Wallpaper, part 3 of many

Flavor Paper's Vapor pattern is pretty 1970s. On a scale from 1 to Avocado green kitchen appliances, it rates a solid 7. That's enough to be concerned about, but not enough to be wholly indefensible.
Case in point:

Better Living Through Design points in the direction of this kitchen. I like the way the pattern doesn't call a lot of attention to itself, but still does a good job of breaking up the monotony of the cabinets. Compare to this version from the 70s:

The good news is that this time around, we're learning our lessons.
Ugly version of the Vapor courtesy of Apartment Therapy

More on mixing patterns

Rule 1: Patterns with similar color schemes and shapes coordinate.
Rule 2: Just because they coordinate, doesn't mean you can do this to a room:

There are areas where there is no pattern, if you can believe that. They're so outnumbered that all they can do is ride it out.
Bedrooms are supposed to be places of relaxation. All I know is that if I went to sleep here, I'd have visions of blue flowers dancing in my head forever.
And the solution to incorporating patterned bedspreads is easy.

Can multiple patterns live in harmony?

Yes, that green is a teensy bit radioactive-colored, but the yellow tempers it and makes the blueness of the wall stand out more. This goes to show you that perceptual contrast can save almost any color. Though the use of color in the above photograph is skillful, the rug situation is painful. The first problem is that there are four of them. The overall effect is something like this car:

Two coordinating patterns can work together. A pattern with two contrasting elements can work with a more muted pattern. The reason there isn't a lot of theory on two somewhat coordinating patterns mixed with one pattern containing contrasting elements, and one pattern that clashes with itself is that nobody ever thought that it would be seen. Until the design world makes an official proclamation about this situation, I can only offer the following advice about bringing it into your home:
Don't.

This photo brought to you via The City Sage. Check them out, won't you?

Liveblog: 'This land is OUR land'- A talk by Ian Ritchie

Ian Ritchie, famed architect of Reina Sofia Museum of Modern Art in Madrid and the Dublin spire gave a talk at USC on issues of environmentalism and the role that Architects can play in this. Moderating the dialog was Frances Anderton, LA editor for Dwell magazine and host of DnA: Design and Architecture for KCRW.

Ironically, Ian Ritchie needed some persuading to attend the talk. His concerns that flying out to Los Angeles would produce many tons of carbon dioxide was eventually assuaged by the argument that those in the audience would take to heart his message of sustainability.

A Brief summary of the talk follows. The ideas are those of Mr. Ritchie's.
We are in a new age. An age of "unselfish architecture", which is to say architecture that looks beyond excess of design, and looks instead for bettering the planet.
He Structured this talk around five major questions, asked in response to five major ideas.

1. Heritage. How does our shared heritage shape action?
Part of the problem is that in the West, our traditions have separated us from nature, whereas other cultures have not had this problem.

2. Thought. What are we thinking about now?
Mind and nature are our two worlds. The artist and architect can dance between these two worlds. we must take into account the sustainability of our actions. To some extent, Ritchie feels the markets are to blame, in that we put their freedom above human equality. this destroys our sense of community and obligation to the planet. Freedom ought have a framework, namely a balance between individual freedom and community.
He mentions, rather hopefully, that it takes only 1 generation, our generation to really care and to turn back on the way things have become.
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Here, he took a break and focused on his own method:
He uses poetry and language to describe and define the structure. Then draws the house in a few sparse lines. This prevents the drawings from being defined in his mind too early.
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Back on topic, He moved on to the third point, behavior. How are we behaving as designers? Humans are slow and not very clever. This is how disasters can happen without our knowledge. The question is do we want sustainable growth or sustainable progress?
Most designers believe that they are doing good. However, the real good comes in reorienting our consumer society. Through research and development, we can create and invent new materials that allow us to create products that have multiple useful lifespans. Another part of this is in deciding whether a building is necessary. To illustrate this, out of 680 projects that have come to his firm, the group has produced approximately 40 buildings.

4. how should we design today? Innovate or die?
Reducing cost cannot become the sole reason for design. In architecture, the shift has to be focused on working with industry, towards accomplishing the goals sustainability. The paradigm shift comes through redefining our goals.

5. Intervening. How should we personally make things? Making things means doing things, which means intervening. In a sense, this means a moral obligation. The solution is to dream, because this can question reality. Designing with the moral dimensions in mind, then aesthetics become more significant.
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So how can we apply this to design? The most major aspect of environmentalism is not in making or buying 'eco-friendly' things, it is in changing a mindset. If you want to have a truly eco-friendly home, this involves a great deal of removing extraneous things. Yes, this means simplifying things, and giving up a great deal of luxuries.

My favorite tidbit for design comes from his design process. Think about how you want your home to feel, and express that not in images and in words. Use them to capture the feeling that you want, not the look. In doing this, you'll be able to be more open-minded in how to encapsulate that feeling. After all, home is a feeling.

Back to bedrooms

We have here three different bedrooms.

Apartment Therapy featured this bedroom a while back as part of a house tour. I love it. I can't stop people from using patterned bedspreads, but I can at least point out how to do it correctly. The walls are a clean color, so the bed becomes the focal point of the room: there really isn't a lot competing for your attention. The blanket adds more color and keeps the room from feeling too dark. At the same time, it covers up the pattern, which keeps that from dominating the room too much. This is how you do it, so take note.

And then, we get to these rooms.

What we have on the walls is the graphical equivalent of an acid trip. Often kitschy, full-wall graphics can sometimes take your mind someplace else. Why you'd want to be taken to a place where you think that your face is melting and strawberries are out to get you is another matter.

Padded headboards are for bedrooms. Padded walls are for asylums.

Let's talk pets

Earlier, I made the joking comment that if your dog clashes with your color palette, you should consider getting a new dog. Bad jokes aside, this is a question that you do need to think about. Our pets scratch, shed and sometimes break things, but we love them all the same. Food, pet beds, bowls and toys all have to go somewhere.

While on the subject of bowls, I'm a little bit in love with these bowls from urban materials + accessories: Not only are they really clean looking, but my cat pushes her water bowl into the middle of the doorway and spills water everywhere. Maybe this will stop her. (Probably not)


So readers, what are your design stories involving your pets? Did Fido break your brand-new DWR lamp? Does Fluffy shed so much that you decided to save time and buy furniture to match her coat? Or have you incorporated your pets seamlessly into your design? Your comments, stories and pictures are all welcome!

urban pet bowl

The Secret to getting the Most from the Ruffle Frame Shelf

Taking a brief step aside from my typical tastes in design, I confess that I really like the look of the Ruffle frame shelf from Brocade Home. The lines may be more ornate than I usually like, but the white gives it a really clean aesthetic. Now, someone who's more crafty than me could replicate the look with an old frame and paint.
Okay, fine, what's the secret? You've got a white background, so the lines of whatever you put on it stand out more: this shelf makes things look better. This means the less you've got on the shelf, the better it works.

Ruffle Frame Shelf, On sale, $199.