Why Don’t You…?
Posted by Erin | Filed under Design Tips, Inspiration, Musings
… transform your favorite musical instrument into an antique-inspired, industrial lighting pendant?
Inspired by this trombone-ish ceiling light, I love the idea of repurposing your musical past in such a creative way. With a bit of re-wiring (and lots of ingenuity!), your guests will wow over a big, brassy statement piece worthy of every room in your home. How sweet would a tiny trumpet be in your child’s nursery? Or perhaps you could hang a long clarinet over the length of your kitchen island?
Whatever you choose, the idea is as fun as it is original. A surefire way to tune in (literally!) to great design, yes?
Image via Delightfull
Tags: design, diy, lighting, pendants
Expression of Texture
Posted by Cynthia | Filed under Musings
There’s nothing better, given my personal sensibilities, than an environment designed to be rich in texture. By texture I mean a sea of ‘one thing’, which is subtly defined by a difference in scale, pattern or tactile element. It’s easy to create, you just have to pay close attention to the details of objects. The spaces in these three images do this well, and I find them visually dynamic. The warm tones in the first image are created by designing with a varied collection of color, material and pattern. The tones of the wood fence are reflected in the upholstery both in the bench cushions as well as the chair strategically perched in the protruding window above. Layered further, the knots and nail holes in the wood as well as the varied dimension of the lumber, create a visually textural vignette.
Taking clues from the natural environment, visual texture is created in the bedroom above by introduction of a tonal composition built upon the green and cream tones outside the window. Lastly, the living room seating group below uses an analogous color scheme, which are colors that are adjacent to each other on the color wheel. One color is used as a dominant color while others are used to enrich the scheme. The analogous scheme is similar to a monochromatic one, but offers more nuances.
When you look at this home overall, it hangs together beautifully, through use of a limited color palette, and bold pattern and texture. The scheme here is titled “Dans le jardin”, In The Garden. I believe it works. Do you agree?
Images sourced at Marie Claire.
Tags: Analogous Color Scheme, color wheel, design, interior design, pattern, Visual Texture
Spring Has Sprung
Posted by Cynthia | Filed under Musings
It’s time for a picnic in the park, or a walk in the nature preserve to observe the budding flora and fauna. These beautifully designed accessories make for a well equipped and fashionable outing. For toting, hunting, birding and biking, these natural and handmade items will make your day.
Clockwise, Image 1 The Opinel Mushroom Hunter’s Knife is for mushroom hunting. The 3″ curved blade cuts stems with ease and features a serrated section to scrape off larger bits of debris, while the natural bristle brush finishes the cleaning job.
Image No. 2 This sweet little bell, made of solid brass,strikes a clear and friendly tone with each strike of the lever. Brass is rust-proof and will mellow over time to a rich patina.
Image No. 3 Hand made from Appalachian white ash—the same hardwood that baseball bats are made from—this bike basket provides a place for light cargo as you pedal around town. The wood is left natural and will darken with weather and time, or it can be finished to help preserve the original appearance. Vegetable tanned leather loops are designed to fasten to handlebars.
Image No. 4 Carefully hand crafted by a small workshop in France, each of the wooden calls accurately duplicates the songs of birds in the wild, and comes packaged in its own wooden box. The set of six includes: Robin, Mourning Dove, Owl, Common Gallinule, Warbler, and Mallard Duck. Birding is one of the fastest growing outdoor hobbies and no wonder–what other language can be learned as easily?
These spring-time inspirations were found at CANOE in Portland.
Tags: Bicycling, Bike Bell, birding, Canoe, design, Mushroom Hunting, Portland, spring
Why Don’t You…?
Posted by Erin | Filed under Design Tips, Inspiration, Musings, Solutions
Image via Varpunen
…decorate your kitchen, DIY style?
Decorating genius Suki of Helsinki has this fabulous tip to offer apartment dwellers, renters – or anyone with a fickle decorating sense, for that matter: design with tape! Simple electrical tape, masking tape or even washi tape can turn the most average kitchen into a design haven for you and yours.
Go ahead; have some fun. It’s only temporary – what do you have to lose?
Tags: advice, design, diy, idea
And the 2012 Pritzker goes to…
Posted by Cynthia | Filed under Musings
This week it was announced that Chinese architect Wang Shu was awarded the 2012 Pritzker Architecture Prize. It’s been called the Nobel Prize of Architecture, and Wang Shu joins the likes of Frank Gehry, Tadao Ando, and Renzo Piano. He’s the first Chinese architect to be awarded the honor. Wang Shu is recognized for the work he has done in China including museums and libraries, all with respect and attention to the environment. His buildings have a strong design presence. The composition of his work is modern and deliberate, and incredibly varied in response to the site and building type.
“Wang, who founded his Amateur Architecture Studio firm with his wife, Lu Wenyu, in 1997, has served as the head of the architecture department of the China Academy of Art in Hangzhou since 2000. He is also a frequent visiting lecturer at universities around the world, including Harvard University, University of Texas and University of Pennsylvania.”
The formal Pritzker ceremony will be held May 25 in Beijing. Wang will receive a $100,000 grant and a bronze medallion.
Images and excerpts sourced at the Huffington Post.
Tags: architecture, design, Pritzker, Wang Shu
