Saturday, January 30, 2010

the unhappy hipsters

I just discovered this blog and thought it was pretty funny... a great parody on life in the modern world.

The Unhappy Hipsters
http://unhappyhipsters.com/

Enjoy!

designer profile: judy ross textiles

Okay... back to reality!

Today I wanted to profile a textile designer I recently discovered and absolutely adore. Judy Ross of Judy Ross Textiles has an amazing eye for color, texture, and pattern. Each of the pieces in her collection is hand embroidered and stunningly contemporary. I love the pairing of organic forms and bold colors.

The variety of color and pattern would allow these pillows and rugs to become interesting and cheerful accents within any home, but I am particularly interested in how these pieces could be used to liven up the clean, simple, and muted decor of a modern room.







Friday, January 29, 2010

design bizarre: la villa hamster

To change things up a bit, I thought I would throw out some information and images on a very odd, albeit creative, interior design concept for an "experience" hotel in Nantes, France. The hotel, named "La Villa Hamster" gives its guests the opportunity to live the life of a hamster for the night and is fully equipped with a human-scaled exercise wheel, a water tube for drinking, and plenty of grains to munch on. And of course, for all of you technology geeks, the hotel did not skimp on the flat screen TV or WiFi…

The hotel has become so popular, they have raised their rates from 99 to 150 Euros a night!

Creepy? Um, slightly
Entertaining? Definitely
Wave of the future? Let's hope not...

Enjoy the images and HAPPY FRIDAY!

image via stellas magazine




images via HD Inspirations

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

The Deepstone House

To build on my last post about the gorgeous Kentucky rock fences, I wanted to highlight a fantastic residential project in south west Scotland that was brought to my attention by my coworker and friend Jim.

The Deepstone House, by Simon Winstanley Architects, is a stunning example of a contemporary building that is sited such that it fits perfectly and unobtrusively into the surrounding landscape. The home is literally built up out of the old rock walls and stone bluff around it, creating a sense that it not only belongs where it is but has always been there.

So often in contemporary and modern architecture, you come across buildings that are designed as mere objects, placed within the urban fabric like a piece of art that acts as its own stand alone composition without drawing on its cultural, physical, or topographic context. This is not always a bad thing, but unique object after unique object has the tendency to become repetitive and dull. The unexpected become expected. The creative becomes mainstream.

As one of my favorite undergraduate professors would argue, a building like the Pompidou Center in Paris, France is special and unique because it exists within the strongly knit fabric of traditional Parisian architecture. The building stands out and provides a shock by mere contrast. Whereas in the Unites States, we've become so used to object-like buildings that they have lost the wow-factor.

The Pompidou Center. Architects Piano & Rogers.
Images via Google Images

Excuse my digression... but this is an area of passion for me... back to the topic of the day!

The Deepstone House provides a refreshing example of contemporary architecture that is respectful of place. The home is built on a steep slope (formerly a quarry) that overlooks the Solway Firth in Scotland.

As you can see from the image below, the views of the landscape are spectacular.


The image below provides a glimpse of the simple material palette of the structure, everything is natural and muted, taking nothing away from the gorgeous colors of the surrounding land. The design of the building is interesting and contemporary without being overpowering.


The view below offers a nice perspective of the siting of the home. You can see the steep bluff behind the home clearly in this picture. And isn't that deck fabulous?


I love the shot below because you really get a sense of why the house was designed with its sharply angled roof, allowing not only light, but views of the sky in both the front and the back of the home despite the steep grade at the rear.


The images below of the sides of the home reinforce for me the angled roof as one of the key components of the project's composition. The home tucks into the surrounding topography perfectly.

You get views of the beautiful stonework at the base of the home in these shots. The stone provides a visually strong and solid base for the much lighter and airy top portion of the house. You also begin to get a sense of how the selection and use of this stone ties into the existing landscape and stone structures that have likely been there for hundreds of years.

The various textures in these images are incredible...


Now for my favorite images... does this house not look as though it belongs here? For such an incredibly new, innovative, and modern home, it fits in perfectly with the older surroundings and traditional neighboring homes. Kudos to Simon Winstanley Architects!

