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Learn more about architecture, interior design, and landscape architecture from the B&V Team.
Our blog is a friendly resource for anyone wondering how to approach their project, seeking answers for their design questions, or simply eager for a peek inside our world.
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Other Tangents
Channeling Experience: Storytelling in the Spaces We Design
Although we humans have invented new ways of sharing knowledge beyond the sharing of stories to one other over the firepit, storytelling is a key part of our culture. (Who doesn’t love a good story?) But beyond the stories we tell out loud, there is storytelling in spaces we design, too.
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Ask a Designer, Custom Residential
What’s Harder: Designing a New House or Remodeling an Existing Home?
Remodeling vs building new: is one harder than the other? It’s very difficult to compare the two, as it’s not apples to apples. While they do share some of the same approaches, they are different challenges that require careful thought. Here are a few of the things to keep in mind when remodeling your home.
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Landscape Architecture
What’s Blooming Now: In Seattle, Dogwood Trees!
Are you wondering: “What are those trees blooming in late spring, with large flowers in shades of pink or white?” They might be dogwoods, a powerhouse of landscape design that has a number of great cultivars and varieties. Here are a few of our favorite dogwood varieties, along with some details about their care and preferences.
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Interior Design
Simple Tips For Creating a Statement Bathroom
Why design a statement bathroom? For one, it’s one of the most frequented spaces in the home. Have one you’re proud of showing off, and you won't mind when friends and family visit it. What does it take to make a bathroom worth showing off? Here are some simple tips for creating a statement bathroom.
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Ask a Designer, Civic & Community, Commercial, Custom Residential, Multifamily Residential
Hourly vs. Fixed-Fee Billing: What is the Difference?
How do you decide between hourly vs. fixed-fee billing? People really don’t like to talk about money, but you need to talk about it enough to make the right choice about how you would like your project billed. Here is how these two billing methods work, and why you might prefer one over the other.
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Arts & Culture
Work by Marysol A. Damo in the “By Others” Gallery at Board & Vellum
The Capitol Hill Art Walk is coming up again, and here in Board & Vellum’s By Others gallery, we are hosting a show by artist Marysol A. Damo. Read our Q&A with her to learn a little about her work ahead of the May 10th opening reception.
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Other Tangents
Unlikely Inspiration: The Strange Journeys of the Creative Process
A lot of times, unlikely inspiration solves your problems. To non-designers, it may seem a little crazy, but just as any odd thing can remind you of something else entirely, for designers, that experience often triggers their brains about a project they are working on, taking them on a mental journey towards a design solution.
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Landscape Architecture
What Are the Tools of The Trade for Landscape Architecture?
While there is definitely some overlap with other design and technical professions, there are certain tools of the trade for landscape architecture that are really key to getting the job done well. This post explores those digital and analog tools landscape architects and designers keep close at hand in their professional toolkit.
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Ask a Designer, Commercial
How Long Does a Commercial Project Take?
One of the most frequent questions we get from business owners is, “How long will my project take?” Of course, this varies a lot based on the scope and parameters of your particular project, but here are the basics of the time it takes to move through each of the phases of a commercial project.
Learn more.Or, if chronology isn’t your thing…
Here are a couple of posts to get you started. Of course, it’s hard to choose, so feel free to poke around; we hope to have a little something for everyone. And, if you have a burning question you’d like us to cover in a future post, please let us know!
Considering a project, or curious about something?
Say hello, and send us your questions via the form below. We’re always pleased to make new connections, and eager to get to know you, your project, and your goals.
Honored as a finalist for residential landscape design.
Our team includes LEED-accredited professionals.
Our team includes certified Passive House consultants.
A Certified LGBT Business Enterprise Since 2016.
Honoring companies that lead in promoting equality.