this may well be one of the prettiest homes i’ve seen in a long time. and i look at a lot of houses! this one is actually an artist’s studio and home, and a location home, which means it’s available for film and photo shoots from jj locations, located in camberwell, england. i think i’m just going to rent it, and then refuse to leave. seems like a worthy if not entirely plausible plan, right? it’s something called a double fronted Victorian, with a large, lush garden — not to mention beautifully styled throughout with lovely plants and splashes of pale colors like yellow and green. with all that pretty sunlight streaming through, it feels a bit like a large, liveable greenhouse. yep, i could move right in.

• photography courtesy of jj locations.

Three years ago, stained glass artist and jewelry maker Neile Cooper was realizing that her success in jewelry making was leaving her missing the depth of work that her first love of stained glass commissions had brought her. Missing her original trade of creating beautifully detailed stained glass panels — combined with a passion for cabins and small living — Neile and her partner, Robert Giaquinta (a private tutor), decided to add a stained glass cabin to the one-and-a-half acre property that they’ve lived on for 16 years. Robert and Neile share their home with their two cats: their beloved 16-year-old Clarence and their one-year-old “terror,” Utah, who, they admit, do not live in peace together.

Neile shares, “Lake Mohawk, NJ is a sort of magical place, a storybook Tudor style lakeside town, the headwaters of the Wallkill River, awesome for swimming.” Despite the majesty of their surroundings, both Neile and Robert grew up in Northwest New Jersey and have debated moving out west, or up to Vermont. Building their glass cabin was a way to renew their inspiration and love for where they’re calling home, at least for now. Neile had been researching shed construction for a while, and in order to chase off a depression, she realized that just jumping in was the best course of action. Admittedly, Neile quickly found herself in over her head, but luckily had a handy father-in-law she could enlist to assist. They quickly built the frame and installed the reclaimed windows (everything in the cabin was repurposed from Craigslist, garage sales, Habitat For Humanity Re-Store, and hand-me-downs). You wouldn’t know looking at it now, but Neile says that three years later, she still has more she’s dreaming of doing to her magical 99-square-foot glass cabin. Her process is that she removes each window, repairs the frames, removes the old glass, and installs her new designs in their place. While the building of the glass cabin was somewhat simple, it’s obvious that Neile’s creations are anything but. The intricate designs in her stained glass creations are the same concepts she applies to her jewelry designs as well, going so far as to encase butterfly wings (ethically sourced!) in glass.

The roof was one of the most difficult parts of the process, but Neile knew she had to stay true to her vision of an all-glass cabin. It took a few tries, but eventually with some protective and water-tight sheets of lexan, the old tarp could be removed and you could once again see out to the beautiful wooded surroundings. The French doors are also set to be replaced, but as they were free from a friend, they’ll do for now. Neile wants to continue to finish the interior and create the multi-functional space she envisioned for guests, yoga, or a romantic dinner, and we’re so glad that she promises that if they do ever move, she’ll bring the glass cabin with them!

In addition to the glass cabin being an inspiring and motivating project for Neile, her goal also was, “for the glass designs to create a fantasy, an oversized dream forest. All of my favorite things are represented. I want to make work that I am proud of.” We certainly feel that this is something to be deeply proud of! To see more of Neile’s inspiring work and constantly evlolving glass cabin — and what inspired her design — flip through her awe-inspiring images. –Rebekah

Photography by Neile Cooper

SOURCE LIST

-glass: Bendheim Glass, in Passaic, NJ (Neile admits that it’s “heaven for the glass artist, they carry the best.”), Bullseye Glass, The Warner Art Glass Center in Allentown, PA (“Perfect if you are interested in starting stained glass as a hobby,” Neile shares.)

-window frame paint: Behr Ultra in Valspar Fired Earth and Ralph Lauren Torch Black and Black Dose

-globe lights: Pottery Barn

-everything else was salvaged from Craigslist, friends, Habitat For Humanity ReStore, or garage sales

What a wonderful character.

I shot this gentleman about 8 years ago, he only seems to get better with age!

With its short distance from Los Angeles, Palm Springs is a popular locale for those looking to escape the urban sprawl for a little bit of laid back paradise. It’s also a major draw for design lovers around the globe as it’s world-famous for its mid-century architecture. With Modernism Week still going on through February 26th, we decided to take a look at some of the mid-century wonders Palm Springs has to offer.

The famed Sinatra House was designed for Frank Sinatra and his first wife, Nancy, by E. Stewart Williams in 1947. It marks Williams’ first commission after he joined his family’s architectural practice, Williams, Williams, & Williams. The pool is even shaped like a piano.

Photo by Nuvue Interactive

Donald Wexler’s name is pretty synonymous with Palm Springs architecture and his 1957 Florsheim/Leff House is one of the best expressions of that. With post and beam architecture and expansive windows, the two-bedroom house is picture perfect for California indoor/outdoor living.

Photo by Thom Watson via Flickr

The Kaufmann House was designed by Richard Neutra as a vacation home for a family looking to escape brutal winters and was famously photographed by the legendary Julius Shulman. It was completed in 1946 with an extensive restoration by Marmol Radziner + Associates completed in the mid-1990s.

Photo by Darren Bradley Photography

The Frey House II was built in 1964 by architect Albert Frey with mostly glass walls that frame the surrounding rocky landscape. The house even incorporates the massive rocks inside where many would have excavated the material or chosen not to have built there.

