STEFAN SAGMEISTER: the sad story behind his happy new film P. 130
TM
GIRL POWER The new Pentagram partners take us behind the scenes
A NEW TAKE ON NEW URBANISM THE ARCHITECTURE MOVEMENT REVIVED AND REVAMPED
ski resorts
DESIGN GIFT GUIDE 50 Perfect Presents for everyone on your list, p. 116
Six Modern Mountain Ski Resorts to visit this winter
SPECIAL!
DARK INTERIOR INSPIRATION
Hide out from Doomsday in these cavernous (and somewhat creepy) spaces
PLUS
7 DELISH CHOCOLATE PACKAGING DESIGNS (THE CANDY’S NOT BAD, EITHER) GREAT GATSBY GOES MOD: Give your pad a dose of roaring ‘20s style
NOV/DEC 2012 $8 USA/CAN
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DESIGN BUREAU
Contents
Handcrafted American-made furniture Wells studio sofa $3399; Wells sofa $3499; Corbett cocktail table $799; Oskar chair $599; all items priced as shown. Our free catalog has 380 pages of inspiration. Order yours at roomandboard.com. 800.952.8455
Contents
DESIGN BUREAU
The New Girls These Pentagram partners tell us what makes the firm tick
CONTENTS ISSUE 14 FEATURES 116 Design Gift Guide 2012 50 design-inspired gifts to give your tech-loving, cabin-dwelling, party-hopping, booze-sipping friends and loved ones 130 Tracking Happy Superstar graphic designer Stefan Sagmeister makes a film about finding happiness despite a tragedy during production 134 Dark Interiors If December 21st really is the end of the world, we’ve found a few darkly dressed rooms that are perfect for hiding
PAGE 126
DIALOGUE & DESIGN THINKING 70 Hard at Work Design entrepreneur Gary Lee shares the secret behind his success—and insanity 82 Building Next to the Obamas Remodeling the house next door to the President comes with some red tape...but it has its perks, too 92 Opulence Revived After thirty years of renovations, a former Miami vaudeville theater opens for a new act 106 In the Details Interior designers spill the secret details of decking out five gorgeouslydesigned spaces
INFORMER 17 Pixels & Print 27 Objects & Gear 37 Fashion & Beauty 41 Travel & Culture 55 Structures & Spaces
PLUS 08 10 12 84 145 146
Contributors Letter from the Editor Letters Notes from the Bureau This Issue’s Best Albums For Hire
Above: Natasha Jen and Emily Oberman of Pentagram Design. Photo by Eric Luc
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Contents
Graphic Design
Stefan Sagmeister The superstar designer goes looking for happiness and comes away with a film Page 130
INSIDE ISSUE 14
Interior Design
Gary Lee The design entrepreneur shares success secrets Page 70
Photo of Stefan Sagmeister by Noah Kalina; photo of Gary Lee by Lisa Predko
Contents
DESIGN BUREAU
Industrial DESIGN
Egg Collective Brooklyn’s breakout design trio divvies up the chores Page 27
architecture
Iker Gil feature
The architect takes on the role of magazine editor Page 94
Design Gift Guide 2012 Holiday must-haves for big nights out and warm nights in Page 116
Photo of Egg Collective by Edwin Tse; photo of Iker Gil by Drew Reynolds; photo of gift guide chairs by Heather Talbert
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Letters & Contributors
DESIGN BUREAU CONTRIBUTORS Publisher & editor-in-chief Chris Force chris@alarmpress.com
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER
-----
Senior Account Manager
Ellie Fehd ellie@alarmpress.com
Tarra Kieckhaefer tarra@alarmpress.com
MANAGING EDITOR
Kristin Larson kristin@alarmpress.com
account managers
Liz Abshire, Jill Berris, Krystle Blume, Kevin Graham, Arghavan Hakimian, Emily Kirkwood, Jenny Palmer, Emily Schleier, Cole Stevens, Natalie Valliere-Kelley, Mallory Wegner
Associate editors
John Dugan john@alarmpress.com
Kathryn Freeman Rathbone katie@alarmpress.com
Noah Kalina is a photographer who lives and works in Brooklyn, NY. For this issue of Design Bureau, Noah photographed Stefan Sagmeister and Jessica Walsh. You can find more of his work at noahkalina.com
Drew Reynolds loves to capture people in their moment—that brief second that can tell a story or make you feel what that person is feeling. Drew has captured that moment for ALARM, Time Out Chicago, Warner Bros, Shout! Factory, and many others. You can see his shots of Iker Gil in this issue. drewreynolds.com
Photographer Edwin Tse specializes in shooting fashion, portraits, and landscapes for both editorial and advertising clients. His other talents include an uncanny knack for picking out cool sneakers, and the ability to exercise his encyclopedic knowledge of cartoon shows from the 1980s. edwintse.com
Liisa Jordan liisa@alarmpress.com
editorial internS
Delia Cai Sarah Murray
Account EXECUTIVEs
Colleen Batterman, Kylie Callander, Rachel Clarke, Tristan Hanselman, Ainsleigh Monaghan, Miranda Myers, Gloria Puljic, Matthew Quilter, Christian Romasanta, Allison Weaver
----DESIGN DIRECTOR
Lindsey Eden Turner lindsey@alarmpress.com
production manager
Lauren Carroll laurenc@alarmpress.com
DESIGNER
Lauren Ayers lauren@alarmpress.com
-----
-----
MARKETING MANAGER
contributors
Murrye Bernard, Jeremy Brautman, Zack Burris, Delia Cai, Lauren Carroll, Geoffrey Hodgson, Steven Fischer, Amber Gibson, Emily Gilbert, Jen Hazen, Adam Jablonski, Noah Kalina, Heidi Kulicke, Brian Libby Eric Luc, Peter Margonelli, Meg Mathis, Kaitlyn McQuaid, Sarah Murray, Laura Neilson, Lisa Predko, Drew Reynolds, Durston Saylor, Andrew Schroedter, Stephanie Sims, Lauren Smith, Lesley Stanley, Heather Talbert, Dr Rob Tannen, Taylor Architectural Photography, Edwin Tse, Adam Voorhes, Katrina Whittencamp cover image
Heather Talbert grew up with a passion for exploring art and creativity. After receiving her degree in advertising at Texas Tech University, she followed her love for photography and attended Miami Ad School’s fashion photography program. She currently works in Chicago where she is with talent rep agency Chicago Emerging Artists. heathertalbert.com
SENIOR Account EXECUTIVE
Photographed in Chicago by Heather Talbert. Styling by Jessica Moazami with Factor Artists; makeup and hair by Kerre with Factor Artists; Model: Amanda with Factor Women
Danelle Sarvas danelle@alarmpress.com Human resources
Diana Shnekenburger diana@alarmpress.com
STAFF ACCOUNTANT
Mokena Trigueros CONTROLLER
Linda Wolf
Assistant to the Publisher
LeeAnne Hawley leeanne@alarmpress.com
A one-year subscription to Design Bureau is US $48. Visit our website at www.wearedesignbureau.com or send a check or money order to: Design Bureau 205 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 3200 Chicago, IL 60601
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Design Bureau (ISSN 2154-4441) is published bi-monthly by ALARM Press at 205 N Michigan Avenue, Suite 3200, Chicago, IL, 60601. Periodicals postage is PENDING at Chicago, IL and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address corrections to Design Bureau at 205 N Michigan Avenue, Suite 3200, Chicago, IL, 60601 Retailers: To carry Design Bureau in your store please call 201.634.7411. © 2012 Design Bureau. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is strictly prohibited. DESIGN BUREAU is a trademark of Design Bureau.
PHOTOGRAPHY © 2012 ANGIE WEST
HOLLY HUNT AILERON ARM CHAIR
T R I L L I O N TA B L E
D E S I G N C H R I S TO P H E P I L L E T
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Letters & Contributors
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
“imprisoned by reputation.” Glaser cuts right to the heart of his design philosophy with startling clarity. Though the crystalline focus of a designer like Glaser is refreshing and admirable, it’s also been earned after decades of trial, error, and irrepressible effort. He is perhaps most famous for being one of the most underpaid designers of all time, forking over the “I Love NY” design to the state early in his career for free. The fact that the logo sold multi-millions of dollars worth of merchandise would be enough to embitter the boldest of designers. Yet throughout every interview I’ve read on Glaser, he seems appreciative and happy for the success of the design. It was, after all, effective.
“I believe the best people in the world are involved in making things.” As a design and magazine nerd, I completely geeked out when Milton Glaser confirmed his Design Bureau interview. Like many others, I’m a fan of his work and the balls it took to start New York Magazine when he did. I’ve drooled over Push Pin Studios illustrations and studied his designs in school. But the thing I admire the most about Glaser is that at 82 years old, not only does he still design work, he refuses to cash in and coast along on his celebrity. As he tells author Sandra Marcel (page 98), he refuses to be
Photo of Chris Force by Noah Kalina
At this point, Glaser has had many financial successes, so maybe that makes it easier not to feel bitter. Rich is rich, right? But I also think that when you create something, you have to set priorities—do you want to make it right, or do you want to make money? If you can’t do both, which will it be? I don’t know a single creative person who doesn’t deal with that question. And sometimes I think it’s easier to have something make money, as it’s a finite, definable goal. “This design must sell X percent more of this product.” But making something “right”—that’s scary. Few things on Earth couldn’t be made “more right.”Glaser approaches his craft with an obvious enthusiasm, and it’s reflected in his iconic logo—one of those few creations that can’t be improved. Its design has become legendary, so well timed and executed that it seems un-designed—it just exists. What more could a designer aim for? -----
Chris Force Publisher & Editor-in-Chief chris@alarmpress.com
Grace Home Design Jackson, Wyoming 307.733.9893 jennifer@gracehomedesign.com gracehomedesign.com
Unexpected, innovative mountain interiors
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Letters & Contributors
LETTERS TO DESIGN BUREAU November/December 2012 SOUND BITES
DB shout-outs from the Twitterverse Join the conversation at twitter.com/DesignBureauMag
DB TWEETS Seems some of our readers fell hard for our September/October anniversary edition. Others were less inspired by the inspiration issue. As always, we love feedback, so e-mail us: letters@wearedesignbureau.com
@JuxtaPalate Great interview with Milton Glaser in @DesignBureauMag. Nerdy and awesome.
visualize
a design tribe
@lppstore We LOVE you Design Bureau! Thanks so much for including us! XOXO
Color the only CurrenCy
to nourish souls
Color Consumption
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Features
“You have to be able to tell clients when they don't know shit.” —Mad Man George Lois
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5/17/12 8:33 PM
Forget the television show. George Lois was there, working on Madison Avenue, famously cranking out controversial covers for Esquire magazine, and creating legendary ad campaigns from the 1960s until he retired in 2000. Ever the straight shooting anti-Don Draper (even now into his 80s), George Lois tells us exactly how it was (and how it wasn’t), and how it is today.
Text by Saundra Marcel Photos by Noah Kalina
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Design + concept design army | photography Cade martin | hair + Make up dean Krapf | Wigs Kim reyes boDy painting Kim reyes for european boDy art | boDy paint assistant Juana hernandez | WarDrobe stylist polly spadaveCChia location guilford College art gallery | sculpture patriCK dougherty
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5/17/12 8:38 PM
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inspiring design “I loved the Inspiration issue—what a diverse group of creative people and imagery. Especially Design Army. Cool. Colorful. Unexpected.” (H.K., via email)
5/17/12 8:33 PM
Glorious george
COOL FOR SCHOOL
“After years of Mad Men hype, it was such a pleasure to hear design legend George Lois tell it like it really was in the ’60s ad world. He may be a loudmouth, but I find his no-bullshit attitude refreshing.” (K.S., via Email)
“I adored your story on Sarah Elizabeth Ippel and the Academy for Global Citizenship. You can’t call good design a luxury, it’s key to fixing what’s wrong with our education system.” (M.H., via the web)
@JmeChristian Get in my mouth! RT @DesignBureauMag Delicious design - Beers that look as good as they taste! @Architectonista @DesignBureauMag Génial ! Love the way DesignBureau presents both the personality and the work of designers. @MetroChicagoAwesome article in this month’s @DesignBureauMag on the past 30 yrs of Metro gig posters! @MYDstudio MYD in @ DesignBureauMag - one of our favorite architecture + design reads!
CORRECTIONS, MAR/APR AND MAY/JUN 2012:
“I do think that women and men address problems differently, otherwise we'd just be talking about penis versus vagina.” pentagram designer natasha Jen,PAGE 126
In our Mar/Apr issue, the photo credit for the Julius Shulman images should have mentioned they were the copyrighted property of Juergen Nogai. Additionally, the date of Mr. Shulman’s death should have read July 2009. We regret the omission and error.
For the record: Rants, ramblings, and random facts from behind the scenes of this issue
$1,000
lederhosen
1938
Klipspringer
Been extra good in 2012? Ask for 1.75L of Camus cognac, the priciest bottle of booze in our holiday gift guide p. 116
German designer Stefan Sagmeister wore leather stockings to work at his first corporate job in New York. Read up on his happy new movie on p. 130
The year Old Spice for Men was launched, in a ceramic bottle no less. Sniff out their latest packaging design on p. 24
The tennis-playing freeloader at Gatsby's mansion in F. Scott Fitzgerald's famed novel. Check out some decor items inspired by the new 3D flick on p. 60
Have a question or comment? We want to hear from you. Give us a shout at letters@wearedesignbureau.com.
Retail Store Antiques, Home Decor, Objects Full Service Interior Design
405 Paseo de Peralta, Santa Fe, NM 87501 505.983.3912 | www.vrinteriors.com
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DESIGN BUREAU
Design Bureau Recommends...
When you’re thinking about what to give this holiday season, here’s a few suggestions from our staff (by the way: we always appreciate mail).
John dugan, associate editor
Etón FRX3 “The summer power outages left me paranoid about my phone and staying informed. This self-charging (solar or hand-turbine) AM/FM/WB digital radio can also power up USB devices like my iPhone.” $60, amazon.com
LIndsey Turner, Design Director
NATIVE UNION POP PHONE "I'm not particularly worried about cellphone radiation, but why chance it? The Pop reduces it by 90 percent and I'm a sucker for the liquid metallic look." $40, nativeunion.com
Katie Rathbone, Associate editor
HEX MACBOOK PRO BAG "My Kristin Larson, managing editor
Sodastream source "Mega designer Yves Béhar has given a smart facelift to this at-home soda maker. For a Diet Coke addict like me, this DIY pop machine is a must!" $99, bedbathand beyond.com
trusty laptop would be much happier in thie new pale grey denim bag. I love the deep-red interior lining." $60, shopHEX.com
lauren Carroll, Production Manager
MISSONIHOME NANDOR POUF “I love having guests over, except that my seating situation is seriously lacking. But the organic graphics in this year's MissoniHome collection would cheer it up nicely.” $830, allmodern.com
DESIGN BUREAU
TOP LEFT
TOP RIGHT
Client: Altoids Agency: Leo Burnett Photographer: Tony D’Orio
Client: Beam Global Agency: BBDO Chicago Photographer: Robert Whitman
BOTTOM LEFT
BOTTOM RIGHT
Client: Harley-Davidson Agency: Carmichael Lynch Minneapolis Photographer: Scott Pommier
Client: Febreeze Agency: Grey Paris Photographer: Tony D’Orio
creative retouching photo manipulation image editing and more chicago, illinois www.gianninicreative.com
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Architecture: The PeoPle, Places, & Ideas drIvIng conTemPorary desIgn A Special Edition from Design Bureau Get it in print at www.wearedesignbureau.com or for free on the iPad at itunes.com
FREE iPad edition
Pixels & Print
PIXELS & PRINT
DESIGN BUREAU
The best of the best in graphics and photos
ILLUSTRATION
What Models Dream About A Russian model-slash-artist does his research with his eyes closed Globetrotting Russian model Jenya Vyguzov is more than just a pretty face. The 20-year-old creates mixed media collages that are both slightly morbid and tantalizingly pensive. “Curiously enough, when I don’t think—don’t use my mind—I can get something I like,” he says. Black and white iconic landmarks like Big Ben make cameos in CONTINUED
“Two people are on the verge of their most important hopes,” February 2012
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Pixels & Print
Untitled from jenyaart. tumblr.com, June 2012
(CONTINUED)
landscapes of rose gold and sea foam blue, while portraits surprise with bold punches of color, triggering a wave of feelings. “All our life is the mix of emotions. I try to show emotions by the collages,” Vyguzov says. But it’s not always about emotion, he says, adding that “sometimes I just want to make something beautiful, something I like.” Judging from the otherworldly beauty in his artwork, dreamland looks anything but boring.—Lauren Carroll
“New breath,” Flash Magazine Art, May 2012
Pixels & Print
DESIGN BUREAU
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Pixels & Print
PACKAGING DESIGN
Haute Chocolate Chocolate bar packaging designs that look as beautifully decadent as they taste
DANDELION BASICS: Bean-to-bar small batch
chocolate from dedicated farms DESIGNER: Caleb Owen Everitt DESIGN:Rich metallics balance
detailed info on the month and location of the bean harvest Available online and at select cafes; $8; dandelionchocolate.com
CHOCAROME BASICS: A fusion of different flavors of fruit
creme and 70-percent chocolate DESIGNER: Wortwerk DESIGN: The swirling,colorful pattern on a black
box suggests fruit being infused into a dark, chocolatey substance
MAST BROTHERS
CAMINO
BASICS: These Brooklyn-based chocolate makers source cocoa from organic growers in Dominican Republic and elsewhere
BASICS: Ottawa-based fair trade chocolate sourced from 35,000 family farmers in Central and South America, and Southeast Asia
Available online and at Oberlaa shops in Austria; ¤14.50 per box; oberlaa-wien.at
DESIGNER: Sean Walker DESIGNER: Karacters DESIGN: Walker tells us the packages are
“inspired by old Penguin book spines—white box shape on pattern background” and for the current batch, textile prints. “The fun part is that the pattern can always change and the bar is as familiar as it ever was,” he says.
DESIGN: Broken pieces of a chocolate bar
mimic a map-like design on the label Available online and at select locations; $4.29; lasiembra.com/camino
Available online and in the Mast Brothers Brooklyn shop; $40 for 10; mastbrothers.com
mary & matt BASICS: This marbleized chocolate bar was
created especially for the most chocolatey holiday of them all: Valentine’s Day DESIGNER: Mary Matson & Matt Even DESIGN: Seventies after-school art project
Available online and at Partners & Spade New York; $6; chocolate-editions.com
Marou photos by Arnaud De Harven and Rice Creative; {cocoa} photo by Chloe Aftel; Dandelion photo by Alice Nystrom; Camino photo by Coop de travail 1-20 Média; Mast Brothers photos by Tuukka Koski; all others courtesy the designers
DESIGN BUREAU
Pixels & Print
FILL IN THE BLANK
Dana Tanamachi She put down the mouse and picked up some good old chalk. Now she makes blackboard magic.
[cocoa] BASICS: This California chocolate brand sources wild and rare bean varieties
from small producers in South America and Africa DESIGNER: Major Lightner designed the box in 2009, and in 2011, the labels were
slightly redesigned by Nao Haitani DESIGN: Simple yet striking, {Cocoa}’s sleek packaging features
a graphically-inspired design Available online, at Dean & Deluca, and at Felissimo in Japan; 16 pieces for $20; cocoacollectionsf.com
W
hen I moved to New York, I was hoping...
to survive my first year.
but instead...
