UP-AND-cOMERS:
10 DESIGN FIRMS TO WATCH IN 2013 P. 60
TM
Ace HOTEL FoundeR Alex Calderwood puts down roots in an L.A. Landmark
insider’s saigon a one-of-a-kind guide to ho chi minh city
THE TRAVEL ISSUE 30+ hot hotels and high-design alternatives
rock ‘n’ roll redesign the Rock and Roll Hall of fame gets a face-lift
PLUS
Warm Up! 6 Tea packaging designs to keep you cozy Where to buy: Vintage Graphic Travel Posters
JAN 2013 $8 USA/CAN
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Contents
You are AIGA. Belong. AIGA is changing to become more accessible and inclusive than ever. No matter where you are in your career or what you want to do with design, there’s a membership option for you!
Jessi Arrington, member since 2003, workshoplovesyou.com
DESIGN BUREAU
Contents
Travel in style
CONTENTS ISSUE 15 FEATURES 96 Destination: Design Stay like a local, go off the beaten path, and find natural beauty in our travel issue. Just don’t, for crying out loud, forget your passport
PAGE 96
DIALOGUE & DESIGN THINKING 69 Buying the Hotel Room If you can take everything in the suite back home, then why go on vacation at all? Our writer questions a new practice
112 The Ace Hotel The man behind the influential urban destination hotels, Alex Calderwood, tells us his recipe for effortless hip design
70 Noise-Cancelling Headphones and Shrinking Airline Seats Dr. Rob Tannen weighs in on nutty headphone technology and the size of the seats on planes
115 Welcome to New York Willy Wong takes us on a tour of his version of the Big Apple
82 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Reboot Redesigning the permanent exhibition space at Cleveland’s claim to fame
120 Inspiring Interiors This month, we’re looking at refined rustic chic and country chateâu
88 A White Site An aggressive application of the neutral shade transforms a dreary apartment into an inviting living nook
126 Design Bureau Second Anniversary Photos from a night to remember at Chicago’s Ivy Room
30+ design destinations for your next vacation
INFORMER 15 Pixels & Print 29 Objects & Gear 37 Fashion & Beauty 47 Travel & Culture 59 Structures & Spaces
PLUS 06 08 10 72 129 130
Contributors Letter from the Editor Letters Notes from the Bureau This Issue’s Best Albums For Hire
Photo by Billy Rood
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interior design
Inspiring Interiors Rustic chic takes on country chateâu in this month’s battle of the homes Page 120
Robert Stilin’s Shop in East Hampton, NY, photo by Joshua McHugh
Contents
DESIGN BUREAU
travel feature
Ace Hotel Meet the founder of America’s hippest hotel chain Page 112
INSIDE ISSUE 15 objects & gear
Cool Carriers Handmade bags you won’t leave home without Page 31
Libero Ferrero Oak and Eddon bags photo by Leif Huron
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Custom. Period.
Designed. Delivered. Direct. Furniture that fits. True custom cabinetry. The perfect fit for your entire home. Available direct, nationwide.
Fine Quality Custom Cabinetry Handcrafted For Your Entire Home 800-999-4994 • www.crown-point.com 462 River Road • Claremont, NH • 03743
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DESIGN BUREAU
Letters & Contributors
LETTERS TO DESIGN BUREAU November/December 2012 SOUND BITES
DB shout-outs from the Twitterverse Join the conversation at twitter.com/DesignBureauMag
DB TWEETS Our readers found much to love and some points to take issue with in our November/ December Design Gift Guide issue. No worries, we love feedback, so email us: letters@wearedesignbureau.com
DESIGN BUREAU
Design within reach foldable star sculptures by John Kostick, $22, $65, and $160, dwr.com
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Modfire urbanfire portable fireplace $1,650 at modfire.com
Pendleton raven and the Box of Knowledge blanket, $228, pendleton-usa.com Pendleton Banded robe $298, pendleton-usa.com
room and Board Lind cowhide ottoman, $399, roomandboard.com
Ligne roset Pression vase in matte gray, $105, ligne-roset-usa.com
Pendleton copper knit wrap, $288, pendleton-usa.com
riedel eve Decanter, $525, riedelwebstore.com
geneva M audio system, $699, genevalab.com spiegelau Beer connoisseur set, $49.90/Box of 4 at riedelusa.net
TRACKING
Finding happiness seems to be the goal oF many, From yogis to politicians. designers, apparently, are no exception. superstar graphic designer steFan sagmeister tells us about his pursuit oF happiness, and why he’s making a Film devoted to his search For it.
Pendleton Painted hills robe in sand, $278, pendleton-usa.com
50 well-designed gifts sure to make your holiday bright Intro photo by HeatHer talbert | GIft GuIde ImaGes by Zack burris | tItle IllustratIon by luke Williams stylInG by Jessica moaZami WitH Factor artists | makeup and haIr by kerre WitH Factor artists | model: amanda WitH Factor Women
HAPPY
GAH GAH FOR GIFT GUIDE “I normally skip holiday gift guides altogether, but yours in the November/December issue was worth the effort. Tasteful, beautifully photographed, and packed with unusual selections. Bravo, DB!” (M.H., via
by saundra marcel photos by noah kalina
the web)
happy or just sag? “I’m all for designers following their muse, but I must admit reading the interview with über-designer Stefan Sagmeister left me bewildered and a bit sad. He sounds flighty, uninspired, and confused. Time to retire?” (T.L., via Email)
Stereotype hype “Design Bureau—where the furniture is nice and the women all have anorexia.” (B.B., via facebook)
“I think it’s really unfortunate when other brands don’t follow their own ethos. It’s just sort of lazy when people are trying to directly create a derivative. It’s a lost opportunity.” ace hotel founder alex calderwood, PAGE 112
@lostinprint Really enjoyed the letter from the editor in the 2-year anniversary issue of @DesignBureauMag. Looking forward to the rest of the issue. @richardsondzine @designbureaumag is the best design mag we’ve had in the studio in a long time. Such a great mix of art design and culture. @Aballatore Check me out in one of my favorite mags ever! Design Bureau The inspiration Issue! Get Inspired!! @DesignBureauMag #inspiration @AishaDBdesigner @DesignBureauMag Congratulations!!! I bought your first issue and have been a huge fan ever since. Here’s to (at least) 20 more years! @Jessica_Moazami Just reading and enjoying the Sept/Oct issue of @DesignBureauMag
CORRECTIONS, JULY/AUG AND SEP/OCT 2012:
In our Sep/Oct issue, the photo credit for the Maya Romanoff images should have been Tom Vack. We regret the error. In our Sep/Oct issue, Moleskine was spelled incorrectly.
For the record: Rants, ramblings, and random facts from behind the scenes of this issue
1897
hojo
BOEING 747
microphones
Year the grandfather of Insubordinate Lad Matthew Woods started leathercraft as a boy. Find out more on p. 32
The Palm Springs Ace Hotel & Swim Club was formerly a Howard Johnson’s. That chain of motor lodges revolutionized hospitality in the ’50s. Read more on p. 112
Sleepover on a jet plane? You can spend the night in a grounded aircraft-turned-hotel in Sweden. Now boarding on p. 100
Oddly enough, you’ll find these in noise-cancelling headphones, which produce sound so that you hear less. Find out how p. 70
Have a question or comment? We want to hear from you. Give us a shout at letters@wearedesignbureau.com.
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DESIGN BUREAU
Design Bureau Recommends...
Santa didn’t get you anything you wanted, huh? Maybe, you need to pick out something yourself. Try these suggestions from the DB staff to get you started
Chris Force, Publisher/Editor-in-Chief
SONOS PLAY:3 "The short version: I love playing music from iTunes and online music services and hate wires. I can't wait to get the Play:3 back to my crib and hear it." $300, sonos.com, Target, Best Buy, Amazon
John Dugan, Associate Editor Krystle Blume, Account Manager
Jeffrey Campbell Shadow-ST spiked heel "These heels are quite comfortable despite how they look. I would wear these to a fashion show or out to a nice bar or club with the gals." $255, shopakira.com
a-jays one+ "My fancy headphones are always tangled up and useless. The One+ has a flat cable and a microphone—perfect for my iPhone-aided commute." $60, shopHEX.com, amazon.com
DESIGN BUREAU
Nothing deserves more design attention than a wedding, and that's what Weddings by Design is all about: modern design inspiration on your most important day.
We've hand-picked the best wedding and special event designers to showcase their work, whether it’s a modern museum fete or a chic outdoor garden affair. Weddings by Design will cover the best, brightest, and most beautiful wedding design in the country.
For more information, visit modernweddings.com
A DESIGN BUREAU
SPECIAL EDITION
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Architecture: The PeoPle, Places, aND IDeas DrIvINg coNTemPorary DesIgN A Special Edition from Design Bureau Get it in print at wearedesignbureau.com or for free on the iPad at itunes.com
FREE iPad edition
Pixels & Print
PIXELS & PRINT PHOTOGRAPHY
Altered Images Ritty Tacsum tweaks photos to capture the emotion behind the viewfinder Largely self-taught, Maltese experimental photographer Ritty Tacsum (born Ritianne Muscat) has an eye for the absurd and surreal. Her double image technique and image manipulation isn’t just about playing with the eye, it’s about capturing feelings and moments. Her tweaks are meant to flesh out the image to repreCONTINUED
DESIGN BUREAU
The best of the best in graphics and photos
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Pixels & Print
(CONTINUED)
sent more than what we’ve seen. “The image before you is clear, yet it’s not really depicting the whole gamut, there are pieces missing; your notion and your stance are absent.” Her altered scenes are autobiographical to an extent. “These images are an altered version of what I have experienced, of what I have seen. I wanted to recreate the dynamics I felt in specific places,” Tacsum tells us. “I didn’t want to merely represent the image as it was. I wanted to include my feelings and my state of mind. As a result, altering unambiguous landscapes, streets, and buildings by personalizing them according to my tastes.” That shouldn’t suggest she’s confined herself to her own dreams as subject matter—she’s recently applied the double-image to fashion with fantastic results. a All photos by and courtesy of Ritty Tacsum
Pixels & Print
DESIGN BUREAU
Type in 3-D Taking graphic design into the third dimension, this Barcelona studio may just change the way we think about lettering
Pinker Tones, Life in Stereo The commission was to tear the disc apart and layer the design in pieces to create a whole. Lo Siento used layers of color with a specific typeface illustrating the exploded view of the instruments used in the recording. “The final composition of the layers was really meticulous and sometimes frustrating too,” says Martínez.
Abitare Lo Siento built a full paper piece specifically for one of the issues of the magazine. It turned the A into an architectural volumetric object, basically a staircase using the capital A.
For designers, picking a font and throwing some type up on the computer is no longer cutting it, especially with the likes of Lo Siento in the game. The Barcelona-based design studio leads the charge of a new trend: three-dimensional graphic design. Creative director Borja Martínez tells us his education in industrial design always informs his graphic work. “I think that graphic design is a two-dimensional repre-
sentation of something that can be three-dimensional. Our ‘tactile vision’ is often more harmonious as a whole than pure digitization made by computers.” This means the team doesn’t go to the mouse, first. “We prefer to work in the workshop manually, and thus obtain something concrete,” says Martínez. His paper engineer Gerard Miró likes to note that the group can keep working even if the power goes out.
The group’s craftsmanship expresses itself as design untethered to current trends, but with a client-pleasing honesty. It’s instinctive for Lo Siento. “We need to feel, we need to touch, and speak with materials and textures,” says Martínez. Informed by architecture and industrial design, and executed with techniques from editorial photography and model building, the group has us looking at letters in a new way—even if, at the end of the day, they still end up on a computer screen. a Photos by Lo Siento, losiento.net
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Pixels & Print
De Socio’s portrait, shot by famed Penthouse photographer Tony Ward. “I had to decide which orifice I wanted to show, so I chose my belly button,” she says of the photo.
Covers and logos dominated Paper’s look, and de Socio created new designs for each issue. She hunted for inspiration in mundane places, like the grocery store, to recreate the mag’s masthead as a different thing for each issue.
Bridget de Socio Paper mag’s former creative director doesn’t like being consistent
In its earliest years, Paper magazine encouraged its staff to be out of control. “Paper was a trend vehicle, and change was consistent. I was designing around that,” says Bridget de Socio, the mag’s former creative director. De Socio, who runs her own firm called Socio X, came on to the Paper staff in 1988 and forged the magazine’s creative vision for the next 15 years, where change was always the name of the game. De Socio has since moved on to different projects. Her newest venture, Pooch Club, takes her design skills in a whole new direction. It’s a line that plays to her love for dogs, and offers everything from organic dogfood to needlepoint pillows embroidered with doggy portraits. But at the heart of the line is de Socio’s mantra. “To paraphrase Jasper Johns, I follow the idea, ‘Take something, do something to it, and then do something else.’ Stefan Sagmeister said about me, ‘Bridget designs the shit out of things.’ I like to keep people guessing.” a
All images courtesy of Bridget de Socio
Objects & Gear
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Pixels & Print
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Where to Buy: Vintage Travel Posters Looking to punch up the walls in your guest room? Get familiar with the designers of our favorite vintage travel posters. Best of all: in most cases, you can still buy the originals 2
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Designer: Dan Reisinger
Designer: Chermayeff & Geismar
Designer: Erik Bruun
Yugoslav-born Reisinger escaped the holocaust and settled in Israel, then trained in design in the UK and Israel. In the early ‘70s he not only designed the El Al logo and corporate identity, he won awards for the new design of the airline’s ground equipment.
Masters of brand identity and trademark logos (NBC, Mobile, Smithsonian), Chermayeff & Geismar not only designed the iconic Pan Am logo (its cool has long outlasted the airline) but put the “mod” in modern travel posters in the ‘70s. As to who actually designed these marvels—it was a group effort.
One of Finland’s best-known graphic designers, 86-year-old Bruun is well connected with the imagery Finns know and love, plus he still makes work.
EL AL Israel Airlines, early ‘70s
BUY: Original silk screen posters ($400) available through danreisinger.com and postersplease.com
The World of Pan Am, 1971-72
Finland print for Finnair, 1958
BUY: Original print of Destination North of Finland, 125€, bruundesign.com
BUY: Not available yet, but as with everything Pan Am, sure to be licensed soon
Pan Am images courtesy of Chermayeff & Geismar; El Al courtesy of Dan Reisinger; Finland courtesy of Bruun Design; Poland courtesy of The Art of Poster Gallery
Pixels & Print
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COLLECTING
Yesterday’s airlines Celebrate the golden age of air travel and defunct airlines with the luggage tag
Air travel was once celebrated and promoted in the eye-popping, exciting graphics of the luggage tag or sticker. Dealer Danny Frankel (who sells on eBay as Delifrank) tells us that paper shows, such as the annual Allentown Paper Show, are great places to find the collectible gems of design. “I like defunct, obscure, early, deco, and fabulous graphics. The earlier ones with good graphics are usually the ones that command higher prices.”
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Hunting in Poland and Fisherman’s Paradise c. 1961 Designer: Wiktor Gorka Best known for his movie posters—often for Western imports—Gorka’s travel posters for Poland are instantaneously funny even today BUY: Original print of Fisherman’s Paradise, $300, theartofposter.com.
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Pixels & Print
design jobs around the world
Global Census DESIGN CAN BE A LONELY TRADE. GET TO KNOW YOUR GLOBAL COMMUNITY—AND FIND OUT IF YOUR PAYCHECK MEASURES UP. This issue, it’s DIGITAL MOTION GRAPHICs ARTISTS
Antonio Braga Location: Lisbon, Portugal Website: codesignofficial.3owl.com Education/Background: Multimedia & Design level 4 Notable Projects: Evolution project, Illustrati magazine
cover Income Per Project: ”$40 an hour is quite the minimum”
Quote: ”Design and animation is my passion. Motion graphics for me is better than cherries on a cake. I breed with new experiences and projects that make me think totally outside of the box.”
Johnny Lyon Location: Auckland, New Zealand Website: johnnylyon.tv Education/Background: Bachelor of Arts and
Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Auckland. Diploma of Visual Effects & Motion Graphics from Media Design School of New Zealand. First motion graphics role was at MTV Auckland; currently works at Jet Black Cartel (jetblackcartel.com). Notable Projects: Music videos for Clap Clap
Riot, Luger Boa, fashion looks video for Maaike, and a title sequence and set design for Jono & Ben at 10 Income Per Project: “I work on a day rate of
$250 as a starting point. I only accept jobs I believe in. In pure black-and-white terms I make NZ$45-50,000.” Quote: “Stay up late, experiment and push
things too far. Strange things happen when you lock yourself away and the unique thing you're searching for usually presents itself.”
All images courtesy of the designers
Pixels & Print
Shane Griffin Location: Dublin/London Website: mogriph.com Education/Background: After secondary education, assisted
two graphics guys in a modest post-production house in Ireland, was leading the design on commercials for a large VFX house by age 20. Moved to London to head up the motion design team of a well-respected East London studio. Art Directors Club Young Gun in 2012. Notable Projects: Cadbury, ICAD, Disney, Nickelodeon, Toyota,
Renault, BT Vision, The New York Times, and Xbox Income Per Project: $400 per day. “I’ve worked on pro bono
projects with no budget, to million dollar campaigns, but usually my income stays as a static salary.” Quote: “I’m reloaded!”
James Nicky Location: Chicago, Illinois Website: cargocollective.com/nickystjames Education/Background: BFA in Time Arts from
Northern Illinois University Notable Projects: Title sequence for NBC’s
The Playboy Club Income Per Project: $450 per day, on average about $2,000 per project with an annual salary of roughly $65,000 Quote: “Real beauty is truly embarrassing.”
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Pixels & Print
PACKAGING DESIGN
Tea Time Now that the mercury’s dropped, we’re steeping and sipping these cleverly branded teas
Andrews and Dunham BASICS: Limited-edition loose teas that are picked and processed with
traditional methods DESIGNER: Aesthetic Apparatus, Minneapolis, Minnesota
(aestheticapparatus.com) DESIGN: Reminding us of indie rock silk screen work, A&D tins are worth
collecting. Erik Dunham tells us, “We believe the designs should be just as fantastic as the tea in the tin. Each new tea inspires an idea which we translate to the label design and online copy. Visual consistency across our product line is secondary to the importance of each tea's individual identity.” Sets range from $20 for 4.4oz tin to $25 for set of 3 2oz tins, damnfinetea.com
Ajiri Tea Company BASICS: Kenyan Black Tea grown
in the green, fertile Kisii Hills of western Kenya DESIGNER: Ajiri Tea Company (ajiritea.com) DESIGN: Dried banana leaf labels,
beads, and twine are handcrafted by women in the Kisii district of Kenya, giving its African look visual flavor. $9 tea bags, $10 for loose tea, ajiritea.com
Clipper Teas BASICS: Fair trade, natural, and organic teas sold in the UK DESIGNER: Big Fish, London (bigfish.co.uk) DESIGN: This redesign of a popular brand with a well-known generic-looking box needed to speak to loyal customers. The cut-out style kettle and cup-and-saucer shapes and typeface say homey, everyday, and comforting.
