A little bit about us
Ted & Laura Powell
Principals of Design to the Nines
Hi! My names Ted Powell. Welcome to my personal page designed to showcase my skills and expertise that I’ve accumulated over the year. I’ve also placed a contact form below and all my social links on my header, feel free to connect with me. I’d love to be given the opportunity to hear from you.
A Little Bit About Me…
I’m a licensed California Architect, and a certified UCCE Master Gardener of Ventura, CA. I grew up in Edmonton, Alberta Canada and spent my summers on my grandmas farm playing with the animals and rearranging their environments. That’s when I realized Architecture and Planning would be a big part of my life. Before studying architecture I was a singer and rhythm guitar player in a rock band that toured with some popular groups like “The Who” and many well know musicians of that era. Growing tiered of the hectic traveling and scene, I moved back to Edmonton to get a degree in my real dream, Architecture.
Several years after graduating and with experience under my belt, I built a successful Architectural Practice Powell-Blackburn with over 30 employees. Our clients base consisted of some big companies like Texico of Canada, International Utilities, Weber Real Estate, All-Alta Credit Unions, Edmonton Savings and Loan Credit Unions, Melton Real Estate, and The Government of Alberta.
I’m very fortunate to be given the opportunity to work for amazing talented individuals that allow me to design amazing things. Aside from that experience, I’ve also been a very passionate novelist & song writer Blogging content that focuses on my passions. My published work can be seen on our other website Folio Fantasy where I write Web-Novels in a serialized format.
Ted’s Skills
Below is a breakdown of my skills in both design and programming.
Credited with numerous university level courses in subjects spanning the spectrum of post-secondary learning, Ted holds a Diploma in Architectural Technology from the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology and he is currently enrolled in the third year of the NAIT Bachelor of Technology Program — major: Engineering Systems. He plans to complement these studies with a Bachelor of Communication and a Masters Degree in Architecture.
Ted is a master in the art of computer modeling. Resourcing countless software enablers, he creates dramatic 3-d colored renderings and visually enhanced animated movies to underscore his creations.
Specialties include:
Architecture, Planning, Interior & Furniture Design, Engineering Specializing in au courant technologies. Specialties include:
Restaurant, Brewery & Club Design
Market Design
Retail Design
City Infrastructure Planning and Design
Automated Parking Design
People/Freight-Mover Design
Solar and Wind Turbine Energy Concepts
Outdoor Exercise Equipment
3-d Stage and Lighting Environments
Animated and Modeled Presentations
Vivariums - A Glass enclosed Rainforest.
Hi! I’m Laura Powell
Welcome to my personal page! I created this space to showcase the skills and expertise I’ve built over the years. Below, you’ll find a contact form, and my social links are in the header—please feel free to connect. I’d love the opportunity to hear from you!
A Little Bit About Me…
I hold a Postgraduate Degree in Landscape Architecture from UCLA and am a certified UCCE Master Gardener of Ventura, CA. With over 20 years of experience in interior design, I also earned an Advanced Certificate in Web & Graphic Design from Sessions Professional School of Design.
I’m a biophilic designer, passionate about strengthening the human–nature connection in built environments. I believe that incorporating nature into design nurtures both the soul and the body. I live this philosophy every day, surrounding myself with exotic plants and animals, creating vertical and rooftop gardens, freshwater aquascapes, natural ponds and pools, and glass-encased rainforest vivariums inhabited by dart frogs, geckos, and more.
As an aviculturist, I spend much of my time with my toucan, parrots, and small songbirds—and with my beloved furry companion, Rutland’s Grrizzwald, an Australian Cobberdog (the modern version of the Labradoodle). I study animal behavior first-hand, learning about their unique adaptations, social structures, and ways to create environments that give them purpose and enrich their lives.
I’m endlessly curious about landscapes and have a special love for rare and exotic plants that can be adapted to interior “plant-scaping.” I strive for sustainable solutions that balance the man‑made environment with nature’s vitality, blending earth, fire, and water in my designs. My specialties include vertical and rooftop gardens, native habitats, and a deep passion for tropicals.
Beyond design, I’m a web and graphic artist with a mastery of digital tools. I create visually engaging websites and organize complex, interrelated content into intuitive experiences for clients. My keen designer’s eye for color allows me to recall a hue from memory and match it perfectly, building harmonious and intriguing color palettes.
From production to presentation, I work primarily on a MacBook Pro, using a wide array of professional design software to bring my creative visions to life.
Hobbies: Aviculture, vivariums, aquascaping, culinary arts, wine tasting, dance, film, literature, and enjoying a simple, rural lifestyle.
Laura’s Specialties include:
Landscape Architectural Design and planning, Exterior & Interior Planting Design, Vertical Wall& Roof Gardens, Biophilic Interior & Furniture Design, Web and Graphic Design , Animal Environments – Aquascaping & Vivarium builds, Restaurant, Brewery Markets & Club Design • Retail Design, Web Design • Ecommerce • Web Layout • SEO • Adobe Creative Cloud Suit • XHTML • HTML 5 • CSS5 • CSS3 • Responsive Web Design • PHP • MySQL • JavaScript •
Graphic Design and Software Applications:
Adobe Creative Cloud – Photoshop • Illustrator • InDesign • Fireworks • Digital Painting • Dreamweaver • After Effects • Color Theory • Typography • Logo Design • PHP Form Validation • Photo Manipulation • Book and Poster Illustration • Landscape Freestyle Sketches • Flash Animation • Flash Character Animated Design • Flash Banner Ads • Flash Video • Garage band • Procreate • Blogging Technology – Wordpress with Themify, • Blogger • Ecommerce • Maya • 3D Modeling (BIM) • ArchiCad • AutoCad • SketchUp • VectorWorks Landmarks • Motion Graphics • Digital Photography • Product Photography • Video Editing • Everything Apple – Pages, Keynote Presentations, OS, IOS• Microsoft Office and Powerpoint • Social Networking Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Google • Wix Website setups • Shutterfly Share Sites • Canva • Wacom tablets
Portfolio
Contact Us
Our headquarters is located in the Tehachapi, CA. an idyllic mountain town. The downtown area has art galleries, and Restaurants.
Contact Form
If you would like to leave us a message or set up an appointment to discuss what we can do for you, please fill out the form and we will get back to you shortly. Thank You, Laura & Ted Powell