Showing posts with label Interiors. Show all posts
For Those Long Dark Winters
30 June 2008
If you are ever visiting Stockholm during the winter and are concerned about the lack of daylight... then perhaps you should consider the Nordic Light Hotel. The modern Scandinavian interiors are given a bit of whimsy with the use of colored mood lighting. Set on a 24 hour schedule, the lighting changes throughout the day, yet can still be calibrated to the individual guests' desires. And just in case you didn't find the light patterns in the rooms and common spaces helpful enough, you can even partake in light therapy through the hotel. More photos here..
Via Been Seen
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Rounded Corners
21 June 2008
Alexander Lotersztain's work (both furniture and interiors) all have a really nice sculptural quality... And all seem to have soft rounded corners... It really makes the materials seem approachable and comfortable. Who would have thought that concrete and coral could look so soft?.
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Drink Up
11 June 2008
Two lounges, the diva lounge and the sheer lounge... both by Studio Luz. I'm not totally sure what I think about the designs, but I'd love to learn more about the materials....
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Hiding Cables
10 June 2008
Its a reality in the modern design world that we have to deal with an ever increasing amount of cables and wires... that is, until they come up with wireless electricity! The big problem with a lot of new technological advances, is that they are changing so fast, that we don't really know exactly what we'll need in the future. For this reason, it can be difficult to plan ahead with wire placement... if you locate all the wiring behind the finishes, you'll have to cut it out if you ever need to change it. But, on the other hand, if you leave them exposed, you've got a big mess. C and I are having this exact problem right now with our remodel. We've got a projector whose cables we'd like to hide... but not knowing if we'll have the projector forever, or if the next version will need the same cables, we're hesitant to put the cables in the wall. British architects Quinn provided a design for digital agency Poke, that celebrates the cables and makes them a central design feature, rather than try and hide them. I kind of like it... I'm not sure if it would work on a smaller scale, but I like the thought.
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Nendo
24 April 2008
Seriously... there is not a single thing on Nendo's website that I don't absolutely love. The cabbage chair and the kisala restaurant shown above are two of my favorite projects... The cabbage chair is created by the unpeeling of the many layers of pleated resin impregnated paper. I really love the sophisticated form created by such a simple material... This subtle and intelligent attention to material is a constant theme in Nendo's products and projects. The Kisala restaurant is another example where the variated tones of the floorboards help delineate the separate spaces while still adding a cohesive element to the restaurant. The use of mirrored panels and lace curtains only add to the textural quality of the space..
If you don't know Nendo's work already... check out their website. Everything on it is working a look...
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Wow. Fashion and Architecture
08 April 2008
I can't tell you how much I love these photos and stage design from a recent YSL show..
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Thanks Colin!
21 March 2008
For those of you who don't click through on the comments... I thought it was worth posting this acoustic box for listening to music by Martti Kalliala and Esa Ruskeepää with Martin Lukasczyk of Mafoombey. Its a fantastic use of corrugated cardboard....
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Papercut is Right
19 March 2008
While I don't think the execution is perfect, Yeshop Papercut succeeds as part retail space and part sculpture. I personally prefer the top two photos, and don't necessarily think that the boolean boxes shown in the lower photo are ideally placed for aesthetic balance... however, the idea is quite nice. Using very affordable materials (cardboard and osb) as well as a laser cutter (I hope!), the joint effort by dARCH Studio and Yiorgos Eleftheriades succeeds in creating the kind of shop you'd like to visit to check out cutting edge fashion.
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A Fad or Here to Stay?
23 February 2008
C & I are in the middle of planning our bathroom remodel, and I am having some serious tile issues... I want to have an all white bathroom and tile EVERYTHING... but I can't decide on the tile. I've been going back and forth between this small glass mosaic (which is actually rather affordable) and 2x2 white ceramic tile (with a neutral medley on the floor)... I have to admit that I'm a little bit nervous that these glass mosaic tiles are going the way of the vessel sink.... which I think we can all admit is a fad that has passed its prime..