Photo by Rebecca Gonzalez

Dubbed Elvis’ Honeymoon Hideaway, this 1960 house was built by developer Robert Alexander, and while several people have been called the original architect of the home, it still hasn’t been resolved (it’s believed to have been William Krisel). After the Alexander family were killed in a plane crash, the house was leased by Elvis, hence its name. The design consists of four circles on three different levels with lots of glass and stonework.

Photo by Yield

With a triangular A-frame front, similar to that of a Swiss ski chalet, the Swiss Miss houses were designed by Charles Dubois in a section with about 15 other homes just like it. The unusual front spans two-stories tall giving the home some dramatic curb appeal.

Photo by Chimay Bleue via Flickr

Model A2 Residence is a home by Palmer & Krisel (Dan Palmer and William Krisel) that was designed in 1957 as part of the Twin Palms Estates Development. To ensure all the homes didn’t look alike in the subdivision, they designed alternate rooflines to change it up. Back in the day, these homes only cost around $30,000 brand new!

Photo by Gregory Han

On the last Palm Springs hillside development, the Chino Canyon Project is a new home that was designed by mid-century architect Al Beadle. The unbuilt plans were found by his Phoenix estate and were built following his original drawings.

For more things to do and see during Modernism Week, check out our guide.

We are not kitten you. Singapore will be hosting their first, cat-themed furniture design show during Singapore Design Week (SDW). Appropriately named 9 Lives, this exhibition is full of practical and aesthetically pleasing furniture for indoor cats.

Tan Chin Chin, the artist and entrepreneur behind 9 Lives, aims to inspire locals to think about how good design can benefit living conditions for cats and their owners alike, especially in crowded cities like Singapore. “As more Singaporeans adopt street cats and integrate them into their households, there is a growing demand for quality cat furniture.”

The furniture focuses on creating efficient furniture for small space living, as well as creating an open dialogue for cat owners and potential cat owners. A part of the proceeds will go towards Cat Welfare Society.

We’ve been loving on DittoHouse for a couple of years now – so much so that we invited them to exhibit at last year’s Milk Stand popup at ICFF. DittoHouse designer Molly Fitzpatrick has such a way with graphic patterns and bold color palettes making each blanket throw and pillow cover one you immediately want to cozy up to. The brand’s latest offerings, the Rise Collection, is no exception and this time there’s a beautiful message behind it.

“Rise” throw blanket

The world seems to be aware of the turbulent political times that have overtaken the United States and steadily there’s been a growing resistance aiming to outshine the negativity and hate. Fitzpatrick was one of many disappointed and overwhelmed by the aftermath of the new president elected in November 2016 and instead of sitting back, she got to work. The Rise Collection of throw blankets and pillow covers was born out of hope for better times and “a world filled with justice and love.”

“Rise” throw blanket

Not just wishing for better times, DittoHouse is doing something really amazing – they’re donating 100% of their sales profits from the Rise Collection from March 1-8 to the Dream Corps’ #LoveArmy, whose goal is to fight hate with love and power.

“Rise” throw blanket

As with all DittoHouse knits, the Organize, New Day, and Rise throws, and Onward, Upward, and Harmony pillow covers are knit in America with 80% recycled cotton yarn that’s made from pre- and post-consumer textile waste.

“New Day” throw blanket

“New Day” throw blanket

“New Day” throw blanket

“New Day” throw blanket

“Organize” throw blanket

“Organize” throw blanket

“Organize” throw blanket

“Organize” throw blanket

“Onward” pillow cover

“Upward” pillow cover

“Harmony” pillow cover

There are moments in art and design when I struggle with the decorative nature of the things I love. I know that these parts of design (pattern, color, furniture) have the power to make people feel at home in their spaces, but I also know that they don’t begin to touch on deeper topics that rattle around in my mind and heart — especially right now. But every now and then there are artists and artworks that are able to brilliantly blend decorative arts and art history with deeply meaningful and symbolic statements about cultural and political issues. One of the artists I admire most for this ability (and so much more) is Kehinde Wiley.

Born in Los Angeles, CA in 1977, Kehinde now lives and works in New York City where he is known for his striking portraiture. Kehinde’s work references classic paintings and composition from art history and replaces the main figures with young black men and women. Their striking portraits are complemented by richly colored and patterned backgrounds that recall a wide range of decorative styles, from baroque and rococo to floral and damask prints.

While discussing his portraiture focusing on black men and women, Kehinde said:

“I loved when I walked into LACMA as a kid and seeing Kerry James Marshall’s grand barbershop painting. But it was thrown into very sharp relief when thinking about the absence of other black images in that museum. There was something absolutely heroic and fascinating about being able to feel a certain relationship to the institution and the fact that these people happen to look like me on some level. One of the reasons I’ve chosen some of these zones had to do with the way you fantasize, whether it be about your own people or far-flung places, and how there’s the imagined personality and look and feel of a society, and then there’s the actuality that sometimes is jarring, as a working artist and traveling from time to time. Being in southern India, that black American hip hop culture is everywhere and to see it in sharp relief on these brown bodies in south Asia is something extraordinary, something that I wanted to get down without even fully understanding the entirety of the cultural context. I think it’s important to destabilize yourself, and I do it because I want to see people who look like me.

