Interior Design, Design News and Architecture Trends

Author: designer

Peaceful Eco-Resort for Guests Visiting Pedras Salgadas Spa & Nature Park, Portugal

Situated in the north of Portugal within 580 meters of altitude, at almost 1 hour away by car from the city of Porto, the Pedras Salgadas Spa & Nature Park is a unique, secluded 4 star resort with more than 100 years old which attract tourists from all over the world thanks to its natural beauty and the power of the thermal water found there. Full of purity, the park is the perfect destination for those whoo enjoy nature and are looking for a relaxing environment that makes you forget about the stress of everyday life.

Besides its Thermal Spa which is a temple of health and wellness in the middle of the nature where you can benefit from their water with unique therapeutic properties, recognized for several decades by the most prestigious national and international scientific community, another attraction that will make your experience unforgettable is related to the seven small Eco-Houses, a new project completed in 2012 under the signature of architects Luís Rebelo de Andrade & Diogo Aguiar.

Nestled amongst the trees of the Pedras Salgadas Spa & Nature Park and totally isolated from the city, the Eco-resort is designed to provide a heavenly experience of rest and harmony with the outside world for those who love experiment natural surroundings in their purest form, whilst maintaining comfort. With a capacity up to 6 people, each eco-house is extremely well designed in a modular prefabrication system but flexible enough to adapt to the specific places within the park, taking on nature in its foundations. Three modules (entrance/bathing – living – sleeping) are combined to create several various spaces unique and special in their design.

Their walls are built with grey slate tiles referring to the local construction traditions and balconies are surrounded with wooden slats, while the cabins with pitched roofs were raised up on stilts in order to have a minimal inpact on the ground. The use of the interior space is very well done, being very welcoming as well as modern. Divided into bedrooms, lounge, a very well equipped kitchen, bathroom , hall and deck, they are designed in detail to ensure the utmost comfort supplemented by surrounding scenery of absolute tranquility. They are small but highly functional, with an absolutely trendy décor that pays tribute to the minimalist style. Whether for a family stay or a business retreat, this eco-resort is certainly a great destination to enjoy your holiday. Have a look and if you have any thought regarding this project, please post them in the comment area below.

Photos © FG + SG

Project details:

Architects: Luís Rebelo de Andrade & Diogo Aguiar
Collaborators: Madalena Rebelo de Andrade, Raquel Jorge, João Jesus
Location: Parque de Pedras Salgadas, Bornes de Aguiar, Portugal
Client: Unicer, Pedras Salgadas Spa & Nature Park
Construction: Modular System
Typology: seven dwellings for eco-resort
Area: 687,96 sqm
Completion: 2012

April 15, 2013
Dress Up Your Garden with Concrete Flowerpots by Julia Kononenko

Warm weather and the freshness and vibrancy of all kind of colorful flowers and leafy plants are evidence that the cold winter season is already a distant memory. Spring is in the air and it’s time to celebrate it by changing your patio or garden decor with new attractive flowerpots and planters. If you’re among those who appreciate originality and style, you are probably looking for plant containers that have an unconventional look or impress by some distinctive features.

Well, we find these appealing concrete flowerpots designed by Ukrainian industrial designer Julia Kononenko, that help you cultivate some personality indoors this spring. What makes them special and different from other standard pots is that they are covered with a special marble chips, which collects sunlight during the day and releases it at night, so they acts as a garden lamp as well. Their simple yet eye-catching concrete design will surely stand out and will create an image of sculptural composition at your landscape site.

Photos © Andrew Lyhushyn

April 14, 2013
The Ultimate Montreal Bar at W Montreal Hotel

Known for its innovative approach, sublime design and world-class professionals, the stylish luxury W Montreal Hotel is all you need for a perfect trip to Montreal. Located in the fashionable Citi Internacionale district adjacent to Old Montreal, the hotel offers accomodations, highly-personalized Away® Spa and exquisite modern Italian cuisine, infused with Asian and local “terroir” ingredients with Mediterranean flavors, while promises you to experience Montreal nightlife and entertainment like never before with its amazing bar concept -Wunderbar, envisioned by the creative minds of BPC.

