Interior Design, Design News and Architecture Trends

Author: designer

Unique Bench Design by Studio Nic Roex

Aiming to create products that excite and inspire, German Studio Nic Roex focuses on products, furniture and interiors distinguished by clear structures, clean lines and recognizable elements, shapes and techniques. Their functional designs involve actively people, making them feel part of the process. This unusual green and white bench we’re presenting you today is called E.B.B. and features an interesting design concept, which challenges preconceived notions of benches. A transparent green construction reveal the impossible -a bench with one leg instead of four, as it would be normal to have.

The unconventional design that gave up to the familiar and recognisable aspect (the four legs) of a bench draws attention and make the user curios to discover it and observe from every standpoint. E.B.B. bench’s form challenges and invites the observer to understand how it works. Unlike an ordinary seating piece, E.B.B. channels all its forces into one single leg with a firm metal base.

There are three steel parts made of distinct color shades, a combination between green and white which create somehow an optical illusion making you believe it’s suspended when looking from different angles. Thus, the challenge presented by this bench is one of balance. This original characteristic is highlighted and accentuated by the bench’s simple, irregular geometry, yet unique and catchy, that on the other side kept untouched the furniture item’s function. E.B.B is designed to be used outdoor, as it’s made of metal and acrylic, two materials suitable for this kind of environment. The acrylic provides the bench an attractive transparent look, but also is UV-resistant and does not fade in the sun. It’s dimensions are 150 x 80 x 55 cm

Photos © Simon Wald-Lasowski

July 27, 2013
Wuhan Greeland Center in China to Become the Fourth Tallest Building in the World

Meet Wuhan Greeland Center, a stunning architectural masterpiece that is developing in this moment in Wuhan, China. Striving to create comprehensive, high-performance, forward-looking designs that not only exhibit timeless and enduring qualities, but also aid society, sustain the environment and inspire people to make the world better, Adrian Smith +Gordon Gill Architecture envisioned this impressive tower scheduled to complete in 2016. When it will be finished, Wuhan Greeland Center is likely to become the China’s third-tallest building, and the fourth tallest in the world.

After the famous Burj Khalifa from Dubai (828 metres), the upcoming supertall skyscraper Kingdom Tower (1,000 metres) and Azerbaijan Tower ( 1,050 meters), the Wuhan Greenland Center in China will reach to 606 meters (1,988 feet) and will features 119 storeys which will host a a 45,000 sm five-star hotel, 200,000 sq.m. of offices, 50,000 sq.m of luxury apartments and condominiums, and a 5,000 sq.m, 27-meter-tall private club with exceptional views at the tower’s penthouse level. Its oustanding design was conceived through a holistic, integrated approach that emphasizes symbiotic relationship with the natural environment. A tapered body, softly rounded corners and a domed top five this skyscrapers a magnificent, futuristic appearance.

This unique, aerodynamic shape is created for aesthetic reasons, but also to reduce vortex action and wind resistance that usually build up around supertall towers, and also to diminish the structural material used for its construction. It includes a series of sustainable features such as energy recovery, a high-efficiency lighting system, greywater recovery system, daylight-responsive control system and water-concerving low-flow plumbing fixtures. Its sculpted interior public spaces reflects the conical silhouette smooth curved glass facades. They feature fluid lines and a neutral blue-gray palette that recalls that reflective exterior glass. Here are some amazing pictures. Take a look!

Photos © Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture

Project details:

Services: Architecture, Interior Design, Master Planning
Client: Greenland Group
Function: Mixed-use
Facts: 119 stories, 606 m height, 300,000 sm area

July 25, 2013
Unique Sofa Design with Icelandic Lamb Wool and Antique Reclaimed Oak

With a vast experience manufacturing commercial, residential and hospitality furnishings for renowned luxury brands, including case goods and accent items, New York City based furniture design and fabrication company, SENTIENT, is distinguished by their expressive creations boasting of originality and creativity, and with a high quality of craftmanship. Take for example the Long Wool Sofa designed by the SENTIENT chief design officer, Nersi Nasseri.

