Flaster

IVANKA recently launched its stunning Camelion floor and wall tiles at the London Design Festival. The tiles are Ivanka's concrete concoction FLASTER, a cast high performance concrete suitable for indoor and outdoor use. Available in thirteen stock colors, custom colors available upon request,  and in any configuration imagined.

Walnut Studiolo

Geoffrey Franklin, an architect by training, founded Walnut Studiolo with the goal of creating high-quality, beautiful, durable, and most of all functional bicycle components. The result, unobtrusively handsome and affordable leather goods that would give even Brooks a run for its money. All products are handmade and thoughtfully crafted in Portland, Oregon.

Kudos to you, Mr. Franklin.

Handsome Geometry

click for full size image

Crystalline textures for the traditionalist.

Literal
Decanter Lights from Lee Broom, vintage crystal decanters repurposed as ambient pendant lighting. The lifestyle shoot of the collection really showcases the whiskey-lit effect they have. Very nicely done, and very easily mimicked with the use of a bottle cutter and a lamp kit.

Organic
Materialized Vase by Erich Ginder, to a degree... "the first in a series of objects that are created by scanning and decimating heavily adorned forms with high resolution scanners, resulting in jewel like abstractions free of the designer's hand." Though fully digital in its design and manifestation, the form is unobjectionably natural, as if porcelain ice has slowly consumed an estate sale.

Conceptual
Cabinet by Elisa Strozyk, antique burl wood cabinet with the addition of her signature wooden textiles. A malleable surface that affords wood, as a historically sturdy material, an entirely original tactual experience.

Bottega Louie

Louis XIV for the XXI Century

Opening its doors to the patrons of downtown Los Angeles last summer, Bottega Louie is exemplary of palatial contemporary design.

Essentially a white box, this restaurant and gourmet market give a rather stark first impression. Upon closer inspection, the Carrera marble floors, the brass window casings, the ivory subway tiles stretching twenty feet to the handsome crown molding of tray ceilings, it becomes apparent that the foundation of the space is not a bland white box, but a thoughtful confectionary. The icing, furnishings and fixtures that are the perfect ratio of sleekness and grandeur. Warm oak and black leather upholstery ground the airy atmosphere and brass (quite cleverly) is used across the spectrum from humble hardware to regal millwork.

Three years in the making, the attention to detail in its interior is certainly inspiring. The true success of the space, however, lies not in the details exactly, but in exquisite editing skills of the designer.

Pocketful

A petite collection of the functionally inconspicuous.

Keychain pocketknife from the reputable Garrett Wade, barely larger than standard mill and much more attractive. All keys should be so refined. Tally ho! >>>

Hollowed authentic coinage by a modest Father & Sons workshop. Memory card holding capacity in domestic and foreign currencies for the aspiring corporate sleuth. >>>

Mauvian Approach: for slipping handwritten notes of romantic or illicit intent.

Embossed coin 8GB flash drive with laurel motif from a promotional products company. Sadly only available for bulk purchase. Very unfortunate, as this would be amazing engraved with a personal monogram. >>>

Sky Garden 23

Lovely pendant lamp from FLOS, chalky matte interior with floral plaster relief wrapped in a black candy shell.  Chanced upon at Lightology.

Cire Trudon

Bustes de Cire, candles inspired by 18th century masterpieces by the royal candlemakers. Each faithfully recreated in Cire Trudon's 367 year old vegetal wax recipe.

Too faithfully perhaps, royalties are incurred on every sale.

Edison-esque

Nixieclock - Chronotronix V400

Franz Maurer - Aves Series

Nixie tubes, exposed hand-blown bulbs...

how is the compact fluorescent the easy switch exactly?

With the resurgence of Edison-esque aesthetics in lighting and electronics design the swap seems wholly unachievable. The efforts to improve the fluorescent alternative have not come far, at this point in time it can only be likened to substituting crème brûlée for a helping of non-dairy creamer.

I'm all for social responsibility and sustainability, but when will the greener bulb compare to the elegance of an incandescent?  

RGB Wallpaper

via Yatzer.

Though it looks like a botched registration job, the disorienting imagery becomes distinguishable as three individual layers when you shed some light on the subject. Not a particularly new trick and mostly composed of clip art, but the scale is impressive. Would really like a closer look at the papers with repeat patterns.

Time to revisit my Dover Publications collection it seems.

Genesis

SeMainier

no further comment

Cable Drawings

After running across this piece by Maisie Maud Broadhead (great name p.s.), I had to have one of my own. So here's my attempt at a mirror top silhouette to my existing dresser.

Cheap, but incredibly tedious project.

Traditional

Via Yatzer.

Beautiful specimens of what could well be the new Traditional. The classic modern silhouettes uphold the sophistication of the style, while the cool materials cut through the stuffiness like a hot knife. The combination feels smart and timeless. {to me}

High points...

Ayazpasa House:

radiators & subway tile

Kettner's:

molding & millwork

The fixtures!!
The ceilings!!