Wunderbar is the centerpiece nightlife destination within the W Montreal Hotel that exudes the outdoors vibrancy whlist offering one-of-a-kind cocktail of local culture. Its dynamic design featuring sleek, contemporary décor, vivid colors and undulating forms is an abstract and modern interpretation of Montreal’s splendid natural surroundings and its four different seasons. The elegant multi-level lounge is a colorful space with plenty of soft sweeping light that creates an ultra-stylish environment, where guests could enjoy unique cocktails, video projections and inspiring Montreal music.

An enormous light fixture that flows over the space and down and a long wall of silver chain beads sets the mood for whatever tunes the DJ is spinning, transforming the space from a soothing monochromatic environment to a rainbow wonderland with a few quick settings. The sky of wavy illuminated ceiling animate the chic estalishment, ensuring a memorable experience for both hotel guests and international tastemakers. Take a look!

Photos © Stephane Groleau

April 14, 2013
Stay Connected with Your Friends and Family with The Good Night Lamp™

Turning on a lamp takes a whole new meaning with the Good Night Lamp™ envisioned by Alexandra Deschamps-Sonsino and her London-based team. Born out of the desire of staying connected with her family and friends who are spread around the world, to share a little bit of her daily routine with them, the Good Night Lamp™ is daring and attention-grabbing project that impress not only through the beautiful simplicity of the design, but also through the creative concept behind it.

Describing a family of connected lamps via Internet, the eye-catching, minimalist house-shaped lamps aims to bring people together wherever they are in the world, while offering a modern and awesome alternative to traditional table lamps we all know. How do they work? Well, it consists of an expandable set of WiFi-enabled lamps, a Big Lamp and Little Lamps that are paired with it, that allows you to communicate the act of coming back home to your loved ones. By pressing down on the Big Lamp’s chimney, the light turns on and off for one or more Little Lamps in the same time.

It’s a simple way to see whenever your daughter goes to sleep at night, to know when your partner leave work to start preparing the dinner or to let your business partners around the world know you’re ready for your conference’s call by turning on your Big Lamp. So, the Good Night Lamp™ acts as a reminder of the other’s presence, as a sort of personal signal or code between people -letting them stay connected like they do via social networks, but in a smaller way. Cool design project, what do you say?

Photos © Good Night Lamp

April 12, 2013
Modern and Spacious Duplex Loft in Soho by David Hotson Architect

Welcome to a bright and spacious duplex loft enriched with modern inspirational details located in Soho, New York City. The splendid loft designed by New York City-based full-service architectural design firm David Hotson Architect and executed by a state-of-the-art loft conversion company is a stylish serene space showcasing in the main areas a simple color palette defined by plain white and spiced up with vibrant hues giving a feeling of elegance and clearness. Full ceiling height living room and dining room benefit from natural light all day long thanks to the huge windows placed from one end to another, which amplify also the gentility of the overall home design.

A whole lot of white highlights the contemporary furnishings and even the architecture details of the loft in the main area. A touch of vitality is added by a black piano and colorful pillows and upholstered stool. The connection between the two levels of this duplex loft is ensured by two white minimalist staircases. The rest of the interior features as well modern decor, with clean lines, but with a different color scheme going from all bright white to a deep, rich eggplant, lacquered blacks and rich wood tones. A playful painting, bookcases with many books enliven the atmosphere of the other rooms. Beautiful and minimalist, this duplex loft is a a grea example of smart design.

Photos © David Hotson Architect

April 11, 2013
Unique Purse-Shaped Building – Simone Handbag Museum in Seoul, South Korea

Could you believe that handbags remains over time the number one women accessory that nowadays has its very own museum?! Here’s the proof: Simone Handbag Museum, a place which isn’t only dedicated to conserve and display a unique and stunning collection of handbags, but also showcase a fashionable work of architecture. The museum is located in Gangnam, one of the most fashionable neighborhoods in Seoul, South Korea, and since its opening in July 2012, it draws tourists and visitors attention firstly by it’s unusual building shape which looks like a purse itself, with huge loop handles on top to honor handbags, some of the most fashion details worn worldwide.

