event. We worked closely with the Portland, OR based couple, discussing themes, colors, composition and all of the beautiful details that go into creating a very individual and unique wedding invitation. Some themes that inspired the design were:

culture- Portland nature and Indian tradition

events- day to night

symbolism- pollinating bee and a moth to a flame

We were even charged with the challenge of creating an original logo for the invitation; the couple's initials (A M M) wrapped concentrically into a heart pattern, which can be found through out the invitation and onto the website. SMMS Design will also be part of the actual events, as photographer, decorator for event spaces and assisting the couple and their family in many other capacities, all to make for a special and memorable day!

Splatter Painting Murals

Last Thursday SMMS Design had an amazingly fun day painting colorful murals at the Boys and Girls Club, Hackensack. This mural session was especially memorable because the kids, ages 5 through 12, were the painters! They helped us paint wonderful dotted shapes, adding detail to a mysterious landscape mural. We did not want to give away what the mural was, which left the kids guessing all day. And let me say, their interpretations were so much more creative then anything we would have told them. Along with the landscape mural, we also painted a rainbow-colored dripping Peace sign in the stairwell, and more rainbow-colored splatter paint around the games room.

We really enjoyed painting at the club, all the kids were so eager and excited to contribute to the mural. In the evening when some of the parents came to pick them up, they rushed them up stairs to show off their portion of the mural with such pride! Those kids are so ready to be strong community helpers.

Talking with the Paskack Junior Woman's Club

This past Wednesday evening, SMMS Design was pleased to be invited to give a talk to The GFWC Paskack Junior Woman's Club, at the Park Ridge Community Center. The presentation was entitled “The Design Process: Inspiration!”, in which we discussed where inspiration comes from, how to tip it into action and specifically how to translate it in terms of interior design. Many people have creative and inspired ideas, but fail to create models or solutions from those ideas. We hope to show people how they can try out different design methods to achieve their desired goals.
The presentation ended with a great Q&A session and a take-away gift bag full of inspirational tips, was given to each lucky attendee. Creativity in design has to do with challenging and experimenting with the conventional and it usually leads to positive and inventive restyling. For more information about the Club, meetings, and events, please visit www.paskackjuniors.org

Architectural Digest Home Show

NYC’s Pier 94 played host to the 2012 Architectural Digest Home Design Show that ended its run on March 25^th.  The design themes bordered mainly on kitchen and bath aesthetics as well intricately compiled furniture and handcrafted collectibles. It was a wonderland of infinitely conceptualized ideas brilliantly brought to life  with the help of an imposing background and a lively crowd.

click here to read Architectural Digest's Review

Finnish textile, decor, and apparel brand Marimekko created an installation for the DIFFA (Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS) DINING BY DESIGN event in New York. The event unites talent from the realms of fashion, interior design, art, and architecture to create impressive dining environments.

Save a seat for Alice, the Mad Hatter & March Hare

Fittingly titled Color Therapy, Marimekko's tablescape exhibition showcases the exuberant colors and mesmerizing patterns the design house is known for. Inspired by the way bold colors and patterns can seamlessly fit into the everyday lives of people, the Marimekko team used fabric patchwork techniques to pack in a dizzying assortment of beautiful textiles.

Shooting a Woodstock Artist's Work

If you've ever tried to photograph a flat surface you know about its challenges. SMMS was hired by a local Woodstock artist to catalog his body of work for his website. Here are techniques we used to overcome some typical problems. We used a professional set up, placing the camera a couple steps away from the surface and setting the camera to the highest resolution. In editing we cropped the images removing the typical wonky lens pincushion or barrel distortion effect. The portfolio was captured beautifully and true to the original art.

www.brooklynflea.com

Our success at the Brooklyn Flea this weekend was marvelous.  We'll be back at it again the last weekend of March, or the beginning of April.  April is when the venue changes to The Fort Greene flagship location on Saturdays, a 40,000-square-foot schoolyard at Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School and the East River Waterfront Location on Sundays, located between North 6th and North 7th Streets just south of East River State Park.

 

They gave us a nice write up as well:
click here to read it!

Once upon a time...

... their was a Creative Consultancy and a talented Writer. One day they decided to pool their skills together and create something truly wonderful and original, customized storybooks for children! Our longtime friend, journalist Beatriz, an amazing writer we're excited to be working with to design and create one-of-a-kind stories for children. Its a cross between capturing a child's unique personality and bringing to life all those snapshots parents take of their child. We put all of that together into a literary/photographic/illustrated, beautifully well-designed package that will last more than one life time.

A few pages from "Melon: a true-ish story of the Mahlia"

A few pages from "The Adventues of... Super Benny"