MODERN DESIGN: PROVIDE HOME

Where to start ... with my recent relocation to the gastown neighborhood, it is the community of creative individuals that have drawn me in and helped me find my new love for Vancouver. Immediately from street scape PROVIDE HOME caught my eye. A sophisticated white interior complimented with local fir paneling and a unique custom line of fir furniture. A modern interior that features unique home accessories from some of my favorites: beautiful modern pottery from Rina Menardi to hand blown glass light fixtures from Niche Modern, to glass candle holders from Laurence Brabant, Paris, or the glass collection from Anna Torfs or Lawrence. For those who appreciate the art of Pottery, each of the pieces produced by Rina Menardi are sculptural pieces, seeing them in context with modern furniture will give you a good sense of how they compliment modern interiors, even the family at Inform Interiors showcases them in their B&B Italia room settings. I first came across the beautiful hand blown light fixtures in New York when I attended ICFF (International Contemporary Furniture Fair) and was in awe of their modern translation of the traditional exposed bulb, what a pleasant surprise to see that Provide Home introduced this New York design company to Vancouver by providing a couple of my favorite restaurants Chambar & Medina Cafe with their accent lighting.

In contrast to a previous negative comment about this retail space being "pretentious?" - it does take a sophisticated eye to appreciate good design. There are no knock offs or cheap representations here, only fine investment pieces that are all about quality. What I love about this neighborhood boutique is that the Owners Robert Quinnell and David Keeler feature a number of local designers and artists as well. Too often our local talents are missed, Provide Home provides a platform to showcase the local creative community. Check out the jewelry designed by Shereen de Rousseau or the resin vases of Martha Sturdy or the stationary designs of The Pink Door Company.

As an interior designer constantly sourcing unique product for clients, what a pleasant surprise to see this lovely modern interior become my lifestyle specialty boutique right here in Vancouver.

Provide Home carries a selection of unique home accessories that exclusive to their showroom - some of my favorites to add to my list above ADONDE, TICHELARR ceramics, DAFF FELT, CALEB SIEMEN, MAISON ET OBJET to EX VETO, ENO, MUUTO to JUDY ROSS textiles.

To learn more about exciting new products from Provide Home, Robert  recently joins the blogging world through Provide's blog where he shares with readers his favorite modern design sources.

MODERN HOMES - THE RANCHER

When I first saw this image, a few descriptive words that came to mind sophisticated, timeless, calm, subtle, simple, modern, minimal ... This home showcased on Molteni & Co reminds me of why I love architectural interiors.  It is the detailing of such architectural interiors as this one that makes me love the beautiful subtelty of what we do as a profession.  For the sophisticated eye to appreciate a floating floor plate, flush drywall ceiling and floor details, recessed drapery tracks, frameless full height glazing, corner glass butt joints ... all breath taking.  If anyone knows who the architect is of this amazing home or the stylist who has reflected an interior that speaks a carefully selected refinement of finishes.  Some of my favorite designers work with this amazing company, to name a few of my favorites: the glove chair & clip bed by Patricia Urquiola, the 505 system by Lca Meda, the Less table by Jean Nouvel.  A must see showroom in Vancouver is Italinteriors where Molteni & Co, meets Unifor,  Dada Kitchens, Citterio, and Cassina. 

(For those with a furniture & dsign fetish - FYI - during my last visit to NYC, I was excited to hear that Molteni & Co. will be opening up a flagship store in Manhattan.) - love this company!

MODERN OUTDOOR FURNITURE - PART 3

Another one of my favorite outdoor furniture lines available through Spencer Interiors

Instead of the typical dining set, I love bringing the living room into the outdoors for casual gatherings where guests can lounge and eat tapas ... order these chairs with outdoor cushions and you're all set for the evenings of catching up with friends over your favorite summer cocktails.  Viteo Outdoor is a company based out of Austria a country which shares similar climate constraints, excellent quality and timeless.  Their innovative design with outdoor showers, light cubes for ambient lighting,  a unique outdoor speaker system or one of my favorite summer finds the zoe floor lamp - a solar powered floor lamp!

MODERN OUTDOOR FURNITURE - PART 1

Furniture designed by one of my favorite designers Patricia Urquiola for B&B Italia available through INFORM INTERIORS.  For the Modern Morroccan outdoor space, mix these sculptural woven pieces with textured fabrics in tones of warm charcoals or fresh aquas - these are perfect pieces to creating a casual yet luxurious living space.

