whats new at new ravenna?

many very nice tiles are coming out of new ravenna these days. . . . actually that's how it's always been, but i just wanted to bring them to your attention now that the greys and whites are kicking it up a notch. if only i had a bathroom to redesign right now i'd be jumping all over these beauties!

oh yes, and also: new ravenna's lead design maven, sara baldwin, has started blogging right here:

more gorgeous tiles and info abounding!

the green home center

i finally got a chance to visit the green home center on polk street and am so glad i did! this is a very inspiring place for me because ever since i did a school project on designing a green design center i've been dreaming about being able to own one. it was fabulous to see one up and running and doing really well. the green home center is a co-op of many different green-oriented businesses from contractors & interior designers to home-related products & other services. there are cabinet makers, upholstery & rug makers, solar engineers, tile & countertop farbicators, flooring manufacturers, led lighting, and so much more. really if you're at all interested in anything sustainable for your home or office you must stop in and check them out. what's more, the people working there are extremely knowledgeable and helpful ~ not pretentious in the least, which is a relief after spending so much time at the sf design center where i'm perpetually unimpressed with the sales people's attitudes. but that is a tangent not worth digging in to.... anyway, i'm just on the cusp of starting my own green design business {admitting it here is kind of intimidating, but i'll just take the leap and say it anyway!} and spending time at the green home center was thoroughly uplifting and encouraging. i hope you'll stop in and visit them soon too. if you do please tell them studio wellspring sent you and then let me know what you think!

a mosaic of spain

last month i went to the macy's annual flower show to see the transformation and enjoy the visual splendor. they always go all-out for these shows, and this was no exception. the theme "a mosaic of spain" was thoroughly displayed throughout the store showcasing flora, food, decor & style from all regions of spain. set against the backdrop of thousands of blooms and citrus, olive and cypress trees, tons of bright colors, gorgeous patterns, and enticing displays kept me absorbed for at least an hour as i wandered through every floor to see what was around each corner.

for the 2 weeks long event macy's hosted cooking demonstrations, concerts, fashion shows and, most importantly, spectacular floral arrangements. i took a ton of photos and chose a few of my favorites to share here. feel free to jump over to my flickr album to see the rest.

"feng shui" to the hilt

last year the design firm i work for completed a project for an apartment atop a prominent san francisco hotel. any associates who wanted a tour before the clients moved in were given permission. so we decided to make it a group thing and all went over together, just as some of the finishing touches were being completed by the contractors. the principle designer on the project and the project lead came along to give us the tour. it is the type of place you wouldn't want to see without a tour guide. and it's the kind of place only few people ever get to experience. now there is no doubt of the over-the-topness here, but i still think it's interesting to see what detailed design acumen & excellent craftmanship can come up with when the client is demanding a plush, psychadelic, disneyland, feng-shui dream house. for the sake of brevity i'm only posting a few photos here, so please feel free to jump to my flickr album for the full tour.

{the kitchen in lime green painted wood paneling with many reflective surfaces. custom island with clear glass top and custom range with built in wok, grill & steamer}

{the love-vibe purple entertainment room with a custom heart-shaped chaise for two, custom carpet to match, and a 5-screen built-in entertainment center with a small stage just in front for those wild karaoke party nights}

{the master bathroom is all emerald and sparkle ~ the mosaic silver floor tiles were installed in a custom pattern designed to match the facade of the building in the view; a chakra shower bar, tons of body jets, and a body blow dryer in the massive shower room; and the biggest custom tub i've ever seen with my own eyes includes an infinity edge that overlooks the city}

{four celestial ceilings ~ in the double high living room, in the sunny laundry room, in the ultra-futuristic breakfast nook, and in the powder room made to look like a back porch }

masculine baths

i haven't blogged about my work in a while, so i thought today it would be nice to show a couple of baths specifically designed for a masculine aesthetic by a team i got the privelege to work on. these are both in the same house, so the style is very similar. the client wanted a warm yet contemporary feel with natural finishes. once again i don't have professional shots to share, so these not-so-high quality ones will have to do. this residential project was part of a huge team effort, so i wasn't the only person working on these baths by any means.
{ a powder room using the ann sacks mosaic bar tiles on the walls, grey pietra serena limestone countertops and custom vanity & lighting. the bar lights are recessed into the wall so they are flush with the mirror face ~ this creates a picture frame effect for the images being reflected. the faucet is the atrio from grohe in satin nickel and the sink is the garland from kohler}

{this is a full bath utilizing the same custom lighting technique as the bath above in the mirror and fully custom cabinetry. the wall tiles throughout the shower & bath are the waterworks phantom glass tiles. the countertop is riverstone botticino poured resin slab ~ there are stones & shells embedded in it. the sink is from kohler and the faucet is from dornbracht}

heat sensitive

taking a clue from mother nature, there's something intriguing about design technology that allows a shift in the look and feel of a product depending on temperature changes.

