A Dream Room...
Carnegie - Xorel Meteor

Earlier this year, Carnegie was asked by the staff at Ownby Design to donate wallcovering material to the Dream Rooms Contest for the Phoenix Dream Center in Phoenix, AZ.  The contest, led by Desert Star Construction, was an opportunity for ten local design teams to each create warm and inviting rooms for women and their families at The Dream Center Rescue Project:  


Carnegie - Xorel Meteor

  "The Dream Center Life Recovery program is a faith-based, residential recovery program that helps men and women overcome substance abuse, anger management and emotional struggles. The Dream Center Rescue Project operates two separate homes for underage girls and adult women (18-30) who have been rescued from human trafficking and sex slavery from the streets of Phoenix.The Rescue Project is designed specifically to meet all their needs including spiritual and emotional support, while providing an environment that  is loving and caring."   

Read more about the Dream Rooms Contest here: Arizona Foothills Magazine - Phoenix Dream Center - Dream Rooms
Carnegie - Sandstone


"These rooms willtouch the lives of hundreds of young women who otherwise would not have beenrescued", Clair Ownby.  

View all the completed rooms here:  Dream Room_photos

Congratulations to all the design teams, sponsors, and volunteers who worked tirelessly to make these rooms a reality.  Carnegie is proud to have been asked to participate.






Mary Blanchard
"No, I am not a hoarder...I am The Material Collective"
The morning temps are getting cooler here in Phoenix, my car is washed and filled up with gas- I even have a new haircut! I am out showing a new collection from Carnegie, drumming up excitement over new collections and fabrics from Summer Classics Contract and amazing decorative glass from Skyline Design, and getting the word out about Chelsom Lighting and Interna. Looking forward to seeing you all in the weeks to come!
Mary Blanchard
Neocon 2012...what to see?
Are you in Chicago this week to see all that's new at Neocon?  The Mart can be tricky to navigate so below I've listed the showroom numbers to the companies represented by The Material Collective.  I hope you get a chance to see the innovative wallcoverings from Carnegie, the stunning Knoll patterns incorporated into Skyline Design glass, and the elegant outdoor lounge and dining furniture from Summer Classics Contract.

8th Floor:  Skyline Design #8-6106
11th Floor:  Carnegie #1123A
15th Floor: Summer Classics Contract #1556


Mary Blanchard
HD Expo....day three...
So much fun seeing you all! Thank you for stopping by Carnegie, Chelsom, and Summer Classics. I am going back home to get some rest...see you in the market!
Mary Blanchard
The Hospitality Design Expo (HD)...The Details...

Can you believe it's that time again already?!  Will you be in Las Vegas for the HD Expo?  I would love to see you and give you a personal tour of my manufacturer's latest product introductions.  I've posted my schedule below.  There will be a lot of exciting new product launches to see and I would be honored to have a few minutes of your time.


Tuesday, May 15
Summer Classics - booth #4749 - 9:30-11am
Carnegie - booth #4223 - 11am-5:30pm

Wednesday, May 16
Chelsom Lighting training 7:30am-10am
Carnegie - booth #4223 - 10am-noon
Summer Classics - booth #4749 - 12pm-2pm
Carnegie - booth #4223 - 2pm-5:30pm

Thursday, May 17
Carnegie - booth #4223 - 9:30am-noon

I've included these handy links to the show and floor plan below:



Mary Blanchard
Halo Collection from Summer Classics Contract
Halo Collection: The finesse and grace of our Halo collection invites tranquility and eye-catching simplicity with double woven panels of N-dura resin wicker that conform to the body in exquisite form. Excellent for coastal and lakefront use, Halo is a divinely contemporary alternative to the adirondack chair. (Halo is designed by Robert Taunton.) 
 
Contact The Material Collective for pricing.
Mary Blanchard
WASTE...A worldwide epidemic
From the Phoenix Commotion website welcome page:  

"The Phoenix Commotion is a local building initiative created to prove that constructing homes with recycled and salvaged materials has a viable place in the building industry. This process uses only apprentice labor and teaches marketable skills to anyone with a work ethic who is willing to swing a hammer. By keeping labor costs low and using donated or found materials, the homes created are truly affordable. No two are alike due to the myriad of materials used, so there is an artistic element that makes Phoenix Commotion homes unique. We target single parents, artists, and families with low incomes. We require the homeowner to be involved with the planning and construction of his or her own home. The result is a person who is empowered, not only by the useful knowledge of building skills, but by the opportunity to become part of a community as a vested participant."

In this video, Dan Phillips shares his perspective on wasteful conventional construction processes and shows examples of how he builds unique homes with found or donated materials. 
Mary Blanchard
Spring Inspirations from Skyline Design



Express Your Vision: Printing on Glass with Dynamic, Colorful, Creative AST™


When University HealthSystems Consortium (UHC), an alliance of health professionals, relocated from the suburbs to downtown Chicago, it utilized the move as a rebranding opportunity. Partnering with Cannon Design, UHC created a unique space inspired by the systems of the human body. And Skyline offered the vast color printing capabilities of our AST™ technique to create full-color, five-foot-diameter eyes that signify the organization’s vision in the company’s boardroom. Combined with our Eco-etch® technique, the end result is a two-sided translucent wall offering light and privacy. We also printed UHC’s new gradient dot globe logo with AST on Vitracolor® panels in the reception area, then adhered them back-to-back with our proprietary Vitracolor Assembly process to provide a magnetic markerglass wall for the adjacent conference space. Communication, privacy, and collaboration—all done beautifully with glass.


Mary Blanchard
Desert Inspiration...

A rendering of the Saguaro Hotel in Scottsdale, Arizona
Creative thinking and interpretation of the Scottsdale building code transforms this once all white property into a colorful resort oasis.  


Read more about this project by New York-based Stamberg Aferiat Archetects, with collaboration from local landscape architect, Chris Winters, below:
MetropolisMag: Deluxe Paint Job
Mary Blanchard