Conserving Water by Using Your Dishwasher? by Abeer Sweis December 13, 2018 A teenager taught me something this past weekend. We had hosted our office holiday party and she was helping with the clean-up. She scraped the food off of the dishes and put the dirty dishes directly into the dishwasher, without rinsing them first. I cringed. But the dishes came out of the dishwasher perfectly clean. So I did a little research and sure enough, the dishwasher we have, and all of the dishwashers we currently recommend and install for our clients, will wash the dishes beautifully without the need to pre-clean. I know I am not the only person who rinses dishes before putting them in the dishwasher as habit from helping in the kitchen as a child, and from poor performing dishwashers in rental apartments as a younger adult. So, now that I am enlightened to this opportunity to conserve water, I thought I would take this opportunity to share this knowledge. The average dishwasher uses 6 gallons per cycle; Energy Star rated dishwashers use only 4 gallons. The average kitchen faucet runs at about 2 gallons per minute. For comparison, imagine washing by hand, or rinsing, an entire dishwasher full of dishes in 2 to 3 minutes. Realistically it takes at least twice as long to rinse that many dishes. So rinsing dishes before putting them in the dishwasher uses double the amount of water as the dishwasher uses alone. But aren’t we helping the dishwasher by rinsing the dishes first? As a Consumer Reports article bluntly puts it “the dishwasher does not need your help.” In fact, the less we try to help, the more efficient the dishwasher can be. Turns out, the newer dishwashers have a sensor that determines how hard it needs to work by measuring how dirty the water is. By pre-rinsing or pre-washing by hand, we are sabotaging the sensor’s capability to make an accurate determination of needed effort and the dishes may not get as clean as a result. If you are concerned that the dishes may sit in the dishwasher too long before being washed, use the pre-rinse option on your dishwasher. This feature does the rinsing for you! And if you don’t believe me, read your dishwasher’s manual. Dishwasher manufacturers are trying their best to reduce the amount of water, soap and time needed to clean dishes, and the manual will tell you all about it. Since they are trying so hard, we should at least read what they have to say! If you cannot find your manual, most manufacturers have manuals accessible on their website. Your dishwasher’s model number is likely on the inside edge of the door. Although it feels counter-intuitive, I encourage you to try loading the dishwasher without rinsing, just once, and see how your dishwasher performs.  

Conserving Water by Using Your Dishwasher?

A teenager taught me something this past weekend. We had hosted our office holiday party and she was helping with the clean-up. She scraped the food off of the dishes and put the dirty dishes directly into the dishwasher, without rinsing them first. I cringed.

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Abeer Sweis
Let's Get Prepared by Abeer Sweis December 6, 2018 As we reflect on the devastation caused by the fires this past month, a lot of us find ourselves wanting to help, really help. Something we can all do to help ourselves, and others, is to prepare for future emergencies. We all know we need to have a “go kit” in case we need to evacuate. If you don’t yet have one, it is never too late to build your own www.ready.gov/build-a-kit , or buy one from a local company www.preppi.co/ . When we prepare ourselves and our family with a plan and the tools to better help ourselves during an emergency, we may require fewer community resources when/if the time comes to act. Our preparation leaves more community resources available for search and rescue, and saving lives. To help others during an emergency, consider signing up as a volunteer for your favorite response organization now. Get the training and experience needed so that when a disaster strikes you will be prepared to help. Reach to your favorite animal rescue organization and learn how to foster animals in distress, sign up for canteen training for the Salvation Army to serve coffee and meals to evacuees and fire fighters in the field, or join a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) in your community to become a neighborhood resource during an emergency. Many other opportunities are at this LA volunteer matching website www.laworks.com/ Supporting these organizations year-round for the work they do year-round is also a good habit to form. Use tools such as www.charitynavigator.org to vet organizations so that you feel confident the money you donate is doing the most good. And consider giving “go kits” as holiday gifts this year. I am going to! Natural disasters are a reality, let’s make being prepared for one a reality too.  

Lets Get Prepared

As we reflect on the devastation caused by the fires this past month, a lot of us find ourselves wanting to help, really help.

Something we can all do to help ourselves, and others, is to prepare for future emergencies.

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Abeer Sweis
To Our Community: by Abeer Sweis November 15, 2018 This is a devastating week for our friends and neighbors to the north. Our hearts break thinking about the fear and the panic and the loss they have been experiencing. Many of you have told us that you would like to help. Thankfully there are organizations that have mobilized swiftly to provide shelter, food, clothing, and pet care to those displaced and in need. Sending money to these organizations is the most efficient way of helping them do what they do best. We thought we’d take a moment to list a few of those we support. The California Community Foundation’s Wildfire Relief Fund supports intermediate and long-term recovery efforts for major California wildfires, as well as preparedness efforts, through grants since 2003. https://www.calfund.org/wildfire-relief-fund/ The Salvation Army is providing respiratory masks and thousands of meals and snacks to evacuees in shelters, and to emergency responders, in both the northern and southern California fires. Mobile food service will begin to neighborhoods as the evacuation orders are lifted. http://www.salvationarmy-socal.org/southern-california/news/ca-wildfires Humane Society of Ventura County. This nonprofit is accepting donations to help animals displaced by the Woolsey and Hill Fires. It is taking in domestic animals, such as dogs, cats and birds, as well as livestock. This organization is not affiliated with the Human Society of the US. https://www.hsvc.org/donate. Entertainment Industry Foundation is providing support for the fire fighters and first responders during the fires. http://musicforrelief.org/california-wildfire-relief/ The United Ways of LA and of Ventura County have partnered to form the Southern California Disaster Relief Fund to help low income victims of the fires. https://www.unitedwayla.org/en/give/disaster-relief-fund/ Once the smoke clears, literally, we will see a forever altered landscape. After we get our bearings in this new landscape, the slow process of rebuilding will begin. We have been here before. We have been through this process, on varying scales, throughout time. And each time, after the grief becomes another part of the new normal, we take the opportunity to "start from scratch" to "make it better than before" and a level of hopefulness gradually lightens the sense of loss. We have that to look forward to. In the meantime, stay safe and take care of yourself. And if you have been affected by the fires, our thoughts are with you. Please let us know how we can help.  