Vancouver is one of those cities where everyone can't wait till summer.  It's that time of year again for many home owners who plan to design their outdoor spaces in time for summer. Working with several clients on their outdoor spaces here are a few of my top picks for the summer, stay tuned for more modern outdoor spaces.

MODERN CHAIRS

What I love about chairs is that they can be the perfect key element to adding some glam and bling to a space, the jewelry to completing an outfit. The Caprice chair is one of my new favorites ... I think any girl that grew up in the 80's will remember getting excited to put on a pair of her favorite jelly shoes. I love how light transfers through the surface of this lace like chair and highlights the 3dimensional transparent ribbon texture. A great feature of this chair is that it an be ordered with steel legs and be used for outdoor application. Available through Spencer Interiors. For $370.00 CAD this is a steal, high-end design, quality and comfort made affordable for those with a design fetish.

"Marcello Ziliani's Caprice chair from Casprini is easily the most interesting and original transparent chair to hit the market since Christophe Pillet's Meridiana Chair in 2004. It's also more comfortable. Unlike the original transparent polycarbonate chairs, the Caprice chair's transparent technopolymer body is softer, and it's open asymmetrical honeycomb design not only allows it to flex (making it more comfortable) - it practically eliminates scratching. The Caprice chair is also generously proportioned." - stephen spencer

MODERN CONCRETE - SOLUS DECOR

Concrete "Firebowl" - $4,200.00 CAD with fire

Exciting news to see our local Solus decor share their new launch of modern outdoor concrete products. Perfect timing for it's already that time of year to start planning for the summer. Thanks to the team at Solus and to Lindsey & Khai for the update! I'm looking forward to using the firebowl for an outdoor installation this upcoming summer.

Solus Handcast Concrete Decor Goes “Outdoor” For Spring - (thanks Lindsey for the info!)
Solus Decor Inc, a Vancouver, Canada-based firm that designs and manufactures precast concrete home decor products, has been creating fireplace mantels, tiles, site furnishings and custom pieces since 1997. This spring, Solus is launching a new collection of planters, vessels and site furnishings under the banner “Solus Outdoor.” The line is highlighted by an outdoor fire feature called the Hemi Firebowl, and the Grate Bench, a 2007 selection for New York’s Haute Green, “the best in sustainable design for the contemporary home”.

Concrete "Hemi Bowl" - $1,800.00 CAD
The Outdoor line was created as a response to a dearth in modern four-season outdoor furnishings and is the result of four years of experimentation and refinement. All the pieces in the collection are cast in high performance concrete: formulations that are up to five times stronger and more durable than typical concrete. This state-of-the-art material gives the pieces their uniquely contemporary look and also allows them to withstand harsh Canadian winters without “weathering ugly.” Unlike other materials used for outdoor furniture, high-performance concrete requires no maintenance and is not adversely affected by UV rays and dampness.

The Litha - Plank Bench $1,800 CAD

The Litha - Grate Bench $2,200 CAD
The benches and planters in the collection utilize Solus’ Litho, an ultra high-performance concrete with a compressive strength in excess of 20,000 psi (140 MPa+). This has allowed the Solus design team to push the boundaries of what was previously possible, with pieces that are unexpectedly thin and detailing that is refined crispness. Further, all pieces in the Outdoor line employ post-industrial recycled content in their formulations which not only helps to reduce the environmental impact of the products, but also enhances the concrete’s performance characteristics.

The spring line-up includes the Hemi Firebowl, Box Planters in two sizes, the multi-use Hemi 36 vessel, and two modern garden benches. All are available in a range of architectural colours and can be shipped across North America. The Solus Outdoor collection will be displayed at IDS West at the Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre, May 19-22, 2008, Booth 705.

Solus Decor was founded in 1997 in a small garage in North Vancouver by two Fine Arts graduates from the University of British Columbia. Solus continues to manufacture all of its products in Vancouver, but has grown into a 15,000 square foot facility and showroom with a dedicated 18-person staff.


