With January here, many of us are dreading winter’s long, dreary onset. It means shorter days, longer nights and spending time indoors reading, knitting or sitting fireside and catching up on movies. Dreaded nights be damned, as the Crawleys of Downton Abbey have returned to our midst. With the Great War upon them, we’re anxiously awaiting if Mr. Bates’s past will be unearthed and if Anna will accept him; whether Thomas will be revealed as a scheming cad and war dodger; and, most important, will Matthew and Lady Mary finally get it together? To commemorate the occasion, we thought these Victorian-inspired items might resonate with fans of the show. In fact, we’d be so bold to say that their addition could instantly elevate one’s abode from ordinary homestead to lavish manorhood. Read the rest of this entry »
The Styleture editorial team always keeps abreast of new trends in bath design. With the New Year right around the corner, we have a decidedly “out with the old, in with the new” attitude. From an increase in products with “Made in America” pedigree to digital and wireless technologies for the bath environment, 2012 is shaping up to be an exciting year for the bath enthusiast. Here’s a sneak peek at what’s new:
Less Is More
Hastings Tile & Bath: Chelsea
According to an IFDA survey, Americans will be living in smaller spaces with fewer rooms by the year 2020 – increasing the need for products with uncluttered, clean lines. Enter the Chelsea small tub by Hastings Tile & Bath and Vola’s Round Series. The Chelsea tub might have downsized for 2012, since it now comes in a smaller version measuring 58 inches wide from tip to tip – but it still has curves in all the right places. The Round Series is a sleek and uncluttered collection of waste bins and tissue dispensers that save space (and hide the technical parts) by sitting flush against the wall.
At Styleture, our editorial team always stays attuned to the latest in interior design trends. We’re never too proud to benefit from the wisdom of other design bloggers – especially a blogger like Boston-based Linda Merrill (www.surroundings.net), who also happens to be a designer. For Fall 2011, she’s been generous enough to share with us her favorite trends and product picks for the upcoming season, including eclectic mixes, vintage looks and soothing styles for the spa:
Mix and Match
“From high-low pricing, to mixed finishes and styles, antiques and vintage mixed with modern forms – true eclecticism is taking hold in the design world,” said Merrill. It’s partly a response to the economy and partly environmental. “We’re all reusing and refurbishing what we have, stretching the budget, splurging on some items, saving on others, keeping things out of landfills,” she adds.
Mix and match Hastings Tile & Bath's GDO Raised Panel Ceramic Tile
In the design world, bigger is not always better. After all, the smaller the space, the greater the innovation. Residential designers and architects in urban locations are no strangers to resolving the issue of compact lots and homes; but now small is becoming big due to the economic downturn. According to “20/20: IFDA’s Vision for the Future,” a new report from the International Furnishings and Design Association (IFDA), we can all look forward to smaller houses with smaller rooms by 2020: fully 76 percent of respondents said so, as opposed to only 49 percent at the last IFDA census. And with less square footage, wouldn’t it also follow that home products need to deliver a double-dose of functionality in order to save space? With that in mind, here are three clever products for the home that serve double duty:
Cache’s subdued and elegant design is only enhanced by its ability to eschew clutter and create ordered elegance in the kitchen. Cache offers a spacious storage compartment discreetly hidden beneath a sweeping, understated hood and utensil rail. Read the rest of this entry »
Success is not easy to come by in Hollywood; millions of hopefuls try, but only a fraction of a fraction actually succeed. There is no doubt that Shia LaBeouf, 25, star of hit films such as “Transformers”, “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”, “Eagle Eye” and “Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps”, is breathing in that rarefied air of success that so few will ever get to experience. With such success comes all the perks including the seven-figure salary and the palatial movie star home; not long ago, LaBeouf plunked down $1,825,000 for a 2,463 square foot bachelor pad in Sherman Oaks, California. Read the rest of this entry »
Bob Gifford, the Director of Bath Products at Hastings Tile & Bath
In late 2008, Hastings Tile & Bath, well-respected importer and distributor of contemporary bath and tile products with a 125-year history, unveiled a collection of their own called ‘Chelsea.’ The collection is made up of highly stylized faucets, sinks and tubs; all which have smooth and sensuous curves and marvelously relate to one another. What would compel Hastings to become product designers? We sat down with Bob Gifford, the Director of Bath Products at Hastings Tile & Bath because he is the designer behind the new line and we wanted to find out what inspired the man who’s seen thousands of fine bath designs in his lifetime. We also wanted to know what his thought process was and how he came to design one of the most beautiful contemporary faucet and bath collections on the market today.
Tell us about your background in product design.
I don’t have formal training in product design, though I do have a degree in architectural drafting and I’m conversant with AutoCAD of course. From the beginning of my career with Hastings, I’ve been ‘designing’ in one way or another: everything from our trade show booths and showroom displays, to custom glass shower systems. I have also been influential in determining many of the product designs we’ve brought to market from our suppliers in Italy. Add that to the fact that I’ve been drawing since I picked up a pencil, and it all makes sense. It’s a passion. Read the rest of this entry »
Most if not all of the editorial team members at Styleture are suckers for distinctly crafted decorative plumbing fixtures and bathroom accessories. Perhaps no other manufacturer gets us more excited than Brooklyn born and bred, Watermark Designs. Based in the independent design hub of Brooklyn and made in the USA, Watermark’s designs are a reflection of the creative melting pot from which they hail. As a true-manufacturer, their distinctive product quality is achieved using a combination of hands-on design and development combined with state-of-the-industry equipment. Their stellar collections have been featured in the world’s most exclusive residences and hotels, including Trump Park Avenue, New York, and The Eden Roc Hotel, Miami Beach, Florida. Best of all, many of their products offer water-conserving features.
To impart to those interested what Watermark Designs is all about, the company has put together a short documentary-style video that gives a glimpse into the inner workings of Watermark Designs. Most notably, it reveals the company’s dedication to hand craftsmanship by artisans and its awesome abilities to not only create traditional, transitional and contemporary designs, but also offer complete customization; a client can literally scratch something on piece of paper, then work with in house designers and engineers to make it a reality in very short matter of time.