To Our Community:

This is a devastating week for our friends and neighbors to the north. Our hearts break thinking about the fear and the panic and the loss they have been experiencing. Many of you have told us that you would like to help. Thankfully there are organizations that have mobilized swiftly to provide shelter, food, clothing, and pet care to those displaced and in need.

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Abeer Sweis
Mastering Your Domain: A List of the Must-Wants in a Space by Abeer Sweis November 8, 2018 When designing a space, we include gadgets, devices, and fixtures that will make a space more convenient, comfortable, and safer for the occupants. We thought it would be fun to share some of the must-want items on our list with you: Convenience: Outlets with USB ports Smart tankless water heaters and programmable recirculation pumps Spa water temperature remote controllers like Jandy Occupancy sensors in closets Solar power and solar thermal water heating Outlets concealed in countertops Drying racks integrated into cabinetry Recessed ironing board Comfort: Smart thermostats such as Nest and ecobee Radiant floors Towel warmers Washlet toilet seats, like Toto Cork under wood floors, and insulation in interior walls and floors, to dampen sound Automated programmable window coverings Safety: Water flow meters that seamlessly detect leaks, such as Flo Geofencing locks that know when you have left home and will lock the doors if you’ve forgotten Smart smoke detectors, like First Alert , that double as a stereo speaker Smart lighting systems such as Lutron Tesla back up batteries for power storage and emergency power Biofuel fireplaces, like Ecosmart , burn clean also eliminating the need for a chimney Curbless showers – just walk on in If you are curious about any of these items and would like to know more, please reach to us!  

Mastering Your Domain: A List of the Must-Wants in a Space 

When designing a space, we include gadgets, devices, and fixtures that will make a space more convenient, comfortable, and safer for the occupants. We thought it would be fun to share some of the must-want items on our list with you: 

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Abeer Sweis
It Takes a Village… by Abeer Sweis November 1, 2018 Although the African proverb is about raising a child, we are borrowing it for this week’s article about our subcontractors and vendors because it seems to take a village to build a house! All of our projects, from our commercial office renovations, to our home remodels, to our new construction projects, require teams of subcontractors and many, many product vendors. So, we thought we’d dedicate this article to discussing how much we rely on, and appreciate, our subcontractors and vendors as project team members. As a design + construct firm, we create the vision and then execute the work, all of the work. To accomplish the work, we contract subcontractors to perform all construction tasks on site, from framing to finish, from foundation to roofing, and everything in between. At a small project we may have 23 subcontractor companies involved; 40 or more on a larger project. All of our subcontractors and vendors are seasoned professionals who take pride in their work. We believe in hiring craftspeople who are not only skilled at their trade, but who we often rely on to work with us on solutions to complex or unique design requirements. Our subcontractors are also good team members. They are good about working with, and around, other trades. Each of these subcontractors’ work is dependent upon the completion of work by other subcontractors, they know this and work well with each other to move the whole project forward. A lot of our designs are very detailed and tight subcontractor coordination is paramount. For example, a custom flush medicine cabinet requires the precision of the framer, cabinet maker, tiler, glazier and electrician. Our subcontractors and vendors also have full lives outside of work, families and hobbies. Some pull up to the job site in antique cars or race bikes, some hum tunes to their kid’s favorite movie, some are soccer coaches and others collect coins. All are interesting people who make the village a pleasant and productive place to be!  

It Takes a Village…

Although the African proverb is about raising a child, we are borrowing it for this week’s article about our subcontractors and vendors because it seems to take a village to build a house! All of our projects, from our commercial office renovations, to our home remodels, to our new construction projects, require teams of subcontractors and many, many product vendors.

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Abeer Sweis
Dear Reader, by Abeer Sweis October 25, 2018 Over the past 5 months we have covered a variety of topics in SweisKloss News. In our newsletter lead article we have presented what we love to create, our fondness for open spaces and quiet places, and our pride in our community’s dedication to universally accessible playgrounds. We have discussed the future of sustainable building, the ADU and shared space trends, and the evolution of master suites and home offices. We have talked about the big picture, the details and even puzzles! Our favorite articles have been about our staff members and their commitment to making the world a better place through community service, and a more beautiful place through design. These articles have been all about who we are and what we think. Now we’d love to hear who you are and what you think! What part of the newsletter most captures your attention, which articles have stuck in your mind, which have you shared or come back to? Going forward, what aspects of design or sustainability or the way we work would you like to hear more about? Do you have a favorite non-profit, or several, that you’d like us to share with our readers? Have you attended any of the weekend events because you saw them first in our newsletter? Producing a weekly newsletter is certainly a labor of love and we do it for you, our faithful readers. With that in mind, if you have even just a moment for a couple of lines about what’s resonated with you over the past several weeks, we’d love to read them. Send your thoughts to Abeer at asweis@sweiskloss.com . And if you enjoy what you read, forward the email newsletter to a friend, we’d love to be able to deliver SweisKloss News to all who’d enjoy it.  