He took two different materials and ingeniously combined them, resulting in a unique furniture piece in terms of form , functionality and color. By doing that he transformed a slab of wood and some sheepskin wool into one of the most interesting and catchy sofa. Its one-of-a-kind design with genuine and splendid features that instantly draw attention.

To create the “Long Wool Sofa”, the designer used 100% Antique Oak lumber, Icelandic Lamb Wool, pocket springs, two layers of foam and one layer of Dacron. Measuring 6” – 8”, the Icelandic sheepskin wool has a chaotic, long and wild appearance, yet soft, which makes it very inviting and comfortable. An array of warm beige, brown and golden colors delights your eyes creating a natural look, while the nail holes from the Antique reclaimed oak gives the sofa a more distinctive rustic character. This combination is amazing and looks very fashionable in the same time. Here are some pictures with it.

Photos © SENTIENT Furniture

July 24, 2013
High-Tech Giant Umbrellas Improve Al-Masjid al-Nabawī Mosque’s Natural Micro-Climate

Located in Al Madinah, Saudi Arabia, Al-Masjid al-Nabawī is one of the largest mosque in the world, the Islam’s second-holiest mosque built by the Prophet Mohammed. Over the centuries, Al-Masjid al-Nabawī was enlarged, though it couldn’t kept pace with the increasing swell of Hajj pilgrims who gather each year in its courtyards. Millions of pilgrims congregate in the two interior courts belonging to both the old mosque and the new, traditionally designed buildings in Medina al-Munawwarah.

Just imagine a little bit how it looks like its surrounding area when the time of pilgrimage arrives. Although in recent years the traditional time of pilgrimage has been in the cooler fall and winter months, this period is changing progressively according to the lunar calendar and the summer months when temperatures are extremely high returns, exceeding 120 degrees F. These marble-floored spaces can be punishing for those millions of pilgrims who gather here, so these open plazas had to be efficiently climatized.

To such an exceptional situation, there had to be an exceptional solution and German designers, SL-Rasch, in collaboration with SEFAR Architecture came up with an ingenious way that improved the mosque’s natural micro-climate without destroying its architectural character. In November 2010, they completed the plantation of a forest of giant foldable sunshades, each being almost 20 meters tall. They were the largest umbrellas built up to that time and are really something unseen. The members of the Medina Haram Piazza project, as it was named, include general contractor Saudi Binladin Group (SBG), customer Saudi Arabian Ministry of Finance, architect SL-Rasch, German umbrella manufacturer Liebherr and Japanese manufacturer Taiyo Kogyo.

The stunning umbrellas work together to constitute the convertible shading roof of either of the mosque’s courts, having a total of 143,000 m2, which is larger than the floor area of the mosque itself. To have the expected result and provide pilgrims with optimal shade and environment, the high tech sunscreens are made of a special material named PTFE fabric, which satisfies the rigorous standards required by the customer and resist the aggressive UV radiation. Besides that, the material has an extremely high tensile strength owing to wind load, colorfastness, fire resistance, maximum flexibility, as well as effective shading and appropriate light transmission.

Regarding the light that passes through them, this extra tough PTFE fabric is a sand-colored one due to some good reasons. Additionally, the umbrellas feature elegant columns and oriental patterns made from blue PTFE ribbons, applied to the underside of the umbrella. The result of this solution? The ambient temperature created by the transclucent sunshades was decreased with at least 8 °C. Like blooming flowers, they all are programmed to open and close simultaneously in minutely delayed sequence to avoid collision between their moving parts. This procedure takes three minutes, offering a fascinating scene to watch.

Photos © Sefar Architects

July 23, 2013
Contemporary Private House in the Gulf of St. Tropez, France

Located in Beauvallon, in the Gulf of St. Tropez on the French Cote d’Azur, “The Private House” with amazing sea views is a modern getaway nestled in the middle of green landscapes and lush forests. Designed to be a large family home, the audacious project signed by Bumper Investments aimed to offer an exclusive experience of comfort emphasing the concept of sustainable life whithin nature.

