Furniture Fridays

As promised I have some exciting ideas coming up this year, one of which is starting today with my new weekly feature - Furniture Fridays! As the blogging community is growing and there are some truly inspiring "taste makers" out there, I thought that it would be interesting to put a collection of favourite furniture pieces together. I have asked bloggers I admire, read and respect to send me their favourite piece of furniture owned/made/desired and will be featuring these over the next 52 weeks.  

I am so happy to announce Nicole, author of Sketch42 will be starting this feature off for me today.  Sketch42 is truly an inspiring and creative blog, and Nicole is not only an incredible writer, but she is a brilliant artist too.  I recommend everyone check out her blog and thanks Nicole for starting this off for me!

My favorite pieces of furniture are usually the newest! I found these two chairs online at the Minty shop's site… I instantly fell in love with the shape. They reminded me of many chairs that Kelly Wearstler has used in her projects.

Before the chairs even arrived, I found the fabric and randomly bought 15 yards! I thought the raised polka dots were so chic! Ultimately, I think the chairs are fun, interesting and definitely add a punchy little kick to my somewhat serious living room.

You can see the whole before and after on my blog!

Stylish Winter Retreats

For me the best way to get over the winter blues is to escape to a tropical paradise (see incredible hotel post in Bali from yesterday here). However, this got me thinking about all those that love the snow, and all the activities and interiors that go with it.  I do enjoy hitting the slopes and ski chalets are definitely a highlight of the winter experience for me.  When I think of a ski chalet I think of rustic wood, animal skins and huge fireplaces. With this being said, times have changed and with more design firms trying their hand at contemporary chalets here are some incredible examples of how a winter escape can be just as stylish as city homes.

Enpundit

Sketch42

Remodelista

Martha Moments

Mountain Exposure

 

Pinterest & Pinterest

My Pinterest page

Winter Escape

Today is the first really cold day of the winter here in Manhattan. I know, we are really lucky that it is January and things are just starting to freeze, but after a walk in the park with the dog I am feeling cold to the bone!  Weather like this, and the post-holiday blues, always make me want a holiday...and what a better place to escape but to a tropical island paradise.

The Alila Villas Soori in Bali is a member of the Alila Hotel Group and is pure perfection! This escape offers guests luxury private beachfront villas designed by SCDA Architects of Singapore. The hotel is contemporary with natural materials being the principal players in a simple asian inspired design.  It is all about the view and bringing the amazing surroundings in while offering guests the ultimate in eco-luxury.  I don't know about you but this looks like one holiday location that would cure my winter deep freeze!

Alila Villas Soori

Marvelous Marble

Marble is a natural material with truly beautiful variations in colour, pattern and application. There are many different varieties and so the possibilites for installation and colour really are endless.  I love the amazing patterns possible from the veining and installation methods and the ability for this natural material to really stand out as a work of art.

Bathroom, kitchen and feature walls are the most common interior applications - and as you can see from the images below marble really does act as a statement.

Source unknown

Times Magazine

Desire to Inspire

Fauxology

David Hicks

MIM Design

But there are some less tradition uses for marble which I think are truly spectacular, how about you?

Moco Design

Daily Mail

Phillips de Pury & Company

Inspired By

Frank Gehry! Well it is 2012 and I am excited to see what this year has to offer. We rang in the year at a great party in a new iconic Manhattan building - The New York by Gehry - and it felt like a sign from the design gods that this year is going to be all about architecture, interiors and design with a capital D. The newly built tower is the tallest residential tower in the Western Hemisphere and sits on the lower East side by the Brooklyn bridge with incredible views in all directions.

The buildings interior is simple with lovely wood panelling in the public areas and there are touches of Gehry all around - the door hardware throughout, the simple junctions between materials, and the organic shapes throughout. The exterior of the building is clad in stainless steel similar to the Guggenheim in Bilbao or the Disney Building in LA, and has a lovely fluid movement like vertical rippling waves moving up the building.  I have thoroughly enjoyed Ghery's addition to the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto (see here) and I welcome this addition to our iconic Manhattan skyline.

The door hardware throughout - available through Valli & Valli 

The simple wood kitchens are well planned and have nice appliances and hardware.

The floorplan of the apartment we were in - standard developer layout, but in this building it is all about the view!

Photos and plan from The New York by Gehry

Elevator bank on the ground floor - simple use of materials and details but helps with the grand feeling of the building.

 The key plan on every floor - I love that they included the waves of the building facade!