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Peru Influences and Inspiration – Prehistoric Aliens by Glimpt

Products that celebrate handmade craft and design are one-of-a-kind objects, their uniqueness being among their greatest appeal. There are not two handmade items that are the same, which makes each one of them very special indeed. Maybe the confluence of mass produced, product lines and easily accessible design objects which we found nowadays made us appreciate once again the beauty of handmade pieces of furniture.

They seems to speak to us on an inexplicable level, moving us in both intangible and profound ways. Whether it’s the expressiveness of a pattern, the feel of a certain texture on our fingertips or the knowledge that they are only available in
limited quantities, handmade objects share always stories behind their amazing designs.

The story behind the “Prehistoric Aliens”, the brand new collection of Glimpt design studio, starts in Peru where Swedish design pair Mattias Rask and Tor Palm worked closely with skilled artisans from Artesanos Don Bosco, whose high standards of craftsmanship impressed them very much. Meeting Peru’s fantastic cultural heritage, their people and experiencing their work, those from Glimpt manage to create innovative and highly original products surrounded by a mystical and ancient aura.

Infused with Peruvian exclusive technique of carving pictures in wood, “Prehistoric Aliens” is a modern collection of small coffee tables resembling small spaceships that have just landed, with their leader, The Robot. They feature beautiful handmade patterns carved in wood, which are gorgeously accentuated by eye-catching colored paint on whose surface it’s created a lovely play of lights and shadows. These small coffee tables are ideal companions for a stylish modern living room, adding a bit of Peruvian flavour.

Photos © Glimpt

June 10, 2013
Studio Dror’s Original Peacock Chair For Daring Interior Designs

Peacock Chair is that type of chair that makes you say “wow” when you see it. It’s incredible beautiful and alluring, a piece of furniture with a really creative design inspired by peacock’s extravagant tail. Although sophisticated in its appearance, the fancy chair created by multidisciplinary design firm Studio Dror for Italian brand Cappellini is quite simple designed: a minimal metal frame and three sheets of felt which are woven tightly around the frame.

Thanks to the technique used in creating the folds of the felt, the result is this charming shape of the Peacock chair: modern, elegant and highly fashionable. Available in various great colors, it’s also very comfortable according to designers, although it’s not upholstered. Take a look!

Photos © Studio Dror

June 9, 2013
Marble Meets Glass in Unique Sculptural Objects- Limited Edition

We’ve seen already various interior design collections made of marble and glass separately and we enjoyed very much their inspirational and fantastic designs. But how about sculptural objects that mix these two materials with a magnificent result? This we’re going to show you today, a unique looking collection which explores new dimensions in interior design by combining new technology with traditional craftsmanship.

Envisioned by Emmanuel Babled Studio, “Osmosi” is indeed a special collection constituted of furniture, lighting and vases, where hand-blown Murano glass and marble, initially two separate pieces, cannot be one without the other. They make an amazing and unexpected couple transforming each one of the previously mentioned pieces into gorgeous sculptural objects, furniture and lighting, that will draw attention right away.

To achieve these beautiful and fresh collection, which by the way is produced in limited edition, French industrial designer Emmanuel Babled put together the glass manufactured by the Venini furnace in Murano (IT) and the marble by Testi in Verona (IT), with a precision only possible thanks to high-level digital technology. They fit together through gravity alone, captivating through eye-cathing combinations of colors and contrasting of materials of hard and delicate in an uninterrupted flow of contours. This creative blend makes it a great focal point for any modern living room, table or bedroom sidetable. Check out Emmanuel Babled Studio’s website for other permanent unique items similar to this limited edition “Osmosi” collection.

Photos © Nicole Marnati

June 8, 2013
If You Want to See the Green Benefits of a Conservatory Then Go to the Biggest One in the World

More and more homeowners are waking up to the fact that adding a conservatory to their property is a smart and effective way of making their house more environmentally friendly. There are some great benefits to doing this and if you want to see them in action maybe you should go the biggest conservatory on the planet.

The Place

The Eden Project in Cornwall has been described as the biggest of all the conservatories on Earth and is sure to be much bigger than the one you choose from the likes of Anglianhome.co.uk for your home. However, we can still learn a lot by going here and seeing it for ourselves. It took two and a half years to build it and between the Tropical Dome and Mediterranean Dome there are more than 2 hectares of covered land included in this project. It has proved to be a huge success as a visitor attraction and a must see for many of the visitors who spend time in this part of the UK.

