Greetings from Snowless Land

Just arrived back home.  My childhood dog looks larger than life with her winter fur. 
Before I delve into Christmas baking, I just wanted to say that I was stuck in a long line in Terminal 5 of JFK, and didn't even care because I was across from Eero Saarinen's former TWA Terminal.  It's a swooping concrete delight, a celebration of aviation.  It makes me wish that flying was still as glamorous as it used to be.  Don't worry, it's still just as good even if you've got screaming kids in your ear while you look at it.

OM

In the days of glory:

NYC A

Feliz Navidad, Amigos!

A sincere happy holidays from me to you!  Hope you get to spend some time with those who mean the most to you.
Ways I like to get creative around Christmas:
1. Gift wrap (always #1).  Folding, origami, unusual bag stuffing.  I've been known to use strips of magazine paper, which all together looks pretty colorful, and slightly weird, which I like.
2. Cookies and other holiday treats.  I have a fantasy of making those little shortbready cookies with mint jelly in the middle.  My mom used to make those!  I'm making a dessert on Friday.. I'm thinking something involving blueberries.
3. Mulled wine.  A new discovery, but nothing quite warms you up as well as this.  Glogg, spices, etc.
Being my Sagittarius self this week, can't wait to head to sunny skies next week, and until then, busy bee.  Hope to post more soon!

Become a Fan!

Quick note: I'm now doing some postings for Uhuru's facebook page...

Moooi. Wow. Yes.

I was in the B&B Italia showroom the other day, and decided to check out the Moooi showroom downstairs.
Ok. I was kind of perplexed by the name, but as soon as I saw what was down there, I just nodded knowingly... even though I was the only one in there.
Think giant horse + lamp = living room lighting; couch + fur = polar bear seating; checkerboard + table = playing field from every side... etc.
Everything is bold and eccentric, yet has totally sleek functionality (like the Naked Seater's line, where you can customize any couch).
The capstone of the wonderful, modern freakdom is the catalog. No wonder, art direction was by Marcel Wanders. (Styling by Tatjana Quax and Studio Aandacht, which has a cool website).  A startingly realistic mannequin couple acts out a silent melodrama amist the sleek pieces. A bizarre meringue-like pouf melts into a weepy/scary face against a sharp black background. Women lounge on couches, while their dresses twist into the upholstery.
It's completely nutty and totally refreshing.
One question- since they have a giant horse, a pig, and a rabbit... where's the cow?

(Pardon some of the quality of these pics. But I'm sure you get the idea.)

P.S. Happy December!  One of my favorite months.

Next Year We'll Fireproof the Centerpiece...

I'm feeling lazy, but also that it is justified to feel so.  So here is my Thanksgiving:

Awaiting My Food Coma

Turkey day is a here, and I can call it that now that I no longer indulge in tofurkey on the big day.  My big thing is setting the table.  I get a real kick out of it.  Previous years in California I experimented with various napkin folding styles, stemware styles, etc.  Our first Thanksgiving out east (two years ago) was a DIY miracle.  Table made from scraps of plywood, tealights on upturned PBR cans, tablecloth some old fabric from India disgarded from a nearby studio (washed of course).  We kept all our beverages tied to a rope hung out from the window because our fridge was too small!
This year, we've really stepped it up a notch.  Pics to come, but my sister whipped up the centerpiece.  Consisting of a large piece of driftwood found at the petite beach in Red Hook, she drilled holes into it and stuck seven white candles down the center.  It's beautiful! 
I just picked up some extra silverware, and I'm contemplating name cards.  To-do: rearrange living room furniture, assemble table for 17, set table, clean/tidy, and make my dish.
This year I'm reviving one that my brother and I tried last year: Coconut-Marshmallow Spiced Sweet Potatoes.  I've got the sweet potatoes on the stove right now!  I might nix the marshmallows though.  Maybe honey instead?  I'd stay my cooking style is pretty organic... so we'll see how it comes out.
This year I'm thankful for the opportunity to live in this wonderful city with all its design inspiration, for my loft, for having creative people around me, and mostly, for my family.
Here are some fun Thanksgiving ideas to get you in the mood.  Happy day!

