Once upon a time a teenage girl wrote to a big London store asking if she could be a window dresser. The big London store replied and told her to finish school and come back to them if she was still interested. She duly finished school and then got distracted. For about 35 years. And…
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Marmol Radziner Architects recently renovated a 2,000 square foot industrial loft in a 1924 warehouse in downtown Los Angeles’ Arts District. The homeowner requested a bachelor pad that was both simple and sophisticated where he could entertain guests and the result is a spacious home with a cozy, grey and black color palette.
The layout was restructured by removing unnecessary walls to create four new spaces defined by custom casework. The living room was raised onto a platform and covered with grey oak herringbone flooring. The rest of the loft kept the original raw concrete floors.
Two vintage lounge chairs, a daybed, ottomans, and a large sofa anchor the cozy, comfortable living room.
The dining room houses a large walnut table with a blackened steel base, along with black leather Cassina Cab chairs.
The kitchen is outfitted with custom black cabinets that helped define the new open layout. The backsplash behind the sink was tiled in contrasting white subway tiles.
The second bedroom was removed to make way for one large master bedroom suite that features a sitting area. Blackout curtains allow for better sleeping or movie viewing.
Named after the Jutland peninsula’s northernmost town, it wouldn’t be all surprising to mistake the contemporary American watch brand Skagen for one originating from Denmark, the name symbolic rather than historical. Nevertheless, Skagen has done well for decades representing the ideals of modern Danish design for the American market, minimalist timepieces with distinct features that belie their affordable prices. The Skagen Signatur Hybrid Smartwatch represent a continuation of the brand’s trademark sleek and modern design language, a collection of four timepieces merging the horological heritage of mechanical movement with unobtrusive connectivity features to keep wearer informed without distraction.
Skagen’s hybrid approach to the smartwatch manifests in a discreet notification system, one relying upon subtle cues rather than overt display notifications that may intrude on concentration, delivering the wearer updates using a secondary dial with four color-coded dial sections to silently communicate whether a call, text, or app notification needs attention (illustrated in action here).
Because its smart features are primarily shared/pushed over to a connected Android or iOS device, the Signatur only requires a standard replaceable CR2430 coin-cell battery to power its features, simplifying life of less required Micro USB connection. Interchangeable 20mm straps afford aesthetic flexibility, while each of the four styles present a distinct personality that should appeal across lifestyles.
Connected to an Android or iPhone via Bluetooth 4.1, the Signatur watches works in harmony with its own app to ensure exact time and date keeping, automatically adjusting the watch dial hands, while also diligently keeping tabs on daily sleep and movement activity – easily reviewable from the connected smartphone.
All four of Skagen’s Signatur hybrid smartwatch line is available online now, priced between $175-195 depending upon finish and band.
Copenhagen-based design companies MOEBE, Paper Collective, and Norm Architects, joined forces to release a series of art prints that were designed specifically to hang within the MOEBE frame. Floating Leaves features transparent botanical photographs that give the illusion of actual leaves suspended within the frame.
The photographs were made using UV printing allowing a photo to be printed onto transparent foil. The prints, which come in three different sizes, are then
From Jonas Bjerre Poulsen of Norm Architects:
The Floating Leaves are inspired by the gathering of botanic samples and classic botanic illustration. Playing with a mix of fresh greens and elements of decay, the Leaves become an expression of passing time and changing seasons. Through the transparency of print and frame the leaves get a unique sense of multi-dimensionality rarely achieved in printed products.
Danish designer Anker Bak is one of a crop of new designers third-generation furniture company Carl Hansen & Søn is collaborating with to create new products to sit alongside their iconic back catalogue. Design Milk caught up with him to find out more…
What is the most important thing to know about you?
Things take time, and that is the mantra I try to live by. I try to be patient and not hurry things. That comes naturally to me now, but for ten years I struggled with it – maybe it is learned. I try to create so many designs but the goal for me right now is to stop and live out in the fresh air for three months, then I feel I can design something again. I have bought a small camper van, so I am going to a yoga retreat in Sweden then to Amsterdam for a dancing trip, then I don’t know. I just want to sit out in the air and draw some furniture. So things do take time you can’t hurry them up. There are thing you can hurry, but to find the right solution for a design you need to take your time. But I would never just lay back and wait for it to come to me, you have to be open and looking and observing, so I am taking a trip in the van to do exactly that.
