Glass Work Abounds at the Knox Summer Estate

Posted on September 15, 2013 by sreicis

Villa Maria College graduate Catherine O’Connor is both an artist and a designer. Her theme for the Jack and Jill Bath was Poppies and the Promise of Spring. Each poppy is individually done by hand, and represent several glass techniques. Contrasting with the white tile is an eye-catching paint treatment. Special glass pieces include glass shades, switch plates, window treatments and a multitude of accessories, each specially crafted and created for this space. A beautiful example of art and design coming together for Catherine’s 7th Junior League Show House. Of note as well is the twenty pound cast glass poppy which is the sink, set on an industrial black iron stand.

Creative Interiors by Melissa

Posted on August 16, 2013 by sreicis

Melissa Pleace is a graduate of the Villa Maria College Interior Design Program and it was a pleasure to see her participate in the 2013 Junior League of Buffalo Show House. This was Melissa’s first room at a Show House. Her design for the Master Bathroom Couples Sweet Retreat was a whimsical and playful decorating delight. Taking her inspiration from a beautiful French Provincial paisley fabric she successfully brought the outdoors in and combined both masculine and feminine features. Collaborating with local artists the room featured a hand painted mural by Victoria George. Attention to detail is prevalent in the space from the new ceramic tile floor, installed in a basket weave pattern to the updated light fixtures and lush greenery. The vintage subway tile on the walls was complimented by the sky blue painted walls and accessories.

Collaborating in the Kitchen

Posted on August 12, 2013 by sreicis

By its very function the kitchen is the space where collaborations just naturally occur…and so at the Junior League Decorators’ Show House the kitchen design was a collaboration between Jamie C. Johnson and Wayne Watson. Assisting Jaime, who is part owner of Eden Interiors, was her intern and Villa Maria College senior Therese Smith. This was an exciting experience for Therese, who was able to assist with the design and installation from the ground up. The theme was ‘Mod British Kitchen’, and this was articulated in the paprika red and stainless cabinetry along with the juxtaposition of traditional wood and original tile work with contemporary fittings and the ‘Underground Tube’ wall covering. The small pantry was a space of its own in the Show House floor plan, designed by Jaime Johnson and installed with the assistance of Therese Smith, the glass front shelves were filled with cook books and culinary tools. Since that time, Therese Smith has completed her BFA degree at Villa Maria College and is currently employed as Jamie Johnson’s Assistant.

Kittinger Gallery Creates a Family Room Retreat

Posted on August 10, 2013 by sreicis

The Kittinger Gallery and Design Studio is both an employer of Villa graduates and a popular internship site for Villa students. As a thank you to our Internship supervisors the college waives tuition for a course of their choice. We are very pleased that owner Karen Bialkowski finds time in her busy schedule to use this opportunity for her own professional development and design interest. She brings a unique perspective to the classroom, and her contributions to discussions always enhances the learning experience for all the students. The room that Kittinger designed for the Junior League of Buffalo Decorator Show House 2013, the Knox Summer Estate had a relaxed feel that would be comfortable for family evenings but spacious and welcoming for guests. Traditional with a contemporary flair, there was an impecable style evidenced throughout the space, from the inglenook fireplace to the wine tasting niche to the conversational seating areas with magnificent views of the estate. Notable features in the space were selections of beautiful artwork, attention to detail, unique accesories and a connection with the historical significance of the estate and the Knox family….a definitive design success!

A Stroll Through the Show House 2013

Posted on July 31, 2013 by sreicis

As you entered the Show House and turned to the right, a space of note and interest was The Safe Room. Designers Barbara Reformat, Danielle Schiavitti and Debbie Ziccardi collaborated to create this unique and memorable room. All three are graduates of the Villa Maria College Interior Design program. New met old in the space with the introduction of a new generation of tile, Laminam by Crossville. This large format porcelain tile measuring 39″ X 118″ clad the walls of the anteroom to one of the Knox family safes. The tile is available from Tiles International in Orchard Park. The space also featured artwork from Rider Frames and Gallery.

Villa Interior Design Alumni….Making a Difference

Posted on July 29, 2013 by sreicis

Pride of place and community support are hallmarks of Villa Maria College Interior Design Alumni. This year’s Junior League Show House was one of the most beautiful ever, and it was also one of the most spacious. As a professor in the Interior Design Program it gave me great pride to document over 20 spaces that were products of the efforts of Villa students and alums. From grand spaces like the Master Bedroom and the outdoor terraces to bathrooms and sewing rooms, it was exciting to see so many familiar faces sharing their artistic, creative and design talents. The Garden Party was attended by a record breaking turn-out and the logistics of moving through the house were crowded, but we were able to gather a sizeable number of students and alums to capture a photo opportunity in the IDA designed room. Pictured above are Melissa Pleace, Debbie Ziccardi, Barb King, Karen Mattoon, Sandy Nelson, Danielle Schiavetti, Barb Reformat, Joe Battaglia, Rebecca Duda, Caroline Barr, Sandra Zygaj-Borowski, Tara Clack, and Constance Strother. This is a terrific Villa story that I take tremendous joy in sharing. Keep an eye out for our commemorative poster featuring all the terrific spaces that have the Villa touch! Pictured above is the Bird of Paradise Hallway, by Terry Litzinger, a graduate of the Villa Interior Design Program, she brings 20 years of experience to both commercial and residential design, bringing a classic, sophisticated style that is inspired by nature. The chandelier in this space was a vintage birdcage that underwent a transformation to create visually interesting light patterns in the space.

