Monthly archives:July 2009

The Finishing Touch - Exquisite Finish

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Gold leaf, faux exotic wood, leather and glossy lacquers. When it comes to fun finishes for the bathroom vanity it seems we’ve seen it all. However, that was until Touch made its debut. Unlike any other finish on the market, Touch is a specialized rubber-like varnish that is tactile to the touch and 100% smudge-free. It is also easy-to-clean, making it a s[...]

Sustainable Interior Design

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In today's design world, your average Interior Designer or Homeowner has heard a thing or two about sustainability, whether it be through news coverage of global warming or whether it is through personal research of sustainable products and practices that will also save them money. The fact of the mater is that the United States is moving towards universal s[...]

New Wabi Oil Lamps - Affordable Outdoor Decor

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The new Wabi Oil Lamps by Stone Forest are very stylish outdoor lamps, and they won't break the bank! At $59 each, these solid granite lamps feature a removable top and hollow interior for oil. These oil lamps are perfect for around the pool, patio, pond or waterfall, or even strategically placed around your home. Click the image to see a larger version. St[...]

Prince Charles vs Modern Architecture

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The 25 Year Long Battle Rages On Twenty-five years ago Prince Charles stood before the Royal Institute of British Architects and denounced modernism in architecture. His first book "A Vision of Britain, a Personal View of Architecture" which was published in 1989, criticized and showed his distaste for anything modern. Throughout the 1990's Prince Charles[...]

Green Designs With Style!

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We see more and more green designs these days, despite the fact that sustainability is not necessarily a new trend in Architecture and Interior Design. This has produced even more amazing designs that are completely sustainable and LEED Certified, much like the Founding Farmers restaurant we wrote about last week. Here are just a few of our favorites that we[...]

Create a Virtual Shelter for Guggenheim Competition

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The Guggenheim Museum has teamed up with Google to provide designers with a very unique opportunity to submit a design to the Design It Shelter Competition. The competition is being sponsored by both the museum, as well as Google's design software SketchUp. The rules are easy to follow; you must use Google's SketchUp software to create a virtual shelter anyw[...]

Refreshing New Waterfall Shower Fixtures

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Stylish waterfall showers are becoming more and more popular in the luxury home, and the new JACLO AQUA DUETTO Shower head is one of the nicest we’ve seen this year. This bath fixture is enough to design a whole bathroom around as it brings you multiple options for bathing. The AQUA DUETTO can produce either a waterfall shower which is a steady, stream of wa[...]

LEED Gold-Designed Green Restaurant

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Green Furnishings Abound at the Washington D.C.- based Founding Farmers Restaurant Founding Farmers is the first LEED Gold-designed and Certified Green Restaurant to open in the United States Capital, located just two blocks from the White House. This restaurant gives new meaning to eco-friendly eating with sustainable agriculture at the heart of its menu t[...]

Sweden’s First Floating Hotel

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If you are planning on traveling to Sweden in the near future, and you enjoy floating in the open sea while indulging in luxury, then this hotel would be quite the adventure for you to include in your travels. The owners Susanna and Patrick Hermansson of Salt & Co Tjörn AB hatched the idea in 2004 when they dreamt about starting a business that offered[...]

Open Plan Design

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Thanks to loft living design and the “don’t box me in” aesthetic of the 60s’ and 70s’, kitchens and baths now make for wide, open spaces. With upscale kitchen and bath renovations ranking as the most expensive home improvements, it’s a shame not to showcase them. This is where the loft living or open floor plan concept is introduced. The open kitchen has bec[...]