Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Portfolio: College Apartment

This is my apartment from my last year of College in London. Almost all of the furnishings were made by Ms. NAMI herself. I also did the art work. Enjoy!

Entrance with foam core collage in the back


Living Room with broken glass art on the left. Wall Tattoo Stickers far back, and China Town room divider. Don't forget the BRUTEAL!


Dining Room with Bar Table and Stools I upholstered. Fabric from Designer Fabrics on Queen West, Toronto.



Peek through of Kitchen; little decor items. My classmate would always laugh at my mirror!


Bathroom avec Marilyn



NAMI..... Inspiration. Imagination. Innovation

Monday, November 22, 2010

Different Roofs & Roof Systems:

When I was in College for Interior Design we had a class called Architectural Elements that taught us the consturction of a building from the ground under to the ground up! A very important factor regarding this is knowing the different types of roofs when constructing a building.

I just wanted to display; so when you are on the raod driving or walking you can identify the various types:




Examples of Roofs:

Flat & Shed combined





Mansard




Grambrel




Gable




Gable with 2 Dormers in front




Butterfly



Boulevard Club in Toronto




...Looks like to me an interior view of a series of Double Inverted Trusses



Roof Plan of Hip Roof



Truss Chart:



NOTE: Truss is structure comprising one or more triangular units constructed with straight members whose ends are connected at joints. External forces and reactions to those forces which are either tensive or compressive.

Ceiling Styles in Common Roof Trusses :

In addition to the many roof options available there are also many different ceiling configurations

1. Cathedral ~ Scissor truss
2. Vaulted
3. Inverted
4. Tray or Coffer
5. Barrel Vaulted
6. Flat


NAMI..... Inspiration. Imagination. Innovation

Design News: Contempory Cocktail Tables

More Design Trends from Designer's Walk! I wanted to post what is new in the Coffee Table world

Introducing: The Bullet


Alexandra Von Furstenberg 's Company, is new and up on the rise with her arcylic furniture collections. She is the step-daughter of Diane Von Frustenberg, fashion designer. I love this table because it really captures the essence of a diamond as a coffee table!

Designer: Alexandra Von Frustenberg
Design: Constructed of 18 clear acrylic panels joined at each of the 18 junctions- nine on top and nine below)

More Images below:

Tinted black..



And clear acrylic



Introducing: La Vetreria Cocktail Table

Designer: La Vetreria, Italy
Additional Info: Available in different heights and colours. There asn't any more info on where to buy and construction, but at least it is good for inspiration!



NAMI..... Inspiration. Imagination. Innovation.

Floor Plans: Architectural Digest

Architectural Digest has a variety of Floor Plans available under the "Designers & Architects" section. A way way to gain inspiration!


A very modern design that appears like 2 floor plans have merged together to create this abstract space. I like! What I have pasted below is from the website regarding the info on the plan:

"Architect Dean Nota gave an austere stucco façade to the Venice, California, livework space he built for Architectural Digest contributing photographer Erhard Pfeiffer, disguising the warmth of the airy, loft-style interior and protecting it from the noise of a high-traffic intersection. Above: He removed an old garage to maximize use of the irregular site, shown in the plan. (October 2008)"



I like the design of this space because the architects thought about designing from the inside out! I really appreciate the large dining room with 2 tables, great for entertaining and dinner parties. From A&D:

"A New York couple hired Shelton, Mindel & Associates to renovate their Central Park West apartment. As they did throughout the 8,500-square-foot residence, the architects opened up the living room to more light and better views. The floor plan, includes the architects’ furniture placements. The 100-foot-long window wall is at the top of the drawing. (April 2008)"





My favourite part about this plan is the site plan and landscaping. I love all the foliage and greenery and am always a fan of stucco! My only thing is the plan is quite small only accommodating 2 bedrooms :s. From A&D:

"Scott Allen, of Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen, took a residence in Port Ludlow, Washington, down to its studs and reimagined it. Of the now double-height entrance, Allen says, “The point of the aperture is to feel as little interruption as possible going from outdoors to indoors,” an idea found throughout the house. Above: The first-floor plan. “Most of our energy was spent reconfiguring the spaces that would become the entrance and the great room,” says the architect. (October 2008)"

Portfolio: Doo Or Dye Studio

I had the privilege of helping owner Tina Alleyne of Doo or Dye Studio Inc. with the Interior Finishes for her Salon. Catering to Hair, Nails, and the Man's Barber- Doo or Dye has it all for the everyday working professional! Please view the below what Doo Or Dye has to offer you!