What’s your earliest memory of being creative?
Well I am dyslexic so I was always using my hands. I am from a town near Legoland, so I always built Lego as a kid. But I also was working on different kinds of things – always with my dad. The first thing we made was this sling thing, then at boarding school, I was always in the wood shop, and I made a table when I was about 15 – I still have it actually!
Did you study cabinet making at school?
Yes, and then I won a Danish championship for cabinet making. I always thought I would like to be a cabinet maker, but all my friends were at college and they could use their brain and read and all the people like me who were dyslexic were going to do something with their hands. It just didn’t seem very sexy – it was not really nice to be a cabinet maker. I did it for six years full time, then I went traveling for a bit, then I worked as a production technologist and after that I had seven or eight years where I lived in a caravan I renovated, so I kind of went AWOL for a while and nobody in my family really understood what I was doing! But I worked with lots of nice designers in lots of nice places. And because I escaped from the cabinet making during that time, I started thinking I have to use my brain, so I decided to go back to school and do a degree in furniture design. But I would always want to use my hands as well – I even learned to knit!
Tell me about the Point Aid MB Crutch.
That is a passion project. I only make passion projects but this is a real labor of love. My Grandma was around 91, and she had a problem with her balance and she got her first government walker. When I saw her eyes when she got that walker – she is from a part of Jutland where you don’t say what you mean, you say it in a nicer way – but I could tell she wanted a nicer walker. She stopped going out walking, stopped baking, she just walked around her garden and from that day she just went downhill. I decided I had to do something. I designed something in between a crutch and the walker, and it worked really well for her. Because it’s made of wood, you have a nice feeling when you touch it. It is really light, lighter than a normal crutch and it’s really flexible. It is for my Grandma but I am working on the production part, because this product makes sense to put on the market. I would love to push the furniture industry towards the healthcare market. There are so many products in the healthcare industry have that the furniture industry could do better. I call it assisted furniture – furniture with function.
How did the Rocking Nest Chair for Carl Hansen & Søn come about?
The first time I saw Carl Hansen I was having a guided tour of the factory. I really enjoyed seeing the passion, the hand crafted material, the fact they produce everything in Denmark – there was something that just really felt right for me. Afterwards I sent an email with a couple of pictures of a prototype I was working on for a folding rocking chair I had designed for my sister. Two hours later I got an reply with two questions – do you have a prototype, and is it stable? I responded “yes and yes” and they said, “Come on over.” I walked into a meeting two weeks later, and the CEO Knud Erik Hansen asked me to fold the chair out so he could try it, he walked around it, he sat on it, then he looked at me, and said “We’ll take it.” Driving back to Jutland afterwards, I was totally paralyzed with happiness!
You said you designed the chair for your sister – what inspired its form?
Yes, one day I was visiting my pregnant sister and her boyfriend, and I couldn’t really get in the door because of all the baby stuff. When I finally got in, I went into the kitchen for a coffee, and she had this big rocking chair and I said, “Now we can’t even drink our coffee in the kitchen because of this big huge rocking chair,” and I immediately saw in her eyes how important it was for her to have a rocking chair for her and her child, so I designed one that could fold down. That way, the kitchen could be the space my sister and her daughter could have their time together and then when they had visitors, the chair could just collapse and be put aside in the corner.
You have said “Every time I create a new product it has to have a clear point for me, the consumer and society” so this is what you were talking about?
Yes, and as I normally say, it is never about the design, it is always about the story. Design is just a way to express the story. A product has to have a real problem to solve you know. I would never just make a chair because I seen a nice bit of wood somewhere. If I see a real reason to put it into the world I will put it there.
And that is about either solving a new problem or solving an old problem in a better way?
Yes, but what does it mean to solve a problem, is it a big problem or a small problem? The rocking chair solves a small problem, the crutch solves a big problem. I wanted to make the chair for my sister, but it is a beautiful chair and it is adding something new to the furniture industry so that would be the reason.
Danish furniture has so much heritage – do you think there is a danger of getting stuck in the past?
Yes and I really am afraid of that. The only reason Danish designers survive is because of our history, but in 20 years when my parents’ generation passes, nobody will remember the story anymore and then we are gone. Danish design is not working anymore. It is really important that we find a new way to express Danish design, and for me it is about adding more function.