Photo © Robin Denton via Flickr

The Plants

There are more than one million plants on display here and it is sure to provide an educational experience for anyone who wants to know more about our reliance upon plants to sustain our planet in a healthy way. Of course, not many of us can fit more than a dozen or so plants into our home conservatory but we can still use the same principle of choosing them well, looking after them and helping the planet in our own little way. An interesting feature of the Eden Project is that the medicinal plants are labelled, so if this is something which interests you then you know where to go to in order to find out more and start your collection at home.

The Water Usage

Can you imagine how much water is needed to keep one million plants healthy and looking good all year round? This could have been a problem for the owners of the Eden Project and it might also be something you worry about at home too. In the case of the Cornwall centre, a clever rainwater storage system collects all of the rainwater which pours down here and uses it for watering the plants and also for the place’s toilet system. You might find that you can do something similar at home although obviously on a much smaller scale. The use of an ecologically friendly rainwater collection barrel is something which is becoming more popular in many households and you can use this water to keep your plants well watered and also to do other things like wash your car. As you sit down and enjoy another warm, sunny afternoon in your new conservatory you can now do so safe in the knowledge that you are doing your bit for the planet as well.

June 6, 2013
Concert Venue in France Displaying an Eccentric Architecture Concept

Meet “La Luciole” (French for “firefly”), an ambitious and demanding artistic project started in 1994, that despite the fact that only 250 people could enjoy the musical performances, it became over time a strong regional identity attracting famous musicians and delivering quality programming.

Located in Alençon, a little gem in Lower Normandy still unspoilt by tourism, but with much to offer in terms of history, architecture and traditions to the discerning traveller, “La Luciole” resulted from the efforts of its passionate director and several years ago it showcased a new auditorium and an improved modern look. The municipality has financed the extension of this concert hall and starting with 2008 Moussafir Architectes Associés offered a new unique identity to it.

The aim of this project was to create a larger concert facility for 650 people maintaining in the same time that friendly and intimate atmosphere that distinguised the original space, renowned for the way it brought audiences closer to artists. This desire has shaped the building’s cylindrical forms preserving the core idea – two tilted, interconnected volumes containing the audience and the stage. The new concert venue displays above all a non-referential design, a minimalist object emerging from the ground. Its bold geometry with exuberant color palette seems to reveal a pixilated fragment of the sky, often covered with the fleeing clouds in the Normandy sky.

Randomly arranged white and blue panels contrasts beautifully with darker shades where the two circular forms meet, creating an interesting effect that evokes a geyser linking the earth and the sky. The new Luciole acts as an urban beacon in counterpoint to the linear façade of the adjacent exhibition center. Although simple in itself, the steel structure presented some challenges in designing it while assembling the curved insulation panels and suspending acoustic sheets from the rounded surfaces of the performance hall. Moreover, serious development work needed to be done in order to reduce the use of materials without jeopardize the building’s stability. It resulted a concert facility with a bizzare and eccentric architecture, yet modern and very original.

Photos © Luc Boegly & Moussafir Architectes Associés via Archdaily

Project details:

Architects: Moussafir Architectes Associés
Location: 171 Rue de Bretagne, Alençon, France
Design Team: Jacques Moussafir with Francesca De Marchi, Nicolas Hugoo, Alexis Duquennoy, Guillaume Cournut, Laurent Théaux and Albert Ruiz
Budget: 2,653,000 €. ex tax
Client: Alençon City Council
Area: 1,274 sqm
Year: 2008

June 6, 2013
How Much Do You Want to Cut Your Carbon Dioxide Emissions By?

Every single step you take to reduce your home’s carbon dioxide emissions is a valuable one. Each one of us needs to find as many ways as possible of doing the right thing but some ideas are simply better than others, aren’t they? One of the smartest ways of cutting down on your carbon footprint is to look at getting a new boiler installed. This might sound like a relatively minor change but if you choose a highly efficient, A rated one from a top notch supplier like Help-Link UK then it can make an incredible difference to the environmentally friendly nature of your home.

The Different Ratings Really Matter

To see how much you could cut down on this way the first step is to see what energy rating your current boiler has. If it has a G rating then this is the lowest one around and by switching to an A rated you could expect to reduce your carbon dioxide emissions by 1,200 kg a year, as well as saving a very handy £310.

If you have a more energy efficient boiler already installed then the savings will obviously be lower than this but even the switch from a relatively efficient D rated boiler to an A rated one will cut down on your emissions by 430 kg and give you a cash saving of over £100 annually.

In fact, the importance of this area is confirmed by the fact that the energy bills for UK homes typically include a huge percentage relating to the use of the property’s boiler. In many cases this reaches 55% of the overall energy consumption in the house.

How Much Can You Save with Other Green Tips?