I’m drawing letters in chalk.
I discovered my love for chalk when...
MAROU BASICS: The first single-origin chocolate from Vietnam sources cocoa
from family farmers DESIGNER: Rice Creative, Saigon, Vietnam DESIGN: Rice tells us the natural colors came from the cacao pods. The typography
was inspired by Saigon’s early 20th century French establishments Available online and at various locations; in US, darkchocolateimports.com; World, marouchocolate.com
I was in front of the computer all day at my 9-5. The screen just wasn’t doing it for me. The worst thing about working with chalk is ...
people think you’re obsessed with it.
The best thing about working with chalk is...
everyone has some kind of memory or experience with it. CONTINUED
Photo by Elizabeth Weinberg
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Pixels & Print
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They say chalk tastes like... moth balls. but it really tastes like... nothing. If I could live in any era, it would be ...the 1920s. because I would be able to... experience the beauti-
ful signage of Vaudeville and Broadway advertising.
1
Greenfield Atelier at the Boardroom at Ace Hotel New York for Fashion Week, 2012 2
O Magazine cover, February 2012 3
When I’m done with a project, I like to...
take a shower.
My dream gig is... working with Kate Spade or Victoria Beckham. I’d also love to do an installation in the White House for the Obama girls. I think that’d be so fun. a
Cover for the 2012 Fort Worth Opera Festival brochure
DESIGN BUREAU
Pixels & Print
My View
one photographer FIVE photos one city
Aimee Brodeur San Francisco, California
At 16, Aimee Brodeur took a photography class just so she could hang out with her friends. Turns out, she had a knack for it. “Since then, I have never really put down my camera,” she says. While she loves living in San Francisco, Brodeur says she is truly inspired when she leaves town. “Being able to leave the noise, the crowds, and just the urban dynamic, is what keeps me sane while I live here. There is a release that happens every time I cross the Golden Gate Bridge.” a
Portrait by Derek Wood
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Pixels & Print
AWESOME ILLUSTRATOR
Noble carves his images using X-Acto precision knives on preinked clay boards, and shapes an image using an idea and his raw talent
Etching the Perfect Packaging Design Steven Noble’s engravings enliven Old Spice deodorant
Illustrator Steven Noble’s Old Spice deodorant labels take you on a trip around the world. The designs picture far-away places like Cyprus, Denali, The Matterhorn, and Fiji, somehow managing to make deodorant look sexy. The exotic scent-andlocation combo was a marketing move aimed at young men. Its goal: to prove that while Old Spice is rooted in its old-fashioned heritage, it isn’t just for dad. And thanks to Noble’s full-color scratchboard etchings, the fantasy of getting to a foreign land via your armpits is that much more in reach. a
OLD SPICE A BRIEF HISTORY OF AN AMERICAN BRAND In 1937, William Lightfoot Schultz introduced a line of toiletries based on the spices in his grandmother’s potpourri. More than 70 years later, Old Spice is still keeping men fresh and, well, spicy. Here’s a quick look at the changes on board the iconic brand with help from Old Spice collector and expert Creighton R. Fricek.
1930
1940
1950
1980
1996
Shulton adopted an Early American theme for the men’s toiletries, reflecting the importance of shipping to Colonial America. The original Old Spice for Men bottles and shaving mugs were made from pottery by the A.E. Hull Pottery Company in Crooksville, Ohio. The sailing motif was thought to appeal to a masculine market and, consistent with the Colonial Americana theme, they selected a sailing clipper ships of the 18th century to represent it.
A decade later, Shulton turned to the Wheaton Glass Company in Millville, New Jersey, to produce molded glass containers. The uniquely formulated opaque cream-colored “pottery glass” allowed Shulton to expand its production capacity to keep up with growing demand for the products.
In the late 1950s, the classic line-drawn ships were replaced and updated with a graphic look of solid, simple white sails.
A more dramatic brand change occurred in 1980 with the introduction of the solid blue band with the script Old Spice inside.
The brand was sold to Proctor and Gamble, who decided to abandon the traditional Colonial sailing ship logo for a more modern, stylized racing yacht. However, their move to update the brand didn't stick around too long, as the old worldstyle boat is back on the logo today.
Old Spice photos courtesy of Creighton R. Fricek and cr8on.com
Pixels & Print
DESIGN BUREAU
ADVERTISING DESIGN
camera trickery Advertising art designer Scott Giannini loves to make new photos look old
Bathroom-Based Design Graphic design firm TODA gets flushed while creating a packaging identity system It’s true that inspiration can be found in many unusual places….but a bathroom sign? That’s exactly what inspired Marcos Chavez’s logo design for the new product line MENSDEPT. His brainstorm started after staring at the sign for the men’s loo. “The black dot would be taken from the shoulders of the international male symbol, and repurposed to be a modular unit that interacts with a clean modern logo type,” Chavez says of his unusual logo inspiration. “The period at the end of ‘DEPT.’ comes to life with energy and power, being adaptable in size and placement, and used in various forms throughout the brands print, packaging, web, and interior presence.” The brand actually began as a brick-and-mortar salon in Minneapolis before launching as a product line, a move that allowed for both the company and its marketing plan to develop strategically. “Creating the salon before the product line allowed us to take the business one step at a time, envisioning the company as a national brand while simply creating a great local salon. This was an important stage as we were able to think both big and small when creating the identity.” Time that they used to build a great brand. Period.—Stephanie Sims
S
cott Giannini is the advertising designer behind Jim Beam’s bold bottle close-up shots and Porsche’s sharp Roadster photos. But his favorite type of campaigns involve photos that trick his viewer. “I really enjoy creating vintage or period pieces, mainly due to the challenge involved in convincing the audience that the photo is authentic,” Giannini says. He’s gone to some Photoshop extremes while trying to age his photos, even enhancing images with “digitally added scratches and chemical reactions.” His favorite campaign to date? Altoids. “It will always be up there for me,” he says. a
Above: Advertisement for Altoids. Agency: Leo Burnett; photographer: Tony D’Orio
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DESIGN BUREAU
Pixels & Print
Thin. Modern. Glimpse
™
Design your next project with the Next Generation Luminaires Award Winning GLIMPSE Downlight! The GLIMPSE mimics the form of traditional recessed downlights with less hassle, cost, and material. • Blends seamlessly with any design
• Fits any installation, new or old
• Slim design for quick and easy installation
• Dimmability for custom lighting abmiance
Welcome to the Light Ages
1227 S. Patrick Drive, Satellite Beach, Florida 32937 Phone: 321.779.5520 www.lsgc.com
Objects & Gear
OBJECTS & GEAR
DESIGN BUREAU
Things that make us drool, covet, and go broke
FURNITURE DESIGN
Good Eggs The all-female design trio Egg Collective earns accolades for a debut collection that won’t crack easily Crystal Ellis, Stephanie Beamer, and Hillary Petrie are the minds behind Egg Collective, a Brooklyn-based design trio. They nabbed the Best Designer Prize at ICFF 2012 for their tables, light fixtures, and credenzas, which meld vintage elegance with crisp modernity and heirloom-quality durability. Petrie says each member offers a unique talent. “Often you will find all three of us in the shop finishing up a piece, or in the office CONTINUED
Photo by Edwin Tse
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DESIGN BUREAU
Objects & Gear
Hawley Side Table in solid brass and marble
WINTER MUST HAVE
5 Slick kettles Stay toasty with a cup of tea brewed in one of these high design teapots
OXO Anniversary Edition Uplift Tea Kettle The classic model gets a zinc and cork update from designers TODA. It's also slip and heat resistant. $70, casa.com
Bradford Tile Tables of blackened steel, natural white oak, and travertine
Stelton Potter Teapot Markus Jehs and Jürgen Laub went with an acute cylindrical shape and soft, matte black finish for this Red Dot Award winner. $129, yliving.com
Alessi Il Conico Kettle A conical shape is applied symmetrically to a classic product. $275, cooperhewitt.org
(CONTINUED)
responding to emails,” she says. Ellis acts as creative director: “It’s not unusual for her to present Steph and I with 20 options based on one concept,” explains Petrie. Beamer is in charge of shop and production: “Her attention to detail translates to some serious woodshop skills, and she is also an incredible finisher,” Petrie says. The women collaboratively design and build the pieces from start to finish. And, if not, the work is sourced out to local, small manufacturers. Pieces like the Lawson table (strict geometric steel juxtaposed with bronze glass) or the Margot George Chandelier (hand-blown glass globes anchored by solid brass armature) are a testament to the methodical, intricate techniques used in Egg Collective’s debut designs. —Jen Hazen Photos by Quavondo
Soprapot Joey Roth’s design frames the natural beauty of your tea leaves. $250, joeyroth.com
Georg Jensen Helena Teapot Elegant polished silver with a gently curving handle make for an alluring cup of Earl Grey. £120, georgjensen.com
Objects & Gear
THROWBACK
Sixties Style
DESIGN BUREAU
Wishing you had bad-ass old stuff that actually works? Us, too. Step into the world of 1960s-inspired new school gear.
Symbol Audio Record Console The old fashioned record console took up a big chunk of the living room—the antithesis of the iPod. But Symbol Audio’s updated version sounds as gorgeous as it looks with a built-in tube amplifier and highend components throughout. Price upon request, symbolaudio.com
Triumph Bonneville T100 Triumph nails the classic, lean and mean sixties look, but upgrades the engineering. Stylized details like the twin peashooter exhausts make us giddy. $8,599, triumphmotorcycles.com
Fuji X-100 Leica might have kicked off the vintage looks/modern Ed system Ruschacameras towel, with $95,the X1, but guts trend in compact www.worksonwhatever.com Fuji has nailed it with the X100. Add image quality and reasonable price tag to its very fine retro looks and you can’t lose. $1,200, fujifilm.com
Symbol Audio photos by Chris Caroll; Triumph photo courtesy of Triumph Motorcycles; Fuji camera photo courtesy of Fujifilm
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DESIGN BUREAU
Objects & Gear
OBJECTS EXPLAINED
THE ETCH A SKETCH
S
ince its 1960 debut, several modern-day updates to Hasbro’s Etch A Sketch have hit toy store shelves, including a snazzy color version (etch a whaat?) But it’s the iconic red-framed original that remains the most beloved of the brand’s drawing toys. Most of us know what it does—twisting the knobs draws a dark line across the grey screen, while turning the toy upside down wipes it clean—but it’s the mysterious, magical workings going on inside that add to its timeless appeal.
At-Home Terrariums designer JAMES KWAN skirts the issues involved in making GLass glOBE GARDENs
The Etch a Sketch even got a stock-boosting shout-out this spring when a rep for presidential candidate Mitt Romney likened the impermanence of his boss’ political stances to one during an on-air interview. Too bad his gaffe couldn’t be so easily erased.
—LAURA NEILSON / exploded view photo by adam voorhes
Knobs The right knob controls the stylus’ vertical lines by moving the horizontal bar in that direction, while the left knob moves the stylus left to right with the vertical bar.
Bars Two bars—one vertical and one horizontal—criss-cross each other perpendicularly. They’re attached by thin wires to the bottom knobs, which control their up-down and left-right movement along the toy’s plane.
If you don’t have a green thumb, then a terrarium can head south fast. Designer James Kwan has put a lot of effort into perfecting the pretty indoor gardens, and he has definitely learned how to avoid terrarium troubles. Here are his top tricks for overcoming some common problems. The problem: Terrarium slime. “When you over water them or use material that makes the plants grow too fast, they begin to die and become this giant wad of green that gets all slimy,” says Kwan. The Solution: Fertilize infrequently and use distilled water. Usually reserved for Thanksgiving feasts, James suggests breaking out the turkey baster to water the plants. “This will minimize the splashing inside the glass.” The Problem: Ho-hum terrarium style. When making terrariums, please do not just throw dirt in the bottom and call it a day. “That annoys me most,” Kwan says.
Screen & Aluminum Powder The inside is filled with fine particles of aluminum powder, which coats the plastic screen when the toy is turned upside down. Tiny polystrene ball bearings are also inside to evenly distribute the powder.
James Kwan photo by Cherry Wood
Stylus A raised metal point at the center where the two bars intersect scrapes the aluminum powder off the screen, resulting in a black line that reveals the dark interior of the toy.
The solution: Since terrariums are so small, little details make a big impact. Experiment with colorful crushed coral, tinted sea glass, and oddly-shaped vessels to give your glass garden a little something special.—LAUREN CARROLL
ARCHITECTURE
Webber + Studio
webberstudio.com tel 512.236.1032
905 W Market Center Drive High Point, NC 27260 336 882 5555 p dianaparrishphoto.com
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DESIGN BUREAU
Objects & Gear
5 DESIGNERS / 5 QUESTIONS /
Snowboard designers –––
These snowboard designers take some time out from shredding gnar on the slopes to answer five quirky questions By LAUREN SMITH
DaVID TRAN
Max Jenke
jeremy JONES
Monument Snowboards monumentsnowboards.com
Endeavor Snowboards endeavorsnowboards.com
jones snowboards jonessnowboards.com
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Name your biggest pet peeve in the creative world
When folks create designs solely for the demographic to satisfy the board of directors. Or when companies change their brand/theme every year. There’s nothing worse than a brand with an identity crisis.
Bad font treatments or obvious knock off designs
Engineers that tell me things can’t be done
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Is there anything you wouldn’t put on a board?
A human penis. We’ve already had rape and murder (Cleon Peterson), orgies (Maya Hayuk), and the word “Fuck” (Raif Adelberg), on our boards. We have a board coming out this season with pubes on it (Kate Ruth).
I'm pretty open minded, but I wouldn’t put anything on a board that I wouldn’t want to show my family!
I would never add “flare” to a snowboard, or any unnecessary materials just to make a snowboard look cool
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What’s the most shocking thing you have seen while working?
A homeless guy peeing into a cup at a bus stop in DC and then stuffing his pants with newspaper with people walking by.
Probably how skilled some of the artists we work with are. The Endeavor artists spend a serious amount of time and energy on the graphics for our snowboards.
It seems like a lot of companies put more energy into their ad campaign then into their products. I would guess that 80 percent of snowboards sold are more or less the same snowboard. I started a snowboard company to make new designs and evolve the sport.
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Name a celebrity or iconic figure you would like to see wipe out on the slopes
I would probably love to see Tom Cruise fall all day
It would have been pretty funny seeing Chris Farley head roll and freak out Tommy Boy style
I would like to snowboard with Kelly Slater. His surfing has really evolved the last few years and I would love to see how lives his life.
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Quick—you’ve got a couple hours to make a snowboard from common household items. What do you grab?
Take the mop, broomstick, rake, shovel and mill the wood and make a core out of it, glue it all together based on stiffness. Pull off the rubber from the refrigerator door and use as a dampening foil between the rails/ topsheet/base. Use daily newspaper for the topsheet design and put in a lock of my hair and lucky penny. Then lacquer it.
Garbage can (base), string (bindings), ducktape (combine them). Making a snowboard is simple!
The best piece of wood I could find. Glue, varnish, wood screws.
Monument: BlackBlack artwork by Kruella D'Enfer Portrait by Ian Roche Endeavor: Guerrilla Series artwork by Gabz. Portrait by Endeavor Design Jones Snowboards: Hover Craft, Twin Green Compatriot Snowboards: RK Valkyrie 2012-13, Art and Design by Rob Kingwill Portrait by Angel Rodriguez Comune: Defenders of Awesome Portrait by Mike Selsky
Objects & Gear
DESIGN BUREAU
Treasure Hunting This North Carolina-based furniture company sources unique styles from all over the world
rob kingwill
COREY SMITH
Compatriot Snowboards compatriotsnowboards.com
Comune, CapITA thecomune.com, capitasnowboarding.com
Never having enough time
I feel like I used to be really critical and stress about art and design. Creative work shouldn’t be taken too seriously, so when people take themselves too seriously, it's a downer.
Male genitalia
The line of what’s acceptable is always evolving. What’s shocking now may be acceptable in a couple years, even cliché. What I wouldn’t put on a board is something that looks like what’s already on another brand.
I'm a pro-snowboarder, so technically watching my friend almost get buried in an avalanche or smash into rocks is usually what I consider shocking. I've seen that in real life several times.
Well, like I said it’s pretty shocking when a brand puts something out that's really similar to another brand’s graphics.
The quirky wares in the Phillips Collection aren’t what you would expect from a business based in North Carolina. Mark and Julie Phillips founded the company in 1981, originally selling antiquities found at archaeological digs and cast off from museum collections. They’ve spent the past 30 years scouring the globe for beautiful, unique designs, and in the process have made their carefully curated collection into their family business. Here, Mark and his son Jason discuss where they go to find their goods and what they look for in order to keep their collection fresh. DB: Where do you find the most interesting artifacts and designers?
I would love to watch the Hulk try to shred. HULK SMASH POW!
Wilford Brimley
An ironing board, some old boots, duct tape and a screw gun. Fun in the snow all day. That possibility has never crossed my mind.
I’d bolt some old boots to an ironing board and make it happen!
Mark Phillips: We’ve found great things in the Philippines, Mexico, Haiti, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. But we don’t buy a single product from China—we just want every product to look like a hand has touched it. How do you find the designers you feature in your store? MP: The devil is in the details. We look for passion about detail, flexibility, and talent. If we see someone who has all of these things, we see if their work can fit into our industry. The scarcest resource is design talent. What’s one of your best-selling products? Jason Phillips: The seatbelt chairs we have, which were featured in The Hunger Games. We found that designer in Bangkok. He has a sister who is married to the owner of a seatbelt factory, which inspired him. MP: We sold out of every color and every style of that chair, and we’re currently working on making an outdoor version. —Stephanie sims
Photo courtesy Phillips Collection
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DESIGN BUREAU
Objects & Gear
GET THE LOOK
Spiced-up classic design doesn’t stop in the Water Mill living room. For the master bath, Hart teamed up with Meredith Clark to create a collection of quirky ceiling lights. “I love the contrast of the polished nickel and the more earthy tones of the crystal drops. And the fullness of these fixtures provides a commanding presence in the room,” says Clark, owner of Chandi Incorporated. Their eye-catching design and soft amber glow makes the Water Mill bath the perfect place to prop up your feet and mellow in the suds.
