July 31st, 2009
Sonia Play
Gold leaf, faux exotic wood, leather and glossy lacquers. When it comes to fun finishes for the bathroom vanity it seems we’ve seen it all. However, that was until Touch made its debut. Unlike any other finish on the market, Touch is a specialized rubber-like varnish that is tactile to the touch and 100% smudge-free. It is also easy-to-clean, making it a spectacular choice for kids’ bathroom. Touch is one of the many unique finishes offered in the Play Collection by the Spanish bath brand Sonia. It is available in the following colors: milk, blackberry, pearl, beige, camel, chocolate, wine and sky. Mix and match colors and create your own vanity design for the bath.
Find out more about the Touch Finish on the sonia website: http://www.soniaus.com/
July 29th, 2009
In today’s design world, your average Interior Designer or Homeowner has heard a thing or two about sustainability, whether it be through news coverage of global warming or whether it is through personal research of sustainable products and practices that will also save them money. The fact of the mater is that the United States is moving towards universal sustainability practices rapidly, including the use of sustainable materials, water conservation and through reducing energy loss. This is why now is the perfect time to begin educating yourself on what you can do to create a sustainable home. Our favorite place to start this discussion is of course with the Interior Design!
The first step to creating a sustainable interior is to research and learn about sustainability by reading and studying authorities such as the U.S. Green Building Council which is the non-profit organization responsible for creating the LEED rating system. On the USBG.org website you will find an overwhelming amount of information about sustainable building, including everything from Commercial Interiors (LEED-CI) to total Neighborhood Development.
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July 28th, 2009
The new Wabi Oil Lamps by Stone Forest are very stylish outdoor lamps, and they won’t break the bank! At $59 each, these solid granite lamps feature a removable top and hollow interior for oil. These oil lamps are perfect for around the pool, patio, pond or waterfall, or even strategically placed around your home. Click the image to see a larger version.
Stone Forest has been creating contemporary elements for the kitchen, bath and landscape using natural materials since 1989. Based in Santa Fe, New Mexico the boutique company has a unique understanding of the tolerances of different stones and precious materials. All of their architectural designs are sculpted from an organic source such as limestone, marble, bamboo, copper and onyx. Stone Forest’s collections include an extensive selection of vessel and pedestal sinks, bathtubs, furniture, fountains and outdoor sculptures. Raw stones are obtained from quarries located around the world, in countries such as Italy, Spain, Norway and Brazil. Stone Forest’s products express the beauty of nature because they are made from materials from the earth and are not manipulated by machine. The absence of machines and minimal use of chemicals in the crafting process ensures that no harmful emissions are released into the atmosphere. Stone Forest has won numerous awards including the Good Design Award and Interior Design magazine’s Best of Year Award.
July 25th, 2009
The 25 Year Long Battle Rages On
Chelsea Barracks Plans
Twenty-five years ago Prince Charles stood before the Royal Institute of British Architects and denounced modernism in architecture. His first book “A Vision of Britain, a Personal View of Architecture” which was published in 1989, criticized and showed his distaste for anything modern. Throughout the 1990’s Prince Charles continued to campaign against modern architecture and was even dubbed “Architecture’s Royal Pain”. In February, 2005 he told architects and public health specialists that modern buildings are giving rise to ’sick building syndrome’. In February of 2008 he branded a modern university building where he was addressing a gathering of paratroopers as a “dustbin”. Over the past two and a half decades that this battle has been raging, Prince Charles has been and unrelenting and has clashed with the architects and the architectural community hundreds of times.
In the past year or so this battle has really been heating up, with real life consequences and retaliations taking place. In April, Charles went on the offensive against plans for a new development called the Chelsea Barracks, which would have been made up of mostly low rise buildings designed by Richard Rogers, a Pritzker Prize-winning architect for buildings such as the Pompidou Center in Paris and the Millennium Dome in London. Rogers’ designs are typically ultra-modern, and his new plans for the redevelopment of these former army barracks in West London would have represented this architectural style.
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July 23rd, 2009
We see more and more green designs these days, despite the fact that sustainability is not necessarily a new trend in Architecture and Interior Design. This has produced even more amazing designs that are completely sustainable and LEED Certified, much like the Founding Farmers restaurant we wrote about last week. Here are just a few of our favorites that we’ve seen this year.
Recycled Cardboard Office: Photography by Joachim Baan.
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July 22nd, 2009
The Guggenheim Museum has teamed up with Google to provide designers with a very unique opportunity to submit a design to the Design It Shelter Competition. The competition is being sponsored by both the museum, as well as Google’s design software SketchUp. The rules are easy to follow; you must use Google’s SketchUp software to create a virtual shelter anywhere in the world. You cannot remove any existing buildings, but you can add on to existing structures. The shelter must be no bigger than 100 square feet and no taller than 12 feet. The shelter must provide protection from the elements, and provide space for one person to study and sleep. Also, no utilities are allowed in the design (water, electric etc).
The competition has been created as a way to commemorate the exhibits Frank Lloyd Wright: From Within Outward and Learning By Doing at the Sackler Center for Arts Education. There are two groups of judges, one of which is made up of a Jury of Experts including 7 experts from varying fields related to Architecture. The other group of judges are the students of the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture, who will choose the 10 finalists for the People’s Prize, which will then be voted on publicly from September 7 through October 10.
People’s Prize
- Trip for two to New York City (includes airfare and hotel accommodations for two nights)
- Behind-the-scenes tour of the Guggenheim Museum and the Google Offices
- Free admission to other NYC museums
- Google SketchUp Pro license (USD$495 value)
Juried Prize
- $1000 cash prize
- Trip for two to New York City (includes airfare and hotel accommodations for two nights)
- Behind-the-scenes tour of the Guggenheim Museum and the Google Offices
- Free admission to other NYC museums
- Google SketchUp Pro license (USD$495 value)
For more detailed information about how to enter download the submission guide here.
Good luck! We can’t wait to see your designs!
July 20th, 2009
Stylish waterfall showers are becoming more and more popular in the luxury home, and the new JACLO AQUA DUETTO Shower head is one of the nicest we’ve seen this year. This bath fixture is enough to design a whole bathroom around as it brings you multiple options for bathing. The AQUA DUETTO can produce either a waterfall shower which is a steady, stream of water, or a rain shower setting. Each of these settings is controlled by flipping the position of the shower head. While the horizontal flat spout produces the rain shower, when you flip the spout down a steady stream simulates the soothing waterfall.
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