Does anyone have any thoughts? Are mosaic tiles here to stay... or on their way out?
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If I were Diane von Furstenberg, I'd want to work here too...
20 February 2008
In some ways, this new studio/office/flagship/apartment for Diane von Furstenberg really reminds me of the paraSITE that was up in Rotterdam while I was studying abroad. From the exterior, its got the same qualities of something leeching off of a subservient structure, and yet from the interior its gracefully integrated. The way that WORK Architects has managed to bring light in to all the main levels through their use of a 'stairdelier' is quite spectacular. It would certainly be a great place to work!.
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Via The Cool Hunter
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Forget about Dealing with Codes
25 January 2008
Whenever I see an image like this, part of me wishes that I could have a project in an area without codes and restrictions, and part of me wishes we saw more exciting projects that managed to deal with the local codes and restrictions....
Still... you've got to admit, that those are one spectacular run of stairs.
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Via Style Files
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Exhausted Just Thinking About It
14 January 2008
C & I are planning a renovation to our tiny home this spring. We've got the plan laid out, but now I'm trying to work out the details. I feel a lot of pressure to create a unique, well-designed, and innovative home (all within our tight budget of course!). Even though the pressure is self-imposed, its really starting to drain on me. I'm finding it very difficult to come home after a long day designing other peoples' homes, to start working on mine. Anyway, lately I've been trying to think of an interesting material to use for the kitchen backsplash. Tile is always nice (and I may use it), but I'd also like to think about other materials... While none of the materials by Robin Reigl are in my budget, they are interesting to look at. Definitely food for thought... and while I think about it, I may just check out the local salvage yards for some more inspiration..
Via Modern Flat
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Some Eye Candy for the Holidays
23 December 2007
Posting will be a bit light over the holidays (combined with my ongoing computer troubles...) so, here are some lovely images of interior architecture by Fabio Novembre to keep you entertained in the meantime. Check out the website, as there are many more beautiful projects....
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Full of Texture
13 December 2007
Tjep has been getting some well deserved press for their interior design of the fabbrica restaurant... but there are many projects in their collection worth checking out. I'm always a fan of what goes on at the NAI, and this 2005 project is no exception..
The intent behind this design was to put the same attention to detail and craft to a home as you would to a piece of jewelry. Built from steel and glass at a 1:25 scale, the house incorporated the layering of four cut through systems including carpet, graffiti, bricks, wallpaper, and more. Its hard to take in the whole project, but interesting to see the designers attempt to create highly detailed and patterned systems with modern fabrication methods.
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Part Chandelier, Part Installation Art
01 December 2007
These works by Kirsten Hassenfeld are absolutely beautiful, and completely deserving of their place in galleries and museums... but I also think they'd be an amazing addition to a home, restaurant, or even a library. It would be great to see these enjoyed by people as part of their interior environment, rather than just as solitary (or grouped) objects.
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I need a new dentist
30 November 2007
One of the things that I often find distinguishes European and Asian design from design in the United States, is the respect for the mundane. Almost, if not just as much attention is paid to the design of a refrigerator, phone booth, or in this case a dentist's office, as more glamorous projects. Although, the credit can not be given to the designers alone, as clearly the cultures devote more time and energy to design as an ideal and necessity. Without willing clients, well designed (and often expensive) projects would never be completed.This project (a dentist' office - KU64) by graft lab really amazes me. I can't imagine this kind of progressive design being implemented at my local (or any other US) dentist. While I realize that I'm generalizing... and that not all Berlin dentist offices look like this one, and there very well could be a well designed American dentistry... I'm just always surprised and impressed by other cultures' willingness to create something lovely out of the mundane.
