Interior Design Projects, a cure to the Quarantine Blues

Have you found yourself with a little extra time during this pandemic?  if you are anything like me, while I welcomed the downtime for a couple of weeks and Netflixed my way through the Narcos series,  after a good month I was ready to do more. We have spent an inordinate amount of time with our lives interrupted. Well, we are here to help you ease the pandemic blues.  

The easiest way to change space is through color. And who doesn’t need a change of color in their life? Especially now, we need to shake things up a bit. Color has the power to evoke so many emotions, from tranquility to highly energetic and everything in between. Find your shade and go for it! Whether it is one wall, a focal point, or a whole room, color can bring life back to a space and improve the overall mood of its residents.  Once you pick your shade you drive eagerly to the paint store just to be bombarded with many different type

s of paints and finishes, it can be overwhelming. To minimize confusion the Master Paint Institute created a standard method for designating glass and sheen based on gloss levels.   Flat / Ultra-Flat.  Flat finishes have the lowest level of gloss, making them a great choi

ce for hiding wall imperfections due to a lack of reflectance. Flat finishes are good for seamless touch up but lack the ability to remove stains easily. Matte Finish. Slightly more sheen than flat finish, very little reflection. Easier to clean than flat finish, best use in low-traffic areas. Matte finishes are also very forgiving of wall imperfections.  Eggshell Finish. Slight sheen. Washable and good stain resistance, yet it is dull enough to be forgiving of wall imperfections.  Pearl / Satin Finish. Easy to clean and quite durable, good use for busy areas of the home.  Semi-Gloss Finish. Suitable for high-traffic areas, withstand repeated cleaning. High resistance to

moisture and stains.  Less forgiving on wall imperfections. High Gloss Finish. Can be very dramatic and attractive due to the high degree of reflectance, not forgiving of wall imperfections. Highly durable withstand scrubbing and heavy use. Resistance to mildew and stains. 

To make it easier we have created the table below to help you navigate the paint store like a pro.  

Finish Description Use

Flat/Ultra Flat Least reflective; hides minor imperfections Low-Traffic Areas, Ceilings

Matte More reflective than flat, added durability Living, Dining, Bedrooms

Eggshell Soft polished glow and easy-to-clean surface Living, Dining, Foyers,

Bedrooms, Hallways

Kitchens

Pearl/Satin Medium sheen finish, without full gloss Hallways, Family Rooms

Playrooms, Children's

Bedrooms, Bathrooms,

Kitchens, Trim, Doors

Semi-Gloss Smooth, highly reflective finish, durable High-Traffic Areas, Trim,

and withstands repeated cleaning Doors, Cabinets/Millwork

High Gloss High reflective sheen Trim, Doors, Cabinets/

Furniture/Millwork

Live Colorfully! 

Jessica has a passion for Interior Design and has been serving the region around Minot for the past 23 years. If you have any questions throughout this series or would like more information on a particular topic, by all means contact us and we'd be more than happy to have a conversation.

Architecture Ancillary Services: Facility Mapping & Wayfinding

Not always synonymous with architecture, facility mapping is something that is aligned with what we do. On a daily basis we're drawing plans and being ever-mindful of how a person moves through a site and ultimately through a building. This can be as simple as finding your way through a building to a specific room or in a worst case scenario when you need to get out of a building in the event of an emergency. We can help in multiple ways, including fire escape plans, campus mapping, or general facility maps. Whatever your need is, we can help to create a map specific to your purpose. We also can assist with laying out and designing wayfinding signage, whether on a campus, large site, or within a building - being able to easily navigate and find where you need to go is important and it can help to make sure patrons of your facilities stay in the areas they are meant to be in. This signage can also be designed with images, graphics, and construction in a way that fits your company image and values. Ryan is a Vice President at Ackerman-Estvold and the architecture team lead and has been applying his trade in the region around Minot for the past 17 years. If you have any questions throughout this series or would like more information on a particular topic, by all means contact us and we'd be more than happy to have a conversation.

Architecture Ancillary Services: Lease Space Services

We are experts in design and can provide drafting of existing spaces, preliminary remodel design/estimating to determine project feasibility, and full architectural and interior design for complete bid and construction ready plans for any tenant fit-up or remodel project.

Additionally, we can provide building or lease space assessments and evaluations for potential tenants as well as as-built plans for marketing your vacant spaces. We can also help to ensure accurate information for leasing through detailed area analysis, complying with BOMA (Building Owners and Managers Association) standards for measurement.

We're also able to provide full building and site design if you're considering construction of commercial strip malls, retail condos, mixed-use buildings, storage facilities, multi-family apartments/condos/townhomes, and multi-tenant buildings in general. Whatever your needs are, we can help!

Ryan is a Vice President at Ackerman-Estvold and the architecture team lead and has been applying his trade in the region around Minot for the past 17 years. If you have any questions throughout this series or would like more information on a particular topic, by all means contact us and we'd be more than happy to have a conversation.