Way Cool Products | Kismet

Love these Tile and Wallpaper patterns from Kismet designed by Tracey Reinberg. Download their Big Book of Kismet to see more patterns and product installations.

Right Tile / Left Wallpaper

Way Cool Products...Clayhaus

Love these handcrafted sustainable tiles made by Clayhaus Ceramics in Portland, Oregon. Where you can customize your style and color.

Project Share

I'm finishing up a few freelance projects, so I thought I would share. The material board above is for my sorority house up at University of Idaho. It is still in the works for funding and all, but I had a great time sourcing products that would be durable, neutral, and create the modern feel I wanted to update the house. Can't wait to see this project happen!

It's all in the Details...

In Carpet, there are some great new ideas and products on the market to create patterns. Here are a couple of manufacturer installations that show unique ways to use their product.

Tandus: Powerbond®, is 6' Rolled Good, that can be used to create intricate patterns.

InterfaceFLOR, Using color, texture and shape to create patterns.
Top Left: Tectonics™, Top Right: Monochrome™; Menagerie™ II
Bottom Left: Cap and Blazer™, Bottom Right: Sew Retro™; Blast From the Past™

Guest Chairs

I am always looking for the perfect guest chairs, whether for a lobby, office, or home living room. These are some of my favorite finds, from the new forms to the classics.

1. Haworth / b_sit. 2. Steelcase /Bob Lounge Chair. 3. Coalesse / SW_1 Seating. 4. Herman Miller / Eames Molded Plywood Chair 5. Knoll / Platner Lounge Chair

Way Cool Products | Fireclay Tile

Debris Series - Kelp - 3x6: 1902 Colonial Revival in San Francisco designed by Josh Mogal. Photo courtesy of Michael Keeny.

Vitrail installation at Urban Archaeology (Franklin St., New York City)

Claymonde installation at Whole Foods

Fireclay Tile, is a ceramic tile manufacturer that focuses on using recycled materials and sustainable manufacturing processes in all their tile designs. Their product ranges from traditional style, reproductions, and modern designs. Please check out their blog to find out about events, interesting facts, and product introductions.

It's all in the details...

Primary colors are making a come-back... whether the influence is a reflection to the past or a look into the future. It provides a palate that is clean, fun, and striking. These colors can be combined with a neutral backdrop as an accent or the opposite. It's all up to the imagination.

The Mondrian's paintings of the 1920's remind me of this modern shift of style where blocks of color were painted to stand out from a structured backdrop.

Open Room No. 1 by Established & Sons

Residence by Pedro Gadanho (images by Fernando Guerra)

Bristol Pendant by BoConcept

Highfield by Kvadrat from Maharam

Way Cool Products | Sculpted Wall Panels

I am crazy about these sculpted wall panels by Interlam. They can help create an interesting architectural screen, and are available in many different finishes. The core material is third party certified by SCS, and they have some options that are 100% recycled wood fiber. This product is very similar to the divider wall product used in the "Uproot" restaurant I posted about yesterday.

For more information, pricing, and finishes... visit Interlam.

Its all in the details...

I love the look of large wall tiles or natural stone... its creates such a dramatic look. It looks great in combination with smaller tiles or when you plan to accentuate something tall or wide. There are many new products out there on the market that are various colors, shapes, and patterns.

Top: Improta (Ceramiche), VIBRAZIONI
Center: Lobby via Specialized Surfaces
Bottom: Reflecting Pool in Black Basalt via Granite Workshop

It's all in the details...

Here are some more of my favorite design details and products to provide style, and to prove that space requires thought and attention to the little things.

Glass with embedded materials to create a variety in the visual look and feel of a space. There are many product lines with examples of materials encased in resin and glass. The two above are the Sequins in poured glass from 3form, and Suzanne Tick's Chainlink from Skyline and is a woven fiber within the glass.

