Now I’m not necessarily one for New Year’s Resolutions – mainly because I don’t like being told what to do. Or perhaps telling myself what to do but there’s no doubt that I like to take a few minutes on New Year’s Eve to get things in order mentally and think about how to start…
The post New Years Interiors Resolutions by the Experts appeared first on Mad About The House.
As 2017 draws to a close, we’ve revisited this year’s archives and consolidated the most popular posts just in case you missed something. While we’ve already reviewed the best of each category, we’ve taken it a bit further and rounded up the best of the best. Take a look to see which post was the overall most read post on Design Milk in 2017.
10. Panama Banana: A Quirky, Rocking, Outdoor Hammock
Look familiar? This hot pink and wood lounging rocker has appeared in a couple of other Best of posts recently, which is no surprise. It’s a fun rocking hammock that lets you rest and then lets you be active by flipping it over to become a soccer goal.
9. A Minimalist House Designed for a Couple Desiring a Downsize
A couple in Seattle made the choice to scale back and simplify their lives so they hired Suyama Peterson Deguchi to design a minimalist house without all of the excess.
8. A Modern House in Taichung That Combines Work and Home Life
A house in Taichung, Taiwan, was renovated by T.M Design Studio to meet the needs of the owner who needed a space to double as his office and home.
7. A 600 Square Foot Apartment That Maximizes Every Inch
An unfinished apartment purchased by a couple gets a maximized renovation after hiring Anthill Studio to incorporate their ideas about how to make the most out of such a compact space.
6. IKEA Releases the YPPERLIG Collection from HAY
Design brand HAY designed the YPPERLIG collection for IKEA, which blends their Danish aesthetic with IKEA’s accessibility and it includes seating, coffee tables, lighting, textiles, and accessories.
5. LA’s New Museum of Ice Cream Is the Coolest
For those not able to visit the traveling Museum of Ice Cream, we virtually visited the LA one which featured 12 different rooms, each with quirky installations that are right out of Willy Wonka’s playbook.
4. Netflix’s “Abstract: The Art of Design” Demystifies Design
Netflix launched a new series that attempts to avoid the tropes of “serious” design documentaries with playful profiles about the luminaries of modern design.
3. A Compact Apartment in Kiev with a Glass-Enclosed Bedroom
This modern, compact apartment is located in the center of Kiev with a light and airy feel that’s helped by a bedroom enclosed in glass.
2. Le Refuge: The Most Instagrammed Thing at Milan Design Week
Le Refuge, a pink, jungle-like daybed designed by Parisian/Italian artist and designer Marc Ange at the Wallpaper* Handmade exhibition space was the most Instagrammed thing during this year’s Milan Design Week and we checked it out.
Drumroll, please… And the most popular post of all posts in 2017 is…
1. Nostalgic Lofree Keyboard Brings Back the Touch and Sound of Typewriters
This typewriter inspired, retro-styled Lofree Keyboard delivers that pleasurable and resolute tactile and auditory feedback with every keystroke and readers couldn’t get enough of it!
All of the sudden, it seems like Southern California caught up with the rest of the world in figuring out that it’s winter. There’s a sudden chill in the air that have caught all Southern Californians off-caught (we get thrown off when it’s anywhere less than 80 degrees). To help keep warm, we can all turn to Society6 for stylish hoodies (for both men and women) to keep warm and support emerging artists – it’s a win win situation!
Galactic Female Rebellion by FSDisseny
Black and white face hoodie by Tas Lima
Little Gentleman French Bulldog hoodie by Gabriel
sneaky cat hoodie by Laura Graves
Bear In Whimsical Wild hoodie by Picomodi
Into The Wild hoodie by Andreas Lie
In an ongoing effort to support independent artists from around the world, Design Milk is proud to partner with Society6 to offer The Design Milk Dairy, a special collection of Society6 artists’ work curated by Design Milk and our readers. Proceeds from the The Design Milk Dairy help us bring Design Milk to you every day.
We cover just about everything you can imagine when it comes to home furnishings, from desks to outdoor loungers to designer doors that upgrade your IKEA pieces to cat furniture. Yep, cat furniture – so basically a little bit of everything. Take a moment and dive back into these 10 posts to see what were the most popular posts in the home furnishings category in 2017.
10. A Storage-Packed Desk So You Can Keep Your Workspace Tidy
Designed by Gonçalo Campos for Wewood, Metis is a solid wood desk that’s outfitted with lots of compartments and sections you can use to stow your gear.
