Tag Archives: Design

Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month

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October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an international health campaign to increase public awareness of the disease and to raise funds for the research, treatment and cure.  The pink ribbon was adopted as the international symbol of breast cancer awareness and now during October the colour pink in general denotes moral support of women fighting or having fought breast cancer.  In honour of Breast Cancer Awareness I have compiled some pink items.

Swan Chair – Arne Jacobsen 1958

    

Crate and Barrel Stool

 

Marimekko Tray

 

Robert Abbey Double Gourd Lamp

 

Kartell - Frilly Chair

 

The Big Rug Store UK - Pink Shag Carpet

     

Pantone 2011 Colour of the Year - Honeysuckle

 

Don Cesar Beach Resort Floridal

            

 

Dauphin – Perillo

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The photo above was sent to me attached to an invitation.  Any guesses as to what the photo is??  Last week I attended IIDEX/Neocon Canada which is Canada’s national design exposition and conference and Dauphin Human Design www.dauphin.com, one of the many exhibitors present, sent me this invitation to visit their booth to view their new products.  The above photo is showcasing Dauphin’s Perillo, an eye-catching contemporary lounge chair.  Designed by German designer Martin Ballendat, Perillo is created from one continuous, uninterrupted sheet of thermo plastic that forms the back, seat and armrest.  The chair has a high gloss finish available in a ‘rainbow’ of colours.  Perillo’s futuristic design and simple sculpted appearance had me wondering if this chair would be comfortable so I made a point of checking out their booth at the event.  I sat in the chair and discovered that this chair was indeed quite comfortable.  I immediately loved the look of the chair too.  With its whimsical and unique space-age shape the chair appeared to be smiling at me and it made me want to smile too.   I was reminded of the song by Louis Armstrong, “When you’re smiling, the whole world smiles with you”.  Such a ‘happy chair’, perfect for conference rooms and lobbies to keep everyone smiling! 

              

               Image via MODMISSY

Los Muebles Amorosos

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I believe inspiration can come from anywhere.

         

Alessandra black and white upholstered armchair, Los Muebles Amorosos, (Spanish for loving furniture) designed by Javier Mariscal for Moroso of Italy.

          

               Image via Birdman

     Where do you get your inspiration from???????????

Shelter Furniture

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I recently visited Shelter, www.shelterfurniture.ca  a shop in Toronto’s west end.  Shelter sells Mid-Century, Bauhaus, Danish and Italian modern furniture.  So often one can be intimidated by this ‘design-type’ shop, feeling nothing in the store is attainable, too expensive or for ‘designers only’.  But as I strolled through the store looking at all the fabulous vignettes admiring the sofas, sectionals, chairs, tables and accessories what I found really interesting were all the ‘writings’ on the walls.  Shelter is housed in a warehouse lending the shop a relaxed casual atmosphere and the first thing you see as you walk through the doors: LIVE WITH THE THINGS YOU LOVE painted on an entire wall in huge, fun letters.  I liked that; sometimes we just need the obvious pointed out.  Another wall sign stated that: ‘Compelling designs are a right rather than a privilege. Where an ordinary space becomes an expression of who you are’.  Good design is attainable!  And written on the wall behind the counter: ‘We recognize your individuality and are sensitive to the space you envision for yourself’.  Shelters motto surely seems to be that they sell to ‘you’ not to who they think ‘you should be’.   Webster’s Dictionary defines shelter as: a refuge, a haven, something that provides protection.  Shelter just wants you to put a      Mid-Century piece in that haven.

             

              

             

                Images via Modmissy

Modern McDonald’s?

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Have you noticed anything new on the horizon of late?  Ok, I will narrow that down a bit.  Have you noticed the new, re-designed, contemporary-looking McDonalds’s?  The world’s largest hamburger chain that serves millions of people around the globe every day is having a makeover, a facelift.  Keeping in line with their ‘forever young’ brand, McDonald’s restaurants are losing the plastic-heavy, childlike look and presenting a more contemporary, youthful face.  Gone is the signature mansard roof, the bright red and yellow colours and the loud tell-tale golden arches.  I always associated the restaurant as a ‘jungle gym’, romper room type of playhouse; not a place to eat.  Instead the new design of the exterior presents a building with contemporary architecture that is subtle and clean lined.  The roof is now flat and partially cantilevered; the colours are grey, white and a muted red.  Materials include natural and cultured stone.  Very nice touch.  The golden arches are still present but not as big of a focus.   Even the outdoor seating is more edgy and hipper looking.  Although I have not made it inside to check out the interior re-design I am told the old plastic seating has been replaced with leather furniture, plasma televisions and fireplaces.   The ‘new’ McDonald’s is much more architecturally interesting with greater curb appeal and I confess that it now gets my attention.  But would I falter from my claim to fame of “I have never in my life eaten a McDonald’s hamburger”?  Hmmmm?  But hey, I like the ‘tasteful’ new design!

    

          The BEFORE and AFTER Photos.  What was vs. What now is!