Kehinde’s work is striking and powerful on so many levels and artwork like his is the reason I keep feeling excited and eager to learn more about the fine art world. Our art and design community is made stronger when we celebrate voices and visuals from different points of view, and Kehinde’s point of view is one I will continue to love and follow for years to come. Click here to visit his website, here for his Instagram feed and here for an incredible PBS episode on his life and work. xo, grace

Oh, hai. Grommet curtains and I have been good friends for a long time, but I think the time has come for me to mosey on (cuz I’m a cowboy) and start a love affair with a new style of curtain. I’ve long adored the casual crispness of a good simple grommet curtain. Grommets are both relaxed and tailored at the same time, and I v much like that vibe. When you are a young twenty-something (and thirty something) grommet curts are an inexpensive way to have nice looking curtains with out shelling out tons of dough on custom window treatments. Now that I am getting older and am in the twilight of my 30’s I’ve noticed something changing in me. My tastes seem to be evolving and I am becoming slightly less interested in modern design, and more into stuff that has some traditional and even classic undertones (but not too much, just a little). I think the most likely explanation for this change is that I’m being brain washed by our new velvet pleated chair into liking more fancy shit, or maybe I’m just growing up . Both are plausible.

Anyways, I am still pretty cheap when it comes to curtains. I was ready for an upgrade but was still not ready for spending tons of cash. That was until I had visited a clients house and was inspired by her new curtains. She had hung Ikea Ritva curtains with curtain clips and I was really impressed by the look. The Ritva curtains have a nice texture and weight, and look much more expensive than they are.

I didn’t hesitate, and ordered 4 sets of curtain clips from West Elm, and then headed to Ikea for the rest of the goods. As it is with all Ikea curtains, there is a little give and take. It always seems like you have to force them into shape and to take care when hemming them so that they will lay nicely. I spent the better part of an afternoon ironing the curtains to lay flat and to pleat at all the right places (no, we don’t have a steamer otherwise I bet I coulda saved a lot of time). I wanted the curtains to have a small understated pleat, you know, semi-tailored and delicate, without being too stuffy — just a little fancy. My solution was to clip the pleat every 8″ (or so) to create the look. I really like that clipping the curtain on the pleat elevates the look, without taking them all the way to formal-town.

Also, it wasn’t until after I had everything hung that I realized that Ikea sells curtain hooks that integrate into the gathering tape on the back of the curtains to create pleats, (dur). This is all fine and good because I really like the way our new curtains hang, but you better believe that I would’ve purchased those hooks and played around with all the potential curtain possibilities before committing to a final look.

They sell these things called curtain weights, but because my hardware store is way more conveniently located to me (and funner) than the fabric store I opted to insert a few heavy washers into the hem of each curtain to encourage them to hang nicely.

Clips and curtain rod are both from West Elm

I am still very much into having solid white curtains to off-set the dark stained wood work found all over the main floor of the house. It takes the place of having painted white trim which I still pine for from time-to-time.

Look at how pretty these things are when they are closed! We usually never draw our drapes, but this weekend it was especially bright during the afternoon. The curtain clips slide nicely to close and the curtains diffuse the light in a real dreamy sort-of-a-way. AND, when it was time to put the curtains back in place, you just throw them open and they go right back to looking perfect. I was amazed! I’ve spent the last 6 years climbing around on the back of my sofa tweaking my curtains anytime the wind blows. Sayonara grommets.

I’m about to change your life. Do not miss this post, especially if you live in California. On Friday, I had a doctor’s appointment to renew my depression meds. And the appointment happened in my home, on my sofa, less than 2 hours after being scheduled.

I’m going to say that again. On Friday morning, I realized I was down to 3 pills. I used Heal to make a doctor’s appointment, and then I kept working (blogging, emailing, prepping for a photo shoot, etc.). Within 2 hours, a doctor of internal medicine, and a medical assistant, were at my door. 

It was amazing. I feel like I experienced the future of medicine. And I can’t stop talking about it.

Heal makes house calls. Their doctors can do anything your primary care physician can do, from wellness checks, to flu shots, to treating ear infections and UTIs. And they’re not expensive — the house calls cost the same copay you already pay at the doctor’s office. Not a penny more. Plus, getting an appointment is much, much faster, and worlds more convenient. Affordable doctor house-calls. It’s revolutionary. Just picture for a minute what that means:

Imagine your toddler is sick with a barking cough that sounds like a seal and it seems to be getting worse. You need a doctor’s appointment. And you also have a 4 month old baby. Normally, you’d have to call the pediatrician’s office to see if they can fit you in. Wait 5 hours for your appointment. Get the kids dressed (and bundled up if it’s cold — and you know your toddler should be in bed!). Buckle them into carseats. Drive to the office. Find parking. Wait in the waiting room for another hour. Worry your baby is getting exposed to all sorts of germs. Finally get called back to see to the exam room. Make your toddler wait in a cold room wearing a paper sheet. Get 5 minutes or less with the actual doctor. Then try to pay and handle paperwork while your baby cries because she missed her nap.

A nightmare. And I have lived through that exact scenario a hundred times. 

With Heal, that whole nightmare situation disappears. You use their website or an app to scheduled an appointment. It’s just as simple as ordering an Uber or Lyft. So easy. The doctor shows up at your house within a couple of hours. Your sick toddler can remain in his pjs. No one has to be put in their carseat. No parking needs to be found. You don’t even have to put your shoes on.

The doctor can see your child on his bed or on the sofa or wherever your toddler is most comfortable. No paper gowns. No waiting. And the copay happens through the app, so no dealing with a cashier or paperwork either.

It seriously feels like a miracle. Like this is how medical care should be.

I keep thinking of all the different scenarios where Heal would save the day.

If you get sick while traveling, Heal will come your your hotel room.

If you’re new in town and don’t have a doctor, Heal will show up. (That was me when we moved to California and I fell into a deep depression, and then couldn’t find a doctor. It was so awful.)

