san fran.

i love the open faced architecture of this house in san francisco today...

designed by fougeron architecture, a san francisco based firm, the contemporist notes that this "1532 house" boasts 7 outdoor spaces all with their own flavor, views and atmospheres. all of this, surrounded by distinct living areas giving this entire structure a dynamic and dramatic shape and transparency.

and the transparent nature of the architecture allows for the residents to feel connected to both their inner surroundings, and outer. i love that! enjoy...

mattiazzi breaks a modern myth.

there are many times when i happen upon really great design and decide immediately that the design lends itself to any setting, residential or commercial. when you happen upon great design the feeling is easy, it's fun and you are always in a little bit of awe. even from a set of chairs...

these "solo" chairs offered up by mattiazzi break the modern myth that mechanized manufacturing is not a craft. and here's why...

i think we are conditioned at this point in our culture to sometimes take things for granted in many ways, even in the design world. as crazy as that sounds. and every now and then, there are little reminders that actual people are designing product, actual people are sometimes still creating the pieces you are drawn to, that you are utilizing, displaying, enjoying...all by hand. and if a little help from mechanized manufacturing enhances and steers the hand, well, this is what you end up with. an amazing product line that not only stands out, it's exceptional. and yes i'm still talking about chairs. but that's the point.

if you are like me and actually find yourself in awe of the process of designing, the process of creating, take in this video by mattiazzi, about their process, about the ways in which they think about design, the ways in which they get to their end result. amazing chairs. enjoy!

calliope collection. etsy love.

just some etsy love coming at you this afternoon...

this calliope collection, designed and handmade by kahina loumi in her shop by loumi is a porcelain jewelry line with "simplicity and femininity in mind."

as kahina suggests, the white and gold is perfect for every day. the porcelain's silky surface paired with the soft yet edginess of the gold makes for an interesting and intoxicating design.

kahina has been on vacation, painting, but her site states she'll be back early october...so look for more amazing pieces and choices then! enjoy!

monday & the woobia lamp.

happy monday friends! i wanted to share with you this "woobia" wooden floor lamp designed by the polish studio abadoc.

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the wood is intentionally left natural, knots and all, sealed only by a varnish or natural oil. the handmade body also contains tiny wood blocks forming different degrees of small squares. abadoc prides itself on its small use of wood, meaning that every little bit is used in the design, if possible, limiting the amount of wood sourced.

i love the very organic bow of a branch shape. the arch of the woobia light conjures up memories of climbing trees as a child (or an adult!), tree swings, shade, just plain comfort feelings. this woobia light is also one of those "wow" pieces you bring into a residential or commercial space. its larger than life design, the textural element of the raw natural wood. the organic shape, its got wow written all over it. enjoy!

cosmic color.

the hand embroidery of takashi iwasaki, the color choices, the ways in which at first the patterns and images appear abstract but then focus into recognizable objects are as takashi iwasaki states, "very representational and are a reflection of my state of mind."

if you are in the market for a piece of art, whether for your residential or commercial space, take a chance on some of takashi iwasaki's work. his art, the medium of hand-embroidery offers a unique tactile and textural aspect to your wall, your space. and the color, that does not need any interpretation, it's there, it's very there, and it's very beautiful! enjoy...

a friday space.

hey, you've made it to friday (and friday the 13th!). yeah for you! this friday, this is where i'd love to land at the end of the day, in this space, this friday sort of space...

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can you see it? can you feel it? the sun is setting, it's sooooo quiet, a glass of wine in your hand. you are breathing differently now than you did all week. see...you're friday is going to be amazing, you know it is ;) enjoy!

this is water.

it seems lately that some of the most related-to-my-moods and moving, sort of even earth stopping reading i'm happening upon lately come by the way of commencement speeches. seemingly appropriate since i'm smack dab in the middle of a frustrating graduate thesis proposal. at least, after reading this speech, the ways in which i'm approaching this thesis writing are only frustrating because i'm making it that way. note to self.

