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Isaac Mizrahi on Inspiration
Welcome to Wednesday. Ugh. Already? It’s too early for it to be Wednesday. I need more coffee I guess.
Here’s something that should wake us all up. It’s a Ted Talk featuring Isaac Mizrahi. Don’t you adore him?
He talks all about where he finds his inspiration. And other stuff, too. It’s not too long and is worth watching. Click here to watch the video. Then, check out his new style web site.
Cheers!
What A Workplace Should Look Like
Who wouldn’t want to work here? The New York headquarters of JWT (the ad agency formerly known as J Walter Thompson), serves as an inspiration to anyone working in any field - not just advertising. Picture yourself in this workplace environment. Are you a lawyer? An accountant? An insurance adjuster? You don’t have to be a copywriter to know that working in a lively environment like this would be a conduit to a more inspired and happy workday.
These photos, taken by Eric Laignel, are from this month’s issue of Interior Design Magazine. The space was created by designer, Clive Wilkinson, an Interior Design Hall of Fame member known for media work. As the article states: “He thought of these moments not as separate 30-second spots but rather as elements tied together in an experiential über-narrative—like so many twigs on a tree. And Clive Wilkinson Architects tapped into his tree theme to drive design solutions. “It’s a metaphor for storytelling, but we also extended it as an organizing form and connective tissue between the branches of the agency,” Wilkinson explains.“
The reception area at JWT.
All elevator lobbies feature custom vinyl wall covering, an aluminum ceiling grid, waxed concrete flooring, and Richard Shemtov chairs.
An Ideation Room is enclosed by two layers of material, cutout vinyl-polyester stitched to a heavy-gauge clear vinyl backing.
The purpose of rooms like this is to get together and think. To brainstorm. To come up with new ideas. So much better than a gray conference room.
But even the conference rooms at JWT have sex appeal.
The creative department's 18-foot ceiling allows for mezzanine meeting spaces.
Additional meeting rooms are integrated into the elevator lobbies.
Lunch anyone? In the cafeteria, which also serves as an entertainment space, an LED fixture is set into the bar.
You can read the rest of the article, and see lots more photos, here. Or go to your newsstand and buy the hard copy.
To my mind, it doesn’t matter what you do for a living, the whole point of living, in general, is to be happy. Not just at the end of the day - but throught out the day.
Too many of us spend our days earning a paycheck, as opposed to pursuing our avocation. But while our work may be boring, our work environment doesn’t have to be. It really doesn’t take that much effort to create a better, more lively workspace. You just need to understand that it’s important.
After all, that’s what life is really all about - to be happy. We should all be working in a space that makes us smile. Don’t you agree?
Congrats to Mad Men
I’m currently addicted to AMC’s Mad Men. Everything about it is fun. The plot, the fashion, and (of course) the set design. I read that all the furniture and accessories are true vintage. But I’m not sure if I believe it. At any rate, it’s fun to see that not everyone lived in a Herman Miller Mid-Century world.
Congratulations to the design team of Bob Shaw, Amy Wells and Christopher Brown, who won an Emmy for their most excellent work.
Have you seen the show? It’s on AMC, Sunday night at 9:00. I’d love to know what you think of the sets, and if you have a favorite accessory. I think mine is the series of giraffe prints hanging in Phil’s apartment. I also like the fact that no one bothered to hide the ugly, metal curtain rods in those days. Did they think no one would notice?
White House Redux
The Storefront for Art and Architecture, in association with Control Group has announced the winners of this year’s White House Redux design competition. The mission statement was: What if the White House, the ultimate architectural symbol of political power, were to be designed today?
Participants were challenged to design a new residence for the world’s most powerful individual. The best ideas, designs, descriptions, images, and videos were selected. The top three winners, chosen by “some of the world’s most distinguished designers and critics” will have their designs featured in a month-long exhibition at Storefront for Art and Architecture in October 2008. All three winners will be flown to New York to collect their prizes at the opening party.
Revenge of the Lawn
This year’s winning entry was called Revenge of the Lawn, and was designed by J.P. Maruszczak, Ryan Manning (assistant), and Roger Connah. I can’t quite understand what they had in mind, except that it looks like something to do with killer bees. But it’s a lot of fun to look at and really creative.
Another winning entry by Jorge Rocha Antunes
If you’re a design student, or just love design, take a look at their site, which details all the entrants’ work. They’re a lot of fun.
Inspiration from My Marrakesh
It’s been raining too much here in Grosse Pointe. I needed a bit of sun today, so I tool a virtual trip over to Marrakesh via My Marrakesh - one of the most visually inspiring blogs around. She takes awesome photos and writes beautifully about her life in Morroco.
I invite you to skip the expensive plane fare and join me today in a cybertrip to My Marrakesh - where the sun in always shining.
Parisian Inspiration
I bought a wonderful book last weekend at Anthropologie. On assignment for Esquire magazine in 1962, fashion photographer and filmmaker Jerry Schatzberg documented the ultra-exclusive world of French haute couture. Paris 1962 is a beautiful photo journal of the Dior show, and Yves Saint Laurent’s first collection.
The photography is amazing. Here’s a decorating suggestion. Buy two copies. Put the first on your bookshelf. Use the other for framed art - a relatively inexpensive way to add a touch of chic to your home.
You can find Paris, 1962 via my Amazon Shop, and possibly at your local Anthropologie shop. It’s not on their site.