If it’s the weekend, and your doctor’s office is closed, don’t drive 40 mins away to the nearest urgent care, and then wait in the lobby for an hour or more. Use Heal instead. Heal is open 7 days a week from 8:00 to 8:00, 365 days a year. (Yes! That means you still have time to make an appointment when you get home from work. It’s not too late!)

If your aunt doesn’t have a car but needs a flue shot. Use Heal and they’ll go to your Aunt’s home.

If you’re stuck at a desk all day but really need to see a doctor, Heal can help you at your office.

If your schedule is packed this week, but your teen needs a physical before she joins the track team, or he goes on a scout campout, Heal will come to you at your convenience.

If you or your spouse haven’t had a physical in years because who has time? Heal can make it happen today.

If you have a crazy rash (or yikes! an STD) and are too embarrassed to leave the house? Heal will take care of you in the privacy of your own home.

I’m telling you, this is a life changer.

Let me walk you through my own visit, so you can see just what it was like. And then let’s talk clearly about money and insurance.

At around 9:30, my appointment is scheduled through the app (you can get the app for iOS or Android — or you can skip the app and schedule your appointment on the Heal.com website). Then I work as usual in my house. At 11:00, my phone gets a text that a doctor is on his way. On the app, I can see his photo and bio. I learn he went to UCLA. A few minutes later, the doctor, Matt Walvick, and the medical assistant, Kiran Kaberwal, are on my front doorstep. 

They come in, and while the doctor talks with me on the sofa, the MA sets up. She uses the coffee table for some of the equipment, and then sets up a sterile area on the dining table. I take a second to sign my paperwork on the doctor’s iPad.

The doctor checks my eyes and ears and mouth, listens to my heart. The MA checks my blood pressure and temperature. We chat about Wellbutrin, the medicine I take — what’s my current dosage, how are things working, are there other options I should consider. 

There is zero rush, zero hurry. It is clear they have all the time in the world. There is no patient waiting in the next room. At the dining table, the MA is all set up to draw blood and give me a bandaid. They’ll drop the sample off at the lab for me, and then the doctor will call or text (whatever I prefer) when the results are in.

The doctor uses his iPad to send my prescription to my favorite pharmacy right before my eyes. We shake hands. I resist trying to hug them both because I am so grateful. And then off they go while I get right back to work on my laptop.

I’m going to get teary thinking about it. Trying to stay on top of my depression has been an incredibly hard part of the last few years. Finding a doctor, trying to get appointments scheduled in between work trips and conferences. It’s a non-stop worry.

And trying to get out of bed or out the door, to see a doctor, when a depression is in full swing, is almost impossible. On Friday, when I realized the whole thing was being taken care of with an app, I felt a huge weight lifted, a huge problem solved.

Clearly, I am a fan.

Now, as promised, let’s talk about fees and insurance. When I first heard about Heal, I assumed it would be cost prohibitive. I assumed it was a service aimed only at the wealthy. I assumed an in-home visit must be crazy expensive. I was wrong. A Heal visit is the exact same price I pay for an in-office visit. Actually less — because I don’t have to pay for parking!

After you download the Heal app, you’ll take a couple of minutes to input your info — name, address, payment preference, etc. — and then, you’ll take a photo of your insurance card. The app will use the photo to automatically populate your insurance info, and before you’ve even made an appointment, you’ll know exactly what the co-pay is. There are no surprises or hidden fees. With my insurance, the copay is $35. It’s the exact same copay I would have if I went to a doctor’s office. If your insurance offers a free preventative physical every year? It’s free with Heal too.

So essentially, whatever your insurance covers, it will work the same way with Heal. But you can skip the waiting room!

But what if you don’t have insurance? Or what if your insurance doesn’t work with Heal? No problem, the flat fee for an in home visit without insurance is $99.

People. If you’ve ever used Urgent Care or the Emergency Room on a weekend because your doctor’s office is closed, you know $99 is a total bargain. And again, they come to you typically within two hours of calling! You make the appointment, put on a movie, and tada! Heal is at your door.

So what’s the downside? Well, there’s only one: Heal is currently only available in California — San Diego, Los Angeles, Orange County, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Berkeley, Oakland (and the whole East Bay). They’re growing fast, but they’re just not everywhere yet. I know. A huge bummer. But if you live in California (and millions of you do), I encourage you to give this a try.

A few more questions I had that you might have too:

– What sorts of doctors are on staff?
Heal staffs internal medicine doctors, family practice doctors, and pediatricians too. So they are ready to take care of both adults and kids. And the doctors are excellent! Vetted, high-quality licensed physicians and pediatricians. You can read about them on the website.

– If you love a particular doctor who visits, can you request her next time?
Yes. Yes, you can.

– Are visits only same day, or can you schedule them?
You can totally schedule them. They make it super easy and convenient.

– Do you have to clean the house before they come?
Nope. They could care less what your house is like. They see patients from all walks of life and all socio-economic levels. They just want to help. 

– What about the doctors? Is this is big pay cut for them?
Actually, the doctors make the same salary they would if they were working in an office. But they get way more time with patients and have much more control of their schedule. Dr. Wolnick, who came to my home, was the first doctor to work for Heal in the Bay Area. He’s been with them for a few years and says he would never go back to an office. He feels like the quality of care is so much higher with Heal that you can’t even compare. 

Okay. I’ve talked and talked. I’m clearly a Heal evangelist. Now I’d love to hear your take. Have you ever had an in home doctor visit before? Can you picture an instance where it would be especially convenient? Do you typically find doctor visits hard to schedule and manage? Do any of you find renewing your depression med prescription to be overly difficult? What are your thoughts?

