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Sensational Taj Exotica Resort and Spa in Maldives

The Taj Exotica Resort and Spa in Maldives is probably a dream for everyone in terms of holiday destination. Far from the busy and stressful cities life, this exclusive, private and luxury island resort reveals another world where complete top class services make you enjoy the most on this stunning small and quiet atoll of the Maldives. Member of The Leading Small Hotels of the World, the award-winning Taj Exotica Resort and Spa impresses you with everything: panoramic views, private spaces, personalized services, accomodations, sports and events.

The complex is made up of 64 villas positioned along clear blue waters of one of the largest lagoons of the Maldives and surrounded by luscious tropical plants. All are wooden stilt houses with a thatched roof, furnished in natural tones and textures and offers Indian Ocean views. They can be chosen on the sunrise or sunset side of the island, with different options included like private decks with loungers and hammocks, oversized plunge pools, etc.

To match the relaxed splendour of the resort, its finest gourmet cuisine offers a rich international food selection accompanied by traditional Indian dishes which can be appreciated at a romantic dinner on the beach. For those who prefer adventure, there are always available water sports like snorkeling, scuba diving and exploration tours. The pictures speak for themselves, so enjoy them and fancy all these stuff mentioned above. Definitely this extraordinary resort offers memorable experiences that everyone deserves at least once in a lifetime!

July 8, 2012
Laser-Cut Steel Fruit Bowls by DesignedMade

Fruit bowls are not only beautiful decorative items to dress and complete a table, but also are a great way of displaying fresh fruits and encouraging people to take some. There are many and different concepts of fruit bowls which can hold fruits in an attractive and unique way, so only you have to do is to choose one of them. Today, we want to show you other beautiful examples of fruit bowl designs than we have presented so far in our previous post “20 Delightful Fruit Bowls with Creative Designs“.

These ones are launched in 2009 and 2011 (Molecular Bowl) by British brand DesignMade, which develops striking products that celebrate the skill, knowledge and dedication involved in every stage of their creation and combine the vision of a younger generation with the skills and expertise of traditional producers.

Signed by designer Jonathan Krawczuk and made from laser-cut steel and powder coat as finish to the highest standards in Britain, DesignedMade’s family of fruit bowls have 5 members and display a simple graphic, yet engaging designs, classic and contemporary in the same time. Their various interesting and colored patterns add an unexpected sense of depth and perspective, creating the intriguing illusion of an undulating surface and a swirling optical effect that contrast nicely with soft shapes of the fruits.

Globe Bowl

Meshed Bowl

Squared Bowl

Cubic Bowl

Molecular Bowl

Photos: © Hilary Walker, The Science Museum.

July 8, 2012
Creative Wallpapers Collection for Kids Room by Tres Tintas

Catalan firm Tres Tintas Barcelona in collaboration with designer Juancris Vera have developed a new charming and creative wallpapers collection for the world of children’s decor entitled “Patchwall”. The collection involves much more than simple designs to decorate, they feature 8 original and childish geometric forms which embodies figures like flowers, robots, girls, boys, nests, trains, castles, etc.

Created exclusively for kids’ room, the new” Patchwall” collection are designed not only to beautify your child room but also to have an educational and creative role for them. It helps stimulate their imagination, an important factor in their development. These creative wallpapers would surely brighten the kids’ world and turn the dullest room into an instant joyful one. Do you like them?

Photos: © Tres Tintas Barcelona.

July 7, 2012
Hanging Cocoon Fruit with Attractive Organic Shape

Organic shape, modern appearance and functionality defines „Cocoon”, an atrractive and interesting storage item with multiple functions for modern kitchens windows. Simple, yet striking, this hanging „Cocoon” is the result of a project designed by Måns Salomonsen who gives his work a specific character by combining his handcraft skills, knowledge and passion for design.

Cocoon would be a great way to decorate, store fruits and grow spices in one single product while you give life and colour in the kitchen. Versatile in function, unexpected in design, this storage awesome piece is something we’d love to have. Cocoon’s organic shape is made of a ceramic material that absorbs water from the cultivation, keeping it fresh and cool.

Photos: © Martin Gustavsson.

