COZY

The Ploum sofa by Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec Design has such a cozy appearance and unexpected scale. With the perfect blend of casual, elegant. and simple, these London based designers have created a design capable of spanning many design genres while remaining comfortable--a challenge that most designs cannot overcome. 

This seems like it would be the perfect place to cozy up a good book, a laptop or friend especially during the cold months.  I already feel more relaxed...

Images via [1, 2-3]

DESIGN. INSPIRE. REPEAT.

MOUNTAIN AIR

With as busy as I've been these last few months(well, really this whole year!), I wasn't able to go home for Thanksgiving.  So, here's a little bit of love from me to you from my home state of Colorado!  I hope you enjoy the view as much as I do...

Franktown Ranch :: Sexton Lawton Architecure

Situated in the rural town of Franktown, this remote horse ranch takes full advantage of its surroundings with large expanses of glass to frame the views and an emphasis on natural materials as a reference to its surroundings.  You might be thinking, where are the mountains?  Well, this home was specifically positioned to take advantage of the views of Pike's Peak and the Rocky Mountains.  In these images, the mountains are located on out of site, but in certain places where the sun looks as if its trying to creep into the frame, you can get a  little reference of their western location.  Fear not, I will have plenty of images from my trip home in less than a month!

Images by Raul J. Garcia [via]

DESIGN. INSPIRE. REPEAT.

A VIEW

Casa 11 Mujeres (Eleven Women House) :: Mathias Klotz

Vacation Home Santiago, Chile

Built as a vacation home for a family with eleven daughters, Casa 11 Mujeres boasts breathtaking views from every angle.  In addition to being built on a 45 degree slope, breathtaking cantilevers provide tension and drama, and a compacted interior plan provides amazing views from every room.  The raw concrete and deliberate materiality give the appearance that Casa 11 is emerging from its surroundings and leaning over the ocean to grab a better look.  This seems like the perfect place to take a deep breath and gather your thoughts...wouldn't you agree?

    

Images [via]

DESIGN. INSPIRE. REPEAT.

THE ORIGINAL DIVA

Rainbows.

Yes, rainbow!  As beautiful and fun as these natural phenomenons are, they are quite the tempermental divas.  As most of us know, rainbows are basically caused when the sun passes through water droplets and reflected in multiple directions(like a prism) to reveal all of the colors of light.  Pretty exciting, I know.  But did you know that in order to see a rainbow, not only does the sun have to be behind the observer, but the reflection between the sun, drop of water, and the observer have to be between 40 and 42 degrees! Does this mean that Dorothy was always singing at 40-42 degrees in relation to the sun and the rain? Pretty talented... 

And when they come out looking like this, I will totally look over their high maintenance tendencies.

Image [via]

DESIGN. INSPIRE. REPEAT.

FORM

House of Depth :: FORM | Kouichi Kimura
Shiga, Japan

Built on lot a 10 meters wide by 23 meters deep, the challenge of this project became the ability to create privacy and intimacy without generating a claustrophobic  space and tight circulation.  Line of sight is intentionally controlled, and at some points stopped abruptly in order to create a transition of space, and in some places indicates a shift in materials.

The simple color palette and honesty of materials speaks to the traditions of Japanese design and upholds the minimalist aesthetic.

The interplay between indoor and outdoor space simultaneously create the sense of openness and enclosure or privacy, and the careful control of the ceiling heights reinforce these ideas.

Stark contrasts in materiality indicate areas of transitions, and the selection of materials and texture, most notably the sheen (notice how sheen on the walls looks continuous) make these transitions feel seamless however drastic they may be.

A darker palette is utilized in more privatized areas, and the ceiling height is once again used to generate a sense of intimacy.

The overall sense of the house is dramatic, intimate, and refined.  The use of materials is very specific and the areas of transition are crucial in order to uphold the evocative nature of the design.

Images by Takumi Ota [via]

DESIGN. INSPIRE. REPEAT.

WARM + COOL

Just a little inspiration...

Images [via]

DESIGN.INSPIRE.REPEAT.

FLOATING

Floating Sauna :: Rosendahl Village, Norway
Intensive design build project by Marco Casagrande and Rintala Eggertsson Architects
Vastland Art Academy in Norway.

Growing up in Colorado, one of my favorite things to do in the winter is sit in a hot tub outside while its snowing.  There's something very romantic about the crisp cold of the outdoors and the warm hug of a hot tub.  This unique design in Norway echoes this same sentiment with this design of a floating sauna.

The sauna is situated in the middle of a lake, appearing, when lit, as a beacon to on-lookers while giving the opportunity for occupants to enjoy a cold swim in between the heat.