Do you think a lot of your generation feel that way or are you unusual?
People are not thinking this way in my experience. They are just trying to survive, making the products consumers are asking for and not taking risks. People are afraid to stand out and do something that they really feel for. Also it takes time, so you have to be dedicated to it. But I am not dedicated to furniture design, I am dedicated to following my own flow, and that has led me to furniture design. I want to do what feels right, but most people don’t know what feels right for them because of the way we live today. When I was making the collapsible chair, people kept asking if the chair really needed to collapse because it is much easier to make one that doesn’t – and all I could say was that it felt right. I am so happy I stuck to that.
What are you most proud of?
I think the thing I am most proud of is the crutch, really because it solves a problem and it is something new in form bent wood. It is a new thing in the furniture industry, a new healthcare product, and it is doing something new in the production. I think it is a beautiful product too.
Designers sometimes like to work with only one material of choice so that they can gain complete mastery of skills with that one material. For designer Gabriella Levy, it’s porcelain for its malleability and versatility. She founded her studio immerLit in 2013 (immer roughly translates to always in German), where she creates beautiful, functional art that combines craftsmanship, modern technology, and functional sculpture design in the form of translucent porcelain lighting fixtures and various objets d’art.
Because of the nature of porcelain clay, Gabriella can explore endless ways to facilitate the interplay between porcelain, translucency, and light. Her current collection includes pendants, lamps, and candle votives that create a dreamy, soft, almost cloud-like glow in a room.
The following post is brought to you by BLANCO. Our partners are handpicked by the Design Milk team because they represent the best in design.
It was only a generation or two ago the kitchen’s role within a home was primarily defined as functional – a utilitarian space hidden from view dedicated to the preparation of food and little else. Today, kitchens flourish as an extension of our living areas, hearth and heart of our homes, and where friends and family are most apt to be found congregating and mingling before, during, and after mealtime daily. If home is where the heart is, it’s most often located somewhere in the vicinity of the kitchen…a domestic home base increasingly expected to balance aesthetic impression with dependable function.
So it’s no longer enough to pick out the requisite premium kitchen appliances and cabinetry in planning the ideal kitchen. Discerning home owners, in partnership with kitchen/interior designers, now envision the kitchen holistically just as any other room within the home, demanding functional, aesthetic, hygienic, and ultimately livable spaces integrating the tangible and intangible to match their lifestyles and personal preferences – a goal coined as “Livable Design”.
Whereas web-connected smart appliances receive much of the fanfare in shaping the kitchens of the future, in reality the most interesting technological advances within the communal space can be hiding in plain sight. For example: Germany-based BLANCO, a kitchen technology manufacturer, offers an innovative and patented hydrophobic granite composite kitchen sink known as SILGRANIT®, an example of every day innovation – not “everyday”, but every day, as in a product that reveals its advancements with daily use.
“But what’s so exciting about a kitchen sink?”
To appreciate the advancements delivered by SILGRANIT® one needs to stop and consider the demands of the average kitchen sink during daily use: sharp edged utensils tossed with abandon, hot pots and pans delivered straight from the stove to await washing later, and the myriad of liquids and foods capable of leaving their marks in and around the sink. Oh, and it all has to look fantastic when not in use.
Where traditional stone or metal kitchen sinks show the wear and tear of daily use quickly, BLANCO’s combination of tightly molded quartz combined with a mixture of other proprietary ingredients results in their near-impenetrable SILGRANIT®, a material capable of surviving unexpected accidents, as illustrated by the dramatic gravitational example of metal meeting sink shown above. Blemishes simply rub away with a minimum of effort, stains are never given the opportunity to leave their mark.
SILGRANIT®‘s uniform, non-porous, and stain resistant surface also makes it a hygienic solution, easy to clean, and scientifically proven to keep it so. The Institut BioChem was commissioned to independently test the properties of SILGRANIT®’s Hygienic Plus hygienic protection formula.
Lab-testing verified SILGRANIT®’s ability to inhibit the proliferation of bacteria, offering a 100% food-safe surface. The secret lies twofold: first within the material’s water-repellent nature – a dry surface is an unwelcome environment for bacteria – in unison with BLANCO’s patented surface formula, resulting in reducing the growth of “hygienically relevant bacteria by up to 98%”.
