Inspired By

Pools! This weekend was a scorcher here in Manhattan and it got me thinking about how amazing it would be to have a pool and just be able to cool off whenever I needed.  As we get closer and closer to summer and the weather becomes hotter and sunnier, I realize that an escape would be a welcome luxury, and I now get why everyone leave the city. For me pools are another way for architects to highlight creativity and ingenuity in creating these wet paradises.  I have a thing for architectural pools - whether they consist of an innovative detail, or are just a really perfect infinity pool, for me it is more than just water in a basin.  Kelly Klein, wife of fashion designer Calvin Klein came out several years ago with an incredibly inspiring book entitled Pools that has started me on this journey to find liquid bliss.

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I love the idea of a pool being an escape - a chance to cool off, get some exercise or just mentally check out in order to ride the relaxation bus.  For me a pool should be just as much about the setting and mental relaxation one gets as from the relief from the heat.  Below is a collection of interesting pools ranging from feats of engineering (image two below), to a perfect infinity pool equipped with it's own island (image one below) and two cavernous escapes that feel like they are anything but dark and dreary. I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and good luck for the week ahead!

Bjorn's Randoms

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Modern Design

Serenity Skies

Elle Decor did a feature on celebrity pools where they featured some of the most serene and exquisite escapes one could hope for.

Artist Chuck Close has the perfect interior to exterior space for his pool in the Hamptons. 

Cindy Crawford and husband Randy Gerber's infinity pools perched above the beach in Malibu.

And of course we cannot forget Kelly Klein's pool - afterall, she is the expert now!

Inspired By

Pattern & Colour! I was reading through my book David Hicks : Designer last week and although I have inspected its pages several times before am still as inspired by his work as I was the first time. 

David Hicks was a British designer who used bold colours and patterns in his interiors: A very interesting mix of antiques and contemporary art and furnishings, creating very unique interiors.  Recently there was a re-introduction of his patterns with wallpaper by Cole & Son and carpets by Stark (see first two images below).  More and more we are seeing designers embrace colour and pattern in their interiors, creating some truly wonderful - albeit eclectic - spaces.  I enjoy seeing patterns and colours being mixed in all avenues of design (hot pink and orange anyone?) and with the right placement they can create a tasteful and timeless interior.  Do you like patterns? How do you think they work in a space, and can where can one draw the line of tasteful versus over-the-top?

houzz & The Decorator

Style at Home

Sketch42

SR Gambrel

Jeffers Design Group

Interestingly people have compared Kelly Wearstler to a modern David Hicks, and I can see the similarities.  Her interiors are bright, full of pattern and feature an eclectic mix of furnishings combined with colour and texture. What are your thoughts? How does she stand up to his work?

Kelly Wearstler

From Nice to Torino

Last night I went to the opening of a new book about the relationship betweeen Nice and Torino. It is called Nice Torino : Une histoire Commune (Nice Torino : A History in Common), with photographs by Olivier Monge and text by Dominique Escribe.  While the book seems interesting enough, and some of the photos were quite beautiful, it was the space in which the opening took place that captured my attention.

Just off the Cours Saleya (discussed in my Quintessentially Nice post) there is an old pump building which is now home to the Centre for Ubanism Architecture for the City of Nice. It is a fantastic example of a modernist building and internally comprises a single large room with a mezzanine level along two sides.  They have kept the original pump mechanism at the back and have created interior details such as stairs and handrails in a very simple aesthetic well suited for the architecture.  The overall is a space that is simple, clean and well executed. Here are some pics from the party!

I thought I should include my favorite image from the exhibition - a view of the ceiling in Guarini's San Lorenzo.

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Book Review

I received a new book in the mail yesterday and just had to write about it.  It is called In House and is a photographic journey by Derry Moore with text by Mitchell Owens .

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This book is a visual journey through some of the most unique, interesting and characteristic homes from around the world.  It features houses from many a variety of periods and many different aesthetics. There is everything from Casino de Madrid an Art Nouveau Gentleman's club, to an Art Deco palace in Jodhpur to John Soan's house and Chiswick house.  The book is a unique window into some truly wonderful interiors and is a wonderful addition to my growing library.  Below are some of my favorite images.

 Ennejma Ezzahra - Photograph by Derry Moore

Umaid Bhawan Palace - Photograph by Derry Moore

Sir John Soan's Museum - Photograph by Derry Moore

Chiswick House - Photography by Derry Moore

Clayton - Photography by Derry Moore