Dwell Studio

jmoranmoya's photostream

Martha Stewart.  (Don't you want your table to make your guests to do a squirrel-related double-take?)

Podcast City

I love a good podcast.  It has to be interesting and/or funny.  It's like a free lesson in something, however much you want. Every night I listen to one, or when on the train.  Here are my favorites:

- Design Guide:  Great little video articles about art and design openings around the world.  Lately most of the ones I've seen are about Scandanavian design. 

- Cool Hunting Video: Anything and everything hip, from fashion to art to architecture.

- You Look Nice Today.  This one brings on the laughs.  Witty, sarcastic, and sometimes irreverently dry humor on everyday things.

- Gourmet's Diary of a Foodie: Wow, this one I was obsessed with for a solid two months.  On location reports from foodies around the world, gathering ingredients from the source, making, and eating amazing meals. 

- NYC History: The Bowery Boys: "Hey, it's the Bowery Boys." "Heeey."  A great history lesson on New York.  I love knowing all these random facts about the city, and casually inserting them into everyday conversations. 


Honorable Mentions:
- Threadbanger: From projects to fashion to one segment called Decor it Yourself... great, quick step-by-step ideas.
- Essential Mix: Really unique house/electronic sets from international DJs from BBC1 radio. 
- Who What Wear TV: Some casual style advice in a friendly way.
- UK Wine Show / Beer School: Effort to learn more.  Beer School more entertaining, UK Wine Show sometimes discusses interesting issues related to the logistical aspects of wine.

I'm always open to new ones; they're so easy.  What are your faves?

Fun @ Moss

I decided to check out this gallery, Moss, in SoHo.  One of my professors in London used to have some stuff there a few years ago, and that was credibility enough.  (Okay also Tom Dixon and Marcel Wanders have had work there).  It's an art and design gallery, with a lot of actually functional pieces.  I love seeing that, cause it reminds me of the V&A.  That museum was started to bridge the gap between artists/designers and the average person- by means of showing thoughtful things that people could actually use.  Moss is like a contemporary version of that. 
A cool thing that's going on right now is an exhibition of Maarten Baas, who was just named Designer of the year by Design Miami (by the way I wish I could go... it's next month). He has a wide range of things there, from furniture to electronics.  My favorite was the Clay Furniture line, which made me double take at first.  They have metal frames that Baas designed, and are then completely covered by hand in clay.  Seamlessly.  One one piece, the clay was textured like leather.  It was unreal!  (Literally).  Take a looksee here to see it all.. They're almost animated, like a sketch come to life.

There's also a wild adjacent furniture showroom that you access through a hobbit door.  Wild because of enormous swooping couches and scribbled painting on the walls.  Quite dramatic, I'd say, in addition to some theatrical lighting.  Maybe a little overwhelming.  But they had a whole Maharam library, including the Folklore fabric, one of my personal favorites. This pic is the brighter version, but there's also a more brown/coral one that is really beautiful.

I'm definitely gonna keep up with this place.  Lucky it's neighbors with Topshop...

And this is some work of my old design professor, Eelko Moorer (yes that's rubber)-

EM

The Air's Better Up Here

A free Tuesday found me at High Line park this week. I entered at 14th, in the heart of the Meatpacking District. The last time I was in that area was August 2008, fresh from backpacking and studying abroad, freshly two months behind on my thesis research. It's hard to believe that was only a year ago.

I found out about the High Line only in May, from a Cool Hunting podcast. I weaved through the construction on the cobblestone street and took a glass elevator up to the old elevated tracks. Once up there, I got a vague hint of the L in Philly but oh what an improvement!!
The park was designed to integrate with the existing tracks. Why waste a perfectly good view? The plants are all ones that were originally native to the area.  Back when New York City was known as Manhatta.  Thanks, Bowery Boys.

What I love love loved! about the park was the materials, especially the flooring. Concrete with a fairly large aggregate gave it an industrial feel, but it was poured to create slats, that not only echoed the linear quality of the park, but mimicked hardwood planks. Then, wonder of wonders, they curve up and mesh with wood an steel to become benches. (might I just say reminicent of my pool deck-becomes-jungle-canopy idea that I had in London?), it was both captivating and lovely to see the change in function and material. 