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the late writer and professor david foster wallace is the culprit today. his 2005 commencement speech got to me today, got right inside me actually. but i'm glad it did. i needed this. i've been all over the place with my thoughts, my academic thoughts, my inability to write or get creative thoughts going nevermind flowing, they are all jumbled and without direction and it would be helpful if i finally decide to get present with my thoughts, if i utilize this time in such a way as to remember that i've been taught how to think, i have the ability to choose what it is i want to think about...i'm just not taking advantage of that...

ok, anyway, not to get too deep or introspective on you, but if you've been feeling jumbled and all about yourself lately, read on, to david foster's commencement speech here, and remember this is water. enjoy...


p.s. i found this speech via sho & tell's blog, here.

turning a watertower.

into this...

i read about this on inthralld, this circa 1800's london watertower turned into a four bedroom and completely amazing space. leigh osborne and graham voce purchased the building, incorporating a rooftop terrace and a 360 degree view of london to boot!

i'm enjoying the modern aesthetic they've placed, both architecturally and throughout the interior, here and there, but how it never detracts from the original character and the bones of the building. you can see many more photos on inthralld, here. and if you wish to read the original article in the penarth times, head here. oh, and enjoy!

swirl.

these swirl lights designed by oivind slaato are crazy beautiful...

oivind is part of a strong scandinavian design community who states "we think not by thinking but by doing." le kint is selling oivind's swirl lights, you can find them here.

the swirl light is designed to prevent strong raw glare from the light source. and the closure at the bottom lends itself to higher hanging. they are evocative of much of what we are drawn to in nature, clouds, shells, patterns in rocks. you've seen these natural shapes. they are all around us. and incorporated into lighting design? you can't get much better than that. enjoy!

porcelain plates.

the shop shoppe, is loaded with goodies. and i mean loaded. pages, as i scrolled seemed to never end. but these porcelain plates, they stood out...

i love scattering little vessels around, or putting some away and placing new ones out. whether in the bathroom, on my bureau, on a side or coffee table. sometimes the vessel alone is what you want to display. sometimes i'll add color to some, placing a few pieces of fruit on top, or even vegetables, like tomatoes inside, for a bright and rich color impact in your space.

shoppe offers alot of product with text as well. if you are into graphics, or typography and are looking for an unusual or conceptual piece, check them out. a little bit of everything for everyone. enjoy!

samuji.

this video, from the finnish line of clothing samuji is just so beautiful today...

there is something so pure and innocent about their line of clothing, about this video. i could watch it over and over again today. just saying...enjoy!

lowboards & sideboards.

i like these, the design, the line, the color palettes, these lowboards & sideboards...

the very narrow horizontal and vertical lines are interesting to the eye, they take away from the very boxy nature of the actual design. they give it some spunk, some punk, an edginess that adds to the practicality of the piece. you can have both, a visually dynamic piece whilst keeping the usefulness of it all. these "fields" lowboards and sideboards offered up by schonbuch give you that. and more...enjoy!

monday & intricacies...

happy monday friends! i hope that your weekend was amazing. i wanted to share with you these also amazing pendants, intricate in design, intricate in name...

from denmark, alexandra raben is designing these steel framed pendants (the steel frame also made by blacksmiths in denmark) incorporating coiled wire and thread, hand woven, to form "a thin surface of patterns." intricate, meaning very detailed or complex is appropriately also the name alexandra gives her pendants.

i'm really enjoying two things about these lights, the shape she chooses for the steel frame and the patterns she constructs which in turn let the light indiscriminately through. her choice of cotton thread as a medium here offers a soft and natural effect contrasting the hard frame. plus they're just really pretty. i'd love one in my bedroom. ok, maybe two. enjoy!

sunday peace.

this sunday morning, i hope you are relaxing, chilling out, sipping coffee, going for a run, whatever it is that makes a sunday a sunday for you...i hope that you are doing that.

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just saying....enjoy.

the rimula lounge.. a decadent chair.

this is decadence in every way, visually, texturally, conceptually...

the rimula lounge, (designed by guillaume sonnet) if you're looking for that wow piece, is offered up by the belgian company, liparus. and let me tell you, liparus has a slew of amazing belgian designers, (of whom it is their goal to promote), and an amazing original product line that will get you rethinking bold, rethinking what's already been done, been designed. and it will get you pretty darn excited...enjoy!