I am not usually a fan of recliners. The traditional overstuffed giant recliners tend to be a white elephant in a room. So needless to say I was very happy while researching seating for a media room to come across these contemporary well designed recliners in the UK. They describe this recliner as: "One of their best selling recliners which reclines, swings, swivels and orbits to your desire"....and it claims to be "seriously comfortable".
Dakota Contemporary Designer Swivel Recliners
The mechanism for these contemporary designer recliners operates by leaning back on the chair and using your body weight to hold back.
What do you think? Would you have one of these seriously fun contemporary designer recliners in your home?
For those of you who haven't checked out the magazine LoftLife Magazine - The Loft Style Guide to Life in the City, it is a must read. And I don't say that only because I am on their 'Board of Experts' - the Editors and Creative Directors at LoftLife Magazine are top notch. Their style and editorials are fresh, relevant and timely. Last fall Kyra Shapurji, Managing Editor and Linden Hass, Photo Editor of LoftLife Magazine paid me a visit at my office in Vancouver to firm up a feature they were doing on favourite shopping spots of mine and a few other Design Professionals in Vancouver. Linden Hass shot a few pictures of me and the drawing below is what resulted.
I love the illustrations for LoftLife Magazine done by the talented Graham Smith from San Diego. He illustrates the masthead and the Panel of Experts for LoftLife Magazine. This month LoftLife Magazine is going to be on national newsstands: Borders, Barnes and Noble, as well as Hudson News. So pick-up your copy and read their articles. In the current Summer 2009 issue of LoftLife Magazine I particularly like:
LoftLife - Allure of Amsterdam: Dutch Design Beyond Droog. (I am lusting to visit Amsterdam)
LoftLife - Paper or Plastic? (really gets you thinking and hopefully acting)
LoftLife - Big Blank Wall: The mirrors on our minds. ( Love this round-up of mirrors) among others.......... LoftLife Magazine also has a great Blog.
Happy Reading! Please let me know if you have read a copy of LoftLife magazine and what you think of it by leaving a comment.
Valentino: The Last Emperor "What do women want? They want to be beautiful!" This is the motto that Valentino has based his life on.
This weekend I went to see the movie Valentino: The Last Emperor for the second time. It has finally arrived in Vancouver. The first time I saw it I drove to Seattle because it wasn't out here yet. It is one of the few movies I have been to in my lifetime that everyone in the theatre clapped at the end. I was moved to tears as the great maestro Valentino took a bolt of his signature red fabric and started draping it over a live model, creating and sculpting the design for a new dress. He truly was the Master of Couture, a dying breed in the times we are living in. Valentino: The last Emperor is a documentary that was filmed over a two year period chronicling Valentino's life work. It is a must see, not only for the view into the life of a great Master of Couture but also for the great love story it is.
Valentino: The Last Emperor Valentino's 5 Pugs who go everywhere with him. This picture is taken on his private jet. Please let me know if you have seen the movie and what you think about it byleaving a comment.
I recently returned from a road trip through the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia. The Okanagan Valley is the home to a budding Wine Industry. I was pleasantly surprised with our stop in Osoyoss to visit The Nk'Mip Winery and Resort. NK’MIP Winery Resort is a four-season aboriginal tourism resort destination that features deluxe accommodation and visitor experiences including an award-winning winery, gourmet dining, desert golf, a cultural centre and full-service spa.
It was a feast for my eyes to view the walls of the Cultural Center from the parking lot at Nk'Mip Winery. I was struck by the beauty of this facade that looked like a giant slab of the most sumptuous marble. On closer inspection and inquiry I was informed it was built with "Rammed Earth Walls".
Rammed Earth Walls at Nk'Mip Winery and Resort also known as pisé de terre or simply pisé
(above left) Notice how thick these walls of rammed earth are - approximately 20% thicker than standard concrete walls. (above right) The rammed earth walls are formed in layers of approximately 6" thick , which gives the walls a beautiful horizontal variegation resembling quarried marble.
Rammed Earth, also known as pisé de terre or simply pisé, is a type of construction material. Pisé de terre (rammed earth) walls are an ancient building method that has seen a revival in recent years as people seek more sustainable building materials and more natural building methods. Traditionally, rammed earth walls or pisé de terre walls buildings are common in arid regions where wood is in scarce supply.
