So we geeked out on a cute little antique map store in San Francisco yesterday, “Schein and Schein”.  After a long day of client meetings and sourcing at the Design Center, we dragged our tired, empty vessels through the pummeling rain and into this sweet little gem of a store in North Beach.  After a lovely extended chat with Jim, who donned a Neil Young fleece and an adorable pit mix puppy (I knew we’d hit it off), we left feeling renewed.  We not only left with more knowledge than we ever needed about an antique map we purchased for a client (sorry map lovers, there’s only so much room in my wee brain for historical info), but we were also reminded that there are other people out there who love their craft as much as we do.

On another note, who says MAS doesn’t do traditional?  We love anything that keeps us inspired and have had more fun with this classic home design!  Check out the amazing chromolithographic (huh?) map of San Francisco and Vicinity published by Southern Pacific Railway Company in 1914 for the 1915 Panama Pacific International Exposition.  The extremely rare and ephemeral piece was used to encourage fair attendees to use the modes of transportation provided by Southern Pacific.  And now it will encourage visitors to appreciate the history of our fair city by gracing the foyer of our clients’ amazing Eduardian home in Presidio Heights, SF.

Of course, we needed to re-matte and re-frame, gave it museum glass so visitors can get up close and personal and appreciate the color and the beauty of the map!  (Museum glass will reduce the reflectivity that you see in our close up image.  It is also UV resistant and tempered).  The silver frame will coordinate with the classic details in the home as well as chrome fixtures.   Let’s just say it will make a great first impression.

The clients’ historic 1931 home is a stunner!  Built in 1931, the home was owned by the original owners until our clients purchased and underwent a massive renovation with Sutro Architects.  Can’t wait to share the final photos of our designs for the living room, dining, kitchen, family room and foyer (shoot Memorial Day weekend)!

Many thanks to Schein and Shein.  Are you a map geek?  You MUST check them out.  https://www.facebook.com/ScheinScheinAntiqueMapsAndPrints

So…an extremely edgy client moves in to a very classic home. How do you merge the disparities? Create “classic” molding in an edgy asymmetrical surround design, and paint them tone on tone white to match the wall and background, so the “edge” is subtle and classic. See the awesome idea above – click to enlarge.  The shapes were originally inspired by my Marc Jacobs’ faceted cell phone cover, also above. (Thank you, Marc Jacobs for the inspiration!)

We then created a modern open 7 foot concrete fireplace that transitions into a comfy bench seating with custom pillows. Match the concrete color to the off-white moldings and voila! New, interesting, different, sophisticated. MAS!

Attached is the design drawing – special thanks to our newest designer, Emmaleen Miller for the fab renderings and killer design instincts.  (We are totally crazy for you already.  Can’t wait to see what amazing things you will come up with in the years to come!)

This week, MAS Design announced its recent Accreditation by your Better Business Bureau of Oakland, California. As a BBB Accredited Business, MAS Design is dedicated to promoting trust in the marketplace. Its Accreditation will help people understand who the organization is and the core values it believes in. You can check out MAS Design’s BBB reliability report by visiting www.bbb.org or calling (937) 222-5825 or (800) 776-5301.

John North, BBB president and CEO, says “BBB Accreditation is an honor. It’s voluntary and Accredited Businesses must meet and maintain your BBB’s Standards of Trust, a comprehensive set of policies, procedures and best practices representing trustworthiness in the marketplace. The standards call for building trust, embodying integrity, advertising honestly and telling the truth, being transparent, honoring promises, being responsive and safeguarding privacy.”

He continues, “Businesses that meet your BBB’s high standards are invited to apply for Accreditation. Applicants undergo a review process and ultimate approval by your BBB’s Board of Directors. According to Princeton Research, seven in ten consumers say they are more likely to buy from a company designated as a BBB Accredited Business.”

“We are proud to have met your BBB’s high standards and we’re excited to be part of an organization that exists so consumers and businesses alike have an unbiased source to guide them on matters of trust,” said Dawn Carlson. “We value building trust with our customers and our Accreditation gives our customers confidence in our commitment to maintaining high ethical standards of conduct.”

Dawn Carlson continues, “Our Accreditation signifies our commitment to customer service, reliability and trust. For any organization to excel in today’s environment, it’s critical it be fully committed to excellence. Our acknowledgement by your BBB aligns with and supports our efforts of providing superior service in the marketplace.”

About MAS Design

Dawn and Carol encourage their clients to join in the collaboration when possible in order to express their highest selves and to make what can be a daunting process actually enjoyable. They hope to gain insight into their clients and help them achieve dreams they might not be able to access without MAS’ knowledge and experience. Their collaboration enhances each other’s vision, and together, they create designs that surpasses a mere aesthetic, and that instead are an inspired expression of who their clients are.

