Quick Tips

I just found this article that gives great advice (seemingly) about managing freelancing, including organization and financial advice.  Def worth the read.
Accordingly, they recommend a bunch of helpful apps!

Where's Tim the Toolman When You Need Him.

An interesting/busy couple of days.  My side work lately had become complicated due to lack of desk.  The other day after work, filled with vigor, I found this wall mounted shelf/table in a discarded pile that I planned on putting in the niche by my bed.  Fast forward a half hour and the scene was grizzly- drywall a mess, books everywhere, and both the temperature and frustration boiling.  Just before I almost gave up on the thing, my sister came to the rescue, and with logical thinking solved everything.  Now I've got a lovely workspace where I can work whenever, on whatever.
Including- designed my invoices!  Personal milestone.  Question is, do most people who freelance just use their name, or do they have some kind of company name?  Also, what are the benefits of having a "company"?  If I wanted to get something for my computer to help with freelancing, a. Could I write part of it off for taxes? b. Do I have to have a company name to do that?  I hung out in Barnes & Noble last night (air conditioning) and picked up this book that should answer those questions... I hope. 
Also in the works, potential hosting site change, updating portfolio, yadda yadda.
My brain is sizzling, so lastly, here's the link to the Architizer page for the flyNY project I worked on (graphics).  Kite design competition, this August!

Silver Fox

This weekend I escaped from New York and went north.  Stopping by Bard College, we checked out the Richard B. Fischer Center for the Performing Arts.  By guess who?
This is the first of such Gehry that I've seen up close.  Very exciting, particularly the way that the blue sky reflected/became part of the skin itself.  Naturally I was intrigued by several things:
1. How was this project drawn? How did they know exactly how many rivet holes were needed?  The angle of each cut?
2. Is it true that snow falls on people in the entrance during winter months?
3. Has anyone ever climbed up the inner structure?  If so, how far up did they get?  Can you slide down oncee you're up there? Maybe some sledding?
Further examination left me feeling pleased and amused.  What is essentially one giant concept model creates a dynamic dialogue between what happens when the layers overlap.  Sometimes glass, sometimes nothing.  What dictates where and what occurs... guess that part's up to the architect.  Sometimes reactions like that can feel somewhat arbitrary, but in this case, it felt as if organically placed.

In other news, I got a raise!
I still have some posts brewing, as soon as I have some time.  I'm also freelancing for an interior designer, which is taking more time than I had thought.  But it's interesting, so I'm content/motivated.
Adios!

Hey, Instant Console

New things I like about my home (1) books arranged by color. I found that glass skull in my hallway. It's from Skull Vodka, and coincidentally, someone who did a home tour in NY Mag's design issue had one too. Only they used theirs for olive oil, and mine has sand in it from beaches where I backpacked (2) turning my bookshelf on its side - I also mixed that turquoise paint color myself, and that lamp used to be a floor lamp (3) chilly morning light/waking up to a giant ladder in living room.

Brooklyn Made.

May: What a month.  Design week in Brooklyn and Manhattan, freelancing, working on my apt, celebrating summer.  Also, is the font on this just big on my screen or everywhere?  Today I finally found the camera cord, so I'll kick it off with my faves from BKLYN Designs this year-

Funny and unpredicatable wallpaper from Grow House Grow.  Seen here in Ms. Treat and Ms. Ward, accordingly.

Geometric bliss in these awesome asymetric planters by Planter Worx.  These were also in Dwell's green issue a few months back, I think.  I love the patina that they get. Wait, or is that wood?

FRAMEicariums from Hugh Hayden Design and Katie Vitale.  Yes those are real ants slowly uncovering the art behind.

Just a Note

rja
I came across this pic when looking through some firms' portfolios.  I'm very taken by the simplicity, despite how masculine it is.  I want my future house to be a little like this.  Could go either way on those globes though.

Also stumbled upon this incredibly achievable use of space in an apt in Prospect Heights.   Large-scale artwork makes an equally large impact, especially one as active as this.  I think the proportions of this work beautifully.
In other news, with design week approaching, things are starting to heat up, and I mean that in both ways.  Accordingly, I'm trying to purchase a bicycle today (finally). 
Have a wonderful sun-filled Saturday, and I'm looking forward to posting a slew of NY inspiration in the coming weeks!

Futureland

Amazing renderings from by Olalekan Jeyifous. A lot of personality, and I'm curious about how they were created.  Says "digital media on paper".  I first thought it was watercolor, which I'd like to get back into, if I ever had the time. Kudos, anyways.  P.S. "The Furies" series on the Vigilism website (linked)  is great.  Reminds me of a graphic novel meets old school architecture book.

Oh to be a fly in that dust cloud...

It just so happened that the dust cloud descended on this year's Salone del Mobile.  A bad sitch for those inspired designers and enthusiasts stranded in Milan... but then again they've got some intriguing company.  All this gets me excited for NY's design week(s)... just got my ICFF badge.  A few highlights from abroad- Formafantasma, Humberto & Fernando Campana for Nodus, Studio Job, Droog, & Ingo Maurer.

moco loco, designboom

Rectilinear? Don't even.

The Holon Design Museum, Israel's first design museum, by architect Ron Arad.  It has its grand opening this month.  Seeing some Gehry & FLW?  Is it now the norm to visit museums to see the exterior instead of what's on display inside?  If so, I'm not opposed.  Because nonetheless, its still new to me.  Those colors are stunning.  As long as it doesn't distractingly creep inside, which in this case, it doesn't:

The first exhibition is called "The State of Things" and displays a hundred objects by designers who are impacted by contemporary issues.  I love that they've thrown some humor in with issue categories like Mutant Remix, Social Anxiety, and New Essentialism.  Also Maarten Baas is one of the designers, along with several other notables.

On another note, I kind of reached a milestone this week with my first company business cards.  Yay!

In Italia Ancora

Dan Colen's Karma show at the Massimo de Carlo gallery in Milan.  Helped with production ealier in the year.  Many more pics after link!