Plank

With fall here I should start to focus on getting fit for ski season. But for some reason the only planks I want to be looking at are wood ones. 

Love the light boards - allows for a darker pallet to not make the corner too dark

Never too much wood. Especially with those windows.

The floor planks add a bit of warmth to the black and white (and green) space.

Also - I think I've found my new favourite blog: Scandinavian Retreat. I want to live in all the places! 

Stockholm Minimalism

While I try to muddle my way through cleaning up and organizing my house this fall, I thought I would post some inspirational places as motivation to let go of more material items. 

This apartment in Stockholm looks pretty perfect if you ask me. Clean, uncluttered, but still full of personality. Warm leathers balance the cool blues and greys. White walls contrast the warmth of a wood fireplace. Solid fabric colours but enough throw pillows to have a bit of fun! And the thoughtful clusters of personal items cut the sterility. 

As linked

Cozy fire nook

Just what you need, and a touch of beauty

Minimal everywhere but one nook. 

That fig tree. *heart*

Peg It

This weekend I came across these leather and wood peg hooks in a new store's change room. I thought they were ingenious: Hangers would lay flat wonderfully in the leather and the wood peg is just perfect for a purse. I would use these all the time to lay out my outfits for the week. If I did that... 

And then today - I found this hook round-up. And I swear I wasn't looking for it. I can't put holes in my walls so I definitely am not looking for hooks. 

But I found the source for my beloved wood and leather hooks. Not to mention so many more awesome hooks. Now if only I could convince my landlord to let me put a few holes in the walls!

And I imagine it would look better with time! 

Not what it seems

I love the idea of masking appearances. When I say that I feel as if I am admitting to a horrible vice because masking appearances seems to hold such negative connotations. But deep down I don't think it is all that bad. Moreover, I believe that being honest about having layers of disguise is more honest than saying that one doesn't have any, because, let's be honest, we all have little secrets!

This week, on Design*Sponge, I saw two (here and here) wonderfully crafted masks, which I immediately feel in love with. Both are items that have been on the top of my brain as of recent and it seemed quite timely that I should stumble upon them now...

Via Design*Sponge and Hither and Thither

The first one is the BookBook sleeve from Twelve South. This computer sleeve looks like a vintage piece of literature, not an expensive laptop and is a lovely commentary on the evolution of visual communication. It's quite ironic that the definition of social status, source of all knowledge and highly regarded hard cover books of yesteryear, which were so carefully stored and revered are now being used as a disguise for today's truly sought after item, source of information, definition of social status, the MacBook. The suggestion that an 'old piece of literature' is a deterrent for thieves is probably making Shakespeare roll over in his grave and Steve Jobs break out in song. Needless to say, these merge old and new words quite perfectly in my mind and lend to a perfect masking of appearances, not to mention that they are beautifully crafted one of a kind items that I'm sure will spur many random discussions!

Via Design*Sponge and Hither and Thither

The second item is a DIY and expands on one of my most performed DIYs (this or something like it!). It's a hidden jewelry box which is perfect for me, with my adverse reaction to clutter, yet my desire to own more jewelry is a perfect merge. I think with this solution I can now have one of these in my room! Now to find the perfect frame and piece of art!

Via Design*Sponge

A quick follow up on my comment on loving masked appearances, what I really love the most about them is the slow unraveling of the truth, and the wonderful surprise once you find out what's below the mask! It's really that element of surprise that gets me every time! (I'm not a master of deception!)

Taking a page from the highline.

I love the modern design used to incorporate green into the walkway. Via Highline Fliker Stream

I am totally behind on posting this. I first read about it in May (in Azure I believe) but with my posting hiatus I never ever finished the post (a trend I am sure you have seen around here!). But now I have been reminded again about the Highline from my good ol' Club Monaco standby.

What beautiful fall colours! Via Highline Fliker Stream

The highline is this wonderful mile and a half, recently completed (June 2009) park in Manhattan, where an old abandoned elevated rail line has been re purposed and redesigned into a public green space. This project was funded through a joint venture between the city and private donations. On top of amazingly designed walkways and landscape, there are movable art installations and shows (both theatrical and musical) that rotate through. School programs visit, it hosts block parties, public discussions and there has been a large number of proposals on the highline since it has opened! And everything is updated on their blog. This blog would most definitely be on my favourite list if I lived in Manhattan!

