Showing posts with label Design. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Design. Show all posts

Friday, April 1, 2016

How About Them Tube Hotels?



*not my photo

Getting to be the rage as you read this, the advent of hotels made from concrete drains is fascinating. Oversized drain pipes are laying everywhere on the streets all over the world right? Well, these round cement objects used as pipes to prevent clogs and floods on the streets can be reused as stations of comfort and the photos here show it doesn't take much to convert them into something homey and swanky!

Recycled, eco-deco’d and ingenious in their design, these humongous drains which are turned into comfortable tiny rooms with a bed are utilitarian for the traveler on a budget. 



photo of Langkawi Hotel in Malaysia (not mine)

Pioneered by architect Andreas Strauss, the first such hotel was built in Austria with Das Park Hotel and has so far propagated to Malaysia with the Langkawi Hotel , Mexico with TuboHotel and the Prahhan Hotel in Australia. The ones in Mexico, Malaysia and in Austria are situated in Eco Parks while the one in Australia (Prahhan Hotel) appears in an urban setting. It is only a matter of time when these materials will also be used for single-family housing, like the container vans we now see of late. 






The view on this one. (not my photo)
 


I personally want a concrete drain or two now to convert them into small rooms for visiting guests and family members who want to come and visit. Just point one end on a nature scene, get a really comfy mattress, sheets with cotton count of 300 and above, feather pillows, accentuate, decorate, et voilá! A dreamy guest room for years to be talked about.

Friday, January 30, 2015

Your Own Über Cool Pad in a Day:

A Heijmans ONE Project, this modular houses by the Moodworks Architecture from the Netherlands  can be built in one day and are geared towards working singles.  In my book though, it's me, the husband and more room for a feline princess.  I plucked this article from Web Urbanist and it's worth re-blogging. 

exterior at night

living space

bedroom

layout


Thursday, January 29, 2015

Time Stood Still at Gadsden



Quite a while back I stumbled into a hotel that time forgot in Douglas, Arizona. The town itself was very sleepy in that desert sense with tumbleweeds meeting you as you enter the town, (cue in a duel of quick draw between two cowboys). But I digress, turns out, this hotel named Gadsden which was built in 1907 has stood witness to quite a few historical events and historical people.


During my visit, the hotel was run by laid back staff which is understandable as Douglas itself does not have a lot of tourists anymore. Back in the 1900's, Gadsden was built for cattle ranchers to lodge in  whilst in Douglas when they were away from home. In 1929, it suffered a catastrophic fire but was restored. The style of architecture of the hotel is Renaissance Revival and I deem it as part of the Gilded Age as it was built during that era in America. Check out the rich-colored marble columns and grand staircase.

Lobby

  view from the 2nd floor


It is apparent that when Gadsden was built, no expense was spared for its quality materials, above is an authentic Tiffany stained glass situated on top of the staircase that depicts the Sonora Desert complete with a Saguaro cactus and other desert-scapes.


Just below the Tiffany-stained glass window is this preserved regal lioness in her full size and stateliness.  (Wanted to touch her just to see if she would bite).

Rooms...

It is often the case with hotels and Inns that with age comes the ghost stories. Legends have been spread all over that Gadsden has it's paranormal inhabitants and during Halloween season, this is a popular destination to test those theories. Hmm.

couldn't resist...

more Tiffany glass on the ceiling

Press:
Per research it is noted that Gadsden was used in a Paul Newman, Nastassja Kinski and a Tom Selleck movie. It was also visited by FL Eleanor Roosevelt and Arizona impressionist painter Effie Anderson Smith who resided and completed several paintings in this hotel in the 1940s. Lastly, Gadsden was featured in Travel Channel's Hotel Impossible in 2013 wherein more renovations were conducted.

Monday, August 4, 2014

Redecorating The House


Mostly from Ikea and a few hand me downs as well as flea finds - all around the house these days. 

sofa

Bookshelf


Hand me down piano

Blue Birdy

Dining Area

Cook!

Sleep 1

Bath 1

Sleep 2


Bath 2

Office

that one too...

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

This house in Bali:


Found this house featured in DTI to be stuff of my tropical dreams.


yep, product placement :)

This means they pick fruits and veggies and eat them raw instead of cooking incessantly.

Tiiinnnnggg. . . . Zen bath

I forgot the lady's name, but I recall that she's the designer, owner and muse of the house, 
you go girl!


Thursday, September 19, 2013

Oh my Baby, it don't matter if it's black or white...

from Jimmy Schönning via DTI

I love how the black marries and white in this setting. The natural elements are used wisely here! very inspiring.

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Monday, April 15, 2013

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Inspiration Station: Bedroom 2



This design is brought to you by Mr Waller of New South Wales. The only components I see in this bedroom so far are as follows: bed, vaulted ceiling, chair, bedside table, shelves, books, books and more books! Pretty easy don't you think? 

One of the factors that inspire me in design is it's feasibility for me personally, hence, most of the photos I share which I deem as inspiring are minimalist, rustic and simple with practical focal points. Why? because it just doesn't make sense to look and aspire for something that remains in fantasy land. 

... and this bedroom meets all my requirements as inspiration.


Tuesday, March 19, 2013

The Vespa:


- an uncompromising fusion of breathtaking performance, technical superiority and classic design. The visual flow of the modern and decisive lines of the cowls, the round and sloping front headlight, the passenger footrests with fold out from the body, are all characteristics which make Vespa unique. The Vespa maintains the fundamental characteristics which make every Vespa an incomparable vehicle in the scooter world. The monocoque body made entirely from steel is a construction philosophy which ensures legendary sturdiness, reliability and superior rigidity, all to the advantage of riding precision.

~ so said their website. Do I want one? yes; do I need it? A big NO!!


Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Flowertown B&B, near Charleston, SC


Went to Charleston over the weekend and found this B&B that exceeded all expectations from minute one. The lady at the helm named Veronique turned hospitality to an art and what a joy it was.

The Bed & Breakfast itself is located about 17 miles from Charleston proper in Summerville, which made it more relaxing to be away from the hustle and bustle of it all.

Decorated in French Country style, the decor, furniture and colors transports one to a most pleasant place. The immaculate rooms, parlors and impressive floors made relaxing even more satisfying. I was impressed by its authenticity and my husband even found a tiny spider with a web at a nook in the bathroom, all that was purely anecdotal for sure (his words).












The photos displayed speak for the maison itself, and may I tell you that being under this milieu made it just a wee bit hard for me to go back to reality, and here I consider myself blessed, with no cause to complain!