Dear Reader,

Over the past 5 months we have covered a variety of topics in SweisKloss News. In our newsletter lead article we have presented what we love to create, our fondness for open spaces and quiet places, and our pride in our community’s dedication to universally accessible playgrounds…

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Abeer Sweis
Don’t Stop Believin’ by Guest Author Jessica Handy October 18, 2018 Georgeanna “George” Cheung, designer and senior project manager here at SweisKloss, encourages her kids to take as many opportunities that come their way. The child of a Chinese immigrant family living in a small Midwest town, George wishes she had known that her life was destined to be bigger than she thought. While working in the family restaurants she remembers at some point in her childhood thinking that was what she was going to do for the rest of her life. Although working for the family business has given her a lifelong love and talent for cooking, instead of restauranteur, she has become an accomplished designer with the ability to translate our client’s desires into an attainable reality. Her favorite projects are the ones where she has been able to tune into what the client wants without them even knowing what they want. Getting a client to exclaim with excitement “oh my gosh, that is exactly what I want!” is her specialty. When asked what aspect of design she is most enthusiastic about, she doesn’t hesitate saying “I love tile. I love the rhythm of the patterns, the penetrating colors. I love tile.” A close second is cabinetry, she says it is a trick to design cabinets as functional, capable of storing and hiding away belongings, while keeping the design aesthetically enjoyable. This past year George took the opportunity to design her own home. It was important to her to create “nooks and crannies” designed specifically for each person. The kids got cubbies, closets with spaces in which to hide, and cabinetry, lots of cabinetry. Her husband’s home office nook was built with a location for his keyboard, computer monitor AND laptop. And she carved out plenty of space in the kitchen for managing kid’s homework and arts and crafts, and for the day to day hustle and bustle of building a family. But before building her career and family, Georgeanna was just a small town girl. And just a city boy, Richard was raised in Detroit. They were high school sweethearts. George says she grew up fortunate to have a family that gave her every available opportunity for growth and enrichment in a small town. George took music lessons, dance lessons and ice skating lessons. Her parents were very encouraging and supportive. But as small business owners (in addition to the two restaurants they also ran two bars and a hotel) they couldn’t always be present in their children’s lives. For their children, Ellis, age 9, and Dahlia, age 5, George and Richard are diligent about being their advocates, their chauffeurs and being present. Ellis is involved in Cub Scouts, takes piano lessons and plays football. Dahlia plays piano and takes swimming lessons. George and Richard tag team participating in it all. Georgeanna is so wild about spending time with her kids that when a co-worker asked if she wanted to grab some frozen yogurt or something, George laughed and said, “that sounds great, but I would feel bad getting ice cream without my kids!” It is her dedication and charm that makes us proud and privileged to have Georgeanna as a member of our design + construct family.  

Don’t Stop Believin’

Georgeanna “George” Cheung, designer and senior project manager here at SweisKloss, encourages her kids to take as many opportunities that come their way.

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Jessica Handy
Image © Tom Ferguson Lots of Details, Yet Minimal by Abeer Sweis October 11, 2018 The Sheats Goldstein house. One of my all-time favorite homes. Over the years this home, built in the American Organic Architecture style, has served to inspire and re-inspire me time and time again. Just like every architecture student starting their career, the work wasn’t what I dreamed it would be. It was my boss, and mentor, at the time who took me on a home tour of the Sheats Goldstein house where I was immediately re-inspired, re-energized and re-engaged with what I had always wanted to do. I knew at that moment that architecture can be special. The Sheats Goldstein house was everything I thought architecture should be. It was customized for the client, contextual, open, and made of gorgeous materials. The home engaged the outdoors at every possible opportunity, through skylights and doors and windows that seemed as if they were invisible. Architect John Lautner designed this Beverly Crest home for Helen and Paul Sheats and their young family; it was built between 1961 and 1963. Years later Mr. Goldstein purchased the home and commissioned Lautner to perform necessary upgrades, which Lautner did until he died in 1994. Lautner designed everything about the home including the structure, the interior fixtures, the furniture and even the rugs. What I fell in love with that day, I still love about that house. The entrance to this home is tucked into the contours of a beautiful hillside jungle. To enter requires stepping away from the cityscape and on stepping stones through a koi pond. The light, so much light. The play of light as it moves through the rooms varies at different times of the day; it is hypnotizing. The disappearing ceiling in the kitchen and dining room is actually a retractable skylight. Merging the outside and inside was a signature of Lautner’s style. And he uses all of my favorite materials to do so: concrete, glass, steel and wood are applied in harmony with one another. Oh and the water. A full wall of glass opens out to the pool and the city view. The zero-edge pool looks like a sheet of glass, it compels you to touch it. Twenty years later, I have not forgotten the stillness of the surface of the water on that first day I experienced this home. The glass walls of the open plan master suite have almost invisible seams that open with the push of a button. Once open, nothing obstructs the spectacular views of the city, the ocean and the world beyond. The master bath has an exterior wall of glass and no large mirror, so rather than appreciating the image of oneself, the room encourages reflection on the natural habitat of the hillside. Lautner manages to pack in so many details using light, water, views and materials, yet the home remains an homage to minimalism. At SweisKloss we honor Lautner’s style with our commitment to blending the inside with the outside, our use of natural materials, and to create custom work for our clients while creating timeless spaces to be valued by many.  