And I just about died at the beauty of the stair materials- aged metal, the turquoise-painted original structure (harking back to the original Gansevoort neighborhood, where facades are historically protected), steel, and lots of glass. Being a young designer, one of the things I focus on is trying to identify and nail down my aesthetic, and I realized I respond well to simple, true materials.. that is, not a lot of fuss and finishes.



I was also able to see my thesis building- the flagship store, design headquarters, and penthouse of Diane von Furstenberg- from the top. And straddling the entire width of the park like a giant concrete transformer is the new Standard Hotel, which last summer was still in construction phase.  [Left: August 2008.  I guess you can't see from the photo but not all the glazing on the other side was installed at the time.  Right: November 2009]

Dreamy William!

I thought it was time to share my love for the one and only William Morris- prominent architect, writer, and textile designer of the Arts & Crafts movement.  Normally I am drawn to contemporary designs, but for some inexplicable reason, his designs have always put me into a dreamlike state.  Maybe his patterns are actually capable of hypnosis.  One of the allures to me is the careful balance, like in the negative space.  The time and meticulous effort put into each design is one of the hallmarks of the movement.  When studying in Florence I was able to see some pietra dura, inlaid marble, that inspired his distinctive acanthus pattern.  Being in that spot was more incredible than I can say. So I'll let his work speak for itself.  

. 

The man himself.

I am unsure how I feel about Flavor Paper's recent interpretation.  Let's play I-Spy, what is different besides the color?:

Flavor Paper

[I am into a lot of their other stuff, however.  I am all for a strategic wallpaper revolution.]

Fall Backwards

Wow, laggy laggy.  What a week!
Things are picking up at both works and I did a little freelancing on the side.  I had my aunt staying with me, as well as my dear friend, who was in town with her exhibition promoting health care reform.  I lent a wee hand in the beginning stages of design a few months ago, but the ball quickly started rolling, and it turned out wonderful.  You can follow her journey here.  
I built what can be considered my home office, after realizing that the hunchback (gobbo) situation of my previous workstation did not behoove productivity in any way.  I inherited a lovely old drafting desk that has its charm. Though I wish I was doing some hand drafting these days, just a little.  I regret tossing my t-square.  Anyways, a pic soon to come.  
A friend and I joined the NY chapter of Architecture for Humanity.  So far in the beginning stages of getting involved, but hopefully will jump in on a project soon.  It's a really great concept- a way to give back using project-specific talents.  I like the idea that I can give a service that also challenges me to think.  I don't want to count my chickens yet, so for now here's the link to their website.  
Now that the time changed, suddenly I feel like a night owl just walking home from work.  Since we're all busting out lamps lately, here's a neat one:

The Tribe by Ingo Maurer


...And my top favorite Halloween costumes that I saw:
1. Large man dressed as Julia Child (curly wig, rolling pin, voice suddenly booming "Hello dear!")
2. Double Dare contestant (tshirt, helmet with cup attached, determined expression)
3. Data from the Goonies (punching bag coming out of chest, dangling clippy teeth, weaving through crowd like an awkward sneak)

Fun with Tudors.

Experimenting with text today.
[Original image from lib-art.com.]

Baby It's Cold Outside (Already)!

Today marked the inaugural double-layer pants kickoff of Fall/Winter 2009.

In honor of this, I decided to celebrate a new roofing innovation that was just invented by a few brainiacs at MIT.  Designed for a materials engineering contest, a group called Thermeleon created a solution that reacts to heat and encapsulated it in a tile.  Long story short, black roof tiles in the winter turn white in the summer or when its sunny.. respectively absorbing or reflecting heat.  Read the details here. Way to be green, neat, and save money.
In other news, I'm looking for ways to retain heat in my home.  With a large south facing window, it is pretty warm during the day (now that the drafts are sealed).  And generally a portion of the heat stays throughout, judging by the temperature difference in my apt and the hallway.  But how to keep the heat longer than the day?  This one I'll have to research more.

Next time I have a fireplace...

