Salvage shops- tempting!

Hey there,

Just read an article in LivingEtc. about architectural salvage.I am totally astonished!Re-using materials is a way eco than traditional recycling,did you know that? And what I am so excited about is that it was named "an art" in this article.I am kinda opportunistic person who spends hours on ebay and I had no clue whatsoever that it has a name: The Art of Salvage!So now, whoever dare say that I waste time on ebay I will have a ready riposte: being on the lookout is the best way to get to the source of material, a rich one that can be re-used, ha!

Here are some interesting salvage websides:

retrouvius.com
lassco.co.uk

Quote of the upcoming weekend

“When I see something great, it doesn’t matter where it comes from. In fact, sometimes the best things are from cheesy places."—Hotelier/restaurateur Jeff Klein, April 02

What if?

I dare say that this is one of the most common thought. We all do like wonder: what if? Jonas Samson asked himself, probably, what if wallpaper could deliver an alternative source of light to the room? And he created the answer: 2D wallpaper which illuminates light. His design was very friendly welcomed in Salone Internazionale del Mobile. And I can understand why: this flowery pattern gives quite impressive light and is totally environmentally friendly at the same time. Look at this lovely dramatic wallpaper: I just can’t get enough!

Nanimarquina-mania

Ladies n’ Gents, Spanish again! It’s starting to be like an Armada, just in design world. And I am sorry (or actually am not) but I can’t do anything about the fact that Spanich designers are so spectacularly inventive and creative and unconventional and... ahhh.
Nani Marquina, who was born in 1952 in Barcelona ( wouldn’t guess ), wanted to become a fireman. Thanks God, she did not. Since 1973, when she had started her design activity, she has been receiving awards for almost every design of hers, for example Delta Awards for Dama Rug or Red Dot Award for Toppisimo collection in 2003.
I picked some of her carpets which I recon are worth to stop and...get!
Please indulge your eyes with these amazing patterns:

Wall+ Sofa= Wallfa!

I have a feeling that yet it’s not an unusual design, it might be a hit. Wallfa is a mix of wall (room divider) and sofa so may be use as a couch and as a screen between two spaces at the same time. This superb furniture is created by Spanish designer Jordi Canudasa (born in Barcelona, graduated from The Royal College of Art in London).Personally I like Wallfa because I find it quite mysterious: you sit on one side and you can feel that there is another person on the other one. It’s like Wallfa invites you to interact with stranger from the other side of the screen...hmm, stranger who you share this sofa with.

I do love Swedish design, do ya?

I would like to introduce you Lisa Bengtsson, a unique designer from Sweden. Yet she is very young (29), she had created own success brand. I find her quite interesting due to her career path: she started working in a newspaper, then she worked in advertising and finally, when she realised she wants to be a graphic designer, she went to school. Lisa had graduated from Berghs School of Communication and opened her own company. And what she successfully does for years, is designing wallpapers, magnificent ones. Lisa is well known for her two creations: “Familjen” and “Svärmor”.

“Familjen”
Probably you have seen many times this white wall with plenty of picture frames? This is “The Family” by Bengtsson. Asked what inspired her, Lisa answers that her own memories and nostalgia. And I believe her. This dressy wallpaper can be filled with our own pictures and create personal statement of memories: visited places, met people etc.

“Svärmor”
It is her second big, and achromatic as well, pattern. It presents shoes: high- hills, boots, trainers, sandals etc which Lisa obviously finds special. In her opinion they tell us the story of our lives. All are shown from a variety of angles and always individually. As a big fun of shoes I think this particular wall paper is a masterpiece and deserves to decorate walls of big-city-girl’s apartments, not just in Sweden!

To find out more about Lisa’s sensational designs and understand her “wall papery” philosophy, go to:www.lisabengtsson.se

IN THE BEGINNING THERE WAS CHAOS

Same here! In Rio de Janeiro! This is where four designers: Marcelo Damm, Rafael Roldao, Renato Mosci and Giuliano Mello, from de Quinta Design, had found an inspiration and designed Morro Sofa. This outstanding piece of furniture is a combination of multicolour cubes joined with Velcro. Morro Sofa can be called environmentally- friendly as well because each cube is filled and covered with leftovers from mass- produced sofas and chairs. That’s how this incredible variety of colours, shapes and patterns was achieved. In my opinion, these lads have created something unconventional by using very typical staff.