Gold Tea, £2.99 (80 bags), clipper-teas.com
Andrews and Dunham photos by Andrews and Dunham; Bea photo by 8 Bis; Clipper Teas photo courtesy of Clipper Teas; Coffee Bean tea photos courtesy of Beth Wood
Pixels & Print
DESIGN BUREAU
FILL IN THE BLANK
Christina lu The young illustrator/designer from NYC hasn’t finished her degree but turns heads with Hanna-Barbera-inspired work
Béa BASICS: A new tea collection from China DESIGNER: 8 Bis, Montréal/Paris (8bisbranding.com) DESIGN: The name Béa is short for the French word “beatitude.” The panda
illustrates this beatitude concept. Available in 2013.
Coffee Bean English Rose and French Lavender BASICS: These two teas were sold in the fall of 2011 at The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month with a portion of proceeds going to charity. DESIGNER: Beth Wood (bethwooddesign.tumblr.com) DESIGN:The tea crate background contrasts nicely with bright pastels
Limited-edition teas, $10 at coffeebean.com and at select cafés
I
started expressing my creative side when... I learned how to turn on
the TV. I doodled what I liked to watch. Then, in elementary school, I constantly drew the cartoons in my notebook. My classmates noticed and asked me to draw random things for them as well.
The greatest moment of my career has been... directing a spotlight video of a
student from one of my previous internships. He was on the verge of dropping out of high school, but he never gave up and graduated. I was touched by his story and I was honored to film it. My spirit animal is probably a... mouse,
it guides me—digitally.
If I could illustrate any celebrity, I’d choose... Derek Zoolander.
CONTINUED
Portrait by Santos Muñoz
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I would describe my aesthetic as... minimal,
colorful, and whimsical.
I get my inspiration from... my childhood, early
black-and-white cartoons, Ub Iwerks, Mary Blair, Charley Harper, my sister’s Delicious account, friends, and random searches on ffffound.com. The weirdest thing I have been asked to design is... a character and logo for an adult sex shop.
Maybe it’s not weird since every business needs a brand, right? My dream project is... producing an educational
series like Sesame Street or Blue’s Clues. In addition to something crazy-fun like Adventure Time or The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack. When I was chosen to work with Azealia Banks, I thought... it was sweet of her for remember-
ing me. She requested the same character ideas when we first collaborated in high school. She still has her charm. Interview by Justin Ray
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Pussykins Pizza, a fictitious character by Lu 2
Yu’s designs for musician Azealia Banks’ MP3s
Pixels & Print
24 Hours
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one photographer FIVE photos one day
Katrina d’Autremont On a trip from Philadelphia to her family ranch in Montana August 15, 2012
I am at my family’s ranch in Montana working on a personal project called “The Other Mountain.” My parents moved here in the ’70s as part of the backto-the-land movement. It started out as a project to photograph the myth of that time here, when I was just born. We lived in this small cabin with no running water 50 feet from a river. I spent 24 hours photographing anything that struck me during the daily ins and outs, such as the chores and house repairs. I never ventured far from the house because there was wildfire smoke so thick we could barely see the mountaintops. It turned the sky gray and made the sun look like it was burning red. a
8 am: Wake up. Coffee and chat with my father. Sit by the river to write General morning things. The making of beds, showers, etc. 11 am: Neighbor visit 12 pm: Grill lunch outside 1 – 5 pm: Various building projects: re-finishing outdoor shower, installing spice rack, cleaning workshop to set up my photo printer alongside the tools 6 – 7 pm: Swim with my mother 8 pm: Dinner with my parents 9 pm: Watching a movie 10:30 PM: Before bed, finished photographing the house from the outside at night. I never sleep this early at home— something about the mountain air I guess.
Portrait by Nils Ericson
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Objects & Gear
OBJECTS & GEAR
DESIGN BUREAU
Things that make us drool, covet, and go broke
FURNITURE DESIGN
All That Slovakian design ALLT Studio harnesses geometry for design objects that are all that and a little more ALLT (short for “all that”) is a fledgling Slovakian design studio focused on designing simple and functional objects. CONTINUED
Photo courtesy of ALLT
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Objects & Gear
CARRY
weekend bags Going on a little trip, keyword being little? We suggest packing one of these light getaway bags— guaranteed to not slow you down LONDON GARMENT BAG BY LEXDRAY Alex Drayer hates unpacking on short trips, hence this bag, which has its own shelves built-in—it needs no unpacking. $625, lexdray.com
UNIT 05 OVERNIGHT BAG BY UNIT PORTABLES This functional, handsome polyester bag weighs just 1.7 lbs and comes with a travel pouch, laptop sleeve, and cable bag—all can be attached inside or out. €99.00, unit portables.com
TRAVEL SATCHEL, DROR FOR TUMI (CONTINUED)
Started by Peter Simonik and Elena Bolcekova, ALLT’s designs—including furniture, accessories, and lighting—are simple and sleek, industrial and grounded in everyday life. “We like them purposeful and with a story behind it,” says Simonek of the duo’s designs. Among their notable creations are a funky handbag, sewn from four identical triangles, and a rug tiles installation that was inspired in part by urban street paving. These objects certainly sound like they’re all that (and a bag of chips?) to us. a Photos courtesy of ALLT studio, allt.sk
Superstar designer Dror Benshetrit designed this satchel for workouts or getaways. It expands to five inches in case you fill it with goods from your weekend shopping spree. $595, tumi.com
Objects & Gear
CARRY TOO
Cool Carriers
DESIGN BUREAU
FOUR MICRO BRANDS MAKING HEiRLOOM QUALITY BAGS, GUARANTEED TO OUTLAST THIS SEASON’S TRENDs BY ARYN BEITZ
Libero Ferrero
Made In: Los Angeles, CA DB Favorite: Oak & Eddon,
The Lafferty brothers (Matthew, Adam, $2,673, liberoferrero.com and Peter) dove into luxury menswear while living together in Chicago after Key design feature: college. Inspired by their grandfather Custom-developed and his siblings, grocers in Detroit, leather from Chicago’s Horween Tannery, one Michigan, they named their Oak & of the last standing Eddon Overnight bag, the first offering tanneries in the U.S., from Libero Ferrero, after the grocery’s makes for truly heirloomintersection. As the line grows, so do quality pieces the expectations of the NYC-based craftsmen. “The excitement around the brand is exciting but also very humbling,” says Pete Lafferty. “We want to make sure we continue to do things the right way first and trust that Ed Ruscha towel, $95, the rest will follow.” www.worksonwhatever.com
Libero Ferrero photos by Leif Huron; Ernest Alexander photos by Eric Ryan Anderson; Insubordinate Lads photos by Rinze van Brug; Winter Session photos courtesy of Winter Session
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Objects & Gear
BAGS BY HAND Made In: New York, NY DB Favorite: Banker's British Tan Wax Weekender, $525, ernestalexander.com Key design feature: Durable waxed canvas sourced from the only remaining mill in the U.S. that continues to wax its own rolls of canvas and solid brass hardware that will last a lifetime.
Ernest Alexander Established in 2009 by designer and creative director Ernest Sabine, Ernest Alexander was founded on the principles of thoughtful craftsmanship, detailing, and honest manufacturing. Inspired by his great-grandmother and grandmother who immigrated to America as seamstresses, Sabine remains committed to keeping manufacturing in the U.S. alive. He visits his NYC garment district facility daily. “This is probably one of our favorite parts of the process,” says Sabine, “seeing our designs put together in front of us and working with each other to consistently improve and make sure each product is the best it can be.”
Insubordinate Lads His great-grandfather began honing his craft at a leathercraft shop and tannery in Southeast London in 1897 at the age of 10. Designer Matthew Woods of Insubordinate Lads has leather in his blood. His brand brilliantly blends traditional fine tailoring and leatherwork with modern street style and utilitarian edge. “The bags are inspired by London, by nostalgia, and by a hope for peace,” says Woods. Each bag is handcrafted in NYC’s Chelsea nabe with the adaptable lad in mind—part gentleman and part hard-edge urbanite.
Made In: New York, NY DB Favorite: Spencer Original Brief, $358, insubordinatelads.com Key design feature: The inside of the bags resembles a professionally tailored suit jacket. Each bag comes with a set of metal collar stays and your very own gentlemanly mustache (in honor of Woods’ greatgrandfather) to boot.
Objects & Gear
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Before/After
Los Angeles Glam A CROSS-TOWN MOVE REQUIRES A BIT OF A STYLE UPDATE
The Silverlake home
Winter Session High school art class sweethearts Roy Katz and Tanya Fleisher are still connected to making things. Two years ago, the married couple made its first bag from an old tent. Today, they design and craft canvas and leather accessories in a Chicagobased workshop with an emphasis on responsible design. “We gravitate towards materials that will age gracefully and wear well, and we tend toward simplicity in our designs,” says Fleisher. “A thing has a better chance of achieving longevity if, even when it’s fresh and new, it somehow feels as if it’s always been around. A good bag is a trustworthy companion.” Made In: Chicago, IL DB Favorite: Garrison, $265, wintersession.com Key design feature: Hand-stitched
details on leather handles and wallets make each piece authentic and oneof-a-kind
W
ith the addition of two children, this family ’s home design style went from sexy sophistication to sophisticated family. “The interiors in my clients’ original Silverlake home were beautiful, chic, and sexy,” says Margaret Moore, the interior designer behind both homes. “We chose warm neutrals, added pops of color in the accessories, and left the walls white to accent their burgeoning art collection.” When the family moved to West Hollywood last year, they didn’t want to leave their Silverlake style behind, so Moore tweaked the look. “Their new home had to be kidfriendly. We chose very durable fabrics and furnishings that would be appropriate for children but that were complementary to their existing pieces,” she says. In the living room, Moore carried over the Christian Liaigre Monsieur coffee table and Chris Lehrecke Classic Club Chairs, but rearranged the pieces to fit the West Hollywood space. The resulting look is still sophisticated but is definitely family oriented, and works equally as well for sexy dinner parties as it does kid-driven birthday bashes. a
The West Hollywood home
Like the coffee table and club chairs in the West Hollywood home? Moore suggests the Book It coffee table by Horchow ($1,029) and the Landon Armchair by Pottery Barn ($9991,499) as pocketbookfriendly substitutes.
To see more of Moore’s work, visit mpmd.net
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Objects & Gear
5 DESIGNERS / 5 QUESTIONS /
Industrial Home Product Designers –––
Toasters, microwaves, blenders, and fans. These folks make the things we use every day look good By LAUREN SMITH
ALEX ESTEVEZ OF MERMELADAE STUDIO
SIDDHARTH VANCHINATHAN
LAWRENCE KWOK
sidv.co
FLAVORS.ME/LYFK
mermeladaestudio.es
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Your house is burning down. What object do you grab on the way out?
I would take with me the family photo album because of all the memories stored in there. And if possible I also would save my porcelain Ford Fiesta Lladró special edition from the ’70s.
iPad
My glasses
2
If you could go back in time and change a design, when would you go and what would you change?
The microwave because, even though this appliance comes in very handy at times, the food cooked in it tastes bland to me. Definitively chow tastes better when cooked on fire.
Thermostats from the ’70s
The DeLorean
3
What would you make first if you had an unlimited budget?
I would design and build my own house
Space-saving furniture, the kind that folds into itself to offer different functionalities
I would make a pair of jeans completely from scratch. From the buttons and rivets, to the indigo and denim itself, I would love to be intimately involved in every step of the process. What a treat that would be.
4
What appliance or gadget would you never redesign?
As industrial designers, we believe that objects can always be improved in both functionality and design.
Toasters
Anything worth screwing up once is worth screwing up twice
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What is the worst-designed thing you own?
I struggle to comprehend how my washing machine works, it has so many buttons and different functions! I have had it for four years now, and I am still in trouble every time I use it.
My work desk—it can never help but get messy
I'm pretty sure I own a USB coffee cup warmer. Talk about shame.
Left to right: Welcome Playhouse; Reboot Record Player; TEDxEdmonton stage; Reading Lamp; Figaro
Facing page: VW van photo courtesy of Firebox; Cowbell photo courtesy of Staples Promotional Products; Cooler photo courtesy of Driver's Selection; Maserati lamp photo courtesy of Maseratistore.com; Camaro photo courtesy of ChevyMall
Objects & Gear
DESIGN BUREAU
OBJECTS EXPLAINED
AUTO BRANDED GEAR
N Eyal carmi
Morten Grønning nielsen
coroflot.com/eyalcarmi
groenning.me
My old Remington Rand beautiful writing machine. It’s a bit heavy, but it’s worth it.
I would save my antique horn gramophone and my grandfather’s collection of old jazz records. It’s nostalgia at its best to turn that crank and release the crackling tunes of the ’30s! The machine is cool, beautiful, and irreplaceable.
I would go back to 2008 and design iPhone with buttons, I think that it is a big pleasure to feel and get some feedback while pressing or touching any object.
I think I would go to the 1950s and try to meet up with masters of iconic design such as Arne Jacobsen, the Eames couple, and Verner Panton. I wouldn’t change anything but I would love to study their design process.
I would build a huge bridge to connect all the continents
I think I would design a complete hi-fi system and take the aesthetics completely over the top. I really enjoy working in that product category and I believe there is a lot of room in the market for hi-fi equipment with sculpted looks and complex shapes.
The Benjamin Hubert Pod chair, I think it’s perfect.
A corkscrew. There are so many different designs already, and I don’t think I could contribute anything notable amongst all the others. Therefore my hypothetical corkscrew doesn’t deserve to exist.
Plastic SanDisk memory stick on a keychain. It always gets broken.
DVD remote control. I shouldn’t need 51 buttons to play a movie.
o room in the garage? Here are six (officially licensed) items that don’t come with a steering wheel, but will scratch that car-crazy itch —jenny wilson
VW CAMPER VAN TENT
Release your inner flower child and get back to nature. When your campground neighbors see that your weekend love-in is taking place in this full-sized replica of the iconic T1 Bus, they’ll never suspect that come Monday, you’ll go back to being “the man,” man. $470, firebox.com
SUBARU 3-INCH COWBELL
Sometimes life just doesn’t have enough cowbell, and Subaru wants to help fill the void. This surprisingly loud three-inch blue metal noisemaker is perfect for rallies, sports games, or just letting the rest of the neighborhood know that dinner is ready at your house. If cowbell is what you’re missing, subarugear.com can help you out for just $2.75.
porsche classic cooler
If your love for sports cars is matched only by your love for a good bottle of Champagne, Porsche Engineering marries your passions. Chill your Dom in this crested cooler made from an original cylinder from an early air-cooled 911. $680, porsche.com
camaro personal computer
Ever wish your computer was a roaring babe magnet—like your bitchin’ Camaro? This muscle computer comes in seven colors, has working headlights, a hood ornament power switch, and an Intel Atom D525 Dual Core processor. $509, chevymall.com
MASERATI TABLE LAMP
Who says a Maserati isn’t in the budget this year? Get a small taste of sleek, Italian luxury with the Maserati Table Lamp. The lasercut, hand-finished steel shade features the classic grill, including the traditional trident logo. $1,128, maseratistore.com
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Fashion & Beauty
Go to Sled Be the first on top (and the slickest at the bottom) of your local hill on one of these winter-weather-loving wonders Based in southern Germany’s Alpine foothills, Sirch employs about fifty at its state-of-the-art production site
Alpine Racing Sled This German design features shock absorption that ensures a smooth ride. $229, hammacher.com
Hammerhead Pro XLD An adult-sized speed machine made for the mountains with wide rear skis. $229, hammerheadsleds.com
Porsche Design Bobsleigh Porsche Design Studio created a buzz with a sleek aluminum sled, then followed it up with this composite kinder-sized luge. £215, shop3.porsche.com
SIRCH’s elegant modernist sledS The finest modernist sleds in the world come from a factory tucked away in the Alpine foothills of Germany. Over three decades, Sirch has brought wood craftsmanship inherited from the historic coachbuilding trade (the original Sirch family company made farming sleds in the 1800s) together with industrialsized manufacturing. Chief designers Wolfgang Sirch and Christoph Bitzer grew up together in southern Germany and have been designing modern wood products together since 1994. The Sirch aesthetic—simple, functional modernism realized in traditional materials of wood, steel, and woven fabric—is also expressed in its factory, an ultramodern facility designed in 1999 by Baumschlager & Eberle. While the group’s SIBI line of modern children’s ride-along toys has been an award-winning hit, we’re more enamored with the group’s adult-sized toboggans and sleds, which bridge the traditional and modern with elegance. The sleds get the smooth lines from the steam-bending of woods such as ash and acacia but feature solid wood and high-grade steel runners. We wouldn’t hesitate to hang one of these beauties on the wall, if only until the next snowfall.
Sirch photos courtesy of Sirch, sirch.de
VW “Crazy Bob” Schlitten GTI Crazy Bob, made to hype the latest GTI, features ergonomic footrests in cold-resistant material. ¤65, volkswagenzubehoer.de/shop
Fashion & Beauty
FASHION & BEAUTY
DESIGN BUREAU
Because style never goes out of... style
Fashion Forward
Three up-and-coming designers we’ll have our eye on as we head into the daze of New York’s Spring/Summer 2013 fashion week CONTINUED
Ace & Jig more on page 40
Ace & Jig photos by Roderick Angle; Model: Kel Markey
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Fashion & Beauty
(CONTINUED)
Study The designers: Eco-friendly designer Tara St. James believes in creating fashion—not waste. In fall 2009, the Brooklyn-based artist launched Study, a sustainable womenswear line that strives for transparency in its use of ethically sourced textiles, labor practices, and production methods. “I want to offer this information to consumers so they can make a choice on which aspects of sustainability are important to them,” St. James says.—Jen Hazen
THE COLLECTION: For her SS 2013 collection, the 2011 Ecco Domani fashion award winner will focus on transparency—literally and figuratively. “Many of the fabrics I’ve selected are transparent or have an element of translucency to them,” she says. “I’m also trying to be more transparent about my production methods. I have introduced many handwoven cotton fabrics to the collection. While some may not be made using organic cotton (others are), they are handwoven by co-op-based weavers in India with little to no electricity and minimal water usage.”
