Three Cheers…

March 9, 2010 by Indiana Design Center

Please join us in applauding Julie O’Brien Design Group for winning three 1st place interior design awards at the “2010 Excellence in Design” ASID competition (ASID stands for American Society of Interior Designers). The honors were awarded at Design Interaction Day, an interior design student and professionals gathering held at Ball State University.

Julie O’Brien Design Group picked up top honors for the following projects.

Farris Residence in Carmel, IN

First Place – Residential – under 3,000 square feet

Plews, Shadley, Racher and Braun, a law firm located in Indianapolis' historic Old Northside

First Place – Historic Preservation

ZING Restaurant, downtown Indianapolis

First Place – Commercial – 3,000 square feet and above

The interior build-out of Julie O’Brien Design Group’s showroom space at Indiana Design Center is well underway – we look forward to her move in the next few months!

Putting the “Design” in Arts & Design

February 26, 2010 by Indiana Design Center

Earlier this year, the Carmel Arts & Design District was designated as an official cultural district by the Indiana Arts Commission.  The district is home to over 100 businesses including art galleries, antique dealers, furniture and interior design showrooms, restaurants, boutiques, creative service providers, and specialty retail stores.  So how does a design center fit into this picture? As stated by Mayor Brainard, “The Indiana Design Center will be a cornerstone in the Carmel Arts and Design District and home to our professional design community.”

Inside the design center, one will find a collection of luxury showrooms and interior design resources geared toward residential and commercial design projects.  (A fresh panini or giant chocolate chip cookie can also be found at the Blu Moon Café.) Essentially, the building will fulfill the “design” component of the Arts & Design District while complementing the unique retail shops and galleries on Main Street Carmel.  And just south of the Arts & Design District, activity surrounding the Palladium and Carmel City Center will draw even more energy to the district.

Visit here for a list of businesses already located in the Carmel Arts & Design District.

Sneak Peek: The Grand Hall Takes Shape

February 19, 2010 by Indiana Design Center

Think you’ve been to all the great event venues the region has to offer?  In a few short months, we’ll have one to add to your list.  While the design center will house showrooms, office space, Blu Moon Café and a design resource library, the building will also have a versatile Grand Hall space.

The design center’s Grand Hall is the main entrance to the building and will be complete with beautiful furniture, light fixtures, store fronts and a concierge desk.

Here are a few things to look forward to:

Concierge – Through our concierge, visitors who do not already have a professional design relationship are welcome to use the Designer on Call service where they can meet a professional who will acquaint them with the center and assist them in defining their needs.

The Grand Hall space and concierge desk from the north entrance.

Pedestal Vignettes - Pedestals throughout the main level will be used to elegantly display residential or commercial products and introduce them to IDC visitors.

Pedestal display vignettes.

Back-lit Signage & Video Screens - We plan to use various display signage to share IDC event news and information as well as for design industry partners and manufacturers to have a branded presence in the building.

Back-lit display examples.

Event Space – The Grand Hall space can be rented for special design community celebrations, new product launches, conferences, charitable events, and other related programs to meet the needs of the community.

As seen in the photo below, the Grand Hall is taking shape and growing into the vision presented in the renderings.

View from the south end of the Grand Hall. Note the wall space where the concierge desk will be located.

Julie O’Brien Design Group

February 15, 2010 by Indiana Design Center

Indiana Design Center is proud to announce a new showroom  tenant. Julie O’Brien Design Group, a full service interior design and interior architectural firm, will join Indiana Design Center this spring as they move into a second floor showroom space.

With a national portfolio of clients, Owner and Principal, Julie O’Brien’s work has been published in numerous regional and national publications and broadcast in five episodes of “Homes Across America” on HGTV.

The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) awarded Julie O’Brien Design Group “Excellence in Design” Awards for Finale Dessert Café Flagship location, Loon Lake Lodge, Café Nora, Zorro’s, RCI Executive Offices, MT Cup, Finale Dessert Café II and ten residential interiors.

Julie is equally excited about the firm’s new location and shared that, “By moving Julie O’Brien Design Group to Indiana Design Center, we’ll have access to design industry showrooms and resources within a single building.  We look forward to sharing this space with our clients and continuing to create exquisite and very personal homes.”

Julie is truly a leader on the national playing field and has elevated Indiana’s own design industry.  To learn more, visit JulieOBrienDesign.com, and see photos from her online portfolio below.

Trade Source Has Arrived!

February 12, 2010 by Indiana Design Center

After several days of moving and aligning  fabric samples perfectly on their racks, the finishing touches have been made and Trade Source is officially open for business at Indiana Design Center. (Applause)

Owned and operated by Susan Crockett, Trade Source has been a destination for Interior Designers of the region and now occupies the design center’s 15,000 sq ft anchor showroom on the second level. In the showroom you’ll find decorative fabrics, drapery hardware, select furniture pieces and specialty wall coverings from top-selling lines like Lee Jofa, Brunschwig & Fils, Kravet, Duralee, and Donghia.  The Trade Source offers over 100 lines of fabric and attracts over 400 of central Indiana’s design professionals.