Southampton Style Guide Interior designer Cheryl Hart shows us how to spin The Hamptons’prim style
C
lassic New England architecture gets an unexpected dose of quirkiness in this Southampton home. “My goal was to use the furnishings to bring a youthfulness and energy to the house,” says Cheryl Hart, the interior designer behind the look. “I tried to use a mix of high and low, new and vintage pieces to create a space that is both formal and comfortable, too.” Animal prints, unfinished furniture, and slate bookcases make the vaulted ceilings and wainscoting feel a bit more relaxed and inviting. a
want to replicate the look? check out these Similar items:
1. Söder Chandelier, $99.99, ikea.com
1
2. Old Hickory Tannery Gretna Yellow Armchair, $1,089.00, horchow.com 3. Old Hickory Tannery Chamberlain Chair, $3,699, horchow.com
3 2
4. Wellesley Tall Bookshelf, $1,705, laylagrayce.com 5. Gailbraith and Paul Willow White Pillow, $129, roomandboard.com 4
Photo courtesy of Cheryl Hart
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Paint Colors: Baseboards: White Dove with high gloss finish, Benjamin Moore Walls: Dove White by Benjamin Moore Ceilings: Sea Pearl, Benjamin Moore
Chandi
TM
Illuminating your vision www.chandilighting.com
WIN D OW TR E ATM E N TS & U P H O LSTE RY
w w w.customelegantdesigns.com
Custom Elegance
Custom Elegance is a full service drapery and upholstery workroom, specializing in both residential and commercial interior design projects. Our high quality products have been installed from Gainesville to South Beach, and in and around Central Florida. With our reputation of reliable service and attention to detail, we can help you with all your drapery and upholstery needs.
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BBEEBB A E M A S M P S R P E R A E D A D E A M S P R E A D BAE M AM S PSRPERAE D AD DESIGN BUREAU
Fashion & Beauty
15˚
25˚ 15˚
40˚ 25˚
15˚ 15˚15˚ 40˚ 15˚
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Fashion & Beauty
FASHION & BEAUTY History Rebooted 3 designers that are redefining heritage style this season For decades, fashion was either about breaking with classic ideas about style or reinforcing them. 2012 seems to be about having artistic license with heritage and history. Here are three designers who are doing it well. CONTINUED
DESIGN BUREAU
Because style never goes out of...style
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DESIGN BUREAU
Fashion & Beauty
(CONTINUED)
InAisce Colorado native Jona works out of Bushwick, Brooklyn these days, although he’s not following New York trends. Rather, he’s building a reputation piece by piece. This season's InAisce collection, entitled Pilgrim, features asymmetrical wool garments, offering a new take on classic peacoat style.
F/W COLLECTION: Pilgrim DESIGNER: Jona CITY: Brooklyn, NY WEBSITE: inaisce.com Photos by Xi Sinsong Production, Hair by MartinChristopher Harper Make-up by Kerrie Jordan
Panda Parker GalaabenD Japanese brand GalaabenD is named after the German phrase meaning “big night out.” Designer Miki Okawara makes clothes for men aspiring to be gentlemanly— perhaps with a dash of Artful Dodger thrown in.
F/W COLLECTION: Life DESIGNER: Miki Okawara CITY: Tokyo, Japan WEBSITE: galaabend.jp Photos by Naoki Ishizaka Styling by Tetsuo Kitahara (Kitaharagumi) Hair & Make-up by Noboru Tomizawa (cube)
Panda Parker tells us her latest collection “was inspired by one of London’s most iconic landmarks, The Tower.” She also says the collection is about redefining British heritage. “The Beefeaters also played a huge role in the design process—their charismatic presence and my secret obsession meant that their involvement was a must.” F/W COLLECTION: All the Queen's Horses DESIGNER: Panda Parker CITY: London, England WEBSITE: pandaparker.com
Photos by Panda Parker Models Harriet Brown, Chanie Munn Hair by Gary Melville Make-up by Polly Mann
Fashion & Beauty
DESIGN BUREAU
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DESIGN BUREAU
Fashion & Beauty
HIGH STYLE
geometric jewelry
Don't give in to the holiday blahs! Keep your edge all winter with the cold comforts of bold angles and precious elements
Betts pendant necklace in rhodium plate and crystal detailing Flutter By Jill Golden, $189, flutternyc.com
Supermoon pyrite by Cursive Design, $48, needsupply.com
Open cage bib Necklace in alpaca by Anndra Neen, $650, maryam nassirzadeh.com
Silver spiked earrings, $18, needsupply.com
Hammered collar necklace by Young Frank, $124, needsupply.com
V Ring Silver, $81, needsupply.com Species by the Thousands Chasm Bangle, $132, needsupply.com
Photo by Kaitlyn McQuaid
Two-tone ring ny Anndra Neen, $145, maryamnassirzadeh.com
Pendulum necklace by Alibi, $122, needsupply.com
Travel & Culture
TRAVEL & CULTURE
DESIGN BUREAU
Eat, shop, explore, do what you do
Gin Bars Around The World The new spirit obsession of the cocktail scene comes with its own dedicated bars by delia cai
CONTINUED
Bobby Gin Bar, photo by Pedro Pegenaute
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DESIGN BUREAU
Travel & Culture
GIN BARS AROUND THE WORLD
1
Callooh Callay
London, England / Not exclusively a gin joint, but Shoreditch bar Callooh Callay serves up some ferocious gin-based cocktails. Our favorite bit is the fake wardrobe that leads to the “secret” Jub Jub Bar. calloohcallaybar.com
2
THE SHANTY
Brooklyn, NY / The New York Distilling Company brings back a taste of Prohibition with its homemade gins, served statewide and at its own connecting bar, The Shanty. nydistilling.com Callooh Callay photos courtesy of Callooh Callay; The Shanty photos courtesy of The Shanty; Whitehall photo courtesy of Highlands Restaurant Group; Bobby Gin photos by Pedro Pegenaute
Travel & Culture
DESIGN BUREAU
WINTER SURVIVAL TIPS
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WHITEHALL
New York, NY / Get your grog and grub in this airy-yetindustrial New British kitchen that is modeled after London’s gardens and train stations. But with Whitehall’s signature cocktails (each numbered to indicate severity), there’s still plenty of room for some brash American chutzpah. whitehall-nyc.com
Get your gløgg on Conquer the winter blues with good friends and Scandinavian-style mulled wine
the day before 1. Boil a half pint of water with just under a half cup of sugar and these spices:
4
Bobby Gin
Barcelona, Spain / Nothing beats an oldsy G&T in hand while soaking in the equally oldsy, bohemian vibe of Bobby Gin. Recycled drawers for tables, cupboard bathroom doors, and frames on the ceiling? Trust us, it’s not your cocktail. We see it, too. bobbygin.com
5-7 peeled pods of cardamom seeds 4 whole cloves 1-2 sticks whole cinnamon Thinly shaved peel of 1 Seville orange 1 small piece of ginger, peeled and cut in two 2. Pour enough of your chosen spirit (our expert uses brandy, but rum, vodka, or Aquavit all work well) to just cover 1 pound of raisins 3. Cover with a lid and leave to infuse overnight
before serving 1. Strain the boiled and cooled spice mixture into a large glass bowl 2. Add 2 bottles red wine (a box of a full-bodied red will do just fine, just makes sure it has a varietal listed like Cabernet Sauvignon or Shiraz) 3. Add the soaked raisins (and any remaining spirit) 4. Warm up to boiling point, but do not boil. Add more sugar and/or spirit to taste 5. To serve, put a teaspoon into cups or glasses, pour in the hot gløgg with a few of the raisins and some blanched and halved almonds and enjoy! Recipe adapted from norway.org.uk with tips from mixologist Daniel Searing, author of The Punch Bowl Photo courtesy tastefoodblog.com
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DESIGN BUREAU
Travel & Culture
Modern Mountain Hideaways Six ski resorts that will put a designer twist on your week on the slopes
The designers echoed the snow-covered landscapes of the region in the resort’s exterior
by Sarah murray
1. BARIN SKI RESORT Shemshak, Iran Iran has sported cool ski resorts near Shemshak since the ‘50s, but this one’s modern design looks like it is from 2050. Iranian design studio RYRA created this igloo-inspired design for lodges at the Barin Ski Resort about an hour outside Tehran in 2011. Photos by Parham Taghioff, courtesy of Ryra Studio
The shelters were also inspired by arctic Igloos, but instead of ice blocks,the topographic layers are referenced in its design
2. ROCKSRESORT Laax, Switzerland The façade on the rugged, sugar cube-shaped buildings designed by Domenig Architekten are made from local quartzite. Open since 2010, the new resort features its own apartments, boutique hotel, shops, restaurants, and underground parking. rocksresort.com Photos courtesy of Weisse Arena Gruppe
External facades of massive, broken Valser quartzite Wet rooms feature fittings by Dormbrach
Travel & Culture
DESIGN BUREAU
Resin and concrete coated hearth and Derby armchair are featured in the second floor lounge of the chalets
Suspended bed is Fluttua, designed by Daniele Lago
3. CHALET TRANSHUMANCE Haute-Savoie, France Noe Duchafour Lawrance has created a beautiful masterpiece of modern geometry contrasted against the backdrop of a quaint ski resort. The fluidity of the lines and perfect coordination of color and form create an inviting yet avant-garde atmosphere. Each detail says classic lodge, but with a contemporary twist. Photos by Vincent Leroux/ temps machine
Designer and interior architect NoĂŠ DuchaufourLawrance created original furniture such as the Sunday Morning desk for the chalets
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DESIGN BUREAU
Travel & Culture
The lobby at Copperhill Mountain Lodge
4. COPPERHILL MOUNTAIN LODGE Åre, Sweden Architect Peter Bohlin’s master design of is complimented by Copperhill’s warm, inviting ambiance. The chic, modern log cabin runs parallel to a Swedish mountain range. The interior features vaulting ceilings and a huge central fireplace. Each room features 360-degree views of the mountains. copperhill.se; Photos courtesy of Copperhill Mountain Lodge, exterior photo by Jonas Kullman,
The suites feature two bedrooms, lounge and a kitchenette
Travel & Culture
DESIGN BUREAU
5. WHITEPOD Les Cerniers, Switzerland
Each pod is a geodesic structure anchored on a wooden platform
6. le lodge park
At an altitude of 1700m, this striking low-impact modern ski resort features luxury geodesic domes with wood-burning stoves mounted on wooden decks. The 15 pods sit around a chalet built in the 1800s. Surrounding the compound are four miles of ski trails, and its just 45 minutes from Geneva’s airport. whitepod.com; Photos by Vincent Hofer | Jean-Marc Palisse,
The Space Bar Trapper at Le Lodge Park
Megève, France Le Lodge takes the fancy-rustic look to a whole new level. Scads of mismatched plaid and rough-hewn log cabin ceilings create a comfortable-yetdecadent feel. The exterior is traditional ski lodge, but the interior growls with tasteful animal print. lodgepark. com; Photos courtesy Le Lodge Park / L. Di Orio, L Design & DR,
The Fulfillment Suite has a stone fireplace, bar and view of Mont d'Arbois
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Room Hotel BUREAU Wiesler comes Travel & Culture DESIGN 48 7 at the complete with guitar and typewriter
Austria’s Hip, Historic Hotel Historic Hotel Wiesler brings a casual-cool vibe to the luxury European travel experience Dating back to 1909, the Hotel Wiesler isn’t some new kid on the luxury hotel block, but it isn’t a fussy old European haunt, either. Renovated to its original style in 1986 after suffering as an officers quarters in the post-WWII period, the hotel has recently undergone another kind of dramatic transformation. Under the aegis of manager Florian Weitzer, Hotel Wiesler has emerged in 2012 as a modern, laid-back, somewhat quirky design hotel. Wisely, Weitzer hasn’t done away with its natural patina and vintage fixtures. The 21 refurbished rooms sport unique features such as a freestanding bathtub, a typewriter, small libraries, and acoustic guitars. Even Speisesaal, the hotel restaurant, gets remixed here; it’s a relaxed joint doing regional cuisine where a DJ spins vinyl. a
Photos by Lupi Spuma Fine Photography courtesy of Hotel Wiesler, hotelwiesler.com
Travel & Culture
Room 25's record player
The bathtub in Room 13
DESIGN BUREAU
Restaurant Speisessal
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DESIGN BUREAU
Travel & Culture
The New Coffee Shop Culture These two Java spots provide a pretty backdrop for your percolated beverage
The Café: Verve Coffee Roasters Pacific Avenue Location: Santa Cruz, CA Designed by: Fuse Architecture When Dan Gomez and Dan Townsend started designing Verve Coffee Roasters in Santa Cruz, they considered some of the other things that might bring a customer into a coffee house: the perfume of roasting coffee beans, the good looking barista behind the counter, and the lively coffee house culture. “You come in for a high quality cup of coffee, [but] you also come into a high quality design space,” Townsend says. “We can’t just serve a good cup of coffee and not deliver on the experience.” The Dans decided on a design that left Verve’s Pacific Avenue shop completely open so the coffee, kitchen, and baristas are always on view. Picture windows flood the store with natural light, and utilitarian tungsten bulbs, metal chairs and tables, and concrete floors give the shop an industrial chic look. It’s a space that encourages people to sit down and enjoy the atmosphere. The good coffee, we’re sure, doesn’t hurt either.—delia cai Verve images by Ted Holladay, courtesy of Fuse Architecture; Opelika images courtesy of Salvas Emig Architects
The Café: Opelika Coffee House Location: Opelika, AL Designed By: Salvas Emig Architects
&
Architect Ryan Salvas and his partner Josh Emig are two New York transplants who moved Opelika, Alabama— population: barely 27,000. While designing the town’s new namesake coffee shop, they used their favorite New York cafés for inspiration. Dark woods, a grand staircase, and a spacious, adaptable layout marry New York style with southern hospitality. “The shop can double as an art gallery,” Salvas adds. But if you don’t have time to stop in, don’t worry. A drive-thru window makes it easy to get a cup of joe on the go. —delia cai
modern living, historic spaces tekton.indd 1
7/2/12 10:00 A
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DESIGN BUREAU
Travel & Culture
RESTAURANT SPOTLIGHT INTERIORS THAT ARE AS ECLECTIC AS YOUR TASTEBUDS
1886 at the raymond What: A 610-square-foot
cocktail bar done in Craftsman style Where: Pasadena, CA who: SODA Design firm
Perfect for
custom drinks, old-school style
Designer Kate Matthews worked closely with Flynn to build custom tables for 1886. Matthews used her signature drafting table bases and “beefed them up” to counter height. “I love the base we made because the core design really captures that ideal blend of form and function,” Matthews says .Sit down at one and you’ll always be able to look the bartender in the eye when you’re ready for your next drink.
1886 sits in a dark corner of the Raymond Restaurant at the Raymond Hotel. “The inspiration came from the underground saloons and speakeasys that emerged during Prohibition,” says Derrick Flynn, the architect behind the bar’s design. “Stiff drinks and low light set the ambiance for an intimate, festive occasion not found on every corner.” Stop in for custom cocktails inspired by Pasadena’s local bounty, including The Orange Grove, an homage to the area’s famed citrus farms. a
Bahn Mi BOys Sandwich shop A Vietnamese sandwich shop with glossy details and street smart style Where: Toronto, Canada who: TED Design
What:
To make the narrow Bahn Mi Boys shop work, architect Peter Yip installed long benches along the wall and big picture windows out front to draw customers in off the street. Asian decor elements, such as the Chinese lighting lanterns, combine with urban touches, like the wraparound grafitti mural, to give the shop an “East meets West and old meets new vibe,” Yip says. a
1886 courtesy of SODA Design; Bahn Mi photo courtesy of TED Design; Hugos Manly photo by Neil Fenelon
Perfect for
street art and sandwiches
Travel & Culture
DESIGN BUREAU
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Perfect for
Dinner and a VIEW
hugos manly What: A wharfside watering hole that’s all about the view Where: Manly Ferry Wharf, Sydney, Australia WHo: Squillace
At Hugos Manly, all design details play up the incredible oceanside view. Architect Vince Squillace built the restaurant around a large veranda so that diners could sit literally on the water’s edge. The Manly area is also so sunny that Squillace had to tone it down a bit through his design. “Even on an overcast day, the light outside is bright, so the interior responds to this with much darker tones,” Squillace says of the restaurant’s dark floors, ceiling, and furniture. Between its low-key veranda and bustling back bar, Hugos Manly has something for everyone, making it the perfect place to wander into after a long day on the beach. a
BECAUSE QUALITY MATTERS We make elegant cast iron table bases for both home and office. Our drafting tables are favorites for designers and architects.
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7/9/12 12:19 PM
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structures & spaces
Enviable interiors to shamelessly ogle
INTERIOR INSPIRATION
Concrete Wallpaper much of the aesthetic appeal of living in an industrial loft is in the contrasts between rough and smooth, new and old, nicely finished furnishings against tough-looking surfaces. Fortunately, capturing that vibe in more genteel surroundings isn’t as hard now, thanks to Norwegian photographer Tom Haga’s ConcreteWall wallpaper. The heavy duty vinyl wallpaper is available in 36 different high-resolution concrete images shot by Haga—there are also a few attic- and wood-inspired papers for a more rustic look. The patterns don’t repeat, keeping the illusion alive, and each one can be colored, lightened, or darkened upon request. Haga’s designs have already found a home amongst the fashion set: the designs have been used in Diesel stores and featured in H&M ad campaigns. Talk about concrete approval. a
Photo: Tom Haga, concretewall.no
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DESIGN BUREAU
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High-Design, helping hand An interior designer helps freshen up a shelter for families getting back on their feet
Cartoon Constructions Animation-inspired Character Buildings liven up a Midwest media center
Hang out in Urbana’s Independent Media Center for a bit, and you’ll start speaking their lingo: it’s not just a reception desk—it’s the “Deskasaur.” Instead of a bulletin board, it’s “Pinup Pam.” And if you’re here to donate some books, you’ll use the “Stampy Dropbox.” Despite the zany names, these furniture pieces are actually functional. Stewart Hicks and Allison Newmeyer, the University of Illinois professors behind Design With Company, dreamed up the cartoon-inspired furnishings after the IMC—a grassroots organization working on social justice issues—moved into their old post office space.
Interior designer Elizabeth Bomberger is bringing a little bit of style to those less fortunate by designing an apartment for the Upward Bound House Family Shelter in Marina Del Rey, CA. Bomberger, along with other local designers, renovated an apartment in the 18-room facility, which serves as a temporary shelter for women and children. “Everyone was very helpful and cheerful,” Bomberger says of the project. “Instead of it being competitive, we were all helping hands—it was fun and for a great cause.” Bomberger raised money to purchase second-hand furniture in flea markets and online, while other items, including the beds, were donated. The space’s main inspiration came from the Asian-inspired red, black, and cream colored panels, which Bomberger hung above the queen size bed and framed in crown molding to create a headboard. “I wanted to make it cheerful and happy,” she says. “Why can't you have a luxurious home and feel good about yourself?” —Lesley stanley
Shelter images courtesy Vivre; Character Building photos by Stewart Hicks
“We wanted to create focal points that would collect the institution into concentrated nodes of activity rather than the scattered and diluted zones they had before,” Hicks explains, crediting inspiration to architect John Hejduk, known for producing bizarre city-scale figures in the ‘70s and ‘80s. “We thought we could treat the IMC like a small-scale city where these pieces roam around while creating a distinct character to the organization.” Built with donated labor and simple materials, the Character Buildings pair community and creativity, and often warrant double and triple-takes.—Delia Cai
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BEFORE/AFTER
ranch revival
A mainstay of the Southwest (and the ’70s) gets a redo from a contemporary interior designer “All the archways came out without many structural implications,” Harrigan says. As the archways were removed, rooms like the kitchen and dining room were expanded and slightly relocated. The only rooms that remained were the bathrooms and the master bedroom.
The renovated kitchen is now much more user-friendly. A curved breakfast bar lets friends and family socialize with the cook.
