design/solutions
In each of the personal projects below, Sally defined a problem and its constraints. Then she asked: What do I have or know that can help me solve this? She outlined possible solutions and practices by imagining What if?, and tested them out until the right path became apparent. I created a plan and steps to make it happen.
It's an approach she uses throughout her life and work, and features on Improvisedlife. Read her design thinking, below.
It's an approach she uses throughout her life and work, and features on Improvisedlife. Read her design thinking, below.
interior: hidden wall bed and library
"When I renovated my Harlem space, I removed a bedroom to form one big living/kitchen/work space. To make a comfortable nest for visiting friends, I envisioned a berth-style bed that would pull out from the wall, ready to go. All the retail designs I saw were clumsy-looking and made of poor materials. So I designed my own with the minimalist aesthetic I prefer.
The central design problem was how to make the big five-foot bed panel not look like a big bulky form. Building-in closed shelving to the right and bookshelves above makes it recede visually. The slanted shelves to the left provide storage for stools and display for small art works, while allowing full view of Holton Rower's beautiful painting from the kitchen (which would be blocked by full-depth shelves).
A backboard allows you prop yourself up with pillows to use the bed as a daybed facing out into the room.
A rollup bamboo screen unfurls to make a temporary wall to give guests privacy."
The central design problem was how to make the big five-foot bed panel not look like a big bulky form. Building-in closed shelving to the right and bookshelves above makes it recede visually. The slanted shelves to the left provide storage for stools and display for small art works, while allowing full view of Holton Rower's beautiful painting from the kitchen (which would be blocked by full-depth shelves).
A backboard allows you prop yourself up with pillows to use the bed as a daybed facing out into the room.
A rollup bamboo screen unfurls to make a temporary wall to give guests privacy."
interior: corner window illusion
"The developer of my building cut so many corners that the living room wall ran right into the window without leaving even an inch of space, making the room feel cramped and off-balance. It was the first serious design solution I tackled in the Harlem space: I built-in a mirror the exact size of the window on the adjacent wall to create the illusion of a corner window.
To test the idea out, I propped up a broken bit of cast-off mirror where the imagined big mirror would be. It worked, reflecting the view of the park across the way. Creating a sheetrock surround for the mirror amplifies the illusion. Painting the windows white made them recede visually."
To test the idea out, I propped up a broken bit of cast-off mirror where the imagined big mirror would be. It worked, reflecting the view of the park across the way. Creating a sheetrock surround for the mirror amplifies the illusion. Painting the windows white made them recede visually."
furniture: morphable black slate and iron table
"I inherited a black slate table with an ornate 19th century base that was too tall to sit at comfortably. So I sold the base and designed one out of black steel, with the modern lines I preferred. I drew a simple plan that told the fabricator clearly what to do.
The table is morphable: Depending on which side you rest the base on, it can become a coffee table or counter-height platform that can be used with the original top or a smaller one."
The table is morphable: Depending on which side you rest the base on, it can become a coffee table or counter-height platform that can be used with the original top or a smaller one."
medical device: crabman mike's injured arm support
"Crab Man Mike, who sells fresh-cooked crabs and lobsters in Harlem, is a local legend and friend. When he fell and broke his arm, the hospital sent him home with his arm supported by a flimsy sling around his neck. His neck ached from the weight of his injured arm, which had little support. I improvised a strap out of Velcro that held his arm in the right position without stressing his neck (testing it on myself first). It allowed him to use his hand without affecting his wounded arm."