To put these figures into context it is interesting to compare the potential savings made by a new boiler to those which we can make in other areas. For example, if you properly insulate your hot water tank then you can expect to save about £60 a year, which is about the same saving achieved by changing a houseful of old style light bulbs to energy efficient ones. £75 is the typical saving on energy when you switch to a green shower head, while turning off all of your appliances instead of leaving them idle on standby can save you about £50 a year, rising to maybe £90 if you have a lot of appliances. Clearly, the higher the cash saving the less energy you consume and therefore the lower the amount of damaging greenhouse gases you contribute to.

As we can see, all of these tips are definitely worthwhile and can make a dent in your carbon footprint which makes you feel good about yourself. However, there are few changes you can make to your lifestyle and to your home which will reduce your carbon dioxide emissions in the way that switching to a new boiler can do.

June 5, 2013
Creative Sculpture Expressing Harmony and Beauty – Peace Pavilion in London

Between May and June 2013 make sure you visit “Peace Pavilion” exhibited in the unique settings of the Museum Gardens in Bethnal Green, London, a project which is part of the Archtriumph’s Annual Showcase “Triumph” Pavillion. This year, the pavilion’s theme was “Peace” – one of the highest human ideals, and the winning idea, chosed from hundreds of applications submitted from all over the world, has the signature of those from AZC (Atelier Zündel Cristea), architects Irina Cristea and Grégoire Zündel.

To provide an inspirational and interactive place that speaks about the importance and benefits of peaceful co-existence around the world, where people visiting can stand, walk-through, seat around, admire and share points of view about diversity, Paris-based innovative and creative practice AZC proposed a visually and aesthetically engaging sculpture that speaks to everyone through its creative geometry.

White and enormous, the sculpture draw attention by its unusual, yet beautiful shape of an exceptional aesthetic value. Perfect symmetry and fluidity, achieved through an accurate geometrical manipulation, suggests an ideal contemporary space offering a state of equilibrium -harmony, silence, pureness, kindness, happiness, appeasement, calm, reconciliation, serendipity, tranquillity, in a word, “peace”. The notions of inside and outside are vanished, so the interior space is connected with the exterior one allowing people to walk around and understand the significance of it.

Made entirely with durable lightweight materials ( Clear 500my HvHt PVC, Precontraint 902S marin fabric, polished Aluminium and wood) and inflated with approximately 47m3 of air, the structure with an apparently complex shape is self-supporting and measures 4m in height and 20m² in area. The “Peace Pavilion” encourage a peaceful future and is also dedicated to the contribution made by Sudans’ ancient pyramids to architecture. A collector or a museum buy the Pavilion when the exhibition is finished, with the hope that the owner will exhibited it around the world in Europe, America, Asia, Middle East and Africa.

Photos © Giacomo Cannata; © Sergio Grazia

Project details:

Program:“Triumph Pavilion – Summer 2013”
Name: Peace Pavilion
Team: AZC (Atelier Zündel Cristea)
Client: ArchTriumph
Location: London -Museum Gardens, Bethnal Green
Status: Competition 2013

June 5, 2013
Unconventional and Surprising Sofa Design -The Fifth Avenue by Dima Loginoff

The collaboration between Russian designer Dima Loginoff and Italian fine uphostered furniture producer AR.T.EX. had impressive results each time, evidence of that being several gorgeous sofa designs which captivates your attention through unique and unexpected shapes, high quality craftmanship and eye-catching combinations of colors. Their latest project is The Fifth Avenue Sofa introduced in Russian Design Pavilion at Florence Design Week 2013 between May 20th-26th.

Although the newborn furniture item will be in production since summer 2013, the International Festival of Architecture and Interior Design (Moscow) and the Design&Design International Award has already awarded it with the best design prize for interior objects. Looking at the pictures below is not surprising that it won such an award.

The Fifth Avenue Sofa is a display of comfortable minimalism and elegance. It comes with a modern, intriguing look which has its roots in the geometry and aesthetics of downtown Manhattan, the Fifth Avenue, one of the most vibrant and stylish street of the world ranked as having the world’s most prestigious retail spaces. That’s why lightness and evocative forms are the main ideas in designing this sofa.

Each angle reveals a different visual experience, where a mix of solid elements and empty parts create the illusion of “suspended” buildings. The creativity in combining angles and lines, the carefulness in the selection of the best material for its structure, the choice of a timeless, balanced yet modern color, each small detail was given a special attention shaping an upholstered sofa with a well designed personality. Check out the presentation video at the end of this post and share with us your opinions in the comment section.

Photos © Dima Loginoff

The Fifth Avenue Sofa by Dima Loginoff

June 4, 2013