The wood planks and simplicity of design speaks to the Norwegian culture and their appreciation for nature and simplicity, values that many designers are passionate about.

The isolation with opportunity for interaction romanticizes the whole experience of being in the sauna while seamlessly integrating the surroundings.  While in one way, the occupants are on display in the middle of the lake, they are also capable of intimacy because of the inherent foggy appearance produced by the steam of the sauna.

Peace and tranquility would be easily attained in such a unique space.  I would be interested to see how a similar environment could be created in a more urban setting.  With as busy as we all are, a little peace and tranquility would be a great way to recharge our batteries before we get ready to do it all over again.

Images [via]

DESIGN. INSPIRE. REPEAT.

THE BEST KIND OF BUSY...

Wow! Such a busy weekend and such a busy week ahead of me.  I am full of inspiration for all of my projects, and I can't wait to share some of them with you.  The only problem is, that my mind seems to be working faster than my hands these days, and definitely faster than my computer.  My sketch book and I have been best friends lately, so I'm anxious to see how all of these ideas are translated with technology.  Stay inspired! More posts soon...

Image [via]

DESIGN. INSPIRE. REPEAT.

UNEXPECTED

Constructed on the exterior of a parking structure in Santa Monica is this unique sculpture by Ball Nogue Studios.  Made of hundreds of stainless steel spheres individually tensioned and attached to the structure with ultra thin steel wire, the uniques gravities of each sphere create an unexpected addition and art form for passers-by.

Designed with the ideals of sphere packing in mind, computer technology was utilized in the design to determine both the diameter of the sphere as well as the length of each individual wire.

The resulting form acts like a giant fly eye with multiple skewed reflections of observers and their surroundings.

The addition of this organic composition to a very rectilinear structure creates a formal tension and juxtaposition that causes the eye to linger much longer than it would otherwise.

And on top of all that, its just fun, isn't it?

Weekend task: Enjoy the beauty of the unexpected and embrace the possibilities of the unknown.

Images [via]

DESIGN. INSPIRE. REPEAT.

DOWN TO EARTH

Minimalists often get pigeon-holed into this "white box, cold aesthetic".   Rammed earth construction allows a new take on this beautiful, simple aesthetic by warming up the palette. 

   

This beautiful rammed earth construction utilizes an ancient building technique which inherently has many design advantages, modern and otherwise.  Because of the wall's density of sedimentary rock, it is not only aesthetically appealing, it is also nearly 100% sound proof, easily adaptable for thermal control, and seismically sound. 

When you think rammed earth, think Great Wall of China.  This type of construction is durable to stay the least.  Modern rammed earth construction utilizes a mechanical process to compress the layers of sedimentary rock which accounts for the horizontal striping.

Rammed earth construction is often combined with concrete to create an utterly irresistible minimalist environment with the negative cold, white box connotation.  Below are images of architect Rick Joy's desert home in Arizona.  One of the many advantages of rammed earth construction in a desert environment is excellent thermal control.

I'm a sucker for this type of "in between" area.  Its almost like a private desert alley!  The contrast of the rammed earth wall on one side and the massive expanses of glazing on the other side creates a natural elegance and sense of luxury.

I love these designers' new take on the idea of "honesty of material".  Good-bye rustic, adobe desert getaway and hello simple, beautiful and natural.

Images via [1, 2, 3, 4-7]

DESIGN. INSPIRE. REPEAT.

VERSATILE

Dolce & Gabbana remind us of the versatility of neutrals during Milan Fashion Week with this to-die-for window display.

And on the runway, Roberto Cavalli adds drama to a neutral palette with smoky eyes and a punch of blue.

And of coarse, with texture, neutrals are anything but boring.

And they're just as good for playing it safe while never looking out of style.

Images via [1, 2, 3, 4]

DESIGN. INSPIRE. REPEAT.

A PICTURE...

Some will say that a picture is worth a thousand words, but London based designer, Stuart Haygarth has proven that 600 meters (of picture frame) is priceless.  This incredible installation was unveiled in the Victoria and Albert Museum for London Design Week.

Each frame was cut, mitered, sanded painted and joined before being installed.  Haygarth refers to this installation as a sort of "3D graffiti" on the very traditional marble staircase.  

The path created by the landscape of frames allows viewers to walk through the installation--a journey reminiscent of the Yellow Brick Road in the Wizard of Oz.  I love when you can tell a designer had fun!!

And, of coarse, I'm always a sucker for a good hand sketch :)

Images courtesy Stuart Haygarth [via]

DESIGN. INSPIRE. REPEAT.