The Box Planters:
Trough $1,100.00 CAD or Cube $400.00 CAD
Find out more at SOLUS DECOR. If you would like more information on this topic, or to schedule an interview with Khai Foo, please contact Solus at 604.255.2472, toll-free at 1.877.255.3146 or email: khai.foo@solusdecor.com

MODERN HOME - 2008 living the dream

I've always dreamed of living in a concrete box highlighted by white walls and the simplicity of modern white furniture, an investment in creating a perfect environment to start creating, thinking, brainstorming and sharing what I love most about modern interiors

My 12" powerbook, black moleskin with notes for the day, a hot cup of lady gray tea in my favorite double walled glass and 3 books of inspiration on architecture details, an architectural firm I admire and an amazing topography book



BOOK #1 - TOPOGRAPHY23, The Annual of the Type Directors Club
This is when I know I am a total design geek when I judge a book by it's cover. I love the white glossy slightly transparent cover with minimal type. In reading more about the art of topography and finding inspiration for various projects this year, I highly recommend this book for those who have an appreciation for image, branding, packaging, and a fetish for fonts and layouts. My favorite quote "It has been said that typography is the architecture of the printed word because it makes thoughts visible and understandable. As there are manifold ways of laying out a building, there are - nowadays more than ever - varied ways of formulating the typo/graphics of a book, a brochure, a poster, or any media in which print is used" - Klaus Schmidt.

BOOK #2 - MAK ARCHITECTS
While I love white, I also love black! I love the matte black cover with black edged pages revealing full sized images bleeding off the page to examples of perspective sketches, concepts, and bubble diagrams.
We often refer to the design icons of our past when searching for inspiration. How great is it to see our present day design professionals have their work published and setting the tone for high caliber architecture and interiors. Multi-disciplinary firm Mak Architects shares with readers their process as a dynamic team who's synergy of a young talents give each client a unique solution vs. the traditional mind set of working with an architect for their "inhouse" style.
-"Working in architecture is characterised by participating in may processes: from planning to construction, from dream to reality from work to play. Throughout the process many things can influence and shape the intended goal. MAK Architects understand 'process' as fluid and open, their body of work cannot be defined as a monograph or a mere representation of process. Compiled in this book, the MAK approach comes across as both conventional and playful intone and is marked by a strong desire to engage with how environments can become meaningful for the user. MAK's body of work is reflective of how architecture is produced within the service economy of global city. Their unique position within the design world is evinced by the complex contemporary urban projects presented here. This book is a recording of the evolution of an architectural practice through the progression of many authors and users, and is essential to anyone interested in current architectural developments." - Phaidon Press
BOOK #3 - DETAILS IN CONTEMPORARY RESIDENTIAL ARCHITECTURE by Virginia Mcleod, Laurence King Publications
An excellent book showcasing modern residential architecture with beautiful photography, floor plans, and the construction details that reflect the precision of quality in seamless transitions between materials.

With no book shelf yet, aligned against an exposed brick wall, I read though a collection of books we have from design, architecture, martial arts, photography, floral design, interior styling to programming ... the list goes on, as much as we use the internet daily, there is nothing like flipping though the pages of a good book. "turning a new page" ...

It's 2008 and there is so much to be excited for. While the last 8 years of working in the design industry have been an interesting collection of career paths and amazing opportunities of working with many great talents, I am grateful to look forward to sharing more of what I've learned is a passion of mine - sharing resources. Modern design and meeting the talents behind these great projects has become a great source of inspiration. It's hard to believe at times how designers have this bad wrap for being so hush hush when it comes to their resources, that for some reason this information is something owned. Reality is that the world of technology and speed at which information sharing is advancing far more quickly than what some might think. In a day where the internet has become the #1 source of information for not just saving time, increasing efficiency as well a source for learning. We are just at the beginning of what lies ahead. I learn that the more information I share with other liked minds, the more I learn through this process of corresponding and discussing modern concepts.


Closing thoughts:
This is the little guy who helped me through a few of the hardest years in my life, I am grateful to have shared these moments with him. 2008 marks a new beginning and I say good bye to Tyson knowing, that our time together was one I will always remember for the good things that have brought me here and have made me grow into the person I always want to be. Unconditional love and appreciation for all that is in my life today - I thank this little guy for always reminding me that learning to love yourself is the most important lesson we can all learn. That finding your passion for what makes you wake each morning thankful and excited ... I hope 2008 is a year we all make the changes to living our dreams.