The architectural construction constisting of a contemporary combination of concrete, steel and glass is envisioned as an aesthetic and sensorial relation between the house and the wonderful surrounding nature. The ” Private House” is ideal for every day family living or for spending your vacation with family or friends being very spacious and incorporating everything you want to forget about hustle and bustle of everyday life. The property features a large entrance which stands for the kitchen, the dining room and for two stylish, elegant and bright bedrooms with garden access.

The third bedroom is accessible by the interior garden which has a delightful view of orange trees, many soft colors and a fragrance of thyme and rosemary. The first floor includes the elegant, spacious living room enclosed in floor- to-ceiling sliding glass panels to maximize views of the natural setting, area that is connected to the master bedroom and the splendid swimming pool. On a lower part of the property, in the heart of the lush garden there’s a renovated shipping container that has a luxurious, cozy unit consisting of a double bedroom with bathroom and a glass shower surrounded by bamboo. Admitting generous daylight to filter across the space, all of the rooms benefit from beautiful views of the surrounding nature, taking also advantage of cross ventilation to continuously break the Provence summer heat. The house is available for rent and also for sale.

Photos © Aurélien Aumon.

July 22, 2013
Lovely Weekend House in South Africa

Building a house t with a design that respond to the climate and heritage of the area was the main objective aimed by RPA (Rudolf Perold Argitek), the architectural practice of Rudolf Perold, who developed Klenwingerd (which means “small vineyard”), his own weekend retreat. Situated on the edge of the agricultural town of Prince Alfred Hamlet, in the Warmbokkeveld valley, South Africa, the house is placed at the back of a rectangular plot, beyond a peach orchard, at a certain distance from the street reclaiming beautiful mountain views.

A vineyard and a double row of poplars separate the house from the street in order to ensure intimacy. Its design draws on natural ventilation and regional heritage, detailing and materials being simple and cost-effective, with minimal impact on the site. Two service bands consisting in the entrance, the store room and the kitchen cross the plan perpendicularly and defines the principal accommodation in the long barn plan form: the living room, bedroom and wine cellar/library. Semi-private outdoor areas were created with partially walled courtyards on both sides of the home, which fix it into the landscape.

The extremes of the highland climate are negated through the passive climate control strategies such as floors, walls and roofs which are well isolated, light shelves with north sun shading to supply extensive daylight with limited summer heat again, and a pergola to provide sheltered outdoor space. There were also used strategies for power saving in the form of solar water heating and gas cooking.

Paved floors, white unplastered brickwork walls and plywood structural insulated panel ceilings are used to build it. The foundations and ring beams are made of steel and concrete, while laminated beams and structural insulated panels form the structure of the roof. A simple concept, a contemporary design and the spirit of nature bring harmony and tranquility helping the owner disconnect from the stressful daily work. The interiors receives enough natural light during the day making the space welcoming airy. Like the traditional Cape Dutch architecture, this weekend house features timber clerestory windows provide high level cross ventilation, while other small windows set flush with the exterior wall.

Photos © Rudolf Perold

July 21, 2013
5 Contemporary White Dressing Tables to Get Ready For Your Day

What would be like having your own stylist salon with everything you need at your fingertips? A dressing table can turn this dream into reality if you know how to make this space work for you. This piece of furniture is an object specially dedicated to women’s beauty, where they feel pampered and where femininity is the main element. Usually located in the master bedroom or dressing-room, the dressing table helps you get ready faster in the morning, to makeup quickly and feel great while doing all these things. Make-up is important for all women, but in most of the time, for various reasons, it is done at the bathroom mirror occupying the bathroom and siting in an uncomfortable position looking for the best light for your makeup.

Who doesn’t like the idea of a space dedicated to pampering yourself a little bit? The answer lies in the great interest that women were always showing for dressing tables, although they live in big houses with many rooms or in apartments where space is limited. A dressing table is among woman’s best friends. An organized, “well-dressed” dressing table can become a lovely place, where you spend quality time preparing for your day, arranging for your night out on the town, and unwinding for the evening.  You will have all the necessary things in one place: brushes, clips, makeup, lipsticks, perfumes, jewelry and accessories.