Well done Compadres!

Wall art on the floor

I love “2 in 1” concept. And I loved, at first sight, Mona Lisa Chairs designed by Korean designer Kwang Hoo Lee (UK based). Mona Lisa Chair is a replica of Mona Lisa painting. When it’s closed- it may be placed on the wall, like casual painting with solid looking frame. But when you open it, it becomes a chair. Brilliant, isn’t it? Maybe it doesn’t look very comfortable but I love the idea of transforming an art into every-day use furniture. And think how much space you can spare in your room that way!

OCIU!

You look at it and get an impression that you have actually seen a lamp like this before: nothing extraordinary, just simple white pendant. But NO, you are so mistaken! You have not seen a lamp like “Ociu” ever. This lamp is different, even just because of the size: 185 cm x 90 cm!
“Ociu” is a sensational lamp! and it’s name is totally understandable as well. When you come into the room where it is, you think “Wow, look at that! What an amazing lamp!”. “Ociu” comes from venetian dialect and means literally “watch out”. Ociu gives you this incredible impression of majesty. It’s made of milky methaacrylate, on 8 mm thick. Ociu is designed by Franco Zavarise for Italian company Zava, available in two colors: white and black with gold or silver inside.



Just imagine how incredible it must be to be lighten by Ociu

And a Quote of the Day:

“Matchy-matchy is not for me. I don’t want things to be too perfect. I want there to be relationships with texture and color, and sometimes it’s more about the contrast that chimes."—Fashion designer Peter Som, September 05

Looking for inspirations? Go to Poland!

I am so proud to be Polish! I can't imagine to be born anywhere else. And why I love this polish-being so much? Because of its uniqueness: customs or design styles reflect beautifully the influences of East and West, while maintaining its extraordinary character.
"New Folk" is a furniture collection designed by Anna Stepkowska for VOX. She mixed modern shapes with folk-polish craftmenship and folk art. On the fronts Anna used gorgeous ornamental scraps and patterns inspired by folk costumes vary by region (brightly colored and decorated with embroidery).
All right, now I'm going to leave you with these outstanding pieces of furnitures and accessories which mix modernity with a fashionable folk accent:











One of my favorite: New Folk Pouffe









And a New Folk Chair













New Folk Cabinet









Accessories for everyday use

A little bit of Eco

I used to be quite negative about whole this Junk Style but recently I read very interesting article about furniture recycling. And, like in a fairy tale, all my mixed feelings vanished and I utterly loved it. Who knew ecofriendly design really can look good! So, I had decided to look for some examples of total furniture makeovers and here is what I found. I think they are brilliant, but, oh well, judge yourself:



Who says that shopping trolley is just for...shopping?













The Hoop Table: made from planet-friendly bamboo


lovin’ it..It’s so vintage!




Not just "sofa for two"...i would love to crash on it...like 2 in 1: sofa n' bath, gorgeous!






Behind the desk like this,I wouldn't mind work at all, would you?




"Flying to the moon...lalalalala"





I didn’t know that you actually can make a cushion with ethically sourced wool and cotton...thought it is made simply with wool and cotton...am such an ignorant  I wish I had one of those...




And definitely I will go for this, unfortunately still only a prototype; laptop-of-the-future (has a renewable cedar casing and corn-based bio plastic elements)

Hey guys.

FYI: this year NO StopDrinkingStopSmokingGetInShape resolutions!There is only one: start writing! Hope ya'll enjoy as much as I will! All the best in this New Decade!

I am upset!