9. The Delirium Collection Brings Playful Patterns to Your IKEA Sideboard
Superfront can elevate a basic IKEA sideboard with new fronts by Swedish artist Klas Ernflo, who created the non-repetitive Delirium Collection.
8. A Modern Cat House They’ll Love and You Won’t Mind Having Around
Krab launched minimalist cat houses that your cats can escape to to feel safe, while also blending in with your modern decor.
7. Objects Inspired by Japanese Tradition for the Modern Nomad
Gerardo Osio created a series of transportable objects inspired by Japanese culture designed to be taken from place to place so you always feel at home.
6. The Latest Minimalist Collection From Artifox
We looked at Artifox’s latest pieces, a desk and shelf, which fell right in line with the brand’s minimalist designs, and both featured cool mix and match accessories for added functionality.
5. Muista: A New, More Evolved Way to Sit at Your Desk
Muista is a work chair that looks more like a stool, but it allows your body to stay more active by allowing for different sitting positions.
4. This Is Fur Real: Say Hello To Singapore’s First-Ever Cat Furniture Design Show
Appropriately named 9 Lives, this cat-themed furniture design exhibition was full of practical and aesthetically pleasing furniture for indoor cats.
3. Panama Banana: A Quirky, Rocking, Outdoor Hammock
Lithuanian designer Agota Rimsaite’s Panama Banana makes for a quirky, yet fun outdoor, rocking hammock that can also be used as a soccer goal.
2. IKEA Releases the YPPERLIG Collection from HAY
Danish design brand HAY brought their aesthetic to the YPPERLIG collection for IKEA, including seating, coffee tables, lighting, textiles, and accessories.
And the most popular home furnishings post of 2017 is…
1. Le Refuge: The Most Instagrammed Thing at Milan Design Week
The most Instagrammed piece during 2017 Milan Design Week? Le Refuge, a pink, jungle-like daybed designed by Marc Ange at the Wallpaper* Handmade exhibition space.
Every week we go inside some of the most incredible modern houses, apartments, and offices to get a taste of how other people live, or rather, to get a peek at their taste. Most spaces leave us with severe design envy, ready to forward our mail directly there, or at least dream of it. But most of all, they leave us inspired and wanting to incorporate some elements into our own homes. Now that it’s the end of 2017, we revisit the 10 Interior Design posts that were the most popular over the last 12 months.
10. A Cube-Like Room Within a Room
Kammerspiel is a room within a room that organizes essentials, like sleeping, working, eating, and reading, into a cube-like piece of furniture.
9. A Kid’s Room That Will Make You Want to Be a Kid Again
In a rural Belgian house, Van Staeyen transformed an empty, awkwardly shaped room into a bedroom that any kid would dream to call their own.
8. A Modest, Modern Apartment for Living and Working
Maciej Kawecki, of Brandburg Studio, hired mode:lina™ after finding the perfect apartment in Poznan, Poland, to become his new place to both live and work.
7. A 72 Square Meter Apartment in the Center of Tel Aviv
Galya Ben Asher and Studio 6B transformed a 72 square meter apartment in the center of Tel Aviv into a modern, sophisticated retreat for a family of four.
6. A Clean, Monochromatic Apartment in Helsinki
Helsinki-based interior designer Laura Seppänen created an all-white apartment that was clean and monochromatic, but at the same time, cozy and comfortable.
5. A Minimalist Apartment in Odessa for a Bachelor
M3 ARCHITECTS designed a minimalist interior for an apartment in Odessa, Ukraine, with a neutral color scheme and simple materials.
4. IKEA Kitchen Fronts Made of Recycled Plastic & Reclaimed Wood
Form Us With Love collaborated with IKEA to create the KUNGSBACKA line of kitchen fronts made entirely from recycled plastic bottles and reclaimed wood.
3. A Playful Apartment in Taiwan for a Modern Family Lifestyle
A young couple hired HAO Design to design a modern apartment that was a colorful place for their two young children to play and grow up.
2. An Apartment in Taiwan That Keeps the Children in Mind
Awork Design Studio designed an apartment in Taiwan with an open floor plan with lots of natural light, along with places for the children to play.
And the most popular interior design post of 2017 is…
1. Basic Bathroom Gets a Graphic, Modern Renovation
MY BATHROOM RENOVATION!!!! After (many!!!!) long months, we revealed my modern bathroom project and took you through the entire design planning process, demo, construction, and the final results.
