Ron Arad gets ‘restless’ at the Barbican 19 February, 2010
Posted by celiastuartmenteth in Celia's blog.Tags: bookcases, contemporary furniture, design, exhibition at the Barbican, ron arad, sculpture, Well-tempered chair
1 comment so far
Image credit: Ron Arad Associates
The doors have finally opened to Ron Arad’s exhibition at the Barbican (ends 16th May). I was one of the lucky ones to get a sneak preview at the press breakfast on Wednesday. Forget the croissants – this was far too long-awaited to waste time munching.
The exhibition starts on the upper level with Arad’s studio based work and his limited edition pieces. It feels like you are in some kind of surreal night club. Not only is it dark and mysterious, but at the entrance to each room are floor to ceiling LED screens flashing up quotes and images relating to Arad’s design processes.
Image credit: Ron Arad Associates. Photo of Ron Arad taken by John Davis, courtesy of Ron Arad Associates
The rooms have simple, but curious titles such as: Scavenging, Tinkering, Voiding and Superforming and each piece is dramatically lit. Some objects stand firm, others gently rock (Arad’s team have devised special mechanisms to demonstrate how pieces move) and a few appear to wiggle across the floor.
Downstairs showcases his architectural projects. There is also a more general collection of his work ranging from quirky chairs, tilting shelving units and great curling bookcases.
Image credit: Ron Arad Associates
The highlight for me, however, to be the shiny stainless steel ping pong table. I thought I was a bit of a table tennis pro until I played on this.
It curves dramatically in the centre completely slowing the game down. Of course, it has been designed to suit Arad’s style of play – no wonder his team get thrashed during breaks over at Ron Arad Associates.
For me this is design at its most exciting and we all need to see it!
Image credit: Ron Arad Associates
Where can I use one of these? 1 February, 2010
Posted by kiadesigns in mydeco guest blogger.Tags: art, chair, design, designers, Eco, furniture, interior designer, recycled furniture
add a comment
I have recently been designing a living room for a client in London who has asked for the room to have a slightly New York style apartment theme to it and I stumbled across these fantastic chairs – although not great for this project they would be fantastic for a home office or even as funky chairs for a dining room!
Image credit: Bel&Bel
Image credit: Bel&Bel
Plus they are from re-cycled vespa’s so are carrying on my New Year’s eco resolution.
Working on an interior design project in London? Finding the choice just too much? Have the inspiration but don’t know where to start?
Our first consulation is completely free and our interior design service takes the project through from start to finish!
So you thought the shopping for others was over? 27 January, 2010
Posted by kiadesigns in mydeco guest blogger.Tags: art, clock, cushion, design, design boutique, Eco, handmade, interior design, kia designs, kia sunda, tealights, wall clock
add a comment
With Christmas come and gone the sales are usually a time to think about buying yourself all the things that you have been holding off for. However, what about all those wonderful people (my husband included – whose birthday it is today!) who have their birthdays in the month of January?
Well here are a few items that will come as a wonderful surprise after the melee of Christmas gifts that have already been thrown at them!
Image credit: Olive shop on Etsy
This cute Postcard Pillow that is available from Olive’s shop on Etsy is a great personalized present. Each gorgeous pillow is customized to your specifications so it will make a lovely personal gift. Plus it’s made from Eco white bamboo cotton so it’s even great for Eco buyers!
Image credit: Ecocentric
This is the perfect gift for the house (especially if you have those friends that are always saying “is it just me or is it a bit cold in here?”)…
Image credit: Ecocentric
These are simple yet beautiful and will light any room with a wonderful glow – definitely needed in this cold January weather!
design boutique Friday Favourite: New kids on the block 22 January, 2010
Posted by designboutiqueguru in design boutique blog.Tags: Bunny Turner, Catherine Cazalet, design, design boutique, Emma Pocock, kids room, Turner Pocock Cazalet, wallpaper
1 comment so far
Image credit: Turner Pocock Cazalet
I am really excited about this week’s Friday Favourite, a brand new edition to our collection of designers on our design boutique. As ‘design boutique guru’ I am always on the look-out for fresh, exciting design with that extra wow factor and these wallpapers by Turner Pocock Cazalet certainly fit the bill. Established by Bunny Turner and Emma Pocock, the designer duo joined forces with artist Catherine Cazalet and came up with these gorgeously sophisticated designs, which I think are just fabulous!