Dorothy Draper Colors
Sensational Color has a nice post on the favorite colors of famed interior decorator, Dorothy Draper. I thought you’d enjoy reading it. As writer Kate Smith says, “Dorothy Draper was the Grand Dame of using bright, bold color and texture combinations in her day and thought to be quite outlandish. While they are bold by today’s standards these colors don’t seem all that unusual.”
Draper changed the interior design world beginning in the 1930’s - primarily by breaking away from the strict use of period styles. Her work remains influential. You can visit her site, which offers books and other information here.
House & Garden Tour Part II: A Chilean Parcela
Here we are in the Southern Hemisphere at the beautiful home (also known as a parcela) of Carmen Oria and her husband, Vicente Rodriguez. Their garden is just as beautiful as their antiques-filled home.
A grape arbor sits just outside the kitchen door. The grounds are filled with fruit trees including lemon, avocado, apricot, peach, and orange. All the trees bear fruit, which Carmen turns into preserves and fresh fruit juice. A gardener helps out.
The grape arbor is the perfect place for a game of ping pong.
The swing sits under eucalyptus trees. It’s the perfect setting for sipping Pisco Sours.
If you drink too many Pisco Sours, you can take a nap in the hammock.
As those of us in the Northern Hemisphere are looking forward to Spring, in Chile it’s closing in on Autumn. But when it’s Springtime in Santiago, the grounds of Carmen’s home are full of blooms. Her flowering plants include roses, azaleas, daffodils, wisteria, poppies, and hydrangeas. The greenery includes pampas grass, creeping vine, acanthus, moss, and yucca.
Welcome to the pool, set under the shade of a giant acacia tree. Let’s all pour ourselves a Pisco Sour (they’re so tasty the way Vicente makes them) and jump in the pool.
A big Thank You goes to Carmen for taking and sending these photos to me. She and I are college friends who have managed to visit each other over the past few years. I wanted to share her beautiful home with everyone because I’ve enjoyed it so much myself.
Don’t you love this house and the gardens? Enjoy your weekend. Cheers!
House & Garden Tour Part I: A Chilean Parcela
I’ve done something new today and am taking you on a tour of the beautiful home and garden of Carmen Oria and Vicente Rodriguez.
During the day, Carmen is in charge of International Relations for the Chilean Education Ministry´s English Opens Doors Program. Her husband owns CommzGate, his own hi-tech systems development biz, specializing in mobile technology. They live in a beautiful home just outside Santiago, Chile, which they built themselves in a classic, Chilean Country House style.
The doors, windows and other architectural elements are from shops known as materiales de demolición. In other words, shops which sell doors and windows from demolished homes.
Carmen and her husband love to collect antiques, too. Their collection is extensive. One of her favorite pieces is an icebox, which sits in the dining room. It was bought in the city of Iquique, up in northern Chile where the nitrate (saltpeter) mining industry was Chile´s main revenue generator back in the 1800s and early 1900s before artificial nitrate was invented. Northern Chile is dotted with abandoned nitrate camps, like ghost towns.
Another is the traveling bar used for train trips in the old days. They replaced the antique glasses with handmade and etched copies. “A lady who had inherited several antiques and needed cash fast sold it to us,” adds Carmen.
Carmen’s mother-in-law is artist, María Elvira Moreno. Much of the artwork comes from Moreno’s studio. She sculpts, too.
In part II, we’ll see Carmen’s beautiful garden, eat grapes off the vine, and take a dip in the pool.
Rirkrit Tiravanija’s Thailand Home
I want to live with artist Rirkrit Tiravaniji and his wife in their house. I’ll bring Arthur and son along, too. I’m sure Rirkrit wouldn’t mind - we can cook.
I don’t necessarily like all the furnishings, but I do like the way they’re arranged. I love the length of the dining table in particular. There’s something about open houses like this one that really appeal to me.
I want to open all the walls and live half inside/half outside. How about you? Would the bugs get to you? Do you need “mundane” things like walls? (I read that walls were mundane in a Met Home article today - who knew?)
To see the rest of this splendiferous home, stroll over to the New York Times and read all about it.
images: Jason Schmidt
Design Inspiration: Waffles
For your consideration, some design inspiration that’s perfect for a Tuesday morning, or any morning. Waffles, a Brussels sneaker store was designed by the Belgium firm of Beaverhausen.
They used the company’s name as their inspiration to create a white space filled with waffle patterns. The walls are covered with white tiles to give the store the feeling of a bakery.
The foam-covered shelves, which display the shoes, were created in a waffle shape. The shelves were backed with mirrors so shoppers can see the other side of the shoe. In my experience, everyone picks up the shoe to have a good look, but I like the visual idea. I also like the way the colors pop off the white background.
To top the whole waffle thing off, the store is infused with toasty waffle perfume. Now, I think that’s a bit over the top. It’s great if you’re shopping. If you work there, I think the smell would make you sick to your stomach after a few days.
images: Thomas Francois
Indian Inspiration at Etsy
I guess I’ve got India on the brain today. Indian textiles are especially appealing to me. The bright colors and bold patterns could be at home in any part of the world. Rayela Art, over at Etsy, specializes in all things Indian. She makes her own things using vintage textiles and buys from other traders from various countries around the world. I thought you’d enjoy taking a peek at her shop.
Vintage Suzani Tapestry: $125
Indian quilt: $145
Vintage textile: $150
