Sonia Delaunay
Posted by Cynthia | Filed under Musings
An accomplished and celebrated artist, ‘Sonia Delaunay claimed the first retrospective for a living female artist at the Louvre. She described her textiles as mere “exercises in color” that informed her true passion, painting. But her work in fashion and the applied arts, via her Maison Delaunay design atelier, may well be her broader legacy.’
Images and excerpts “Color Moves: The Art and Fashion of Sonia Delaunay,” 2011, at the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum
Tags: architecture, Cooper Hewitt, Design Inspiration, Design Process, Fine Art, interior design, Louvre, Painting, Pattern Study, Sonia Delaunay, textile design
Midcentury Modern Vacation Home
Posted by Cynthia | Filed under Musings
Ahhh, the warmth of Spring is beginning to grace us, and with it comes thoughts of time outdoors, relaxing and entertaining. This beautiful vacation home in Amagansett is a picture perfect setting to capture the essence of summer. A renovation by Bates Masi & Architects of a Midcentury Modern home, it is light filled and warm, incorporating reused and repurposed material choices, and unexpected yet classic furniture. Delightfully understated this estate is Athena and Victor Calderone’s Hampton home. The design of the home was carefully considered, and maintains the wonderful qualities of the mid-century architecture. The interior is designed by Athena herself, and is an eclectic collection of flea market finds and one of a kinds. It works. Sure says summer to me.
Images and excerpts sourced at Trendland.
Tags: Amagansett, architecture, Athena Calderone, Bates Masi & Architects, Hamptons, interior design, mid century modern, Rawlins Calderone Design, Summer House, vacation home, Victor Calderone
The Balancing Barn
Posted by Cynthia | Filed under Musings
Vacationing in a stunning modern work of architecture isn’t necessarily easy to do. The forward thinking folks at Living Architecture, a company in the UK, are putting great architecture at the center of creating meaningful life experience. “We offer a chance to rent houses for a holiday designed by some of the most talented architects at work today, set in some of the most stunning locations in Britain. We have commissioned houses by MVRDV, NORD, Jarmund/Vigsnæs, David Kohn Architects, Michael & Patty Hopkins, Peter Zumthor and FAT.”
The Balancing Barn above, is just one of many residences available for rent which challenge one’s perception of space and how we interact with it. The dramatic cantilever pushes the envelope of the expected, and offers a view from the living space, down a story to the ground below through a ‘window’ in the floor.
“The project is built by Holland architecture office MVRDV in Suffolk, England. Summer house should not be boring! claims architect Winy Mass,. When you look at this one, you´re thinking: Is it possible? Isn’t it against gravity? We tried to capture the moment when the building is hanging to its maximum, but still being balanced.“ The interior spaces are well appointed with designer fixtures, an in room bath and vaulted ceilings. The large picture windows are perfectly placed to frame an intentional view to the landscape beyond. A real design-centric getaway.
Image 1, Image2 Excerpt sourced at Living Architecture.
Tags: Architect designed homes for rent, architecture, interior design, Living Architecture, Modern Homes for rent, Modernism, The Balancing Barn, UK vacation, Vacation Homes
DIY, Ready Made Curtain
Posted by Cynthia | Filed under Musings
Now this is my kind of DIY project. A system of parts, completely customizable to work with your individual decor, and simple enough to put together and hang in an afternoon. ‘Greater than the sum of its parts: ‘Ready Made Curtain’ by the celebrated Bouroullec brothers for Kvadrat comes in kit form.’ Of course, this simple idea is a brilliant example of a low cost design solution, with an elegant and sophisticated result. Not afraid to roll up your sleeves, and add your own signature design statement? This could prove to be a lot of fun.
Images and excerpt sourced at Phaidon
Tags: architecture, Bouroullec Brothers, diy, Drapery, interior design, Kvadrat, Modern Design, modular, Ready Made, Window Coverings
Charles Smith Wines by Olson Kundig Architects
Posted by Cynthia | Filed under Musings
Olson Kundig Architects designed a ’5,000-square-foot conversion of an auto-electric garage dating from the 1920s, in downtown Walla Walla Washington, into a “world headquarters” for Charles Smith Wines.’ Flexibility to reconfigure furniture for multi purposed space use was a driving force in the process. The aesthetic is edgy and seems fitting to reflect the vibe of this happenin’ wine brand. The spirit of the former garage was maintained, and I would suggest leveraged, as open bays were maintained to set up for events, with the ability to accommodate food trucks driving right in to the space for some downright dynamic catering. I’m a big fan of Seattle based Olson Kundig Architects, and have written about them here on the FLOR blog on several occasions before (One Room Cabin, Tom Kundig Collection). Kundig’s signature expressed hand cranked mechanical systems (below), are the operable component for movement of the large glass doors, opening the space to extend a welcome to the street scene beyond. Being a native of the Pacific Northwest myself, I’ve got Charles Smith Wines on my must see list during my next visit.
“The design team was inspired by Charles’s in-your-face attitude to create a raw space that highlights the original aesthetics of the building while inserting highly flexible pieces, including a large unit dubbed the Armadillo. The resulting space can transform from an office, tasting room and retail store into a dining and entertainment venue. The shell of the building—with original brick walls, wood trusses and a concrete floor—received minor structural updates but was otherwise left raw. The team highlighted the automotive history of the building by replacing garage doors with two custom, hand-cranked pivot doors that completely open the space to the street and form an awning for outdoor seating.”
Content sources olsonkundigarchitects.com, Architectural Record Construction
Tags: architecture, Charles Smith Wines, interior design, Olson Kundig Architects, Seattle, Walla Walla Washington, Warehouse Conversion, Wine Tasting, Winery
