Showing posts with label modern lifestyle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label modern lifestyle. Show all posts

Thursday, October 18, 2012

All about lighting:

All about lighting:

Today I am writing about lighting and its many forms and shapes and the uniqueness each piece carries.. Lighting is perhaps the most important piece to any room, it can make or break any design and its possible its exclusion in discussions can make a great design seem only passable. The use of wrong lighting can make any thousand dollar room seem like a flea market buy.. Lighting can either match the decor or serve as an accent room piece.. one very common room design has modern contemporary furniture with traditional glass chandeliers or pendant amps, the end result usually being stunning, that is if the match was made ahead of time and by designers who know just how much is enough or not enough... 

Enjoy the pics and post...

Vederlicht Lamp by Daniel Hulsbergen

A childhood fascination with model glider planes led Daniel Hulsbergen to create the Vederlicht (featherlight) pendant lamp.


(Click the images below for full sized images)


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Says Hulsbergen, "Back then these planes cost too much for me to buy and I only could look at them in the shop. The small kid in me is still there so I took the technique and material for making a glider and used it to design a light."


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The Vederlicht is made of Balsawood and Oracover, the same material used to cover the wings of a glider, which "gives the lamp it's ultra light weight."


Circles and Countercircles Chandeliers by Troika
Studio Troika have created two lights for the newly refurbished London home of The Royal Society of Arts.


(Click the images below for full sized images)


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Chandelier with 12 lenses
Inspired by the work of early Enlightenment scientists and the manipulation of the very substance of the light itself, Troika's chandeliers act as key components of the architectural refurbishment scheme designed by Matthew Lloyd Architects.


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Says Troika, "The principles at work in both chandeliers, namely the diffraction and controlled scattering of the light, is reminiscent of the early experiments of Sir Isaac Newton and the later Augustin Fresnel, while signifying a quest for deeper understanding which found a natural resonance with the values and legacy of the Royal Society of Arts, founded in 1754."


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The chandeliers use large fresnel lenses to shape the light generated by high power LEDs on the outer edge into geometrical patterns projected onto the ceiling, "thus contributing compelling decorative elements to the surrounding spaces while providing the necessary illumination levels."


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Single lens chandelier
The Grand Staircase chandelier (above) is comprised of a large 1.2m diameter fresnel lens, rimmed by a white Corian ring, and suspended in front of a rose-gold plated cradle housing 9 high power LEDs.


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"As the white light generated by the LEDs passes through the lens, a pattern of 9 overlapping rings is created, adorning the ceiling with a unique crystalline rose."

 

Valerie, My Crystal Sister Chandelier by Lucas Maassen


Lucas Maassen has created a crystal chandelier using DNA as the starting point for the design.


(Click the images below for full sized images)


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Valerie, My Crystal Sister is a crystal chandelier that will be presented by Dutch designer Lucas Maassen, in collaboration with global healthcare company Roche, for the new Confrontations: Contemporary Dutch Design exhibition at the Vitra Design Museum.


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Says Maassen, he began the project by raising a question: "is it possible to use the biological process that created me as a design process to create an object?"

After several months together with Roche, he successfully crystallized synthetic DNA fragments (which are present in Maassen's parents). A magnified glass version of the resulting crystal, only visible under the microscope, was then produced by Vienna-based crystal manufacturer Lobmeyr. 1000 such pieces then formed a crystal chandelier.


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Maassen continues, "Ultimately, this project is about the visualization of life. DNA is the basic code of life, an essential part of every organism."

The chandelier was named for the sister Maassen never had because his parents' marriage ended too soon.

Thinking of her, he called the project Valerie, my Crystal Sister, giving the chandelier the name his parents would have chosen for him had he been a girl. The chandelier, and thus, their 'crystal daughter', was assembled by Maassen's parents in a performance on June 12th at the Vitra Design Museum.


Naturoscopie
 
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Naturoscopie III mirror
Each of the Naturoscopie III objects functions like a photographic black box, a developer of images and emotions (see also the tables below). "The perception of a landscape, of a changing sky, a sunset or an aurora borealis is supported by the partial, moving and coloured vision of a photograph printed on aluminium and concealed inside."


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Naturoscopie III coffee table
"What is important here is not the image itself, but the impressions contained in a past moment, in a souvenir kept alive thanks to the object which houses it and the lighting system implemented."


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"The LED spots alternately dance across the printed surface. The photograph is never totally visible. The experience of the object thus becomes progressive, leaving the spectator free to project himself into his own sensory memory."


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Naturoscopie IV light

A cloud appears to have been captured within Naturoscopie IV, above. "This image is created by the activity of the alveoli and their differential depth inside the object. The cellular framework thus creates progressive shadow effects, imitating the shape of a moving cloud through optical and kinetic effects."

Naturoscopie will be shown at the Galerie BSL stand (G12) at Design Miami/Basel, in Basel, Switzerland from June 12 to 17, 2012.


 
LightDrive Table Lamp by Raj Singh, David Lee, and Steven Peltier
Radast Design has turned lamp design on its head with a light source in the base.




