Movie And A Room

Hello,

I have been waiting to collect the appropriate pieces for this movie and feel that I now have them. Today's movie is Out Of Africa.  I think this movie was visually stunning, I can't say the story grabbed me as much as the cinematography does. 

 

Picnics were once elegant affairs with proper table settings and even folding chairs. Here is a selection of fabulous pieces that are reminiscent of the picnic from the film.

Hermes  Pippa folding armchair. Pear wood with satin-finish varnish and natural cowhide. All the metal pieces are in brass.

Gorgeous Hermes blanket in pumice gray. 90% merino wool, 10% cashmere. Measures 53" x 65". This jacquard throw is made in Scotland and hand finished with blanket stitching.


Picnic baskets with blankets, both from Picnic World.  Flatware, dinnerware and coffee service all right at your finger tips.

Ascot Cheshire Basket  : top 

 

Ascot Dorset Basket    : bottom

Lovely set of antique faux-bamboo and leather folding chairs available at Christies' home fashion division. 

I took this scene from the film and tried to give it a more contemporary feel.

The Hennessy company pays tribute to the founder Richard Hennessy with a Cognac in his name. The Bottle is so beautiful that there is no need to use a separate decanter to display the contents.




The Cognac glasses are fun and remind me of my tipsy glasses from Crate and Barrel. 

Throw in some toss pillows in a animal print just for comfort.  Hides and Co. have a great selection of animal print rugs and toss cushions.

Inspired by Caravaggio - The Deposition  Johan Linton designed this recliner for Kallemo.

Side tables by Kartell.  Different sizes could be nested together to create an interesting area to sit and relax. The tables come in many colours and could easily be mixed and matched with various colours and sizes.

Happy Easter

Happy Easter !!

Jane

Who said doilies aren't cool?

Because these are not the doilies we used to see all over Granny's furniture.

These are sophisticated and fun, brightly coloured and ready for a good time indoors or out.

...but mostly out!

Sweeeeet! Crate And Barrel  Darling glass desert plates with a simple doily pattern to liven up your table after meals.

Swanky Swell  Vintage wrought iron bench upholstered with Swanky Swell Doilies fabric.  The fabric has been treated with Scotch Guard for extra protection. The frame has been re-lacquered with antique white color and is one of a kind. Works for indoor or outdoor.

I think these are one of the coolest things I have seen in ages. They are from Modern-Twist.  Eco-friendly and reusable food grade silicone has been used to make these hand silk screened Doilies. They have the appearance of being embossed and the pattern seems to come alive. Each package contains a patten and plain Doiles. 

Cluster Teal/Silver on Clear Base .. Plum/Copper on Clear Base ...Cluster Moss/Rose on Grey Base

Studio Doilies are also from Modern-Twist with bright colours to accent your table and showcase your food.  They are great for party presentations!










Marcel Wanders is amazing!

His designs always make me smile.  This chair was done on a limited edition of 20 for Droog Design at Art Basil in Miami.  Unfortunately, it is sold out, but it's so pretty :)  The description says it is a crochet chair.  I don't know.  To me, it looks like doilies.

And finally, Paola Lenti and her fabulous rugs.

The colours are deep and divine and are designed for indoor and outdoor use with a colour pallet that has something for everyone.  They do some custom sizes on the rug, however, due to the complexity of the design, only limited sizing.

Movie And A Room

"Look, Dave, I can see you're really upset about this. I honestly think you ought to sit down calmly, take a stress pill and think things over. I know I've made some very poor decisions recently, but I can give you my complete assurance that my work will be back to normal. I've still got the greatest enthusiasm and confidence in the mission. And I want to help you." ~ Hal-9000


2001 - A Space Odyssey is one of my all-time favorite movies and Stanley Kubrick is one of my all-time favorite directors.  Having grown up in the space age, 2001 gave me the power to dream big.  That is to dream of the possibility that we are not alone and that, one day, we will reach out across the incomprehensible vastness of space and time and find other civilizations. Sir Arthur C. Clarke wrote this epic screenplay in conjunction with Stanley Kubrick in 1968 yet it feels timeless and could easily have been made in the last 20 years. The movie's relevance remains perpetual.  Of course, the CGI would be better but not by much since the Kubrick's attention to detail in realism was near fanatical.  The film became a classic on its day of release and has since caused much discussion on its underlying messages to humanity.  It was a gift from a couple of rare talents to the world.

The late sixties and all it's ultra modern furniture is still popular today... 

Updated versions of the famous Djinn chairs.

1.Art Mely brings the rich red seating and table set. Fateuil comes in an impressive array of colours and includes a sofa and coffee tables.



2. Clip arm chair is rotational molded plastic available through Gandia Blasco 


3. I'm dreaming designed by Dominic Symons, is a clever, clean looking chair.  I'm dreaming is made in a single piece of double-walled rotational molded polyethylene. Available from Max Designs  

4.From Vondom, the Doux Butaca 

That was then and this is now! Jamie Hayon of bdBarcelona shows us that something can be reborn and look every bit as good as it did almost 50 years ago.

