Oh, That Nutty New Museum

The giant rainbow "Hell Yes!" sign on the New Museum's facade has intrigued me for a few months, and I finally made time to go in there.  The stacked boxes remind me of a conceptual model, rather than an actual building.  I get a kick out of the fourth floor, cantilevering out like that.  Some initial thoughts:
1. I'm a fan of the DIY bookstore- corrugated metal, curved, with plywood shelves screwed in.  I wonder if they did this for aesthetic purposes, budgetary, or for flexibility in case they need the space.
2. It's odd at first to get used to a vertical museum. The square footage isn't that large on each floor, and reduces as you climb. (This is also a city-specific thing to get used to.)
3. Elevator is neon green and also freight.  On one hand I loved it, on another, the color made me kind of nauseous.
4. The stacking makes for really unique circulation in the building.  If you don't take the elevator, there are narrow stairs tucked all the way on the north side- we're talking 36" narrow.  It's a odd feeling of intimacy juxtaposed with the huge gallery spaces, but it works.
5. Urs Fischer's exhibit, Marguerite de Ponty, where he's taken over several entire floors.  On one he created this abstracted view of the city, using digital photographs and chrome boxes, that seems at once to capture the essence of an experience walking through.  It's engaging, humorous, intricate, and distinctly in your face.  Another floor has incredible aluminum sculptures that will leave you puzzled on their construction.  Also the tongue was surreal.  Or was it too real?  Or is that the point?  Either way, go see it.  But hurry, it's only there until February 7.
Also- bathrooms- color, placement, scale... spot on.

Isn't it January?

One cool thing about our weird semi-warm weather is that I can go on my roof without being blown off and/or freezing solid.  I went up there today to watch the sunset, and admired the industrialness of my neighborhood. 

Could Your Walls Use a Little Pizzaz?

Cruising on Apartment Therapy.com after my friend alerted me to their "Fantasy Beds" section, I stumbled across the company Graham & Brown, online modern wallpaper source.  The company's been around since the 40's, but don't let that fool you. (Ok... they might have one or two stuffy florals.) But seriously, there are some real gems.  Including:

I think you can fill these in yourself!

Holy textured walls!

Nouveau.
My bedroom growing up had wallpaper.  It was white with small baskets overflowing with wildflowers.  After a while, I was not a fan.  But I don't think I'd ever get tired of some of G&B's, particularly the line by fashion designers Basso & Brooke.  It's subtle enough, while being striking at the same time.
I can't bring more images over, but check out their website for other ones!

Also- cool wallpaper sighting @ Crazy Bananas on 32nd & 5th.

A Little Residential Design on a Thursday Morning

I just started helping my dear friend configure the space of her UES studio.  Where to begin certain rooms when there are no walls, and how to create delineations yet a cohesiveness.  I definitely deal with the same issues in my own house, and I feel like it's a common conundrum in this city.  (Real estate in general is a class of its own here... 1.5 bedrooms anyone? 4th floor walk up?)  I suppose location really is the main driving factor of where people choose to live here, which makes for more people settling for interior spaces that they do not love!  Is this the key to being a successful designer here- knowing that fact?? For that reason, I'm very excited to help turn the space into a place my friend will enjoy both visually and functionally.
Schematic design to kick things off- our first ideas:

Nerd Alert

FYI to all of us cavemen out there who still use SketchUp: If you download the 7.1 update, you can no longer import DWG files. Unless you download a patch/ add-on. Though if you buy the Pro version you can import all you want. Sneaky sneaky, Google.
Sent via iPod

Holiday Hiatus has Come to a Halt!

I've emerged from the wintry holiday depths, slightly worn from flu, minus one busted computer.  Poor Rodney, you can never be quite up to par!  In all seriousness, pardon the unannounced disappearing act, 'twas rude of me, but I hope your New Years was festive!
Lately, I've been fantasizing about having a fantastic apartment with an assortment of plastic/acrylic furniture and accessories.  We're talking totally transparent here.  It's actually been a casual interest that's been brewing for quite some time.  Now that I am kind of an adult, and buying things for my apartment is an option, it's starting to become an obsession.  Actually I brainstormed for a while about witty names for this entry, including, but not limited to:
The Clear Choice
I Can See Clearly Now
You're SO Transparent
On a Clear Day...

There's a backstory and here it is.  This whole thing started when my good friend told me of a little fellow named Philippe Starck.  His Louis Ghost Chair, designed in 2002, is a remake of a classic Louis XV armchair.  Perhaps you've seen it?  The twist, however, was that instead of wood and upholstery, he explored an entirely contrary material- plastic.  Or, injection-molded polycarbonate, to be correct.  A stunning interpretation, creating a new form and an at first baffling structure, all the while leaving behind wisps of the original.  (I do not suggest YouTube searching because you will just get a video of a ghostly rocking chair.)
So time passed, and when I was studying abroad, I had the fun task to be involved planning a fashion show.  So naturally we wanted it to be fabulous, and we needed to rent chairs.  The team of people I was working with got really jazzed over the idea of renting a roomful of Ghost Chairs, and maintained the blissful image in our heads for a few days- until we found out it'd be several thousand pounds for one day.  Needless to say, the functional black ones we ended up with didn't quite quench the idea we all envisioned.
Fast forward a few months, and I was touring the Palazzo Pitti in Florence.  Incredible frescoes, trompe l'oeil, statues, fountains, etc.  Then I walked around the corner, and there was this:

Fantasy! Come true! I relished in the glamour of it all.  But honestly, the material is so refreshingly modern, and I don't feel like it takes away from the original room at all.  That's a difficult task to achieve.  So my point is, I think the material is flexible enough to work in a wide variety of spaces. And plus, you'd definitely get cool points.  If you don't overdo it (which might end up looking futuristic and/or 80's). 
A clear craze has definitely leaked to the mass market.  Here are some other things I've had my eye on-

Peekaboo Console from CB2 (also great when used as a desk- probably would encourage neatness skills)

Tobias Chair from Ikea (don't heckle me for blogging about Ikea!)

Glass Coffee Table from BoConcept
And lastly- here's something new in the realm of ghostliness- from Design Drift, an art and design duo out of The Netherlands, comes their interpretation (of Starck's interpretation...)  Spooky.

Dezeen

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.