A high output LED module is housed in the base of the lamp. Using a specially designed optical waveguide, which works the same way as fiber optics, light is transferred to the top of the lamp where it's diffused into the room.


(Click the images below for full sized images)


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The heat from the LEDs is safely and effectively dissipated within the base of the lamp. Steven Peltier, Radast Design co-founder explains, "we literally turned the design of the lamp on its head. By placing the light source in the base, we not only solved how to safely control heat, we also opened up a whole new world of possibilities in lighting design."


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Sunday, October 14, 2012

Modern contemporary random items...

Modern contemporary random items... 

Today I am featuring random items I happen to see in blogs, magazines, etc that I think simply pop out and are memorable.. And if I think they are memorable, I guarantee all of you will as well... 

Enjoy the pics and post...

A new nightlight.. or accent light



In conjunction with award winning designer Derrick Hurst, Ghost Nest is pleased to be announcing their bold new lighting product, Geode. It’s not a simple picture frame, or a simple accent light – it’s a dynamic way to light your space while showcasing and illuminating your image.  Help us bring our project to life on Kickstarter: http://kck.st/Vh7dLn


There are three features that make Geode unlike anything else.  Each frame is interchangeable and so is the image contained within, Geode unplugs and glows for 6 hours (and recharges once plugged back in) and due to its angular nature, Geode has seven unique resting positions. Geode is 5”x5”x4.5” and is constructed of plastic and aluminum.  The removable frame is a soft, matte finish silicon, while the body is a white opaque, glossy polycarbonate.

Pablo Lighting: 


Yo! Only a few days left to get an awesome-looking light for your awesome house from those awesome folks: Pablo Lighting! Until October 15th enjoy 15% off their light fixtures that are modern but sport a ton of personality.  This a is a sign from  a site I fully recommend great lighting ideas here.. Amazing

6 Amazing Vases



There’s no denying the freshness that flowers bring to a space — modern or not. The problem with flowers is they need a place to stay in! Don’t just let flowers dry up and wither outside of vases — grab a few modern ones that will bring as much pattern and color into your home as the flowers themselves. Here are six awesome ones:
  1. Alex Marshall Studios Cylinder Vase
  2. iittala Aalto Vase 6.25
  3. Areaware Brush Vase
  4. Alex Marshall Studios Sphere Vase
  5. notNeutral Flora Vase Set
  6. Ferm Living Wonderful Vase 1
Amazing vases that are great accent pieces for any home... 


8 Interior designs that just bring out color...

No matter your own personal tastes or style, there’s something arresting about a bold, pop of modern color in an interior. Have you ever wanted to add some to your space? We see gorgeous looks all the time through the blog, and plenty of these gorgeous architectural spaces have interiors with killer pops of color. We’ve rounded up eight recent great looks:

Specht Harpman’s West Lake Hills Residence

Stuart Sampley’s Newton Remodel

NOVA architect gallery: Mon Cheri Urban Life

Banging & Bold Modern Kitchen Inspiration

Hatch Works’ Dan Cave

Swedish Design For Sale

Birdseye Design Architecture’s Dwell-Ing



Modern contemporary ideas..

AG Home Goods






Monday, August 13, 2012

Miami's different styles

Avant-Garde Home Furnishings, LLC presents

Miami's many different faces...



When many of us think about Miami, we thin k about the glitz, glamor of the downtown club district, the Brickell corridor, the beaches, and of course the tourist rich south beach area.. And correctly so many people live in Miami in one of these areas, they have become a show place to the world and are becoming more and more commercialized and trendy, and definitely tourist rich and very expensive.. 

These areas are full of high rise apartments that promise the best view in the city, at least until until the next building goes up next door and covers it, taking over that claim. It seems downtown is now a pedestrian mall where people are walking at all hours of the night.. something unheard of just 5 years ago when lights out meant get in in this area. Now on weekend the club district downtown is open 24 hrs a day.. 

One of my close friends lives in this area and here are some pictures and views of her apartment. 

The living and dining sections



Beautiful Kitchen








Bedroom Number 1


Master Bathroom



The beautiful view





Kitchen and Bedroom Number 2



This is what most of us know about Miami. A city of beautiful building and condos where minimalist style and design rein supreme. But how about traditional victorian Miami, I am willing to bet not many of you have herd about this side of Miami.

There is such a place, I am not making it up. Its a place with 80 year old tree lined streets, single family homes and cottages, and landscaping works of art. I am talking about the old historic neighborhood of coral gables where homes go for millions and the streets seem like your in a forest.. These homes have been here for years and driving through this neighborhood makes you feel as if you were in an old norther city or in a southern very historic town...

Other areas of the city look the same, such as the Rhodes neighborhood in Miami, old cutler road section of Miami, and a couple others but for this story I have chosen Coral Gables. 

Enjoy the following pics.. 





















Indeed a side of Miami no one really sees. Coral gables is set apart from the tourist rich areas although commercial areas within city limits and popular tourist destinations do exist in the city. For example its business district is very popular with some powerful law firms and accounting firms that cater to the city's mostly wealthy population. Its miracle Mile has long been famous with tourists and locals alike and is lined with restaurants and many boutique shops. 

Here are a few more pictures









Two very different sides of Miami.

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