Haus Alkire photos courtesy of Haus Alkire; Study photos by Alexandra Roxo
Fashion & Beauty
DESIGN BUREAU
Haus Alkire The designers: New York-based Julie Haus and her artist/ photographer husband Jason Alkire fuse fashion and fine art in meticulously constructed womenswear that showcases intricate digital and hand-painted prints—Alkire’s own abstract photos. These winners of the 2012 Ecco Domani fashion award contrast luxe textiles like laser-cut leather and distressed silk organza to create edgy yet delicate frocks, tailored trousers and diaphanous tops.—Jen Hazen
THE COLLECTION: “The inspiration for SS13 began when we were mistakenly caught hiking in a bamboo forest after dark,” Haus says. “The shapes of trees, mysterious noises, and light beams shooting through the canopy had our imagination running wild—and we began to see little creatures all around us. It was sensory overload—and very primal.”
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Fashion & Beauty
Ace & Jig The designers: Best friend Brooklynites Cary Vaughan and Jenna Wilson met as interns at Language NYC and moved on to cultivate the creative direction of trendy multimillion-dollar fashion label, LaROK. The pair launched Ace & Jig (named after Vaughan’s daughter and Wilson’s son), a seasonless women’s collection created with custom yarndyed woven fabrics showcasing their signature motif—the stripe.—Jen Hazen
Ace & Jig photos by Roderick Angle; Model: Kel Markey
THE COLLECTION: “For our Spring 2013 collection, we have made the timeless and orderly stripe dance to a whimsical and unexpected rhythm by infusing light with metallics and jolts of lively hues,” Wilson says. “A range of illuminating colors sourced from land and sea saturate the fabric—mineral blues, fragments of quartz, bright sun shades, and white hot sands.”
Fashion & Beauty
DESIGN BUREAU
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FASHION
Wear that Works
When it comes to clothing that’s built to last, these workingman’s classics get the job done and then some by Max Wastler and John Dugan
Stormy Kromer
History: Designed by Stormy
(a baseball player/railroad engineer) to stay on the head of the engineer as he stuck his head out of the window of the locomotive, the innovative design of Stormy Kromer’s cap band also keeps ears warm on winter treks. Worn by: Railroad men Original Wool Cap, $40,stormykromer.com
Work Gloves
History: Gloves are as old as the Egyptians and Vikings, but American leather work gloves date back to the 19th century Worn by: Cowboys, outdoor workers Made by: Churchill Gloves, $43, jrcglove.com
Chore Coat
History: When doing the heavy hauling, blue collar workers have relied on chore coats for coverage. The classic version is made from heavy canvas duck cloth. Worn by: Firemen, longshoremen, New York Times photographer Bill Cunningham (French version of the chore coat), Cool Hand Luke Made by: Pointer Brand, Dickie's, Le Laboureur Denim Chore Coat, $64, pointerbrand.com
Coveralls/Overalls
History: Also known as the bib-and-brace, overalls have existed as an essential part of the workingman’s uniform since the late 18th century. Worn by: Working class heroes like Tom Joad, rebellious early-’90s rappers, and hippies embraced the overall. Miners still wear coveralls, often with reflective stripes. Made by: Round House Vintage Stripe Overalls, $34, denimexpress.com
Logging Boot
History: From 1900, boot makers such as Chippewa and Weinbrenner sprung up in Wisconsin to meet the demand of forestry workers in the Midwest and Canada. Danner started in Wisconsin, but relocated to Portland to make logger’s cork or caulk boots in the late ’30s. Worn by: Lumberman Made by: Danner, Weinbrenner, Chippewa Quarry Logger Distressed, $260, danner.com
Photo by Kaitlyn McQuaid
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Fashion & Beauty
DESIGN MINDS
Running Light For James Carnes, the VP of Design at adidas, form, function, and style are all essential to the next great athletic shoe design
The Adipure “A trainer we work with in Arizona believed you could increase your overall core strength by activating the muscles in your foot, creating a better balance and having that creep up through your entire lower body.”
The Adapt “That’s the purest form, there’s not even a need for lacing.”
Gazelle and the Motion “We’ve provided an additional minimalist feeling from the lacing system to give that feeling that people are used to.”
Adidas Crazylight “I have volumes of sketchbooks. It’s the language you speak as a designer.” TechFit upper “It’s a compression sock-like upper that stretches around your foot. A PU print on the actual stretch material is placed, based on research, in the areas where you need more compression and better fit, and has less of the material where you need to move more freely.”
H
e knows style and engineering go hand in hand. After all, his dad worked for Cadillac for 40 years, and James Carnes had a stint designing for GM before the former high school cross-country runner dove into the world of performance athletic gear. Now, as the VP for creative at Adidas performance, he’s engineered some of the biggest design innovations in athletic shoes in the past decade. Carnes presided over the reorientation of running shoe design. “In about 2004, what we heard from our athletes is that they were tired of the technological approach. It was creating product or shoes that were prohibiting movement.” The result was a training shoe, the adiPURE, that reduced a shoe to its basics. The niche philosophy swept into other sports. “This idea of ‘why do I have to wear shoes?’ became a silent whisper of top athletes. I think that the whole thing started with the pursuit of lightweight.”
lection taught him another— one about intuitive design. “There’s one more step you have to take to ensure that when you have reduced it down to the minimal and the form is an expression of what it does. You have to add an element of styling so that the consumer understands what you have done.”
Years later, Adidas has the Adapt, the Gazelle, and the Motion, and an Adizero line for each sport that optimizes performance through lightweight. “Every gram from a sprint spike or a soccer shoe guarantees that the same amount of energy put in will take them further over time. It’s physics,” says Carnes.
As for 2013, Carnes is giddy with excitement about a new CrazyLight (the basketball shoe made famous by Derrick Rose), an evolution of Primeknit technology, and a topsecret “holistic” system that delivers “a totally new running sensation” even for those who hate to run. He also promises each new product will be a simple expression of purpose that’s easy to get excited about.
While Carnes’ Bauhaus-style education at Michigan taught him form equals function, his experience heading up the adidas/Y-3 col-
“If you are invited to a seminar to explain what your shoe does,” he says, “it’s probably too confusing.” a
Photos courtesy of adidas; adidas.com
Fashion & Beauty
READY TO WEAR
W I S H
DESIGN BUREAU
L I S T
dream Collabs
Kuraishi Komfort The Japanese designer’s capsule collection for 84-lab and Adidas is all about cozy cool PHOTO BY ERIC LUC
never say never when it comes to designer/ retailer collaborations. here are four we’d love to see in 2013
Adidas 84-Lab ZX Riding Boots, $190
It’s nothing new at this point: Giant retailers tapping the world of high fashion or breakout design stars for affordable collections. Target, JC Penney, and H&M have blown our label-loving minds more than a few times. Many of the obvious teams have already formed—Thom Browne for Brooks Brothers, for example. Now, with the door wide open, there are still some collabs that we’d like to see in our major shopping district soon.
Adidas 84-Lab Tech Sweat, $190
—illustrations by Alli Berry
Christian Louboutin for Crocs
Adidas 84-Lab Coat 84-Lab, $360
Boots, brown leather Jacket, canvas Sweatshirt, fleece/nylon Sweatpants, fleece/nylon Collared shirt, flannel
Adidas 84-Lab Torsion Allegra, $180
Tory Burch for Hot Topic
Adidas 84-Lab Riding Pant, $220
Adidas 84-Lab ZXZ ADV, $130
PUCCI for Gymboree
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Fashion & Beauty
DESIGN BUREAU
Inside, boundless white wallspace doubles as canvas to let collections speak for themselves.
An open-plan office allows design teams, PR and e-commerce to work in close proximity.
Oversized windows and skylights make even the grayest London afternoon a well lit one.
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Fashion & Beauty
HIGH STYLE
URBAN COMBAT
Men, don’t let winter pin you down. Kick the cold, hit the streets, and look tough doing it with boots inspired by military and urban classics
Men’s Javon, Dr. Martens, $150, dmusastore.com
Pampa Thermal in Stone Cutter-Metal, Palladium, $180, palladiumboots.com
Baggy Leather Gusset in Charcoal-Black, Palladium, $140, palladiumboots.com
Richards Chelsea Boot,CLAE, $120, clae.com
Henry boots, Zuriick, $225, zuriick.com
Photo by Zack Burris
Travel & Culture
TRAVEL & CULTURE
DESIGN BUREAU
Eat, shop, explore, do what you do
Stay My Name Three hotels with architects’ names stamped on them by ann chou
CONTINUED
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Travel & Culture
GIN BARS AROUND THE WORLD
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NH Lingotto
Turin, Italy / Architect: Renzo Piano The Italian Pritzker Prize-winning architect completely redesigned this hotel space in what used to be a Fiat automobile factory, keeping its floor-to-ceiling windows and incredible views. The ground floor connects to a 500-meter-long shopping gallery and the top floor houses the Pinacoteca Giovanni e Marella Agnelli art gallery. Above that, on the rooftop, guests can run around a 1,030-meter running track that used to test Fiats and take in crazy views, obviously. Our take: It’s not the sexiest hotel, but it makes for a super luxe business trip. nh-hotels.com
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the hotel Lucerne, Switzerland architect: Jean Nouvel The simple name of this 30-room hotel designed by the French starchitect is deceiving. Nouvel has reconstructed a 1907 corner property—minutes away from the Culture and Convention Centre—into an astoundingly sensual sanctuary complete with steamy film stills from his favorite directors like Almodóvar and Greenaway projected onto the ceilings. Our take: The video on the hotel’s homepage could easily be a high school French class video. But we digress. The Hotel is The Hotel to stay in should you find yourself in Lucerne. the-hotel.ch
The Hotel photos by Philippe Ruault; Hotel Lautner photos by Dan Chavken; NH Lingotto photos courtesy of NH Hotels
Travel & Culture
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hotel lautner
Desert Hot Springs, Ca / Architect: John Lautner Lautner’s original four-unit prototype was built for a neverrealized planned desert community in 1947. Beautifully renovated by Tracy Beckmann and Ryan Trowbridge in 2011, it features 21st-century creature comforts in an otherworldly desert setting: an outdoor lounge with fire pit, saline spa and outdoor shower, and rare succulent gardens. It is one of the famed architect’s few, if only, designs open to the public. Our Take: The furnishings are an odd mix, and on the dark side, but why anyone would pass up staying in a private Lautner flat is beyond us. hotellautner.com
DESIGN BUREAU
SHOPPING SPECIAL
INSIDE JOBS If these cool in-hotel boutiques were any closer, they'd be room service
Paul Smith at Claridge’s London FEEL: Classy, colorful, English refinement GOODS: Smith’s clothes, shoes, and accessories for women and a few gift items for men
Maison Kitsuné Boutique at NoMad Hotel, New York FEEL: Elegantly aged Parisian apartment GOODS: WANT Les Essentiels de la Vie, Monocle, Kitsuné collections
AllSaints Spitalfields at the Cosmopolitan, Las Vegas FEEL: Vintage rustic meets modern and hundreds of sewing machines GOODS: Current looks from the British high-street trendsetter
Opening Ceremony at the Ace Hotel, New York FEEL: Refined ’80s exuberance GOODS: OC collaborations, Proenza Schouler, Band of Outsiders, and Alexander Wang offer their spin on travel essentials and souvenirs, McSweeney’s books, and Criterion DVDs AllSaints photo courtesy of Kirvin Doak; Maison Kitsuné photo courtesy of ZOÏ Agency; Paul Smith photo courtesy of MCC; Opening Ceremony photo courtesy of Black Frame
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Travel & Culture
Museums by Design Pencil these design lovers’ faves into your next itinerary, and you just might learn something by ann chou
Class Acts The sky’s the limit in designdriven airport lounges
DESIGN MUSEUM London, England The banana-warehouseturned-museum is relocating late next year, offering three times the contemporary furniture, fashion, graphics, architecture, and industrial design. On view through March 3 is Unexpected Pleasures: The Art and Design of Contemporary Jewellery, featuring more than 100 jewelers who are anything but traditional. £8, designmuseum.org
Qantas First Lounge Location: Sydney Airport Terminal 1 and Melbourne Airport
Terminal 2, Australia Designer: Marc Newson with Sebastien Segers and Woods
Bagot
VITRA DESIGN MUSEUM Weil am Rhein, Basel, Switzerland The design mecca (which maintains the estates of the Eames brothers) traces the dialogue between art and design in Pop Art Design, on view through February 3, and influential architecture in the retrospective Louis Kahn: The Power of Architecture, on view March 9 through August 25. € 8, design-museum.de
Velvet rope: International First Key perks: The Newson-designed leather lounge chairs,
recliners, and sofas made by world-renowned Italian leather manufacturer Poltrona Frau are unique, and the wellappointed library is a nice thought. But the vertical garden— with more than 8,000 plants—is the true showstopper.
Los Angeles County Museum of Art Los Angeles, California The LACMA boasts 100,000 objects, including Michael Heizer’s 340-ton boulder. In 2013, the largest art museum in the western U.S. presents a Stanley Kubrick retrospective sure to delight his fans. On view through June 30, it explores the filmmaker’s excruciating attention to detail and visual composition. $15, lacma.org Design Museum photo by Luke Hayes; Vitra Design Museum photo by Thomas Dix © Vitra, vitra.com
Etihad Abu Dhabi First Class Lounge Location: Terminal 3 at Abu Dhabi
International Airport Designer: Michelle Le Masurier and Above consultancy Velvet rope: Diamond First Class passengers Key perks: Parents will love the kids’ playroom with trained
nannies, but you’ll find us in the Champagne bar or glued to our personal Bang & Olufsen flat-screen
Travel & Culture
DESIGN BUREAU
Air France La PremiÈre Business Lounge Location: Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport Designer: Brandimage and Noé Duchaufour-
Lawrance Velvet rope: La Première passengers Vibe: Ultra-modern design that plays off a
park motif with sleek workstations, chaises, conference tables, and dining stools Key perks: 30-minute facials and massages from Biologique Recherche
Virgin Atlantic JFK Clubhouse Location: John F. Kennedy International Airport, A-Concourse Designer: Slade Architecture Velvet rope: Virgin Upper Class passengers Key perks: Either getting a complimentary trim from New York hairstylist Bumble & Bumble or hanging up the monkey suit for a comp Virgin Atlantic sleep suit
Air France photo by Luc Boegly/Brandimage; JFK Clubhouse photo courtesy of Virgin Atlantic; Qantas First Lounge photo courtesy of Qantas; Etihad Abu Dhabi photo courtesy of Etihad
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Travel & Culture
Guide to Saigon for our travel issue, we enlisted vietnamese locals to create a oneof-a-kind guide to ho chi minh city
The designers at Vietnam-based Rice Creative offered to show us their side of Saigon in a customdesigned “insider’s guide” to the city. Then, they took it one step further by having local sign painter Tran Khoi add the signature Saigon flair. Here’s a look at their favorite places to eat, drink, dine, and explore in Vietnam. a
Photography by Neil Massey, neilmassey.com Map by Rice Creative and TrAn Khôi
Diego Alejandro Design Interior DĂŠcor | DiseĂąo de Interiores
+ PROFILE
ARTFUL CONCEPTIONS
Trained as an architect, Diego now focuses on residential interiors. His style may be loosely defined as modern and urban, yet always fluid and not constrained by one aesthetic.
Interior design services include: space planning, kitchen & bath design, construction supervision, architectural review and analysis, furnishings, and window treatments Specializing in high-end residential design with a focus on busy executives who want a full-service, turn-key experience. 941.539.4322 twitter.com/acinteriors facebook.com/artfulconceptions artfulconceptions.net
Interior Designer Sara Chiarilli Photography by Elk Studios.