The basic recipe for rammed earth walls starts and ends with plain old dirt.
RECIPE FOR RAMMED EARTH WALLS - Soil about 5 litres Water - Water about half a litre - Cement 10 percent - Pigment 1 percent (about 1 tablespoon)
The mixture for rammed earth walls is compacted in layers between forms. Each layer of the rammed earth walls is approximately 6 inches deep. As each form is filled, another form is placed above it, and the process begins again. This is continued until the desired height of the rammed earth walls is achieved. Forms can be stripped off as soon as the form above is begun, as the compressed rammed earth walls are self-supporting immediately. Most builders of rammedearth walls use pneumatic rammers to compact the earth within the forms.
Deep inset Window detail in Rammed Earth Walls Nk'Mip Winery. My Dad and me.
Some interesting facts about Rammed Earth Walls and Rammed Earth Walls Construction:
Rammed earth walls are 20 percent thicker than most concrete walls so it is better insulating against heat and cold.
Rammed earth walls improve Indoor Air Quality because of the simple finish of exposed rammed earth walls have no toxic finishes.
Rammed earth walls are so solid that they boast superb acoustics and rank with the best in terms of fire resistance.
Because rammed earth walls don't rely on wood the structure will never rot, nor will it be host to carpenter ants or termites.
Rammed earth walls evolved in hot dry climates, where wood is too rare and precious to be used as a building material.
Rammed earth walls have been the standard in house construction in Southern Europe and the Middle East since biblical times.
None other than the Great Wall of China, or at least most of it was built of rammed earth wall construction.
Does anyone know why it is called Rammed Earth Walls?
Great Wall of China - Rammed Earth Walls construction
Rammed Earth Walls
Rammed Earth Walls Construction in Residential Bathroom with a Stump window which was made from the base of a tree that was growing on the house site.
Rammed Earth Walls
Iron oxide layers have been added to these rammed earth walls in sedimentary layers with inset of abalone. Above 2 photos or rammed earth walls Terra Firma
Additional Resources on Rammed Earth Walls Construction Wikipedia Rammed Earth Walls Construction Terra Firma Rammed Earth Walls Builder / Why Rammed Earth Walls in Construction? Walls of Rammed Earth Rammed Earth Walls DIY Rammed Earth Walls Construction Nk'Mip Winery and Resort, Rammed Earth Walls Cultural Center Rammed Earth Walls Construction DiagramYou Tube Rammed Earth Walls Video Images Rammed Earth Walls
Frottage 1 - 24" x 36" Mixed Media Painting: Pastel, Acrylic, Gesso on Glassine
For this summer's program of continuing education (last summer I studied Architecture in Italy), I have embarked on a course in 'Mixed Media Painting Techniques' at Emily Carr University of Art. The course teaches the process of image-making on built surfaces and works with a range of materials such as gesso, plaster, paint, ink, charcoal, and various papers. I am learning to explore 'expression and emotion' through layering, drawing, brushwork, Frottage and Grattage following in the footsteps of the greats in mixed media painting like: Max Ernst, Mark Rothko, and Paul Klee. I particularly like my teacher, Diana Kubicek's style of teaching. She teaches us to explore the various techniques fearlessly and says repeatedly there are "no mistakes"in painting. As a matter of fact "mistakes can be the building block of a great masterpiece". I like that! I have always been interested in drawing and sketching since my days in Design School, but find that I never have the time to take a brush to paper and do larger abstract paintings and works of art. So this course is a perfect opportunity to allow myself the freedom to explore different mixed media painting techniques. The last class we spent exploring the technique of Frottage (from French frotter, "to rub") a surrealist and "automatic" method of creative production. Frottage was developed by Max Ernst.