Doo Or Dye Studio Inc.
833 King St. West Suite 106 (King & Niagara-west of Bathurst)
Toronto, ON M5V 1V6
P 416 603 1366
E mydooordye@gmail.com


Front Facade
Tina, the Hair Artisan herself

Drying Station- A way to conserve space by cantilevering to the wall. Art Directors chairs to give height and purpose.


Styling Station- Modern styling chair with mirror just propped up to wall. FYI: There is also a Barber's Station behind the Nail Station for the Gentlemen!


Washing Station- Sink attached to chair that reclines, all in one! Stainless steel finishes.


Nail Station- For both natural and gel nails with mainly OPI colours.



Waiting Area- To display Tina's work: she does ink and pen drawings; originals and prints for sale!!!



~From the Photo Shoot~ I helped style the models as well! Please check out her Facebook for more images! Doo or Dye Studio Inc.

Overall Theme: Clean, modern, simple, open concept space. We used white to maximize- its roughly around 750 sq ft.

Friday, November 12, 2010

Design News: Modern Modular Seating

When I first started with my interest in the design world I was able to secure a co-op internship with TV Ontario, there I was introduced to Commercial Interior Design. I had the opportunity to work with Quadrangle Architects and Teknion Furniture Systems job shadowing the 2nd floor renovations. With that said, modular seating was of great interest to me because of the hided compartments, casters, and arrangements- to name a few.


Presenting: FreeFlow


Designer: Gordon Guillaumier for Moroso
Construction: Hardwood frame with polyester fiberfill covering. Base- varnished black or white steel. Feet- chrome glossy white or black varnished aluminum.
Upholstery: Kvadrant wool that is flame retardant polyurethane foam with 2 strips- 1 for the backrest and the other for the seat.
Additional Info: 8 piece sofa, front and back bend and flip to preference. Modular seating so one can position the height desired by the glides that are located on the top of the feet.

More Pic's of Different Configurations:






Presenting: DNA



Manufacturer: Teknion
Purpose: Interchangeable square seating units, movable backs, and portable laptop tables for commercial spaces to maximize work productivity.
Finishes: Upholstery- wool or leather in orange, khaki, or charcoal. Tabletops- natural veneer, walnut, and cherry. Bases- polished aluminum or painted.
Additional Info: Greenguard certification for indoor air quality and also available customized sustainable upholstery options.

More Pics:





Presenting: Grato


Designer: Brunner from Germany.
Applications: For conference rooms, airports, in the office/ reception, or a theatre.
Purpose: Series of modular waiting furniture programmed for maximum maneuverability.
Additonal Info: Various forms of stools, benches, easy chairs, and two- or three-seaters available in this style.

TENTH ENTRY: Spain, Hispano-Moorish

NOTE: Around 700 CE - 1800 CE


Above Great Mosque of Cordoba, the dome in front of the mihrab.


*SYNOPSIS OF HISTORY: The Moors were Islamic people from North Africa (now today Morocco and surrounding area) who captured the Christian sates of Iberia in 711 AD, where they maintained control until 1492. In 1085 King Alfonso of Aragon and Navarre captured the city of Toledo from the Moors and began a long struggle to push them out of Spain. In 1492 the kingdom of Granada (the last one) of the Moors fell to the Christians, where foreign influence came from 2 Royal Families: the Hapsburgs from Austria who ruled from 1516-1700 and Bourbons from France who ruled from 1700-20th century.

*GEOGRAPHY & INFLUENCE: Spain and Portugal both culturally influenced this period. Portugal freed herself from the Moorish control in 1140, 3 1/2 centuries before Spain. Portugal's contacts abroad included India and China, whereas Spain's were largely in the Netherlands and America. The Moorish influence is thus less strong in Portugal than in Spain, while the Eastern influence is far stronger in Portugal. Officially Spain was unified for centuries under a single king's rule, but politically it long remained a collection of small states within the winkles of its topography.

Map of Moorish period, North ^


*RELIGION: The 2 main religions were Islam and Christianity who experienced violent struggles between each other. Spanish design combines both influences, but Spain was dominated by the Roman Catholics who displayed this in the architecture of their churches along with interiors and decoration. A main example of this would be the medieval church of Santiago da Compostela.


Above ^ Santiago de Compostela Church



*The Islamic faith encouraged rich design in other ways with (at times) forbidding the use of the human figure and other natural forms in decoration; this encouraged intricate geometry and multiplicity of small motifs in flat patterns. The greatest of Spanish mosques is the one at Cordoba, it is larger than any Christian church built.