 .

Even if you have never had the good fortune of seeing 2001, this line might be familiar to you:

Hal-9000 is the computer that runs the ship and the mission.  I couldn't believe it when I saw this table and thought, "Hal"!

The O-Zon table by Royal Botania - This fabulous table can accommodate an umbrella and the center portion is a lazy-susan making it easy to pass things around the table.

Baroque style furniture all from JSPR Plastic Fantastic line


Mirror from Ikea


The Ball chair and stool combine to save space in your patio. When the set is stacked, it forms a solid geometric sphere that offers both function and form. Fulfill your fantasies with this set of designer decor!  Modani makes all of your outdoor dreams come true!

Black and White rug comes in a ton of sizes and is perfect for indoor outdoor use.  Available though C S N Rugs

OEKE

Have you ever noticed that most umbrella are well... kinda boring?  Sure, you can find a few that are spectacular in design but the companies making these umbrella's typically offer little variety in pattern or color in their creations.  As well, these umbrellas are often at the very highest end of the market-place and while they have the unusual design element the colours are still patternless.  One should not have to choose between innovative design and alluring color and pattern offerings.  Unfortunately, this is the nature of the umbrella market today.

I do know a few companies that will allow you to provide your own fabric and they will make an umbrella for you.  Unfortunately, the time and cost of all this custom work can be huge.

So answer this question:

What if there was a company that made fabulous market umbrellas with patterns and sold them ready made?

I think that is a fantastic idea!  An idea that Linda Di-Giusto thought up one evening while driving down the freeway.  It sounds like Linda had an "AHA!" moment and then spent the next six months researching the market place.  In her research she could find no other company that was doing what she wanted to do.  This is what I like to call the "entrepreneurial fire."






OEKE was born out of a desire to provide something unique and fun to the market place.  OEKE is not a mysterious flower nor a secret cove that Linda visits with her husband in Australia.  It is the combination of the last two letters of her sons names!  A brilliant tribute to her beautiful boys from an innovative working mom with a creative mind.

Launched in 2009 at the Melbourne Design and Trade Fair, the custom made umbrellas are on anodized aluminum frames which give them longevity and a sleek look.

The designs are spectacular fun and so "summer!"  OEKE is available in two sizes at present : Seven foot and nine foot in imperial measure.

Change the theme by simply changing the canopy.  Dinner with the grown-ups?  Black Leaf would be an elegant choice. Party for the kids?  Go with something fun like the the Happy Days.

 

Linda, has tapped into a market that needed to see new colour and pattern. Umbrellas should never be an afterthought.  They provide such an important element to the bigger picture of your design scape.  If you want to add some additional colour to complement the design elements in your fabulous new umbrella, contact Linda about the matching pillows and table runners!  Also, check out Linda's design blog  OEKE DESIGN BLOG.

Two small children and a company to run and she has time to blog!  My goodness I am already tired just thinking about her days :)

I hope you have enjoyed our visit with OEKE, down under.

Linda has truly created something unique in her fabulous hand-crafted umbrellas.  Look for her to someday set these beautiful umbrellas at a beautiful beach front as she confided in me that she would like to see her designs at a five-star resort.  I couldn't agree more and if the resort is half as gorgeous as her fabrics, I will be there lounging under an umbrella with a pillow and a nice big cocktail! (Sigh...)

Such a lovely thought!

Thanks to Linda and her team at OEKE for sharing with us this week!

Have a terrific weekend and I will be back on Monday with more of A Room Without Walls

Jane

Movie and A Room

"A kiss on the hand may be quite continental but diamonds are a girl's best friend.  A kiss may be grand, but it won't pay the rental on your humble flat.  Or help you at the auto-mat.  Men grow cold as girls grow old, and we all lose our charm in the end.  But square-cut or pear-shaped, these rocks won't lose their shape. Diamonds are a girl's best friend." ~ Leo Robin 

  

Hot pink retro silverware flatware

Koir napkin Rings with Crystals and Rhodium interlocking napkin ring with ring and crystals available at Gearys Beverly Hills

Pink Pillow  Trina Turk  outdoor pillows 

Calleija custom diamond encrusted champagne glasses.  These beauties took five jewelers three months to create!  They sold for over four-hundred thousand dollars to a private collector.  Perhaps, Mr. Calleija could be inspired to create some more :)

Foursquare dinnerware in basic black available from Mikasa  

Dining table would be well served under a pergola out of direct sunlight, what a custom made beauty she is, contact  Twentieth  For details on this absolutely fabulous dining table. or to inquire about any of the other peices they carry. 

Champagne Cuvee Rose  Once again the Pink Champagne is popular !

This perfectly pink retro Barbie dining chair will complete the look.  This style of chair has not been made for over 25 years!  Lets here it for the Design ShopUK  and giving it back to us!

