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2008/2009 Board Members |
Donna M.
Straat,
President
Jason Landau,
President Elect
Ellen Dunn,
Membership
Director
Stacey Lyons,
Professional Development
Sara Hopkins, Financial Director
Amy Eisenberg,
Member At Large
Fenella Pearson,
Communications
Christine Bottacari,
Student Rep. |
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Message From the President |
Welcome to another ASID year!
We have planned an exciting, varied package of events, in spite
of the troubled current economy. Input we have received from the
membership has been most helpful in determining the programs you
are looking for.
This year, we want to emphasis Communication...better
communication with each other and the community at large. Our
programs plan to enhance this goal. Local speakers (think
globally and act locally), nearby events such as green building
tours, Designer house tours & a Tag Sale in the Spring, are all
on the agenda. Add to that, our marvelous Fashion Show and
educational venues. Many of these events will also be open to
the public, which will build an awareness of ASID. As it stands
today, too many of our potential clients do not know who we are
and what educational standards ASID requires of its
membership... and this must be addressed.
Our September Annual Awards was held at Ambler Farm in Wilton.
It was low-key, casual (hayrides, animals!!) and lots of fun!
Christine Bottacari, our Student Rep to the Board, accepted two,
yes, TWO, awards from National for the Univ. of New Haven
Student Chapter. This talented group won the Best
Community Service Project Award as well as sharing the top honor
for the Best Student Chapter of the Year...congratulations to
all of you! Your recognition has conveyed honor on our
entire CT Chapter. We're thrilled and proud of your success!
Stay tuned in for coming events. Stacey Lyons, our Professional
Development Director, is putting a calendar together and will be
in touch with everyone through our Chapter web site and the
newsletter. Refer to these on-line sites often and, if you can,
please volunteer a few hours. After all, networking is a major
benefit of ASID...and, I promise you, you'll not only learn but
have lots of fun!!
See you soon....
Donna M.
Straat, ASID
President Ct. Chapter ASID |
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A Call to Volunteer |
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The world as we knew it has turned itself
upside down. Banks are failing, budgets are shrinking,
construction projects are on hold and nobody seems to want to
spend. That’s the bad news.
And the good news?? As interior designers,
one of our jobs is to help people feel good by creating
beautiful and functional environments. So what are we to do if
clients continue to hibernate? With more time on our hands we
have a great opportunity to continue working AND help those less
fortunate.
Let’s rally our troops and search out new
clients, people who may not normally cross our radars. Let’s
put our talents and knowledge out there for people in need.
In addition to Habitat for Humanity, many
of our local houses of worship plan home renewal projects in our
neighborhoods. Help us identify upcoming projects in your local
community so that our ASID members can become involved.
If you know of a home renewal project underway or in the
planning stages, please contact Fenella Pearson, ASID, (203) 858-0292 or fenellap@gmail.com |
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Student Corner |
University Of New Haven ASID Student Chapter Wins National
Awards
The University of New Haven ASID Student Chapter was presented
with two prestigious awards from ASID National this past July at
the Chapter Leadership Conference. They received the awards
under the categories of Community Service Project of the Year,
and Outstanding Student Chapter of the Year. They were competing
against other student chapters from all over the United States.
Their last award was received in 1997 and since then they have
been growing and becoming more active on their campus, and
surrounding communities.
This year UNH has participated in numerous activities, including
health awareness walks such as the start heart walk in New Haven
and the MS walk in West Haven, community service activities such
as the dollhouse project with children from the West Haven
Community Center, campus wide activities like face painting at
pep rallies, and fundraising events within their student
chapter.
UNH students ASID Community Service Project of the Year award
for the dollhouse project. They taught children ranging from
first to fifth grade in West Haven in an after school program.
They introduced the fundamentals of interior design to the
children, teaching space planning, color, finishes, and other
basic design elements. It was a great learning experience for
everyone involved. The UNH ASID Student Chapter will continue to
work hard in the upcoming school year. |
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Your Board needs YOU!! |
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 ASID CT is planning our First Designers Homes Tour, to take
place in April 2010.
