Design Detail ~ Hearts for you and me

I’m aware that it’s some sort of a commercially driven love day today.  What is it again?  Oh yes, Valentines Day.  That old drag.   As you might be able to tell, I’m not so much into the old VD, never have been and quite frankly never will be.  It’s not that I’m anti-love, I’m just from that funny old school of thought that thinks that if you love someone, you should show them and tell them every day, not just once a year.  It’s the small things that count, you see.

However.

I understand that for some it is a day of breathless anticipation, exquisite highs and lows and secret admirers (when asked by Mr. B what we should do for Valentine’s, I think my response of nothing I don’t really care was taken with surprise and furtive delight, he did think it was a trick though. I assure you it’s not!)

Anyway.  For today’s Design Detail I’ve put together a few images on a mood board that I think are without too much schmaltz.  I invite you to think outside of the Hallmark card box and show your loved one how much you care in a personal way.

{visuals via tumblr}

If you are searching for something more this Valentine’s Day, consider the movement Generosity Day, started last year by the incredible Acumen Fund.  They are championing to make Valentine’s Day “about more than flowers, chocolates and romantic dinners, [and] to reconnect it to generosity for all”.

What does participating in Generosity Day mean? Here are some ideas (the crazier it seems, the more genuinely generous it is! Even just doing one thing is amazing):

Leave a £5 tip on a £2 cup of coffee.
Sign-up for a volunteer activity in your community.
Go out of your way to do something nice for a friend, family member, or colleague.
Introduce yourself to someone you see everday but have never spoken to.
Take a £7 taxi ride, give the driver a £20, and say “keep the change.”
Pledge to spend at least an hour helping someone with something you’re really good at.
Make an unplanned donation to your favorite charity, or help someone in need.

Here at The Design Emporium, we are focused on the role of accountability in business, design, and philanthropy.  And whilst we strive every day to be accountable to our precious design partners and the special TDE members they serve, we always remind ourselves why we are doing this work in the first place.  Our purpose and motivation stem from a place of generosity, to share the best of all we know.  Whilst seemingly unrelated to design, the balance of these core values of generosity and accountability make part of the foundation of what we are striving to do.

Room Gallery ~ Palazzo Margherita

The infamous movie director, Francis Ford Coppola bought a grand but decaying villa, and renovated it with the help of renowned French interior designer Jacques Grange.

I recently read a  piece covering the transformation, and I just fell in love particularly with suite no. 9 of the Palazzo Margherita.

{via WoI, March 2012.}

This suite overlooks the palazzo’s private gardens and it was previously a covered terrace.  Coppola installed glass into the windows and painted the vaulted ceiling.

{photographs by Tim Beddow}

The bejmat floor tiles were designed by Grange, as was the headboard’s inlay which follows a traditional Syrian geometric pattern.  Grange also designed the bathroom tiles, and the overall feel is one of a bohemian Morocco set in Italy. As Coppola says, it is “authentic, quality, pleasure with a dash of the exotic”.

What’s even more exciting is that Ford Coppola has opened the Palazzo’s doors to paying guests wishing to stay.  The next time I’m in Bernalda I shall certainly be booking myself into here as a treat!

What other beautifully designed location would you like to stay in?

Friday’s Breathing Space

{via wasbella102}

The last week of snow has inspired Friday’s Breathing Space.  Although we like to complain how cold it is, doesn’t this image fill you with calm? This could actually be a good colour palette for a restrained drawing room, with the dusky pinks and muted greys. Gorgeous!

Happy weekend everyone!

Thursday’s Inspiration ~ Pally-o’-pallet

In the theme of Tuesday’s post, I’ve been thinking of other ways to up-cycle for the home. Here are 5 cool ideas to recycle pallets. You can find them all over the place, from freecycle, skips, working warehouses, even sometimes the edge of the road (although be careful if you are that hardy!)

1. Why not use palettes instead of a futon base for your bedroom.  To add to the rustic look, tie in muted colours and even use an old fruit crate as your bedside table. {via chic deco}
2. Hang a palette on the wall, and you have a nifty plate rack.  {via tumblr}
3. Create a garden planter, this is ideal for a balcony garden! {via Craft}
4.  A slick of paint and some nails, plus a little bit of imagination transforms old bits of junk wood into a contemporary kitchen island unit.  This will save lots of pennies that you can spend on cool chairs and fun lighting pendants to complete the look.  {via Apartment Theraypy}
5.  For a commercial space, you could commission Most Architecture, a Dutch architectural practice, to design a recycled interior for your office.