I am upset, because I totally do not understand people. I mean it! What is wrong with me, am asking politly?! How is it possible that “people” are such ignorants? Please give me an answer: why YOU do not like things witch are not massive-produced, things which are unconventional?
Do you know how I got here, to this frustrating point? I went to visit a friend of mine. She had recorded “Showhouse”(RTE). For those who might not know what’s this, I explain: it is a show where two interior designers compete decorating two, exactly the same houses. Then, public judge them and pick their joice. And this is what I find so depressing. Seriously, most of the winners were boring, were unatractive and SO badly massive- produced! Wrrrr! And “loosers” were mostly interesting, unusual, lovely inspirational and alternative people with amazing concepts.
So here come my questions: why are YOU so afraid of something different? because I trurly doubt that you really like this “everywhere-the-same-style”. Does it really bother you if the tiles in the bathroom are black instead of white and the master bedroom has its chubby-chic instead of sparky glam? Can you really imagine living in an elegant and sofisticated house without personal touch? If am mistaken, I will admit it, just please give me some reasonable answers. Cheers.

The Hall of Fame: Pierre Paulin- The Major Player

French designer famed for his unusually shaped chairs, died at the age of 81 this year, June 14th in Montepellier, France.
He was a well-known figure in the world of design for over half a century designing seats shaped like mushrooms and tongues, in a range of bright colours, for which he received much recognition. His designs have now found their way into major museums across the world such as the New York's Museum of Modern Art, The Museum of Decorative Arts in Paris and London's Victoria and Albert Museum. His work was a favourite to former french presidents - Georges Pompidou and Francois Mitterrand chose him to furnish the presidential palace. His tables and chairs are still furnishing The Elysee Palace in Paris, with his sofas, bookcase and desk adorning other rooms. Born in Paris on July 9, 1927, Paulin was influenced by japanese drawing and american designers Charles and Ray Eames. This led him to design furniture which was simple, functional and hard-wearing.

Below some of his timeless seats:


Orange Slice – 1960












Le Chat - 1967

Global Tribe

The robust collection of five high performance polyester blends takes its cues from ancient civilizations across the earth. Intriguingly, tribes from Africa to the northeastern United States and Australia have artistic commonalities. The patterns include the geometric Tuareg; Iriquois, a series of radiating lines; Eora, a field of scattered checkmarks; and Innu Stripe. This group's palettes mix vivid reds and oranges with chartreuse, charcoal, and browns. More: looptextiles.com

Vis-à-Vis

To inaugurate their collaboration, Kos and Zucchetti Rubinetteria tapped luxury bathing specialists Ludovica and Roberto Palomba to design the Faraway collection. The pair came up with the curvy Vis-à-Vis tub by casting a seamless, nonporous, marblelike form from a composite of minerals mixed with polyester and acrylic resin. The organic feel and velvety finish spill over to a pair of sinks, freestanding Round and deck-mounted or pedestal Square, both made of that same composite. More: zucchettionline.it

The Hall of Fame: Takashi Sugimoto

I've decided that since now I will introduce one by one, individuals who have made significant contributions to the growth and prominence of the design field. Today it's Takashi Sugimoto.




Architect Takashi Sugimoto, born in Tokyo in 1945, studied metal sculpture before graduating from the Crafts Course of the Faculty of Fine Arts of Tokyo University of Fine Arts and Music in 1968. He founded Super Potato in 1973 and became a professor at the Musashino University of Fine Arts in 1992. He received the Mainichi Design Award in 1985 and 1986, as well as the Interior Design Association Award in 1992. Takashi Sugimoto is a visionary founder and president of Super Potato Co as well. By finding contemporary expression for important concepts present in traditional Japan and combining materials in unexpected ways to create exciting spaces, Super Potato's work has had a significant impact on interior design in Japan and around the world. More: www.superpotato.jp

Below, some of his concepts:

Rosatio

Rosato is a large, quatrefoil-shaped damask with an intense factor, offered in seven colorways including a high-contrast flocked version. It is part of the Design Works Plaza Collection, which includes 16 patterns and coordinating textures. More: yorkcontract.com

Give a Hoot's

Funky and fun! Recalling the '60's and '70's, when even the owls were feeling groovy, Give a Hoot's wool yarn is hooked and tufted into soft shag and chunky loops. Ladies and Gentelmen, it's a limited edition. More: www.companyc.com