Isamu Noguchi, The Japanese American artist and Landscape architect created the iconic Akari light sculptures after visiting Gifu City, about 270km west of Tokyo. GIfu Prefecture is known for its traditional crafts, among them, the making of paper lanterns. The Mayor of Gifu City at the time asked Noguchi how to revive the traditional lantern making industry. Noguchi blended the simplicity of Japanese aesthetics with the principles of modernist design and created the concept of "light sculpture" which he likened to "the light of the sun filtered through the paper of shoji". Paper and light. He did not intend the Akari lamps to be status symbols, only to "add to the quality of life and fill
We used to stand in front of the mirror for hours. Donna, the design team, fit model and whatever fabric we were in love with. Donna would drape, re angle, play. Over the years we had developed an understanding and didn't really need to speak. The other designers and I would hold the fabric in place on the models' body , occasionally moving it to suggest a new line."What if....?".. sentences were not always completed, they weren't needed, a gesture would suffice. And then, there would come those moments. Suddenly, out of fabric and hands and pins, art would happen. A shape, a proportion,a new silhouette would emerge. We all knew when it was happening. You could feel your skin tingling. Donn
About a year and a half ago, I had the incredible opportunity to travel to India for work. Usually work trips consist of airport-office-dinner-hotel and repeat loops, but this one was different. We got to go to the market, ride an Elephant and visit the Taj Mahal . The food was incredible- in fact, I could easily get side tracked and write a whole post about Buffalo milk Paneer, but let's not go there right now. Instead, let's go to the block printing factory in Jaipur. It is called Ratan. Our Hosts thought it would be an inspiring place to visit, and do a little bit of shopping. They were absolutely right. The modern takes on traditional block printing on cotton clothing and home textiles w
A few years ago my sister bought a striped, blue very large roll arm sofa. In doing her pre - buying online research she got so overwhelmed by the amount of mid century style sofas on the market, that in the end she decided to go for the complete opposite. I totally understand. And at the same time, I also see why there are so many square, simple modern sofas in the market. They are nice, look good with everything and don't overwhelm a room. The same goes for gallery walls. It seems like everyone must have a wall covered in a multitude of photos, art and even a display three dimensional objects. And again, I get why everyone- including myself - is fascinated with them. They are such a great
It was were suitcases were kept. Furniture that was not in use and, best of all, the tool box and bits and pieces for work to be done around the house. I would spend hours exploring these. There seemed to be so much potential, so many things to be done with the nuts and bolts, pliers and other things that I couldn't name (and probably still can't). A small metal tube would become a charm on a necklace for my Mum. The hooks would go in my doll's closet. the possibilities were endless.. To this day, I get the same feeling when I walk into a hardware store. Somewhere in there there is something wonderful that will inspire a new project. Something I don't yet know about... A trip to Williams is
Pepper is going to be 1 year old on July 2nd. It took us ages to decide what kind of dog we wanted. In fact, we started thinking about it roughly10 years ago. Then we decided to have a baby and the dog idea was put on hold. A couple of years ago, we started thinking about it again. Our son was not a toddler any more and a boy's gotta have a dog. There was a long list of requirements. We wanted a breed that was neither too big nor too small, good with kids, not prone to running away in an un- fenced yard. A sociable dog that did not require excessive amounts of exercise and would be equally happy in the city and country. The debate went on and on. We stopped strangers in the street and asked
I love fire. There is something primal, alive and pure about staring into a flame. In the house upstate, we start using the fireplace as soon as it gets cold and even though we are well into June, a couple of weekend ago we lit a fire- because it was raining a little. All of last summer I obsessed about how to have a similar fire experience during warmer months, and googled outdoor fire pits endlessly. It was, somehow, never a completely satisfying experience. I found some modern gas versions too slick and hotel like ( and by hotel, I don't mean a chic, boutique-y kind of place. I once stayed at a Hampton Inn near the airport in Columbus, Ohio that had a slick seating area centered around
A friend of mine used to have a theory. He said people with curly hair were less structured, a little more absent minded and more likely to lean towards organic shapes than people with straight hair- or those who straightened theirs. He professed Justin Timberlake was the ultimate proof of his theory. According to him, the singer only became a sex symbol after leaving NSYNC and getting rid of his curls. I think he might have had a point and often wonder how my life and style might have been different if I had straight hair. I am drawn to minimalist interiors, but inclined by nature to break them up with some warmth and texture. Is it because of the curls? Recently another friend gave me the