Lots of Details, Yet Minimal

The Sheats Goldstein house. One of my all-time favorite homes. Over the years this home, built in the American Organic Architecture style, has served to inspire and re-inspire me time and time again.

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Abeer Sweis
She Rolls the Role by Abeer Sweis October 4, 2018 SweisKloss Designer and Assistant Project Manager Amanda Cavallo has always loved arts and crafts. As a child she was obsessed with making stuff. She loved to go shopping with her dad at Home Depot where she would crawl around on the floor picking up stray bits and pieces with which to make objects at home. Today, when not going to yoga, running, walking her dog Loki, or doing Pilates, you might find Amanda at Sewing Rebellion learning to repair clothing. Her passion for making stuff and her passion for environmental sustainability makes her a champion of waste reduction, object reuse and upcycling. She is currently combining a shelving unit recently rescued from the curb, with outdated tile samples from the office to make really cool tile covered shelves. She’s also turning a ballcap handed out by a bank as a promotional item, and some discarded sample fabric swatches, into a colorful woven headpiece. When moving here from the Boston area a little over a year ago, Amanda chose to live within walking distance of her new job. She moved west because of the sunshine, the lack of cold, and the laid-back lifestyle. She was attracted by California’s responsible environmental laws and to Santa Monica because of its reputation for being green. She wanted a walking community and Santa Monica offered just that. In fact, when their lease was up on their car, instead of renewing, Amanda and her partner thought they’d try living without one. Imagine that! Living without a car in the LA area! He works from home, she roller blades to work; so far being wheel-less is working out. Living without a car is one example of how Amanda says she is “constantly thinking how I can do things differently.” She says, “buildings are the most complex and impactful things in our built environment. And if I can do things differently at this large scale, then I can make an impact.” Amanda is excited about the sustainable architectural trend of getting back to using materials that are real. She feels real materials make one feel more connected to nature. Real wood, real stone, real glass. And not using plastic and paints to make something imitate the real thing. Most stimulating to Amanda are material textures and how materials come together to give a space its character. She loves the outside-living lifestyle and has found a perfect fit with SweisKloss’ indoor outdoor flow style of architecture. Personally, Amanda’s primary criteria in a design is to be able to walk around it barefoot. Walking barefoot straight through the inside to the outside of a space feels very rich, very connected, liberating and fluid. Behaving sustainably is not easy in our world of modern conveniences. But Amanda has managed to make sustainable living not only her design style but her lifestyle. From roller blading to work to giving up her car to repairing her clothes instead of throwing them away, she talks the talk and walks the walk, or more suitably rolls the role. We are so glad she is here with us at SweisKloss in Santa Monica. And although she claims the Boston area will always be home, with a big smile Amanda says “I love Santa Monica; this is my happy place.”  

She Rolls the Role

SweisKloss Designer and Assistant Project Manager Amanda Cavallo has always loved arts and crafts. As a child she was obsessed with making stuff. She loved to go shopping with her dad at Home Depot where she would crawl around on the floor picking up stray bits and pieces with which to make objects at home.

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Abeer Sweis
Fall Into Your Remodel by Abeer Sweis September 20, 2018 You have been wanting to pull the trigger on a home or office remodel for a while. You have been thinking about it, conceiving options but you continue to put it off because it seems daunting and there are certainly other things that need your more immediate attention. Fall is a good time to hit the start button. Fall is a natural reset time; we have been programmed to reset each fall since we were children returning to school after summer vacation. More than that, the process doesn’t have to be daunting. Our design + construct team can expertly take you through the process starting with determining your goals and desires all the way through moving in to your remodeled space. But you know this. What you may not be thinking is how easy, and enjoyable, we make it for you to go through this process. We make it simple. You only need to hire and work with one project team. You don’t have to manage many different contractors, consultants, or engineers. And you certainly will not be doing agency research and permitting. We do the heavy lifting, and by heavy lifting we mean we take your desires and needs and create the design for you. We then guide you through choosing materials and making interior design choices. We take care of all of the necessary paperwork. We put a comprehensive budget together. We select and hire subcontractors and purchase materials. We then construct (which involves literal heavy lifting). At no point do we ask you to do the material research, the subcontractor vetting, the vendor product negotiations, all of the filing with the various agencies, or managing the onsite work. And when something does not go as planned, as occasionally it does, all you have to do is count on us to take care of it. So if you have been putting off that remodel or all new project because it seems overwhelming, give us a call. We are here and happy to answer questions and to give guidance, anytime.  

Fall Into Your Remodel

You have been wanting to pull the trigger on a home or office remodel for a while. You have been thinking about it, conceiving options but you continue to put it off because it seems daunting and there are certainly other things that need your more immediate attention. 