BLANCO product manager Eric Gundersen also emphasizes some of their product’s innovations reveal themselves only under the harshest moments of duress: “The maximum temperature an average oven or range reaches is about 500 degrees. A cast iron skillet will really start smoking around 500 degrees as well. So we wanted to test this capacity with SILGRANIT®. If you grabbed a burning pan or pot – and dropped it in a sink – would the sink be able to take it? We literally put flames on the sink and discovered we couldn’t burn it. We want customers to feel confident that a burning pan will be ok, so SILGRANIT® is rated for a heat tolerance of up to 536 degrees Fahrenheit”.
Beyond SILGRANIT®‘s technical merits, kitchen design professionals like Gloria Graham Sollecito of Artful Kitchens and Cheryl Kees Clendenon of In Detail Interiors, praised the material for its flexibility aesthetically, as well as its functionally within a modern kitchen.
“It does not look as industrial as stainless, nor Old World like fire clay, offering 30 shapes and 8 color to choose from. THIS is flexibility and is key to my approach to design. No cookie cutter looks for me, so I need products that can morph according to my needs,” says Clendenon.
“Versatility is very important, so I like a product that gives you many choices that allow you to create a personalized statement every time. SILGRANIT® sinks are practically indestructible and you can accessorize them to get the most out of a small space,” chimes in Sollecito.
Performance, durability, and safety aren’t always primary motivations while sourcing a kitchen sink, but invisibly and dependably, innovative materials like BLANCO SILGRANIT® fulfill aesthetic expectations of the kitchen of today while also delivering a myriad of versatility of functionality appreciable with every passing use. With all of the talk of smart home technology, it may prove the smartest innovations within the kitchen may not be web-enabled, but ones engineered to passively serve our most important and basic of everyday tasks exemplifying livable design.
For more information on BLANCO’s products, visit blancoamerica.com.
When interior designer Shanade McAllister-Fisher first saw this new conversion in an old Victorian school in Brixton it was just as the developers had left it. Her brief was to create a sense of home with a masculine identity, that echoed the industrial features and architecture of the building. Her client already had an extensive collection of furniture and personal items that needed to be sympathetically assimilated into the finished design, and she has successfully (I think) created a stunning space with her choice of art, furnishings and accessories. The open plan living space with two bedrooms and a bathroom is now a fabulous bachelor pad with personality and impact.
“The amazing piece of neon artwork in the dining space was such a find. It is over 2 meters tall and incredibly dramatic, a real show stopper!”
1.Iridescent Table – Set of 2, £308, Amara
2.David Hockney Print, £99, made.com
3.House Doctor Large Round Wall Mirror, £86, Amara
4.Empire Bee Cushion, £80, Timorous Beasties
5.Industrial Style Wood and Metal Shelves, £525, Cuckooland
6.Cow Hide Rug, £209.99, Wayfair
7.Velvet Armchair, £1,045, Out There Interiors
A Home Full of History and Character in a Victorian School Building
Open Plan Living That Sums Up My Dream Home
A Stylish and Rustic Mountain Chalet in Verbier
The post A Stunning Bachelor Pad in a Newly Converted Victorian School Building appeared first on Dear Designer.
Good morning or afternoon. Or evening, depending on when you are reading this. I can’t believe it’s already the end of July. This is the last of the new 10 Rooms posts before The Mad House goes on its annual summer break for August. You will still see your five posts a week but they…
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For the modern tourist who wants to travel to a city filled with lots of color, energy, good eats, architecture and arts, I’d point them in the direction of Barcelona. This is a city that transports you to a landscape that’s both modern and historical. While this guide won’t tell you where the best tapas or vino is, you might find it useful if you’re wanting to take in the arts, architecture, and culture of the city. Whether you’re looking to go on an architecture/art crawl or find modern boutiques to shop at, this Design Milk guide will make sure you get a little bit of everything in your trip.
Hotel Omm facade
Hotel Omm: You’ll probably find yourself lingering outside this member of the Design Hotels collective a little bit longer than normal before entering. Designed by architect Juli Capella, the exteriors of the hotel feature a limestone facade that “peels back” cutouts to form windows. The interiors aren’t to be missed either though; designers Sandra Tarruella and Isabel López find the perfect balance between lines, colors, and volumes within the hotel for a contemporary vibe.