Generally, the dressing table is somehow an assembly consisting of a table, a mirror and a chair or a nice little stool. Many times, this table top is not roomy enough to set make-up and perfumes, but fortunately, today there are plenty of models which come in different sizes to fit your needs both in terms of personal style and size of the room.  The most important element of dressing tables is, of course, the mirror. It should match the style of the table. Regarding its size, it depends on your preferences. A large, free-standing mirror is preffered, being a design element that not only would reflect the beautiful room beyond, but also is great for small spaces because it creates the impression of a larger room too. Choose a stylish dressing table with drawers, where you can put jewels, cosmetics, creams and everything you need. Large drawers are more suitable especially if you have a large collection of jewelry and makeup.

Add a cosmetic mirror if you feel it’s necessary and don’t forget purchasing a suitable table lamp with good light for the evening makeup. This will leave you plenty of room to lay out your items. Speaking about lighting, the perfect place to have a dressing table is in that room which receives plenty of natural light, often near windows. The mirror must be positioned back to windows for natural light to illuminate the face; this detail is very important for daily makeup.  If your bathroom or bedroom lacks adequate lighting, it’s time for a change.

Whether your’re planning to set up your dressing table in your bedroom, in the bathroom or nearby, here we gathered 5 contemporary-looking ideas to inspire you and you can access from here a great collection of white dressing tables. These tables are not only beautiful, but also they are suitable for a wide range of chromatic palette. Clean lines, stylish and elegant design details make them feminine and ideal for this daily activity. If your prefer to keep things monochromatic, upholstering the dressing table chair in the same shade as the wall will make a simple yet awesome statement. We think having a lovely space dedicated to pampering yourself a bit is something every woman deserves. How does it look like your little corner where you get ready for your day or for the evening?

Photo © Sharp Design

Photo © David Duncan Livingston; Design © Melanie Coddington

Photo © Tria Giovan

July 20, 2013
Amazing Outdoor Living Space by Ritz Exterior Design

Because it’s summer and many of you are thinking to upgrade your homes not only in terms of interior design, but also regarding the exterior areas, today we’are presenting you a splendid project to inspire you. Specialized in creating beautiful gardens and luxurious outdoor room designs, Australian based company RED (Ritz Exterior Design) was encharged to manage the entire landscape design and outdoor wicker patio furniture that would complement a beautiful single-storey house with seven bedrooms in Applecross, and here’s what they accomplished.

From the lighting, planting and artificial turf, decking, to the water features, pool and spa, the reticulation and brick walls, everything is gorgeous, deserving the owners’ full attention. Modern and luxurious, with a focus on the finer details, it’s the perfect place to spend hot summers and relax sipping lemonade or dipping in the pool on a hot day, or why not in the evening too. Through the overall layout, the designer from RED aim to create a resort-style ambience.

With large verge areas and two entry points of the house, the space wasn’t very easy to be made, but the result woth all the effort. They envisioned a distinct, unique style for each of the entry point, so the front entrance features timber deck stepping-stones, curved lawns and sunken beds, while the other one is improved with a large timber arbour, custom-made from recycled jarrah railway sleepers and their rusted steel feature panels. This creative approach create a beautiful shadow effect with various patterns throughout the day.

Working with Lump design studio in Melbourne, they made astonishing “Bamboo” light boxes, which powerfull illuminates the arbour at night with a scenic impact. The pool was another challenge in this project, because the existing pool shell was settled too high. In this case, they kept the current floor level and used the elevated water level to design a sheer drop into a wrap around water characteristic. Stepping-stones are clad in travertine tiles, which create a footpath around the entire pool. Looking from the appealing lounge room, the pool is almost at eye-level, and yet it blends in amazingly with the rest of the outdoor space. What do you feel about this place?

Photos © Ritz Exterior Design

July 19, 2013