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utting, remodeling, and completely recreating a home is not something Sandra Harrigan normally does. “Most clients want a partial remodel or an addition or interior design work,” she says. Which is why she is particularly proud of her transformation of a ‘70s style ranch home into a more contemporary dwelling.
Besides being a bit out of date, the outside walls of the property were stucco, and the inside featured garish mauve and teal walls, white tile floors, and short archways that the homeowners just didn’t think filled their needs anymore. The homeowner husband is a gourmet cook and likes to entertain, but felt the kitchen was small and limited. The homeowner wife wanted a dedicated pantry area instead of
Photos by Jordan Doner
random cupboards. They also needed a larger garage and an office area, and they wanted to open the home up a bit by pushing up the ceiling height and adding on to the outdoor patio and roof deck. It was clearly not a small task, but Harrigan took on the job. Two months in, she discovered termite damage—in addition an unsound structure. Coupled with the major changes, this meant the job needed a full remodel. Despite the many challenges, in the end, Harrigan’s clients got exactly what they wanted: a modern home perfect for indoor and outdoor entertaining. “The full remodel was a complete surprise to do, but I am very proud of this,” Harrigan says. —STEPHANIE SIMS
THE
STEVE FIREPLACE GUY
MASTER GASFITTER
STUDIO H INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE DESIGN / PLANNING
“Quality far above the rest!” SENGA INTERIOR DESIGN
Steve Swerdlin 301-370-4273 steveswerdlin@gmail.com
Stark Consturction
WWW.STUDIOHINC.COM 480.703.1520 15202 South 19th Way, Phoenix, Arizona 85048
open to people, ideas and solutions... creating a personal space beyond your imagination info@sengadesign.com www.sengadesign.com 650-346-7883 (cell) 650-345-4636 (office)
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GET THE LOOK
Great Gatsby Style turn your pad into a roaring west egg house of decadence just in time for the hollywood remake
B
az Luhrmann’s new adaptation of the F. Scott Fitzgerald classic novel is hitting the big screen in just a few weeks, and we’re predicting that the look of the Roaring Twenties (in 3D, no less) will get an extra style bump from Hollywood. To help you get a head start on what is sure to be a new the trend, we’ve combed designer showrooms for the best in Art Deco and Twenties style, the kind that made Midwesterner Nick Carraway envious in the first place. Think mirrored consoles, geometric shapes, and black and white enamel. Of course, we can’t guarantee Leo, Carrie, and Toby will drop by to do the Charleston or throw back Gin Fizzes. But hey, that’s what the movies are for, right? a
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Baroque wallpaper, $155/ roll, grahambrown.com Arteriors Maxim Iron Beaded Chandelier, $1,644.00, zincdoor.com Burst Mirror, $948.00, zincdoor.com Marco Table Lamp, $225, mgbwhome.com Orrefors Crystal Dance Swing Vase, $325, cdpeacock.com Harrington Coffee Table, $1,406.00, zincdoor.com Donnabella Chest, $2,065, mgbwhome.com Bliss Studio Art Deco Industrial Bookcase, $3,438, zincdoor.com Dean Leather Chair II in Tobacco, $1,495 mgbwhome.com
Structures & Spaces
DESIGN BUREAU
All About tiLe
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Redesigning a bathroom can be tricky... especially when it comes to selecting the proper tiles. Designer Maxine Shriber answers a few tough questions on tile conundrums By lauren carroll
DB: What should people consider before selecting their bathroom tile? MS: Their use and where they are going. Some tiles are very porous and therefore you can’t put them in, say, the shower. You always have to think about what materials are going where. DB: Any insider tips or tricks for achieving a great tiled look? MS: Monochromatic color schemes offer different designs and structures within the same look. In the shower, blue creates such a warm environment. But what is absolutely key in achieving a successful design is having exceptional people and craftsmen.
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DB: When piecing together a mosaic, how do you plan it so that the final product is flawless? MS: It can be nail-biting going in to a project [and] not being able to visualize the design. For the East Hamptons house,I did a paper tracing of the design to full scale on a sheet. Once done, we realized the design was too small and too repetitious, so we enlarged the detail and it came out beautifully. We do that sort of thing all the time—with tables, with floors…everything.
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Maxine's Tile Traps to Avoid
Don’t make a mistake and do one of these things:
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1. Create patterns that are too busy 2. Work with 12 x 12 foot tiles—“ I might as well be in a motel,” says Shriber. 3. Using all one stone. “I don’t want you to walk into a room and feel like I’m in the marble business.” Photo courtesy Maxine Shriber
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Structures & Spaces
Fire Station Style
Oxford’s Old Fire Station gets a style update and serves multiple needs in an era of stripped-down budgets
The Old Fire Station project in Oxford, England, is known for the bright cherry red trim around its street-level windows. The colorful border strikes a sharp contrast to the dull concrete and colorless bricks of nearby sidewalks and buildings. But the 1890s-era property wasn’t always so bright. Formerly a fire station, then a nightclub, and then an office building, the space had grown tired and worn in recent years. An amalgamation of three buildings, the development had also become impractical and cluttered—as evidenced by its 23 staircases. But after last year’s stylish redesign by English architecture firm Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, the Old Fire Station has become a symbol of regeneration and a draw for Oxford residents and visitors. The multi-purpose development includes a café, theater, and art gallery. “The vision for the building was to balance the existing ‘stripped back’ fabric with new robust industrial materials such as galvanized mesh balustrades and exposed oil coated steel surfaces on handrails and staircases,” Gitsham says. Because of their proximity, Gitsham says the organizations have developed a unique bond. The homeless, for example, may work in the kitchen which makes food for the café or create art that is sold or displayed in the gallery, he says. “It’s a unique project that offers direct community benefit,” he says. “The building’s two organizations are in genuine collaboration, sharing spaces and working together.” —Andrew Schroedter
Exterior and stairwell photos copyright Kingerlee Ltd; all others Copyright Lord & Leverett
Structures & Spaces
DESIGN BUREAU
Untitled (G.S. I) 2006, 70 x 50 cm (27 x 20")
Rooms with a View Berlin photographer Menno Aden shoots urban spaces from the oddest of places: from above
In Menno Aden’s photo series Room Portraits, even familiar places like grocery stores and classrooms feel foreign when seen from above. “The idea of room portraits was born when I did a kind of diary of everyday food I ate,” Aden says. “I took pictures of the table from above, standing on a chair. The cups, plates, and food became very abstract, and the food didn’t look that tasty anymore.” To get the aerial shots, Aden uses monopods or tripods with a boom and remote control to map a room, then he composites together several images. He prefers photographing small, ordinary rooms, and says although he doesn’t have a dream room to photograph, a factory would be interesting. “The view from above is a very analytic view,” he says. “All the things look emancipated next to each other.” a
Bottom left: Untitled (Rehears.Room) 2008, 100 x 96 cm (39 x 38"); Bottom right: Untitled (Anonymous II) 2008, 100 x 134 cm (39 x 53")
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Room in a Box No time to decorate your home piece by piece? Sojo Collections delivers pre-styled rooms without the headache The idea behind the room deisgns Sojo Collections creates is simple: browse online through six different interior styles, select your style, submit a floor plan. Then, in about four weeks, you can expect to receive a completely furnished room delivered to your door—right down to the vacuum cleaner. Ordering an entire room may sound a little strange, but interior designer Sofia Joelsson has been working this way for the past 10 years, putting together entire home styles on the fly. She recently launched Sojo Collections to capitalize on her fast design know-how, curating each collection with a focus on classic, longwearing pieces. Though she mentions that she adds new collections every six months so that no two rooms will ever look exactly alike.“We don’t want it to look like rooms to-go or something that is predetermined,” Joelsson says. “I still believe in getting a designer that is actually thinking about space.” Joelsson’s designer room-in-a-box is meant to offer the best of both worlds: custom interior designs, but without the high price tag. “We’re offering a collection that you will get in a great lead time and a fantastic price point. But you will also get the luxury of actually having a designer or decorator choose the pieces for you.” And for those who want interior design fast, it’s definitely nice to have the option.—Delia Cai
SHORTCUTS
HAVE A HEARTH One interior designer’s affinity for fireplaces Jeanette Kelly never had a fireplace while growing up, so she was always fascinated by them. Now at JM Kelly Interiors, she’s a pro at designing fireplaces and knows the secret to a successful hearth. “First and foremost, it has to integrate beautifully with the room,” she says. “It can’t be a singular piece of sculpture that has no relationship to the rest of the room and the rest of the house.” And whether you’re a city dweller (for whom Kelly prescribes a “streamlined, hip fireplace”) or the backyard bushwhacking type (she says using granite is perfect for that rustic feel), Kelly believes fireplaces are timeless. “It’s such a distinctive, unique object,” she says. “I think people are always going to gravitate to a place that conveys warmth and security and gathering.”—DELIA CAI Photos courtesy of Sojo and JM Kelly Interiors
For her Hibiscus home, Joelsson wanted a barrelshaped table without the barrel bands, and Sempre Avanti Woodwork and Design delivered. “The challenge faced was achieving the look of a barrel without the use of traditional metal bands,” says Vilon Ramos of Sempre Avanti. To produce the design, the woodworkers just had to apply a little heat. “The solid oak foyer table base was constructed by steam-bending the oak to form the compound radius of a barrel,” says Ramos. “It was a custom method based on the look and design that we wanted to achieve.”
DutchMade CUSTOM CABINETRY
Since 1981
Sempre Avanti prides itself in manufacturing custom woodwork that is limitless in design and of superior craftmenship. We have been successful in servicing South Florida's upscale custom commercial & residential millwork market for over the past 30 years. We specialize in custom residential and commercial kitchens, bathrooms, wall units, paneling, and furniture. We are proud to introduce our new design department, offering 3D & 2D renderings, and a limitless collection of samples.
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2022 Thomas Street, Hollywood, FL 33020 phone: 954-920-5900 | fax: 978-945-5900 email: info@sawoodworkdesign.com facebook: facebook.com/sawoodworkdesign twitter: @SempreAvanti | instagram: sawoodworkdesign web: www.sawoodworkdesign.com
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5 tips from a pro Embarking on a kitchen or bath Reno? Read on for smart suggestions from interior designers that will keep you sane through the process
5 THINGS TO KNOW BEfore beginning your BATHROOM REMODEL From interior designer patricia davis brown of PDB Design About Patricia Davis Brown: Brown knows her way around a bathroom. For 18 years, her work focused exclusively on designing functional and beautiful baths (and kitchens, too). Davis Brown even lectures on the merits of excellent bath design, so she’s the perfect person to offer up a few pointers on bathroom upgrades.
5 tips for a kitchen redesign
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From interior designer AGNES MOSEr of SENGA Interior Design About Agnes Moser: This interior designer comes by the profession naturally—growing up, she watched her parents remodel their old Swiss farm house. Moser’s interest in reworking spaces stuck with her, and helped to inform her design style today. 2 1
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Help, Please!
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Have Fun With Materials
“Your eyes may glaze over when you see dozens of granite slabs and hundreds of tile options, so let the professionals help you with the final material selection. They will help you cut through the maze and come up with a beautiful and personal space.” 4
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Contracting Professionals
Practice Patience
“Remember, some of the ‘horror stories’ may seem like huge problems, but in the end, they are just that: stories. Try to relax and approach everything with a smile on your face. A call to the professional can often put everything into perspective. And those horror stories will be good anecdotes to share at the first party!”
Photos courtesy of Senga and Patricia Davis Brown
Be prepared for bidding
“I recommend bidding with three different builders or subcontractors so you can get a good picture of what the bids should be. And remember, the lowest bid is not always the right one.”
“Get at least three bids and make sure everyone is bidding off the same scope of work. It does make a difference to the tile setter how intricate the tile design is when he bids that part of the job.” 5
Do your research
“You do not want to date yourself on a brand new remodel by putting in last year’s trends, so stay on top of the latest products and technologies for the bathroom. One of the good things about using a professional designer is they are in the know on the latest looks and will bring them to you.”
“Be open to suggestions from your designer. They have created dozens of spaces, and they may come up with suggestions you have not yet considered.” 3
Don’t forget the lighting
“Every room needs good lighting, but the kitchen and bathroom are the rooms that need a layered lighting plan. A layered lighting plan covers general lighting, task lighting, and ambient lighting for the multiple purposes of a bathroom.”
Think Function
“The kitchen is essentially a work place, so function is the most important part of a successful remodel. Ask yourself: how you will be using the space? Will you have one cook or two? Do you entertain a lot? Would a second fridge, microwave, or sink make sense? Consider how you will use the space before making decisions.”
Have a plan
“Most people make the mistake of going to the builder first, but a professional plan puts the ball in your court. This allows the homeowner to get accurate bids and be able to determine if the project is in their budget. If you find you’re out of budget, then you are able to value engineer it by substituting less expensive materials to bring the cost into budget.
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Ask for references
“A full bathroom remodel takes about three months to complete in full, so you want to make sure that you pick the right contractor to work with. I always recommend asking for three references before I consider hiring such an important person. And before you meet with anyone, make sure they are licensed and insured.”
Structures & Spaces
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Surpassing Excellence
Zen Restoration Inc. 273 Russell Street Brooklyn, NY 11222
T: 718-387-6700 F: 718-387-5500 www.zengeneral.com zen@zengeneral.com
Zen Restoration is a general contractor specializing in custom high-end renovations. We value adaptability, positivity, experience, craftsmanship, and longlasting relationships.
CUSTOM MILLWORK HVAC ELECTRICAL PLUMBING AV STONE WORK STAIRS WOOD FLOORS
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Design Thinking
Design Thinking
MITRE DESIGN: Gary Lee Studios
www.halconcorp.com
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Dialogue
Dialogue
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Hard at Work Design entrepreneur Gary Lee shares the secret behind his success—and insanity By Lesley Stanley PORTRAIT by lisa predko
Gary Lee is insane. This he will tell you himself. In the past 20 years, the Chicagobased designer has successfully steered his design firm, Gary Lee Partners, into prosperity with its acclaimed hospitality and residential projects, while also creating Chai Ming Studios, a custom design furniture line. This year, with the opening of Atelier Gary Lee, a curated collection of furnishings, artwork, and accessories at Chicago's Merchandise Mart, Lee is letting the design world know business is still as usual— growing. The entrepreneur talks about his inspiration, drive, and those industry standards he'd like to change. DB: What inspires you? Have you found it's changed over the course of your career? Gary Lee: As a designer, I’ve always been attracted to things that are beautiful and that portray a certain feeling. For me, that is architecture, art, photography, fashion, food—anything creative. My taste has evolved over the many years I’ve been doing this, and has been affected by the culture we live in; what we like, what we don’t, technology, and I think it’s also based on the resources we have available. In the old days, we couldn’t make the things that we can make now, which has created a richer pool of creative resources to pull from. DB: Do you think there is a difference between inspiration and having a drive for your work? GL: They’re one in the same vehicle, but there’s definitely a difference. Inspiration is what all artistic people respond to and comes from training your artistic eye and opening yourself to the various stimuli in our world. My drive is a little different in that I’ve always wanted my practice to be the best it can be. I take my design team very seriously. I have a very strong responsibility to take care of and protect them, and keep them happy and challenged so we can make good, collaborative work. I love it, and that keeps me going. DB: How did you get involved in three different design businesses? GL: The evolution of each has turned them into what they are today. My design business is something I will always have, and our custom product line, which has evolved into Chai Ming Studios, is not a collection, but a catalog of timeless and beautiful designs we hope other designers can use. The showroom brings
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Dialogue
Interiors by Gary Lee Partners Project:
Tribeca Loft Location:
Tribeca, NYC Photographer:
Nathan Kirkman Right: Sofas and sectional designed for Chai Ming Studios and available at Atelier Gary Lee Left: Custom millwork designed by Gary Lee Partners
Project:
Single family home expansion and renovation Location:
Highland Park, IL Photographer:
Tony Soluri Channel sofa and Dante chairs, designed by Gary Lee Partners for Chai Ming Studios
Project:
The RitzCarlton Residences, Chicago, Unit 18A Location:
Chicago, IL Photographer:
Nathan Kirkman
If you’re in the market for beautiful new office furniture, check into Lee’s Mitre Collection. Its hand-selected woods and glossy veneers manage to make basic office pieces look downright sexy. Lee worked on the collection with Halcon, an office casegoods manufacturer known for their striking aesthetics. The collection is new, but the working relationship shared between the two design shops goes back nearly twenty years. “I had always been an admirer of Halcon,” says Lee. “I met Fred Poisson, Halcon’s VP of Design, in the early ‘90s, and creative and collaborative discussions began. The rest is history.” Take one look at the Mitre Collection’s beauty, and it’s clear that Lee and Halcon perfectly understand each other’s aesthetic obsession with details. “Craftsmen and craftsmanship remain integral to our manufacturing process,” says Ben Conway, Halcon’s president. “God is in the details, and Gary’s designs are so refined and classic. Our sequence-matched veneer layups, perfectly mitered corners, and clarity of finish are just some of the details we execute that are not otherwise achievable by mass-production.”