July 7, 2012
Colors and Light Infusion for a Bank Design by Emmanuelle Moureaux

French architect and designer residing in Tokyo, Emmanuelle Moureaux, replaces the traditional bank design with a new concept inspired by Japanese traditional sliding screens using colors as three-dimensional elements in order to create spaces. Judging by the joyful exterior appearance of this wonderful piece of architecture one would never think that this building will host a bank. But yes, surprisingly the building in Tokyo host a credit union -Sugamo Shinkin Bank- whose motto is: “we take pleasure in serving happy customers”

Bright colors, light infusion, modern design are the main elements Emmanuelle Moureaux‘s project relies on. Visitors are welcomed with a fresh and clean exterior and interior design which reflects the architect unique technique of colour scheming and handling colors as space makers. She uses colors to create spaces, not as a finishing touch applied on surfaces. The eye-catching exterior facade displays a rainbow of twelve saturated colors which reflected onto the white surface give a gentle, refreshing feeling. During the night, the beautiful colors stand out even more because they are illuminated.

The bank interior spaces offers other pleasant surprises visually speaking, where the main attraction is the game of light and color. The arrangement of the bank design features decorative elements that connect all areas of the bank in a single continuous space maximizing natural light throughout the day. The dandelion puff motifs that float on the ceiling and the 14 different colors of chairscreates a playful atmosphere inside Sugamo Shinkin Bank. The second floor hosts storey houses offices, meeting rooms and a cafeteria, while the third floor is reserved for the staff changing rooms. Here you have some photos to enjoy!

Photos: Nacasa & Partners.

July 6, 2012
Centre for Virtual Engineering for the Fraunhofer Institute in Stuttgart

Starting with 2012, Fraunhofer Institute from Stuttgart has a new Centre for Virtual Engineering envisioned by Dutch architectural design studio UNStudio (United Network Studio) founded in 1988 by Ben van Berkel and Caroline Bos and specialized in architecture, urban development and infrastructural project. The Centre is located on the research campus of the Fraunhofer Institute and its specialisation is to investigate different multidisciplinary work flows.

UNStudio worked with Asplan from Kaiserslautern on the architectural services for the Centre, the development of the construction documents and the site supervision being Asplan’s responsabilities for this project. The Centre for Virtual Engineering is showcasing a new type of building which incorporates a contemporary architectural vision that understands better the new working environments and stimulates new ways of working in the future.

Thus, the primary focus of this extremely functional and aesthetically attractive design concept is on communication which leads to new creative ways of working at all levels by changing the traditional separation of departments into open and flexible work spaces with extensive visual connections and shared work stations based only on the needs of the employees.

Reflecting the highly innovative nature of the operations it conducts, the architectural features of the building emphasize simplicity, creativity and sustainability above all. It is ingeniously created so that the public exhibition and scenographic routing of the visitors are combined with the laboratory and research functions.

The geometry of the floor plan and geometry of the facade maintain the impression of a permanently transforming surface. The building ensures an extraordinary sustainability level through energy saving installations, recyclable materials and overall low-maintenance requirements, for which it was awarded a Gold certification by the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB).

Photos: © UNStudio.

Project details:

Client: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
Location: Fraunhofer Campus, Nobelstrasse 12, 70569 Stuttgart
Building surface: GFA 5.782 m2
Building volume: 27.221 m3
Programme: Offices and laboratories
Status: Realised

July 5, 2012
Stay Organized with Envelope Holders by Goodwin and Goodwin

Envelope Holders from Goodwin+Goodwin are an interesting and creative solution to keep documents in order in the kitchen, hallway or home office. Their envelope-inspired design with a bit of graphic twist is created to be mounted to wall and to store your recipes, files, documents, bills, notes and mails in a stylish way. These cute Envelope Holders are made in England of simple bent metal in gloss finish. Available in red, white, mint and purple, they fit both A4 documents in landscape and portrait.

July 4, 2012
Contemporary Outdoor Lounge Furniture: Nomad by Gloster

Nomad is a contemporary cool outdoor furniture collection from Gloster brand, worldwide leaders in teak, woven, aluminium, stainless steel and now outdoor lounge furniture. Thinking about hot summer days, we show you an exciting lounge furniture ready to accompany your entertainment and relaxation moments.

Designed for outdoors wherever you need a compact, comfortable armchairs easy to use, Nomad collection is fun and funky and it comes in various beautiful and eye-catching colors combinations. Their design offers bold and modern pieces of furniture that is not only functional but also complements the surrounding space: your deck, patio or terrace. What do you think about and what colors would you choose if you were to have them?

Photos: © Gloster.

July 4, 2012