This post is sponsored by Heal — High-Quality Pediatrician and Primary Care Physician House-calls, On Demand. Photos by Kristen Loken for Design Mom.

The post This Doctor Appointment Changed My Life appeared first on Design Mom.

I made a few little tweaks to the living room. I think I need a bigger rug or something. Don't tell the heartmate this, but I kind of want new side chairs in a different shape. Basically, I want to change it all up! The gorgeous vintage sofa from Chairish is also showing lots of wear. Seams are coming apart and it might need to be reupholstered. Maybe in a rich India yellow fabric? I'm also thinking of painting the entire door frame. I kind of want a seating bench where the credenza is currently. My heartmate gets so frustrated when I talk about all these changes and I totally understand. But, do I really? I'm an artist and this is house is my canvas. So too bad! Deal with it, boo-boo! Lol.

Still loving Justina's sofa for Jonathan Louis! I'm flying back to L.A. next week to photograph the entire collection. I can't wait to see everything in person! The orange throw is vintage Faribo which I was able to find the exact one on etsy and new, too! 

One of my favorite houses in Oak Park’s Frank Lloyd Wright historic district is up for sale! It’s ‘favorite’ status is based solely on the exterior, and I’m not alone. It’s a popular dream house here in town. Listing price is $2.25 million.

The next owner should have to promise to hang ferns along the porch every year. They always look so perfect.

A peek inside!

It’s decorated inside in a sort of 90s/modern style and I can guess that the owners’ favorite color is lime green, but aside from the modernized kitchen, the bones of the house are largely intact. (And in the study, is that… is that a skeleton? Can it convey with the house?)

It has a #*$&ing conservatory, and an attic expansive enough for a game of basketball.

There’s also a coach house ready to be fixed up.

The property taxes alone are $50K/year, but it’s one of Oak Park’s largest and prettiest (and yes, most expensive) homes. Built in 1896 by EE Roberts, it boasts six bedrooms and five baths, sits in a great location, and has a whopping 7,325 square feet. You can find the listing right here.

© 2017, published by Making it Lovely as Dream House Alert | 14 comments | This post may contains affiliate links; I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

my boyfriend is from new orleans and was telling me about the mardi gras indians this morning over coffee. i was super inspired when i saw photos of them. i would love to see this parade in person! just look at these amazingly intricate costumes…

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Art

Emma Coulter · Trace Patterns

Emma Coulter‘s exhibition trace patterns is now showing at Palmer Art Projects. Photo – Nikki To for The Design Files.

UK-born, Melbourne-based artist Emma Coulter at Palmer Art Projects gallery, Sydney. Photo – Nikki To for The Design Files.

A painting by Emma on display. Photo – Nikki To for The Design Files.

A detail of a site-specific work from Emma’s exhibition. Photo – Nikki To for The Design Files.

‘Borrowing processes from architectural thought, my practice utilises acts of painting to transform, construct and alter envi­ronments, objects and surfaces,’ explains Emma. Photo – Nikki To for The Design Files.

Emma sees her work ‘negotiating between the formal and the kitsch, and the concrete and the ephemeral’.  Photo – Nikki To for The Design Files.

Detail of gallery installation by Emma. Photo – Nikki To for The Design Files.

From the artist’s current Sydney exhibition. Photo – Nikki To for The Design Files.

Art

TDF Collect · A Brightness Falls by Adriana Picker

Sydney illustrator Adriana Picker, whose exhibition ‘A Brightness Falls’ opens at TDF Collect on March 4th – view all works available here. Pictured: Caladium, mixed media on canvas, 90cm x 90cm. Photo – Nikki To for The Design Files.

‘The large scale of the works allowed me to focus on the texture of the foliage,’ tells Adriana. Detail of Caladium, mixed media on canvas, 90cm x 90cm. Photo – Nikki To for The Design Files.

The show marks a resurgence of colour for Adriana, and a move away from the detailed, ink illustrations of her previous work. Pictured left to right: Banana Palm, mixed media on canvas, 90cm x 90cm, and Canna Lily, mixed media on canvas, 90cm x 90cm. View all works available here. Photo – Nikki To for The Design Files.

‘The colour palette is unashamedly feminine and vibrant,’ says Adriana. Pictured left to right: Perilla, mixed media on canvas, 90cm x 90cm, and Pelargonium 1, mixed media on canvas, 90cm x 90cm. View all works available here.  Photo – Nikki To for The Design Files.

Artwork Caladium, mixed media on canvas, 90cm x 90cm on display in Adriana’s studio. Photo – Nikki To for The Design Files.

‘A Brightness Falls’ is the first solo exhibition of original paintings for the artist. Pictured: Caladium, mixed media on canvas, 90cm x 90cm.Photo – Nikki To for The Design Files.Photo – Nikki To for The Design Files.

A completed work in Adriana’s studio. Pictured: Caladium, mixed media on canvas, 90cm x 90cm. View all works available here.  Photo – Nikki To for The Design Files.

Adriana painted the works in Sydney and her family’s farm in the Hunter Valley, as she has been preparing to emigrate to New York City. Pictured: Caladium, mixed media on canvas, 90cm x 90cm. Photo – Nikki To for The Design Files.

Pictured from top to bottom: Banana Leaf, mixed media on canvas, 90cm x 90cm,  Passionfruit, mixed media on canvas, 60cm x 60cm, and Caladium, mixed media on canvas, 90cm x 90cm. Pre-sales for this exhibition are open from today – enquiries email elle@thedesignfiles.net. Photo – Nikki To for The Design Files.