Frottage 2 - 18" x 24" Mixed Media Painting: Ink, Acrylic & Pastel on Paper
In frottage painting the artist takes a pencil or other drawing tool and makes a "rubbing" over a textured surface. The frottage drawing can be left as is or used as the basis for further refinement (which we are supposed to do for homework with the pieces we created in this class). While this technique is superficially similar to brass rubbing and other forms of rubbing intended to reproduce an existing subject, frottage painting differs in being aleatoric and occurring by chance. Frottage was developed by Max Ernst in 1925. Ernst was inspired by an ancient wooden floor where the grain of the planks had been accentuated by many years of scrubbing. The patterns of the graining suggested strange images to him. He captured these by laying sheets of paper on the floor and then rubbing over them with a soft pencil. In my Frottage Paintings 1, 2 and 4 the textured surface that I used to make the Frottage rubbing was a bamboo mat, string, and screen. In Frottage Painting 3, I did the rubbing over a Gessoed canvas that was prepared with the free form focus on the bark of a tree. As I was doing Frottage Painting 3, rubbing on the Gessoed canvas, it slowly evolved to resemble a Japanese mountain landscape with a waterfall collecting into a pool at the base of the mountain. Our teacher guided us in exploring this technique in creating our Frottage paintings which is based on Surrealist automatism*.*Automatism is a surrealist technique in painting, practiced without conscious aesthetic or moral self-censorship. Automatism has taken on many forms: the automatic painting and drawing initially (and still to this day) practiced by surrealists can be compared to similar, or perhaps parallel phenomena, such as the non-idiomatic improvisation of free jazz.
Frottage Painting 3 - 18" x 24" Pastel on tracing paper
Frottage Painting 4 - 12" x 18" Mixed Media Painting: Acrylic & Gesso on paper
In the first class we explored the technique of mixed media painting starting with a base of Gesso
Study 1 - 11" x 14" Mixed Media Painting Technique: Gesso, Acrylic and Watercolor on Card Stock
Gesso is an art supply used as surface preparation or primer for painting and sculpting. Gesso is believed to have been developed in Italy, since the word gesso is Italian for 'chalk'. Preparation varies according to intended use, but usually consists of mixing glue with plaster, chalk, or gypsum. (Gesso is the perfect base for starting a mixed media painting.)
Gesso resembles paint, but is thinner and dries hard. Gesso is applied with a brush and must dry before the surface can be painted. This technique of applying Gesso was first created for use in painting, in order to give the surface the right properties to receive paint. In Gothic and Renaissance panel painting, the technique of applying gesso over a panel of wood was used in order to give the paint something to adhere to. It created a slightly rough surface and prevented the paint from seeping into the wood. We were taught to apply the Gesso to our surface of our mixed media painting with a palette knife using broad strokes to building up the surface. Then various tools are used to create the textures. In Study 1 I used a metal clay sculpting tool with a comb like ridge to scrape across the wet Gesso. I then used the edge of my pallet knife to scrape in the diagonal ridges, then finished off with blotting areas with a sponge. I let the piece dry and then applied watercolor and acrylic in layers to the painting, while at the same time using a roller to take off the excess wet color on the surface so that the paint pigment settled into the crevices of the Gesso. I used the side of my palette knife to scrape off the raised portions of the diagonal lines to reveal the white Gesso below - a technique called Grattage*. Also the Gesso doesn't extend to the edge of the paper and gives it an interesting border. *Grattage is a surrealist technique in mixed media painting in which (usually dry) paint is scraped off the canvas. It was employed by Max Ernst and Joan Miró
Detail of Mixed Media Painting Technique: Study 1 above.
Study 2 - 10" x 10" Mixed Media Painting Technique: Masking Tape, Gesso and Watercolor on Glass
Study 3 - 7" x 10" Mixed Media Painting Technique: Gesso and Watercolor on Paper
Have you had any experience with Mixed Media Painting, Frottage or Grattage or other Mixed Media techniques? Please let me know by leaving a Comment.
This is the time of the year, summer, glorious summer to spend time outdoors. Renew, refresh, get inspired. Visit your favorite garden or park, or dream about making your garden a little more special. I love gardens with pathways that invite exploration. Gardens that make you want to meander, to spend time and to contemplate the finer things of life. I love all the different colors of green in gardens. You don't necessarily have to have color in flowers to make a garden pop. Try different textures, shapes, and colors of greens. A well placed statue or urn gives the eye a place to focus and center on. A water feature can add a cooling element, and a splashing fountain can be a calming and soothing to the soul. Well designed gardens with meandering pathways with well placed plantings and focal points are truly works of art using nature as the canvas.
Garden Pathways
Lavender Garden Pathway Smell the lavender as you walk down the gravel path to the fountain with lily pads awaiting you. I imagine that this pool is filled with Koi and that there is a bench or comfortable seating on the other side to sit and contemplate.