DiegoAlejandroDesign.com drincon@diegoalejandrodesign.com T 347.819.1919 | 22 W. 21st Street, 8th Floor | New York, NY 10010
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Travel & Culture
Photos courtesy of Colonel
Travel & Culture
DESIGN BUREAU
India’s Wild Rides Documenting India’s vibrant trucking culture It’s wilder than an episode of BJ and the Bear. But truck driving in the land of the Grand Trunk Road, where sideview mirrors are seldom used and lanes are a mere suggestion, is always an adventure. Documentary photographer Dan Eckstein became fascinated with the brightlydecorated commercial trucking vehicles that range from India’s new highways to one-lane mountain passes, and the daring men who drive them. DB caught up with Eckstein to find out more. Do the decorations have any meaning? The truck decoration tells a lot about the driver, his religion, his caste, the company that he is working for, and the region that he is from. For example, Sikh drivers will adorn their trucks with the Khanda and have pictures and shrines for famous gurus and warriors inside the truck compartment. Muslims will often have images of the Taj Mahal and Hindus images of various gods and painted scenes from Hindu mythology. Where did you travel to capture the trucks? The photos were taken along a 2,500-kilometer road trip throughout the northeast Indian states of Rajasthan, Punjab, Chandigarh, and Haryana. Did you have a favorite place along the journey? Rajasthan is particularly beautiful with its ruined forts and colorful dress. Can anyone rent a car and drive around India and see these trucks? Foreigners are free to rent vehicles and drive around India. The roads are a bit rough and the driving style takes some getting used to, so most people end up hiring a car and driver, which costs about the same as renting a car. a
Photos by Dan Eckstein, portfolio.daneckstein.com
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Travel & Culture
GETAWAYS
Summer Camp for Grown-Ups Missing your childhood summer days filled with bonfires and tents? These two camps for adults help you to recapture the nostalgia of sleepaway camp—the design way
CAMP WANDAWEGA Elkhorn, Wisconsin Once a bootlegger’s getaway that was transformed into a brothel, then a wholesome family holiday spot, and then a retirement home for priests, it’s clear that Camp Wandawega has had many lives. Now it’s been reborn again as a summer camp with grown-up appeal, and it’s proving popular with Chicago-area creative types needing fresh air and inspiration. Tereasa Surratt and David Hernandez— both creative directors at ad agency Ogilvy + Mather—took over the property in 2003. Surratt, author of Found, Free and Flea (Random House), and Hernandez, who attended a different version of Camp Wandawega as a kid, gave the camp and its furnishings an authentic but curated Americana update. “The aesthetic we are going for is a sort of American historic summer camp of the 1920s to the ’60s with a bit of Wisconsin lodge,” says Surratt. “It’s basic Americana. I try to stay away from anything crafty or kitschy. If you look at any American lakehouse that has been in one family for several generations, you get this layered effect from the decades they spend their time there.” Naturally, the camp has become a favorite for fashion editorial shoots, but Surratt says it’s meant to be enjoyed. “Everything is honest to the space, humble and modest, nothing decadent, nothing Victorian,” he says. “You’re not afraid to get it dirty. You can walk in with sandy feet.” Accommodations include a treehouse, a teepee, a log cabin, the lake cottage, and more—all bedecked in junkstore gems, 20th century artifacts discovered by Surratt. It’s far from fussy. a
Photos of treehouse by Jacob Hand; photos of tent, bed, and hallway by Bob Coscarelli; man with oars by David Robert Elliott, wandawegarentals.com
Travel & Culture
DESIGN BUREAU
CAMP DESIGN BUILD Adventure Marfa, Texas It’s a typical day at Camp Design Build Adventure at El Cosmico, an outpost of vacation teepees and refurbished trailers in the far West Texas town of Marfa. Jack Sanders—a tintype figure come to life in his signature short-brimmed hat, neckerchief, and scruffy beard—leads a group of 12 through a series of yoga-inspired stretches. It’s not the most conventional way to kick off a day of construction, but Sanders isn’t a conventional guy. The artist, who owns a design-build practice and lectures at the University of Texas at Austin, is the lead adventurer of a “camp” geared toward people interested in the design-build process. Over four days, Sanders delivers informal, hands-on lessons on site planning, model building, welding, and more. Participants apply their skills immediately in design-build projects, such as a new feature for a nearby community playground. The camp’s community slant is important to Sanders, who graduated from and taught at Auburn University’s famed Rural Studio. “This is not a school or a certification program; it’s a design-build adventure,” says Sanders. “For many, it’s a relief from whatever they do back home.” The workshop includes time for diversions outside of design. Camper-adventurers can explore Marfa’s world-class art (Donald Judd, Dan Flavin, Andy Warhol); dine al fresco at Cochineal (“retirement” project of New York restaurateurs Tom Rapp and Toshifumi Sakihara), and browse the shelves of Marfa Book Company. Even design-adventurers need some downtime, after all. —Katie Ford
Photos by Katie Ford. The next Camp Design Build is slated for June, 2013. Sign up at designbuildadventure.com
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Travel & Culture
restaurant spotlight
NELLCÔTE Restaurateur Chris Dexter talks about the Space’s homage to The Stones, his take on French haute cuisine, and a surprise in the basement
What: French Château style with a rock ’n’ roll sensibility Where: Chicago, IL Who: Restaurateur Chris Dexter, Bill Ewert of Esyn Design, and the Element Collective
Want to pop into Nellcôte, but aren’t all that hungry? Stop by the new RM Champagne Bar, where you can sip on some of France’s finest bubbly in style.
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f you’re a fan of the Rolling Stones, “Nellcôte” may ring a bell. The très chic name belongs to an elegant French Riviera chateau where the Stones recorded their smash hit album Exile on Main Street. Thirty years later and halfway around the world, the name has been repurposed, denoting one of Chicago’s coolest restaurants. DB: Where did you get the inspiration and concept for Nellcôte? Chris Dexter: We are huge music dorks, and we were conceptualizing right around the time of the rerelease of the Rolling Stone’s album Exile on Main St., which was recorded at Villa Nellcôte located on the French Riviera. We started to think about it— you have this amazing villa that reeks of oldworld luxury, and you have Keith Richards
taking over at this bohemian house party where people were creating things. It was a natural fit to what we were trying to say. DB: What challenges did you face while creating the space? CD: Conceptually, it was difficult to layout because it’s a massive space, and no matter what we did, it was going to feel that way. We decided to create multiple levels to break it up. On the back top layer, we put in a bar top, which faces out into the main dining area because we didn’t want to lose the social aspect of the space. We also created little pockets throughout the space to make it feel more intimate. DB: Nellcôte definitely has some surprises tucked into the space… like a flour mill in the basement?
Images courtesy of Element Collective and H2 Public Relations
CD: We are surrounded by some of the most amazing wheat fields in the country, and it made sense from a functional standpoint to mill our own wheat; we could control it while still supporting what we believe in. It was the only possible way to do what we were trying to do with the quality we wanted. You can’t get more local than having your own mill. —lesley stanley
Travel & Culture
structures & spaces
DESIGN BUREAU
Enviable interiors to shamelessly ogle
Glass House Brooklyn artist Tom Fruin makes repurposed materials in the rebuilt urban environment Tom Fruin believes people reveal themselves through their trash. “When I moved from Los Angeles to New York City’s East Village in 1996, I became fascinated by the city’s detritus, particularly in studying the everyday life of the city CONTINUED
Watertower photo by Robert Banat
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Structures & Spaces
UP-AND-COMERS
10 Small Design Practices to Watch in 2013 Ice cream trucks, masks, and tin cans? It must be the class of 2013 In design circles, it is the squares that stand out. Here, we’re taking the opportunity to look at small practices that are making waves in the design industry—the small, the clever, and the not so commercial who’ll define 2013. —GEM Barton
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that revealed itself through discarded objects that littered the city street,” he says. Today, the artist gathers similar urban leftovers and gives them new life. He’s earned accolades for Kolonihavehus in Copenhagen, an outdoor sculpture constructed from 1,000 pieces of found, multicolored plexiglass, as well as a project called “Watertower” in DUMBO, Brooklyn. But his latest creation is the 50-foot-tall vertical marquee for the recently opened Wythe Hotel in Brooklyn. The neon sign bearing the hotel’s name is mounted on letters that Fruin formed from old signs he discovered throughout New York. These signs featured various images, including hand-painted fruit and pizza, air conditioner repair advertisements, warnings, and phone numbers—even famous graffiti tags! Fruin says the eclectic images are all about the city expressing itself. “Studying the mundane aspects of my surroundings allows me to understand aspects of humanity, both universal and location specific.” —Justin Ray "L" Photo by Robert Banat; Kolonihavehus photo by Andreas Steen
WG3 WG3 is made up of four sturdy Austrian men with a reputation for quirky and independent mobile hotel room design. Capitalizing on the increased desire to escape the city, the Hypercubus ticks the ‘creative vacation’ box.
Structures & Spaces
DESIGN BUREAU
SNARKITECTURE
icecream architecture
FREAKS
Snarkitecture bridges the perilous gap between art and architecture, which appears to be a place of comfort for these two Brooklyn-based gents. Headed up by Alex Mustonen and Daniel Arsham, Snarkitecture push boundaries and thrive via creative collaboration with designers such as Richard Chai. Producing many public art installations in 2012, we predict their product designs such as ‘Break’—their unique storage system—will pick up momentum in 2013.
Icecream Architecture (Desmond Bernie and Sarah Frood) is a daring young pair from Glasgow, Scotland who travel in a renovated ’50s ice cream truck conducting public consultations and handing out advice on architecture from the back of the van.
Paris-based trio FREAKS freearchitects appear more like rock stars than design professionals. Calling themselves ‘FREAKS’ is not their only audacious act: They covered Oscar Niemeyer’s Communist Party HQ in giant stickers. This will be a big year for these brave boys—keep an eye out for their renovation of a classical apartment coined ‘Napoleon.’
RE-MAKE/RE-model
HAT PROJECTS
3NDY STUDIO
Re-Make/Re-Model from Berlin showed well in the interactive architecture program 72 Hour Urban Action ‘12 in Berlin—a sign of good things to come for this bright young collective.
2012 saw the opening of the popular Jerwood Gallery by HAT Projects. Clad in hand-glazed ceramic tiles, this gallery suitably responds to its seafront location in Hastings, England.
In 2002, Marco Mazzetto and Alessandro Lazzar founded Italian practice 3ndy Studio. It scored in 2012 with the delicate corten-steel renovation of a fire-damaged 17th century building.
KONISHI GAFFNEY
WORD OF MOUTH
OODA
The effortlessly understated Konishi Gaffney are a Scottish and Japanese architect and designer, husband and wife team based in Edinburgh. With well executed residential projects in both their home countries, they’re winning awards left, right, and center.
Multidisciplinary design practice Word of Mouth is based in Bali and spans design, fashion, and furniture. Six-foot-tall Indian Abhishake Kumbhat and Greek-Italian ball-breaker Valentina Audrito create honest, fresh, and original architecture. Their work for the DENIM DENIM store sees them hand-collect tin cans for a rustic screen with a surprisingly contemporary outcome.
Having worked for Zaha Hadid and Rem Koolhaas, the Porto-based OODA look like future stars. Throw conceptual drivers such as hammocks and chewing gum into the mix, and this young practice could stir things up. Look out for their DM2 apartment project in 2013.
Re-Make/Re-Model photo courtesy of Re-Make/Re-Model; WG3 Hypercubus photo by Karin Lernbeiß; FREAKS photo courtesy of Alliance Française de Chicago; HAT Projects Jerwood Gallery images by Ioana Marinescu; Icecream Architecture photo courtesy of Icecream Architecture; Konishi Gaffney photo by Alan Craigie; Snarkitecture A Memorial Bowing photo by Noah Kalina; Word of Mouth photo from wordofmouthbali.com; Ooda photo courtesy of Ooda;
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Structures & Spaces
GET THE LOOK
A Bold Bachelor Pad SLICK BLACK-AND-WHITE AND MIXED TEXTURES CREATE A SPACE APPEALING TO BOTH SEXES
Project: 116 John St. Home Location: New York, NY Designer: Jared Sherman Epps of Jared
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Sherman Epps Design Photos: Jack Berman
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1. “It’s amazing what you can do with paint when you have the time,” Epps says of the prominent chevron wall. 2. Epps kept the living room lighting to a minimum. The reflective nature of some choice pieces, such as the side table and accent chair, enabled enough light to fill the room. 3. Dishware by West Elm 4. Ghost Chair and Eiffel Wire Chair by Sit Down New York 5. Epps installed matte glass in the decorative bedroom mirror to diffuse the light coming in from the large bay window
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6. Neutral colors keep the bedroom crisp yet calming
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hen you think of a bachelor pad, you think of an overscale lounge sofa,” says Jared Epps. Not so in this graphic apartment. The design is still laid-back, but its sharp style definitely keeps the ladies in mind. “He wanted to come home to a modern, funky space, but also have that sophistication and glamour that women appreciate,” Jared Epps says of his client’s design desires. To better balance the different sexes’ tastes, the designer focused on mixing materials. “I kept the design masculine with industrial elements, and then added some sparkle with the bar cart, chandelier, and a soft area rug for her,” he says. Epps further played up the juxtaposition by placing organic and inorganic materials right next to each other. “You appreciate an element more when it is juxtaposed with an element of a different feel/ language,” he says. In other words, in design relationships, opposites also attract. —Sarah Cason
The most challenging part of any contractor/ designer relationship is sharing a vision. “Having a design background and working on the construction side helps me to mediate the process,” says Jessica J. Goudreau, owner and founder of design-build firm East Side Interiors. Goudreau and Epps work side by side, so they know each other extremely well. They especially like to collaborate on tricky lighting design. For Epps’ Long Branch home, Goudreau helped him get the design just right. “I am always drawn to interesting lighting elements,” Goudreau says. “And East Side Interiors is known for our innovative use of lighting to update a space.”
With over 10 years of experience, MPM Design specializes in creating modern residential interiors that are beautiful and sophisticated yet comfortable. We design and manufacture custom furniture and are committed to making the design process enjoyable and fun for our clients. Though based in California, MPM Design has clients nationwide. Margaret Moore MPM Design 418 N Mansfield Avenue | Los Angeles, CA 90036 p 917.647.8143 | e info@mpmd.net
www.mpmd.net
www.denconstruction.com 860-361-6249
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Structures & Spaces
Manipulating Metal
FRO-YO ON THE GO Using iconic El train design elements, Forever Yogurt has taken the fast track to Chicago’s heart
Palm Springs Welding bends steel into all shapes, sizes, and forms
Don’t let its ironclad reputation fool you: steel is a versatile material that can be melded into almost any complex design. Palm Springs Welding understands steel better than anyone. Originally founded in 1964, partner Marcel Latulippe bought out the assets of the company after it began to fall on hard times. In the 1990s, he refocused Palm Springs Welding to not only specialize in structural steel, but also fantastic ornamental ironwork. “Our job is to make design possible,” says Chantal Francisco, owner of the company. “We make their drawings and visions a reality.” The shop's metalwork skills have even reached a level of acclaim in Palm Springs. Drive down the city’s main drive and be sure to look up at the archway. It was forged in Palm Springs Welding’s shop. —lauren carroll ——
Window Dressing Window treatment designer Kristen Vince, owner of Custom Elegance, takes windows from blah to bam! in three easy steps
Forever Yogurt photo by Marcin Tomaszczyk
It’s true that Chicago’s El trains are loud, packed with people, and smell slightly rank. They’re also dependably consistent in their design. That’s why local startup Forever Yogurt looked to the Belmont El station across the street for inspiration when designing their Lakeview shop. “A lot of yogurt shops all have the same sterile look—they’re a little too minimal,” Forever Yogurt’s creative director Ahmad Yilmaz explains. “I wanted to create a brand that was a little warmer and inviting, and a CTA train station is something all Chicagoans are familiar and comfortable with.” With the help of Door 13 Architects, Yilmaz decked out the Belmont location with reupholstered hot pink El seats and train car poles, and wallpapered the space with El system maps. And the niftiest transit-themed detail of all? The shop’s real-time train tracker screens, which count down the minutes until the next arriving train in order to help solve Forever Yogurt lovers’ perpetual dilemma: to-go or not to-go? —DELIA CAI Mega Print produced the funky, pop-art wallpapers in Forever Yogurt’s shops. The playful prints include the chain’s signature pink and orange color scheme and custom graphics like a striking map of the Chicago Transit System. “Certainly a big part of their brand is the look of their shops, and that’s what we help them create,” says Jay Buckley, owner of Mega Print. Mega Print continues to refine the graphics for Forever Yogurt, creating promotional posters and product signage that promotes the brand’s tasty treats.
Step One: “Put up window treatments! A blind is functional, but not enough. A great window treatment can often be the focal point of the room. Even a minimalist look with side panels and a simple top cornice can have a big impact.” Step Two: “Proportion is important. Custom treatments are full and rich, and sometimes you need to go larger, especially if the room’s ceiling is higher or the treatment is very wide. To visualize a design’s scale, get up on a ladder and mark it out with painters tape.” Step Three: “Set your sights high, and always go up when placing a treatment. This is not going to affect the lighting in the room. What it will do is draw the eye up, making the room look larger. A window is an architectural feature—play it up!” a
CUSTOM WALLPAPER FROM A PHOTO OR DIGITAL ART Give a space the exact look and feeling you want RESIDENTIAL
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HISTORY Contractor Graham Cowie trained in London and brings over fifteen years of construction experience within the New York Metro area and around the nation to each project. A graduate of Pratt Institute & HGTV featured designer, Jessica J. Goudreau has helped a range of clients achieve their design needs. From residential projects to commercial spaces, her work can be seen throughout the United States and Europe. WIN D OW TR E ATM E N TS & U P H O LSTE RY
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Structures & Spaces
BEFORE & AFTER
A Library Revamp Long Overdue
a Fresh paint job and new reading spaces make this public library feel like new
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oncord, Massachusetts, has produced some of America’s most prolific authors; Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Louisa May Alcott all called the small town home. With so many writers, it’s no surprise that the Concord Free Public Library has always been a local gathering spot. Originally built in 1873 in the high Victorian style, the library has since experienced a series of additions and renovations that have discouraged visitors and left many structural and mechanical problems in their wake. In 2005, local architect Stewart Roberts and his team at Johnson Roberts Associates reworked the library to bring it closer to its original design, concentrating their energies on reviving the dingy central atrium. The architects reintroduced the original dark green and cream Victorian color scheme into the grand space and painted the rest of the building’s rooms to match. Back on the atrium’s main floor, they placed comfy armchairs around low tables and coffee table books. The groupings entice library visitors to settle in with a good book and enjoy the space. “We wanted to make it into the living room of the town,” Roberts says. And if the library’s recent visitor uptick is any indicator, the renovation has definitely succeeded. —matthew keeshin
Daniel Chester French, the sculptor behind Washington D.C.’s impressive Lincoln Memorial, chiseled the marble sculpture of fellow Concordian Ralph Waldo Emerson Photos courtesy of Johnson Roberts Associates
LET THEM EAT TRUFFLES.
833 W. RANDOLPH ST. 312.432.0500 CHICAGO, IL 60607 nellcoterestaurant.com
GOGUEN CONSTRUCTION
P.O. Box 263
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Br o o k l i n e, N H 0 3 0 3 3
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PH 603.673.8217
g o g u en c o n s t r u c t i o n @ g m ai l . c o m
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DESIGN BUREAU
Dialogue
architects & artisans
New Urbanism Meets the Environment North Carolina’s Bald Head Island Conservancy makes smart planning and development its top priority
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ou can have it all, if you’re smart about it.
That’s what Suzanne Dorsey, executive director of the Bald Head Island Conservancy, tells me. We were discussing how to live with nature in a planned environment, the crux of the work the conservancy conducts on Bald Head. Dorsey should know; she holds a PhD in coastal oceanography, and she’s headed the nonprofit group since 2004.
The Bald Head Island Conservancy leads a complex program of conservation, education, and preservation on the six-mile-long island. It was established in 1983 by a sophisticated bunch of island property owners who carefully articulated what Bald Head’s future might be and debated who might develop it. They settled on the Mitchell family from Texas, who had some sophisticated ideas of their own. Pooling their ideas about conserving the island’s natural beauty—and avoiding the
sprawl so common along the Outer Banks of North Carolina—the Mitchells and the conservancy initially brought in architect Andrés Duany. He’d already gained notoriety for his new urbanist oceanfront community at Seaside, Florida, and he introduced a similar concept to a row of cottages on one of Bald Head’s natural harbors. For reasons unstated, that’s the extent of Duany’s designs for the island. In 1990, the conservancy and the Mitchells brought in
J. Michael Welton writes about architecture, art, and design for national and international publications. He also publishes an online design magazine at architectsandartisans.com.