It’s official, the winners for the 4th annual Blank Space 2017 Fairy Tales Competition are in! This is a contest where designers, artists, and creatives from all walks of life are asked to design their own unique architectural fairy tale world.

For this year’s competition, three prize winners, an AIAS winner, and 10 honorable mentions were chosen from an esteemed jury that included: John Maeda of Kleiner Perkins Caufield Byers; Dan Wood of WORKac, Chase W. Rynd, Hon. ASLA – National Building Museum Executive Director; G. Martin Moeller, Jr., National Building Museum Senior Vice President and Curator; Michel Rojkind of Rojkind Arquitectos; Antti Nousjoki of ALA; Sarah Balmond of Balmond Studio; Marion Weiss of Weiss/Manfredi; Michael Maltzan of Michael Maltzan Architecture; Jing Liu of SO-IL; Alan Maskin of Olson Kundig; Minsuk Cho of Mass Studies; Michael Van Valkenburgh of Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates; Robert Hammond of The High Line; Gro Bonesmo of Space Group; Stefano Boeri of Stefano Boeri Architetti; Sarah Wahlgren, AIAS National President; Rachel Law, AIAS National Vice President; Alexander Walter, Editor in Chief of Bustler; David Basulto, Founder of Archdaily; Becky Quintal, Executive Editor of Archdaily; and Matthew Hoffman and Francesca Giuliani, the Blank Space Founders.

First place was awarded to Mykhailo Ponomarenko, a Ukrainian trained architect who created monumental landscapes with classical painting techniques for his entry “Last Day.”

From the artist:

Landscapes have always inspired me to put something weird, unreal and out of human scale into them. Something not feasible and not practical that contrasts with the natural surroundings, but also exists at the same scale. These satirical interventions lead to new ideas and feelings about nature – they make the viewer more aware about the environment and our harmful impact on it. We are flat surface creatures. Sometimes I feel that we crave it so much that the planet is going to be turned into pavement so cars can go anywhere, and our industries could continue expanding. The “Saturn Rings” in my proposal represent these flat surface desires but in a more poetic, optimistic, and friendly manner.

Second place goes to Terrence Hector for his entry “City Walkers” or “The Possibility of a Forgotten Domestication and Biological Industry,” which illustrates sentient architectural beings that humans harness for their energy.

Third place was awarded to Ariane Merle d’Aubigné & Jean Maleyrat for their entry “Up Above,” where refugees resort to small shanties built on thin stilts way up in the clouds to escape their oppressive life down on earth.

Last but not least, the AIAS Prize for the highest scoring entry from an AIAS member goes to Maria Syed & Adriana Davis for their entry “Playing House,” a story about the destructive power of split-personality.

The Jury also awarded 10 honorable mentions to: Minh Tran, Alan Ma, & Yi Ning Lui: Xinran Ma; Jun Li, Joris Komen, Yuxing Chen & Yina Dong; Carly Dean & Richard Nelson-Chow; Aidan Doyle & Sarah Wan (Wandoy Studio); Dakis Panayiotou; Julien Nolin; Michael Quach; Janice Kim & Carol Shih; Chong Yan Chuah, Nathan Su & Bethany Edgoose.

See more on the Black Space Project website.

Italian design brand Portego just launched their latest collections at this year’s Ambiente in Frankfurt, Germany. Both collections were designed by Seraina Lareida with bold graphic patterns and strong color palettes, all that pay homage to Venetian architecture. The rugs are handcrafted in Italy from New Zealand wool using various techniques that result in distinct textures.

Oci

Oci, which is Venetian for ‘eyes,’ references all of the windows that adorn the facades in Venice. Each rug is made up of three colors and designs and when placed side-by-side, the three, differently-shaped rugs form a window-like design that lines up to create a new geometric composition.

Oci

Oci

Oci

Oci

Oci

Oci

Oci

Sottovolto

Sottovolto, along with its twin Sottoportico below, also reference Venetian architecture, but this time the infamous Venetian porticos. The abstract patterns are formed with geometric shapes which reference the light and color that the city’s buildings usually reflect.

Sottovolto

Sottovolto

Sottovolto

Sottoportico

Sottoportico

Sottoportico

Sottoportico

Sottoportico

The newest LED light bulbs offer in the ballpark of a 20 year lifespan. Even subtracting the the possibility that number will only grow as LED and OLED technology matures, that means we may need to change a light bulb only four times in the span of an average lifetime! TEAGUE Labs forecasts this extended long lifespan offers a rare opportunity in the realm of technology today: a stable platform to build modular accessories around.

TEAGUE Labs’ Filo concept is a connected light bulb that works with existing standard sockets, a platform designed around individual modules popped in to extend the functionalities of a typical bulb. Once a module is inserted, the bulb can double as a voice-activated digital assistant, baby monitor, microphone, audio speaker, or security system. The designers envision a day when changing the bulb becomes a thing of the past, but switching in/out functionalities specific to rooms become the norm.

The bulbs shape and array permits users to switch from spot to full room coverage. The bulb also outputs full spectrum light for more circadian rhythm friendly options through the day and evening.

And of course there is going to be an app for it.

More about TEAGUE Labs Filo bulb concept over at Medium.

i can’t help but notice gray these days — and not just the stormy skies. it’s been raining a lot in L.A. lately, but what i’m talking about is all the gray kitchens i’ve seen popping up on pinterest. it’s a really pretty look and very easy on the eyes. paired with posh carerra marble countertops and bright white walls, gray gives a range of kitchen styles a fresh, modern look. from traditional to country, even if you just add a coat of gray paint it’s a great kitchen update — add new brass, black or even leather pulls and great new lighting fixtures and you’ve got a whole new look, without breaking the budget.