{radiator turned off}

{radiator turned on}

heat sensitive wallpaper designed by shi yuan, a chinese designer who graduated from the university of portsmouth in england ~ this was called her "design with life project".

{watercolor tiles when cold}

{water color tiles when hot}

one of many designs of heat sensitive tiles made by moving color, where they enable temperature to change your visual experience of an interior environment.

coral bourgeois

a little custom tile shop in rhode island, coral bourgeois has some very interesting tile designs ~ the depth of their work is refreshing. they can do entirely custom jobs or you can select from their stock. some of my favorites:

tiles i do like

as a contrast to previously showing off the tiles i don't like, here are some tiles i really really like. to start off i'll highlight two of my favorite tile providers: ann sacks and sicis.

(ann sacks ~ angela adam's forms tile)

(ann sacks ~ heath tile collection in gun metal)

(ann sacks ~ sakura wall tile mural: cherry tree)

(sicis ~ glass3 collection)

(sicis ~ neoglass collection, i like the shape & the shimmer but would prefer it in a warmer hue)

(sicis ~ metalismo collection)

(sicis ~ poshpix collection)

my new bathroom needs your help

i'm moving into a new place soon and although i'm extremely excited about it there is one huge designer challenge looming over my head.

the main guest bath is covered in what i consider the least attractive tiles ever. they are in great condition, and vintage 1960's style, so i can't complain there. but i'm not exactly a fan of pink (i really don't like it actually. and, no, the irony isn't lost on me), so it already had that against it, but the accent backsplash tiles are pretty unfortunate too.

i'm renting so there is only so much i can do. but i am so baffled by the challenge that i don't know where to start. that's why i'm reaching out to you all today with this major designer challenge.
i can paint some nice shade of taupe on the walls to tone down the white-pink contrast. i can go for a parisian-vintage theme and try to live-it-up in a think-pink way. but honestly all i want to do is paint over the top of all of the tiles and start with a neutral clean slate.

have any of you ever painted tiles? how did that turn out for you?
any great ideas for other ways i can solve this conundrum?
please help a design girl in distress!

{the shower ~ nice pepto-pink & white combo}

{the vanity ~ stained wood base with white tile countertop, pink surrounding tiles and a backsplash that really deserves a close-up ......}

.

{the close up ~ teal & periwinkle little daisies on an off-white background, surrounded by the pink abyss. sigh. i guess i just need to increase my appreciation for the 1960's bathroom design aesthetic}

.

{this is a pink tiled bathroom i re-vamped for a house flip project. the 1950's tiles had to stay for budget reasons but i painted the walls & changed out the fixtures to modernize it. this i could certainly live with. but my new bath has those contrasting backsplash tiles too. yikes!}

get in line

{the stripe dining table from 3 square design ~ clean lines hold down a vibrant stripe in a white lacquer inlay, and your choice of walnut, cherry, or maple. found at architonic}

{light and pretty, the sanur table lamp from fusion z with hand-blown glass accents and walnut trim is shown with the multitonal striped shade. found at stone gate designs}

{the stacked 5-ball lamp from cbk home ~ its stem resembling a turned post, glimmers with a polished-silver finish and vertically striped jewel-embroidered shade}

{glass tiles with stripe patterns inside ~ artfully created by the u.k. team at smashing time design, mike phipps and sarah holliday}


{malachite and chunki munki rugs from loophouse ~ incredibly tactile, extra thick pile, for that luxurious feeling underfoot}

{a plethora of vibrant black & white stripe motifs from missoni home}

{interesting furniture from interior crafts - here is their 0274-end table and 0276-cocktail table. glass appears to float in these studies of line and contrast, and comes with an optional stripe of silver leaf}

two lovely erthereal semi-transparent curtain patterns by kinnasand - a swedish textile company:

{tven}

{flirt}

brentano fabrics makes tons of pretty fabrics. here is their sheer stripe offerring:

{diaphanous ribbons ~ comes in 3 fairy tale color ways: aurora, snow white and cinderella}