About Your BBB Serving the Bay Area, California

Your BBB, the leader in advancing marketplace trust, is an unbiased nonprofit organization that sets and upholds high standards for fair and honest business behavior. Businesses that earn BBB Accreditation contractually agree and adhere to the organization’s high standards of ethical business behavior. Your BBB provides objective advice, free business BBB Reliability Reports™ and charity BBB Wise Giving Reports™, and educational information on topics affecting marketplace trust. To further promote trust, your BBB also offers complaint and dispute resolution support for consumers and businesses when there is difference in viewpoints. The first BBB was founded in 1912. Today, 125 BBB locations serve communities across the U.S. and Canada, evaluating and monitoring more than four million local and national businesses and charities.

Please visit www.bbb.org for more information about your BBB.

Annual Survey and Analysis of 16 Million Monthly Users Reveals Top-Rated Building, Remodeling and Design Professionals

Oakland, CA February 4, 2014 – MAS Design of Oakland, CA has been awarded “Best Of Houzz” by Houzz, the leading platform for home remodeling and design. The up and coming Oakland based interior design firm was chosen by the more than 16 million monthly users that comprise the Houzz community.

The Best Of Houzz award is given in two categories: Customer Satisfaction and Design. Customer Satisfaction honors are determined by a variety of factors, including the number and quality of client reviews a professional received in 2013. Design award winners’ work was the most popular among the more than 16 million monthly users on Houzz, known as “Houzzers,” who saved more than 230 million professional images of home interiors and exteriors to their personal ideabooks via the Houzz site, iPad/iPhone app and Android app. Winners will receive a “Best Of Houzz 2014” badge on their profiles, showing the Houzz community their commitment to excellence. These badges help homeowners identify popular and top-rated home professionals in every metro area on Houzz.

“What we try to create in our work is a mashup of space and style. We believe that your space should be an expression of who you are, and our focus is creating sophisticated spaces that allow our clients to live, relax and thrive. What we design are thoughtful compositions that are successful because they are based intrinsically on who our clients are. Coming from the perspective that tasteful design does not have to be boring, our work is design-forward and allows one to experience it in a visceral and even emotional way.”

“Houzz provides homeowners with the most comprehensive view of home building, remodeling and design professionals, empowering them to find and hire the right professional to execute their vision,” said Liza Hausman, vice president of community for Houzz. “We’re delighted to recognize MAS Design among our “Best Of” professionals for customer satisfaction as judged by our community of homeowners and design enthusiasts who are actively remodeling and decorating their homes.”

With Houzz, homeowners can identify not only the top-rated professionals like MAS Design but also those whose work matches their own aspirations for their home. Homeowners can also evaluate professionals by contacting them directly on the Houzz platform, asking questions about their work and reviewing their responses to questions from others in the Houzz community.

Follow MAS Design on Houzz http://www.houzz.com/pro/moodandspace/mas-design

About MAS Design

Dawn and Carol encourage their clients to join in the collaboration when possible in order to express their highest selves and to make what can be a daunting process actually enjoyable. They hope to gain insight into their clients and help them achieve dreams they might not be able to access without MAS’ knowledge and experience. Their collaboration enhances each other’s vision, and together, they create designs that surpasses a mere aesthetic, and that instead are an inspired expression of who their clients are. Welcome to MAS. High Design. Low Blah.

About Houzz

Houzz is the leading platform for home remodeling and design, providing people with everything they need to improve their homes from start to finish – online or from a mobile device. From decorating a room to building a custom home, Houzz connects millions of homeowners, home design enthusiasts and home improvement professionals across the country and around the world. With the largest residential design database in the world and a vibrant community powered by social tools, Houzz is the easiest way for people to get the design inspiration, project advice, product information and professional reviews they need to help turn ideas into reality. For more information, visit www.houzz.com

We hope you enjoy the photos from our newest photo shoot! A while back we gave you a sneak-peak, but these are from the final cut!

MAS designed a kitchen for a fun and fantastic woman, who has collected art and sculpture from around the world. She wanted to pull it all together, and our help representing her sophisticated, eclectic, “grown up” personality alongside her treasures.

The design “crept” from the kitchen to the living/dining, then to the bathroom and then upstairs and beyond. The timeline expanded, but the result is no less than a glam sanctuary. A first?! A quote from the client’s email after the shoot, “The house FEELS like me… you captured my very essence and I’m so so grateful. I wish you all could have been here to see my face when I turned on the lights…I wish you could have felt how my heart leapt, how my tears filled with joy, how my mind raced and immediately erased all of the crazy moments of this very intense yearlong project!”

Can’t ask for any more than that, folks, it’s why we do what we do. And contrary to popular belief, it ain’t easy, tearing up houses and putting them back together again. But it is sooooooo worth it.

Enjoy the final photos – many thanks to the amazing photographer Helynn Ospina. We are forever fans.www.helynnospina.com