Interior Design

Entry #2438, May 20, 2013 A wine tour is not just about tasting wines, it’s about enjoying the whole experience of your travel. You get to learn about the history of the vineyards and the stories behind the labels. Whether you hire a guide or brave a wine tour on your own, these tips will help you make the most of your experience. Experience the ambiance along with the wines at a wine tour Image via: Inspired by This Limit your vineyard visits Visit no more than 3-4 wineries a day. Lingering around allows you to really savor the wines and understand what’s happening at every location. Rushing through the wineries will only take away from the experience. To get the most out of your wine tasting tour, consider visiting the vineyards during the off-season or midweek. Planning a wine tasting tour Image via: The Berry Stay hydrated Drink plenty of water between tasting different wines. Staying hydrated will help you to avoid hangovers and keep your palate clean. Also, to save yourself from intoxication, make sure to eat small portions of food along the way. Avoid fragrances Take it easy on smell goods when going for a wine tasting tour, as smell is an important aspect of how you perceive a wine. So, avoid wearing perfumes, colognes, or, any other beauty products that contain fragrances. Wine tasting party ideas Image via: Catch My Party Say no to mouth fresheners Stay away from chewing mints or gums during a wine tour. These items can significantly affect the taste of the wine, and generally in a negative way. Ask questions Winemakers love to talk about their wines and seek opportunity to discuss about it. Ask questions about the founders or the making process. Every question will surely proffer some valuable information. Learning during a wine tour is the best way to get the most out of your wine. Taking notes is a great way to keep a reference of your experience. Designated driver Even though wine tastes are small, they add up over the day. So, choose a designated driver or consider hiring a cab. It’s likely that you will consume much more than the legal limit. Be sure to follow the respective state laws in this regard. Whether you are a wine aficionado or someone who is new to wine, these simple tips will help you take a wine tasting tour that you will surely remember for years to come. For more travel ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Ballroom Luminoso, a new public artwork by Joe O’Connell + Blessing Hancock, was recently installed in a freeway underpass in San Antonio, TX. Composed of six brilliantly lit, color-changing chandeliers, the sculptures are clad in recycled bike parts gleaned from bike co-ops and collectives across the country. Through their use of materials and refined forms, the piece melds grandeur with a sense of neighborhood rejuvenation. + Joe O’Connell + Blessing Hancock The article above was submitted to us by an Inhabitat reader. Want to see your story on Inhabitat? Send us a tip by following this link. Remember to follow our instructions carefully to boost your chances of being chosen for publishing!   Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: Ballroom Luminoso, eco light installation, green light installation, Joe O’Connell + Blessing Hancock, lighting installation, recycled bike parts, Recycled Materials

Leonard Cohen (b. 1934) has been around for a long time so he should know. via If you can't see my embedded video, click here to watch/listen to a live performance of him singing Anthem, the song with these lyrics.

Materials: BESTA shelves Description: I needed storage for DVD's, photo albums, CD's, games controllers, board games and a display shelf. I had enough space for six Besta units. There are two taller units on the sides acting as pillars. Middle shelves on these needed to be fixed with angle brackets to the sides as the weight from the units on the top started to bow the side panels. Above the TV is one unit to tie the pillars together and I was able to get two more units on the top of the pillars, so to use the full height on the room. By using the glass doors in the middle, the height is broken down and it works well as a display shelf. 47 inch TV sits on the sixth unit with enough space for media units. ~ Design by Mika, UKMore hacks on IKEAHackers.net

Two supermarkets are making lemonade out of lemons the green way—by converting their spoiled food into energy. Grocery chains Ralphs and Food 4 Less (both part of the Kroger Co.) have joined forces with FEED Resource Recovery to make use of the rotten and expired foods that their markets don’t sell. Any food that can’t be sold or donated will be transformed into energy to help run their distribution center in Compton. Read the rest of Supermarkets Transform Their Unsold Spoiled Food Into Green Energy Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: anaerobic digester, biogas, eco design, FEED Resource Recovery, Food 4 Less, food recycling, green design, Kroger Co, Ralphs Supermarket, sustainable design

Photo by Ritu Raj Konwar via IDMC A new report released last week by the Internal Displacement Monitoring Center (IDMC) shows that a whopping 32.4 million people were forced to flee their homes last year, and 98% of that displacement was due to climate and weather related events. While displacement occurred disproportionately in Asia and Africa, rich countries were also affected – and there were particularly high numbers in the U.S. Read the rest of 32.4 Million People Were Displaced in 2012 Due to Climate and Weather Events Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: 2012 Special Report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 32.4 million people displaced in 2012, 98% displacement caused by climate and weather events, climate change impact on natural disasters, flood disasters in India and Nigeria, global displacement, idmc, internal displacement monitoring center, IPCC, monsoon floods, natural disasters, people forced to flee their homes, rich countries affected by displacement

Swedish studio Belatchew Arkitekter wants to transform a Stockholm skyscraper into a wind farm by covering it in thousands of electricity-generating bristles. (more...)

Read the rest of David Trubridge’s Glittering ‘Light Rain’ LED Installation is Inspired by Earth Elements Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: david trubridge design, david trubridge light rain, david trubridge wanted design, eco lighting, green lighting, LED lighting, light rain, light rain installation, wanted design

Barcelona-based Martín Azúa has designed a planter named Wellspring. Description Wellspring is an invitation to investigate and understand the natural processes to restore the relationship with the environment. It simulates an ecosystem through soil, rocks and plants, able to recover its natural balance. Like raindrops falling on the inside of a cave, purified and enriched by the water lifecycle. Designer: Martín Azúa Photography: Martín Azúa & Sergi Vich Collaboration: Marc Vidal

Now in its third year, Wanted Design has risen to become one of our favorite annual events during New York Design Week. Whereas ICFF confounds the senses with thousands of booths, Wanted Design presented an expertly curated collection of groundbreaking designers – and we were thrilled to find an abundance of sustainable designs on the show floor. Read on for some of our favorites – from David Trubridge‘s sparkling LED Light Rain installation to Joe Doucet‘s electroluminescent Hadron Light, Fabrica‘s fun and funky recycled furnishings and beyond. Read the rest of The Best Green Designs From Wanted Design 2013! Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: "green furniture", eco products, energy efficient lights, green design, green interiors, new york design week, New York Design Week 2013, nydw, sustainable design, wanted design, Wanted Design 2013, wanteddesign