     

      Image via Modmissy

Keilhauer Sign

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We decorate our homes and dress ourselves each day in a style that reveals who we are.  Whether it is classic, casual or contemporary – our décor or our   attire indicates our personality and how we are perceived.  The ‘sign posts’ to our character.   Our personal advertisement.  Similarly in the commercial world, a company’s advertisement is key.  A company’s signage not only reveals the product or service but identifies the personality of the company.  A company who I have always admired is Keilhauer  www.keilhauer.com a manufacturer of high quality commercial seating.  Well regarded in the design industry, Keilhauer’s signage encompasses their identity – subtlety and sophistication; an insight to their values of respect and integrity, the cornerstone of their business.  Located in Toronto’s east end, Keilhauer head office is advertised by 9 identical vertical signposts evenly spaced in a perfectly straight line with each letter,           K-E-I-L-H-A-U-E-R, individually written in white on a black background.  Very unobtrusive, not garish or competing. The sign was designed by Michael Vanderbyl, an internationally acclaimed ‘practitioner, educator, critic and advocate of design’ with expertise in graphics, signage, interiors, furniture, textiles and fashion apparel.  In today’s society companies compete for your attention with so much intensity that we become bombarded with signs causing some serious visual overload.  To Keilhauer’s advertisement style of less is more, I say well done and thank you!

         

         Image via Modmissy

Back to School

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I am heading back to school!  Actually I’m not really going back but just thinking about the possibility is so exciting.  What excites me is all the wonderful stuff now available to set up a dorm room or residence; to make your space your very own.  Living out of Rubbermaid® boxes may be good for some but for those students heading back in style there are so many great ideas out there.  Of course top marks go out to IKEA www.ikea.com because they have everything for the back-to-college student; Dream Dorms, Made by Students, Designed by IKEA is their motto.  IKEA has affordable multi-purpose futons, bedding, desks, task lights, storage units etc. etc.  Just check out the photo below and imagine yourself spending semesters in this space.  IKEA believes that any study space can be beautiful and that an organized, functional, and efficient work space leads to an uncluttered mind.  Definitely top of the class thinking here! 

                (Image via IKEA Canada)     There is also Crate and Barrel www.cb2.com who have taken the bean bag chair to a whole new dimension for the style-savvy mobile student.  CB2 has the Tie-1-On over-scaled bean bag chair that can be tied together for an ever-changing social arrangement.  Tie 2 chairs together for a loveseat; tie 3 chairs for a sofa.  Makes moving the student back to college a cinch.  The chair is covered in heavy-gauge polyester so spills can be wiped up.  Plus, it’s pretty cool looking.   (Image via CB2)  So whatever your requirements for heading back to school are, do it in style.

         

Dyson Air Multiplier – Very Cool!

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So…..is it hot enough for you?!  I do love summer and never complain about the heat because winter is just so long and so cold and always seems to be just around the corner.  We do not use air-conditioning at our house but fortunately we are surrounded by large trees that provide shade, live near the water for breezes and have a cooler (renovated) basement that we can retreat to.  But I also like to have the windows open to hear the sounds of summer.  We have on occasion used a fan during the night but the noise of the fan blades chopping the air does not make for a restful sleep.  Enter the new Dyson Air Multiplier Fan® with its completely bladeless, non-buffeting design.  I had a chance to check out the Dyson fans today and was quite impressed by their contemporary, hip looking design.  The Dyson fan has great style and if standing in the corner of a room would appear as an interesting piece of art or architecture.  They are also much quieter than a standard fan and because there are no blades they are safer and easy to clean.  I even put my fingers on the fan while running which is a total no-no with standard fans.  The detail that was difficult to overcome though was the price tag.  The small fans start at a hefty price of $300.  Which makes me wonder, does great design have to cost more?  Hhmmm?  On that thought I am heading off to the cottage for a few weeks so keep cool and enjoy the rest of the summer.

                 

                      Image via Modmissy

Only One Idea?

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Has it ever happened to you where sometimes you just run out of ideas?  Like, “OMG, what should I make for dinner tonight?” or “What should I get X for their birthday this year?” or “How should I entertain the kids this weekend?”  Really very small decisions when it comes to the grand scheme of things but most likely you will try to switch things up as variety is the spice of life and as I always say ‘change is good’.  Which is probably the reason why the other day while sitting at a traffic light waiting for the light to change I looked down a side street and I was dumbfounded? I made a quick U-turn as I just had to get a closer look.  What I noticed was that on both sides of the street all the houses (more than 40) were identical.  They were perfectly aligned; every rooftop, every peak, every window, every porch, everything!  There were slight colour differences but other than that these homes were all the same.  Total carbon copies.  I could understand if these truly were row houses but they weren’t, they were all detached homes built identical to the one next to it.  It made me wonder, did the builder/architect/designer run out of ideas after the first design?  Did the idea of altering a roof angle or a window dimension or a street setback never make it into the design strategy?  Did someone believe that the one design was good enough so let’s repeat it over and over and over and over?  I understand running out of ideas for dinner but really…!  As I wrote before ‘good design is obvious, great design is transparent’.

    

 

Nature’s Design

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Can you improve on nature?  Man or rather in my case – woman, will alter and change their space/interiors until they get it ‘right’.  I will strive until I get the right paint colour on the wall, the correct fabric on the chair, the precise layout of the furniture.  In my environment (my interior) I change things because I believe there could be a better alternative, a better design.  Change is good, right?  But year after year Mother Nature gets it bang on.  Every year in late spring my favourite tree, the Cornus Kousa, a variety of flowering Dogwood, flowers to a beauty beyond words, true perfection.  No improvement or change necessary here.  This year the two Cornus Kousa’s in my backyard were prolific and created an outstanding display.  The Cornus Kousa, with its creamy white petal-like flowers and softly rippled green leaves, requires little or no maintenance to maintain its natural form and beauty.  Naturally beautiful.  We don’t often think about it, but we do take our inspiration for design from Nature.  Frank Lloyd Wright was well-known for using Nature, “Nature is my manifestation of God.  I go to nature every day for inspiration in the day’s work.  I follow in building the principles which nature has used in its domain.”  So next time you fall short on ideas or inspiration, take a look outside and see what Mother Nature has designed.