Instead of my usual Friday’s Breathing Space, I thought I’d dedicate some some space to the upcoming Academy Awards this Sunday. There have been some really fantastic films out recently, and I’m always glad that an Oscar is awarded for set design. I feel that it’s a very important area that is often and very easily forgotten, without setting a scene a film would obviously be very poor visually!
The Artist is a sumptuous homage to old Hollywood, filmed (mostly) in black and white and set in the late 1920s during the twilight of silent films. This whole film is wonderfully styled, and it replicates the age of Art Deco beautifully with spot on period furnishings and accessories. Bennett notes that Gould “revelled in the chance to find unusual things”, from the 3 monkey statues to the various props used throughout. How divine is the satin shirred headboard in Peppy’s guest bedroom? Shooting in black and white was “liberating” says Bennett, as “taking away the colour tools, we had to pay attention to lighting and shadows, contrasts, pattern, textures and lustre.” One should always pay attention to these things!
1. Cascade Wall Light 2. The Odeon 3. Deco Tub Chair 4. Nereid Dressing Table 5. Muran Sommerso Glass Vase
From the Gothic inspired Hogwarts to the scallop shelled beach house of the Weasley’s and down into the vaults of Gringotts bank, McMillan and Craig had their work cut out for them. They used a combination of physical models and digital constructions to create the magical world (whether you like it or not!) of Harry Potter.
Hugo is the story of a young boy who lives in a Parisian train station, which is where the centrepiece of the film is set, reminiscent of the 1930s Gare Montparnasse. Ferretti and his wife, set decorator Lo Schiavo, filled out the station with meticulously designed shops, flower carts, and a café.
Midnight in Paris is Woody Allen’s paean to the city of love, with Owen Wilson’s midnight wanderings around the city turning into magical meetings with 1920s literary greats. The film features both contemporary and period settings, re-creating apartments and salons with early Parisian colour palettes. Apparently they used specialist lightbulbs imported from Germany to create soft coloured and golden tones enhancing the Art Nouveau scenes.
Can you spot a trend this year?!?
With a colour palette straight from the Devon moors, set locations in Wiltshire and Surrey and the French farmhouse of young Emilie, War Horse gives a true depiction of Europe during the First World War.
I’m sure you can guess which film set I’m hoping will win. Which set do you think should win? Or is there another film you’d like to have seen nominated?
I’ve been asked to expand on my previous post about how to achieve a great look in blue. Blue is once again the hue of the moment (although, when does it ever really go out of fashion?!)
From the runway to the home, blue is having yet another renaissance. Giorgio Armani shows off with different shades of cool blues and playing with silk in the S/S12 Fashion Week.
Speaking of renaissances, you can see how the popularity of the colour blue was prevalent even during the Renaissance, when the pigment derived from the mineral lapis lazuli was so prized that it was used to paint the sacred robes of the Madonna.
Anyway, I digress. Using Giorgio as a springboard for inspiration, here are some key elements of putting a colour scheme together.
1. For nautical, denim and blue fabrics go to Ralph Lauren Home, Elanbach, and Sanderson
2. For silks in a variety of blues, go to Fox Linton
3. For traditional ikats and matching trims, go to Turnell & Gigon,
4. and 5. Hand glazed tiles from Fired Earth
6. Oyster Slate Split Face Split Mosiac from Topps Tiles
7. Paint palette – various {via Elle Decor}. Another excellent colour to add is ‘All White’ by Farrow & Ball
1. Blue and White Amari Vase from Vaughan
2. William Yeoward Piers Court Navy cushion from Designers Guild
3. Twisted tumblers and wine glasses from OKA
4. Johnson Brothers Blue Denmark Plate from John Lewis
5. Square Blue and White Vase from Vaughan
The key is to mix as much as possible! What I mean is mix the patterns and prints, but be careful of mixing shades of blue that could clash. There is a difference between colour and tone ~ colour is blue, tone is navy. You wouldn’t mix a turquoise tone with a navy tone unless you were intentionally clashing up the colours, which is best left to bright and bold to make a statement.
Blue is of course best contrasted with white, so pick a tone you like, layer it with pattern, texture and sizes and you’ll be on to a winner.
What is your favourite blue?
I saw this print and I thought I’d share with you an idea on how to make your very own designer print. Whilst the original was created on canvas and then developed further digitally, you can still achieve the same look without too much fuss.
Just make sure to use good quality paint, and do a test run beforehand on a piece of paper to play with the colours and how you are going to layer them.
What other ideas do you have for artwork?
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.
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 tumblr}
Would you like to live in warehouse conversion?
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?
As the first working week of January is coming to a close, how was it for you? New Year’s resolutions are pitfalls, purely because you should resolve every single day of the year, not just one day, what you want to do, who you want to be and how you are going to get there.
New Year is a great time to review and to look at areas that you need to work on. Make new determinations as to what you are going to do, and who you are going to be in the next year. Set a programme for yourself, follow it through and you will find how much happier you are. Failure to keep to your schedule of improvement means you have paralysed your will. You have no greater enemy or friend than yourself, if you befriend yourself you will find accomplishment.
Don’t follow fashion trends, the most fashionable thing is to just be yourself. Cultivate your vision, tenacity in what you love and confidence in what you do. Listen to your heart, it knows what makes you happy; and trust your intuition, it is strong and powerful.
My motivation this year for the blog is to include more lifestyle posts, to create a broader subject topic that hopes to inspire you in any way possible and to help you to get to know me a bit better. Plus, we’ll be launching our website soon so lots of exciting things on the way. I invite you to get in touch with me with thoughts, musings, comments or anything else you’d like to share, or requests for topics you’d like me to cover. My door is always open!
{via tumblr}
If space is limited, don’t discount bunk beds. They don’t have to be only for the kiddies and overflowing with toys. This is a very grown up space saving solution, I’m not sure about you but I’d be very happy to bunk down in this room!
I have a geeky confession to make. Sometimes I play this game in my head, especially on the tube (don’t you just love people watching?!?) where I imagine what a person would look like if they were from a different background or country, imagining how they would dress or talk. I’ve recently realised that what I’ve started doing is taking this one step further and imagining what a person’s home would look like. I’m a nosy person by nature and love getting sneaky peaks into people’s lives through their homes, and so my over active imagination plus my natural inquisitiveness gives me hours of daydreaming, so I thought I’d invite you to come on a little imagination tour with me for today’s Inspiration post.
One of my most favourite blogs is The Sartorialist. Scott Schuman has revolutionised fashion blogs, and his inspirational images have captured the imagination of thousands. Anyway, I was perusing his blog (a daily distraction, I have to add) and I came across this gorgeous lady. Straight away my imagination kicked into over drive and I found myself building up her life and what her home is like. This is by no means any sort of scientific process, and as I’ve mentioned and will continue to mention, design is completely subjective, and where I see something you might see something completely different.
{via browndresswithwhitedots}
She’s got such a relaxed manner, and her choice of outfit makes me think she’d have a bedroom like the above.
{via tumbl}
Which would have an en-suite like the one above.
And she’d have decorative objects thoughtfully scattered around her apartment.
{via browndresswithwhitedots}
I imagine her to do something creative, and sit at this fabulous desk above sipping espressos absorbed in making something magical.
What do you see?
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