We are looking for volunteers to help our Professional
Development Director run this great new event.
Six ASID designers' homes in southern Fairfield County will be
included in the tour, which will be open to the public for a
fee.
Future plans call for similar events in the Hartford area,
northern Fairfield County as well as New Haven County.
If you are interesting in joining our team and helping plan and
organize, please contact Stacey Lyons at
stacey.lyons@live.com |
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Environmental News |
New Limit for Indoor Radon Gas Levels
The World Health Organization announced that they have
established a new limit for indoor radon gas levels. The
previously accepted "action level" was 4.0. The new maximum
radon level is 2.7. Based on this new threshold, millions of
U.S. homes will require repairs to reduce the levels of the gas. |
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Each year, approximately 20,000 Americans die from exposure to
radon (more than any other in-home risk including fires, carbon
monoxide, falls, drowning, poisonings, handguns, etc.) This new
plan of action by the World Health Organization will save
thousands of lives each year in the U.S. and potentially
millions of lives worldwide. |
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Confused about CEUs? |
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Confused about CEUs?? Here are some tips to help you keep it all straight.
The current rule for ASID members is that we all have to maintain our own
records for our CEU requirements. The requirement is that we earn 0.6 CEUs over
the two year period, beginning January 1 2008 to December 21 2009. Keep all your
paperwork for 3 years in the event that you are selected for an audit.
After completing all your 0.6 requirements, each individual is responsible for
going online to the ASID website, www.ASID.org, to report his or her CEU
compliance. Simply sign on,
'Go To My ASID', under Membership, Programs and Services, and report your CEU
compliance by clicking on the box. If the CT chapter has sponsored an event with
a CEU components, then our Chapter Administrator sends National a copy of our
attendance record. attendance record to ASID, if it's an event that the CT
chapter has sponsored.
All members who fail to self-report their CEU compliance will be automatically
audited. Additionally, approximately 3% of members will be randomly selected for
audit during each reporting period. If you are selected for an audit, you must
present ASID with the certificate of completion, or a summary report provided by
NCIDQ or your state's regulatory board.
For NCIDQ, professional members pay the $12 fee filing out the attached form,
and sending it to NCIDQ in Washington, D.C. We voted at a board meeting to have
each professional pay their own $12 and report it themselves. There is no online
reporting. You can either mail it in or fax it in, if you pay by credit card.
There are websites available that offer free online CEU’s, i.e.,
www.ccidc.org/ceu.html#course
Many thanks to our Industry Partner, Doug Kitchen, of Ambiance Painting in
Norwalk for
offering to accept the position of Sponsorship Liaison. He will be working with
our Industry Partners to coordinate sponsorship and advertising opportunities
with our chapter.
Please contact Sara Hopkins @
Sara@SaraHopkinsInteriors.com with any questions. |
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Designer News |
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Interior Designer Trudy Dujardin Offers Environmental
Guidance for Pristine Living With Lecture at Fairfield University November 5
 FAIRFIELD, Conn. (Oct. 20, 2009) Award-winning interior designer Trudy Dujardin,
ASID, LEED AP, the newest faculty addition to Fairfield University’s Interior
Design Program at University College, presents “Holistic House,” a lecture on
sustainable design and healthy living at Fairfield’s Oak Room in the Barone
Campus Center, Thursday, Nov. 5 at 7:00 p.m. Organic wine and hors d’oeuvres
will be served. Admission is $15 and tickets are available by calling
(203) 254-4110.
According to Dujardin, there is only one location we can really control: our own
homes and Dujardin teaches how one can achieve a cleaner, “greener” standard of
living and better health through creating a pristine environment.
In her lecture, Dujardin provides a detailed guide to
living in beautiful, well-designed homes, using the principles of sustainable
design and construction. Told through the story of two of her own homes, one
built on the fragile Nantucket Island coastline, and another renovated in
Connecticut on Long Island Sound, Dujardin provides inspiration for
environmentally-friendly living.