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Abeer Sweis
Photo credit: Jason Abraham I am Proud of Us by Abeer Sweis September 13, 2018 I am very proud of our town, Santa Monica, CA, at this moment. This Saturday, the ribbon will be cut on Santa Monica’s third universally accessible playground. Universally accessible playgrounds allow children of all abilities to participate and enjoy one common play area. These playgrounds are also designed to make it easier for caregivers with mobility devices to play with their children. The Universal Design concept seeks to make the built environment barrier free and accessible to people of all abilities, sizes and age. Universal Design is design for everyone, not just for people with disabilities. The American with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 requires spaces be made accessible to those with disabilities, the ADA’s focus is on the access to the space. Universal Design seeks to design the space AND the access to be usable by all. For example, at buildings we often see a ramp installed next to stairs that lead to the door. This design creates access to the building entrance using separate pathways; stairs for those who can walk up steps and a ramp for those who cannot. A universally designed access is a pathway usable by both. There is no need to install two methods for reaching the door when one design can accommodate everyone. Universal Design entryway access are without steps, have railings, have no obstacles and include automatic doors. Sound familiar? It is because we see this design everyday around town. One of the beauties of Universal Design is that the user doesn’t notice it as a special design. Speaking of beauty, design for people with disabilities is not always aesthetically pleasing. But if we design for all of us, style and beauty becomes part of the design. Spacious bathrooms, open floor plans, and wider hallways are all elements we use in the designs of our residential and commercial projects and all of these are elements of Universal Design. If you go to the ribbon cutting, or any one of the three universally accessible playgrounds here in Santa Monica, I am willing to bet that you don’t notice that it has been designed to be inclusive of everyone in the community. And that is what makes me proud.  

I am Proud of Us

I am very proud of our town, Santa Monica, CA, at this moment. This Saturday, the ribbon will be cut on Santa Monica’s third universally accessible playground. Universally accessible playgrounds allow children of all abilities to participate and enjoy one common play area. These playgrounds are also designed to make it easier for caregivers with mobility devices to play with their children.

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Abeer Sweis
Big Picture by Abeer Sweis Aug 30, 2018 The reason we get engrossed in the details (see blog post “We Love Puzzles” 8/8/18) is because through the application of the details the bigger picture comes into view. And it is the bigger picture, the final product, that makes us go “wow.” The big picture starts with a vision. The vision inspires the details and the details come together to create the space. The design + construct process is fluid as a new space is brought to life, allowing our clients to see the big picture as visions become reality. The word “vision” sounds supernatural, and tangentially it is. When asked to explain how I come up with a vision for a space, my best answer is that the space “speaks to me, it tells me what it wants to be.” Spaces speak easily, but it takes years of experience and knowledge to be able to listen to what a space is saying. It is the relationship between what the space wants and the client’s lifestyle that allows the vision to take shape. Some clients will come to us asking for specific details, such as “a blue door” for example. The detail can then influence the vision for the bigger picture; an entire space-design stimulated by a blue door. The SweisKloss vision is influenced by light, movement, wellbeing, place and time. Sustainability, functionality, codes and aesthetics provide parameters that guide the vision through each project. The vision-inspired details that come together include: natural light on the center-stage commanding the placement of doors and windows and floor to ceiling glass; orientation for the movement of air and flow within and between the indoors and outdoors; client usability and experience of the space through cabinetry and screens where private belongings can seem to disappear; views framed to draw out the eye and body; seemingly seamless intersections and the flush alignment of materials; and using the historic bones of the space to combine old and new to create something extraordinary. When a renovation project is complete and the space is now what it has always wanted to be, the space will simply feel right, as if it is saying “thank you.”  

Big Picture

The reason we get engrossed in the details (see blog post “We Love Puzzles” 8/8/18) is because through the application of the details the bigger picture comes into view. And it is the bigger picture, the final product, that makes us go “wow.”

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Abeer Sweis
The Design Should be Theirs, Not Mine by Abeer Sweis Aug 16, 2018 I love teaching. I realized I loved teaching while working part time in my college design Mac lab. I really enjoyed helping people figure out how to do something, and doing my own learning in the process. Since that college experience I have taught at various colleges and universities everything from software, to design, to business strategy classes. Regardless of the subject, the stimulation from learning and discovering is contagious and I always find myself energized and inspired by my student’s enthusiasm, creativity and drive. We could be doing the same project every year, but each year the new set of students bring a new set of ideas and perspectives. I find it fascinating to watch their concepts unfold; it is like seeing new and amazing wheels be reinvented every term. For me teaching is really coaching and leading people to self-discovery. My style of teaching is by engaging my students with questions and coaching them through the thought process to their best possible answer. I want their design to be theirs, not mine. This is the same style we use when working with our clients at SweisKloss. The client’s desires and preferences are reflected in the design so that the design we create is not the designer’s but the client’s. Currently I teach one or two courses a year in the Masters of Interior Architecture Program, a joint Cal Poly Pomona and UCLA Extension Degree. In this course the students are asked to imagine they have a client who hires them to design a space for their business in a building I identify. They are asked to start with a concept. It is through this big picture that the details will come into place. The first step is the research phase. The students must come up with the business type, name and logo. They create their client’s persona and what is important to them, and determine what image, mood and atmosphere the client wants to convey. The student researches the building type, the neighborhood, the target market, and any technical requirements needed for the business. The next step is the schematic design. Planning the space, creating a floor plan, determining flow, creating 3-dimensional images. The last step is the design development where the student details the various areas of the project such as offices, kitchens, reception areas. It is in this last step that materials and furniture are selected, lighting and plumbing fixtures are chosen and paint colors are picked. This project allows the students to try out new ideas and to move their concept forward through the process as if it were a real project. My goals for my students are the same as my goals with my clients. Help them to make educated decisions, so that they are confident in the end product. Over the years I have had the pleasure of keeping in touch with my students, the privilege of having hired many of my students, and the honor of continuing to be a mentor and advisor to them long after the course has ended.  

The Design Should be Theirs, Not Mine

I love teaching. I realized I loved teaching while working part time in my college design Mac lab.  I really enjoyed helping people figure out how to do something, and doing my own learning in the process. 

