Guest Post: Design Elements

My friend, Maria, from Design Elements is visiting today.  I’m sure many of you are aware of Design Elements and the incredible architect and designer interviews that Maria manages to arrange.  If not, please stop by and indulge…you will leave inspired, informed, and happy…yes, happy…Design Elements…always en vogue.

Oh my! It is wonderful to be part of cabbagerose today. I feel quite lucky to have “met” Katherine as I admire her unique way of looking at design and life. Since cabbagerose is one of my favorite virtual places to hang out, I have decided to take you on a little getaway to another favorite place: the sail-shaped W Hotel in Barcelona designed by the Spanish architect Ricardo Bofill. Enjoy!

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Guest Post: The Design Chef

Hi there…you are in store for a special treat…Holly from The Design Chef and HvH Interiors has graciously accepted to guest post.  Holly is a highly creative individual…her blogs feature great tips and ideas.  Always a pleasure to visit Holly…and now, her delicious Al Fresco Dining Salad.  Perfect for the last warm days of summer…

…yum, thanks so much, Holly…

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Guest Post: Meta Musings

Friday…woo hoo…and a fab guest post from the uber-talented interior designer, Chantal, at Meta Musings.  Chantal’s design firm, Meta Interiors, is located in Venice Beach, California.  The firm’s philosophy is rooted in beauty, history and artistry all the while exploring scale, textures and details to enhance your living experience. Chantal continues to be inspired by travel, design and nature.  I have featured Meta Musings earlier.  Chantal, thanks for the inspiration…

Hello lovely cabbagerose readers! It is my greatest pleasure to guest post on cabbagerose today and I am so excited to share with you a very special project, the home of the great furniture designer John Houshmand in San Miguel de Allende. With the help of architect David Howell, the home stays true to Houshmand’s purpose, completely reflecting the personality of his work; unique, pure, sincere and emotional.
Please enjoy!

Howell’s dwelling centers on a courtyard, inhabited by a square concrete fountain and a pair of ancient mesquite trees original to the property. The exterior walls, made of plaster, were tinted to match the reddish stones that dominate the surroundinglandscape. The entire structure was built by hand without electricity. Instead, local craftsmen used water, an attribute to their artistry.

The master bath and lounge with custom cast-in place concrete vanity and tub. Vintage sofas surround a custom live edge maple table by the Houshmand.

A guest room with Houshmand’s custom bed and maple headboard. The windows are dressed with warm burnt sienna cotton curtains and neutral sheers enhancing the warmth and living quality of the wood Houshmand pieces.

A guest bathroom with a carved stone sheep’s trough as the sink.

The living room with a pair of Houshmand’s cherry sofas and a maple table nesting on a locally made cotton flat-weave.

Another guest room with a headboard made from two mesquite doors.

I leave you here, in the rooftop pavilion, to enjoy the rest of the day!

Photos by David Joseph.

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Guest Post: Kat+Muse

Good day..you are in for a treat today.  Kat from Kat+Muse graciously accepted my offer to guest post  at cabbagerose.  Kat is a designer with a passion for architecture, interiors, fashion, photography, and all forms of art.  Kat is so clever and witty…and I always learn something new when visiting her daily blog.  Kat+Muse…a  source for delight and knowledge.

It is such a pleasure to be hanging out with cabbagerose for the day, as Katherine has become one of my personal go-to’s for inspiration. And since she is on vacation, it only seems suiting that we take a little trip of our own, don’t you think? So, we’re off to Bali to a place that embodies the sophistication, elegance, and innovative spirit that is everything I love about cabbagerose. Not to mention, a little unexpected bling! The Alila Villas Uluwatu by Singapore based WAHO is a luxury hotel and condominiumcommunity with a knack for sustainability. The initial goal of creating a contemporary and atypical Bali escape that worked with the surround instead of against it resulted in this beauty.

Reclaimed wood slats were blended with bronze to provide shading (and peeper protection) to the outdoor cabanas while flat roofs made of porous volcanic rock allow these spaces to breathe while blending into the surroundings.

The repetition of this rectilinear element is present throughout most of the architecture.

And here’s the unexpected bling I was talking about. The lobby definitely makes a statement against the more natural materials.

Once inside though, natural light is the favorite accessory among more subtle hints of a Hindu influence as seen in the elaborately carved wooden tiles below.

But at the end of the day, the beauty of nature reigns supreme and the true success of this architecture is that it complements the existing and creates a sense of timeless elegance thatmake both seem even more breathtaking.

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Guest Post: La Boheme

Today, I am excited to introduce you to my friend, Anna, from La Boheme.  Anna is a designer passionate about interiors, architecture, fashion, photography, graphics and all forms of innovation.  Believe me when I say daily inspiration abounds at La Boheme.  A must-read blog…

Hello! I’m so happy to be here on cabbagerose today. Katherine has become a very close friend in the past couple of years and it’s a real treat to be part of her fantastic blog.

Since summer is in a full swing, I have decided to take you on a little getaway, where we explore a variety of swimming pool settings. Each one has unique quality and I do hope you find them inspiring. Enjoy.

First two are a match made in paradise – water surrounded by trees and just enough privacy.

The next pair is a special one – great architecture, minimal yet inviting form in both.

Now for these – perhaps sometimes you don’t want to swim. One foot dip then might be what the doctor ordered.

And the last combination – a completely unique experience, don’t you think?

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Setting the Stage…

…Happy day…I’m very excited to introduce, Alex, from the D Pages Blog.  D Pages is a design magazine made by designers for anyone interested in design. They are devoted to sharing all things cool and beautiful and D Blog is their outlet for sharing design news and tidbits between their monthly magazine publications. Check them out, you’ll be glad you did…and, now, Alex…

A “>video peek at how the show decorated with a million flowers came together.

D PAGES blog is very happy to fill in today for Cabbagerose while she is on holiday. In brainstorming for a post to contribute, I stumbled upon these gorgeous shots from Raf Simons’ Dior couture show and thought they might be a perfect share. So without further ado…

From his childhood home in Normandy where he helped his mother create her English gardens, to his country retreat at Milly-la-Foret where he designed and worked in his own gardens, Christian Dior was known for his passion for flowers. He not only avidly cultivated them in his gardens, they wound their way into the prints, wovens and embroideries of his collections. The icon of couture was also known for his highly structured, architectural approach to clothing – so it seems only fitting that Raf Simons‘ vision for the backdrop of his first Dior Haute Couture show combine these two loves of its founder. Over the course of 4 days, teams of people meticulously covered every wall from floor to ceiling with peonies, goldenrod, dahlias, carnations, delphiniums and roses, transforming the space and transporting the show’s attendees into a lush Alice in Wonderland-like world. Bravo Raf, not only for a fabulous Fall/Winter 2012 clothing collection, but also for envisioning such a magical space in which to present it! Unless otherwise specified, all images courtesy of dior.com