Images via The Contemporist

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

kentucky charm and interesting fences

After a weekend trip to the Lexington, Kentucky area, I am impressed, as I often am upon my return, with the beauty of Bluegrass country. Even in the midst of winter, the Bluegrass region provides nothing but pleasant scenery with hills that roll just as softly and sweetly as the southern drawl from a native Kentuckian's lips.

The Northern Kentucky area is probably best known for its sprawling horse farms and the images below represent some of the typical landscapes you will find in the area. Many images you encounter of the Lexington highlight the area's subtle slopes, rail fence contours, and of course, the Thoroughbred horses.


I love that an element as simple as a white wood fence can create the dynamic composition of the photo below.


While the continuous lines of the traditional rail horse fences offer a stunning design element within the Kentucky landscape, the structures common to the area that strike me as the most interesting and profound are the old, dry stone masonry fences that are found along many of the roadways in and around Lexington.

For those of you unfamiliar with dry stone masonry, it is an ancient construction type and art that builds structures out of stone without the use of mortar. The stones (Limestone in the case of the Kentucky rock fences) are skillfully fit together using coursing and bonding techniques to provide both strength and flexibility, ultimately leading to an extremely strong and long-lasting stone structure. Think of creating a dry stone masonry wall as the ultimate puzzle...

The images below show two rock fences in the Northern Kentucky area. Many of these walls date back to the 1800's when they were built by farmers and landowners to mark property lines and cemeteries.


Masonry fences were also used quite commonly during the early 1800's as part of the roadway system and many of the highways are lined with these ancient stone walls. The image below provides a glimpse into one such roadway. As you can see, combination of the rock walls and soft canopy of trees provides a picturesque view as you drive through the countryside.


Look at how serene the picture is below. I love the way the old rock fences almost seem to grow out of the landscape...

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

design within reach?

After completing my most recent posts, I began thinking about the concept of affordable design and the struggles design sensitivity can bring to its possessor.

To be the lover of good design is a tumultuous existence. You are painfully aware of the potential every space has to be truly remarkable. Every room has that perfect set of furniture... the rug that ties the texture and color of the design together like nothing else could... the pendant light that offers a unique focal while casting the most amazing hue on your flawless creation...

Yes, to love good design can be agonizing, forcing decisions like, "do I buy the Saarinen Womb Chair or do I allow myself to eat something more than Ramen for the next year?"

For the majority of us, truly high-end design is, and always will be, out of reach. We can browse, bless, and blog the latest styles and trends, but rarely do we get to taste the fruit.

Now with all that said, I am going to try my hardest to disprove my point. Therefore, my post this evening will offer some suggestions on where to go for affordable design that will leave you with a close-to-perfect look without racking up the debt...

Enjoy!

Lighting

$813.00


$99.00

Dining


$2,099.00


$599.00


$1,900.00


$399.00

Bedroom


$1,499.00


HOPEN Bed by IKEA
$249.00

Living Room


$1,999.00


$849.00


$249.00


$2,550.00 - $3,000.00

$349.00

Nursery


Crib+Trundle $855
Changing Table $495

Sunday, January 10, 2010

make room for baby!

Today's post is in honor of my good friend Sarah's recent birthday and the upcoming arrival of her first child. She has asked our friend Camille (fellow blogger of the styLe handLer) and me to work on the design of her nursery, so I wanted this post to jump start a creative session on ideas for great nursery designs. Let's get the juices flowing...

As a first stop, I found the image below of a nursery designed by M Design Interiors out of Los Angeles. There are a lot great things about the space - it's bright, relaxing, and cheerful without being too over-the-top. I love the simple drum light at the center of the room and the overstuffed rocker. However, Sarah does not want her nursery to have the typical and overused safari animal theme and Camille and I were leaning towards more of a woodlands theme with owls or birds.


Let's move on...


image via M Design

The drum light in the room above is fabulous, so continuing that train of thought, here are a couple other light fixtures that could work wonderfully in a nursery.