‘British’ is the big trend of the moment and these charming hand drawn wallpapers, ‘Cricket’ and ‘Tennis’ definitely give the feel of a traditional English summer’s day. They almost make me want to put on my sun hat and get out the strawberries and cream!
Image credit: Turner Pocock Cazalet
But if sport isn’t really your thing, check out their other beautiful designs using animal motifs. The cute ‘polar bear’ design is perfect for a kid’s room, adorable, quirky yet understated.
See all of Turner Pocock Cazalet’s wonderful wallpapers and many other unique, hand-picked designs at mydeco’s design boutique.
Design students take over the BBC 21 January, 2010
Posted by CandidaB in Candida's blog.Tags: BBC, competition, design, headquarters, salford
add a comment
Image credit: Guardian
The BBC’s new offices in Salford are getting a makeover, as students are in hot competition to come up with a winning design for the media headquarters.
According to The Guardian, the new BBC Media City UK buildings will be the home of CBBC, CBeebies, BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sport.
With all the offices open-plan (soooo twenty-first century), the BBC has asked budding designers to create a chair that will enable staff to make confidential phone calls without the fear of eavesdropping. We can’t wait to see the winning solution. Believe me, it is much needed in the mydeco HQ. Not everyone needs to know who is getting their hair done when.
Apparently, though, confidentiality isn’t the only concern. Alan Bainbridge, north portfolio director for BBC Workplace, said: “We’re seeking to create a place that provokes smiles and delight.” (Like the mydeco office, we think).
The winner will be announced at the end of May, and once the furniture and fabrics have been created, they will be installed in the building in spring 2011.
We are very excited, but also just a little bit worried that the mydeco HQ will be outdone… At least we have quite a while to come up with a rival design.
Hot topic: a library without books… 17 January, 2010
Posted by CandidaB in Candida's blog.Tags: Amsterdam, design, great indoors awards, ira koers, library, roelof mulder, White
3 comments
Thought libraries were uniformly boring, dusty and designed to make your book the most interesting thing there? Well, so did we. Until we laid eyes on the new library at the University of Amsterdam, on our favourite design blog Daily Tonic.
Image credit: Daily Tonic
Taking scholarly interiors to a whole new level, the ultra modern design by Studio Roelof Mulder & bureau Ira Koers won The Great Indoors Award 2009 in the category Serve & Facilitate. The idea was to create a sort of home away from home, where people could study in stylish and inspiring surroundings.
Perhaps the most surprising feature is the lack of books – there is not a single one in sight. Instead of lining the walls as tradition would dictate, they are stored in repositories, on site and close by, and ordered online. The result is a streamlined, colourful and surprisingly informal place to study and socialise.
White is the predominant colour, intended as a blank canvas for the students themselves to fill in – be it perching on a tree trunk stool, or re-fuelling in the canteen amidst columns peppered with branch-like light bulbs.
Certainly sounds like a more productive environment than my old uni library, where ‘How do I tell my boyfriend I have crabs?’ scratched onto the desk was the only hint of life beyond its four walls.
Image credit: Daily Tonic
For some, this breakthrough design will be welcome. Libraries have been devoid of style and inspiration for too long, home of the bookworm, the nerd and reluctant students. A modern and unusual design stimulates their creative faculties and attracts visitors form far and wide – great for Amsterdam, great for books.
For the traditionalists, however, this is a nightmare come true. Gone is the dark, romantic vibe of the old-school library, where readers lurk solemnly in secluded corners, surrounded by the musty aroma of age-old books. Instead, they get stark lighting, outlandish furniture and a distinct lack of visible reading material. Is that not, after all, the point of a library?
