Indulge in Design

I'm a fan of modern yet practical design solutions. Simple forms that when matched with the right materials make a wonderful statement. So when I first saw the Libeskinds Villas by Architect Daniel Libeskinds I was surprised at how much I was drawn in by the striking forms and obscure looking angles. Libeskinds Villa project is a partnership with Proportion whom leverages their industrialized production process to offer a sense of design, luxury and quality of living (I'm pretty sure this translates to pricey, but I haven't see any numbers yet), along with the latest in materials and sustainable resourcing. No matter what the costs Libeskinds work is remarkable and this prefab venture of his is on exception. The structure is not only intriguing from the exterior but the interior spaces seem bright and inviting as well—an indulgence in design that is well worth it.

Take inspiration and Gro.

A collection of Gro Design projects.

More than any single area of design industrial designers seems to push through the creative boundaries at every turn. Whether it is the the constantly changing consumer demand, the influx of new materials or the human need to solve problems in new and aesthetic ways the industrial design industry is a constant source of inspiration and amazement. Of the many firms pushing the design boundaries and serving as a constant source of inspiration one of my favorites is Gro Design. I wanted to choose one of their projects to write about for this entry but deciding on just one proved almost impossible. So I decided that a general tribute to this remarkable design team (who celebrate their 10 anniversary this year) was in order. So please take a moment and check out their site at grodesign.com. I'm sure, like myself, you'll be in amazement to the level of creative beauty they aspire.

Ebb and flow

I'm not generally a fan of combo fixtures but the Ebb Collection from usTogether might havde me rethink that. The sleek, geometric lined fixtures can instantly transform any bathroom into a must see room of your home for guests, and a wonderful modern retreat for yourself. Although the glass front to the tub might cause the more private owner to put an extra lock on the bathroom door.

You are here!

There is occasionally a moment when technology and nature collide to create something beautiful,The Earth-Stripe Bowl is one of these cases. Transforming beautiful pieces of wood into functioning and wonderfully pleasing modern design elements. Just choose your desired location and Fluid Forms will convert a laminate block of PEFC certified wood into your own personal Earth-Stripe Bowl. This is certainly one of the elements that is sure to get the attention your guests and makes for some really great fun as you try and identify just on the bowl you're standing.

Beverly Hills—Lago Vista, Guest House

I know it sounds pretentious and you're right it might be but it's also pretty cool looking. The Aleks Instanbullu Architects guest house is neatly positioned in a canyon of trees just off the of the main house. The entire guest house is done in wonderful tones of green and brown that carry from the exterior's modern grass like interpretation, to the refreshing open volumetric interior. At just 855 sq feet comprised of a bedroom, kitchen, bath and living room this house is certainly enough space for someone to enjoy their stay, but beware, you might not be able to get your guests to leave. To see more images of this incredible house and others check out the architects site.

OOPS Design Award 2009

Billed as the "First 'not honorable' award for the bad product design," OOPs Design Award is sure to be a classic. Some of the categories for design include: 'Ugliest product design of the year', 'Silliest product design of the year' and 'Most useless product design concept of the year'. Award were created by the international group of product design specialists, including product
designer and expert Andrej Statskij / Lithuania - Latvia /,design journalist Magda Braun-Sommer/ Germany / and product design historian Adam Hoops / USA-Switzerland /. The growing list of nominees are pretty impressive. Memberships are available for lovers of bad design. Here are a few to wet your whistle.

Grate!

There are some designs that stand the test of time. Of course there are classic examples of this like the molded plywood Eames chair, or the Vespa Scooter but often times great design goes unrecognized outside of a small group of design circles. One such example is the Todo, Giant Greater, designed in 2004 by German born designer Richar Sapper for Alessi. Sapper who is best known for his work with designing technically complex objects, from ships to watches clearly hit a homerun with this wonderful design for a very simple, functional and utilitarian element—the cheese grater that looks remarkable five years after it's creation and I am willing to be will still be as stunning 50 years from now.

Eastvold Furniture...Again

With two previous entries (2/09/2009 and 6/25/2008) , the Eastvold Custom folks has received a lot of love from Exclusively Blog. For good reason! They have a unique sense of modern design and a clear understanding of it's past.

Thanks to Jason, you can now find Eastvold Custom products at Exclusively Home. The line includes products for dining, sleeping, storing, decorating and eating(if you are a dog).

Can you tell who's house the photo of the Hammond Dining Table is shot in?

Artist Anne Stahl

Hoping to Succeed, 2009 Multimedia Monoprint 22x15

Reflection, 2009 30x30 oil on board


Finding a great piece of art is one of of those rare but wonderful moments. However, finding an entire collection of work from a single artist that you find inspiring, stunning and entrancing, while that is something else. Recently I found the work of German born artist Anne Stahl whose dynamic paintings and mixed media creations seem to transport the viewer through color and form to another place, an almost otherworldly place at that. I was trying to figure out how to sum up the incredible collection of work when I saw this statement from the artist herself.

"Rather than re-creating a landscape on a canvas, I aim to express its essence. Obviously, no single work can hope to distill the complex spirit of a landscape, much less the infinitely sophisticated ecology that sustains it."

—Artist, Anne Stahl

Berni Valenta's Cardboard Art

Berni Valenta Collection of 100 Cardboard Characters is a whimsical study in how the
artist's eye and mind can transform the everyday and make it extraordinary.

Working in an office of incredible illustrators I often watch as scrap piece of paper is transformed into a wonderful scene of characters, so when I discovered this recent art exhibit of 100 faces on cardboard, I couldn't help but smile. It's completely wonderful to see how an artist can take an everyday object (and a disposable one at that) and transform it into something incredible.And maybe even more incredible is how their passion for such a thing can manifest itself into an art showing in a gallery that draws in people who go from interested viewers to serious buyers, willing to not only pay for something, that untouched by the hands of the artist is simply TRASH. To see all 100 check-out the link to My 100 Cardboards.