Hotel Omm
Vincci Bit Hotel: For those who love art, the Vincci Bit is known for its modern art interiors. Each of the eight floors features a mural by leading illustrators and designers (we actually featured one of them here).
Other notable hotels: H10 Art Gallery (it’s a hotel dedicated to contemporary art!) \\\ Hotel 1898 \\\ Olivia Balmes \\\ The5rooms \\\ Hotel C&B Born \\\ Mercer Barcelona
(Pro tip: before we get into all the Dali, Picasso and Gaudi sights to see, my one tip here is to do your research and prebook tickets beforehand for most of these visits because they can sell out for the day. My travel pet peeve is getting excited to visit a place only to be turned away due to something as simple and accessible like tickets!)
Pablo Picasso Museum: This is a no brainer. The museum features over 4,000 works from Picasso from his adolescent years through the end of his life so be sure to set aside a few hours to enjoy the entire museum. There is free admission on Sundays from 3-6PM, as well as other conditions (under 18 years old, students, journalists, teachers, professors, etc). FYI, there is no photography allowed but you’ll be too busy admiring Picasso’s brush strokes and perspectives to care about that!
Sagrada Familia: Even through just browsing Instagram, I’m still blown away by this magnificent architecture by Antoni Gaudí every, single, time. If you truly need reasons to convince yourself to go, check out the comments in this post. You can pay an extra fee to take an elevator to the top and make your way down the stairs to see panoramic views of the city or get a closer look at the tiled mosaics on the facade.
Park Güell: This is basically like Disneyland for the architecture lover. Another Gaudí favorite, the site boasts vivid colors and expansive views of the city but be forewarned, tickets usually sell out fast for this must-see!
Poble Espanyol: Another site to see for architecture lovers, this architectural museum lets you walk through 117 buildings recreated to scale from different regions of Spain.
Other notable architecture: Casa Milà \\\ Palau Güell \\\ Gaudí House Museum (home of Gaudí himself!) \\\ Casa Batlló \\\ \\\ Fundació Mies van der Rohe
For day trips: Dalí Theatre-Museum (a 2hr drive to Figueres) \\\ Salvador Dalì’s House (a 2.5hr drive to Cadaques)
Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona: The MACBA features lots of contemporary Spanish and Catalan art. Don’t forget to head to the back of the building to check out the modern street art currently featuring Keith Haring and take some time to browse the gift shop (you might spend just as much time there as you did in the museum).
Museu del Disseny de Barcelona: This museum is currently holding a David Bowie exhibition that has already been visited by 1.5 million people during its world tour. It is now in Barcelona until August 25, 2017. If you’re visiting after that date, you can still check out the permanent exhibitions including the one that showcases product design and cultural heritage.
Palau de la Música: Speaking of music, this next place is for music lovers but also history majors and architecture buffs. The Palau de la Música is a concert hall that was built in the early 1900s and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. While it may not look very modern, its curved lines, dynamic forms and ornate details is typical of Catalan modernism which was a ground-breaking movement at the turn of the 20th century.
Other notable places to visit: Artevistas Gallery \\\ Plom Gallery \\\ Base Elements Gallery
B de Barcelona: If you’re looking for souvenirs that are made by local designers and makers, you need to visit this store. It boasts a wide selection of objects so you can find pretty much anything for anyone, from jewelry and art to furniture and lamps. Not traveling to Barcelona anytime soon? You can also shop online!
OMG BCN: Another hidden gem filled with gifts, jewelry, stationary, fashion, and accessories – all made in Barcelona. You’ll probably want everything they post on their Instagram.
Other notable shops: Codeco \\\ Mar de Cava \\\ Sa Tramuntana \\\ Dijous \\\ Matèria \\\ Nuovum
Earlier this year, the government in Barcelona put in place stricter regulations to help curb the influx of tourism that was quickly gentrifying the city. My last piece of advice would be to take a break from the museums and parks to shop at local boutiques and support the small businesses in the city. Instead of buying keychains or magnets, why not head into a espadrilles shop (like La Manual Alpargatera that’s been in business since 1941!) or a nearby vinoteca to bring home a nice bottle of red? Last but not least, before you head home, be sure to stop into a bakery for some Spanish crema catalana. Have fun and be sure to tag your travels on Instagram with #designmilktravels so we can follow along!
What else am I missing? Comment below with your favorite sites to stay, visit and shop and I’ll check them out!
