Designer of the Day

STEVEN VOLPE

All images via Steven Volpe

South African Law

This semester, we begin our Interior Design Studio IV course by designing a 17,000 sq ft two-story law firm (our biggest design project yet). It is an international law firm that has recently decided to open their first major office in the United States. They want their new office to represent the history and traditions of their home country, while celebrating their future in NYC.

Our first day of class, we chose out of a hat to see which country we would be designing for. Guess what?! I got the country of my choosing..South Africa! I should probably play the lotto more often, eh?

The most important part about this project lies in the space planning (of which I will update you on later in the game). But for me, I can't even get excited about a project without a few visuals first. Here's what I'm envisioning....

South African interior designer, Stephen Falcke, adorned this wall with traditional South African woven baskets. Talk about a statement wall!

 

Some sculptures I found on 1st Dibs

Wall mural by Willem Boshoff.

This piece, "gives a graphic representation of this dramatic vocal will and power. The necessity for driving home the messages of these slogans and chants no longer exists, and they too will be shelved in time. The thin horizontal lines of sheet-music run through the whole piece. They fence the slogans in and conceal an English translation, making for a ‘reading between the lines.’ The simple block-like type is an allusion to Ndebele wall-painting and the vertical ridges are intended to enhance the idea of ripples and reverberations. The work was begun on 2 September, 1997, ten years, to the day, after the famed purple rain incident took place in Cape Town. Police were spraying purple dye on protesters to mark them for later identification and arrest, away from the prying eye of the international press. One daring protester jumped on the water-car and turned the dye on the police. Soon after that graffiti appeared on the city walls and even on police vehicles which stated: The purple shall govern, a clever twist from the African Freedom Charter which states that the people shall govern."

Colors and patterns to inspire me

South African furniture designer, Haldane Martin

South African contemporary artist, Sean ___

South African contemporary artist Sheila Louw

An example of how texture play a key role in the South African aesthetic

Baby It's Stillll Cold Outside

Today has got to be one of the coldest days of the year so far and sadly I can't do what I really want which is to sleep in on this blistery day. So instead while I listen to my professor drone on about 3D AutoCad, I'll let you all in on what I'm really daydreaming about...DUVETS!

Check out these from Dwell:

Or these from West Elm:

Arctic Weave

Last semester in our interior design studio course, we had our first group project...as well as our first retail project. My partner and I designed a furrier called Arctic Weave which featured a vodka bar surrounded by luxurious fur coats in an arctic setting. I figured on such a snowy day like today, posting this project seemed fitting.

*To all of those out there against furs (me too!) I'd like to put it out there that prior to this project I designed an office for the North American Headquarters for the Humane Society. I'm versatile!

"Forging a relationship between fashion and nightlife, Arctic Weave is a lifestyle mecca of fur and ice located in downtown New York. AW is a designer, manufacturer, and purveyor of luxurious, high-quality fur coats, clothing, and accessories. The concept store’s products demonstrate fur’s unexpected lightness, versatility, and fabric-like properties while boasting a very humane chain of production. With fur making a strong comeback in fashion, Arctic Weave strives to attract customers year-round, challenging preconceptions of the legendary material and ultimately realizing new possibilities in which customers can use and enjoy fur throughout the year.

Using visual design reference to the arctic climate and icebergs as a sleek and refreshing backdrop to fur allows the space to become an interplay of texture, delivering a sense of playful warmth and coolness. This is most dramatically captured by the showcase ice bar. Serving to drive and maintain foot traffic the bar is a haven where patrons will linger throughout the day and night, pondering pending purchases, modeling splurges, and mingling with other clientele."



Furnishings



Section View

 

Detail of Coat Display


Designed by Emma Lazarus and Alyson Sugar

Designer of the Day

NATE BERKUS

All images via Nate Berkus

Back to School!

"The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet" - Aristotle

Officially, yesterday was the first day of school (but it was a history class in a large auditorium, kinda doesn't count). The designing begins today!

Below are a few photos of the place of which I will be spending 70-90 hours a week. Not too shabby, huh?

Today will be my first day of Advanced Detailing (Millwork) followed by Advanced Graphic Communications (AutoCad 3D and 3DMax). Wish me luck!

entrance

main hallway

main hallway

typical studio

garage door classroom /gallery space

model shop

All images via New York School of Interior Design

Baby It's Cold Outside

It only seems right that today while I sit and blog with snowflakes as large as silver dollars streaming past my window, that I post something about fireplaces. I dream of the day I can live in a house with a fireplace. Until then, these images will have to suffice...

makes me wanna ski and sip hot cocoa

A built-in

Love the fire log storage!

A new twist to an old flame

Portable!  A temporary fix to my dream

I'd even take a non-working fireplace

a bench by the fire

Images from top to bottom: charles and hudson, crosson clarke carnachan architects, charles and hudson, brasa fire, apartment therapy, metal fire