Garden Pathway What a feat of design this elliptical planting between the slate pavers is. A well placed statue draws you to the end of this pathway.
Garden Pathway Still there are moments when the shadows fall And the low sea of flowers, wave on wave, spreads to the pathway from the rosy wall Saying in coloured silence, "Take our all; You gave to us, and back to you we gave. Vita Sackville-West
This beautiful arbor (above)is supported by a brick wall. It reminds me of the gardens that English poet and novelist, Vita Sackville-West created at Sissinghurst Castle Garden. In April 1930 Vita Sackville-West and her son, Nigel, were looking for an old house where she could make a new garden. Vita fell in love with Sissinghurst Castle and bought it, along with 400 acres of farmland. She spent the next 30 years planting and designing the layout of the garden using the walls & buildings already in place. She was also the first to plant an "all-white garden" because she wanted the color of the flowers and foliage to act as an illuminating factor to prolong the daylight hours and hence to be able to extend the time she could spend in the garden. I spent a delightful summer, several years ago, reading her book: Garden. The gardens at Sissinghurst that Vita so lovingly created, are now part of the National trust and are open for public viewing.
Garden Pathway Villa San Michele, Capri The house was small, the rooms were few but there were loggias, terraces, and pergolas all around it to watch the sun, the sea and the clouds -- the soul needs more space than the body.
Reading this poem just makes me sigh and relax. It is so true that "the soul needs more space than the body" and how wonderful to recharge by spending time strolling under this pergola and hearing the soft crunch of the pea gravel under your feet - A thing of beauty is a joy forever! Excerpt by Axel Munthe from La Strada della Dolce Vita
Garden Pathway
Garden Pathway Photograph David Duncan Livingston
Garden Pathway
Garden Pathway The best garden pathways can be the simplest, like this cut grass pathway above.
Garden Courtyard Pathway Pea Gravel Pathway Bulgari Hotel Milan I love the use of old brick for garden pathways. Old brick has a character and charm that is hard to duplicate with new materials.
Garden Pathway Garden on Turtle Creek, Dallas TX, (above and below) was designed by renowned Landscape Architects, Michael van Valkenburgh. The backbone of the garden is a continuous path of varied walking surfaces and garden pathways that flow from the house down the slope. The meandering stainless steel planks are hollow underfoot altering the pace of the walk through the garden. A brilliant juxtaposition of materials!
Garden Pathway Garden Pathway Versailles And who is not in love with the beautiful gardens at Versailles. The French really take their strolling in garden pathways seriously! Some of my most memorable and refreshing times have been spent in gardens walking their beautiful pathways while taking in the sights and smells around me.
What makes a perfect garden pathway for you? Please leave a comment and let me know.
Why is well designed outdoor furniture so hard to come by????????? Everywhere I look I am visually assaulted by poorly designed and equally stinky, (as in smell) off-gassing furniture manufactured in China. I have through diligent searching found some truly amazing, beautiful to look at, and environmentally friendly outdoor furniture that is not manufactured in China. FYI Knoll practices Sustainable Design. All Knoll Space seating is GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality Certified® for low-emitting products.
First the UGLY........
Okay that's enough of that, now for the sublime...................
These chairs are so beautiful and sculptural and are appropriately call "The Clover Chair"
A truly classic and timeless design by Knoll - the Bertoria Chair and the appropriately named Paperclip Table
I am partial to the Bertoria chair in white powder coated finish with a white vinyl chair pad. It also works equally well indoors.
This is a design by the prolific Philippe Starck called One Cafe
The One Cafe also comes in black/ivory and a bar stool is available with slip cover options in white cotton.
Another design by Philippe Starck called Dr No by Kartell is stackable. The Dr Na aluminum table is practical, simple and a perfect companion piece.
The Lord Yo Chair (above) designed by Philippe Starck, is a take-off on the classic Lloyd Loom chair. I like the cotton slipcover. They also come with Leather Slipcovers so you can take them indoors in the winter for an attractive addition to your kitchen or dining room.
Knoll Noguchi Cyclone Table Kissi-Kissi Table One Cafe Table
Bo Chair Miss Lacy Chair Toy Chair
Now for a few divine settings to get you in the mood for those lazy, hazy days of summer
Sigh
What makes a perfect outdoor setting for you? Please leave a comment and let me know.
