So often we think of design as simply something to make our places look better. Through Laura Summer, a New York artist, we learned of ARTinACTION, an artists’ project in New Orleans, using art to heal from devastation.

ARTinACTION’s latest project is by contemporary artist Jacqueline Bishop, and is titled “Field Guide.” It’s a site-specific installation designed by Ms.Bishop at the historical Milne Boys Home in Gentilly, LA. “Field Guide” will be celebrated with a formal unveiling July 26th from 3-6 pm on site with free refreshments provided by Whole Foods Market. Ms. Bishop writes:

“My vision for the Milne Boys Home was to paint the asphalt driveway with approximately 5000 simple black bird silhouettes that were individually cut from original drawings….The bird silhouettes covering the ground are designed to create a sense of birds in flight above, reminiscent of shadows coming from imaginary birds in flight. In reality these bird species would never interact with each other, but in this project the diversity of bird species migrating together symbolizes the need for human diversity to walk and work together to rebuild our landscape.” This taken the text is taken from Ms.Bishop’s artist statement on the ARTinACTION blog—you can read more at  http://www.artinaction-nola.blogspot.com

And here is a note from that artist, Laura Summer, who found true inspiration in design and art. (She also took these photos):

“I had been following the email updates from “ART IN ACTION” for the past six months, and I was fascinated by the project. Then in June I received an announcement that said, “volunteers urgently needed for Field Guide.” As one of my colleagues said, “ Yeah, you’re good at urgent”, so I booked a ticket and flew to New Orleans four days later.

What did I find? Elizabeth Underwood and Jacqueline Bishop, a small group of volunteers and Field Guide - a project stenciling thousands of birds onto the very long circular driveway at the Milne Boys Home.

Some days we were five people working, some days closer to fifteen. On our knees, on asphalt, painting sticky driveway paint in stencils that soon became gummed up and needed to be trimmed to reveal the delicate beaks and wing tips of these Louisiana birds. And it was hot. Except in the moments when the thunder crashed and we would grab the stencils and run to avoid the deluge. And each day the migration progressed along the drive, and the conversations progressed about art and the meaning of life, about our relationships to each other and whether the world can change. And I felt that I was privileged to be one of the pairs of hands (and knees) that was making this possible.

Now I am back in New York, back to my own canvases of color. But I can still feel the birds flying through me and I know that the world can change; it just takes our willingness to respond.

Laura Summer”

How about you? Anyone out there using art and design to do more than the obvious?

If you want a touch of the outdoors indoor and you don’t have a green thumb, try an indoor water fountain. They can come in many different flavors - tabletop fountains, free standing, or wall fountains. Fountains are made of natural stone such as slate, river rocks, pebbles or metals such as copper and steel. They can boast of bamboo spouts, lighting, chimes, and even a device that creates fog - now that’s atmospheric!

Each fountain has at a minimum four elements: some kind of base - they come in a variety of forms such as a basin, a vase, or a frame; a water pump; tubing; and water, of course. The amount of water you fill the fountain with depends on the size of your fountain - follow the directions and fill your fountain with the recommended amount of water. Use distilled water instead of regular tap water as tap water has sediments that will eventually clog up the tubing. Make sure you position your fountain near an electrical outlet as the water pump will need to be plugged in to pump the water.

Your fountain needs some maintenance. Eventually fountains may develop algae bloom and turn your water green. You just need to treat your water with anti-algae liquids found in any garden store and this will retard its growth. If the water flow is too loud, you may have the wrong type of pump. Pumps come in different flow rates - measured in GPH - gallons per hour. A small fountain - less than a foot high - needs only a GPH of 45-65. If there’s too much water splashing around, you may have too much water or too little water. Add or cut back on the amount of water you fill.

Once you have chosen an indoor water fountain that you like, you can enjoy its many advantages. Water fountains act as a humidifier - decreasing the dry air around you. The trickling of the fountain can mask other noises around you such as outdoor traffic. The water flow also can provide stress relief and a focal point for meditation. Finally, they provide a beautiful and serene decorating element to your home.

Okay, some excellent questions have come in from a reader, about indoor fountains. How exactly would that work? and how much water would one use? and what makes it better than just hearing a broken toilet running ? See the comment on the last entry, and please, anyone with knowledge of indoor fountains, let us know the answers…

On a recent trip to California, I became obsessed with fountains. And that funny thing happened, where you see (or hear of) something, and then you see (or hear of) it everywhere you turn, like when you’re thinking about getting a little dog you can carry around in your purse and suddenly the world is filled with chihuahuas and mini toy poodles.

Here’s the fountain that started it all, which my brother himself installed in his garden in front of his house. First, as you approach the doorway:

And then, a close-up:

Lovely, huh?

It’s remarkable what a difference this makes, as you’re coming up the path; it makes you breathe a sigh of relief to be home at last—even if it isn’t really your home but is your big brother’s home.

Summertime, and it’s time to think of ways to cool off, and a fountain is a wonderful way to bring down the temp. A fountain also hushes annoying noises (traffic, a cell phone yeller) and attracts pretty birds, which may not bring the temperature down but will certain lift your spirits.

