Wallpaper, part 4 of many

It'll never work, they said. But he showed them. A house, entirely from Lego. Construction would have gone a lot faster if they could only find that red piece that they saw like fifty times when they didn't need it.
Image from Apartment Therapy

How not to bring nature into your home

from The Daily Telegraph,
A designer has come up with the idea of a bath-mat that is made of moss, and will be hydrated by the water dripping from your body.
It's non-slip, its good for the environment and it needs minimal care. However, it's the answer to a question that nobody ever asked, nor would ever ask. Something about this strikes me as similar to the Flintstones, where animals would do menial tasks. Absorbing moisture seems the perfect task to outsource to a plant.
Though knowing just how good running barefoot through grass feels, if this is just as soft I'm half-tempted to get one.

Trends of 09 part 2

In my mind, the best way to describe this trend is 'plant silhouettes', but I really hate that word silhouettes... I can never spell it right. In any event, the photos will show what it is that I'm talking about:

Mode Wallpaper


TreeBomb Wallpaper


Fern Pillow from Ferm Living


Pine Tree Sticker from Ferm Living

It's a blend of art and nature. However, it's all about the beauty of natural shapes. Keep it simple and it'll work best. Which is to say, I don't like the first two; they seem a bit too busy for my tastes, but sometimes its hard to get a good sense of scale in wallpaper photos.

So readers, what do you think of this trend?


Thanks to:

Desire to Inspire
Wallpaper from the 70s
frivolous necessities(do check this blog out!)

Fornasetti: The Next Big Thing?

Comparison shopping for auto insurance has never been a favorite thing of mine. New (to me) car means time to look around and see if I can't get a better deal from the other guy. That took most of my lunch hour, but its one less thing to worry about.
I have been noticing one particular artist getting some attention: Piero Fornasetti, the noted engraver. His work hasn't quite hit the saturation level of the 'Keep Calm and Carry On' posters, but it very well could.
Fornasetti's most known works revolve around the image of the operatic soprano Lina Cavalieri. The images are astounding, but also a little bit haunting. Its like those paintings where the eyes follow you around the room.

One can purchase a limited edition DVD of hundreds of the images, suitable for background entertainment at a party.
Personally, if the Oceania of Orwell's 1984 was run by the Avant-Garde, I think their posters of choice would be these. "Lina Cavalieri is watching you" is a little more unnerving than big brother.


This image and design idea (which can be seen at photographerMark Roskam's website) does not bode well in my mind. It's the feeling of being watched, multiplied by thirty three and served for breakfast and at every meal. If there ever were a way to give yourself paranoia, this would be it.


Image credits: Design Milk
Desire to Inspire

Trends of 09

One trend that I'm seeing a lot of in modern design is typography. It's not just text, it's also the careful attention to letter forms that is getting a lot of attention. The written word is appearing everywhere in design:



















This Pillow from design warehouse




















 The ubiquitous 'Keep Calm and Carry On' Poster.



Wall Stickers and murals:























Camp Rock wall mural from PB Teen


















and this mirror:


What do I think of it? Well, by now the Keep Calm posters have become a bit passe (but I still want one) and I really don't like Camp Rock, so that's out the window.

mirrored furniture

I love the blog Apartment Therapy a little too much perhaps. Still, some of the trends that they feature are a bit bizarre. here they feature the designs of Maison&Objet, which include a number of mirrors as well as mirrored furniture.
Now a mirror is a great way to add the appearance of space to a room. Funky shapes can further add a decorative element. But mirrored furniture is something else. To me, it just suggests the phrase "I do cocaine".

What Are the Design Trends for 2009?

Well, According to the folks at Sköna Hem, a Swedish home design magazine, here are some of the trends that we can look forward to seeing. Now while the trends themselves are solid, the photos illustrating them are a bit silly. Let's take a closer look:
Raw Blonde wood

AKA: the 'We went to IKEA and bought a bunch of wood furniture' look. Part of me thinks that this is Sweden's way of ensuring money goes back to Sweden. I think it's a great way to introduce natural elements into your space while still keeping a clean and modern look.

Tailored Textiles


Okay, this looks like an electric chair designed by the Artist Formerly Known as Prince. I have no qualms with tailoring. The wallpaper below the chair rail is a bit much, though. I'd have gone for a solid color.

Industrial forms

This room dissolves Mondrian on contact. The setting where industrial forms work best is when they're allowed to speak for themselves. Simple settings highlight the beauty of the form itself and its simplicity. Jamming a bunch together just creates a mess.