Dialogue
The Bald Head Island Conservancy leads a complex program of conservation, education, and preservation on the six-mile-long island.
DESIGN BUREAU
Image, Style, DesigN
Bringing the Hotel Home Are hotel room luxuries still as special when you buy them for your house?
Chuck Dietsche, a Cornell-trained architect, as planning director. All through the 1990s and into the new millennium, he and fellow architect Dan Costa designed homes for the island, clustering them together in villagelike settings along the coast and into the maritime forest, respecting the island’s topography and the environment as they built. “The conservancy was the watchdog and the figurehead for all that,” Dietsche says. Now, 1,200 island homes have been informed by the conservancy’s findings. Designers respect the trees and maritime forest, wrapping homes around them instead of chopping them down. Tree canopies offer shelter from the ocean’s salt spray, build up the island elevation from blown sand, and protect homes during high winds. “If you cut down the trees, you’d lose the roof,” Dorsey says. Equally important is protecting the island’s sand dunes during overwash in a hurricane. Ecologists preserved native plant systems, then created a natural lagoon system that helps guide overwash in and channels it back out to sea. Most impressive is the conservancy’s preservation of 10 percent of the landscape. Easements protect 200 acres of old-growth maritime forest, among other choice sites. “People buy a lot next door to their property and donate it to the conservancy,” she says. Some might see that as an enlightened gesture from a sympathetic owner—but it’s also a perfect means of preserving a vista. And a surefire way to have it all. —j. michael welton
For more on the Bald Head Island Conservancy, go to bhic.org
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hen my parents went away on a trip, it always meant one thing: They would bring back wonderfully wrapped bars of soap from the hotels where they had stayed. Far nicer than the old soap bar we stocked at home, these soaps were a mark of sophistication—a small piece of luxury they could take from their hotel and use back home, reminding them of their experience. Our family was certainly not the only one to bring back the soaps as mementos; many families during the ’50s
and ’60s kept stockpiles of hotel soaps under suburban sinks, a small yet very poignant look at mid-century travel dreams. But now we have moved far beyond taking home the tiny hotel soap with fancy wrapping as a new generation of hotel product mash-ups has cropped up in nearly every high-end hotel chain. Ferragamo makes bath goods for The Waldorf, Red Flower Organics produces soaps and shampoos for Mandarin Hotels, and Bulgari manufactures signature-scented body products for The Ritz. These hotels, along with many others, provide and CONTINUED
Illustration by Alli Berry
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Dialogue
(CONTINUED)
Is this crosspromotion just peddling products for more monetary gain? Yes, but it’s beneficial for everyone. sell toiletries exclusively available in their hotel rooms. It’s a product power play that builds off of the nostalgic travel pastime. Not only can hotel guests try the luxury toiletries during their stays, but they can continue the “exclusive” experience by purchasing them to use at home. Westin hotels takes this “try and buy” concept one step further with the Heavenly Bed. The hotel had received so many compliments on its signature bed that it’s now available for sale to any hotel guests who want to experience it night after night in their own home. The company recognized the value of selling the premium goods featured in their hotel rooms to guests, which led them to partner with Simmons, the company that produce the beds, more than 14 years ago (guests can purchase the sheets and pillows Westin uses on the Heavenly Bed, too). Is this cross-promotional platform just another way to peddle products for more monetary gain? Yes, but it’s beneficial for everyone. Westin benefits because of the luxury experience they have created for the guest, and Simmons gets a reputation boost by being associated with a high-end brand like Westin. And guests win because they can recreate this experience for themselves in the comfort of their own home. But by allowing the guest to replicate the hotel at home, does it take away part of the joy of travel and the new experiences it affords? Sure, the “staycation” has been the hallmark of the Great Recession, but perhaps making your own hotel at home via licensed products is taking it too far. I will just stick to pilfering free hotel hand soaps. They’re easier to carry home, anyway. —STEVEN FISCHER
bureau of ergonomics
NOISE-CANCELLING HEADPHONES and SHRINKING AIRLINE SEATS Certified Ergonomist Dr. Rob Tannen has the answers to your travel quandaries
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What’s the deal with noisecancelling headphones? How do they work?
A: Bulky noise-cancelling headphones aren’t setting any fashion trends, but they sure do help to make noisy flights more relaxing. All headphones block outside noise by obstructing sound waves from getting to your eardrum, but this varies greatly based on their design and fit. Surprisingly, though, active noise-cancelling headphones work by actually producing more sound via built-in microphones and speakers. The trick is to capture and play back an inverted version of the offending noise in real time, resulting in opposing sound waves that cancel out both the outside noise and the inverted copy. This is like the auditory equivalent of an equally matched NFL linebacker and running back colliding. Alone, each is travelling forcefully in opposite directions, but when they crash together, their combined motion is reduced to zero. But back to the question: any type of headphone will help mask the irksome noises of your fellow flight companions, but with noise cancellation, you can listen to your tunes at a more comfortable and safe level.
Q: Is it me, or do airline seats keep getting smaller? A: Ahh, the shrinking seat space conundrum. Seats are not necessarily getting smaller, but airlines are spacing rows closer together, which is arguably worse. I’m 6’4” and fly a lot, so this issue is near and dear to me. Two airlines who will remain nameless (hint: they both have Jet in their name) are reducing seat spacing to make room for additional rows in coach. Combine this with added baggage fees, which result in more carry-on luggage, and it’s not surprising that you are feeling more cramped. Are there solutions? Well, sort of… but not really. Last year, Southwest allegedly netted more leg room by reducing reclining space and seat padding, but I don’t get it. Exit row seats are great, but then you are trading true seat width for the extra length. Of course, there’s always first class—but by my calculations you’ll pay at least $100 per inch for the extra room, which makes for some really expensive room to stretch. a
Steven Fischer is lecturer of Image, Style, and Design at Northwestern University, and president of the Valspar Color Institute. For more details, go to imagestyledesign.com
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Notes from the Bureau
Notes From the Bureau News and Musings from the world of architecture and design
Neubert worked with Mike Jacobs of Mike Jacobs Architecture to build out the Sycamore House’s first addition.
A Tree for Two A giant sycamore tree runs right through the master suite of this L.A. home
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o architect Aaron Neubert, designing the master suite for one Los Angeles home put a new spin on the old phrase “growing pains.” “The ideal location was an area located between the existing residence and the street, but a California sycamore had already claimed that spot,” Neubert says of the addition’s location. While most homeowners would have chopped the tree down, Neubert’s clients challenged him to build their bedroom around its thick trunk. “The husband wanted the addition located in this area and the tree cut down. The wife agreed on the location, but said the tree had to stay. That meant we had to build around the tree,” he says.
In addition to its location, the tree had grown at a 45-degree angle, making it virtually impossible to work around. Neubert’s solution was to encase the tree in a structure that allows it to move freely and continue to grow. “My design collaborator, Mike Jacobs, referred to it as the ‘dog house,’ as that’s what it resembles,” he says of the supporting structure’s form. With the tree’s safety secured, Neubert moved on to the aesthetic challenges. He didn’t want to strictly separate the tree from either the site’s natural landscape or the home’s beautiful interior, so he decided to make it part of The Sycamore Saga Continues The Sycamore House has changed hands since Neubert completed the master suite, and the new owners are adding on again—this time building up. “We’re moving the master suite to the new second floor. The tree now enters the master suite through the second floor, then takes a turn and exits through the window system,” Neubert says of the second addition. “I’ve lost a little sleep figuring out the details on this one, but I really like the direction it’s taking.”
both settings. “We realized that even though the tree occupied the bedroom, it was still a part of the garden and needed to maintain its relationship,” he says. “We glazed the entire wall adjacent to the tree so that while in the garden you were still able to view the tree, and while in the bedroom, you had a connection to the garden. The effect dissolves the division between the interior and exterior.” The tree, of course, has become the totem for the home. “It has been a real draw with many guests looking to have their picture taken with the tree. It’s reached celebrity status to a certain degree,” Neubert says. And thanks to his considerate structural treatment and graceful architectural detailing, the sycamore won’t give up its central position in the home’s design anytime soon. a By HEIDI KULICKE PHOTOS BY brian thomas jones
Notes from the Bureau
The Party Place A Michigan retreat offers the perfect background for celebrations
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iving out in the Michigan woods has its advantages. The pristine landscape provides bountiful privacy, and since there are no neighbors for miles, nobody’s going to mind if the peace and quiet is occasionally disturbed by rabid, screaming football fans. This is exactly what happens at one house located right on the St. Joseph River, just outside of the sleepy town of Niles, MI. Architect Jesse Hibler designed the impressive 5,700-square-foot home as a retreat for a corporate executive who also happens to be a Notre Dame alum and superfan. He wanted a place where he could host all his friends
for picnics, long weekends, and the all-important Fighting Irish games, and Hibler’s design more than delivers. The home boasts an acoustically sound theater, a wet bar, an outdoor hot tub, and a boathouse. There’s even a picnic tower that offers up amazing views of the river and the house’s 200-acre site. “This home was built like a jewel box,” Hibler says of its impressive features and entertaining spots. To ensure that the house always feels buzzing during parties, the architect worked a great deal on its layout. “The house was really designed so there’s a flow from the main floor to the lower level to the backyard out to the water,” he says. Luxe materials, including copper, stone, and shake shingles, build out the home’s rustic style while still making it feel like an inviting space. Although the house started off as a bachelor hideaway, it has since become a permanent residence to Hibler’s recently-married client.
DESIGN BUREAU
Its warm materials, great flow, and special entertaining spots make it the ideal place for the newlywed couple: “My client was very adamant about what he wanted, and he wanted something unique.” And since they now call the house their home, the couple enjoys hosting all kinds of parties there throughout the year, including game days. Don’t be dismayed if you drive nearby in the fall and hear occasional screaming. a By MEG MATHIS Photos courtesy of hibler design
The Navy Goes Green In the Navy, eco-friendly building isn’t confined to the seven seas
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n the Navy—that’s where architect Rob Quisenberry found himself after a decade of civilian architecture practice. “I spent 10 years in the trade show and museum exhibit design world,” Quisenberry says. “About seven years ago, I decided to focus on sustainable architecture and landed this position as base architect for Naval Base Point Loma in San Diego.”
When Quisenberry took the position, the Navy already had an impressive sustainability plan in place. “The mandated goal is to reduce our energy consumption by 50 percent by 2020, and to have half of that energy derived from renewable clean energy,” he says. “We are operating geothermal power plants in the desert and ocean power systems on the coasts. We are successfully flying jets and running ships on biofuels derived from algae.” While the Navy seems ahead of the curve in greening up its defense technologies, its on-ground buildings lack eco-friendly
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Notes from the Bureau
With Rob Quisenberry as their go-to architect, builder Cyber Professional Solutions is bringing the military’s training structures into the modern age. “We are like psychologists,” says Cyber Solutions president Gregory Cabello. “We are looking into the people and how they use the space.” For the Afghanistan CD Training Facility, Cabello really explored the Afghan culture to inform the building’s plan. Because if the structure isn’t built to successfully function in its setting, it could mean a life and death in the field for military members.
design. This is Quisenberry’s primary goal: to bring the everyday facilities at Base Point Loma up to speed with the strict LEED code. Most of the architectural improvements come through additions, remodels, and conversions of existing base structures. Quisenberry has focused his energies on retrofitting buildings with active and passive solar features, and has designed new parks, plazas, and outdoor spots where Navy personnel can enjoy Southern California’s sunny outdoors. This work has proved no easy task, as some of the site’s buildings date back to the 1800s. “I’ve even remodeled a horse stable that was built for the cavalry when this was the Fort Rosecrans Army base,” he says. Now, instead of housing horses, the space serves as electronic equipment repair labs. With the Navy’s ambitious energy use reduction plan, Quisenberry is never wanting for work. “Small projects get assigned all the time, I never know what I’ll be doing next,” he says. “That’s one of the things that make this job fun. You can experience things here that you would never encounter working for a conventional private firm. It’s an exciting place to work.” a By HEIDI KULICKE photos by Robert Quisenberry
European Style in the American Burbs Architect Brian Fergon tweaks traditional European styles to fit contemporary tastes
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urope has always been known for its architectural diversity, but the American suburbs—let’s just say they’re blandly consistent. Architect Brian Fergon is out to change the suburban blahs, and he’s doing it by taking a cue from classic European styles. “European architecture contains such a variety of different styles and aesthetics,” he says. “It can represent grand scale and elegance or the informal aspects of a simple country residence.
It allows a freedom in design that other styles don’t allow.” Fergon harnesses European architecture’s diversity by honing in on one key characteristic: its materials. He likes to work with wood, stuccos, and stones, and creates new styles through simple proportion and application changes. “Just by changing massings and materials, you can create formal aspects, like the cut stone detailing of a manor home, or the playfulness and spontaneity of a country home,” he says. Using the same materials both inside and out also really drives home the European details. “We tie the interior to the exterior by using the same materials,”
“European architecture contains such a variety of different styles and aesthetics. It can represent grand scale and elegance or the informal aspects of a simple country residence. It allows a freedom in design that other styles don't allow.” —brian fergon
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Fergon says. “Inside, we’ll use the same [exterior] stone for interior walls, rustic beams, and distressed flooring.” This consistency not only makes his houses feel cohesive, but also makes their European styling look not so jarring within their American suburban surroundings. And, if anything, the classic materials keep the homes from looking dated because, as Fergon points out, “Europeanstyled architecture has a timeless feel. It embraces the past.” a By heidi kulicke PHOTOS BY John Shipka
The Long and Short of It Alan Barley and Peter Pfeiffer stretch the imagination with this site-specific layout
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veryone’s heard the saying: it’s always bigger in Texas. But that doesn’t ring true for everything in the Lone Star state, especially the lot sizes in downtown Austin. In the cultural capital of the state, it’s not unusual for
home plots to clock in at less than half an acre, and they’re usually oddly shaped, too. Because of this, “it’s important to listen to the land and listen to the client for a cohesive [project] wholeness,” says Austin architect Alan Barley. With the help of his partner, architect Peter Pfeiffer, Barley has become an expert in optimizing every square inch of downtown Austin lot space. He recently designed one 3,200-square-foot home, complete with a pool, on a very narrow lot that weighs in at less than a third of an acre. The duo opted for an efficient two-story design that’s not typical of Texas residential construction. “Think about it: You use half the roof,” Barley says of the decision to build up instead of out.
A calming oasis, the pool at the Heights Retreat is also eco-friendly and high-tech. Sun Springs Pools installed an automatic pool cover that does not obstruct the view, an energy efficient variable speed pump, and, best of all, a robotic pool cleaner, because, let’s face it, who wants to clean a pool? “Our green concept pools focus on educating the consumer about safety, low energy use, and environmental concerns, including water conservation,” says Ramon Garza, owner of Sun Springs Pools. They also blend perfectly into Austin’s hip neighborhood homes.
down on the need to run the air conditioning 24/7. Below the porch, the lower level features more public areas like a living room and gourmet kitchen. These spaces open out onto the backyard pool, which Barley and Pfeiffer strategically tucked into the lot’s back corner. It’s an ideal layout for the owners, a growing family that loves to entertain.
Inside, the house takes full advantage of its double height. While Barley maintains that “We want to help folks realize their dreams,” he and Pfeiffer simply stretched the layout says Barley, “even if it means working in exof an otherwise typical residence, few people tremely tight quarters.” a are lucky enough to have a two-story porch in the center of their home. “The screened- By MEG MATHIS in porch makes all the difference,” Pfeiffer photos courtesy of barley pfeiffer says. “It’s a two-story space with the master bedroom and sleeping loft on the second level, and it’s built where all the prevailing breezes come from.” This, of course, cuts
Above left: A view down from the lofted second story in the Austin home Above right: The pool is conveniently tucked into the home's back corner
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Off the Deep End When it comes to luxury pool design, there’s a lot to dive into
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ools abound in Floridian backyards, and many look more like tropical escapes than simple swimming holes. These pools are beautiful but tricky because they demand seamlessly meshing natural landscape with hard concrete edges—not an easy feat in any designer’s book. Landscape architect Krent Wieland has carved out a niche for himself on these complicated sites up and down Florida’s Atlantic coast. He specializes in creating backyard oases, and he doesn’t mind sharing his insights. Design Bureau: It’s now possible to build a pool worthy of a resort in your own backyard. Where do you begin when working on this type of project? Krent Wieland: Initially, we look at the geography of the site, but my first question I ask
clients is, “Do you swim?” From there, we determine the essential qualities for that design. Landscaping should take cues from either the home’s architecture, the site itself, or both, when appropriate. DB: Part of what makes resort pools stand out is their incredible use of water. It always seems to be doing something— flowing, bubbling, or somehow lying perfectly still. How do you recreate this ‘wow’ moment in private pools? KW: I always ask myself, ‘Why do people go to the edge of the water?’ We all have pools in our earliest childhood memories. They cause us to play, pause, and ponder. These are
For Wieland’s new project in North Palm Beach, Living Colour Landscapes tracked down many different types of full-grown trees from all across Florida. Some of them were so large that they had to be lifted by crane and put on a barge in order to get to the home’s site. “One of these trees was 48 feet tall and was loaded onto a barge in Cape Coral, Florida, barged through a series of canals, into the Gulf of Mexico, through the Florida Keys, and then north along the Intracoastal Waterway,” says Simon Glanville, president of Living Colour. The process certainly gives new credence to the term “waterlogged.”