Dialogue
To get the word out about Lee’s new Atelier, Steve Liska and his team at Liska and Associates crafted a memorable communication campaign. Thanks to their work, the print and digital representations of the Atelier capture the space’s spirit to a T. “People want to know what to experience from a brand,” Liska says. “It is critical that language, images, and mediums all speak with the same voice.”
me tremendous joy, because I care very much about the collaboration involved. The philosophy behind it is for it to be a design resource for the community. It’s new for me, but I’m always going to be working because I love this stuff. I’m insane, but I’m a happy person. DB: What have you learned about yourself over the course of your career? GL: I’ve learned that I can be extremely resourceful when I’m challenged. As a business owner of three companies, I’ve gained a problem solving aspect, and not just for the design and creative problems. We have to remember we are not only designers, but consultants. It requires a lot of client management, being truthful and diligent, and being able to support clients by either finding answers for them or telling them why there’s a better idea. DB: What about the design industry doesn't sit well with you? How would you change it? GL: We as a professional community need to embrace and respect what each one of us does, and figure out
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when to collaborate with each other. I still see lines being a little too hard-edged. Also, I see a lot of projects that aren’t inspired by original passion—it’s become very market driven and it waters down what everyone creates, making it hard to find the original source and best version. There’s enough ingenuity in this country to make a design your own; put your foot down, and do what you want to do. I’m just getting into my own version, and I’m going to bring what I think is the best and hope people respond to that. DB: What are your hopes for your career in the years to come? GL: I hope I will always be able to do this. I don’t think I have an orthodox career so that when I turn 60 next year I’m going to retire. I hope that I created three very strong companies, and that they all achieve independent success, but help each other out in making my design studio a very creative, successful business that continues for many years. We have to keep up with technology, resources, and maintain and attract the best designers in the world. It keeps me on my toes. a
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Dialogue
Image, Style, DesigN
The Gift of Perception The real reason why you end up getting gifts that miss the mark
To M ol I hop ly: e you en this g ift! I joy t remi nds m e of m Lov e. e, Gra ndm a
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omeone once told me that you never give a person art as a present. It’s a presumptuous gift that forces your style onto others, he claims. And he has a point. Although the gift giver believes a certain style of art to be worth sharing with someone, it is rather presumptuous to assume that the recipient feels the same way. What if he or she only enjoys modern art, and you just gave him or her a still life oil painting as a present? Is the recipient now required to display this in their home out of courtesy for you, even though it isn’t a reflection of their tastes? It’s a slippery etiquette slope. But at some point in all of our lives, we have all received a gift from someone that doesn’t jibe with our tastes, despite the giver’s best intentions. Why do people continue to give gifts that are just wrong? Can’t they tell that this just isn’t
your style? The difference lies in perception. A gift giver bestows upon a person a present that matches their perception of the recipient. It is how they view us, and the gift they are giving is (hopefully) something they believe will enhance the person’s life. But other peoples’ perceptions of us don’t necessarily match our own self-perception, which results in a gift missing the mark. And although well-intentioned, when a gift doesn’t match with a person’s own self-perception, it ends up being awkward for both the giver and recipient. How can other people’s view of us be so different from our own? It lies in how we present ourselves. Many times we act a certain way with one group of people and differently with another, leaving behind a different perception than what was intended. Think about being at family gatherings. Typically, we are on our best behavior when we are with grandparents and distant
relatives, as that is how we were taught to behave as children. When it comes time for those people to give us gifts, they provide us with something that they think is nice and reflective of their caring for us, even though it might not be reflective of how we view ourselves. Hence, the gift of bird sweaters at Christmas or the ugly painting. But hey, it’s the thought that counts, right? This holiday season, consider gift giving an opportunity to carefully consider the recipient’s self-image. How does your friend, cousin, grandma, or teacher view him- or herself? Will your nice gesture be in line with his or her viewpoint? Giving a gift always feels good, but it feels even better to provide a person with something that is in keeping with his or her own self-perceptiom. After all, do you want to be the one giving an ugly sweater or an out-of-place painting that will wind up in the closet?—STEVEN FISCHER
Steven Fischer is lecturer of Image, Style, & Design at Northwestern University, president of the Valspar Color Institute. For more details, go to imagestyledesign.com
BUILDING YOUR VISION
www.skender.com
Clune Construction Company is proud to be affiliated with Gary Lee Partners
10 south lasalle suite 300 chicago illinois 60603 phone (312) 726-6103 www.clunegc.com los angeles
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bureau of ergonomics
frustrating plastic packaging and the future of siri Certified Ergonomist Dr. Rob Tannen explains the latest in tactile design quandaries
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Why do kids’ toys come inside plastic packaging that seems to be impossible to open?
A: I’ve heard various theories about why packaging designs that cause “wrap rage” exist: to provide more jobs in the packaging factory, to prevent theft (both in the factory and in the store), and to make the toys more visible, but secure. Also, keep in mind that toys were among the first mass-produced products to be shipped from overseas and all that packaging protects the precious cargo during the long transit. However, my favorite rationale is that it forces the parents to destroy the packaging, thereby preventing returns once the kids lose interest in a couple of weeks. In truth, some industries (e.g. meds) require tamper-resistant packaging, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be simpler to open. Consumer pressure is causing some manufacturers to improve their
Text by Dr. Rob Tannen; Illustration by Luke Williams
packaging accessibility, as is the eco-trend to go from plastic to cardboard and other greener materials, but don’t expect change to come quick enough.
Q: Is voice recognition, like Siri, the future of interface design? A: Voice recognition is one of those trends that seems to come around every few years, but never lasts—kind of like electric cars or professional baseball in Washington, DC. Although voice interaction provides great usability advantages over all other types of interfaces, it seems to suffer from the social stigmas of talking to an inanimate object, as well as a lack of privacy. I expect that voice interfaces will continue to be offered as an alternative option, but it will always be paired with manual controls. In the long term, I’m anxious to see further development of subvocalization interfaces that can potentially detect commands from silent speech patterns (like when you read to yourself). a
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D E S I G N
A BOUTIQUE URBAN DESIGN AND PLANNING FIRM design for new communities, parks, and homes vision planning for existing communities design codes and design review
The Ideal Texas Beach Destination
A traditional seaside village on Mustang Island 888.893.0656 cinnamonshore.com cinnamon shore.indd 1
Mark Schnell Seagrove Beach, FL 850.419.2397 SchnellUrbanDesign.com 7/3/12 2:03 PM
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hot topic
A new take on NEW URBANISM A Texas town’s design tweaks the hotly-contested architecture model for the better
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ew Urbanism gets a bad rap. It’s the controversial set of ideals that, theoretically, promotes neighborhood walkability, a strong sense of community, and cheery architectural style. But architects have lambasted built New Urbanist towns, including Disney’s quaint Celebration, Florida, for being elitist, unrealistic, and unsustainable. The framework has lurked at architecture’s outskirts for the past 20 years, but some architects are bravely working within its parameters onece again. Mark Schnell is one such architect, and his design for Cinnamon Shore, a New Urbanist community on the South Texas coast, has architects talking. Here, he talks back. DB: At just 39, you represent a new generation of New Urbanist designers. How does Cinnamon Shore compare to or contrast with its predecessors?
Mark Schnell: I don’t think New Urbanism is so much of an orthodoxy as many think. There are broad principles, but not a single way to do things. For example, Cinnamon Shore has reduced the overall number of parking spaces compared to most conventional developments, but some New Urbanist communities reduce the number even more. We’ve tried to have enough parking without it overwhelming the pedestrian environment. There is a relatively wide price range for residential units at Cinnamon Shore. This is a goal of many New Urbanist communities, but isn’t always reached because of demand. We’ve accomplished this largely through a variety of lot, building, and unit types. DB: New Urbanist developments usually favor historic architectural styles. How do you prevent the Disney World effect at Cinnamon Shore? MS: I’m as much a fan of the glass box as a nicely done traditional home. It was about finding the right mix for this place. It’s intentionally simple, and I think that’s the heart of its success. It’s a hybrid of Gulf Coast vernacular and modern cottage. There’s a great practicality to a lot of the building traditions that led to things like shading, and they’re still valid. Also, the landscape is a very open grassland: very sparse, very beautiful. A fussy house out there, full of lots of imported details, really did not feel right at all.—brian libby
Photos courtesy of Mark Schnell
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candid conversations
DESIGNing For news anchors
Interior designer Bradley Stephens knows a little something about the pressures of designing for high-profile people; past clients of his include news personalities Anderson Cooper, Soledad O’Brien, and Elizabeth Vargas. These in-demand clients mean Stephens needs to keep things flexible, and he needs to maintain a sense of humor while perfecting their pads. Here, Stephens discusses what it’s like working for news anchors with style. By delia cai Photos by Pernille Pedersen
On meeting client and CNN newsman Anderson Cooper for the first time: “I bumped into Anderson on a flight from Los Angeles, and we immediately hit it off. I have to be honest, I didn’t know who he was. Then I was out working on a project, and I ran into him at a carpet show room. There he was with two samples of carpet, looking unsure of what he was doing. He asked what I was doing there, and I told him I was a designer, and he asked, “Can you help me do my loft? I totally don’t know what to do...” On designing a child-proof place for CNN morning reporter Soledad O’Brien: “When I first met Soledad, we had been meeting for 10 minutes when the door opened to the apartment, and in came her four children, returning back from a birthday party. They were in their party dresses and were covered in chocolate ice cream—they had it in their hair. It was such a mess, and she was like,‘This is what I need. I need an apartment to withstand this.’” On communicating with Cooper: “The funny thing with Anderson was digital communication. There were times when I knew he was on television, and I’d be emailing him questions about the draperies, and I was thinking, ‘You’re sitting there talking to Sarah Jessica Parker, and in between, you’re texting me what fabric you want.’” On the challenges of working with high profile clients: “These people are so hard to track down. I end up carrying half my office around so I can throw everything on the table at Starbucks. You have no idea how many meetings I’ve had in cars between wherever they need to be.”a
Bradley Stephens likes to finish his projects with rich touches, and Italian textiles add the perfect amount of plush. Their fine detailing comes from centuries of experience mixed with an unexpected design resource. “The water from the Alps, that is the main ingredient in the finishing of fabrics,” says Fabrizio Biasiolo, owner of Casa del Biasiolo. Biasiolo, an authority on fine Italian fabrics, swears that crystal Alpine spring water creates the silky texture found in superior textiles. “To use an analogy, you can tell about high quality fabrics what you can tell about whiskey,” he says. “The reason you must brew it in Scotland is not the malt, but the water.” Fabric, metal, glass, stones, even rope—for each Bradley Stephens project, Bone Simple Design dreams up a lighting fixture that’s a little bit different. “For me lighting is all about texture,” says Chad Jacobs, owner of Bone Simple. “That may sound strange, but all my fixtures have light passing through some sort of material. Therefore, the light will have its own unique quality and characteristics.” Sounds just like Stephens’ designs.
Above left: Stephens’East 79th Street Residence in New York incorporates the designer’s signature details that help make homeowners’lives a bit more sane Above center and right: Anderson Cooper’s loft in New York City
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building next door to the obamas Remodeling a home while living next door to the President comes with some red tape... and a few perks By Kathryn Freeman Rathbone Photos by Katrina Whittencamp
5040 South Greenwood Avenue sits right next door to the obamas' private home. Located in Chicago’s tony Kenwood neighborhood, the property sold in 2010 and the new owners quickly began a massive restoration of the structure. But when the President of the United States owns the home next door, renovating becomes a bit of a process. Robert Berg, president of Foster Design Build, oversaw every detail of the project, from the purchase of the house to the moment the new owners moved in. He shares what it’s like working on a house with the First Family as the neighbors next door. DB: What was it like to have the Secret Service monitoring the home’s progress? Robert Berg: I have to say that the Secret Service is a top-notch organization to work with. This project became interesting when we began general construction. Every person and every thing that came onto the site—trucks, lumber, portable toilets—the Secret Service had to know about it. There were over 400 workers on the job, and everybody had to be screened. We would send a copy of each worker’s driver’s license to the Secret Service, and within 24 hours we would have a response on clearance. We also made everybody sign a non-disclosure act. We did this for about a year and a half. DB: Did you ever have a security scare while working on the home? RB: When President Obama or the First Lady would come into town, we would be given 36 hours notice. We would have to call off all the work at the site, remove all the materials, and then the Secret Service would bring the bomb-sniffing dogs through. We would have to leave everything unlocked in preparation for the walk-through. If the dog knew that something was wrong, it would sit down in front of the problem.
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One time, we accidentally left a tool box locked, and the dog sat down in front of it. The carpenter came back and unlocked it, and inside there was gun powder residue that was the size of a pea. It had come from a nail shooter. It was incredible that the dog could sense it. DB: There had to have been a few benefits to working with the Secret Service. Can you tell us about a few, or have you been sworn to secrecy? RB: If you’re a builder in the city of Chicago, you typically are going to have a break-in at some point. That definitely wasn’t an issue on this home. I could have left my car running all day, and it never would have been a problem. When it snowed so heavily [in February 2010], the street, driveway, and sidewalk in front of President Obama’s home was always spotless. Living next door definitely has its advantages. It’s the safest neighborhood in the world. a
Facing page: This contemporary steel addition actually sits on the back of the home. “The front facade has to be historically accurate to 1/8-inch,”Berg says.
Below: A palette of crisp black and white make the home’s interiors feel very of-the-moment
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Notes from the Bureau News and Musings from the world of architecture and design
Working on the loft’s completely custom and complex cabinetry could have been a bit nerve-wracking, but contractor Mark Carthy took the challenge in stride. “The bigger the challenge, the better,” says Carthy, president of Jordan Design Group. “We had to discuss what was and wasn’t negotiable.” And when a problem came up, Butler took Carthy’s suggestions to heart. “Alex was very open-minded about substituting different materials,” Carthy says.
Lofted Living The only thing tougher than maximizing space in Manhattan? Doing it for your in-laws
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t’s like a twisted game of interior design ‘Would You Rather?’ but Alexander Butler pulled off both challenges beautifully with the Kornfeld Residence, the 52nd-floor New York apartment owned by his spouse’s parents. They wanted their designer son-in-law to expand the home, which had been regrettably hemmed in at just 1,300 square-feet. To maximize the space, Butler’s first move was eliminating a kitchen wall and then removing old storage units from the windows. “You immediately got about two and a half more feet of light,” Butler says. “It gave the illusion that
we really increased the open space.” And with “Let the process happen organically,” he the south and westward vistas open, Butler says. “And maybe break down some walls arranged the dining table so that the head along the way.” a would have an eyeful of the Hudson River and Central Park. “You just have amazing, By DELIA CAI uninterrupted views,” he says. “Basically, it’s PHOTOS BY ELK STUDIOS a 270-degree sweep of Manhattan.”
“Let the process happen organically. And maybe break down some walls along the way.” —ALEXANDER BUTLER
Inside, clever space-savers abound, like a pop-up TV console, hallway-convertedcloset, sliding doors, and glass shelves. For loft livers planning to maximize space in their own digs (or maybe good in-law relationships), Butler has some words of advice.
Designer Instinct Sometimes the most challenging part of a project is letting go of the control. This couple proves that trust is always in style.
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nyone who is married knows that trust is an essential part of a happy union. Fortunately, designer Mia Rao worked with two clients on a second home project who not only trusted each other’s design styles, but also hers.
The owners each had a vision for the design of their twobedroom condo in downtown Chicago: the wife wanted a clean, modern aesthetic while her husband’s lone requirement was a Herman Miller Eames lounge chair for the living area. But the rest they left up to Rao. “They put a lot of faith and trust in me,” Rao says. This allowed her to test ideas and make seamless decisions, as in the master bedroom, where she painted one wall in a metallic color, and used a backlit bed and a drum-shaped wire chandelier for extra luster (“so flipping cool,” says the designer). Rao decked out the open living and dining area with a mix of neutrals—mostly grays and blacks—along with fun accents, like a peacock green ottoman on wheels and a luxe Italian sofa bed. “When I walk into the living room and dining space, I feel a breath of fresh air,” Rao says. “It feels cohesive and balanced.” a
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DB: How did you create a plan that worked for the space? SC: Everything that went into that home ended up having to be completely designed. The living room, for example, just wasn’t right for a typical sofa love seat [or] regular sectional set up. You have these beautiful arches and curves in the house, so I really felt that we needed to bring those curves [into the furniture]. That’s how I ended up designing and creating that circular sofa. My client also had to have something to lay back on when he was watching TV. That’s why the sofa has that odd arm in the middle. It props you up as you’re laying back! a By DELIA CAI PHOTOS courtesy of sara chiarilli
shallow gabled rooflines point to its traditional Americana roots. Its courtyard layout, however, is a direct nod to classic California modernism. Chappelle laid the home out in an L-shape to create a central outdoor courtyard at the home’s rear. This layout is native to California’s take on mid-century architecture; many older homes across the state feature outdoor courtyards and Lshaped forms, too. To further increase the backyard’s usability, Chappelle added nana walls on the home’s couryard façades. “It’s a dynamic space that you penetrate,” he says of the extremely open area. “We wanted to have a sense of purity and create a blur between indoors and outdoors.” Inside, the contemporary hallways and condensed rooms all lead back out to the
Cool Design, Warm Hues A completely custom interior warms up this slightly cold home
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ven in sunny Florida, glass and concrete can appear to be cold. Designer Sara Chiarilli was hired to add some warmth to one modern manse. And she did so using what else? Color.
DB: This house features a lot of dark materials for a Florida home. Where did you begin when trying to warm it up? Sara Chiarilli: We brought in a lot of reds, golds, and funky colors. We then worked with a lot of warm cherrywood tones to bring in some of those warmer tones, as opposed to the cool grays and blacks that were going on.
“We had to do a lot of finessing with making sure that things were placed in proper ways.”—sara chiarilli DB: Aside from the color scheme, this house has a very open plan. How did you make it feel less exposed? SC: Everything was so open. You walk into that main area, and almost the entire home is visible. There were no doors to the bathroom! We had to do a lot of finessing with making sure that things were placed in proper ways.
Woodside residence
Attractive Opposites In California, traditional finishes and a midcentury layout create a smooth stylistic blend
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ou know what they say: opposites attract. In residential architecture, however, combining opposite styles isn’t always attractive. Architect Tim Chappelle’s Fenton Gables home, located in San Francisco’s tony Menlo Park neighborhood, puts that theory to the test. Chappelle designed the home to appeal to the homeowners’ two distinct styles. Aesthetically, its gray wide-set siding and
central court. Simple finishes like wooden ceilings and floors and white walls further blend the home’s traditional and modernist details. “We wanted to have all the rooms very simple and clean, and have an actual relationship with each other,” Chappelle says of these structural and stylistic characteristics. Fenton Gables hits the combined style sweet spot. Its take on traditional finishes helps it blend with its more classic suburban neighbors, and its layout points directly to California’s distinct breed of modernism. And by finishing the home in of-the-moment grays, whites, and concretes, there’s no mistaking that this home belongs to 2012. Chappelle is particularly proud of how this design more than satisfies contemporaries and traditionalists
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alike. “Even the most Holly Hobby-ish person likes it,” he says. a By MEG MATHIS PHOTOS BY Russell Abraham Photography rendering by orchid3d.com Classic rooflines updated with a contemporary twist have become one of Chappelle’s signature details. At a nearby home in Woodside, he created a spectacular cantilevered roof that looks as if it’s floating. “The cantilever roofline was masterfully engineered so that no visible support is needed at the corner,” says Mark Kelley, owner of Mark Kelley Construction. “This is quite a sight to behold!”
Working with a Legend Photographer Juergen Nogai shares in his own words what it was like to be partners with Julius Shulman
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uch has been written about the partnership between Juergen Nogai and Julius Shulman. Unfortunately, much of it has been wrong. From being incorrectly referred to as an assistant, to people undermining Shulman's reliance on Nogai, not many people know the real story behind the decade-long relationship of the photography duo. But Nogai is finally telling his side of the story, and as he shares, it wasn’t always pretty. But it was always filled with respect—and friendship.
DB: Many books exist about Julius. How will your memoir be different?
Juergen Nogai: I’m going to tell the 10-year story of my relationship with Julius; how we worked together, and why we worked together. It was a kind of interesting situation for a younger photographer and an older photographer to work together. Often, it was not nice [how in publications] I was diminished to ‘snapping the photos’ of Julius. Although many people know me and they knew how Julius and I worked together. It’s the story of how and why we got together, and about going to assignments (we didn’t say ‘shoots’). It is also about about how we created images— the challenges of two people who had two different views, though sometimes they weren’t so different. Sometimes they were very close. It is the story of a deep friendship that came at a time when one was in his declining years, and the other was creating new life path and adventures. It’s also a very interesting story, about the political events and societies we worked in.
have to go over and say, ‘You know, I am really sorry, he didn’t mean it like that.’ And then I would turn and say to Julius, ‘Julius, no one has the right to yell like that.’ People did not want to acknowledge that poor behavior, they would pretend not to see it. These are some of the parts that I want to show. Not only the glossy story of the famous, but the story of true human nature. I’m absolutely not creating a show and tell memoir, I never would. I consider myself extremely lucky that we could create this close friendship and that I was able to spend some of his last days being with him. DB: What do you hope that your memoir accomplishes?