I would take my lunch break here! Photograph by Nikole Bouchard via Highline Blog

In Vancouver we have this abandoned railway track running through the west side of Vancouver, much like the Highline in west Manhattan, only not elevated (which creates more logistical problems). Parts of the rail line in Vancouver are lined with gardens but much of it is just overgrown grass. It would be great to see Vancouver take a hint from New York and re-develop.

What much of the abandoned rail line looks like in Vancouver... Via Our Fernie blog

Bent grains

I love wood grains, clean lines and intresting angles. I also love magazines. How did they know?

Via svelteobjects on Etsy.

Ada Lovelace Day

Tuesday was Ada Lovelace Day, a day for bloggers everywhere to draw attention to women in technology... Well I am one day late, but I have been dying to post about this wonderful little lady for a while and it just seems fitting!

You may not have heard of Emily Cummins, but she's famous, seriously, check it out here here here here and here... She is an inventor, or as she likes to call herself a sustainable designer. She has been winning awards for her inventions and designs since before she was 16! Since then she has won awards such as Future 100 Award (2008), Female Innovator of the Year (2007), Technology Women Of The Future (2006) and she is only 22 years old!

Via InHabitat

The invention that caught my eye is her solar powered fridge, which actually uses no electricity. This isn't your everyday refrigerator with solar panels on it... This invention is completely different. My explanation won't be able to do it justice so read about it from the inventor herself here, or from writers here and here. Inspirational isn't it?

I wonder what Emily will invent next!

Origami Folds

I used to love folding those paper cranes, so you can imagine how excited I was when I started seeing neat little folds and paperesque angles pop up on the red carpet, the catwalk and in home design. The designs these days are so much more sophisticated than those little cranes I used to fold up in my school days!

Yuko Nishimura via Origami Blog

I love the way that origami folds can create detail without additional products such as gems, embroidery, patterns or beads. Linked together, the folds can either focus your eye up towards the face such as seen on Cameron Diaz, elongate your silhouette as seen with Angelina Jolie or make you look all wrapped up like Marisa Tomei!

Via The Glam Guide

Via Origami Blog

I just have to add more to my love of how Angelina's dress uses two colours to add a pop and an element of 3D to her dress. It literally looks like it has been folded around her, and if she were to take it off, the whole inside of the dress would be yellow. Speaking of yellow - I love this origami inspired folded dress by Proenza Schouler.

Via the Origami Blog

Christian Dior Via Instyle

Collage via Origami Blog

The folds and angles are also finding their way into home decor. From pillows to beds!

PJ Pocket Pillow by Modern Twist via Apartment Therapy

Thomas Feichtner via Design Milk

Oh and I can't forget about how BIG of a statement those folded edges can make. Thanks Hedi!

Via This is London

I'm off to find my old origami book and make some folds.... If you want any more inspiration I suggest checking out Origami Blog, they are a great resource (as you can see from my credits!) and are totally dedicated to bring you everything folded, pleated and bent!

Canadian Content

I'm back.... and what brought me out of my deep winter slumber? Canadian design! I was catching up on some much needed reading and I came across a post on Design*Sponge about the Interior Design Show in Toronto. The show was sponsored by my favorite magazine - Azure!

I love the light webbing through the slats of wood of this sauna. Work by StudioJunction, check out their website, they do amazing things with wood! Image via Design*Sponge

Via Azure

The entrance way of the Gladstone Hotel via Design*Sponge

Both pieces by ceo & waito, they do stunning things with ceramics. Top image via Design*Sponge and lower image from the ceo & waito website.

I especially loved the work by Vancouverite Jeremy Hatch, who installed a porcelain-cast of ropes, pulleys, skids and wrenches... while much of it broke while being shipped out from BC, he was not disappointed, rather he said it just makes the impractical ensemble all the more poetic. If only I could look at all the downs in my life as poetic...

