practitioners, not theorists, teach this Turner class

Thank you to Turner Construction for the 2012 Turner School Of Construction Management  for presenting a comprehensive, highly enlightening program this year. All of the instructors are practitioners, not theorists, who participate in the profession everyday and have many years of experience using good business practices.

Oh there She is on the far left. A proud graduate.  Grateful to have been taught about the proper way to build construction schedules, interpret contracts, and become a certified Woman Owned Business. I studied the OSHA book they gave us, on construction industry regulations, and continue to practice learning names as Joe Takash, our opening night speaker,  taught us " What is in a name?" "Everything!"

Turner Construction was started in 1902, it is no secret that sustaining a company for 110 years takes hard work , dedication and a commitment to finding a better way to do business. One way they have done this is by teaching minority owned business how to grow and become certified. There is a certain percentage of government work that is slated to be given to minority and or disadvantaged businesses, but if there are none available with the attributes to complete the work successfully, the opportunity can be given to any business. Turner is helping close the gap by educating businesses on obtaining and maintaining federal, state and local certifications, getting books prepared to get funding by local banks and good business practices to grow a business including business development and customer service.

With 110 years under there belt, Turner Construction is qualified to teach new and upcoming businesses how to succeed, despite the challenged economy. The Turner School of Construction management has been running for 24 years, graduating successful leaders like Larry Huggins of Rite Way construction, who also spoke at our culminating ceremony.  Did I mention that all of this was complimentary to the participants and all the instructors volunteered there time?! With generosity like this, I expect Turner Construction to continue to grow successfully, and along with it several thousand trained, professional, and successful minority business owners.

-Latricia

For more information, or to see the press release: http://www.turnerconstruction.com/news/item/3053/Turner-School-of-Construction-Management-Graduates-48-Minority-and-Women-owned-Businesses-from-Training-Program-in-Chicago

renderings make the sell

We love what we do!

Basement remodel

After shots to come!

Basement Remodel

Kitchen remodel

Before rendering: created to help me envision the project before any materials were purchased. Visualization also helps to get better bids from contractors because they have a clear idea of what they will be building.

After, the almost finished project in actuality. it still needs some crown installed, but the kitchen successfully resembles the rendering created before construction.

There was an expected cost to this project, when we removed the old window, we noticed that the frame had been eaten away by termites; the result was an unexpected cost and a required new window frame. Overall it was a good project experience. It is always important to have extra money for the unforeseen 'creep' that occurs with construction projects. Usually 20 percent of project cost is sufficient.

Residence Before and After

A Space for you to unwind part 1

Create a space in your home where you can unwind.

It should be

• ·     free of clutter

• ·     comfortable

• ·     and painted in your soothing tones.

I say "your soothing tones' because it is different for everyone. While certain colors evoke similar feelings in most people " red - raises energy " "Blue is known to have a calming effect".  but tones make all the difference. crimson Red evokes rage and hostility and while light blue is said to calm you and lower blood pressure, Dark blue has a different effect.  Dark blue evokes feelings of sadness.

Dark or light, consider your paint tones wisely in creating a room for you to unwind. Don't worry about trends and the latest colors, make sure that you do what sooths you!

 Latricia
www.lwashingtondesign.com

dental center

I wondered if I had shared this video with my blog followers? Or perhaps you have already seen it, anyhow here it is, a previous project for a dental center from start to finish.

-Trish
www.lwashingtondesign.com

Invite your friends to follow the blog, it is really interesting!

brain is a great storage space for memories

De Cluttering seems to be a hot topic these days as we live in this consumer culture of ours!

As I spend one - two hours per week putting together bags to go out of the door and into the hands of someone who can and will actually use the contents ( clothing, shoes, toys, pots and pans) I realize how much money i have wasted trying to organize all of these items that i don't need.  Do i need rows and rows of shelves in the garage or basement to organize all of the items i 'might' one day need? Or would i have a better quality of life with a clean garage with just a few choice items that we use on a daily, or at least seasonal basis? I think the latter items will suffice for my family!