Before traveling to Finland, I would have first thought of Denmark or Sweden first as a destination for design in the Nordic countries but a trip earlier this season changed my thinking. Finland is an incredible place to discover design of new and old (though you might have already known this from checking out our Helsinki travel guide). This year is an extra special year for Finland as it marks the country’s 100 years of independence. The country secured its independence on December 7, 1917 and, since then, has flourished as a country of architectural, cultural and design significance.
With our friends at Artek and Vitra, I explored some of the best sights to see and visit to learn more about Finnish design and discover what makes it unique from other places in the world.
Desk of Alvar Aalto
1. The Aalto House: It was surreal, to say the least, to see the desk where Alvar Aalto himself drew his sketches and drafted his designs. The home now serves as a museum that stays as close as possible to the original design and layout that Alvar and his wife Aino created.
A model of the Aalto House
The living room at the Aalto House which transitions into his home studio
A sculpture of Alvar Aalto by none other than Alexander Calder himself.
(L) view from the dining room; (R) view from the living room. The home is filled with thoughtful details, like low window sills allowing for views into the garden even when you’re sitting down.
Studio Aalto
2. Studio Aalto: Aalto created a separate studio for his architect bureau due to a rising request for commissioned work. The studio itself is a work of architecture and is just a short walk away from his home.
Studio Aalto
Rooftop lunch at the Savoy Restaurant
2. Savoy Restaurant: Designed by Alvar and Aino, this restaurant exemplifies timeless design and cozy minimalism. If you’re playing a game of Where’s Aalto?, you’ll find his club chairs and Golden Bell pendants in every view.
Interiors of the Savoy Restaurant
Spotted: two Golden Bell pendants
Artek 2nd Cycle
3. Artek 2nd Cycle: As the official manufacturer of Alvar Aalto designs, Artek opened up a secondhand store where well-loved or unwanted Aalto designs are rescued, restored and resold. If you’re looking for unique or limited editions, this shop should be the first place you look.
Well-loved indeed.
Someone loved this Aalto chair enough to knit it a sweater.
A-Factory tour
4. The A-Factory: This is the original factory where Alvar Aalto first developed his signature bent wooden furniture and is now owned by Artek. A guided tour showed each and every step in the manufacturing process of an Aalto Stool 60. While photography isn’t allowed to respect the privacy of the workers, our tour guide assured us that the company wants to share the process so that people can see what goes into the making of this iconic stool.
St. Henry’s Ecumenical Art Chapel designed by Sanaksenaho Architects
5. St. Henry’s Ecumenical Art Chapel: Even if you’re not religious, this remarkable architecture is worth the drive from Helsinki to Turku to visit. It was designed by Sanaksenaho Architects to resemble the shape of a fish, a symbol of Christianity. Constructed entirely of pinewood, the chapel is in constant play with light and sound.
6. The Resurrection Chapel: While this chapel is very different from the previous one, it shows how good design can transcend time. It was designed by Erik Bryggman during the years of World War II but looks like it was designed yesterday with its clean lines and sense of minimalism.
7. The Sibelius Museum: This is Finland’s only museum dedicated to music. The museum was designed by Woldemar Baeckman in the 1960s and has a unique, sculptural structure that’s meant to facilitate optimal acoustics.
8. Paimio Sanatorium: A stop at the slightly eerie but completely intriguing Paimio Sanatorium is a must. Aalto was commissioned to design and furnish the tuberculosis sanatorium and, like his own home, implemented thoughtful design from room to chair to provide comfort to the ailing patients. For example, his signature Paimio chair was designed to allow the user to breathe easier as tuberculosis patients often had trouble breathing. Color was purposefully used: reds for heating elements, greens for bedroom rest, yellows to further brighten up areas with natural incoming sunlight, etc.
Fun fact: Above is the last original Paimio chair left from the Paimio Sanatorium. After the sanatorium turned into a hospital, these chairs were either sold off for 10 euros or destroyed (*cue internal anguish*).
Staircase inside the Paimio Sanatorium
Cafeteria inside the Paimio Sanatorium
Artek Flagship in Helsinki
9. Artek Flagship Store: Finally, a trip to Helsinki would not be complete without a visit to the Artek Flagship store. You’ll find Bell Pendants that were used in the Savoy Restaurant and Aalto stools that are used, well… just about everywhere else. After learning all about Finnish design and Aalto history, don’t be surprise if you enter the store with a newfound appreciation for timeless, original design.
Artek Flagship in Helsinki
A-Factory photos by Artek.
All other photos by Vy Yang.