the elements I focus on because it is in our basic nature to be attracted to these forces. In some cases, pools provide an exhilarating visual and audible experience, whether it’s spectacular movement or just the rushing sound of water. But sometimes it’s just the simple stillness of quiet reflection that makes ‘that moment.’ DB: How do you entice people to actually get in the pool? KW: In some pools we create ‘rooms’ with custom designed built-in furniture to accommodate lounging and social interaction in the pool, and sometimes to also interact with terraced spaces around it. With a long arching pool we did in St. Andrews, we explored the full spectrum of pool activity. It starts with a beach area for small children, morphs into an interactive fountain with jets and arcs of water, then transitions into a space for adults to lounge, chill, and basically just hang out. a By matthew keeshin PHOTOS courtesy of krent wieland
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hE KNOWS THE DRILL Sculptor Michael Enn Sirvet creates beautiful forms… and then he drills them full of holes
Drilling thousands of holes into a solid structure would give any self-respecting structural engineer a panic attack. Good thing Michael Enn Sirvet no longer practices structural engineering. Sirvet gave up his blossoming career in 2008, opting instead to become a full-time sculptor. He’s known for beautiful pieces done in metal, wood, and plastic that feature thousands of holes of various sizes. Here, he talks about his newfound love for circular voids. DB: You’ve described your work as ‘Restructuralist Sculpture.’ What does this mean, exactly? Tell us about your process. Michael Enn Sirvet: I have no sketchbooks—I like to cowboy it. A lot of my work deals with industrial themes and decay. I’m not a morbid guy and I try not to use the word ‘decay’ because it’s not a sexy word. But so many things are fragile, they eventually fade and crumble, and it all goes back to earth. I’ve created many works by hand that involve drilling thousands of holes, emulating the process of erosion. It’s a Zen thing, but it’s also maddening. DB: Your installation Farragut Spheres for the Farragut West Metro station in Washington, D.C., is one such piece. How did you land such an amazing commission so early in your career as an artist? Above left: Sirvet's 32,292 table, made specifically for Michael Jordan Above right: Two of the Farragut Spheres in the D.C. Metro
MES: I was contacted based on my Millennia sculpture, a hemispherical shell made of aluminum and punctured by hand-drilled holes. It won an Award for Excellence in Metal Craft from the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Renwick Gallery. Farragut Spheres was inspired by that piece and consists of 20 spherical, light-filled dishes mounted on the wall of the station’s ground level. DB: What was it like, working against all the D.C. bureaucracy to install the spheres? MES: I’ll be really honest—it was the most frustrating process I’ve ever gone through in my life, involving many preliminary approvals from local, state, and federal governments. If you can do a project in the D.C. Metro, you can probably do just about any other public art project. DB: Farragut Spheres is visible to thousands of commuters each day. Do you think it impacts people passing by? MES: When you’re coming out of an elevator or turning a corner on the street and are confronted by art, I think it soaks in in an entirely different way. I always hope that, because Farragut Spheres is located in the entrance closest to the White House, maybe it will subconsciously get into the minds of the people who make important decisions. That’s probably wishful thinking, though. a
By Murrye Bernard photos BY Anything Photographic A Table for His Airness Sirvet also designed a dining table for a fellow very famous Michael—as in Jordan. With the help of Jim Turner at Products Support, Sirvet drilled 32,292 holes into an aluminum sheet—one for each point Jordan scored throughout his career—carefully placing each hole so that none overlap. Jordan was so pleased with his new table that he bought three other pieces from Sirvet, including one that is on display in his downtown Chicago steakhouse. Alexander Cooper Lighting Design helped Sirvet illuminate his Farragut Spheres. “We began by talking about ways light can support the basic visual characteristics of the work, the spherical motif, the pattern of holes, and the basic sense of spherical depth,” says Alex Cooper of their design process. The two meticulously thought out each detail for each sphere, and it definitely shows. Installed, the soft halo of light coming from each sphere brings a little cosmic glow to the grungy D.C. Metro.
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THE ROCK HALL’S REBOOT An exhibition revamp invigorates The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s work hard, play hard spirit
Since 1995, hundreds of thousands of die-hard rock fans have flocked to The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland to pay homage to one of music’s greatest movements. It chronicles rock’s history through an impressive collection that includes Eric Clapton’s guitars, Beatles’ clothes, and rock artists’ own record collections. The 150,000-square-foot museum was even designed by I.M. Pei, a rock star within the architecture world, standing out as a steel-and-glass pyramid on Lake Erie’s Cleveland coast.
roll in better chronological order,” Henke says. Now, visitors won’t encounter a boy band’s exhibit next to a soul artist’s installation, which doesn’t make sense according to rock-and-roll history. The renovation completely updated the “Early Influences” exhibit, added key gospel, blues, country, and R&B artifacts into the “Roots of Rock and Roll” exhibit, and beefed up the Beatles’ space with suits worn by George Harrison in the band’s 1966 U.S. tour and the world premiere of Yellow Submarine. The museum even added a heavy metal exhibit, and gave Cleveland a shout-out for spawning artists such as Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson, and Macy Gray.
Pei’s unique design has drawn acclaim, but by 2009, it had become apparent that visitors were less thrilled with the museum’s layout. “There was no particular order to the exhibits,” says Jim Henke, vice president of exhibitions. Henke, however, notes that not everything has changed. The Rock Hall knew it needed a makeover, and Cleveland “We still have our big Elvis Presley exhibit,” he says. That’s architecture firm Westlake Reed Leskosky guided them where visitors can check out The King’s purple car and personal jukebox. “Everyone seems to really like the new through the update. look,” he adds, referring back to the updates. And with With WRL’s help, the Rock Hall staff decided that the ex- room to grow in the improved permanent galleries, the hibits would be reorganized “to tell the story of rock and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will continue to rock on. a
By andrew schroedter PhotoS courtesy of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and museum
Inside and out, the Rock Hall stands as an icon—and houses icons—of rock and roll
Across the country, WRL designed the Mob Museum, oh-so-appropriately located in Las Vegas, with an equal amount of playfulness. They collaborated with Pacific Studios to create thematic exhibit backgrounds that depict Tommy gun-slinging, sweet-talking Mobsters, creating a visitor experience that is both challenging and exciting.“In this industry, that is the best indicator of success,” says CEO of Pacific Studios, Al Salm. “We like a good challenge.” And the museum has certainly been successful, presenting America’s seedy underbelly in flashy Sin City style.
Watch out for those gyrating hips! A massive 28-foot by 12-foot hanging Elvis escorts visitors into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The King is one of hundreds of graphics created and produced by Vista Color Imaging for the Rock Hall’s recent renovation. “From the moment you walk into the museum, you are exposed to the creative design and use of graphics to educate, startle, and entertain you,” says Pete Gallo, CEO of Vista Color Imaging. “The transformation of the museum during this renovation was astounding!”
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design takes off To win the F-35 fighter jet contract, Lockheed Martin needed to tell the government a good story, and they turned to smart architecture to do it
Architect Michael Malone admittedly knows little about the armed forces. He specializes in designing upscale user experience retail structures, like the Discovery Channel store, that let consumers interact with the goods before they decide to buy. And yet in an unexpected twist, the Dallasbased designer literally experienced his career take off ten years ago when defense aircraft giant Lockheed Martin wanted to create a marketing center in their Fort Worth production plant, and they tapped Malone for the job. The product he had to sell? The F-35 Lightning II, one of the armed forces’ most prolific fighter jets. Lockheed and Boeing were both vying for the substantial government contract, and the Texas company knew it would have to create an innovative pitch if it wanted to win the business. This was no small task, especially for an architecture firm with no prior armed forces experience. “We didn’t know anything about defense,” Malone says. It didn’t matter—Lockheed liked what they saw and hired Malone to help close the F-35 deal. To convince the government that Lockheed was the best choice, Malone turned to storytelling. “Lockheed was willing to allow us tell the whole [aircraft building] story, as well as the story about the plane. By touching on those aspects, it added a
layer of richness to the story that selling the plane in a center by itself never could,” he says. The architect laid out the F-35’s 21,000 square-foot marketing center more like an exhibition space. “To access the center, you had to go through the plant, which at the time was still manufacturing F 16s, and see the vast complex and all those craftsmen actually building planes,” he says. “It’s a complex and sophisticated technological process that helps folks understand just what it takes to make a fighter jet.” Inside the center, government officials could view a film in a 3-D theater that showed how the fighter jet would be built. Other highlights included space for a full-size F-35 and mock-ups that showed models of missiles and other critical parts. “Everything in the center itself was really just reinforcing the story of Lockheed and the amazing capabilities of the company and why they were the only choice to build the aircraft,” Malone says of his impressive design. It worked: Lockheed went on to win the contract. Malone hasn’t worked with the aviation heavyweight since, but the F-35 center definitely has opened his firm to all types of retail projects. “I sold fighter aircrafts,” he says he now tells prospective clients. “I think I can sell your toothbrush.” a
By andrew schroedter photos courtesy of michael malone architects
Inside Lockheed’s marketing center for the F-35 Lightning II jet
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Suburban Snapshot: Good-looking homes from coast to coast
A Touch of Tuscany Italianite good looks define this home in the SoCal foothills The Pan Residence takes its direct style cues from Tuscany’s inviting mountain villas. “The home has classic Mediterranean style,” says architect Adele Chang. “Its classic L-shaped plan allows plentiful natural light and ventilation as well as varied orientations and views.” Along with its layout, the house looks Tuscan, too, with its asymmetrical stucco façade, stained wood trim and shutters, and clay roof. Even Tuscany’s prided tree—the Cypress—flanks the front door, bringing a little bit of Italy into the all-American neighborhood.
Project: The Pan Residence Location: Arcadia, California Architects: Adele Chang of Lim
Chang Rohling & Associates Photos: Courtesy of Lim Chang Rohling & Associates
It takes time to build a beautiful villa, but time wasn’t a luxury available to Lim Chang Rohling. To get the job done on time and on budget, LCR entrusted their detailed, 97-page plan to Racepoint Construction. “The directive was to get the project done without changing orders and on or ahead of budget,” says Keith Miller, president of Racepoint Construction. “That’s one of the great things about this project—they documented their vision precisely and we, as a general contractor, built their vision.”
Our thanks to Lim Chang Rohling and Associates
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IN THE DETAILS
Aurora Pendant Light by Niche Modern
Exploring the key elements of uncommon spaces
Blue-toned topographical maps of the Bahamas hang on the wall
The elegant Confluences sofa from Ligne Roset perfectly suits the apartment’s TVshunning clients
Chairs by Verner Panton Table by IKEA
Custom pivoting pocket doors from Hafele, which slide 90 degrees, easily convert a room into two, maximizing flexibility in the snug space
A WHITE SITE An aggressive application of the neutral shade transforms this dreary apartment into an open, inviting living nook
Project: UNIVERSITY PLACE APARTMENT Location: New York, NY designer: MATTHEW MILLER OF STUDIOLAB
Awash in clean lines and Benjamin Moore’s “Snowfall White,” this University Place apartment makes the blank look beautiful—and bigger. “It’s basically 400 square feet on top of 400 square feet,” StudioLab’s principal architect Matthew Miller explains. “When the floors are white, and the walls are white, and the ceilings are white, it seems as big as it can get.” In addition to the monochromatic color scheme, mod details like a glass stair enclosure, pivoting pocket doors, and uncanny furniture fill out the rest of the interior to achieve a look that’s enviably immaculate. —delia cai
Photos courtesy of Matthew Miller
Euda Construction played with perception in the tight space of the University Place apartment. “The contractor must have the sensibility and sophistication to instinctively understand the use of materials or palettes of the design, which leads to more refined solutions,” says Eugeni Li, Euda’s owner. Li played a key role in making sure the apartment’s open plan maximized flexibility, adding in the space’s smart track walls. “The open plan design was given even more flexibility by using sliding division walls, which dramatically change the rooms in seconds,” adds Li.
Design Thinking
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Crown Point Cabinetry built the simple cabinets in the University Place apartment. The company designs and builds beautiful cabinets that are clean and simple, using tried-and-true construction techniques, making it is easy to get a beautiful finish that is uniquely yours. “The combination of fully mortised and tenoned front frames, extremely strong plywood box construction, and the only six-way, fully adjustable, patented inset hinge on the market make our cabinets a favorite with builders and installers,” says Fred Puksta, a Crown Point designer. “They also provide homeowners worry-free performance and beauty,” he adds. Working closely with designers and clients alike, Crown Point often creates new styles of cabinets. They recently introduced their Prairie Line, which was installed in a stunning Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired home. Most exciting of all, Crown Point is opening a flagship showroom where cabinet buyers can go peruse the selection before they choose a style for their own home.
It all comes down to the finish: Miller opted for different paint finishes to make sure the home didn’t feel too institutional. He chose an an eggshell finish for the walls, a flat finish for the ceiling , high gloss for the millwork, and satin luster for the baseboards.
Lights by Artemide
Nightstand by Property Furniture
Bed by Blue Dot
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IN THE DETAILS
mountain magnificence Western style with a twist
Project: sun valley Residence Location: sun valley, id designerS: james dolenc and thomas riker of james thomas, llc
The 12,000-square-foot Sun Valley Residence pays homage to its snowy peak surroundings by not clashing slick contemporary style with Western design clichés. “We still wanted the project to reflect the location because of the incredible views and landscape, but we were afraid of going too contemporary because it wouldn’t feel appropriate for the setting,” says Thomas Riker, who designed the home’s interiors with his partner James Dolenc. The two designers struck the right balance with a modern-meets-earthy style that plays off the home’s architectural palette of steel, wood, and local stone. Texture-rich fabrics and neutral colors make the house feel warm and inviting without screaming “mountain home.” “This is an incredible, breathtaking house,” Riker says. “We are very thrilled with the result.” —lesley stanley
Photos by Tim Brown
Idaho-based architecture firm Michael Blash and Associates designed the home’s structure, setting the stage for Thomas and Riker’s interior design
Design Thinking
A neutral, mediumtone corduroy couch brings soft luxury and Western casualness into the living space
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IN THE DETAILS
A custom-built concrete sink complements the bathroom’s raw textures and materials
James Thomas often partners with general contractor Stecor Construction to take their projects from drawings to realities. “Every detail and project is a challenge and we are able to accomplish them,” says Steve Danciutiu, owner of Stecor Construction. Their attention to both the designer’s overall vision and the smallest details allows Stecor to build the projects precisely to plan, creating interiors that are truly personalized to each client’s tastes.
Only the finest materials like luxurious silks and rich wools dominate Hokanson’s rugs. “You get great colors and great detail,” says Larry Hokanson, principal of Hokanson. “These two fibers just improve with time.” The detail is evident in their reinterpreted historical pieces done for some of the country’s most well-regarded homes, including the White House and the Texas Governor’s Mansion. The key to choosing the perfect style for a room is dependent on the space’s mood, colors, and overall design. “It is a great pleasure working with James Thomas because they understand the product, what they need, and their budget,” Hokanson says. Together, the two design firms often create custom pieces that are beautiful and timeless, lending the perfect finishing touch to James Thomas’ designs.
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Design Thinking Guariglia’s box paneling pops up—well, technically down—on the living room ceiling
IN THE DETAILS
Custom pillows add some pep to Pottery Barn sofas
Rug by Dyfari Interiors
experimental elegance Interior designer Diane Guariglia uses her home on the Long Island Sound as a laboratory for chic design
PROJECT: BY THE BAY HOME Location: Long island, ny Interior designer: DIANE GUARIGLIA OF DYFARI INTERIORS
To hell with the old “don’t try this at home, kids” refrain of your childhood—just look at how well designer Diane Guariglia turned her home into a chic laboratory of ideas. “When it was time for us to redo the kitchen, I looked at my husband and said, ‘I know people are going got think we’re crazy because the fad right now is white kitchen cabinets. I’m going to take a chance here, I think we should go black,’” Guariglia says. Guariglia has taken a chance with other elements of her home’s design, too, with box paneling and ornate cement floors among them. “I use my home as the experiment before I will show or do it for someone else,” Guariglia says. “To me, it’s almost like the ultimate show house.” —delia cai
Photos by Ric Marder Imagery
Combining her love for poetry with her love of art, painter Megan Sirianni-Brand begins her pieces with either a physical or mental state. “It’s a process that has to come naturally or by mistake,” says Sirianni-Brand. Kind of like her introduction to Diane Guariglia, who naturally found Sirianni Brand’s Facebook page while searching for pieces for her interiors. Guariglia purchased two of her soothing, earthy pieces, and subsequently commissioned her for the By the Bay project, bringing Sirianni-Brand’s work into her own home.
MEGAN SIRIANNI-BRAND Megan Sirianni-Brand was born in New York but lived in France most of her life. Since her return, she has made a name for herself The bedroom ceiling as a minimal abstract artist, inspired bya metallic, is painted the elements of nature. Her work is exhibited midnight blue to create a calming in prestigious galleries and featured in oasis public and private collections worldwide.
Satin Impervo paint in Black by Benjamin Moore. “The black pops more and made the kitchen more of a focal point because it’s so different from other parts of the house,” Guariglia says.
Destination: Design
WORDS by Delia Cai, Jaime Calder, Joel Hoglund, and Laura Neilson Photos: billy rood models: katrina for factor women and mike z for chosen hair & makeup: fredy Anaya for factor artists stylist: jessica moazami for factor artists stylist assistant: scarlett trumpy Shot on location at Clow International Airport in Bolingbrook, IL. For more information, visit aandmaviation.com or bbclowairport.com All property photos courtesy of the hotels SPECIAL FEATURE
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W
ith backgrounds strongly rooted in design, Brian Chesky, Nathan Blecharczyk, and Joe Gebbia are proving that other people’s homes can be just as inviting—and tastefully styled—as the latest designer hotel. With everything from treehouses to starchitect-designed homes available for travelers to rent, Airbnb offers a well-curated selection of designer digs in more than 26,000 cities worldwide. Add in a gorgeous website design and its smart new travel-themed “Wish List” function, and you’ll see why Airbnb offers just as much of a design experience as any trendy hotel.
The Residences at w hollywood
Aryn Beitz: You all share an obvious passion for design and innovation. How has this passion contributed to your current success? Brian Chesky: Very few technology companies in Silicon Valley are run by leaders who have a background in design, or where there is any leadership in design at the top. What makes us special is the marrying of design and engineering at the founder level. Nathan Blecharczyk: You’ve got to create an end-to-end experience and to do that, you need to have different disciplines represented. AB: The role design plays in a hotel is pretty obvious, but how is it factored into Airbnb’s properties and how people select where they want to stay? BC: We came from a world of Craigslist, where every apartment was just a commodity. There were tiny photos and there wasn’t much of a story or appreciation of design or a history of that apartment. We embrace the subtleties of a home. Everything on our website has a story; it’s got character and personality and we want to bring it out. We are educating the consumer worldwide about what kind of experience they can expect.
It’s easy to get used to pampering spa services and having a concierge on speed dial while you’re away, but owners at The Residences at W Hollywood never have to surrender their luxury hotel amenities. The LEED Silver Certified condo building is attached to the W Hollywood, so residents get special access to the best the hotel has to offer—minus the celebrity-map-toting tourists. That means W’s trademark 24-hour “Whatever/ Whenever Services,” private car service and valet parking, and an exclusive residential concierge team. The design team of HKS Architects, Daly Genik, and Fatino Design merged the contempo-glitz look W is known for with the glamor of Old Hollywood: After all, the front door opens onto the Walk of Fame.