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Abeer Sweis
Why Love Puzzles by Abeer Sweis Aug 9, 2018 Some people talk about the devil being in the details, meaning although something may look simple, the deeper you get into the details the more complicated the undertaking becomes. We prefer to talk about details like puzzle pieces that need to be fit together to form a picture. And we love puzzles. As SweisKloss is the puzzle creator and puzzle builder, we both imagine and implement these details. One way to tell that the details are just right is when they are unnoticeable in the finished product. The finished product should look natural, like it has always been that way. We love transitions between materials in the same space; these transitions require a lot of attention. A good example is where wood flooring, tile flooring, wall tile, baseboard, drywall and a pocket door all come together in one corner doorway from a hallway to a bathroom. In this example, the floor must be level despite the thicknesses of the different materials, the different subfloors, and the different mortars. Tile is not delivered to the jobsite already in the perfect layout and alignment, that is our job. Tile must be measured and cut to fit in the area without having slivers of cut tile filling in the gaps. Like a puzzle, the pieces shouldn’t be so small that they don’t look like pieces anymore. When cutting tile is necessary, the cut tile should be installed so that the manufactured finished edge is exposed and not the cut edge. This detail may sound logical and somewhat obvious, but like most things, if we don’t pay attention to these kinds of details, the illogical could happen! It is at these intersections of material that we get to be most creative such as using recessed baseboard that allows the wall tile or drywall to terminate elegantly, or placing tile on one side and drywall on the other side of a glass window. Making these materials meet so that raw edges don’t show through the glass is a detail that takes thought and creativity. Floor to ceiling doors and glass, mitered tile edges, cabinets that go up to the ceiling and don’t stop short creating an out of reach shelf to collect dust, window headers that line up with door headers down a corridor, recessed pockets for window coverings, waterfall edges on counters – I could go on and on! - are all details that we love. Just like when a puzzle comes together and all one sees is the pretty picture. The eye does not get hung up on one puzzle piece intersection or snagged by a piece that doesn’t fit. When all the details come together in a design it is the beauty of the whole space that the viewer receives.  

We Love Puzzles

Some people talk about the devil being in the details, meaning although something may look simple, the deeper you get into the details the more complicated the undertaking becomes. We prefer to talk about details like puzzle pieces that need to be fit together to form a picture. And we love puzzles. As SweisKloss is the puzzle creator and puzzle builder, we both imagine and implement these details.

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Abeer Sweis
Why Our Team Works by Abeer Sweis Aug 2, 2018 When working with a new client I always explain our team structure and introduce the team members. This is not an atypical practice in any service industry. However, our team is special. I am pretty sure this also isn’t an atypical statement in any service industry, at least I would hope other company leaders appreciate their team as much as I do. I would like to take a few moments to describe our team structure and say a few things about our team members. As a Design + Construct firm we are one team with different members specializing in designing or constructing. I head up the design talent in the office and Jeff Kloss leads the construction professionals. We have design project managers and design assistant project managers. And we have construction project managers and construction assistant project managers. All of our team member’s desk locations have views of the Santa Monica mountains and the Pacific Ocean, and are not arranged by the team member’s job. So we have assistant design project managers sitting next to construction project managers and construction project managers sitting next to design project managers, etc.. The seating mixture throughout the office allows for constant collaboration between members of each specialty at all stages of every project. Our designs have unique characteristics and are highly detailed. Having all team members involved in each phase ensures our unique and detailed designs are executed as intended. You could say we do not work in silos; we work more in swirls. It is the project manager who is the primary contact for the client. During the design phase, when there are many decisions to be made, much of the communication with the client is through phone calls and in-person meetings. Designers are really good listeners. They extract enormous amounts of information from conversations, allowing them to determine underlying goals and objectives, which are used to create and finesse all aspects of a project to reach a final stage that’s ready to construct. Once construction begins, the team provides clients with updates on project progress, photos and videos through a software called ConstructionOnline. This software allows the team to communicate and coordinate, stay on schedule and on budget. As for the team members as individuals, we have a delightfully quirky bunch. We range in age, gender and nationalities. Some are single, some have partners, some have children, and most have pets. It is remarkable and inspiring to me how varied a relatively small office can be. This variety of personalities can lead to lively discussions, but we always agree on two things, going out together for happy hour and creating great spaces for our clients.  

Why Our Team Works

When working with a new client I always explain our team structure and introduce the team members. This is not an atypical practice in any service industry. However, our team is special. I am pretty sure this also isn’t an atypical statement in any service industry, at least I would hope other company leaders appreciate their team as much as I do. I would like to take a few moments to describe our team structure and say a few things about our team members.