Image via Design*Sponge

Image from Jeremy Hatch's website

Clever Living

Ferm means clever in Dutch, and is a very telling word for the company Ferm Living, who make very ferm products.  They also have a blog (Clever Spaces) showing clever creative uses for their clever and creative products... 

I love the gold and purple of the tree bomb wallpaper....clever name!

Wallpaper stuck on the inside of a lamp, you can only see the design when the light is on... clever, yet again!

I love this workplace!

Would go great in a black and white room!!

This wall decal was scribbled over, and then removed... the reverse effect!

Design Love...

Don't you just love clever design?  This coffee table from Alex Suvajac made me gasp in amazement by the form.  I found it through for coffee tables for my friend Katie all week! Unfortunately this table isn't Katie's style, but if it was, I would have to convince her to buy it!

 Via The Canadian Design Resource

The Domino Effect

So the news is out, Domino Mag is done. 6 Feet Under. Finito.

I have a different view of the whole situation however... I'm not shocked, saddened, depressed or wondering what this world is coming to. I am optimistic. Why? Because this is a new era of media. Just how the radio was eclipsed by the television, the Internet blogs and magazines just might be taking over the world of paper...

I will miss simple rooms like this

This isn't the only magazine to bite the dust in recent past and I am not sure if we can solely blame these closures on the recession. Could it be that this is the re-invention of the shelter magazine business? I am not sure how relevant receiving our monthly pounds of glossy paper is to us anymore, especially since we can now find inspiration online everyday (and paper free!) through websites and blogs. I think it's sad for employment in the creative sector, however I am optimistic that in the future it might be possible that Internet magazines will have budgets to hire stylists, designers, professional photographers, editors, writers (I'm sure I'm missing a lot of people) and the support staff...

And funky ones like this....

I don't doubt that us bloggers had a role to play in the demise of Domino. I find myself drawing inspiration from other blogs and Internet articles more than I find myself rushing out to buy a magazine, scanning the images and posting them. We all know from Apartment Therapy, Design*Sponge, InHabitat and TreeHugger that blogs can create employment, and be a viable business, (note I don't know for sure that they pay their employees, but I assume that they would have to) so that makes me wonder is the closing of Domino a sign of where design communication is headed? And if so, is it such a bad thing?


What to blog? I wonder if many of the other shelter magazines follow the same fate as Domino, where will us bloggers go to get our beautifully styled images from? I better sneak over the Domino and grab as many photos as I can!! (I'm just joking, I don't even usually post domino sets! I hope this gets people out there looking at non-professional work, and maybe even discovering a diamond in the rough!)

Silence in Finland

What an amazing cabin - this Finnish curved cabin is called the Silent House. The curved lines of the house blend so well with the surroundings, that I think you would just want to be silent while there, blending into the nature a [literally] round you....

I adore that light gushing through the windows... the elongated shadows subtly remind us we're at a high lattitude, and the crackling fire place makes the Finnish winters that much more bearable!

Via Marie Claire Maison

Pictou Landing Health Center

Flying home from somewhere to somewhere else, on some plane, run by some company I read this article about a First Nation Health Center in Nova Soctia. While quite interesting at the time, I forgot about it, until recently. Low and behold, I found what I had read.... and am I glad I did! This is such an amazing structure and idea, that I just have to share!

Architecture Week

If you are interested in how they built this, then you should check out the article in Architecture Week. Here is a quick summary: The building was designed by Brian Lilley and Richard Kroeker and was based on the Native longhouse structure, a traditional winter lodge of the Mi'kmaq which bends and binds still green spruce poles.

E-architect

Every aspect of the building explored the ancient Native building techniques and tried to use them as much as possible, instead of simply trying to exploit shallow symbolism. Natural materials such as sphagnum moss, bark, rocks, and earth were all used to built this structure. They also used members of the First Nation community while building to not only receive their input and give then a sense of pride in the building, but also to cultivate skills in this community where the majority of people are unemployed.

E-architect

E-architect

Swiss retreat

My skis are on, my boots are tight, and my goggles aren't fogging up. Can I come over? Can I stay forever?

I am in awe of this cabin in Switzerland. The views are spectacularly breath taking. (I am at a loss for words) A well placed abode, I must say.

Via Black*Eiffel