Guess what? Gas prices are rising. Okay, I know you know this already, but did you also know that the skyrocketing prices of everything else are being traced back to the price of gas? An editor I know says that the prices are being blamed even for things that have nothing to do with petroleum (”Well, we decided not to publish that book—you know, with gas prices going up, no one wants to read about the habits of cats.”)

Now, it’s nylon carpets that being hit—really. The cost of nylon carpets once made them preferred (often, not always) over wool; now, the cost is surpassing that of wool. Why? remember, nylon is actually petroleum, in another form. More on this at Abby K’s blog at oninteriordesign.com
And while you’re there, to cheer yourself up about the collapsing economy, scroll down from the nylon carpet entry to see some great samples of wall paper from Farrow and Ball. Here’s one:

Great response from a reader, Carmen, who points out the possibility of distracting the eye from the unsightly air conditioner—a technique that’s useful for taking attention away from all kinds of design flaws in ones home.

As we move further into summer weather, it’s time to start thinking about keeping the heat out. The more you can prevent the heat from getting into the home in the first place, the less you’ll need the air conditioner, whether it’s nicely disguised or not. There are two major ways to keep your place cool without resorting to the A/C: good blinds on the windows, and fans.

Check out what Kristen Sue found when she went looking for blinds.

We found this bedroom to be particularly cool and inviting. The blind is from Bruce Blinds. You can see the other blinds of his, as chosen by Kristen Sue, at her blog at  http://www.6thstreetdesignschool.blogspot.com/

So, Marie writes that she is no stranger to the seasonal make-over, even in a Manhattan apartment. And in fact, even in Manhattan (especially in Manhattan, this week of 90-plus temps) the demands of weather force us to make changes in the decor. Any tips on this? How to hide that ugly A/C, for example?

I just got back from a visit to my cousin Pam (I still think of her as “Pammy,” but really, a grown woman should have a more distinguished name; hence, “Pam”). She lives in a gorgeous cottagy house outside Washington, D.C. surrounded by peonies and lilacs and wisteria.

When I arrived, the living room was a wreck—chairs half-dressed in their slipcovers, furniture in disarray, cats flying out the doors to escape the chaos.

She explained this was the bi-annual changing of the look of the house. Every spring, the winter slipcovers — dark maroon, deep blue, rich cream — come off, the decorative things on the bookshevles come down, even the dishes go into the cupboards. Out come the springtime things, the slipcovers in floral chintz, the pale green throw rugs, the white porcelain vases.

“Your mother must have told you about this crazy thing that those nuts in Maryland do twice a year,” she said, and then I did remember, and could hear my mother saying, “I think they’re out of their minds—can you imagine? It’s bad enough having to try to keep up with the vaccuuming and dusting.”

Well, yeah, they are out of their minds. But what a wonderful, wacky tradition. How great to be able to completely change the look of your place twice a year, and to know that twice a year everything will be shaken out and sent off to the cleaners. The house, when Pam was done with it, felt crisp and immaculate and fresh as a springtime bouquet. And then, there were mint juleps as we all sat in the garden.

Here’s a photo to illustrate the fresh springtime look. It’s from a site by Abbey Koplevitz, a designer whose work we love. You can see more at http://abbeyk.com/

So, what do you think? Is this nuts, or what? Has anyone else ever heard of this custom?

Okay, you can use up a lot of electricity browsing the Internet for information on greening your wedding, or you can buy a book on the subject and buy yourself a little computer-free time. Or, actually, you can do both. Here’s a book we like: the Green Bride Guide by Kate L. Harrison, recently published by Sourcebooks.The book grew out of Kate’s experience planning her own wedding and finding a dearth of green information and resources.Not only can you buy the book, but when you get that itch to go back to the computer, you can send in your question to her about your own wedding. You can find Kate at thegreenbrideguide.blogspot.com/

Warning: this site I’ve found is guaranteed to easily kill several hours in one sitting at the computer. That’s the bad news. The good news is it’s not only really fun, it also will help you hone your decorating skills.

It’s called decornextdoor.com . The idea is this: you can join the site (it’s free) and then post a photo of a problem area you have. (No, not your cellulite in the pre-suit season; that’s another site). Let’s say you’ve got a living room that you can’t seem to whip into shape. Post a photo, and readers will chime in with their ideas of how to improve the look.

Of course, you take the chance that you won’t like what they say, or that someone will suggest you just move to a new house, or that someone will say the only hope is by investing $10,000 in new stuff. But pretty much it seems that readers are understanding and kind. And so you get some great free design advice, which you can take or leave.

The Stylehound herself has tried it. If you want to take a look (and yeah, offer all the advice you’d like) go to: http://www.decornextdoor.com/spread/1598#

Decor Next Door is also fun on the other side—you can weigh in all on sorts of design problems, and see how other people weighed in. Comments from designers registered with the site are highlighted in purple, so you can know which comments are from trained professionals and which from, well, you know, regular shmeggies like us.

Try it out and let us know what you think.