JN: I want to tell the story that depicts the reality of working with Julius in the last decade of his life, and the unique position our work put us in to observe and capture life. For the most part, it was the depiction of the elite and privileged parts of our societies, a DB: Tell us about your career before you kind of view from the top. We have a saying came to America and met Julius. in Germany: In reality, we all cook with water. There is such an intensity around the whole JN: I came from Germany and had my own “star mentality.” There we mostly found ourphotography business there for 20 years selves in situations in which we would be working in art, advertising, and architectural hired because they wanted “a name” and photography, for clients like: Mercedes, Kraft would tolerate almost anything to get it. Even Foods, The National Gallery London, MoMA now, I encounter situations in which someone NY, and The City of Bremen. wants to hire me because of the “life/myth” following me. Of course that is not a problem DB: Do you have any memories with Julius for me, but it is important for me to do my that would surprise people? work and do a good job. Even Julius himself said, “You know, I am only a photographer.” a JN: I sometimes had situations where I had to go to some clients and apologize. For example By kristin larson when it happened that, out of frustration, he PHOTOS by juergen nogai just simply yelled at a homeowner. I would
Above left: Chateau Zoo, one of Juergen Nogai and Julius Shulman's last assigments; above right: Nogai and Shulman behind the camera
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Set in Stone Design Old and new styles fuse at Neolithic Design
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f you need a large, ancient stone mantelpiece for your hearth or fountain for your garden, Erwin Gutenkunst has you covered. His company, Neolithic Design, specializes in sourcing ancient stone pieces and repurposing them for new home projects. It’s a niche design business, and Gutenkunst has learned its ins and outs completely on the job. The former coin shop-owner-turned stone specialist speaks here about his work. DB: How did you get into the ancient stoneworks design field, and why did you choose to work for Neolithic Design in particular?
DB: Did you look to specific sources of inspiration to get the suite’s style just right?
Designing in a Tight Squeeze An extremely sloped roof doesn’t hold back this high-style master suite
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nterior designer Natasha Folens’ beautiful Belgian home has many luxurious design elements. Soaring ceilings, however, don’t make the list. Still, Folens found a way to work around her home’s intense roof pitch, using skylights, glass, and a crisp white palette to maximize the space of her master suite tucked into the cozy eaves. DB: Space is so tight in your master suite. How did you craft your design to make sure it didn’t feel cramped?
Natascha Folens: Good lighting is key. The house is very narrow with minimum windows upstairs, and due to historical preservation, we could not add more. To make the room feel bigger and allow more light, we added a glass wall between the bedroom and the bathroom, as the location that we picked for the bathroom had more windows than the bedroom.
NF: We travel all the time and stay at the hippest boutique hotels, so we took all the comfort elements that we enjoy and tried to implement them in our house. The suite’s design is typical Belgian, with its white French oak and clean lines. The travertine stone surround, crisp Belgian linens, a wool rug from Ligne Pure—my boyfriend’s company—and a lot of special effects lighting inject an old-world charm into the space. DB: What was the greatest challenge in working with the sloping ceiling of the attic? How did you overcome it? NF: All the measurements had to be perfect and everything was custom made. Closet space was the hardest element to design. We have no straight outside walls, so we had to build “interior” closets across the width of the house to get tall hanging space. Everything had to be planned out very carefully, as the slope is very present. As soon as you walk too far to either side, you end up hitting your head. a By kathryn freeman rathbone PHOTOS courtesy of nf interiors
Erwin Gutenkunst: I was shopping for fireplaces because we were remodeling our house, and I found Neolithic Design. It was like love at first sight—they had the most beautiful architectural elements I’ve seen in the US market. I kept in touch with the owner of the company, since we bought more and more products from them. When they decided to retire, they offered me the chance to purchase their entire inventory, and so I bought it. I saw a great opportunity for me to begin a business in something that I was passionate about. DB: You renamed the company when you took it over. How did you come up with Neolithic Design? EG: The name of the company reflects our combination of old world designs and new, modern offerings. Literally translated, neolithic means “new stone”, which aptly names the Neolithic period for the use of stone tools. I thought I would bring a bit of “stone age” history into my world of interior and exterior design.
Notes from the Bureau
DB: Where do you source your pieces to develop this old-meets-new style? EG: Our suppliers get their material from areas around the Mediterranean, from France and Italy to Malta and Cypress. The greatest challenge is not in working with the stone, but finding more salvaged materials in the future so we can provide our clients with a larger variety of one-ofkind options.a By kathryn freeman rathbone Photos courtesy neolithic design
Long-Distance Design Kristen Totah designed this Maui dream home from more than 1,000 miles away
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risten Totah often endures a long work commute. Like, five-hours -across-the-ocean long. The designer lives in California, but often takes on design projects in Hawaii. One project that Totah recently completed
was a Maui house for a family that typically calls Alberta, Canada home. Here, she talks about the challenges and opportunities that arose while working from coast to coast. DB: How is designing a vacation home different from designing a primary residence? Kristen Totah: Vacation homes are different in that the clients tend to be a little looser with the planning process. They are more relaxed and tend to want the interior to reflect that. They are more willing to think outside of the box, but resale is always an issue. This is not necessarily a permanent home, so they don’t want to get too personal with the space. DB: What made this Maui project unique from others you’ve done in the past? KT: I don’t always have the opportunity to provide design services from the ground up. In this case, I was able to make improvements to the original plans before the ground was broken on the project, and I was washing and putting away towels the day before the clients arrived to see it completed.
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DB: You work in Santa Cruz, California, the homeowners live in Alberta, Canada, and you only met twice. How did coordination play out over the distances? KT: I met with them early on with my first suggestions for the palette, and then I spent one day shopping with them a few months later. Everything else was completed online, including the decisions for design drawings, fabrics, and furnishings. I sent the occasional photo and sample for approval. DB: How did your clients react when they first visited the finished home? KT: The clients hadn’t been there physically during the construction and installation process. So, when they saw it for the first time, it was a true unveiling—especially for the wife, who cried tears of joy for about 30 minutes while walking through. The finished product exceeded both their expectations. That’s what we aim to do and is the highest compliment we can receive from our clients. a By Heidi Kulicke photo by tropical light photography
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opulence revived After thirty years of renovations, a former vaudeville theater in Miami opens for a new act
enhanced the theater’s capacity to host a range of performance types, including operas, orchestras, plays, and films. With the technology sorted, Heisenbottle moved on to the ornamental finishes. “My biggest challenge was to understand Eberson’s notion of ‘grand atmospheric’ [style],” Heisenbottle says. He sifted through historic photos to discover original details, including the al fresco-effect of the dramatic ceiling. He also meticulously sampled The theater was slated for demolition in the early paint to recreate the 64-color palette. But the scari1970s but was saved when Maurice Gusman, founder est moment for the architect was priming everyof the Trojan condom company, bought it and over- thing white in preparation for the intricate paint hauled its interior. Fast-forward just ten short years, job’s re-creation. “You realize that there is no going and the theater was already in need of a second reno- back!,” he says of this restoration milestone. vation. Gusman went searching for an architect, and hired R.J. Heisenbottle to straighten out the space Heisenbottle’s work on the Gusman has continued and restore it to its original vaudeville glory. over thirty years, and in that time, he has met many native Miamians who have fond memories of the Heisenbottle’s first priority was to upgrade the the- theater in its heyday. “They spent their youth in ater’s technology. He integrated new air-condition- the upper balcony, where they had their first kiss,” ing and surround-sound systems. He also restored he says. And although the work still isn’t done, the the decorative house lighting, and designed a cove Gusman now looks unmistakably like its former to conceal a new theatrical lighting system. This self. It is poised to steal the spotlight once again. a An unassuming brick building in downtown Miami conceals a gem of a theater. Designed by architect John Eberson in 1926, the Olympia Theater once hosted vaudeville acts including the Marx Brothers and Gypsy Rose Lee beneath its azure ceiling washed with clouds and stars. But the Olympia fell into disrepair after vaudeville gave way to the silver screen.
By Murrye Bernard photos BY DAN FORER
Above: Heisenbottle’s efforts in restoring the original paint job paid off. The Gusman hasn’t looked this good since its heyday.
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A MAG THAT'S GIVING MORE Living up to its name, MAS Context breathes fresh life into the atrophied world of architecture publications
Iker Gil is the principal architect of up-and-coming design firm MAS in Chicago. His firm does typical architecture studio things, like designing buildings and entering competitions. However, it’s his impressive in-house architecture magazine that has the industry taking note. Entitled MAS Context, it’s a hip yet highbrow quarterly pub that is building a global audience with its unique take on urban themes. “While I am trained as an architect, I pay attention to other disciplines, and in my work I like to collaborate with professionals from those disciplines,” Gil says. “It creates a good discussion and usually the outcome is more thoughtful.”
moment in a thoughtful way, but also revisit issues that can be re-contextualized and discussed from a new perspective,” he says.
By andrew schroedter Photo by drew reynolds
MAS Context seems to be striking a chord with its indended audience. What makes it stand out is that it doesn’t read like its pretentious architecture publication predecessors; rather, Gil’s publication captures the devotion and passion needed to pursue a life of architecture in a way in which real architects can connect. “The aim is to put forward topics and ideas in a comprehensive and focused way, combining different communication techniques like essays, photographs, diagrams, and videos.”
Each issue of the mag is devoted to a single themed topic Gil is quick to admit that he hasn’t worn the editorthat pertains to architecture. Among them: ownership, in-chief hat many times before...in fact, never before. amusement, network, speed, and communication. Gil’s “Before starting MAS Context, I had no previous experitopic selection process is quite simple: “We look for ence in putting together a magazine.” themes that can spark an interesting conversation.” For the future of MAS Context, Gil plans to develop it Photographers, urban planners, and design profession- into a bigger platform that provides a voice to people who als from more than 145 countries have contributed to 14 have, as he puts it, “something meaningful to add to the issues of MAS Context, but it’s Gil’s vision that pulls it conversation.” Just what that entails, he’s still figuring all together. “I think some [other publications] are too out. But one thing's for sure—what he has published, he simplistic and disconnected. It is eye candy that becomes backs 100 percent, even if it is controversial to some. “Is obsolete instantly. We try to capture the energy of the there anything I wish I hadn’t published? Not really.” a
Above: Past issues of MAS Context; images courtesy of MAS
MAS Studio and Latent Design met each other in 2010 through Architecture for Humanity Chicago’s Activate competition. They have been collaborating on strong social projects ever since. Often they have to produce work that makes a big impact but has a small budget, but that doesn’t bother either studio. “We have found through our work with them and others that fearless honesty, experience, and empathetic compromise are key in creating successful projects in resource limited environments,” says Katherine Darnstadt, founder of Latent Design.
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storybook style Designer Nicole Fuller finds inspiration for her whimsical furniture line in fairy tales
by delia cai Photos by Emily Gilbert “For me, a wall finish is not simply a finish, but the flesh and skin of the architecture, integrating methods and materials that synthesize with a home’s style, history, or sentiment,” says Michael Winn. Winn, owner of Resonance in Design, often works on wall finishes for Fuller’s homes. “Nicole is a dream,” Winn says of their working relationship. “With her work, anything is possible.” Above: Fuller finished the Suffern Estate with many pieces from her Isabella Wolfe line
Silver-leafed chandeliers. Marble banquet ego, “Isabella Wolfe” comes from design icon Elsie de tables for 30. Snow white trimmings. This is the Wolfe and (of course) Fuller’s childhood fairy name. stuff of fairytales—and Nicole Fuller’s designs, particularly for the Suffern Estate. “I wanted it to feel Fanciful confections aside, design is still Fuller’s first whimsical and elegant and beautiful,” Fuller says of business, especially when it comes to customization. the home. “I really wanted the line to be like an interior designer’s or architect’s dream. You can go to the Isabella Wolfe Visitors are greeted in the entryway with a sofa and website [isabellawolfe.com] and do anything you want wall that blend into a black and white forest wall- to any piece.” Fuller is preparing to launch the line in paper design, Narnia-style. “There’s a story behind boutiques worldwide. everything,” she says, adding that the Family Tree chandelier above the dining room table was designed And though Fuller still works full time on interiors, with the client’s children in mind. “The tree would her path often crosses with the furniture line when sort of protect them. When you’re sitting under it, it she needs just the right butterfly light or Wonderland feels like you’re in this magical place.” toadstool table. “I will get a specific vision in my mind, and sometimes I don’t even look for it,” she The forested Swoon sofa and Family Tree are just says. “I’m just so inspired, and I’ll just really want to two Suffern Estate pieces included in Fuller’s fur- make a piece. That’s how Isabella Wolfe was born. I niture line, Isabella Wolfe. As Fuller’s design alter don’t want to find it. I want to make it myself.” a
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PARK[ing] Day 2010 w/ Architecture for Humanity Chicago Thanks for the boxes Iker!
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www.latentdesign.net + hello@latentdesign.net
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interdependent design firm developing innovation solutions with communities to be implemented by them for social, economic and environmental impact
-love
Jackson Flat
Rathaus Seckach, Germany w/ Nicolas Anderson & Ecker Arkitekten
architecture design other
pre
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Fifteen Tales Pendant: InMod, inmod.com. “Their home is set up in the highest part of the mountain you can go. It does not get a lot of light, especially in the winter.”
Bertoia Side Chair, harry bertoia.org, and sheepskin rugs, overland.com
Tibetan Pouf: CS Post, cspost.com
Steal this Style
Mountain Contemporary Interior designer Jennifer Visosky explains how to get this quirky cabin look By Delia Cai photos courtesy jennifer visosky
After working in the fashion industry with Neiman Marcus and Victoria’s Secret, Jennifer Visosky returned to her roots in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and turned her design eye to nearby homes. “The recurring theme to me was that it was heavily western and heavily designed,” Visosky says. “These big, beautiful trophy homes were filled up with stuff that I just didn’t get and stuff that didn’t seem really inspiring.” Now, as the head of her company Grace Home Design, Visosky modernizes these Western style abodes using her urbanite expertise. “I try to give a nod to the region every time, whether it’s an obvious statement or something a little less expected,” she says. “It’s got the flavor of the valley, but I think it’s really updated and looking forward to what’s next out there.” a
Design Thinking
Bench color: Chartreuse and Super White by Benjamin Moore, benjamin moore.com
Stag print: John Frechette, madejacksonhole.com
Fun pieces like this dresser point to the West's regional flair without looking too cheesy
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ship to shore Luxury yacht designer Judy Bell-Davis works hard to create stately marine vessels
Designing luxury yachts for mega millionaires is a tough job, but somebody’s gotta do it. That somebody is Judy Bell-Davis, the owner of Washington-based Bell Design Group, which specializes in, yes, luxury yacht design. And although it’s fun design work, Bell-Davis points out that it’s quite different from designing something on land.
ertine countertops, English oak burl ceilings, cowhide-covered walls, and opulent art glass depicting underwater sea life scenes. But lavish finishes aside, Bell-Davis also ensured the design of the space was highly functional—particularly the kitchen. The owners had Bell-Davis spend days aboard their previous yacht to learn how they cooked. Thus, her new design for the Mary P. included a deep-fat fryer (including a retractable shield to prevent splattering), and a push-button espresso maker that allows one to begin brewing from bed. These thoughtful details take Bell-Davis’s designs from beautiful to personal.
“The surfaces on a boat are very rarely plumb, 90degree angles. You have a camber to the ceiling, to the sides, a flare to the bow,” she says. Bell-Davis also has to contend with unique design challenges that land-based structures don’t have to deal with. “You have systems [that] you have to build into the furniture. You walk in and say, ‘Isn’t this comfort- “I’ve been told one of my strong points is keying in able?’ and don’t know you’re sitting on an air con- on people’s individuality,” Bell-Davis says. “Many ditioning unit. Very rarely is there wasted space.” times clients say, ‘I don’t know how you knew that.’ It’s a process by osmosis and experience. I’ve While redesiging the luxe Mary P. yacht, Bell-Davis always been one to watch people. I’m a practical chose only the finest textures and materials: trav- designer, but creative.” a
by brian libby photos by Jolyon Yates
Featured partners: Channell Glass, Ode Chair, Jeffrey Michaels & Co., Sharp Design, Canvas Supply, Trinity Yachts, Casella Lamps, A & M Yachts, Bellcomb Technologies, Parshall Design, Fertello Woodworking, Fabrica Carpets, Imtra NW Sales, Charlotte Harris Interiors
Mary P Sporttsher
Bell Design Group Inc.
30 Years of Marine Interior Design Excellence Bell Design Group Inc.
www.belldesigngroup.com
Tel: 360-422.6190
Fax: 360-422.6189
email: jbelldavis1@frontier.com
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FAMILIAR TERRITORY After switching careers, a Colombian interior designer returns to his true calling
by lesley stanley photos by elk studios
Diego Rincon barely spoke English When he decided to uproot from his home country of Colombia and move to New York. And along with the move, he also decided to take on a new career. He traded in his talents as an interior architect to try his hand at advertising. “I was so scared,” says Rincon. “I wasn’t sure if I would be good enough, but when I started working, I realized it was really cool, and I found advertising fascinating. It helped me explore other parts of design I haven’t been [a part of ] before.” When his then-boss started asking around for suggestions on someone to design his approximately 2,000-square-foot Chelsea loft, Rincon knew he was the right person for the job—and realized it was where his true passion was. “I missed [interior] design— it’s what I enjoy, and what I do best in life,” he says. So again, Rincon took another leap of faith and started his own firm, Diego Alejandro Design. His design work on the loft captures Rincon’s personal style, which he describes as sophisticated and fresh. Modern furniture paired with bright colors and unique art pieces create a cozy home perfect for New York City life. “My inspiration comes from the inside,” Rincon says. “My aesthetic is highly personal, and I always try to include something really personal to [the client] that’s unique to them and their space.” As for the world of advertising, Rincon says he doesn’t miss it, though he is thankful for what it’s taught him. “I’ve been waiting my whole life to be an interior designer,” he says. “I’m very happy.” a
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STERLING METAL CRAFT METAL SPINNING AND FABRICATING
The one stop metal shop From concept to finished product
Rincon has switched careers twice, from interior design to advertising and back to his true passion of interior design. This New York loft certainly channels his years of experience in both advertising and design.
214 GALISTEO ST. SANTA FE, NM 87501 PH. 505 820 2231 WWW.ARREDIAMO.COM ARREDIAMOSANTAFE@MSN.COM
Chris Streng Design
Sterling Metal Craft, Inc. 1817 S. 55th Avenue Cicero, IL 60804 mail@sterlingmetalcraft.com Tel: 708-652-4590 Fax: 708-652-7373 WWW.STERLINGMETALCRAFT.COM
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IN THE DETAILS Exploring the key elements of uncommon spaces
Fiery reds and oranges pop against calmer beige throughout the home’s fabrics. “If you keep some of the upholstery neutral, you can bring in interesting fabrics,” Violante says.
santa fe style Punchy fabrics and eclectic furnishings grounded with stark white walls make the look of this adobe abode
PROJECT: East Palace Gem Home Location: Santa Fe, NM Interior DesignerS: Michael Violante and Paul Rochford of Violante & Rochford Interiors
“Keep it simple,” says interior designer Michael Violante of his design philosophy. “You don’t have to put something in every corner.” Violante stuck to his rule while working on this Sante Fe adobe with his design partner Paul Rochford. The men returned the home’s walls to their original white and finished the space with prints and pieces done in graphic patterns and bold colors. The house is a mix of period styles, which Rochford says plays perfectly into Santa Fe’s history. “Bringing the past into the present—that’s what makes Santa Fe so interesting,” he says. “There’s no one established look.”—Kathryn Freeman Rathbone
Photos by Wendy McEahern
The Wall hangings in the dining room may look like Mark Rothkos, but they were actually crafted in the late 1800s. The two designers even commissioned a textile conservator to expertly mount the silks. “They’re stitched to a linen acid-free frame. There’s no pull, and if they ever have to be removed, they won’t be damaged in any way,” Rochford says.