Dujardin, president of Dujardin Design Associates, Inc., is
nationally known for her dedication to simple elegance and her passion for green
design. A national expert on non-toxic building materials, she has made
sustainable design a by-word in the industry.
Among her many awards, she has received the Award of Excellence for Green Design
from the CT Chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers, 2007 and
2008; she was a consultant on indoor air quality and non-toxic material
specification for Habitat for Humanity on Nantucket, Mass. She is also a member
of Traditional Home Magazine’s Green Advisory Board and a member of the US Green
Building Council and the Design Futures Council. To learn
more about Dujardin Design Associates, Inc visit:
www.dujardindesign.com
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ASID Connecticut Chapter, out in full force! |
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 Designers
roll up their sleeves as the ASID Connecticut Chapter donates time and talents
to the long standing charitable efforts of the Fairfield Christmas Tree
Festival. Four designers from ASID CT are volunteering to
design rooms in The Burr Homestead for the Festival. The designers are
particularly proud to be working on the event this year as Operation Hope, a
Fairfield based shelter and food pantry, is the recipient of the Festival’s
proceeds. (while it sponsors Operation Hope this year). (The ASID
Connecticut Chapter is pleased to decorate several rooms in the Burr Homestead.)
Our Director at Large, Amy Eisenberg creates a scheme of pewter and bronze with
accents of teal in the Little Room upstairs on the second floor. Silk
upholstered French country furnishings and a period Victorian settee speak to a
sitting room layout for a cozy afternoon tea or an evening glass of wine.
Industry Partner Kaoud of Wilton generously provides the area rug with
undertones complimenting the scheme while The Curtain Exchange provides
beautiful sheer appliquéd window treatments in teal.
Sara Hopkins, Director of Finance, and Hollie Sutherland, past
Director-at-Large, pair up to create a luxurious front foyer and center hallway. Hope is the theme of the event this year and these ASID
interior designers translate that into a unique interpretation of traditional
Christmas colors. Red ornaments, a hint of metallic gold ivy accented with
bright green berries are colors that fit in any room décor. Moss, pinecones and
red cardinals bring a bit of the outdoors to the greenery and complement the bit
of metallic glitz. Each wreath, garland and tree is hand made and one of a kind.
Donna Straat, ASID CT President, and Fenella Pearson, Director of
Communications, transform the blue bedroom into a sophisticated dining area
using white and burlap covered furnishings to create an edgy contrast between
the simple and the refined. A dramatic silver and lime green palette, punctuated
with vibrant persimmon and bittersweet accents, creates excitement by giving the
traditional Christmas colors an unexpected twist.
The show promises beautiful garlands, wreaths, and trees for all to take home.
Designs are sure to enhance this holiday season while many choose to warm their
surroundings and appreciate the good works of the Fairfield Christmas Tree
Festival.
More information about the festival is available at:
www.fairfieldchristmastreefestival.org
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Legislative Corner |
Dear Connecticut Chapter Members,
Thanks to so many of you who responded to the Legislative Survey. The survey was
intended to provide the Chapter Board of Directors with an idea of the course it
should take in the wake of the currently unenforceable title act and to
determine to what extent the chapter members would like to get involved in
legislative matters.
Of the 52 participants, 41 indicated an interest in legislating interior design
in Connecticut and 34 considered a Practice Act an appropriate legislative tool.
While only 8 respondents were against introduction of a Practice Act, 40
respondents indicated they would be for it. The survey also indicates interest
in actively participating in aspects of legislation. Here 18 clearly would like
to participate, 15 are not interested and 18 may consider participating.
In terms of those believing the NCIDQ a best qualifier for professional member
qualification, 32 indicated it as a best qualifier, 16 indicated not always,
while 6 did not believe it was the best qualifier. Of the 52 respondents, 24
indicated that 3-5 years work experience best qualifies a professional interior
designer, 18 considered 5 or more years and 12 considered 1-3 years enough.
Please contact Amy Eisenberg at abemom@aol.com
if you are one of the 18 respondents or anyone else who is interested in
participating or have questions on legislative matters. The chapter is excited
in welcoming members on this very important subject. |
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