Very nice article about you in Design Texas this issue! Congratulations on receiving the Louis S. Tregre Award. Keep up the good work. - Jacqueline Powaser, Allied Member ASID
This section serves to expand your regular vocabulary. What separates the men from the boys (or the women from the girls, if you want to equalize things) is v o c a b u l a r y. We cannot stress this point enough. People who have a larger vocabulary have been shown to make more money and get promoted more often.
As this word can also mean the simultaneous or rapid succession of multiple rounds of artillery, firearms, bombs or rockets, you can imagine that it’s a strong one. In the everyday language of business and life, a salvo means either a sudden burst of something (quite frequently a noise or an action that creates noise) or an energetic attack (usually with words or wit). This versatile word can also be used as a verb.
Example: When his senior thesis was viscously (and unfairly) attacked by his student rival during the jury period, Javier quickly defended himself, throwing out a stinging salvo and exposing his classmate’s flawed thinking and personal bias.
There’s something about the sound of this adjective that fits its definition perfectly: hypocritically pious or devout. In layman’s terms: Holier Than Thou.
Example: Sophie promised herself that when Fritz uttered his next sanctimonious statement, she was calling him out on it, even if it happened in front of their project team leader.
The French term from which this developed - sang-froid – literally means “cold blood”. However, when you say that someone acts with “sangfroid” you are not saying they are cold-blooded. You really mean that they have great coolness, steadiness and self-possession under strain.
Example: Despite his nervousness and inexperience, the young designer handled the volatile situation with the developer with professional sangfroid.
We love this fancy word. Even though it’s only an adjective describing anything relating to clothes – specifically tailored clothes – it just sounds so sophisticated.
Example: Julian, a textile designer, was creatively blocked until he found his grandfather’s old suits in the attic, a discovery which inspired him to include a sartorial style into his newest collection.
Do you remember Eeyore, the gloomy donkey who was part of Winnie-the-Pooh’s posse? He’s the perfect example of a saturnine soul: cynical, a bit surly, chilly in disposition, and not open to change. There’s one in every group, eh?
Example: Wilma’s increasingly saturnine demeanor made the weekly project meetings almost unbearable; therefore, after three months of co-worker complaints, Andrea not only pulled her from the project team, but she also instructed Wilma to temporarily cease all client communications.
We bet that you’ve seen this fairly common phrase a hundred times but have always wondered how to pronounce it and what it really meant. To boil it down, it’s a noun meaning social skill and tact. You could use this term to describe someone who is quite sophisticated and experienced in human affairs, or someone who knows how to act or handle delicate social situations comfortably.
Example: The designer exhibited admirable savoir-faire when in the unenviable position of being caught between his irate clients and the insulted contractor.
This word comes from the same root as the more familiar “resemblance,” which should help you remember it. Semblance can mean a few different things: a true or obvious resemblance or likeness; the obvious and often false appearance form; an apparition (translation: ghost); or a degree or small amount of something.
Example: If Armand could just detect some semblance of remorse in his employee’s attitude regarding the significant omission she made when issuing the construction documents for bidding, then he would choose not to fire her.
You know when you find something great when you’re not looking for it? Or when something wonderful happens when you’re not expecting it because you’re in the middle of a less than desirable situation? That’s serendipity. You can also use the word as an adjective: serendipitous.
Example: It turned out to be quite serendipitous when the marble that Jan specified was not available because she ended up stumbling upon a much better product that not only looked better, but required a lower installation cost and easier long-term maintenance for the client.
One of our favorite words, only because we first heard Peter Falk screaming it out to a panicked Alan Arkin years ago in an all-time classic movie, The In-Laws. Arkin, in an attempt to avoid being shot by South American drug lords, runs to and fro in a ridiculously exaggerated manner, which should give you a fair idea what this word means: snake- (i.e., serpent) like. Used either as a verb or as an adjective, it means either acting like or resembling snake-like movements or shape. More specifically, when dealing with design, serpentine can mean having a compound curve whose central curve is convex.
Example: Victor’s vision for his entertaining-happy client’s outdoor living space was a series of conversation pits placed along a serpentine path of crushed granite.
A bit of an odd word (that sounds seems to sound weirder the more and more you repeat it) that means having the ability to pay all debts owed to others.
Example: Those design firms able to stay solvent through the latest recession should emerge even stronger and more agile once the economy starts growing again.
To remember this word, think of the more common word “insomnia,” which means sleeplessness. This adjective, obviously having the same Latin root, means walking while asleep or resembling a sleepwalker, as in being slow to move around or to respond to situations. We think the more contemporary definition would be “out of it.”
Example: The bi-weekly project meeting became uncomfortably awkward when Jack, the lead MEP engineer on the $10 million retail development project, moved beyond his unusually somnambulant state and actually fell asleep at the conference table.
All of you second-year college students out there, don’t take offense, but this adjective is a little on the negative side. It means being poorly informed but acting conceited and overconfident, as well as demonstrating poor judgment and immaturity. Don’t blame us – we’re just the messenger.
Example: Justin’s recent spree of sophomoric antics in the office was not sitting well with the firm’s principals and definitely put his name at the top of the layoff list.
This succinct little adjective means a flood, influx or large amount of something, as well as a sudden or strong outburst or rush.
Example: The spate of A&D firm closures all over the region didn’t bode well for Christie’s desire to pursue her interior design career in her beloved home state.
All in all, spurious is a negative word. This adjective can actually designate something as bastard, though it’s not often used in that way. More commonly, it describes something false, forged or fake – i.e., deceitful in quality or nature or imitating something superior.
Example: Emily was appalled to discover that not only had the spurious antiques dealer been faking his French accent since the day they had met at the sidewalk café, but the items he had sold her were just as counterfeit as he was.
Something about this word makes us think of armor. As in Knight In Shining. Maybe it’s its Celtic roots, or maybe we’re just silly. Nevertheless, our way of thinking helps us to remember the definition, as stalwart means sturdy, robust, brave, strong, and stout, as well as firm, steadfast, and resolute in nature and opinion. See? Aren’t those adjectives you’d associate with a knight?
Example: Though her family and friends didn’t always agree with her, Sandy was a stalwart supporter of interior design legislation, and she devoted hours to her state’s political lobbying group to further the cause.
To bridge the gap between the student / educational community and the professional / manufacturer community of the interior design world, and not to die of boredom while we do it.
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Students, don't miss your chance to enter the 2013 Sherwin-Williams STIR Student Design Contest. This year they are accepting entries via the Student Design Contest website. First prize is $2,500 and a feature in STIR magazine from Sherwin-Williams; 2nd place is $1,000 and 3rd is $500. The deadline to enter is April 15, 2013. GO HERE to find out more.
Enough Said T-Shirts
Created by a couple of Milwaukee interior designers with a quirky sense of humor, a healthy dose of sarcasm and a heaping serving of caring. Check out Enough Said to find fun t-shirts with a message.