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I'm not saying that this is a perfect project... I don't really find the color very soothing, and let's face it, who needs anxiety at the dentist. Also, I think that the amorphous forms are a bit overdone... But overall, I think its an interesting design for a seemingly uninteresting program. I'm particularly drawn to the entry hall, and the seating around the fireplace, which provides a very warm environment for a office that would typically be cold and sterile. The graphics also add an interesting touch... I wonder if you can look up at them from your chair?
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If I lived in Berlin, I'm pretty sure I'd be changing my dentist. Who cares if they might charge a bit more for a cleaning?! They've managed to create a space that I wouldn't dread visiting, which is quite a feat for a dentist (and their architect!).
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Via Pimp Your Life
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Full of Energy
03 November 2007
I tend to like more minimal interiors, so I'm a bit surprised at how attracted I am to this project. The project is called Factory People by Bercy Chen Studio and is located in Austin Texas' SOCO District. A multi purpose space, this buildign incorporates a boutique, dance and music venue, and much more (all inspired by Andy Warhol's Factory). The upstairs addition is a clean simple addition whose form is consistent with the other buildings on the street. But downstairs is where all of the energy is... The colorful and industrial interiors reflect the surrounding neighborhood as well as the clientele, rather than imposing a particular style on the users. I'm really digging the vibe...
Up Stairs
22 October 2007
I quite like the images of this Sfera Building project by Claesson Koivisto Rune. The facade has a delicate texture, not unlike projects by Delugan, H&dM and others. But more than the facade, I really like the verticality and the attention to light in this design. Known for horizontal lines, Japanese infill projects have been embracing the vertical nature of their given sites. This culture house in Kyoto is no exception. The exterior skin which illuminates the entire block while still providing light to the entire spaces even manages to enhance the vertical with the brightest lights at street level drawing your eye upward to the black evening sky.
This second project No Picnic, an industrial design agency in Stockholm, Sweden is another fun project... One that reminds me of a studio project (especially the study models). The space created by the cuts and subtractions offer distinct vignettes and creates spectacular light and shadows. Still, the energetic interior seems quite appropriate for an industrial design firm. In fact, its not surprising to me at all that a firm specializing in industrial design would select a multi-disciplinary (architecture, interiors, products) like CKR.
I also wanted to bring your attention to the two staircases. These two projects are very different and yet the solutions for their vertical circulation are very similar. The narrow and tall stairwells create a sense of being in a deep chasm, but because they are filled with varying degrees of light and shadow and offer glimpses of spaces beyond, these chasms feel warm and inviting rather than oppressive and intimidating. I actually want to climb these stairs.
I also wanted to bring your attention to the two staircases. These two projects are very different and yet the solutions for their vertical circulation are very similar. The narrow and tall stairwells create a sense of being in a deep chasm, but because they are filled with varying degrees of light and shadow and offer glimpses of spaces beyond, these chasms feel warm and inviting rather than oppressive and intimidating. I actually want to climb these stairs.
Simple, Sublime Steel
17 October 2007
Matador's website is entirely in French, so I can't really read it, but I've got to believe that this project is an infill renovation for the Maison Folie Centre des Chantiers Culturels Participatifs in the Ville de Mons, Belgium. Its a lovely project incorporating modern design into an existing, much older project. The steel trusses look like they could have always been there, and yet there is something distinctly modern about their lightweight forms. The rhythm of the forms exterior forms is quite beautiful. This perfect rhythm is the one thing that makes me wonder if the project is entirely new construction, but I'd like to believe that the architects were just lucky enough to have a great starting point in the existing buildings.
The steel forms of this project, Rénovation des anciens abattoirs de Mons Equipement culturel are also very beautiful in contrast with the stark white interior. I'm not exactly sure where the renovation begins and the existing structure ends, but this project as a whole is quite lovely. The simple steel forms impress me the most (whether original or new), but the interior infill and lighting are also simple and spectacular. I'd love to learn more about these projects or other works by Matador, so if anyone knows of any information in English, I'd be glad to see it.