Kate Moss on design inspiration 15 January, 2010
Posted by CandidaB in Candida's blog.Tags: design, inspiration, kate moss, Times, vintage
2 comments
Image credit: mydeco
Last week, everyone’s favourite style icon opened up to The Times about where she finds her inspiration:
“Just the furniture I like, the bottles I like, the glasses I like. In my house, I have old champagne glasses from 1830, and decanters from the 1920s — they inspired the bottle for my new fragrance, Vintage.”
Perhaps you should think twice about New Year de-cluttering and hang on to your nineties napkins and vintage glassware? We predict a sudden surge in champagne glass sales…
Is Cindy Crawford the next Martha Stewart? 14 January, 2010
Posted by CandidaB in Candida's blog.Tags: cindy crawford, design, furniture, martha stewart, supermodel
1 comment so far
Image credit: shutterstock
It is always hard to imagine that supermodels have time to devote to activities beyond their demanding day job. Christie Turlington devotes her spare time to yoga, while Kate Moss tries her hand at perfumery and fashion design.
The latest super to jump on the bandwagon is Cindy Crawford, who recently told Town & Country magazine that she loves nothing more than designing furniture for her new line, Cindy Crawford Home Collection.
“I never set out to be the next Martha Stewart. But I love working with interiors, because it reflects who I am today… someone who cares about her home environment,” she says.
The supermodel lives in Malibu with her husband and two children. It seems she is keen to invest time in something more rewarding than working swimwear to perfection: “I want us to be happy here. The kind of happiness that’s not contingent on my looking good in a bikini.”
We are glad she is nesting down and can’t wait to see what she comes up with.
Camilla Meijer talks to mydeco 14 January, 2010
Posted by CandidaB in Candida's blog.Tags: Camilla Meijer, design, England, floral, graphics, parks
add a comment
Image credit: Camilla Meijer
We adore Swedish designer Camila Meijer‘s colourful floral designs, so we were over the moon when she opened up to mydeco about her home, her inspiration and her love affair with London’s parks.
Read the full interview and visit our exclusive Design Boutique to shop her collection.
mydeco on tour – Greetings from Tokyo 31 December, 2009
Posted by katiehodgkiss in Uncategorized.Tags: art, design, Japan, Japanese architecture, Tokyo, travel
add a comment
For the mydeco team, the festive season isn’t just about broadening our waistlines, but our cultural horizons as well. I’m currently in Tokyo, Japan getting ready to celebrate the New Year as it should be – with a full three-day holiday to recover from your hangover. Before the hedonism gets underway however, I thought I’d take a few minutes to write a quick blog-postcard, and share a few of Tokyo’s architectural treasures with you.
Image credit: mydeco
I am lucky enough to be staying in Roppongi – once known as the ‘district for sleaze’ (you can imagine how disappointed I was on finding it no longer lives up to this reputation), this area is now home to some of the most impressive cultural buildings in the capital, such as the National Art Centre ( pictured above).
Image credit: Japanese Lifestyle
A few minutes down the road from the art centre is Roppongi Hills – a high-rise, inner urban community that boasts a whole city’s worth of services in one skyscraper. Designed to eliminate commuting time and thereby ‘improve quality of life’, the mega-complex incorporates apartments, offices, shops, a museum, hotel and outdoor amphitheatre (a necessity to any community).
Image credit: Makoto Architect
The Roppongi Hills tower is undoubtedly impressive, but it was hardly exemplary of the kitsch Japanese architecture I had expected to find in Tokyo. Luckily, I didn’t have to go too far to find the antithesis to modern elegance – the Aoyama Technical College (above) is located just West of Roppongi, and unmistakably Japanese in design. Nicknamed ‘Gundam’ after a popular Japanese cartoon about robots, the postmodern structure is a wonderful anomaly amongst the unassuming residential buildings which surround it.
That’s all from your Tokyo correspondent for now, but I’ll try to post another blog before I leave, so make sure you keep checking for updates. A very happy new year to you all!
mydeco blog 