DESIGN FOR MEN

Beyond pairing two disparate styles to sound cool…I am really inspired by spaces that draw from the rich hues of Renaissance and Neoclassical paintings. I gasped when I saw the Dark Side advertorial in Elle Decoration UK shot in the Salvatori Showroom in Milan. The dark gray walls allow colorfully rich furniture and accessories to pop much like the dark backgrounds and colorful figures in the paintings of Jacques-Louis David and El Greco. My next place will take cues from this rich environment. I particularly love the office with the Vincenzo di Costis and modern trestle table by Cassina.

Images: Elle Decoration UK

Special thanks to Lori Dennis, blogger and interior designer for letting us know about the release of her book, GREEN INTERIOR DESIGN.

The book features over 100 color photos of projects and furnishings and aims to be a great resource for creating sophisticated eco-friendly interiors.    The user friendly manual geared toward homeowners, interior designers, architects, and contractors, includes design tips as well as extensive resources and vendors.  GREEN INTERIOR DESIGN .

GREEN INTERIOR DESIGN includes every aspect of residential interior design—furniture and accessories, window treatments, fabrics, surface materials, appliances, plumbing fixtures, plants, gardens, maintenance and more—discussed from a green perspective in terms of reducing waste, avoiding pollution, and protecting the occupant’s health.

Already digging the sneak preview on Amazon.  The section Antique, Vintage, and Used Sources caught my eye.  Reusing and repurposing vintage furniture and even salvage architectural materials is a great way to recycle and reduce waste…not to mention save money.  I am sucker for a mid-century modern or industrial finds but often people don’t consider that new is not always better.  Check out sites like Ebay, 1stDibs, and Craigslist to find vintage pieces.

Click here to purchase your copy.  At$24.95, the book is a great gift for the environmentally conscious designer on your list.

Surrounded by construction, I have become incredibly inspired by scaffolding. All of sudden, it came to me – scaffolding would be great for creating a bed and perhaps many other pieces of furniture. So I am just inspired…I am considering making a headboard out of scaffolding for my place. The following are some great pieces for inspiration.

Scaffolding Bed above via Design Sponge
Constructed of scaffolding tubes and wood planks by the husband of Marijke Hukema of Restored in Amsterdam

Motel Out of The Blue via Dezeen

Designers Maartje Dros and Francois Lombarts used scaffolding to turn a construction site into a conference area. The project, called Motel Out of The Blue included meeting rooms , lecture hall (pictured above), dining room,  library and 50 rooms (above) for visitor accommodation.   I particularly love the day bed…I could see that transformed into something really comfy for indoors or outdoors.

Scaffold Board Table via Ryan Frank

Made (exquisitely I might add) out of planks from scaffold

I stumbled upon these tables from Brandner Design and was immediately blown away.  The company creates furniture incorporating structural elements including trusses, beams, and reclaimed materials.  I especially love their tables which elegantly blend the industrial with contemporary style.  Brandner also accepts custom orders.  So, I would love to adapt the above “Great Northern” Console table for a desk in my office.  I am thinking walnut slab top with same base.   The following are some of my other favorites.

“Great Northern” Console table

Truss Desk with Oak top

Renaissance Console Table with Concrete top

Mini Truss Coffee Table with Red Oak with Steel Inlays

I-Beam Table Desk with polished Concrete top

Turnbuckle Rail Car Dining or Conference Table Base (adjustable height) – Just awesome!

Images from Brandner Design

I have realized lately that I am absolutely obsessed with white spaces.  I happened on an image of the Anemi Hotel designed by Stavros Papayiannis in Folegandos, Greece, while searching for inspiration images for an article on Curbly.  Simply stunning and timeless.  I love the juxtaposition of white as canvas spatially and the accents of large scale contextual artwork and colorful accents.  The use of epoxy flooring seamlessly connects the floor to the walls and celings.  Check out my article by clicking here where I explore 5 great flooring solutions.

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I love the transition from white walls to charcoal gray in the restaurant/lounge.  While the floor remains white fluidly tying in the different areas.

Greece, here I come!

Images from Yatzer

Some spaces perplex even me. The idea of letting it all hang out is hard to swallow prompting people to store most of their items out of site.  This apartment featured on OWI is all about exposure.  The consistent use of wood shelving throughout cohesively ties all of the rooms in the home together.  Additionally, the minimal furnishings prevent the space from feeling cluttered.  Essentially the items on the shelve function as artwork in the space.

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The living area / office combo features blinds lining the entire window wall, creating a nice screen adding even more texture to the exposed brick walls.

The barn door is propably one of the largest that I’ve seen creating more of the feeling of a portal at the door. Although I am a bit confused about why there is a skateboard in the middle of the room.  I always find it odd when just one element in an organized space is out of place.  But perhaps the owner uses the skateboard as transport from room to room.