 

BBM

My Quest to Learn Everything

After visiting a kitchen showroom the other night, I decided that the best approach I could take to becoming a successful designer is to first get a thorough knowledge of New York showrooms and vendors.  I realized that if someone asked me to spec a piece of furniture, I wouldn't know where to start in this town. Over the next couple of months, I am on a journey to get an essential idea of what is here, and then continue to stay updated.
Reinforcing this idea, I opened up Elle Decor last night and there were great interviews with five successful women designers.  When asked to give advice to people starting out, here's what they had to say:

"Do your homework. Inform yourself on a daily basis. Study magazines. Go to museums. Attend lectures. Ignorance isn’t bliss." - Charlotte Moss

"Train your eye. Whether you’re going to a museum or a flea market or flipping through a book, always be on the lookout for something special." - Kelly Wearstler

"Your business needs a raison d’être [reason to be; driving purpose]. Be prepared to work 24 hours a day, and be willing to take risks. And you have to love it or you won’t succeed." - Josie Natori

"Work for—and learn from—someone who is successful. Also, travel abroad and expand your horizons by visiting museums, galleries, important architectural sites—and understand why these things have influenced design and style. Read." - Michelle Nussbaumer

"As I say to my sons—who are all artistic—be like a sponge; soak up everything. Working in this industry, you touch upon so many different ideas." - Holly Hunt

I am very excited.  And coincidentally, I'm going to update more frequently with products, textiles, materials, or furniture that I find in New York that I like.  

Starting with this rug:

Map
Harry Allen
Dune


Number one I love maps.  This rug is just phenomenal, not only because of the visual interest and the path that your eye travels.  If you look at it as a pattern, it becomes a whole new image.  I can't get enough. 

What city is this?  Paris?



Venice?

Haunted Denim

The other day I was in the park, and amidst the crisp wind -that reminded me to dig out my winter clothes- there was a particular rustle of leaves that made me realize it was Halloween season.  Time for pumpkin seeds and Frankenfurter's mansion... which I can't seem to find a good picture of.  But I did find an appropriately spooky installation at the Diesel Denim Gallery in Tokyo. 

Nature Factory created the surreal forest using various types of plumbing.  I'm pretty much obsessed with the contrast of the dark ceiling with the pristine pipes.  It's always interesting to me when you can see a change happen in the materials, and the transition from rectilinear to controlled chaos is done really well.  It helps to keep the attention on the clothes, while being visually stimulated by what is above.
It gives the whole store a new experience, entering a mysterious forest with only the jeans to guide your way.  Would you make it out unscathed?

Live Leatha.

I saw this today on Materia and it was really fascinating.  Studio Art, an Italian-based company, designs unique materials and home accessories composed of natural elements, such as stone, wood, and especially leather.  One of their specialties are leather mosaics, i.e. mosaico in pelle.  I've seen leather used in a lot of unique ways- floor tiles (what's the wear on those?) to bar tops (your glass probably stays in place), but never quite like this.  Leathers are tiled into place on walls, sometimes dyed beforehand.  They are versatile, from really bold styles, with widely varying shades, to muted, tidy mosaics of one tone.  Either way it's a statement wall.  I love that they embraced the texture by applying it to a curved wall in their showroom.  People are going to be trailing their hands all over that.

And yes, while part of me cringes at the thought of using so much animal, I can't forget that leather is a part of Italian culture.  I visited a leather production house in Florence, and the whole process was almost reverent.
It's a celebration of leather, in a way.  Studio Art says it the best:

"...offering ancient emotions, essential fragrances and tactile sensations and showing just how much leather is a live element full of expressive meaning."

A Treehouse Fantasy

I am extremely excited about this exhibition, Treelife, put on by The Cool Hunter.  It's celebrating eco-architecture and design in a ton of different ways.  When I was a kid I used to design tree houses for the plum tree and giant cactus in my backyard.  Needless to say, they were not very structurally sound.   
Anyways, I hope this event is somewhere close to New York and that I can go oggle.  It's next year some time.  Looking forward to the actual tree house designs the most,  though I am very intrigued by the LED light shows.

If I had my way, we'd build tree house-like rooms floating up in our loft.  Here's a quick sketch of one petite idea, paper lantern-esque.  Operable windows that you flip up maybe, facing the large loft window only. Oh, to dream!