The "Porcini Canopy" lights below were designed by memaké, a collaboration between designers Jaquie Hagan and Madeleine Potter. I love the texture of these lights and think they would make an interesting statement paired over a crib, although the ruffle-like shade may be more appropriate for a girls room than a boys.

image via Contemporist

Another fixture that adds fantastic texture while being a bit less feminine is this Le Klint Pendant by Design Within Reach. This fixture would make a great statement at the center of your nursery, while the neutral color and simple material tones it down enough not to overpower the decor.



The furniture you select for the nursery is one of the largest and most permanent investments a couple will make for the space. Thankfully, there are fabulously simple, timeless, and adaptable furniture options out there that help make this investment a little less scary.

With the Classic Crib set by Oeuf you can get a beautiful crib that has a light, cheerful, yet neutral color palette that can be converted into a toddler's bed easily. The simple design would not become outdated as easily as some of the more trendy crib sets, allowing it to be reused in the future.

images via Oeuf

Another gorgeous crib and changing table set is the Sahara Crib with the Delphi Changing table by Argington. I love the combination of white and dark wood, which really makes this furniture pop within the room. The clean and simple lines of the pieces are wonderfully contemporary and offer an uncluttered, fresh, and relaxing feel.

image via Pacifier

Great furniture for baby is crucial to a fabulous nursery, but Mom needs a great seat as well and I'm loving some of the stuffed gliders on the Pacifier website.

The Vola Glider by Monte Design pictured below is not only pretty, it is ergonomically designed with arm heights perfect for feeding. That super cute stripped pillow is not just aesthetic, it offers lumbar support and can be removed if desired. Finally, the chair (and pillow) come in a variety of colors with an optional and glide-able ottoman to match!


image via Pacifier

Crib bedding is a fun way to liven up your nursery and is one of the items that is easy to change for your second or third child if your original selection starts to look out-of-date. Given that bedding is one of the less permanent aspects of your nursery, it's a great and safe place to get creative and use some trendy designs or colors.

I already know Sarah loves the Owls Crib Set by DwellStudio and I'm loving her taste... DwellStudio has a fabulous collection of unique baby bedding in fun color patterns and interesting subjects. I've shown a few of my favorites below.

Owls Crib Set

Sparrows Crib Set

Gio Crib Set
images via Pacifier

Another company that offers beautiful modern bedding and linens is Amenity Home, which specializes in organic and eco-friendly fabric products for the home. Their line of baby bedding is adorable and would totally fit a woodlands themed nursery. I love the animal subjects and retro color palette... again, bedding and pillows are safe ways to add some trend to your nursery since they are so easy (and much more affordable) to replace!

images via Amenity

Rather than focusing too much on creating a vibrant and playful nursery that may feel chaotic and busy for a new mom learning to care for a baby for the first time, an alternative could be to use a very soft palette on the walls, furniture, and bedding and then introduce a large and colorful area rug to bring some life into the room as shown below.

I do love how the bright colored swirls on the area rug enlivens the space and keeps the room from feeling static. With a nursery similar to the one below, you should still use small pops of color in wall art and other accents, but, in general, restraining the use of color can lead to a more subdued, calm, and relaxing environment for Mom and baby.


One of the ideas we had tossed around with Sarah regarding the decor of her nursery was painting a silhouette of a tree on one of the walls of the room. She is thinking of a gray and cream color palette since she and her husband, Dan, are not going to be finding out the sex of the baby. I thought a cream silhouette on a warm gray wall could be fun and playful while still maintaining a calm and sophisticated feel.

The images below show a few options that have already been designed that Camille and I could take our queue from for the design of Sarah's nursery mural... Camille thought an off-center tree that frames the crib would be a nice statement and I agree!


image via My Home Ideas

To wrap up my post, I wanted to offer one last image of a baby mobile I could not get enough of... the Peep Bird Mobile by Boon has cute little bird silhouette cutouts on individual wires cascading from a single wall mount. Adorable!

image via Pacifier

I've absolutely had a blast looking at all of the fantastic baby and nursery products out there and I cannot wait to sit down with Sarah and Camille and talk more about what Sarah has envisioned for her nursery.

I plan to highlight Sarah's nursery project in a few months when we have completed the design as a before and after project, so check back to see what Camille and I come up with.