The plans for this five-story building called Bagstage of Simone Handbag Museum was designed by Korean architects UAD and Charlie Smith Design and features an all-glass façade and contemporary interiors that are home for an amazing collection consisting of more than 300 historical handbags dating from the 15th century to the present day, a shop selling bag materials, a designer studio for up-and-coming Korean who can work rent-free and a flagship store. Divided into two halves ( Twentieth Century and Contemporary and Historic), the museum is the initiative of Kenny Park, CEO of Simone Acc. Collection Ltd., which is a passionate handbag producer for some of the largest fashion houses in the world, while the impressive collection was assembled by renowned curator of fashion history exhibitions Judith Clark, Professor of Fashion and Museology at the London College of Fashion.

It took two years to organize it in what is today: a permanent, quite detailed handbags collection with European origin most of them and some contemporary ones from the United States, including exquisitely crafted reticules and “sweetmeat” bags, gunmetal mesh purses from the late 19th century and recent creations like an Alexander McQueen clutch printed with the Union Jack. Bespoke maniquins designed especially for Simone Handbag Museum display various handbags with different styles and a level of craftsmanship that barely survives in today’s handbags highlighting how they contributed to female identity over time.

All find that handbags symbolize the emancipation of women, but few of us know that handbags were initially used before for carrying smelling herbs and after that money. So, it’s very interesting to see how things changed since than regarding their use, size, techniques and materials they are crafted. Recent pieces and trends from the 1900s could be found at the ground floor, whilst the upper level exhibits bags from earlier years. Dedicated DIY workshops are constantly held to give young designers the possibility to create their own bag and use that specific tools needed to design a purse, and after that sell their works in an area made for exclusively for them.

So, ladies, if your next trip is to Seoul, make sure you find some time to visit the Simone Handbag Museum. Besides a great fashion history lesson, a peek inside the retail store might give you the chance to leave with a purse in case you’ve entered without one.

Photos © UAD and Charlie Smith Design

April 10, 2013
Limitless Designs with the Latest Modular Furniture Concept from Tetran

We invite you to discover a new type of modular furniture with which you can create and recreate never-before-seen seating designs that never loses interest and excitement. TETRAN Infinite Living Systems took the modular furniture concept to a completely new level and their latest promotional video showcases their cool, revolutionary modular system that offers mindblowing design solutions for any space. Only imagination is the limit when it comes to use Tetran’s modular modern designs inspired by Legos and Transformers.

Intelligent and also good looking, the modules allow you to build, rebuild and modify them, making any combination possible with a simple locking mechanism according to your needs and desires. The cubes are creates very easily from MDF sides, which come pre-drilled and could be assembled with only one size screw, and then lock together with a simple nut and bolt and a hex key to form whatever shape you want. Stronger and durable than hardwood, MDF parts are made from 100% recycled and recyclable materials, making this innovative furniture system to be also highly environmentally friendly.

Furthermore, they have modules with pre-formed five inch cushions with a three inch memory foam layer for designing extremely comfortable seating areas. Not to mention that the possible finishes range from wood and metal to leather or hard plastic looking like glass, which will be available in any color, shade, tone or tint you can think of, allowing you to fit them into virtually any décor. In this way, you can build custom interior designs with amazing sofas, creative chairs and luxurious lounges that maximize your productivity and make the greatest use of any size space whether it’s about tight bedrooms and offices or large living rooms. Have a look!

Photos © TETRAN Infinite Living Systems

April 10, 2013
Original Wooden Covers to Personalize and Protect your iPhone

Have you recently purchased an iPhone and you’re searching for original looking covers? Then maybe these awesome wooden skins, crafted by Lazerwood Industries, are the perfect choice for your device. Combining the love for wood and technology, the Seattle-based company creates unique and high quality products to satisfy the clients’ needs and make them happy owning them. Conceived specifically for Apple’s devices, these thisn adhesive wood backs not only protects the surfaces from scratches and bumps, but also add character and style through constantly updated designs that make your smartphone stand out wherever you are.

Although Lazerwood iPhone 12 covers have the same application method as many other skins on the market, they don’t look at all like “stickers” and don’t make any harm to your iPhone once they’re removed. They age nicely with usage thanks to the real FSC certified wood utilized, which is laser cut with beautiful precision adorning the smartphone without adding bulk . Their anti-residue adhesive makes Lazerwood covers to stick firmly, but in the same time ensuring your iPhone’s back remains as before after you take the covers off. The final result is amazing, the contrast in textures of metal and wood creating a striking appearance. You can select between several types of wood and designs.

Photos © Lazerwood Industries

April 8, 2013