Sample Resources for Design Students
I was at The College for Creative Studies‘ Interior Design Department yesterday critiquing the Freshman Residential Design classwork. It was fun to be on the other side of things. I was careful to be nice, which wasn’t difficult. The freshman class is a talented group.
The students asked me to help them out with a list of online resources for their future projects. So, as promised, here it is. If anyone knows of other online libraries open to students, please leave a comment.
Free Samples
Maharam will ship free fabric samples to students. At least they did when I was a student. You have to register first. Generally, it’s hard to find sites that will give out free samples to students. It’s nice that Maraham still does.
Forbo, the makers of Marmoleum laminate flooring, and iFloor offer free samples.
Haberman Fabrics will cut you a swatch. Be brave, tell them you’re a student, and maybe they’ll cut you a decent size.
Lots of sites offer free samples. Find what you want and then shop for free samples. Fabrics are the most difficult.
Product Information
Architonic is an online library with loads of European (mostly) furniture, lighting, and materials.
Materia has information on just about every new architectural material you can imagine.
Y Lighting has lots of contemporary lighting
Lighting Universe has every luminaire ever made (or so it seems)
Lightsearch is good for commercial projects
Furniture is easy to find. If you’re looking for something really unique then start reading…
Blogs!
You can get lots of information from blogs – like mine! Read them, ask questions, leave comments and others will comment on yours. Blogs are packed with information. Check out my blogroll for a list of my favorites. And, please use me as a resource. I’m always happy to help students. Don’t forget to send me pictures of your work.