• photo credits in order of appearance: remodelista; ballingslov; three birds renovations; three birds renovations; honestly wtf; maybemay; biografen; greige design; entrance makleri; a cup of jo; decorpad; planete deco; becki owens.

(Image credit: Decor Aid)

In my search for photos from the homes of beloved furniture designers, I was delighted to run across these images of the home of Verner Panton, which are no less wild than you would expect from the creator of the living tower (though best known for his gravity-defying curved Panton chair). Bold colors, strange shapes, and unusual textures abound. It's a full-on assault on the senses, in the very best possible way.

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Cancel your plans and invite your besties over for some cheesecake: as of today, Hulu has all 180 episodes of "The Golden Girls" available to stream.

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In New York, the snow is here and so are the coats. By “coats” I don’t mean “coats” traditionally conceived. I mean the strange coats. The coats that are quilted into fleshy segments like caterpillars, the coats that come down past the knee. The coats like close-cut sleeping bags that must be creeping across town every night and enveloping the body of every second woman while she’s sleeping. It is the only explanation.

To clarify, I’m talking about these coats:

I’m pretty sure that America is the only place people wear these (although I could imagine German women in them, too). There’s something so very specific about wearing clothing that is both highly engineered and totally unnecessary. Such “functional” clothing does not really fulfill any function at all. Women who wear them are the spiritual relations of the men in Boston who wear hiking boots and waterproof trousers and body-warmers to take the T between their apartment and their laboratory. Ironically, these coats make their wearers look bound at the knees, like they couldn’t take a large step over a puddle of snowmelt if called upon.

Let’s call them caterpillar coats, these coats that rustle against you from head to toe on all sides on the subway. Caterpillar coats are often insanely expensive, but not as insanely expensive as their equally strange cousin, the Canada Goose jacket. The CG jacket looks like a regular parka, except it costs somewhere in the region of one thousand dollars. According to a colleague of mine, the rich Yale sorority girls who wear these jackets—they’d descend en masse upon Science Hill in identikit black robes—were known as Dementors.

It’s not anger that I feel when I see one of these flexible coffins, just bafflement and a little despair. I do not see what is wrong with the coats we used to wear. A wool coat, if you want something long. An old-school puffer jacket, if you want something down-filled. When I was a kid and my brother an adolescent, he had this glorious knock-off Tommy Hilfiger puffer jacket in bright colors that looked like it had flown directly from America to our dull British hallway coatrack.

These elongated caterpillar coats insult their ancestors. They take the shape of a traditional wool coat in a feminine cut and combine it with the hi-tech material of a down jacket. In some ways this makes sense: Why not jam together ideas into a new thing?

Because it is hideous, I counter. Other hybrid articles of clothing include the sneaker-dress shoe:

The formal yoga pant:

And the fashion gilet:

Innovation is a good thing. So is not caring what other people think! But the caterpillar coat (and the other hybrids above) represents the symbolic opposite of avant garde inventiveness. They combine a disrespect for the old rules of dressing with an amazingly bourgeois sensibility. Everybody else is wearing these things, so I shall, too. I will take my credit card directly to the counter at Nordstrom or wherever, ignoring all the other coats that are for sale, pleading for me to notice them.

There are plenty of wearers for whom this hideousness doesn’t matter. Little kids can wear whatever they want. So can anybody who works outdoors or otherwise has some legitimate practical reason for wanting down spread across the maximum surface area of the body. Old ladies—do your thing. I’m not going to begrudge a parent for making any decision at all.

My friends’ reactions to my coat opinions vary. After I tweeted some thoughts, my friend Hannah replied that she thinks the sleeping bag coat is “lovable and admirable,” since it “shows us our mutual frailty and the vanity of worldly things.” My friend Emily has a little kid. She observed, “If you live long enough, one of them just comes and wraps itself around you. You relax into it, feeling sad but relieved.” Her tweet made the caterpillar coat sound like death’s comforting embrace. I imagined the coat slowly zipping up over the face, carrying its wearer off into her grave.

This is personal, of course. Like all maddening phenomena, my hatred for the caterpillar coat makes me worry that in fact I am concealing a repressed lust. What if I secretly wanted to give up, to let this coat creep through my bedroom door at night and wrap itself around my arms and legs? Indeed, many years ago, I briefly wondered if I could wear Ugg boots. They are so comfortable, everybody says.

But no. I have thought long and hard about this. There are lines and everybody has to draw them for themselves. Boundaries, if you will. I draw one here, with no resentment against those who have different lines, but with a firm will and clear conscience. Until the day I’m forced to ski, a day which will never come, hybrid functional clothing has no place in my heart or cupboard. Perhaps you’ll join me in finding uses for useful things, and no use for the useless. Quilting is not the only fabric: You are more free than that.

Several weeks into the Trump presidency, one can divide the reaction among conservative commentators into three categories.

At one extreme sit those conservatives who championed Trump during the campaign, and still do: Breitbart, Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham, Ann Coulter, among others. Their base is talk radio. They pride themselves on speaking for those plainspoken, dirt-under-the-fingernails conservatives who loathe not only Hillary Clinton, but Paul Ryan. Their chief enemies are globalism and multiculturalism, which they believe infect both parties, and are destroying America from without and within. Their ideological forefathers are Joseph McCarthy, George Wallace and Pat Buchanan, who claimed that America’s cosmopolitan, deracinated ruling elite had betrayed the white Christians to whom the country truly belonged.