Below are a some photos from their opening week. Welcome, Trade Source!

View from the entrance.

Trade Source is the exclusive Kravet dealer for Indiana.

One of several room displays.

The pattern, shade and texture you always wanted, awaits you.

Sneak Peek of the Week

February 2, 2010 by Indiana Design Center

The interior of the building is taking shape as tenants prepare their showrooms and the common areas begin to receive finishing touches.  Over the past week, the walls went up in the Outré space, the design center anchor tenant, Trade Source, has moved their merchandise to their new 15,000 square foot showroom, and carpet has been installed in the second floor Design Resource Library.  Below are a few insider photos.  Once Trade Source is settled in their new space, we’ll be sure to post several photos of the showroom.

Hard at work finishing the Outré Carmel Showroom.

The Trade Source team is quickly unpacking and getting settled in their new showroom which is located off the west end of the design resource library.

The Trade Source team is quickly unpacking and getting settled in to their new showroom which features thousands of fabric options, wallcovering, drapery hardware, furniture and more.

Another soon-to-be-storefront shot.

Interior view of a design resource library conference room.

Another view within a conference room, located off the design resource library.

Fabulous office space just leased to an interior designer who we'll soon feature.

Their Doors are Open: J. Baker Interiors

January 28, 2010 by Indiana Design Center

While new tenants are moving in and finalizing leases, we’re also excited to tell you about Indiana Design Center’s first tenant, J. Baker Interiors.  J. Baker Interiors is a full service interior design studio and retail shop that features furniture brands like Kindel, Stanford, Hancock & Moore as well as Chapman Lighting.

Founded in 1955, J. Baker Interiors knows design and their reputation speaks for itself. Most recently, they were awarded the People’s Choice Award for the ’08 St. Margaret’s Hospital Guild Decorator’s Show House and the 3rd place award in ’09.

The design studio and retail shop are located on the building’s first floor and face Range Line road. Business owner Jim Baker was drawn to the new location because the design center will house a myriad of design resources and showrooms under one roof, its position within the Arts & Design District, the on-site café (stay tuned for that blog post), concierge services and vast parking options.

Visit J. Baker Interiors at the design center or online to learn more.

Key Dates for 2010

January 27, 2010 by Indiana Design Center

It’s January and you miss warm weather and dinners on your patio. We understand. It goes without saying that all of the extra time we spend indoors during the winter reminds us of the interior design and home improvement projects we’d like to tackle this year. Don’t let the great opportunities Indianpolis offers you to gain design inspiration, connect with designers, services or new products pass you by.

Reach for your calendar and make room for the 2010 home events listed below.  First up, the Indianapolis Home Show which starts this Friday.

Please note that dates are not set for all events but this post will be updated once dates are determined.

State Fair Grounds:

Indianpolis Home Show – 1/29 – 2/7

Indiana Flower & Patio Show – 3/13 – 3/21

Indianapolis Art & Antique Show – 3/12 – 3/14

BAGI Events:

Home-A-Rama – TBD

Parade of Homes – TBD

New Home Showcase - TBD

Home Shows/Tours:

Decorators’ Show House/St. Margaret’s Guild – 4/24 – 5/09

Indianapolis Condo Tour – TBD

Indianapolis Dream Home - TBD

Decorators' Show House 2010 - The Booth Tarkington House

2010 Decorators' Show House - The Booth Tarkington House, 4270 North Meridian St. (www.showhouseindy.com)

Coming Soon: Outré

January 18, 2010 by Indiana Design Center

We recently finalized a showroom lease with custom upholstered furniture designer and manufacturer, Outré. Outré is currently located on south Meridian and will move their showroom to the Indiana Design Center, in the heart of the Carmel Arts & Design District.

Outré will be on the second floor and has ceiling to floor windows that face Rangeline Road- perfect for showing off the unique pieces to the rest of the Arts & Design District.

For those who like to shop local, it doesn’t get any better than this.  Outré is family owned and operated and offers products only made in Indiana.  Yes, only made in Indiana.  Outré takes great pride in each piece as all furniture leaves with its very own name.  Allow us to introduce you to a few of the Outré family members…

Alice brings a whole new flair into the bedroom.

Evan

Morgan

Addie

Rae

Nice to meet you.

December 29, 2009 by Indiana Design Center

Hi there. Welcome to the Indiana Design Center blog where we will bring you design news and showcase exceptional design work, especially that which is relevant to Indiana. Additionally, we’ll provide frequent updates about our tenants, building progress, Carmel Arts & Design District and events.

At the Indiana Design Center you’ll find a premier collection of design resources that serve the community of design professionals and their clients. The design center features showrooms, a design resource library, product display showcases, office suites and meeting space. Check out the renderings below (note: some design elements have changed).

Building Exterior

Grand Hall

Design Resource Library