Service Learning with Junior League

Posted on July 28, 2013 by sreicis

Every two years something wonderful happens in Buffalo, and it’s the Junior League Show House. This year was a slight departure, going to East Aurora and re-designing the beautiful rooms at the Knox Summer Estate. Students with the Interior Design program at Villa Maria College have been perennial participants in the process and have been successful with their proposals. This year proved no different, with the opportunity to finish one of the bathrooms at the estate….and it was the coolest bathroom ever. Our space was used by the Knox family to chronicle the heights and weights of the Knox children on the door and door frame. Preserved as a piece of wonderful family history, the Villa students played off this theme with their space, ‘Pencil me In’. Pictured to the right are Jason Cole, Therese Smith and Sandra Zygaj-Borowski painting our room. The soft, silvery quality of hand drawn pencil marks along with the daylight from the window, inspired the color palette and material choices. Playing off the horizontal pencil marks the students installed glass tiles and a unique, Roman shade was selected for the shower curtain. The horizontal fabric folds are contrasted with bold, vertical fabric panels, alternating between sheer and opaque to allow for natural lighting and insure modesty. The window treatments are one-of-a-kind fused glass panes with deatiling also inspired by pencil patterns. As we discovered during our research of the space, this room originally included a Picasso painting, and to pay homage to this fact, we included a serigraph of an original Picasso that was gifted to the Albright-Knox Art Gallery by the Knox Foundation.

The IN Club….promoting excellence for the students

Posted on February 10, 2013 by sreicis

Student clubs are an excellent way to make friends and get involved with fun activities. The Interior Design student club (IN club) at Villa Maria College is an American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) student chapter and as such is also dedicated to promoting the field of Interior Design through education, competition and networking. The club meets on a regular basis and provides a forum for both faculty and students to discuss various opportunities and needs. Meetings generally occur during campus hour and always include food. We have fun celebrating our accomplishments such as the sweep of 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in the recent ASID student competition. It gives us a great opportunity to eat cake! It is also a valuable opportunity for students to participate in Service Learning as well as Professional Development activities. A perennial favorite is the annual Festival of Trees to benefit Women and Childrens’ Hospital of Buffalo. This year the students designed and installed a holiday window, which was on display as well as for sale at Festival at the Hyatt Hotel of Buffalo. This year’s design concept was ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’, which fit very nicely with the Festival theme of Winer Wonderland. The window not only sold in record time, but also won the Best Window Display award, for the second year running. The Service Learning Project for the spring will be huge. We have been selected to finish a space in this year’s Junior League of Buffalo Decorator Show House, which is the Knox Family Summer Estate in East Aurora.

The Benefits of Field Trips……

Posted on February 2, 2013 by sreicis

Once again the sophomore Interior Design class from Villa Maria College travelled to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for a two day field trip. The studio class is exploring the use of fine art as inspiration for a design concept, and thus the first day we visited the Andy Warhol Museum followed by the Carnegie Museum of Art. Each gallery visit was unique and the student reflections were varied. The field trip was filled with shared experiences that strengthened the group camaraderie as well as improved classroom discourse. A quick stop at the University of Pittsburgh Cathedral of Learning included a photo opportunity for ‘Harry Otter’, in the space that was momentarily re-named Frogworts.The evening concluded with a fun dinner at the Hofbrauhaus and some shopping at Southside Works. The following day was the traditional trip to Fallingwater, the Edgar Kauffman summer residence designed by Frank Lloyd Wright . Pictured are students, guests and instructor Sandra Reicis at the swimming pool and the classic view by the river.Then it was a visit to Kentuck Knob currently owned by Lord Peter Palumbo and also designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.Several students selected works from the Andy Warhol Museum, and all students reflected on both these residences as they designed their ‘Millennium Dream Home’, the Studio 2 final project. Experiencing the spaces was critical to a true understanding of the design impact. The docent led tours at both locations were outstanding and provided a great amount of information and insight.

Villa Maria College students take 1st, 2nd and 3rd in ASID competion!

Posted on October 9, 2012 by sreicis

The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) has announced the winners of the Upstate New York and Eastern Canada Network 2012 design competition. There are three professional categories including Residential, Commercial under 3,000 square feet and Commercial over 3,000 square feet plus one student competition category. Winners for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place are awarded in each. In the student competition category all three winning entries are from the Interior Design program at Villa Maria College. Third place, for her Studio 5 Dzintari Health and Wellness Center is Sandra Zygaj Borowski. The project location is Latvia, in the city of Sigulda. Students Skype with the project architect, Gunta Graudupe as well as the owner/client Dr. Anda Polna. Ms. Zygaj Borowski researched Latvian folklore and history, selecting the symbol of the Cross Hatch Star to inspire her design. The second place winner, for her Studio 4 Sephora Pop-Retail Design is Savana Czekalski. The students in this studio travelled to New York City to visit the newest Sephora retail store, gain first hand knowledge of the business and study other examples of retail design. Ms. Czekalski based her design on the concept, ‘Tis the Season to be Pretty. The first place winner, also for the Studio 5 project in Latvia was also Savana Czekalski. Students were required to design sustainable interiors applying universal design principles and reflecting the unique cultural and regional properties of the location in Latvia. The projects were also critiqued by Professor Daina Gaga, from the Latvia Culture College located in Riga, Latvia. Both studios are taught in the Junior year. Faculty advisor for Studio 4 is Professor Paul Brinkworth and Faculty advisor for Studio 5 is Professor Sandra Reicis.

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