Additionally my time of de-cluttering and trying to be as close to a minimalist as my personality will allow, has taught me to be weary of what i purchase. It is not just about how much it cost at the store, but how much time it will cost me once i get it home in maintenance , storage and finding it when i need it.

Lastly, I am not going to give up! For every bag of groceries, or household items i bring in another one-two must go out. This way i wont end up with a house full of stuff after i have lived in my home for 15 years.

Happy de-cluttering fans.

Don't forget that every memory doesn't need an item to help you memorialize the event, take a picture of the item if it means that much to you to help you remember the great times in life. The brain is a great storage space for memories, it organizes them automatically!

PRICE OF HISTORY DROPPING

10. PRICE OF HISTORY DROPPING <http://e.ccialerts.com/a/hBP8u45AFS8nrB8ebHWNsgq4kCR/ccb2897>

As Europe's financial crisis deepens, government funds for maintaining historical buildings, churches and archaeological ruins are drying up, and desperate local governments are turning to corporate sponsors for help. To preserve the historical treasures, they're selling ad space on ancient buildings, auctioning off usage rights and even putting some structures up for sale. Read the Washington Post article <http://e.ccialerts.com/a/hBP8u45AFS8nrB8ebHWNsgq4kCR/ccb2897> 

This was number 10 in Crains Chicago business this morning in headlines. How sad that history diminishes into the past because there are not funds to support the maintenance. Or is it? 

Yes, we want to hold onto the past, but many of the buildings no longer suit the current needs of our society, the buildings don't have elevators, or the seats are too narrow, they are not ADA accessible or the yearly cost to maintain them exceeds the value by daily users. 

Maybe we an re-purpose these buildings or pieces of the facade  to remind us of our past , but bring everything else up to modern day standards. How excellent it is to see the past and the present existing in harmony!

 Trish
www.lwashingtondesign.com

In The News

Class

Construction Management

Back in to the game!

I am back at it making over our 113 year old home! On the most minimal of budgets. Ill blog everyday about my design journey. Stick with me, WE ( you and I) might just learn something

You,...designed! Life.Style.Design: Plan to succeed in your next project

You,...designed! Life.Style.Design: Plan to succeed in your next project

Plan to succeed in your next project

I have come to the realization that viewers of HGTV and DIY networks give themselves a confidence that they can tackle a home renovation project on their own. When in fact the projects that are being completed in a 30 minute show are undertaken by a full crew of professionals and skilled craftsman who are specialist in their individual trade.

Do It yourself  or hire a pro?

Money is tight these days but the reality is that sometimes , unless you are highly skilled yourself, hiring a pro can save you money. The benefits of hiring a pro are that the job will be done correctly, the results will last longer and save you time and additional money on maintenance and finally the extended period of wasted time you would take to do a project that a professional could do in a portion of that same time.

Whether you do it yourself or hire a pro the best thing you can do is start with a great set of plans.

I frequently get called into look at renovation projects, some of them are beautiful, some have minor space plans that i can easily direct the contractor to fix, and some are an absolute travesty! The travesty is the result of having a poor plan or not having a plan at all before construction starts. I have seen walls taken down that shouldn't have been, and walls left that should have been removed! Bad planning, or lack of it can cost you the sale of your house or the pleasure of enjoying a sanctuary built for yourself.

If you choose to do it yourself, at least make the investment to get a set of plans ( even rudimentary sketches) drawn by a space planner or interior designer. The benefits include:

• having an easy way to communicate your ideas to a contractor
• a measurable valuation of whether the contractor has done a good job ( by seeing how well his work matches the plans
• manage cost overruns created when there is no guideline plan to work
• manage the mistakes made by having to make decisions on the fly

Failing to plan is the same as planning to fail! So whether you DIY or hire a pro, invest in a plan!

@lwdesignllc

LWashingtonDesign LLC last project