Update [10/11]: Looks like treehouses are in.  Build LLC designed one for the launch of a new Microsoft product.  I really dig how it kind of feels like the ribs of a whale. 

Home for lunch.

+ I'm designing a line of tables and home accessories for work... that will be MADE!
- My dog got into the trash.

More on the former, to come. Hopefully less of the latter.

September, you minx!

I blink for one second and the month is nearly gone.
Alas, lots to discuss. I went to the New Island Festival on Governor's Island earlier in the month. For being only an 8-minute ferry from Manhattan, its got a whole different feel. Kind of like historic suburban Philadelphia. The main action was in (eight?) historic houses that surrounded a central grassy area. In each house was a different design or cultural group, and in the middle were sculptures or installations (left). All in celebration of Dutch design. The organization and design of the event was very cohesive and intriguing from day one, including the humorously disorienting signs during the event. And another point- each group of people coming off the boat was required to witness a nonchalant ribbon-cutting ceremony, complete with full Dutch fanfare. Make what you wish of that.
I'm getting increasingly interested in honing my graphic design skills. At work I've been learning tips and tricks, though I am looking for some means of lessons to get a solid education. Maybe a podcast? I want to explore typography first.
Speaking of podcasts, I've devoured almost every episode of NYC History by the Bowery Boys. The intro is enough to get you hooked. Coney Island part I and II are my favorites.
And lastly, progress on the loft-front. Long-set concrete columns and beams have posed a problem in several areas. By means of crafty C-clamps and spare bamboo, we were able to devise a way to hang our curtains off the mullions of our 18' x 10' window. Since our housewarming, we've been edging the house into better shape. It is difficult with three different tastes- minimalist, eclectic, and functional- and opposing schedules. But we're making it work, and I'm getting increasingly proud of my new domesticity. Here's to Red Hook.

Crafty Day Off

This Labor Day, I went down to the docks in the morning before it got too hot. The smell of the water always reminds me of home, honestly, so that's one reason why I enjoy it down there. Also the giant cranes. I came home and crafted all day. Three friends and I are starting an Etsy account soon, and I'm beginning with mainly hand-drawn things. I think it will be a fun side project. Here's a preview:

After four years in a school of architecture, I finally bought some yellow trace. I'm experimenting with fonts as well. This particular one was inspired by a recent haiku regarding Piedmont, North Dakota and rice pilaf. Alphabet City.

Work-Type Observation

Also working in home furnishing retail, I've been learning a lot about the inner goings-on of a large corporation. How about these vocab words: order points, back flow, goods dominance? Alright, I still don't understand the last one, but I'll pick it up eventually. Contrasting this is what I'm learning -both taught and observational- from my internship about running a small business. The differences are interesting, though I suppose anyone who has worked for a national or international brand/store can attest that its rigid structure may at times be stifling. Also interesting are the similarities, which tend to stem from the basic concepts of the companies, i.e. wanting to enhance the home life of the consumer. At this point in my career, I'm prepared to be sponge-like and disregard my (collegiate-based) aversion to Business.
Though to balance, I've been doing more creative things on the side. Working on the loft brings me great pleasure, as always. I built a desk for myself out of some sanded plywood (street find) after getting frustrated about the hunchback situation I created for myself. New issues to tackle are leaky pipe, curtains, and oven. (Yes, oven. Spare the joke.. it's hot out!)
Housewarming party is coming up, and it is the goal for getting the house into working order. I'll take some glamour shots of the finished product. I can't wait to see it myself, actually.
*One more note. Next week is Fashion Week. Does New York have a design week? Where designers open their studios and shmooze each other? When and where!

Internship at Uhuru

Last week I started working for Uhuru Design. Lucky for me, it's only a few blocks away. Lucky for Earth, they use mainly reclaimed materials.
This piece, the Stoolen, is my favorite so far, particularly because of the concept. Scraps of wood, made beautiful.
I'm also very intrigued by furniture made of wine barrels.
Look at the website to see all of their amazing creations!

New workstation

These two end tables were found by my sister. She decopaged them with a cool rose print and also found the beautiful red velvet chair. I saw the hollow wooden door on the street the other day, and dragged it in. Combined: A new place for us to draw, craft, etc!