Shake It Up…

…and then I’ll meet you out here…

the american trade hotel, the historic casco viejo district of panama city

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Nice Mix…

gordon’s bay house, sydney, australia/luigi roselli architects

Astonishing…

casa cubo staircase, são paulo, brazil/isay weinfeld

image by fernando guerra, FG+SG Architectural Photography

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Time Out…

…let’s flee from the vicious polar vortex and head to sunny Palm Springs…we even have vintage wheels!  This splendid, white-layered residence is by Michael Johnston, New York and Los Angeles…

images captured by photographer James Haefner

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Sublime Creativity…

…and what has inspired her…the consummate designer, Michelle Wentworth, has the ‘philosophy that the everyday experience is enhanced with considered living, investing in well-made products, attention to detail, and by paring to what is essential, valued, and beautiful’.  The featured project below is The Art Collector’s Residence…refined modern minimalist sensibility…

all images michelle wentworth.design

Check-In at the Office…

…in my humble opinion, when it comes to creating compelling work spaces, Clive Wilkinson Architects reign supreme…starchitects…yes, indeed.  Today we are in Los Angeles to visit Pallotta Teamworks Headquarters…

From the architect: A growing US charity event company, Pallotta TeamWorks, approached the firm with a challenging proposition: to create an inspiring new headquarters for them in a raw warehouse with a shoestring budget. After a preliminary budget analysis, it emerged that they had insufficient funds to even air-condition the space.

This tight constraint led to a concept of locating the client’s work areas in air-conditioned ‘breathing islands’ loosely enclosed in tents, within the unconditioned warehouse. All infrastructure was analyzed for optimum distribution paths, and minimal structural alteration. To further save money, shipping containers acted as both private offices and the corner anchors for the tent structures. The resulting project generated considerable savings in use over conventional office build-outs, and reinforced the client’s message of promoting responsible, sustainable ways of living on this planet. The project won several design awards, including a national AIA Honor Award.

…true dat…

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Omoshiroi-ne…

…omoshiroi-ne means ‘how clever’ in japanese…Leo Tatemichi, architect and owner of Pompon Cakes, is indeed clever.  Using his mother’s recipes, Tatemichi opened his bakeries two years ago.  He was inspired by his travels through the U.S. by street vendors.  “It looked like so much fun, so I wanted to bring that warm and inviting spirit along to Kamakura. I wanted create an environment in the urban context, where it resembled something close to a living room”…omoshiroi-ne…

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Inky Walls…

…add a unique signature…in black…

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School Days…

Kindergarten Building, Austria, by Dl Bernardo Bader…the framed view has to be quite inspiring for young minds…

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Five Fab Frills*…

…frill*- luxury…nice touch…

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gareth pugh’s trim jacket

vifa’s copenhagen speaker

jewelry for a cause: caliber…from illegal guns to diamond studded cuffs

lovatt wall vase

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Be Original…

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Lovely Buddha…

Lovely buddha…always brings a sense of serenity and integrity into a space…

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Floating..

….it has taken years of research and perfecting the process that has given Peter Gentenaar, a paper artist based in the Netherlands, a deep understanding of  paper-making. Gentennar explains, “at the basis of all my forms remains the nature of the pulp. Pulp making is my real art”.  He uses paper pulp and bamboo ribs to create his floating large-scale paper installations…I would love to wrap myself in these sensuous sculptures…and float from above like a Cirque du Soleil  artist…

photography by the uber-talented, roel wijnants

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Happy Valentine’s Day…

entrance to tokyo design week 2009/photography by luke hayes

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Two Twisted Staircases…

…and light and space to breathe……delicate yet sturdy…this three-story residence in Sapporo was designed by Japanese firm Jun Igarashi Architects.  Centered around a family room, the ceiling in Case soars to a grand height, enabling residents to view almost every room in the house from the family room.  Wouldn’t it be delightful to live here?

…even with an appealing exterior, who would ever guess the magic that lies inside?

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