At the other extreme sit conservatives like my Atlantic colleague David Frum, Johns Hopkins School of Advanced and International Studies Professor Eliot Cohen, and New York Times columnist David Brooks, who warned against Trump during the campaign, and believe he is now vindicating their fears.

For them, conservatism is about prudence, inherited wisdom, and a government that first does no harm; they see none of those virtues in Trump. They see themselves as the inheritors of a rich conservative intellectual tradition; Trump’s ignorance embarrasses them. And they believe America should stand for ideals that transcend race, religion and geography; they fear white Christian identity politics in their bones. They are, to my mind, highly admirable. But they don’t have much of a base. They can denounce Trump because they work for institutions that don’t primarily cater to his supporters.

In between are the conservatives who will tip the balance. Unlike Breitbart and company, they generally opposed Trump during the campaign. Unlike Brooks and company, they serve a conservative audience that now overwhelmingly backs him. More than Sean Hannity, they care about the principles that Trump threatens: free trade, America’s alliances overseas, an independent judiciary, a free press and a basic respect for the truth. But they work for conservative publications and networks. Their business model is opposing the left. And that means opposing the people who oppose Trump.

The Wall Street Journal editorial page falls into this category, which is part of the reason it is now in such turmoil. So does Glenn Beck, who loathes Trump but works in talk radio. And so does National Review.  

National Review is the most illustrative. During the campaign, it called Trump “a menace to American conservatism who would take the work of generations and trample it underfoot in behalf of a populism as heedless and crude as the Donald himself.” But now Trump is a Republican president, popular with most conservatives, and under liberal attack. So National Review has developed a technique that could be called anti-anti-Trump. It goes like this.

Step number one: Accuse Trump’s opponents of hyperbole. Democrats, declared John Fund on February 5, are in a “rush to portray Donald Trump as some kind of ‘fascist in chief.’” Liberals, argued Jonathan Tobin on February 6, believe “Trump’s intemperate language about a judge is an unprecedented step down the slippery slope to dictatorship.” Liberal Jews, claimed Nachama Soloveichik that same day, “are falling over one another to label President Trump the latest incarnation of Jew-haters from Pharaoh to Haman to Hitler.” (Full disclosure: I’m one of the liberal Jews she cites, though I’m unaware of ever having made such an analogy).

Step number two: Briefly acknowledge Trump’s flaws while insisting they’re being massively exaggerated. On December 16, David Harsanyi declared that, “While I’m no fan of Trump, Democrats have been demanding that I panic over every Cabinet pick, every statement, and every event. It’s not normal.” On February 5, Fund acknowledged that, “Donald Trump has a knack for alienating many voters and saying stupid things. But his biggest asset may be that his over-the-top adversaries are even better at painting themselves in negative terms.” On February 6, Tobin insisted that, “whatever one may think of Trump’s [executive] orders — which were sloppily drawn and clumsily implemented but arguably well within the scope of presidential powers as authorized by relevant legislation — the claims that Trump’s intemperate language about a judge is an unprecedented step down the slippery slope to dictatorship don’t stand up to scrutiny.”

The problem with these formulations should be clear. Some liberal criticism of Trump may indeed be melodramatic. But liberals don’t wield much power in Washington right now. Conservatives do. The key question facing National Review, therefore, is not whether Trump’s actions are as bad as the most extreme lefties say they are. The key question is whether Trump’s actions warrant conservative opposition. Do they make America safer? Do they harm innocent people? Do they reflect an appreciation for the separation of powers? Are they influenced by Trump’s personal financial concerns? Are the statements Trump and his advisors make on their behalf truthful?

The articles cited above make these questions appear secondary. Sure, Trump may have botched something, they acknowledge hurriedly, before turning to what really matters: The left’s overwrought response. In this way, National Review minimizes Trump’s misdeeds without appearing to defend them.

To be fair, National Review has devoted entire columns to criticizing Trump, sometimes harshly, since he became president. But such criticisms only make the magazine’s attacks on liberals for their criticisms more incoherent. Among National Review’s favorite phrases these days is “Trump Derangement Syndrome.” It refers to Democrats who describe Trump as mentally unstable, a pathological liar or a would-be dictator. But National Review once described Trump in those terms itself. A year ago, in its issue entitled, “Against Trump,” the magazine called him a “huckster” whose populism contained “strong-man overtones.”

Its contributors declared him a “charlatan,” a “con man,” someone exhibiting “emotional immaturity bordering on personality disorder” and an “American Mussolini.”

Since taking office, Trump has attacked federal judges, insulted foreign leaders, berated the press, lied endlessly, drawn a moral equivalence between the United States and Vladimir Putin’s Russia, sown chaos at America’s airports, led European leaders to rethink the trans-Atlantic alliance, and used the presidency to enrich himself. Where exactly does National Review see the evidence of emotional, intellectual and moral growth?

It’s not deranged to worry that Trump may undermine liberal democracy. It’s deranged to think that leftist hyperbole constitutes the greater threat. Unfortunately, that form of Trump Derangement Syndrome is alive and well at National Review. And it helps explain why Republicans across Washington are enabling Trump’s assault on the institutions designed to restrain his power and uphold the rule of law.

It is inconvenient for National Review that the individual in government who now most threatens the principles it holds dear is not a liberal, but a president that most conservatives support. But evading that reality doesn’t make it any less true.