If this is all too much hassle, and you want the look but are not DIY friendly (although to be honest, these are really easy except no. 5), then Made.com does a fun coffee table made under the same principle.

I know you are all extremely creative and fun, what would you make or have as a palette feature?

Tuesday Design Detail ~ Footloose on the floor

I just love parquet flooring, particularly in herringbone. It whispers at taste and elegance.

{via tumblr}

It got me thinking on all the different types of configurations of wooden flooring, and in fact all the different kinds of wood and finishes you can have.  There are a lot of great companies that you can commission for a wooden floor, but I wondered who else was doing something a bit different out there.

After doing some research, I wanted to share this very cool flooring company that I’ve found.  Arctic Plank are an Icelandic company that are based in New York, and they are a fine example of how you can up-cycle without compromising on style.

The clever clogs at Arctic Plank use wooden shipping pallets  instead of culled trees, and work with the short lengths of wood in herringbone and parquet to create unique floors.

Typically, wooden shipping pallets are a low end commodity, with the pallets perhaps being re-used commercially a few times before being scrapped or used as firewood.

Arctic Plank turns what is usually considered as junk wood into statement designer finished flooring.  The variety and character the wood acquires during its days as a hard working shipping material gives each installation a unique feel, and Arctic Plank’s work of up-cycling shows us that actually it’s just our perspective that restricts or frees us in our aesthetic choices.

The hard wearing nature of the shipping wood added with out door finishes means that you could use this application indoor or outdoor.

Where would you have this?  I’m adding this to my wish list for my warehouse apartment…

Friday’s Breathing Space ~ Bali

I’ve recently heard a lot about some really amazing places to stay in Bali.  So if you are planning your year’s vacations and feel the need for some relaxation, calm and revitalization and a space to really breathe, then perhaps think about putting the kids into boarding school for 2 weeks, packing a suitcase and sneaking off to give your body and mind a vacation.

ALILA VILLAS SOORI 

These wonderful folks will completely customize your stay, even down to what kind of foods you’d like to eat (or not eat!), what sort of music you would like to listen to in your room and what sort of activities you’d like to do whilst staying with them.

Spa treatments, understated but incredibly cool architecturally designed villas and uninterrupted views of the Indian Ocean sounds like heaven to me!

ALILA VILLAS ULUWATU

This eco destination is the sister to Alila Villas Soori.  If you stay here, you will also be treated with stunning views, cliff top balconies, and beautifully designed villas.

I gather the service is just incredible too, that the staff make you feel that you are somewhere quite special and you can feel doubly smug that they use sustainable materials and really care about what they do.

Can we go now, please?!

Thursday’s Inspiration

I don’t think the concept of living in a converted warehouse will ever get old.  City living is becoming more cramped as the population continually increases, and warehouse spaces are becoming even fewer and far between as industries die or move away. If you look carefully, there are a few hidden gems out there.  I’d like to use these inspirations for my own warehouse conversion project…

{via BrownDressWithWhiteDots}

{via tumblr}

{via Desire To Inspire}

Would you like to live in warehouse conversion?

Tuesday’s Design Detail

1. Eclectic Anthology 2.  Aria 3. Andrew Martin  4. Pinch

I obviously have chest of drawers on the brain.  A few weeks ago I mentioned a chest of drawers DIY project, so following on from that, I have selected these as my current top 4 chest of drawers – in fact no. 4 from Pinch has been a firm favourite for years, I have used this ‘Armoire’ on many occasions and it is always well received!  I love adding a touch of humour to a room, and this is so easily achievable with a cheeky piece of furniture.

Which is your favourite?

Room Gallery ~ A Bit Blue

{via LiveBreatheDecor}

I love blue. If done well, the classic blue and white combination is crisp, elegant and not at all ‘beach house’.

I’m pretty sure this is a Ralph Lauren ‘Bel Air Apartment Sofa’…

Most of all, I love that this home owner has colour coordinated the books on the shelves, giving warmth and depth plus a hint of fun to the room.

What is your favourite colour?

Thursday’s Inspiration ~ Cool customer

One of the design projects I’m currently running is for a very cool guy.  Although he’s got a very serious job, he is actually a creative at heart and the brief for his pad is to create a cool space that he can let his creativity flourish.  I thought I’d share with you a few images that I’m working with as inspiration for his mood boards.

I’m swooning over the desk, above left (via Splendid Willow) and the neutral colour palette is masculine without being too ‘bachelor pad-ish’.

Have you got any ideas that can incorporate into our schemes?