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Abeer Sweis
Making the World Better by Abeer Sweis July 26, 2018 I particularly like Anne Frank’s sentiment because I feel it applies to what we do as a design + construct firm and what we do as individuals in our community. SweisKloss’ policy is to support our team members’ activities in the community. Some firms may encourage their staff to get involved; our staff needs no encouragement. Each team member has come to SweisKloss with a full resume of giving back. Our office boasts a board member for the nonprofit Santa Monica Repertory Theater Board, a member of the Boys and Girls Club of Santa Monica Community Council, a volunteer Boy Scout troop leader, a volunteer Cub Scout officer, and a volunteer soccer coach. At SweisKloss each member is given the time they need to fully participate and make a difference within their organizations. “ Locally we help kids here on the westside by sponsoring enrichment activities such as reading and art programs, and annually awarding grants and scholarships. ” And currently our office is home to two past presidents and one current board of directors member of the Kiwanis Club of Santa Monica. Kiwanis is an international organization that helps children and families in need in over 80 countries. Locally we help kids here on the westside by sponsoring enrichment activities such as reading and art programs, and annually awarding grants and scholarships. As the chairperson of the Scholarship Committee, every spring I turn our office into scholarship-central. It is an exciting and busy time as our committee pours over applications, chooses the winners of over $40,000 in awards, and plans and hosts two awards ceremonies for scholarship recipients and their families. But the best part is getting to know these remarkable students, most of whom have extreme financial need. One of the high school recipients this year drew tears from the audience as she described how proud of herself that she was to be able to have achieved academic success while taking care of her blind father from the age of 5. Another young woman managed to get straight A’s even though she had to study by flashlight because her family’s power had been shut off. Every year our committee, and our office, is honored to be able to help students like these. We have been asked why participating in community service is an important part of our company philosophy. It isn’t. Our philosophy is to make the world better. And as Booker T. Washington said, “the most useful and influential people are those who take the deepest interest in institutions that exist for the purpose of making the world better.” Our team of useful and influential people are doing just that.  

Making the World Better

I particularly like Anne Frank’s sentiment because I feel it applies to what we do as a design + construct firm and what we do as individuals in our community.

SweisKloss’ policy is to support our team members’ activities in the community. Some firms may encourage their staff to get involved; our staff needs no encouragement. Each team member has come to SweisKloss with a full resume of giving back.   

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Abeer Sweis
A Rose By Any Other Name by Abeer Sweis July 19, 2018 ADU. Accessory Dwelling Unit. Not as romantic sounding as Carriage House, or as quirky as Grannie Flat, or as loaded as Mother-in-law Unit. But all are different names for the same thing, a space for dwelling that is separate or attached to a single family home on a piece of property. Once very popular, ADUs fell out of favor in the middle of the last century. With the rise in property costs, multigenerational living, the “sharing economy” and the desire to repurpose the garage, the popularity of ADUs is again on the rise. At SweisKloss we are in the midst of designing three ADUs right now. In our favor is the revised city code that allows for Accessory Dwelling Units. The scarcity of affordable housing in California has caused the state legislature to rethink the restrictions on ADUs, so as of January 1, 2017, the new state ADU laws required cities to change their regulations to be more accommodating to ADU design. The new ADU laws prohibit cities from being overly restrictive. For example, a common ADU restriction is required parking. Now, there are a few exceptions to the parking requirement including having access to public transit within a half-mile or car share within a block. Another common restriction involved excessive fees. Now, fees on adding an ADU must be proportional to the ADUs impact and not commiserate with fees on the property as a whole. ADUs must comply with building and fire codes; the same codes that apply to the main residence on the property. No longer are applicants for ADUs required to jump through special hoops. Although different cities allow for various square foot limits, under the new law here in Santa Monica, the maximum allowable size for an ADU on a lot larger than 6,000 square feet has increased from 650 to 800 square feet (for parcels 6,000 and smaller the maximum size remains at 650 square feet). And an ADU can have a second story that is as large as the footprint of the floor below. All of the additional fees, over and above the standard permitting fees, have been eliminated. As for renting out the ADU, either the primary residence or the ADU must be owner-occupied, the other may be rented out. Both may not be rented out at the same time. Until recently, most of the house sharing options had code limitations or they were “guesthouses” which are not rentable and could not legally contain a kitchen. All of this is great news to many homeowners who have been looking for a way to share their home, but not their living space, with friends, family, or for renting out for additional income. Just like a rose, these new ADU requirements are just as sweet.  

A Rose By Any Other Name

ADU. Accessory Dwelling Unit. Not as romantic sounding as Carriage House, or as quirky as Grannie Flat, or as loaded as Mother-in-law Unit. But all are different names for the same thing, a space for dwelling that is separate or attached to a single family home on a piece of property. Once very popular, ADUs fell out of favor in the middle of the last century. With the rise in property costs, multigenerational living, the “sharing economy” and the desire to repurpose the garage, the popularity of ADUs is again on the rise.

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Abeer Sweis
Courtesy of Dwell April 16, 2018 A Shared Space is a Happy Space by Abeer Sweis July 12, 2018 Remember the TV show “Golden Girls”? How about “Friends”? Or perhaps “Three’s Company”? All of these shows included family or friends sharing a home. We called them roommates at the time, now in this new “sharing economy”, we refer to these living situations as house sharing or even co-living. House sharing can take on many different configurations, but the premise is simple: friends, family or colleagues sharing a house. House sharing is not just for Millennials or Baby-boomers seeking social interaction. Although there can be many advantages of sharing a home; reduced living costs, shared child care and dog sitting, as well as a lower impact on the environment, what we love most about the concept of home sharing is both the wellbeing and communal aspects. Designing for house sharing has unique considerations. House sharing can be one home or multiple homes on a property. The shared home needs to have spaces to share and spaces for privacy. Should the home have multiple kitchens, multiple family rooms, or do the occupants share all common spaces? Getting building permits for non-traditional configurations can sometimes be a challenge. And what about resale value if a home is broken up into separate living quarters? The designers at SweisKloss have embraced this 21st century version of home sharing and have created some unique and clever space-saving areas, storage and shareable spaces that make co-living comfortable, modern and elegant. For one of our clients we designed a second story addition for her aging mom that had all the amenities of a complete home, including a separate entrance. Mom had all the advantages of living with her family and still felt like she had her own space for both solitude and entertaining her friends. Until recently, most of the house sharing options had code limitations or they were “guesthouses” which are not rentable and could not legally contain a kitchen. In 2017 the State of California created legislation that mandated local governments to allow Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU’s), which can either be part of the home or remain as separate structures. Next week we’ll take a look at this next “big housing boom.”  