AB: Airbnb offers everything from a modest flat to a castle to a private island. What is the most unique property you’ve stayed at? BC: I stayed at a beautifully furnished flat owned by a famous fashion photographer in Paris recently. And I’ve stayed in the captain’s quarters of a 100-foot Icelandic ice-breaking boat in San Francisco. Joe Gebbia: I once stayed on a 100-year old tugboat docked in Sausalito, California, and that was pretty awesome. People open up their homes and they open up their tugboats. AB: What can Airbnb travelers look forward to in the future? JG: Keep a close eye on our mobile [platform] and all the things we can do to help our customers discover amazing places, book lastminute travel, manage their accounts, and be successful community members from a mobile device. a SPECIAL FEATURE
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Clockwise from top: Peter Glatzer and Adrian Grenier’s SHFT Studio headquarters at The Residences at W Hollywood; inside SHFT Studio; W Hollywood exterior; woodcuts wallpaper designed by SHFT Studio and manufactured by Astek Inc.
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High-End Hostels Forget those memories of the rowdy flophouses from your semester abroad: Not every hostel is a horror story. In fact, they can be some of the most creative spaces around.
Goli & Bosi Design Hostel
Jumbo Stay
SPLIT, Croatia
Spending the night on the tarmac may sound like a travel nightmare, but the vibe inside this converted 747 at Stockholm Arlanda Airport is way more cool than kitsch. The first hostel in a planned chain, the 85-bed Jumbo Stay provides the perfect WTF setting to get chummy with your adventurous fellow passengers. jumbostay.com
Stockholm, Sweden
Even after the sun sets on the steps-away Dalmatian coast you’ll still be seeing yellow inside this sulfur-hued space (in honor of the healing sulfur baths that made Split famous), located within the walls of a 4th-century Roman palace. The glossy, hyper-modern interior will shock you back into the 21st century after a day of exploring the antiquities in Split’s many excellent museums. gollybossy.com
TRAVEL LIKE A PRO
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Subscribe to Booking.com’s “Secret Deals” newsletter. Browsing hotels by country means you can hone in on steals in your desired destination without getting distracted by all the tantalizing packages that Groupon Getaways and LivingSocial Escapes dangle in your inbox.
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Finding friends in foreign lands can take time. Cut to the chase with Meetup, a website that connects like-minded people at planned social events. More than 100,000 Meetup groups in 45,000 cities means you can play Ping-Pong with graphic designers in New York or hang with Baroque architecture enthusiasts in London. meetup.com
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The Independente Lisbon, Portugal Set near the cafés of the Chiado, the spectacular São Pedro de Alcântara viewpoint, and the Museu do Design, The Independente stacks distinctive three-tier plywood bunks under the soaring ceilings of a 100-year-old Art Deco ambassador’s residence. Lots of lounge space and a seasonal-gourmet restaurant and bar means plenty of Lisboetas will be hanging out. theindependente.pt
Photo by Fredrik Broman
Czech Inn prague, czech republic Close enough to walk to the bustling city center but far enough to get a good night’s sleep—and, of course, in a prime spot to soak in Prague’s sumptuous Baroque architecture—Czech Inn works comfortable, modern style into a beautifully restored 19th-century building, and weekly international trivia nights and open mics in the friendly bar are good for mixing and mingling. czech-inn.com Photo by Cat Norman
Photos by Olga Tzimou
City Circus athens, greece The staff at City Circus will remind you why one of the world’s oldest cities is far more than a stopover on the way to Greece’s gorgeous islands. Heed their effusive advice to experience Athens beyond the obvious, then return to this remade turn-of-the-20th mansion in the hip Psirri district to lounge on quirky vintage furniture under stately frescoed ceilings. citycircus.gr
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JOIN HOSTELLING INTERNATIONAL Some 4,000 hostels in 90 countries bear the seal of approval from nonprofit group Hostelling International, the standard-bearer in hostel world. It’s cheap to join, and members enjoy discounts from HI’s trusted providers. hihostels.com
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You’ve got a dog-eared Lonely Planet book for your destination, but check out LP’s Thorn Tree Travel Forum for hyper-local advice on everything from finding the best curry in India to the most comfortable camel tours in Morocco. lonelyplanet.com/thorntree
Many major cities around the world have English-language weekly papers that will give you the lowdown on up-to-the-minute events that you just won’t find in your Frommer’s. Tuck that puppy under your arm when you hit the streets and you’ll fit right in.
If you want to feel like a local you need to travel like one. Study the mass transit maps for your destination while you’re on the plane and you’ll be a pro when you arrive. Use the fortune you’ll save on cabs to take your new friends from the bus out for a beer.
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EXPLORE
BAKERSFIELD, CALIFORNIA
The Padre Hotel THEPADREHOTEL.COM
Where the oil industry and agriculture reign supreme, you’ll find The Padre Hotel, an eight-story Spanish Colonial Revival originally built in 1928. The hotel balances its Central Valley history with cheeky surprises like dual showerheads and chromotherapy
Jacuzzis against a backdrop of antique leather furniture, marble staircases, and velvet walls. With suites named “The Oil Baron” and “The Farmer’s Daughter,” The Padre pays homage to the days of old with a totally hip, rural-vintage vibe. [DC]
DAVENPORT, IOWA
Hotel Blackhawk
Recently renovated and luxuriously outfitted, the “Grande Dame of Davenport” is just as delightfully unexpected as when it first opened its doors, 98 years ago. Connected by skywalk to the historic RKO Orpheum/Adler Theatre, the Hotel Blackhawk effortlessly couples its Art Deco origins with the rustic influence of Italian Renaissance design. Ornamentation is tucked throughout, engaging yet never overwhelming the building’s white terra-cotta pilasters. A large art glass ceiling provides the lobby with a light, breezy feel reminiscent of the sweeping plains just outside.
hotelblackhawk.com
HOTEL TIP:
CHOOSE YOUR OWN ROOM One of the best things about staying in a thoughtfully designed boutique hotel is that no two rooms are exactly alike. Check out the photos on the hotel’s website or call ahead and talk with the staff to find out which room will suit your style.
[JC]
SINGAPORE
Wanderlust wanderlusthotel.com
You’d have to stay at Wanderlust several times to really take in all of its off-the-wall ambience. Never one to repeat himself, Unlisted Collection hotelier Loh Lik Peng selected four different local design agencies to bring his 1920s building into the 21st century. Each
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with full creative freedom over a floor of the hotel, Asylum, Phunk Studio, fFurious, and DP Architects dreamed up explosions of color, undulating ceilings, and even an overgrown typewriter (see it to believe it) for the 29 distinct rooms. [JH]
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SOUTH AMERICA
NATURAL BEAUTY Photos by Pia Vergara
EXPLORE
BERLIN, GERMANY
Michelberger Hotel MICHELBERGERHOTEL.COM
For a good time in Berlin, bypass the typical tourist hotels for the Michelberger Hotel in Friedrichshain, formerly part of East Berlin. This lively epicenter for fun-loving young rebels and artists is more than just a place to rest your weary head—it’s a destination in and of itself. Berlin designer Werner Aisslinger converted the 119-room budget hotel from a century-old factory building, capitalizing on the high ceilings and tall windows with airy interiors, slender dangling light fixtures, and in many cases, lofted beds. Designers Anja Knauer and Sibylle Oellerich completed the décor of each room with retrofitted flea market finds, an eye-opening set of canary-yellow curtains, and custommade wallpaper created by the Michelberger’s very own design studio. Cozy and stylish as the rooms are, you’ll be missing out if you don’t make your way downstairs to one of the couches in the lobby, a perch in the whisky room, or a seat in the beer garden where revelers spill out at all hours of the day. [LN]
The Michelberger Design Studio Hotel-branded minibar snacks and shampoos are common enough sights these days, but a full-fledged design studio on the premises isn’t part of your usual travel package. After working with the Michelberger on its graphics and branding, as well as custom wallpaper, for the hotel’s 2009 launch, designer Azar Kazimir was so pleased with the result that he opted to move in. Occupying two former bedrooms with the wall removed, the hotel’s on-site studio is a five-person operation dealing mostly with in-house projects. “Brands are so multidisciplinary nowadays, so why shouldn’t a hotel be as creative as an agency?” says Kazimir. Though the studio does take on outside work on occasion, Kazimir and his team have their hands full with some of the hotel’s newest launches, including the Michelberger Booze Company, which currently offers two types of classic herbal schnapps: Michelberger 45% and Michelberger 35%, presented in bottles bearing cool, neo-folkloric illustrations. For guests who overindulge, the hotel has its own remedy, too: Fountain of Youth coconut water, complete with a packaging design and website concept revolving around a superhero monkey. [LN]
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TIERRA PATAGONIA
FASANO PUNTA DEL ESTE
Torres del Paine, Chile tierrapatagonia.com Views of unspoiled scenery take center stage in this organic, fossil-inspired hideaway.
Punta del Este, Uruguay fasano.com.br This Isay Weinfeld-designed wonder wows with panoramic views from its high cliff perch.
MARRAKECH, MOROCCO
Fellah Hotel FELLAH-HOTEL.COM
Tired of the Arabian Nights-fueled fantasies that govern the extravagant design of many Middle Eastern hotels, the team behind Fellah Hotel in Marrakech took inspiration from their rural heritage and created this calming, 69-room oasis—a perfect refuge after long days spent
shopping in the old city’s souks, and longer nights wandering the hyper-kinetic food stalls of the famous main square, Djemma el Fna. And with an artist residency center sponsored by Fellah onsite, guests don’t just experience contemporary Moroccan culture, they help support it. [JH]
TUDELO, SPAIN
Hotel Aire de Bardenas HOTELAIRE.COM
Modular and minimalistic, the 22-room Hotel Aire de Bardenas, designed by Barcelona architects Emiliano López and Mónica Rivera, has insides made to connect visitors with the rugged outside. Outdoor baths sit in front of giant square windows in the concrete façade, and clever barriers of wood crates around the property deflect the sometimes harsh winds coming off the surrounding Bárdenas Reales badlands. [JH]
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TOP PICKS
DESIGNER LUXURY
Ubud Hanging Gardens BALI, indonesia ubudhanginggardens.com
Photo by Kodiak Greenwood
Talk about a site-specific design. With multiple infinity-edge pools whose curves were made to follow the natural ebb and flow of the Ayung River gorge below, this jungle-set resort truly promotes the healing nature of the town Ubud (from the Balinese word for medicine). Traditional Indonesian interiors work with the cinematic views of lush rainforests and gently smoking volcanoes to create a serene sense of place. [JC]
1 » POST RANCH INN, BIG SUR This secluded, cliff-hugging hotel designed by “organic architecture” guru G.K. Muennig stretches out over one of the most beautiful coastlines in the world. Romance ensues.
2 » La Maison Champs Élysées, PARIS The first hotel decorated by Belgian fashion designer Martin Margiela combines classical and playfully theatrical styles in the glamorous 8th arrondissement.
3 » HOTEL MISSONI, KUWAIT CITY The second hotel bearing the bright, boldly patterned mark of Italian fashion house Missoni sits on the emerald Arabian Gulf.
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Backstage Hotel Zermatt, Switzerland backstagehotel.ch If ever there were a place to indulge your Messiah complex, Backstage Hotel is it. Designed by artist and architect Heinz Julen (whose on-site design shop lets you browse his handmade furniture creations), this unique hotel in the shadow of the Matterhorn invites guests to partake in a truly divine spa experience based on, yes, the Biblical story of creation. In seven different treatment rooms, you’ll journey from a dark steam room into the birth of light, recline upon heated glass pearls as the video-projected heavens divide, and travel into the cosmos in a sauna brightened by Hubble telescope images. [JC]
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Amangiri Resort canyon point, UTAH amanresorts.com Emulating the sloping canyons that surround it, the strong stone walls and natural colors of the Aman Spa at Amangiri Resort speak to the mystical, Mars-like environment of Southwest Utah and enhance an array of calming spa services that draw from the native Navajo tribe’s philosophy of balance among the elements of nature. But the standout here is the pool, whose canyon-hugging shape was made to exhibit “hozho,” a Navajo term referring to order between “beauty, harmony, balance, and health.” [JC]
SPA TIP:
TAKE IT OUTSIDE Sometimes the best way to design a spa is to let the natural surroundings speak for themselves. Always spring for a massage on the beach or, at Amangiri, relax in the sleek timber-lined spa pavilion, open on two sides to the expansive canyons.
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Mykonos Grand MYKONOS, GREECE mykonosgrand.gr If for some inexplicable reason (and we’re not asking questions) the soft white beaches of the Aegean just aren’t your speed, don’t worry— Mykonos has you covered. Private, linen-draped cabanas surround their expansive seawater pool, while private infinity pools and steam cabins in the airy, white suites encourage even the most reclusive guests to get their feet wet. [JC]
Photos by Paolo Tosti
Nun Assisi Relais assisi, italy nunassisi.com In a town better known for its saints than spas, Nun dramatically couples minimalist, streamlined designs of today with the remnants of antiquity for a space as light as it is historic. Formerly a 13th-century monastery, the 18-suite hotel offsets its polished frescoes and sweeping, crossvaulted ceilings with ancient Roman cisterns and stone archways underground. There, the remains of a 1st-century Roman water temple offer you a truly historic space in which to relax in the steam room and indulge in a massage. {JC]
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Ace Man Ace hotel founder Alex calderwood creates hip hotels by tapping into each city’s aesthetic and GIVING THE LOCALS A REASON TO HANG THERE. By JOEL HOGLUND pORTRAIT by DouglaS Lyle Thompson
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t’s too bad a hardware store beat Alex Calderwood to the slogan “Ace is the place” because it seems to be the truth about the hotelier’s line of Ace Hotels.
This sense of feeling connected to the city’s culture is largely dependent upon the design. Guest rooms look more like your coolest friend’s apartment than a hotel room, thanks to their blend of Americana décor, vintage furniture, and sharp original artwork. And extra touches like free bikes and in-room record players with staff-curated vinyl make it easy to forget you’re even at a hotel.
In Seattle, Portland, Palm Springs, and New York, the Ace is a magnet—not just for travelers, but also for the locals that turn up at the property sans room or reservation. They come because their favorite DJ is spinning “The reason Ace feels authentic to people is in the lobby, or because their hairstylist cuts that it’s actually our voice, and it’s actually there, or because a night at the Ace could things that we are genuinely into,” Caldebring anything from an Easy Rider-themed rwood says. Things they are actually into… pool party to Chloë Sevigny staging a reading and that others looking to capitalize on Ace’s of Pussy Riot’s letters from prison. When cachet have tried to rip off. “I think it’s really guests check in at an Ace, they’re not just unfortunate when other brands don’t follow getting to hang at a hip hotel; they’re getting their own ethos. It’s just sort of lazy when to experience what it’s like to be a part of that people are trying to directly create a derivative. It’s a lost opportunity.” city’s local culture.
“In the past I’ve checked into corporate hotels, and if you squinted your eyes, it’s like you could have been anywhere,” Calderwood says. “I think when you’re at one of our hotels, you really feel like you’re actually in that city and connecting with locals there.”
master theater architect C. Howard Crane and built in 1927 by the founders of UA, the building will retain the ornate character of its Old Hollywood days despite its new life as a hotel hotspot. “There’s a 1,600-seat movie palace that is in pristine condition,” says Calderwood. For the last 20 years or so it was used as a church and we’re going to reactivate it as a movie palace and a forum for talks and bands and events.” L.A.-based interior design group Commune (the ones behind the mid-century look of the Ace Palm Springs) created the design for the new L.A. property. Although it would be easy to replicate any of the other successful Ace hotel designs, the team is instead creating a look that truly feels like home to Los Angeles. For Calderwood, that’s what traveling and staying in a hotel is all about.
And where others miss opportunities, Calde- “I’ve been traveling a lot this year,” he says, rwood seems to seize them. Like the oppor- “and I really appreciate finding the little tunity to turn the landmark United Artists details of the local design vernacular, or the Theatre in Downtown Los Angeles into tiny architectural details [of a place] because the latest Ace Hotel property, scheduled to there are subtle nuances in different cultures. open in late 2013. “It’s an amazing site,” he We always look to become a thread in the says. Designed in a Spanish Gothic style by fabric of the community.” SPECIAL FEATURE
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Town Hall Hotel London, England A menagerie of Edwardian architecture, Art Deco styling, and contemporary design, Town Hall is an impressive presence in up-and-coming East London. Wrapped in an abstract, laser-cut aluminum skin, the hall’s façade shifts based on your perspective and the time of day. Inside, statues and marble give way to Scandinavian furnishings and Viabizzuno-lit rooms, where glass partitions divide the space. The throwback vibe runs all the way down to the bar, where handcrafted cocktails are served up in antique glassware, all sourced by the staff themselves. townhallhotel.com [JC]
New Converts The right combination of enterprising hoteliers and imaginative designers can turn just about any historic space into a hot hotel. Doubt us? Try spending the night in an old quarry.
Wythe Hotel Brooklyn, New York
Thanks to local artist Tom Fruin’s massive 50-foot sign running down the hotel’s front façade, you can’t miss this 72-room waterfront hotspot in Brooklyn’s everchanging Williamsburg neighborhood. Formerly a cooperage, then a textile factory, the 1901 building lends itself to the hotel’s industrial character, on full display in the form of castiron columns, timber wood ceilings, heated concrete floors, and repurposed fixtures. But there are plenty of new details, too: cheeky custom-made wallpaper patterns from Flavor Paper, a three-story glass and steel rooftop add-on, a ground-level restaurant with a wood-fired oven, and a sixth-floor bar and terrace for skyline views of Manhattan that one can only get in Brooklyn. wythehotel.com [LN}
Conservatorium Amsterdam, netherlands The building that houses contemporary hotel Conservatorium started out in 1901 as the Rijkspostspaarbank, known today as ING Bank. More than 80 years later, it became the city’s premier music conservatory, before shifting gears once more to its present-day status as a luxury hotel. For the building reboot, Milan-based furniture and interior designer Piero Lissoni created a glass atrium that allows guests to view the building’s original 1900s detailing. conservatoriumhotel.com {JC]
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TRAVEL EXPERT
THE APPLE OF HIS EYE
The NoMad Hotel NEW YORK, New York What’s a telltale sign of a NYC neighborhood on the rise? A new nickname or acronym. The area north of Madison Square Park now gets its name cemented by the upscale NoMad Hotel. Located one block away from the neighborhood’s other pioneering destination—the Ace Hotel—The NoMad could easily be called the Ace’s sophisticated, older French cousin (same owners, in fact). Interior designer Jacques Garcia channeled inspiration from a Parisian apartment he once inhabited to breathe new life into the turn-of-the-century Beaux-Arts building. Aged maple wood floors, clawfoot tubs, worn leather armchairs and lush strokes of velvet complete his vision for the 168-room space. Lucky guests also get reservation dibs to one of the hottest tickets in town: The NoMad restaurant, helmed by the same duo behind the James Beard-awarded Eleven Madison Park. thenomadhotel.com [LN}
Meet Willy Wong: creative visionary and unofficial tour guide of New York City By Saundra Marcel
Above: NYC brand presence at JFK International Airport’s arrival terminals. Photo by Jen Davis/NYC & Company
ast year, Willy Wong was Willy Wonka—sort of. (“So fulfilling—all my life I’ve played off the name,” he says). In this scenario, Wong handed over a golden ticket in the form of a gigantic, glittery-gold check to one very lucky family of four amidst a Times Square extravaganza. One of them was the record-breaking 50-millionth visitor of 2011. Behind them were gold balloons spelling out 50,000,000, thousands of onlookers, every video screen in the vicinity flashing “50 million,” and a full brass band. Insanity. There, onstage, was Mayor Bloomberg and a whole slew of public officials. And then there also was Wong, who got to be the Wonka.