Angled casework and doorways. These show that in using angles with different materials you can create different looks. I like using a combination of wood, metal, and glass... Images from Blackbird in Chicago and a Gas Station in LA by Kanner Architects

Textured patterns in carpet which incorporate graphics and have a large scale overall pattern...Tandus so far has done a great job with the introduction of a new products called Manufactured Landscapes and Landscape Patterns. This can really makes a carpet style cross over into various markets of design. See video about the process here.

Designer...Lars Contzen

Lars Contzen is a German designer with amazing talent. He designs everything from glass and floor panels to furniture and wallpaper. I love his new "Home is Where the Heart is" wallpaper inspired by tattoos and the Millionaires Bench... both are such classy twists to traditional patterns. See some of his fabulous work below. Images via Lars Contzen.

Home Is Where The Heart Is, Wallpaper


Graphical Contzentration 2, Zebra Laminate, by Resopal, Esprit Store in NYC


Beautiful Balloons, XXL Wallpaper or High Pressure Laminate


Contzen'tration on Glass, Design; Dripping, Glas Troesch


Jardin Des Plantes, Resopal

Millionaires Bench, Atelier Schneeweiss GMBH

Way Cool Products | Sonnhild Kestler

I wanted to post about a great new fabric designed by Zurich-based textile designer Sonnhild Kestler for Maharam. This product is called Alpine Stripe 466005 which is a traditional pattern with a modern design. Alpine Stripe is 55 inches wide, and is available in four colorways. She also designed five colorways of Painted Stripe which looks like graduated airbrushing; and Folklore which comes in six colorways.

Painted Stripe 465998


Folklore 465959

Sonnhild Kestler also designed scarves featured as a part of Thema Selection (see below).

philippe+starck

Philippe Starck is one of the greatest product designers of our time. He has designed everything from furniture to interior spaces. His product work can be found at stores such as Alessi and Target. Part of his history of work is also featured at the Centre Pompidou Museum in Paris France. His bold sense of style is shown by the way he manupluates one form into something functional and beautiful. Starck has also recently started his role on the BBC tv Show, Design for Life. Talk about a rock star of the design world!

Below are some great examples of his work.


Top: Darkside, Baccarat 2005 | Collection Guns, Flos 2008 | Mademoiselle Valentino, Kartell 2007 | Juicy Salif, Alessi 2000...Bottom: Lou Lou Ghost, Kartell 2008 | Cicatrices de luxe 8, Flos 2000 | Miss K, Flos 2006 (both pictures)


1| XIV by Michael Mina (2009) 2| EastWest Studios (2009) 3| Baccarat Moscou (2009) 4| Ramses (2009) 5| St. Martins Lane Hotel (1999) 6| Le Lan (2007) 7|Yoo Munich (2007)

Our Home | New Rug

So was so excited last week when I was lucky enough to win a fancy new rug. The rug is a broadloom carpet by Patcraft Designweave from Uptown Collection, pattern City Style. It looks stellar in our eclectic living room. Check out the Patcraft Designweave website for other fantastic modern patterns.

Karim Rashid

Karim Rashid is one of my favorite product designers who also does interior spaces. His attention to detail helps him create unique forms to perform specific tasks. We were lucky enough to have Karim as one of our guest lecturers and judges for Chair Affair a few years back. Below are some examples of his products and some of his interior/exterior spaces.

SOUNDWAVE^® FloWall Panels, Orgy Sofa by OFFECCT, Semiramis Hotel | Athens Greece, Kurve NYC, grobal self watering pots

British Designer | Paul Smith

Paul Smith started out in the design world with fashion, but he now creates products for various companies. I love the way he uses color with traditional patterns. Below are some examples of his furniture, rugs, and fabric.

DWR Airstream with Paul Smith / Maharam Fabric

3form | You Create

3form a company that pioneered resin panels with pattern and color has a new process to help the design industry, You Create. Its consists of a tool which lets you choose layers for the make-up of your panel, then it will render the panel into a pre-selected environment which showcases different market sectors. Afterwards you can download high quality images to use on your materials boards or to send electronically.

Here is a link to a demo on how this process works. Below are some images which also illustrate.