A Shared Space is a Happy Space

Remember the TV show “Golden Girls”? How about “Friends”? Or perhaps “Three’s Company”? All of these shows included family or friends sharing a home. We called them roommates at the time, now in this new “sharing economy”, we refer to these living situations as house sharing or even co-living. House sharing can take on many different configurations, but the premise is simple: friends, family or colleagues sharing a house.

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Abeer Sweis
Form and Functional; Accommodating our New Non-Traditional Lives by Abeer Sweis June 28, 2018 Today we’re doing different things with traditional space layouts to accommodate our lives that are becoming anything but traditional. Our desire for space types seem endless. A few of the types being revolutionized are master bedrooms, home offices and living rooms. Most of our renovations include turning the master bedroom into a master suite with incorporated walk in closet and master bathroom. These are an oasis for privacy, intimacy and solitude. A new trend is creating multiples of these master suites in a home. These multiple master suites are built to accommodate multigenerational families where an elderly parent or an adult child has moved in, or for guest accommodations, or simply to accommodate the way we prefer to relate to one another during sleep. “ Whatever your space plan objectives are, SweisKloss can help you make your space perfect for your life in size, in form, and function. ” All this master suite space has value too. According to a 2016 Wall Street Journal article, homes with multiple master suites are priced about 9% higher than those without. Alternatively, converting a bedroom to a home office does not increase resale value because no longer is the traditional home office a necessity. Mobile technology allows us to work from anywhere. (Note that I said “anywhere” and not “everywhere,” boundaries are still in vogue people). Having the freedom to work anywhere, and on your own schedule, is an ideal working arrangement. The kitchen counter, a comfy chair in the family room, a lounge chair on the deck in the shade, are all viable working spaces. Unlike a home office, creating a work homebase in the home needn’t be elaborate. A color wall, a work surface, an ergonomic desk chair and a few shelves or cabinets can delineate the homebase. And then only the reach of your WIFI limits your work oyster. Including the living room, that is if you ever go in there. When touring a client’s home prior to remodel I can’t tell you how often the client refers to their living room as a room they never go in! No longer formal places to receive guests – my guests want to hang out in the kitchen and on the back patio – we are repurposing these rooms to be more functional for ourselves. Opening up the living room to create a great room, creating a library space with bookshelf lined walls and a comfortable loveseat, using it as a second family room, music room or home theatre. Whatever your space plan objectives are, SweisKloss can help you make your space perfect for your life in size, in form, and function.  

Form and Functional; Accommodating our New Non-Traditional Lives

Today we’re doing different things with traditional space layouts to accommodate our lives that are becoming anything but traditional. Our desire for space types seem endless. A few of the types being revolutionized are master bedrooms, home offices and living rooms.

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Abeer Sweis
Bold Colors and Natural Materials are Back! by Abeer Sweis June 21, 2018 There was a lot I loved about Greece, but what sticks with me most about that trip as a young adult, are the colors. The bright bold colors that always look freshly painted against the alabaster white stucco walls. We’ve all seen the pictures, but in person the colors seem to have life, a heartbeat, breath. The pop of color, mostly a blue that appears to be a combination of the sky and sea, on a roof dome, a door or a fence, creates an eye-catching accent that is mesmerizing. We love color. We love a few well-chosen bold rich colors, sparingly used on a kitchen island or in vibrant tiles in a backsplash or a bright fabric on an outdoor awning. Combined with timeless earth tones, these bold teals, oranges, reds and blues really pop. If you read the design magazines they say that bold is in for 2018; palettes are getting edgier. Proof of this is Pantone’s color of the year, Ultra Violet, a really rich and bright purple. But read on and the definition of “bold” includes black, and metallic, and blush, just about any color really. If you love color like we do, there are a few mobile apps you might like. These apps, created by most major paint brands, use your mobile device’s camera to preview a virtually painted space or color-match a color that catches your eye. Also back in style are natural materials. Synthetic materials have given us seemingly endless options in color, pattern, and texture. But with the rise in their popularity has come a movement back towards the natural. We seek a return to simplicity, artistry and authenticity. Natural materials have imperfections and depth and a connection to nature that synthetic materials lack in their design and in their construction. We desire a connection with the artist, to have pride in knowing someone, and not something, made or cut or carved a material. Take a real wood floor for example. The warmth and the softness of the wood feels welcoming beneath bare feet. And today’s wood flooring is more resistant to scuffs and mold giving it a longevity that rivals synthetic material. Natural materials can be extremely durable and sustainable such as cork and bamboo. Granite is the hardest stone, and it resists staining!, perfect for countertops. Metals, such as cast iron, and leather furniture have an unrivaled timelessness. In our quest to live more naturally, to eat organically, to behave more sustainably, let’s make room for natural materials in our lives and space.  

Bold Colors and Natural Materials are Back! 

There was a lot I loved about Greece, but what sticks with me most about that trip as a young adult, are the colors. The bright bold colors that always look freshly painted against the alabaster white stucco walls. We’ve all seen the pictures, but in person the colors seem to have life, a heartbeat, breath.   

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Abeer Sweis