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Fabriken Furillen Gotland, sweden Photographer Johan Hellström turned the ghostly remains of a stone quarry into Fabriken Furillen, an 18-room hotel spanning 600 acres of wilderness. Alongside wild truffles and disintegrating machinery, minimalist accommodations using reclaimed limestone, concrete, and wood are counterbalanced with handmade Hästens beds and sheepskin rugs from local farms. A glass-walled workshop offers an opportunity to feed the creative spirit, and free silver bicycles encourage a break from the ambience of industrial decay to explore the wild, windswept island. furillen.com {JC}
But this is just another day on the job for Wong, who is chief creative officer of NYC & Company, the city’s official department of marketing and tourism. This event was conceived, branded, and curated by Wong’s team. If it’s creative, they do it. That includes storyboarding events, creating citywide awareness campaigns, print design and digital experiences, film and video production, and lots and lots of advertising. It’s a challenging task, and one that surprisingly began only six years ago. Wong is the very first to hold this title, and his department here is the very first to unify CONTINUED
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Clockwise from left: Licensed merchandise sold through nycshop. com help promote the city
20th anniversary celebration of NYC Restaurant Week reflecting the diversity of dining experiences and patrons
Launch of BeFitNYC, an online tool created by NYC's Department of Parks & Recreation to help locals find fitness and recreational programs throughout the five boroughs
Cover of NYC's Official Travel Planner NYC Mayor's Cup is a platform for student athletes to compete and win the title of Best in the City
and control the city’s branding. Before Wong, Creatives like Wong thrive on challenge. site you should check out…’ Um, we made it, design for New York City was a free-for-all: “It’s so fun and rewarding,” he says. “It’s so yea! I know!” sometimes cobbled together internally, a mixture of all design disciplines, a blur sometimes done by agencies, sometimes of both agency and studio methodologies. People are indeed noticing the city’s many very good, sometimes terrifically awful. And One day we might be storyboarding an face-lifts. Yet when your palette is a whole event, the next working on a letterpressed city, “noticing” does not always mean of course, none of it matched. invitation.” His work is highly visible, “liking,” and Wong gets hit with more than Until Wong came to the (design) rescue. He’s including Restaurant Week campaigns, his fair share of criticism. “The first time I spent the last six years injecting his creative the department’s award-winning website experienced it was when the new NYC logo visions into just about every crevice of the nycgo.com, a new high-tech information launched. The canvas was taxicabs, and there city. “Most challenging part of my job? Gosh, center on 7th Avenue, and then what Wong was a lot of criticism—some of it was hard there’s so many,” says Wong. “I’d say it’s calls “stuff on the streets”—just about every to hear, particularly from former teachers working on a brand with a personality that piece of New York City-branded advertising and colleagues. But you have to understand people already know—New York has 100 seen on bus shelters, taxicabs, and the big that design is iterative, and the moment percent awareness. So it’s about changing screens in Times Square. Find something something is designed, someone wants to people’s perceptions. We have to take which is both cool-looking and promotes make it better,” says Wong. “But you know something that’s already so well known and the city, and you can bet that Wong put his what, people are paying attention to design— define new parameters around it. My job is hands on it. “The NYCGo website launched on cabs! That’s what I call expansion of the to make creative campaigns that offset the three years ago, and I still have friends who conversation, in a public way.” a come to me and say, ‘Hey, there’s this cool myths of NYC from the realities.”
I Love New York Every city (nowadays) needs its own logo, right? But New York already had one, the iconic ’I Love NY’ mark done by the iconic Milton Glaser. So, why mess with the best?
Left: Logo developed to coincide with the passage of New York's Marriage Equality Act
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“The I-Love-NY mark is not just for New York City,” says Wong. “It’s for the entire state, is licensed out by the state, and represents everyone from Montauk to Schenectady. We needed a way to differentiate, something that we could control, and use.” Presumably, that’d mean without coughing up hefty licensing fees. Hey, it’s a matter of practicality.
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TOP PICKS
WONG’S NYC MUST-DO’S Visitors who want to sample the sublime scale and serendipity of New York City should check out these five inspired places, perfect for winter and handpicked by Mr. Tourism himself
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College Point’s Spa Castle at 131-10 11th Avenue
Inspiring Dialogue: Do you like the new NYC logo? Tweet/email your thoughts to letters@wearedesign bureau.com
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ins int pir eri ing ors Rustic chic takes on country chateâu in this month’s battle of the homes
121 ROBERT STILIN INC. Robert Stilin’s Shop in East Hampton, NY Photos by Joshua McHugh
Reclaimed Mazda factory lights provide ambient lighting in the space
Framed in solid bronze, this vintage flag has been hand-sewn onto Belgian linen and adds an element of classic Americana
Brown-painted plywood floors are casual and low-maintenance, allowing the textural wood grain to show through
A Turkish flat weave kilim anchors the space and compliments the wood tones throughout
122 STEVEN VOLPE ARCHITECTS A house on the San Francisco Penninsula Photo by David Duncan Livingston
Light fixture by Jeff Zimmerman from R 20th Gallery
Limited edition pair of steel bibliothèques by Renaud Vuaillat from Hedge Gallery
“The Mighty Ones,” acrylic on canvas by Ed Ruscha from John Berggruen Gallery
Custom 'Dune' table by Zaha Hadid from David Gill Steven Volpe Interiors
Vintage Roxinho chairs by Tobia Scarpa from Hedge Gallery
123 STEVEN VOLPE ARCHITECTS A loft in San Francisco Photo by Alan Purcell
“Blossfeldt…After Karl Blossfeldt ‘Art Forms in Nature,’”photo by Idris Kahn from Fraenkel Gallery
Bactrian stone idols from Axel Vervoordt
Oak, teak and steel lounge table by Kurt Ostervig from Galerie Eric Philippe, Paris
Limited edition Oh Void chair in carbon fiber by Ron Arad from Galerie Downtown, Paris
124 LEE BROOM The Gold Room, Lancaster House Photos by Luke Hayes
Lee Broom Parquetry coffee table's fusion of solid wenge, oak, and walnut wood pattern contrasts with blue laquer, and looks different from every angle
Lee Broom Salon collection features 1930s-inspired lines and punk-rock modern stud detailing
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Lee Broom limited edition Bright On bistro chair, an antique bentwood chair accentuated with delicate neon
Lee Broom Carpentry console table, a table giving the illusion of a floating carpet
Lee Broom Parq Life side table uses traditional walnut herringbone wood pattern combined with contemporary curves and brass accents
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DESIGN BUREAU
DB TURNS TWO!
On Thursday September 6, 2012 Chicago’s downtown venue the Ivy Room at Tree Studios hosted Design Bureau’s two-year anniversary event, featuring the September “Inspiration Issue.” The evening was packed with renowned Chicago designers, celebrity guest editors, DIFFA Chicago Auxiliary Board members, hundreds of Design Bureau readers and a who’s who of the Chicago social scene. DJ Damon Locks spun tunes all evening as guests mingled, danced, and sipped on specialty cocktails provided by American Harvest vodka, Olmeca Tequila, Zipang Sparkling Sake, Stella Artois, and Shock Top. Guests posed for photos on a custom red carpet provided by FLOR Chicago.
Anne-Marie Lindquist of Maya Romanoff, Lauren Haras of Marquardt+, Jessie Devereaux of Maya Romanoff and Tarra Kieckhaefer of Design Bureau
DESIGN BUREAU
Inside the Ivy Room
The infamous Design Bureau sticker
All hail DB’s second anniversary issue, the Inspiration Issue
The Hidden Courtyard at the Ivy Room
Chris Gentner and Felicia Ferrone
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Lorraine De Tymowska, Yana Nirshberg, and Monika Dixon
Emily Kirkwood and Jill Berris of Design Bureau and guests
Gift bag goodies
Special thanks to all our additional sponsors:
Guests soaking up a perfect summer night in Chicago
DIFFA Chicago Auxiliary Board Decor by Event Creative Invitations by Elizabeth Grace Food by Calihan Catering Gift bag from Baggu with special items from OPI, Field Notes, MiH Jeans, AFrames, Help Remedies, Sharpie, and Neuro water!
Red carpet photos by R25 Productions, r25productions.com; party photos by Darkroom Demons, darkroomdemons.com; gift bag photo by John Dugan
This issue’s best Albums
Music
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ALARMPRESS
Presented by
SOUNDGARDEN King Animal (Republic / Loma Vista) Following its 2010 reunion, iconic Seattle quartet Soundgarden has created another work of diversity and dimensionality on King Animal, its first album in more than 16 years. Immediately, motorboat-engine guitars propel “Been Away Too Long,” an up-tempo riff-rocker with an anthemic, fist-pumping chorus. Other familiar Soundgarden hallmarks recur throughout, but most notably, the band delivers curveballs that would have been unthinkable in the past. “Black Saturday” advances in a spider-like sidestep, eventually settling on something akin to jazz as the chorus is overtaken by dissonant horns. “Rowing” combines space-rock dirge with the traditional “field holler”/ work-song vocal style originally developed by African-American slave laborers on plantations and fishing boats.. Whatever age may have detracted from the band’s ferocity is offset by creative guile and a shift toward lowered guard. And no matter how well these new directions work for you, it’s hard not to see them as compelling for their audacity alone. [SRK] /01 02/
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kaki king
THE CASKET LOTTERY
lulu gainsbourg
Glow (Velour)
Real Fear (No Sleep)
From Gainsbourg to Lulu (MBM)
After an auspicious start as a finger-tapping virtuoso and a transformation to singersongwriter, guitarist Kaki King returns to her instrumental roots with Glow, her first vocalfree LP since 2004. It’s much more than a rehash or a collection of melodies; Glow marries the best of her developed songcraft with melodic beauty and multi-layered accents. From the sonorous, swirling strings and ukulele timbres of opener “Great Round Burn” to the Eastern tinge of “Bowen Island,” the album is full of pleasant surprises. Glow comes on the heels of King’s self-professed “existential crisis,” and whether or not a return to singing and fullband performances follows it, the album reveals her to be the same magnificent songwriter. [SM] /02
After a run from 1998 to 2003, Kansas City indie-rock trio The Casket Lottery was able to look back on three standout full-lengths and a handful of EPs. Flash forward to 2012 and the band has magically reappeared with two more members—a second guitarist and keyboardist— and a new full-length album, Real Fear. The keyboard, in particular, adds a new layer with minor-key melodies. The songs are as well written and catchy as ever—all in the band’s morose-but-hopeful and slightly vengeful tone. Tension builds to release numerous times over the course of the album, with sing-along-ready lyrics built into its multiplevocalist approach. Real Fear is a dynamic rock album—and that’s as the band only begins to refine its new sound. [DH] /03
Many know Charlotte Gainsbourg for inheriting and continuing the musical traditions of her famous father, French crooner Serge Gainsbourg. But now her half-brother, Lulu (neé Lucien), is ready to take the mantle, offering a full-length collection of Serge covers with a series of big-name guests—including über-babe and actress/singer Scarlett Johansson. Johnny Depp, Iggy Pop, and Marianne Faithfull also appear, and the styles range from moody chansons to smoky and lively jazz numbers. Though the vocal tracks are seductive and comprise two-thirds of the album, From Gainsbourg to Lulu also showcases Lulu’s skills as a pianist. Hopefully, in due time, we’ll learn more about Lulu—still just 25 years old—as a songwriter. [SM] /04
PIG DESTROYER
...and you will know us by the trail of dead
Book Burner (Relapse) After five years of relative inertia, Pig Destroyer—flaring up like an incurable Amazonian virus—is back on the books with Book Burner, a 19-track installation of furious, “misanthropic” grindcore that is as violent as it is relentless. Recorded at guitarist Scott Hull’s Visceral Sound Studios, the album hearkens back to Prowler in the Yard with a raw, live sound that waylays studio artifice for aggression. Members of Misery Index, Agoraphobic Nosebleed, and Drugs of Faith make guest vocal appearances, and the deluxe edition includes a second disc with seven bonus tracks covering songs from the Misfits, Black Flag, Minor Threat, and others on which Pig Destroyer has drawn for influence. Bonus cuts or not, Book Burner is an album worth saving from the fire. [BVL] /05
Lost Songs (Superball) There’s rock for the garage, rock for the arena, and rock for the mind. Lost Songs is of the third sort. Though the title suggests a B-side retrospective—and with nearly 20 years of Trail of Dead history, the idea isn’t far fetched—Lost Songs delivers 14 tracks of new material that pairs the emotional intensity of Source Tags & Codes with the art-punk aggression of Madonna. The album has a wandering, story-like feel to it, and the atmospheric textures are controlled without seeming restrained. Most tracks are short and quick, but there’s even a touch of early Black Sabbath on “Mountain Battle Song.” In total, Lost Songs proves that rock and roll isn’t dead—it’s just in the head. [BVL] /06
GIFTS FROM ENOLA A Healthy Fear (The Mylene Sheath) When we last heard from Gifts from Enola, the post-hardcore quartet had given its adventurous post-rock blend a heaping dose of power. The guitar effects, clean singing, and shoe-gaze influences were suddenly funneled through lower tunings, weightier drums, and greater focus. A Healthy Fear, the band’s latest, is a better mix of Enolas old and new. Sampling from different points on the “post-” spectrum, the album crosses heavily reverberated guitar distortions with noodling melodies, spacey breakdowns, and all-out riff attacks— sometimes in the same song. Vocals range from full-throated to light and wispy—there’s plenty of “post-indie rock,” if you will—and the crosspollination is reflective of the band’s continued maturation. [SM] /07
Scott Morrow is the music editor at ALARM Press and author of This Week’s Best Albums, an eclectic weekly series presenting exceptional music. Visit alarmpress.com for more. [DH] Dave Hofer, [SM] Scott Morrow, [SRK] Saby Reyes-Kulkarni, [BVL] Benjamin van Loon. Soundgarden photo by Michael Lavine
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For Hire
FOR HIRE DESIGN TALENT FRESH ON THE MARKET
For Hire: Camilo Medina FOR HIRE
FOR HIRE
DESIGN TALENT FRESH ON THE MARKET
DESIGN TALENT FRESH ON THE MARKET
FOR HIRE
Design Talent This graphic design grad can write you a romantic song Fresh On the AND design the Market poster for the show... as long as you’re not a weird ex-girlfriend
FOR HIRE
DESIGN TALENT FRESH ON THE MARKET
FOR HIRE
FOR HIRE
FOR HIRE
DESIGN TALENT FRESH ON THE MARKET
Design Talent Fresh On the Market
DESIGN TALENT FRESH ON THE MARKET
FOR HIRE
How did you get into design and illustration? I’ve been involved with music and bands since high school, and there’s always a need for posters, flyers, album covers— DESIGN TALENT FRESH you name it.ON SoTHE in aMARKET way, I started designing without even knowing it. Visual communications always made sense to me as a career because it can be as art-oriented as the from Sagmeister and as basic as aTALENT stop sign in the DESIGN TALENTwork FRESH DESIGN FRESH ON THE MARKET ON THE MARKET street. There are way too many possibilities to make this an exciting and challenging career, so why the heck not?
FOR HIRE: Laura Allcorn DESIGN TALENT FRESH ON THE MARKET
FORFORHIRE HIRE
How would you describe your aesthetic? One’s aesthetic is closely related to taste, and therefore it’s constantly changing. And that’s the fun part about it! I don’t want to be stuck to one kind of aesthetic, but rather see how far I can push my limits and creativity. What are your post-graduation plans? My short-term goal would be to work with people that I admire, learn as much as I can, and interact with different areas of design. The long-term ideal would be to co-own a multimedia studio with a couple talented friends and a big dog. We’d team up for client work, make art, play music, and learn from each other. Why should somebody hire you? Like Dylan once said, ‘You always have to realize that you’re constantly in a state of becoming,’ so I’ll make sure to make work as excellent, clever, and well-crafted as I can, while keeping a mindset that the next project could be better. I also love what I do, I’m passionate about it and I will bring as many new ideas to the table as possible. a
clockwise from top left:
Camilo’s work: Poster for Chicago Craft Beer Week, concert poster for Electric Guest, Divino Niño concert poster, another poster for Divino Niño
Camilo Likes: Summer bike rides, dogs in sweaters, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, blonde women, India Pale Ales, writing romantic songs, sunshine, John Lennon, Alejandro Jodorowsky, and Design Bureau Camilo Dislikes: Mitt Romney, Linkin Park, bummer movies, kimchi, weird ex-girlfriends, hunting, screaming music, student loans, my old neighbors, and falling from high places
RESUME SNAPSHOT: Camilo Medina EDUCATION School of The Art Institute of Chicago Bachelor of Fine Arts, 2010-2012
Work Experience Torque, 2012 Graphic design intern
Miami International University of Art and Design Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design, 2008-2010
Delicious Design League, 2010 Graphic design intern
Interested in being featured in For Hire? Email us at forhire@wearedesignbureau.com
skills Illustration, screen-printing, letterpress, custom-made icons and typography, hand lettering, layout design
Wanna hire Camilo? Check out his website: camilomedina.com
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