Design Thinking
Violante and Rochford only relocated two pieces from the owner’s previous home: the living room rug and the red Chinese entry desk
“Pick a rug that sings to you,” that’s Mike Layden’s advice. Layden works as a Persian and Tibetan rug specialist, and Arrediamo, his company, often supplies one-of-a-kind pieces for Violante and Rochford homes. “Persian and Tibetan rugs are created by the most wonderful artists on the planet,” Layden says. “You can feel the love that went into knotting every single piece.”
“We travel a lot, and wherever we go, we try to shop,” Rochford says of their furniture sources. “But we really support the local community, too.” The coffee table was commissioned by a local artisan for the house.
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IN THE DETAILS
The curved bar is made of wood with a plaster overlay to create a metallic look, while the handmade blue onyx countertop has built-in lighting underneath
double floor design Creating a two-level penthouse means removing the floor in between
PROJECT: Ritz Carlton Penthouse Location: New York, NY Interior designer: Björn Björnsson of Björn Björnsson Interior Design
Not only did New York-based interior designer Björn Björnsson have the challenging task of combining two penthouse units at his Ritz-Carlton Penthouse project, but he had to do so while the clients were living there. “It would have been easier had they not been there, but we worked around it,” says Björnsson. To combine the units, he took out a portion of the main slab between the floors. During this time, he designated half of the bottom level as living quarters for the homeowners, while he finished designing the top floor and staircase that connected the units. The project took nearly two years to complete, but Björnsson says it was mostly due to the red tape he encountered while waiting for approval from the city’s building department. “It’s always a risk taking out a floor in a new building,” says Björnsson. “The structural engineers were very hands-on with me. I asked a lot of questions and made the necessary investigations before essentially putting a hole in the floor.” In the end, Björnsson says he’s very happy with the approximate 7,500-square-foot residence. “One day, I walked through the space and looked at everything, touched it, felt it, and knew I did the right thing.”—lesley stanley
Photos by Durston Saylor
When working with Björnsson, it pays to have years of shared experience. “Because we have known each other for so many years, we know what to expect from each other and the way we like to operate, which speeds up the entire process,” says Bernard Sobus, president of Zen Restoration. At the Ritz Carlton Penthouse, Zen helped Björnsson turn the design for the impressive stainless stair into a built reality. The stairs stand rigid with their brushed steel frame and walnut railings, yet they appear to float miraculously up to the main floor. “There are custom-made stainless steel stringers with posts, and a stainless steel stair tread frame cladded with walnut,” Sobus says of the stairs’ basic components. And the walnut handrail that anchors the stairs’ sleek lines? “It was only bolted to posts and slabs,” Sobus says of its suspended look.
Design Thinking
Björnsson added height to the top floor with lighting coves and curved ceilings. The venetian white paint on the walls adds depth to the space.
Björnsson’s goal was to create an equally balanced feminine/masculine bathroom for his clients. The Mother of Pearl inlays at the top of the rough, slated walls add a delicate touch. Ebony vanities with metal inlays sit below a trio of mirrors, the middle boasting a television that can be viewed through the mirror.
The bedroom ceiling is painted a metallic, midnight blue to create a calming oasis
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Design Thinking “With the contemporary and rustic design elements, you don’t lose your surroundings,” says Olivia Osborne, who is particularly fond of the great room. “You feel very peaceful and serene in this inlet off of Lake Tahoe.”
IN THE DETAILS
“The clients raise horses, so we have one or two pieces of art to reflect their passion–without going western,” Marcio Decker says.
log cabin chic This Lake Tahoe retreat provides creature comforts in the form of plush furnishings and sleek decor
PROJECT: Meeks Bay Home Location: Lake Tahoe, CA Interior Designers: Marcio Decker, Betty Scott, and Olivia Osborne of Aspen Leaf Interiors
Interior designers Marcio Decker, Betty Scott, and Olivia Osborne just finished a home in Lake Tahoe that makes it tempting to stay indoors. Despite the rustic location, the trio scoured the country looking for edgy furniture and decor elements, outfitting the home in pieces from stylish boutiques found in Las Vegas, New York, San Francisco, and Miami. They bring an edge to Lake Tahoe’s rustic vibe, evolving the home past the area’s log cabin, twigs, and branches look.—Meg Mathis
Photos by Justin Majeczsky
The double-sided vanity in the master bath is a spectacular place where you can primp until your heart’s content. The Aspen team often turns to Native Trails to build one-ofa-kind vanities forged by local artisans. The crafter is known for incorporating different materials, like strand woven bamboo and local hardwoods, into each design. “Being the first to design and handcraft kitchen and bath products using innovative materials is the challenge that motivates us on a daily basis,” says Naomi Neilson Howard, founder of Native Trails.
Awaken
Steel touches make sure the home isn’t too sweet. “We actually made steel baseboards with bolts in the wall and a six-inch tall base for a more industrial look,” Decker says.
the spirit and rejuvenate the senses with the fresh beauty of natural bamboo. The Renewal Series Ralph Lauren fabrics add subtle glitz throughout the home
combines bamboo’s inherently sustainable properties with artisan craftsmanship and hand hammered, recycled copper.
INSPIRED DESIGN
for the kitchen and bath www.nativetrails.net T 800.786.0862
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IN THE DETAILS
A neutral-colored sectional by B&B Italia and coffee table by Ligne Roset complement the dark-colored wood floor, while the chocolate-and-amethyst area rug by The Rug Company and recessed window blinds finish off that earthy feel
Beaupére used the artwork as her main inspiration to create an inviting and relaxing living room
New York Living This Gramercy Park pied-a-terre shines thanks to thoughtfully-selected artwork and a feminine design touch
Project: MT Residence Location: New York, NY INterior designer: Caroline BeaupÉre of Caroline Beaupére Design
New York-based interior designer Caroline Beaupére found design inspiration for the MT Residence from other creative women. “Each room was designed with artwork in mind,” says Beaupére. “The atmosphere and ambience for each room not only reflects the artwork, but also extends it. I love that each room has its own personality, but has very a strong feminine-glam feel.” Although the masculine, dark-colored wood floors initially presented a challenge in the 2,500-square-foot apartment, Beaupére saw it as a positive challenge. Rather than replace the flooring, she integrated it as a background for the contemporary furniture and pops of color. “I love how we pushed and really linked it all together,” she says.—lesley stanley
Photos courtesy of Caroline Beaupére
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In the MT residence, Beaupére's design required her to balance grand period pieces with sleek modern designs, and she turned to Italian furniture and decor specialist Atelier to get the contemporary half of the look just right. “We carefully pick the best designs from our partnering manufacturers, giving our designers a curated selection of products to choose from, and helping them to create something exceptional,” says Gretchen Anderson, a senior associate at Atelier. Atelier sources its high-end items from only the finest manufacturers, ensuring the best of the best. “Everything from the carpeting to the lighting, door handles, pillows, and accessories should all be cohesive within the space.” In the most recent project with Beaupére, Atelier finished off the space with a clean, high-gloss lacquer wall system that pulls double duty by concealing unsightly electronics and adding extra luster for an elegant aesthetic.
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IN THE DETAILS
Post sourced most of the furniture from Italy, but from varying brands and geographic regions. “This is key,” she says. “You do not want to design your space as a ‘one stop shop.’”
See those cutouts in the walls? They’re actually done in plaster. Post collaborated with artists at Kamp Studios to refine the specific technique. “So often, faux finishing can be really shallow and in my mind, quite tacky,” she says. “This is clean, sculptural, and expressive. I do it in all my projects.”
WHITEs & brights Streaks of color break up this white-washed space
Project: central park west apartment Location: new york, NY designer: jennifer post of Jennifer Post Design
“Why surround yourself with beige and muted tones?” That’s Jennifer Post’s take on the all-neutral palette, and it’s the reason why color makes a striking appearance in the Central Park West Apartment. Post designed the home for a young family, so she wanted the space to capture their young, hip personality. She finished the home in top-to-bottom bright white, and then broke up the monotone with shocks of color. “Hue and tonality and subtlety really make the space,” Post says of the chosen shades. “It’s definitely about the way you apply the color that sets the mood.”—kathryn freeman rathbone Photos by Antoine Bootz
For Kamp Studios, size matters. “Our murals are graphic, plain and simple. Always scaled up for some drama,” says Amy Morgenstern, a member of the artist collaborative. After working together for several years, Post has come to favor Kamp’s unique textures. Their Explosion piece in the Central Park West apartment is a “burst of excitement as you walk through the door, while still encompassing Jennifer’s overall sophistication.”
Don’t use the word "red" around Post. “I don’t like red,” she says. Though the hue does pop up in her designs. “I would classify the red I’m using as a heavily-saturated watermelon.”
All the floors throughout are high-gloss porcelain. They are the owners’ favorite detail.
The apartment sits in a post-war building, so Post didn’t have to remove too many moldings to get its surfaces perfectly smooth .
Architectural Wall Finishes Custom Artwork Graphic Murals Brooklyn, NY 516.902.8560 www.kampstudios.com
50 well-designed gifts sure to make your holiday bright Intro photo by Heather Talbert | Gift Guide images by Zack Burris | Title illustration by Luke Williams STYLING by Jessica Moazami with Factor Artists | Makeup and Hair by Kerre with Factor Artists | MODEL: Amanda with Factor Women
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Design Within Reach Foldable Star Sculptures by John Kostick, $22, $65, and $160, dwr.com
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ModFire UrbanFire portable fireplace $1,650 at modfire.com
Pendleton Raven and the Box of Knowledge blanket, $228, pendleton-usa.com Pendleton Banded Robe $298, pendleton-usa.com
Room and Board Lind cowhide ottoman, $399, roomandboard.com
Ligne Roset Pression vase in matte gray, $105, ligne-roset-usa.com
Pendleton copper knit wrap, $288, pendleton-usa.com
Riedel Eve Decanter, $525, riedelwebstore.com
Geneva M audio system, $699, genevalab.com Spiegelau Beer Connoisseur Set, $49.90/Box of 4 at riedelusa.net
Pendleton Painted Hills robe in sand, $278, pendleton-usa.com
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ACCESSORYOBSESSED
Oliver Peoples Corie sunglasses, $340, oliverpeoples.com
Sunglasses, handbags, rings, bracelets, necklaces, and shoes— what more could a well-heeled designer want?
Vince Camuto Stack Rings, available in rose gold, gold, silver and gunmetal, $68, vincecamuto.com
VC Signature Ellie Foldover Clutch, $295 at vincecamuto.com
Erica Anenberg ring, $162, ericaanenberg.com
CC Skye pave bullet holder hinged bracelet, $215, ccskye.com
CC Skye Riviera Cuff, $375, ccskye.com
Adina Reyter necklace, $88, adinadesign.com
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Vince Camuto Dacoma heel in wintergold, $129 at vincecamuto.com
Vince Camuto soft crinkle color bracelet in black/gold, $42, vincecamuto.com
CC Skye Bianca necklace, $240, ccskye.com
Penny Preville ring, $3,000, pennypreville.com Shayan Afshar pave ring, $4,500, shayanafshar.com
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DESIGN BUREAU Coni Cos Multi grater by Legnoart, $60, canoeonline.net
For the
holiday soirée HOST
Root Organic Liquer, $30, hitimewine.net
CAMUS Extra Elegance cognac, $1,000, camus.fr
Bring a chic bottle of booze to any fête, and it will be hard to tell who benefits from the gift more: the host or you.
KAPPA Pisco, $35, bevmo.com Tree Stump Cutting Board, $75, uncommongoods.com
Stelton & Holmbäck Nordentoft's Pure Black Knife, $80, aplusrstore.com
Sailor Charcoal Apron, $40,unisonhome.com
DESIGN BUREAU Riedel Eve Decanter, $525, riedelwebstore.com
Luxardo Maraschino, $29.99 at Binny's locations
Tap 357 Canadian Maple Rye Whisky, $35, shoppers vineyard.com
Nachtmann Aspen Longdrink Tumblers, $29.90/set of 4, riedelwebstore.com
Dutch's Colonial Cocktail Bitters, $22 , kaufmannmercantile.com
Fonseca Bin No. 27, $19.99, cristallwinemerchants.com Riedel O Cabernet-Merlot wine glass, $29/set of 2,riedelwebstore.com
Riedel H2"O" Whisky glass, $29.50/set of 2 at riedelwebstore.com
Karl Lagerfeld Tumbler Set by Orrefors, $150, ahalife.com Vino Corkscrew, $38, canoeonline.net
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lodge lounger Play in the snow all day and spend the evening wrapped in wool by the fire with these well-designed rustic comforts.
Pendleton Portland Collection Painted Hills Robe in Sand, $278, pendleton-usa.com
Matter lamp, $235, schoolhouseelectric.com
Pendleton Blue Ram's Horn Wrap, Portland Collection, $288, pendleton-usa.com
Pendleton Turtle blanket, the Legendary Collection, $228, pendleton-usa.com
Charles Leather Bag in Cognac, $530, sandast.com
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IBM clock reproduction, $235, schoolhouseelectric.com
Pendleton Portland Collection Knockabout Cardigan, $398, pendleton-usa.com
Hand-knit Bolivian Alpaca sweater, $260, industryofallnations.com
Boston Leather Bag, $1,080, sandast.com
Pendleton Banded Robe in Black/Clay, $298, pendleton-usa.com
Ion lamp, $85, and Edison Marconi bulb, $15, schoolhouseelectric.com
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gadget guru Anyone who is constantly downloading, web surfing, tweeting, and pinning will appreciate these slick tech accessories.
Braven: 650 bluetooth wireless speaker, $190, braven.com
Geneva M audio system, $700, genevalab.com
Bell alarm clock, $65, aplusrstore.com
Pentax Yellow K-01 by Marc Newson with 40mm Pancake Lens, $899, aplusrstore.com
Pivot Headphones in Flint/Pink, $60, goincase.com
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InCase Andy Warhol Brillo iPad Portfolio, $100, goincase.com
Palo Alto Audio: Cubik, $200, apple.com
InCase Capsule Earbuds in Apple/ Lime, $50, goincase.com
LunaTik Touch Pen Polymer, $20, lunatik.com
Swann iFly Micro Lightning Helicopter, $54, frys.com
Mini Wood Speaker, $35, uncommongoods.com Vince Camuto Ipad case, $128, vincecamuto.com
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The New Girls
Pentagram has two new partners on the block: Natasha Jen and Emily Oberman. In conversation with one another, they share what it’s like to be tapped for the gig and what goes on behind closed doors at the design firm. By Saundra Marcel Photos by Eric Luc
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A
Pentagram partner isn’t simply plucked and planted. First, the seed is planted to see if there’s interest. Then, there’s a careful (and long) vetting process. It took nine months of discussions, presentations, dinners, and interviews before designers Natasha Jen and Emily Oberman were extended their official invitations to join. They share their thoughts on what it’s like to be the newbies on staff, from getting the call to join the team, to figuring out the WiFi password.
On the SELECTION PROCESS Jen: “You have to travel to the different offices
and meet all the partners. That’s actually what took the longest, the traveling. There’s a voting system. If one partner doesn’t agree, you’re out.”
On the office culture Jen: “On the first day, I almost fell down the
stairs. It’s like starting at any new job: you’re in a daze of general cluelessness. You’re printing to the third floor and waiting for it to come out downstairs. You’re asking people what the WiFi password is—actually, I still don’t know it!”
Oberman: “I’m not done feeling stupid, period. Every day, not even Pentagram-related,” she jokes. She adds that her first few days at Pentagram were accompanied by a “weird sense memory”—turns out, the four-story building that houses the firm had been a hot night club during the 1980’s, and an uncanny recollection of details suggests Oberman may have been a frequent patron.
On being Chosen as partners Jen: “I was shocked, to say the least,” says the designer, who
presented her work twice internally to the partners without really knowing exactly why she was being asked to do so. Then, she went out to dinner with Paula Sher. “At that point, she just laid her cards on the table and was very straightforward. I was basically speechless. I was an intern for Paula in 2001, but I had moved on to other things. I never imagined this—never, ever, ever. I think I even said to her that I wondered if this was 10 years too early. I know that the record at Pentagram is liking established designers in the field. But she convinced me. I was just starting my own practice around the same time. She said, ‘Just start up right now, basically, run your start-up right here.’” Oberman: “I’ve known these guys forever, but I was completely
surprised by the question,” says Oberman, a former partner (with Bonnie Siegler) of now-defunct multidisciplinary design studio Number Seventeen. “Years ago, we had looked, but the time wasn’t right then. When I had lunch with Michael [Beirut], I thought we were there to talk about something else entirely.” This time, when he asked, it was well-timed. “Bonnie and I were in the process of ending Number Seventeen, and I was actively looking for other options to pursue.”
Above: Posters designed by Natasha Jen Right: Flag designed by Jen and Oberman as an invite to their welcome party
Features
Jen and Oberman at their desks at Pentagram's New York office
DESIGN BUREAU
On being two out of four women at the company
On what they bring to the table
Oberman: “It’s not affirmative action, it’s just a happy coincidence. They were looking at a bunch of other candidates, and they weren’t all female.”
Jen: “Pentagram is like the United States of
Jen: “Actually, there were other women partners over time, people
forget that. Like April Grieman, and Lisa Strausfeld were here for nine years, and there have been others. The fact that Pentagram is male-dominated is reflective of the times. There had been fewer women who wanted to continue in their careers, and those were personal decisions. The ratio was imbalanced to begin with. It was never a sexist decision, no one thought women were unqualified.”
Oberman: “I don’t think the work I do is particularly female-
oriented. It’s not something that I think about on a daily basis at all. Although Bonnie and I used to joke about having a fake man headof-company. But for the most part, we didn’t give much thought to the gender issue; at least, we didn’t think about it on a daily basis.” Jen: “I do think that women and men address problems differently,
otherwise we’d just be talking about penis-versus-vagina. Yes, women in leadership do have certain boundaries to get across, but it’s more of a social issue, and more with clients and collaborators. For example, I’ve walked into meetings where if there’s men in the room, no one will even look at me. But you know, women make the same mistake and sometimes they’re even the worst perpetrators. They just assume the man is the boss.”
America: we really celebrate our differences. This may sound like a difficult thing from a business perspective, but it’s been working for the last 40 years.” Oberman: “There’s a promotional aspect to
what I do that fills a hole here—it’s cheeky and direct. There’s an advertising quality to the way I’ve worked over the years, a kind of voice that hasn’t been represented yet. I’m a generalist, I do a little bit of everything. But it’s with humor and wit, a wink in it, across the board.”