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The detail of the accentuated edges of the shelves creates a nice slated wall at this platform area.  We find the same shelving in the kitchen/laundry as well which feels quite industrial and intimate.

The bathroom is definitely my favorite space tying in the shelving with the wood slats of the tub surround.  And I love the use of steel for the tub even though it makes me feel like I would be bathing in a large sink.  Nothing in this home is expected and clearly there is a little something to letting it all hang out.

Images from OWI, photography by Vercruysse Frederik

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Color me inspired by Workstead, a New York based design studio led by Stefanie Brechbuehler and Robert Andrew Highsmith.  They are focused on creating dynamic environments that are environmentally responsible.  The images included are of the inspiring East Village Apartment completed in 2009.  The warmth of the space is overwhelming achieved with the use of walnut in furnishings mixed with the deep gray sofa, all against somber white walls.

Although, not a part of the above project, I love the sliding kitchen in Brooklyn, NY.

As if interior design wasn’t enough, Workstead does virtually all things design from architecture to lighting.  My favorite, the industrial 6 arm chandelier below, also available in a 3 arm.

IMAGE CREDITS: Workstead

Big Bambú, an installation of 5,000 interlocking 30- and 40-foot-long fresh-cut bamboo poles, designed for the Roof Garden at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  The exhibit was created by twin brothers Mike and Doug Starn.  Telgraph.co.uk describes the monumental structure best as, “bamboo scaffolding mangled by a hurricane .”  The construction of the structure continues through the fall when the exhibit closes until the end of October.  You can purchase tickets to take guided tours to walk through the structure.  Without venturing up on to the paths, the bamboo poles creates a feeling of a forest through which roof garden visitors wind through.  The experience is fantastic and there are stunning views of the city.

For more information about the installation, click here.

IMAGE CREDITS: Image 1 from Telgraph.co.uk, Remaining Images by Design For Men

Over the memorial day holiday, I had ambitious plans to catch up on work but I was quite distracted by the pool opening at my building.   My obsession with swimming is the inspiration for this article featuring some of my favorite pools.

1. LOHA: Lorcan O’Herlihy Architects, Jai House, Calabasas, CA, 2004.

I had to rely on my oddly photographic memory for this one…I recalled seeing this stunning home featured in Men’s Health Living Magazine, a men’s home magazine that I was sad to see dropped in 2008.  Richard Roll, a former corporate attorney turned entrepreneur/entertainment lawyer who transformed his career and his lifestyle to be more focused around his passions.  His home is an inspiration, perfectly designed to incorporate his love for his family, the outdoors, and swimming. Limited on space, the one-lane lap pool was the perfect solution for this competitive swimmer.  To read the full article click here.

2. Rem Koolhaas, Private Residence in Paris, France, 1991
Loving the rooftop lap pool (yes this is a trend) but these pools are  efficiently sized for exercise and relaxation.

3. Humberto Herbeto, Vila Castela in Nova Lima, Brazil, 2005

I am a sucker for an infinity edge pool.  Infinity edge pools appear to to go on forever, an allusion created by running off the edge – typically found in areas with cliffs or architectural cantilevers.   In this home, the pool works perfectly with the horizon and the location of the pool next to the stair creates wonderful mystery when people descend the stair.

4. Richard Neutra, Kauffman Desert House, Palm Springs, CA, 1946.

I had to include one of my all time favorite homes which also includes a fabulous pool.  Check out this recent D4M article for more info on the home, by clicking here.

5. Eddy François and Caroline De Wolf, Private Residence, Belgium

This article needed an  indoor pool and this one is a serene beauty in a stunning home in the forest.  For more photos and info, click here.

IMAGE CREDITS: In order of appearance, Image 1-4 from LOHA, Image 5 from OMA, Image 6 & 7 from Trendir, Image 8 from New York Times, Imag 9 & 10 from NothingLiving

Strolling about in Dupont Circle, I came across Kulturas Secondhand Books. By the by, vintage bookstores are my new favorite thing…the key is to find one with an Architecture section – I could have been there for hours. While perusing the book, From: New Houses in Old Buildings, I happened upon this project by Mark Guard Architects.   The firm converted a car repair workshop into a two-bedroom home in Deptford, London.  The design element that initially caught my attention was the use of the copper plaster  floating wall in the master bedroom (shown above).   I love the relationship of the way the copper subtly mixes with the steel and concrete structural elements found in the renovation.

The renovation incorporated removing old roofs, adding a new entrance, and new enclosed garden.  Sensitivity towards views and daylight throughout the house was the main objective of the designers.  The living room and kitchen are on the first floor to take advantage of the views of St. Paul’s Church and Greenwich.  The bedrooms on the ground floor open out to the walled in garden.  The overall architectural design is so timelessly modern making it hard to believe that the project was completed in 1996.

For more images and information on this project, check out the website by clicking here.

IMAGE CREDITS: All Images from Guard Tillman Pollock