Interior Design

Hope you have a happy restful weekend! This bedroom is simple bliss. A striped bed spread, diaphanous white drapes, a decorative mirror, pitched ceilings with exposed beams, lots of light... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

A really clever detail on a chair from Loll Designs. And it's made from recycled milk jugs! More

  Design Principle: Rhythm Style: Contemporary/Transitional Rhythm—the repetition of visual pattern to impart a sense of flow throughout a room or an entire living space. To lead the eye from one element of design to another, designers sometimes think music and use repetition, contrast, transition and progression. via To add rhythm to a contemporary transitional [...]

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Boora Architects have completed the office renovation for the FINE Design Group in Portland, Oregon. From the architects This new work environment for FINE Design Group embodies the creative agency’s energy and collaborative nature. To create the new space, Boora Architects capitalized on the exposed steel structure, concrete floors, and abundance of natural light of a 5,475-square foot raw shell space. The result is a loft-like open office environment with a relaxed feel. Within the open space, key elements define distinct program zones: The “Barn” is a 3-pronged room that floats at the west end of the space and houses two offices and the agency’s conference room. The Barn’s complex shape creates the opportunity for distinct program areas around its exterior – the billiards area is sheltered on one side while team work spaces face the kitchen and the open workstations. Wrapped in a writable and magnetic surface, the walls are used for brainstorming and pin-up space. The residential-scale kitchen is a staff gathering spot and the hub for the many events the group hosts. Tile from Heath Ceramics, glazed in a custom pattern of matte and gloss, defines the space with a continuous field of color from wall to floor. Floating shelves hold dishes and healthy snacks and a custom butcher block island completes the space. At the east end of the office, Boora designed a walnut-clad bookcase that houses an eclectic mix of books and objects. Functionally, the bookcase screens the print/copy zone, provides a touch-down spot for laptop users, and frames the lounge area. Curtains can be drawn between the lounge and open workstations to divide the space and provide visual privacy. Architects: Boora Architects Photography: Jon Jensen

Barcelona's new design museum is an angular metal-clad structure designed by local studio MBM Arquitectes (+ slideshow). (more...)

[ By Delana in Conceptual & Futuristic & Technology. ] There are countless maps and other direction-finding methods for your smartphone that can help you get to where you want to go – but once you get there, you still have to worry about parking. This, of course, is one of the most frustrating aspects of going anywhere in a mid-to-large-size city. In fact, some 30 to 50 percent of urban congestion is caused just by people driving around looking for parking spots. But never fear – an app called ParkMe is here to provide real-time parking availability information in cities and countries all around the world. The smartphone app works by utilizing data from a number of sources. Parking facility operators can update the app with their capacity and availability. Businesses can use a widget to provide real-time availability near their establishments, which is a win-win for them and their customers. Payment options are listed so you’ll know ahead of time if you need to have cash available. Not all of the 1800 cities featured on ParkMe have real-time data available; only a handful of cities in the US offer that level of seamless parking integration. But the app does tell you where you’re most likely to find parking near your destination and how much you’ll have to pay for the privilege of leaving your car there. If you enter the amount of time you’ll need to park, the app will even tell you what your total cost will be. Overall, the app will reduce traffic congestion in cities by helping people find a place to park in advance. If  you could figure out your exact route, down to the entrance to the lot you’ll leave your car in, before you even leave your house – imagine how much easier it would be to get to your destination and get your fun outing started. [ By Delana in Conceptual & Futuristic & Technology. ] [ WebUrbanist | Archives | Galleries | Privacy | TOS ]

They are finally starting to spread. I brought three pips from my old house and stuck them in the ground. Why didn't I dig up more you ask? Don't ask me but I wish I had. They seem very happy now that they have some breathing room and I think they will love the wood chips. I finished pulling up all the thistles in a back flower(less) bed and did some serious weeding. I'm going to put a very thick layer of wood chips there too. I felt a few raindrops and came in for a tomato sandwich. It's raining softly now. I just looked at my thermometer and it's 66° which is perfect for working outside. I'll go out again after the shower. Enjoy your weekend.

If "cabin" for you conjures small and humble, then admittedly we use the term broadly. Here, ten homes that speak the cabin vernacular; some in east coast style, some west, but all summery, nature-based, and beautiful. For more, visit the Remodelista Architect/Designer Directory. Above: This cabin by San Francisco-based Nick Noyes Architecture sits on a 60-foot-wide ocean bluff in the Sonoma County coastal community of Sea Ranch. A copper-clad chimney connects two wings shielding an inner courtyard from the coastal winds. Above: A small modernist cottage on Shelter Island by NYC-based Deborah Berke Partners; see more at Architect Visit: Deborah Berke and Suzanne Shaker in Shelter Island. Above: This East Hampton residence by NYC-based Billinkoff Architecture is comprised of a string of small buildings connected by an indoor corridor, maximizing opportunities for indoor/outdoor living. Above: Seattle-based Heliotrope Architects designed this Whidbey Island, Washington, summer home for a retired couple who wanted ample space to entertain guests but wanted to keep the overall scale of their home small. Heliotrope maximized the oceanfront space and eliminated sprawl in the back. Photos by Julie Marquart. Above: This beach house from the portfolio of Bainbridge Island, Washington-based Michelle Burgess Design welcomes guests with a covered waterfront sitting porch. Above: This cabin by Seattle-based FINNE Architects looks right at home in the Pacific Northwest but is actually on the shores of Lake Superior. The main living area sports a simple shed roof and timber ceiling and a 40-foot-high glass wall facing the lake. Photo by Eric Hausman. Above: This vacation home by Bethesda, Maryland-based McInturff Architects was designed for a multigenerational family with strong connections to the site. Residents enter the home via a boardwalk that crosses the meadow and extends through the house and beyond toward the lake. Above: The owners of this Orcas Island, Washington, cabin wanted all the comforts of home without any excess to distract from the land and view. Heliotrope designed a minimal space with glass walls, providing views onto the beach in front and meadow behind. Above: This 1920s creekside cabin in Calistoga, California, was remodeled by Sonoma-based Amy A. Alper, Architect. The original layout of the weekend home occluded views of the seasonal creek, so Alper designed a double-height living room addition to wrap around the exterior. Photo by Eric Rorer. Above: This summer ranch by San Antonio-based Lake | Flato Architects sprawls over several buildings, meant to recall the summer camps of the owner's youth. Above, a lakeside pavilion with a screened sleeping porch, outdoor dining area, and dock. Photo by Chris Cooper. For a cabin on a smaller (but equally modern) scale, see Architect Visit: Pine Forest Cabin by Balance Associates.

The ceiling of a shoe factory in Cambodia that makes Asics athletic shoes collapsed on Thursday, killing two workers and injuring at least a dozen. The tragedy, which took place less than a month after a clothing factory in Bangladesh collapsed and killed more than one thousand workers, is the latest incident to highlight the poor safety at factories in developing countries. The latest building collapse is a reminder that worker safety isn’t an issue that’s confined to Bangladesh; many other countries are also grappling with poor work conditions for low-paying jobs in the fashion industry. READ MORE >   Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: Asics, Bangladesh, building collapse, Cambodia, Cambodian shoe factory, Fashion, fast fashion, labor issues, shoe factory collapse, unsafe work conditions, worker safety