Eiffel Tower inspired Chair from Caroline Corbeau pays homage to Gustav Eiffel and his Eiffel tower design. Available at the Outdoorz gallery

Yellow Flamenco covered Santa Barbara Umbrella 

One of my favorite finds on Etsy is at it again making fabulous outdoor cushions.  Mazizmuse give us some funky and fun yellow toss pillows to add to our collection today.

A very french looking chandelier in a classical shape that will cast a lovely shadow. Contact Rayment Wire Works  for more details and to see other custom offerings.

Another fabulous sculpted piece available at the Outdoorz Gallery Peter Donders.

 "...organic piece by twisting a single string of carbon fiber around a form that was then removed. The resulting structure is airy yet incredibly strong and has been aptly described as calligraphy in 3D "
~ Rob Cassy of the Garden Design Journal. 

Jewel encrusted Champagne glasses, John Rocha for Waterford gives us these gorgeous black cut Flutes.

Sorry

About the lack of postings this week, I have come down with a bug. I think it's written somewhere that " Mom's always get sick after sleepovers " I am working on something and  hope to have it posted later today :))

Thanks

Jane

Inspirational Origami

I've always been fascinated by Origami.  The seemingly simple art of taking one sheet of paper and folding it into so many different shapes.  The crane immediately comes to mind when I think of origami. 





There are so many styles and techniques that can be applied to origami it is amazing. Some of them are based on mathematical calculations, others have strict rules about how the folds can be preformed. For those interested in learning more about the techniques, I found this website very interesting Origami resource center.

We see the techniques and style applied to design too.  Here are some examples of different designs and designers who have applied Origami to their furniture.

Stefan Schoning gives us Folder created under the design label Polyline.  To the eye. the chair looks like paper origami.  It consists of a poly-propylene sheet which is cut, scored and folded into a chair.  It holds by means of snapping clips which are invisible and form the rigid structure of the chair.

Vondom gives us Rest.  "The simplicity of the paper and the infinite right-angled forming its folds are the inspiration’s source from REST, a furniture set IN&OUT to join elegance, quality and comfort"

Sputnik the Table created by Buro Vomkrij.  Constructed out of a single piece of aluminum with no welds or additional hardware.  Powder-coated aluminum in a variety of colours.

Grillage designed by Francois Azambourg for Ligne Roset. (It appears, at this time, only in Europe.  I am working on getting information for the America's)

Grillage (French for wire mesh)  A single sheet that is perforated to form a single pattern then folded like Origami. 

In the words of Francois Azambourg, "Stretch, fold, bend" 

The Origami Chair created by So Takahashi Design Heads Inc. Formed from powder-coated sheet metal, the Origami is suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. 

 

Photograph Courtesy Amanda Kay

There you have it!
Some inspirational pieces to think about styled in the great art of Origami.  Enjoy the weekend ahead.
We are caught between rain systems here in San Diego and while I had suggested earlier in the week we had seen the beginning of spring, I feel we have fallen backwards into a cold front with strong winds and rain. A great weekend to start planning some Rooms Without Walls :) 

Jane

Giving back just feels good

Architecture for Humanity has been working in post disaster reconstruction since 1999. They have designed and built hundreds of homes, schools, clinics and community facilities for those affected. To date they have worked in long term reconstruction efforts in Burma, India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Pakistan, Chile, Haiti and the United States.

On average they spent 4 years on our rebuilding effort - Architecture for Humanity is the last responders. They don't offer hope, they build solutions.

Architecture for Humanity and NIKE has partnered to help Japan's long term rebuilding efforts. Together, they believe that sport plays a critical role in a community and will be a key element as the Sendai region rebuilds.

They  would like to thank the tens of thousands of runners who participated in the NIKE+ All for Japan Challenge and collectively ran 200,000 miles in less than a week. Everyone who participated has helped contribute towards the Sendai Reconstruction Fund. By calling on a global community of dedicated runners Nike really wasn't sure they would make the one month deadline. Boy, were they wrong.

Now it's time for Architects for Humanity's  part - putting the funds to good use.

Molo Offers “Heartfelt” Product for Japan Relief:

 

We are currently making 50 special limited edition versions of this luminary with the Japanese “sun-disc” hand painted on the lantern and its packaging. The full proceeds of our heartfelt lantern for Japan will be donated to support Architecture for Humanity’s reconstruction efforts in Japan. These special lanterns will be available at Molo's exhibit in Milan during the Salone International del Mobile design week. 

Press Preview April 11th, 3-8 pm press only 

April 12th – 16th 2011, 10 am-9 pm professionals only 

April 17th 2011, ore 10 am-9 pm open to the public

They are also making the lantern available on the Milo website.

I will continue to look for project and companies that are committed to helping. I salute Molo, Architects for Humanity; just as we saluted Maku last year for their dedication to the One Percent Club