Jen: “You’re extremely experienced in mass
media, and speaking to the masses. What I bring to the table, I think it’s that I see the world differently, I bring a different perspective. I was born in the ’70s and brought up in the ’80s. I’m deeply interested in popular culture, fashion, and architecture.” Oberman: “I think also it’s your ability to work
across media, in 3-dimension and in motion. None of the other partners have that.” a
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TRACKING
Finding happiness seems to be the goal of many, from yogis to politicians. Designers, apparently, are no exception. Superstar graphic designer Stefan Sagmeister tells us about his pursuit of happinesS, and why he’s making a film devoted to his search for it.
HAPPY By Saundra Marcel Photos by Noah Kalina
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Features
S
tefan Sagmeister is on a quest to find happiness. The legend-in-his-own-time graphic designer—most known for his album cover designs for Lou Reed and his attention-grabbing tactics (including posing nude not once, but twice, for his business, and carving text into his chest)—has been in hot pursuit of happiness for quite a while. He’s written about it, he’s talked about it, and once every seven years, he leaves his own studio for a year in search of it. Now, he’s making a film about it. In The Happy Film, Sagmeister himself undergoes psychological experiments using meditation, cognitive therapy—even drugs— on an exploration toward the attainment of better well-being of the brain. It’s his very first feature-length documentary, and it’s just about halfway finished. But Sagmeister and his film crew must continue their film and quest for happiness under a very sad circumstance. Hillman Curtis, an award-winning filmmaker who gained prominence for his groundbreaking work in new media and Sagmeister’s co-director on The Happy Film, passed away at just 51 years old after a long battle with colon cancer. Design Bureau writer Saundra Marcel hung out with Sagmeister at his New York City office to find out more about this latest hunt for happy. SM: Sadly, your co-director Hillman Curtis passed away in April. How will this change the outcome of The Happy Film? SS: Gigantically, I’m sure. He was very instrumental to the film. He worked very hard on it, even until the very end. He wanted to work on it until his last moments, even at his weakest. He set a tone for the film, and we will try to continue it, but it won’t be the same. At the very end, we did interviews about it for the camera, about the strangeness of working on this film about happiness while he’s dying. I don’t know if that will become a part of it or not. SM: Were you both cognisant during production that he might not be able to see it to completion? SS: Not in the beginning. But yes, for a long while we knew this was coming. His goal was to make it to his daughter’s birthday in June, which makes it even more surprising that he wanted to keep working on it when it became clear that wasn’t going to happen.
I had the most incredible backaches. It was seriously the most painful thing I’ve ever experienced.
SM: When you decided to do this film, you were on sabbatical from your studio, working in Indonesia SM: Have any of the experiments been particularly difficult for you? and wondering if making chairs SS: Yes. The beginning of the drug experiment. It took all my energy away before it clicked on. was the most productive use of your And also when I did one week of silent meditation in Bali. It was long periods of sitting, and time. But isn’t that the whole point of a sabbatical: to take a break from productivity? SS: The point of a sabbatical is not about taking a break. I would not say it’s a holiday—it’s not fun for me to go on holiday for a whole year. The point is to try out projects you wouldn’t have tried otherwise. To be meaningful. In the past, these projects were for myself, for the studio. But is that much time well spent to have better furniture in the studio?
Stefan Sagmeister:
“The point of a sabbatical is not about taking a break. The point is to try out projects you wouldn’t have tried otherwise. To be meaningful.”
SM: Do we need another chair? SS: I have nothing against chairs, but… There’s a wonderful line from Alain de Botton—he said, “When does a job feel meaningful? When it delights other people, and when it helps other people.” My hope and expectation for the film is that more than just a few people can benefit from it. It’s still totally possible to make a shitty film. But six weeks ago, we did a preview show in Philadelphia, and the reception has been wonderful. I think by now I can distinguish between flattery and sincerity. I’ve been getting so many positive e-mails from people who have found out about this film online or seen the show, and they are sincere. SM: How much of the film is done at this point, and how much is left to go? SS: We’re not in any particular hurry, but I don’t want it to become a never-ending project. Obviously this is my first feature-length film, but my experience doing other longer projects
Above: Stills from The Happy Film. Courtesy of Stefan Sagmeister. For more information on The Happy Film and its release, visit sagmeister.com
Features
DESIGN BUREAU
Sagmeister with his new partner Jessica Walsh
has taught me that the limitation of deadlines can be very helpful. We handled books the same way. We didn’t rush, but when we told the publisher a date, we stuck to it. My own opinion is that we’re 70 percent done shooting and 20 percent done editing. Some other people think we’re farther along than that. SM: You’ve been keeping “daily happiness grades.” What are those, and what’s your grade right now? SS: It’s a scale of one to ten, and unbelievably fantastic right now, because I’ve fallen in love. I’ve been, I would say in the last month, the happiest ever of my life. SM: Did you say life? Wow, that’s a strong statement. SS: Yes. In August, I turned 50. Of every month of every one of my 50 years, I can say that this one has been the happiest I’ve ever felt. I mean, the months of years one through seven I can’t say much about. But since I’ve had a memory, I’ve never felt happier. SM: Now I have to know. Who is she? SS: Her name is Veza…V-E-Z-A. She’s German, and strangely enough, we met when she came to my apartment to set up an interview. She arrives here tomorrow from Germany, and I can’t wait. a
S
agmeister’s movie-making venture isn’t his only big recent news. In June came the rather shocking announcement that he’s taking on a partner, 25-year old designer Jessica Walsh. Walsh has been working at the studio for two-plus years, and fills the captain’s seat when Sagmeister is on sabbatical.
SM: How do you manage running a studio here, working on this project, and giving so many talks and lectures? Do you find it difficult to carve out time for the things you want to be doing most? SS: I’m from Austria, only four or five miles from the German border— which means I’m a very good planner. And, the people I work with are very good. That’s one of the reasons why Jessica [Walsh] became a partner; while I’m out shooting somewhere, she’s here. SM: Would you say that Jessica becoming a partner was something that felt natural and inevitable, or was there something specific that instigated this decision? SS: It was probably both. She’s been doing a fantastic job here. But like with anything in life, there’s never just one reason. There’s always like 10 or 12 reasons. As you can see, we’re a very plain studio, we’re in a fourth-floor walkup. I was sheepish for a long time about bringing clients here, and actually, I was looking for a fancier studio. And I found one. I was about to sign the lease and I thought, “Do I really want to do this?” Low overhead has served us well in the past. And at about the same time I was meeting with one of our “fancier” clients and he asked me “Why have I never seen your studio?” I said, “Because it’s shitty!” And he liked that. He liked the fact that we spent the money on the work, not on the digs. All of this made me think more about the way the company should be.
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DarK INteriors cavernous rooms in dark hues are The perfect place to experience the end of the world
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This spread and intro page: Black Pearl Rotterdam South by Studio Rolf.fr and Zecc Architecten Photos by Frank Hanswijk
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Princelet Street Residence Photos by Tim Brotherton Katie Lock, www.brothertonlock.com
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Hotel S. Stefano Di Sessanio, located in S. Stefano Di Sessanio Abruzzo, two hours from Rome Photos by Mario Di Paolo, www.Sextantio.it www.associazionesextantio.org
142 M.N.ROY - Chic by Accident Photos by Studio / Ludwig Godefroy
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2012’s most illuminating lighting designers
Indoor LEDs present a design conundrum: they’re incredibly efficient light sources, but the fixtures themselves are often just plain ugly. The government, oddly enough, agrees. The Department of Energy launched its Next Generation Luminaries design competition in 2008 to identify LEDs that meet stringent performance standards and look good, too. This year they selected 53 indoor lighting winners. Since their designs made the brawn and beauty cut, we asked:
What one detail makes your desigN stand out from the indoor lighting field?
BEST IN SHOW Albeo Technologies: H-Series Intense Lighting: MBW2 LED Lithonia Lighting: ST Series
RECOGNIZED WINNERS Lithonia Lighting: PROTEON LED, VT Series, T Series, AC Series, and RT Series *****
OSRAM: RLC22
Philips Lightolier: Spot LED Series
Lumenpulse: Lumenbeam LBX, Lumencove **
Finelite, Inc.: HPR-LED Collection USAI Lighting: BeveLED 2.0 Downlight, BeveLED 2.0 Wall Wash, NanoLED NXT Downlight, and NanoLED NXT**** Amerlux Global Lighting Solutions: Hornet Multiples, Hornet, Evoke 2.9 G2 LED, Evoke 4.75 G2 LED, and Evoke 4.75 G2 LED *****
Architectural Lighting Works: LP9 Mono Citizen13
Humanscale: Horizon
Lighting Science Group: Glimpse “With an innovative, low profile form, the Glimpse blends seamlessly into its environment. It mimics the form of traditional recessed downlights without the associated high energy or maintenance costs.”
Focal Point: ID LED “The design of our ID LED Adjustable addresses the performance quality desires of lighting designers and architects. It also provides a future-proof platform that utilizes a Zhaga-compliant LED module.” Prism Co., Ltd.: Prism TL-4400 and Galaxia Smart LED **
ON-Q Lighting Systems: Aura Series
Pure Edge Lighting: Soft Line Indirect LED
Cooper Lighting - Portfolio: Portfolio 6" Square LED
The Lighting Quotient: fraqtir Cove
Cree, Inc.: CR Architectural LED Troffer
Digital Lumens: ILE-3-18
GE Lighting Solutions: Lumination LED
SELUX Corporation: M60 LED and M100 LED
Axis Lighting: Beam 3 LED
Juno Lighting Group: Generation 3, 6" IC LED, Generation 3, 4" IC LED, Aculux Generation 2 LED, and Trac 12 LED Linear *****
Intense Lighting: MB3 LED and Pluris LED **
Eureka Lighting: Rolo, Lap, Point, and Bare ****
Koncept Technologies Inc.: Mosso LED
Corelite - Cooper Lighting: Loft Micro LED and Iris P3LED **
“From the 0.1% energy efficiency of their dimming capabilities to their exquisite uniformity, M100 and M60 LEDs are a superior choice for endlessly flexible linear lighting.”
*****= Multiple Awards
MarulaLED: LB86 Retail Low Bay
Indoor application photo by Thaddeus Rombauer. For more information on the competition, visit ngldc.org.
This issue’s best Albums
Presented by
Music
DESIGN BUREAU
A
ALARMPRESS
converge All We Love We Leave Behind (Epitaph) The eighth full-length album from Converge is every bit the frenetic, neck-snapping metalcore monster that two decades of precedent could have promised. Yet even when sticking to some of its shortest, most explosive hardcore throw-downs, the Salem-based quartet maintains a dedication to craft and perfection. All We Love We Leave Behind begins with “Aimless Arrow,” easily the most melodic Converge album opener to date, with post-hardcore riffs underscoring an impassioned vocal performance. And it closes with “Predatory Glow,” a more slowly moving sludge beast that stands in stark contrast to where the record begins. In the remaining 12 tracks, the group explores the space between these poles, reflecting the members’ mix of influences. Though expectations are best left wide open when approaching a new Converge album, two things remain constant: it’ll never be half-assed, and it most certainly won’t be boring. [JT] /01 02/
03/
04/
05/
06/
indian handcrafts
p.o.s.
Menomena
Civil Disobedience for Losers (Sargent House)
We Don't Even Live Here (Ryhmesayers)
Moms (Barsuk)
With their skills sharpened by nearly a decade of collaboration, Ontario-based musicians Brandyn James Aikins (drums) and Daniel Brandon Allen (guitar) teamed up to form Indian Handcrafts in 2010 with one simple goal: to make some fucking noise. That MO has been honed and refined on the duo’s latest effort, Civil Disobedience for Losers, proving that you don’t need a brigade to have an arsenal. Engineered by Toshi Kasai (Melvins, Big Business, Tool), Civil Disobedience… is heavy on the homage, making connections with other power duos like Big Business and Death From Above 1979 and owing much to the Melvins. Tracks like “Worm in My Stomach” and “Coming Home” subvert classic rock-’n’-roll structures, and “Centauri Teenage Riot” and “Truck Mouth” form one giant, doped-out jam, relentless in its energy. Two is all you need. [BVN] /02
Though fans may be satiated by a new Doomtree album and a bevy of side projects, it’s been three-and-a-half years since any solo output from Stefon Alexander, a.k.a. P.O.S, the punkspirited rapper/producer and cofounder of the aforementioned hip-hop collective. From the aggressive, rhythmic opening of “Bumper,” it sounds like Alexander picks up where he left off with Never Better, his watershed 2009 album. Very quickly, however, We Don’t Even Live Here reveals itself to be a different kind of beast, as squiggly synths and electronics create an electro-rap hybrid. There’s plenty of rock to go around—as well as a bunch of Doomtree guest spots, a steadily pulsing piano, and an anti-consumerist anthem (“Fuck Your Stuff”). But the final four tracks delve straight into dance and dubstep territory, and with appearances by vocoder as well as Justin Vernon of Bon Iver, this is a whole new P.O.S. [SM] /03
07/
When multi-instrumentalist/co-singer Brent Knopf left Menomena to focus on a solo project this year, the future of the Portland trio-turnedduo felt uncertain. Knopf’s tenor complemented Justin Harris’ and Danny Seim’s vocals perfectly, and his guitar work constantly helped structure Menomena songs into hook-ridden frameworks. But Moms, the band’s first effort as a twopiece, proves that Menomena is going to be just fine. The classic Menomena tropes are still there: Seim’s sporadic and intricate drumming, Harris’ swelling saxophone and bass lines, and a swarm of slow-burning strings, sprinkling keys, and hazy harmonies. Even frantic guitar work is in place, and there is nary a hiccup or a misstep. Standout tracks like “Pique,” “Baton,” and “Skintercourse” serve as stepping stones through a lagoon of sweltering rock-outs and bipolar dirges. [MD] /04
family band
metz
no spill blood: street meat EP
Grace & Lies (No Quarter)
s/t (Sub Pop)
Street Meat (Sargent House)
Grace & Lies, the second album from husbandand-wife team Family Band, paints a picture of small-scale yearning and despair that shuttles between being hypnotic and unexpectedly hard-edged. Described as a study in light and shadow by the artists, the album mixes aural beauty with a sense of mystery and menace. Though not a huge departure from the duo’s self-released debut, Miller Path, this sophomore effort strikes its own moody yet expansive tone. Smooth alto vocals float over fuzzed-out guitars (and the occasional dulcimer), and as the album progresses, this newer sound of dark, atmospheric rock mixes with Family Band’s folksy roots. With the undercurrent of smoky-voiced sadness, it’s an experience that will leave you melancholy and wanting more. [MG] /05
Western Ontario’s Metz has been a well-kept secret of the Great White North for a few years now, and with a recent “sign on the dotted line” with Sub Pop, those in the dark may finally see the light. From the opening tom hits of “Headache,” listeners will notice the larger-than-life production of this 11-song battering ram. The guitar and bass tones are thick and reminiscent of a time in the ’90s when Big Muffs were essential. Though it’s one upbeat tune after another, the album is packed with heavy riffs that show just how powerful the trio can sound, shaking the ground beneath the listener. More than 25 years after it launched, Sub Pop appears to be reaching back to its roots by adding this present-day post-punk phenomenon. [BM] /06
Based in Dublin, Ireland, and vivisected from experimental and noise-rock champions Adebisi Shank, Elk, Magic Pockets, and others, No Spill Blood already has a momentum that has launched it straight to the top of the mighty Sargent House roster. On its inaugural Street Meat EP, the trio keeps the bass guitar low and loud on the register, giving a jarring, dissonant, Melvinslike depth to the album. Thick, buzzing synths add both atmosphere and a cosmic progressive element, which is visually reflected in Sonny Kay’s pseudo-psychotropic cover art. Without the synthesized textures, No Spill Blood might run the risk of falling flat as another noiserock duo, but the band manages to pull off in three what other bands hardly can do with five. [BVN] /07
Scott Morrow is the music editor at ALARM Press and author of This Week’s Best Albums, an eclectic weekly series presenting exceptional music. Visit www.alarmpress.com for more. [MD] Michael Danaher, [BM] Bobby Markos, [DM] David Metcalfe, [JT] Jeff Terich, [BVN] Benjamin van Loon. Converge photo by Bryan Sheffield
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For Hire
FOR HIRE DESIGN TALENT FRESH ON THE MARKET
For Hire: Noelia Lozano FOR HIRE
FOR HIRE
DESIGN TALENT FRESH ON THE MARKET
DESIGN TALENT FRESH ON THE MARKET
FOR HIRE
Design Talent This graphic designer from Spain likes advertising design, bright colors, Fresh On the Market big glasses, tropical bubble gum...and Carrie Bradshaw
FOR HIRE
DESIGN TALENT FRESH ON THE MARKET
FOR HIRE
FOR HIRE
Design Talent Fresh On the Market
FOR HIRE
DESIGN TALENT FRESH ON THE MARKET
DESIGN TALENT FRESH ON THE MARKET
FOR HIRE
Tell us a bit more about your background. I am studying graphic design in an advertising masters program at AREA (a practical design and new DESIGN TALENT FRESH technologies school), but before this I studied journalism. ON THE MARKET
FOR HIRE: Laura Allcorn DESIGN TALENT FRESH ON THE MARKET
How did you decide to pick graphic design as your area of
DESIGN TALENTexpertise? FRESH ON THE MARKET Because it is a world
FORFORHIRE HIRE I have always been attracted which DESIGN TALENT FRESH ON THE MARKET
by. It was the best way to pass on my ideas—whatever you can imagine, you can do it, and I love it! How would you describe your aesthetic? Fresh, young, and colorful. I love the most plastic and tactile part of the graphic design, so I love to work with different materials, textures, papers. I love handmade works because they are always very personal and keep a part of the author.
What are your post-graduation plans? I’m hoping to work either in advertising or an innovation firm. I want to be part of something that’s influential and changes peoples’ lives and habits subliminally, in a good way of course. Why should somebody hire you? I think I’m in a very fantastic moment, with original and very professional works and ideas, very hungry, wanting to do new different things, waiting for a change. My work is the result of a constant search of creativity, each project is a new challenge. a
Top to bottom:
Noelia’s work features paper cutting/pasting done in bold colors and block shapes Noelia Likes: Pencils, papercrafts with new textures, my instant photo camera, discovering new signs in my city, tropical chewing gum, gradually falling asleep while watching TV, Kigns of Leon, longboarding on the street while others walk, Mark Renton from Trainspotting, Candies packaging Noelia Dislikes: Not having a cup of coffee, not having a larger work space, snails, people who think they're graphic designers just because they use Photoshop, people who think that creatives/designers works for free, Mr.Big because he always made Carrie Bradshaw suffer
RESUME SNAPSHOT: Noelia Lozano EDUCATION AREA School of Design and New Technologies, San Sebastian, Spain MA in Graphic Design, 2010-current University of the Basque UPV, Leioa BA in Journalism, 2001-2006
Work Experience Loreak Mendian, 2011 Intern performing such tasks as studio photography, photo retouching, and preparation of manuals visual themes for stores and merchandising
Interested in being featured in For Hire? Email us at forhire@wearedesignbureau.com
Languages Spanish English Portuguese Basque
Wanna hire Noelia? Check out her website: noelialozano.com
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