ARCHITECTURE AND INTERIORS:


Roughly followed the same progression styles of Italy with more complexities at times moving back and forth between very ornate and very plain styles. There were many different styles during this period, I will touch on all 6.


1. Hispano-Moorish Style (700-1400)

Main developments in design:

* horse shoe arch, pointed arch
* high ceilings, busy patterns and colourful
* walls: ornamentation detailed and bumpy, wainscoting
* scalloped arch: broken outline with half moon design

Exterior bird's eye view of Cordoba, one can see the arches*



*See the ornamental detailing on the facade of the building, exhibiting Moorish design and style.



*Horse shoe arch








Interior:
Interior of the 2 -tired arches of the Great Mosque, Cordoba.


*Scalloped arches


The two-tired arches


In the Great Mosque of Cordoba, the dome in front of the mihrab



2. Mudejar & Christian Gothic (1250-1500)

The Moors we no longer the powerful rulers at this time resulting in eastern and western styles combined. The 2 groups were now the Mudejars (Moors who converted to Christianity) and the Mozarabs (Arab rule) who both shared characteristics of Islamic and Christianity cultures. First started with Romanesque styles then later on Gothic*

Aerial view, La Mota Castle, Medina del Compo, 15th century.

* Romanesque influence from Christian believers
* Round turrets, inner rectangular towers
* Interior Courtyard 3 floors high


The Court of the Lions in the Alhambra, Granada

* Gothic influence & style
* Moorish decorative materials and patterns
* Fused styles of Islamic & Gothic


Baths in Gerona, built in 1194 and restored a century later

* Communal baths for religious complexes; ritual ablutions and cleanliness
* Also referred to as hammam meaning hot steam bath that were modeled after the Romans
* Elements included an entrance hall, domed roof (with small glazed windows), and a hot room with a pool



Gothic Vaulting in the cathedral of Seville, almost 100 ft. above finished floor

History:
* Built on the site of a grand Almohad Mosque
* The original Tower, the Giralda still occupies the site standing at 197 feet height built in the 12 century as the mosque's minaret
* Took more than a century to build
* Third largest cathedral in the world (St. Peter's on Rome being the largest)
* Holds the tomb of Christopher Columbus

Design Traits:
* Divided into a nave with double aisles
* 32 large clustered piers
* Stained glass windows with bright bold colours
* Between ribs on the ceiling are fields of textured projected bosses or pendant ornaments (typically used at the intersections of the ribs)
* The rejas or iron grills are highly decorated
* The retablos (alter screens) are great examples of medieval woodwork





Exterior view of Seville Cathedral



3. Renaissance Style: Platerseco (1500-1556)

Spain and Portugal were powerful influences on design and with Queen Isabella I ruling, she was an inspiration for a certain decor style. The development of covering wide surfaces with rich, small scale ornamentation was in demand. This taste came from 2 origins: the myriad details of Moorish decor and the wealth of exotic goods (Isabella funded) from foreign countries like America that Columbus sought out. We will see an influence of Gothic arches, architectural features from Arabia and India, and marine ornaments from Portugal's seafaring destiny.

Sacristy doors and adjacent pilasters in an anteroom of the chapter house of the Cathedral of Toledo. This displays the Plateresco style, carved by Gregorio Pardo in 1549.

Design Traits:
* Decorative precious metals designed in a style called platero
* Ornaments include: heraldic shields, portrait medallions
* Italian motifs: rinceau, acanthus leaf, and anthemion

The Plateresco Style was primarily used for exterior architectural treatments like: patios, formal rooms in churches and public buildings, and for furniture and accessory design.

*Famous Architect of this time- Sebastiano Serlio


4. Renaissance Style: Desornamentado

The meaning of this style "ornamented" unlike Plateresco that was over the top. Desornamentado was a powerful style that was characterized by austerity. The style was limited to court, ecclesiastical (churches, etc.), and public buildings. It was never considered fully suitable for domestic use. Plain surfaces appeared with refined proportions. *NOTE: There are not too many examples of this design that is opposite of its preceding, Plateresco.

* A monument of this era is the El Escorial, built by Hapsburg ruler Philip II. The Hapsburg were the ruling house of Austria, who had gained control of the Spanish throne.

Bird's eye view of El Escorial, near Madrid

Design Details:
* Hardly matched for its plainness and simplicity because of new rulers
* Built of solid gray granite
* Measurements of building are 570 ft x 740 ft
* Architect: Juan Bautista de Toledo but was completed by his assistant Juan de Herrera in 1584

Floor plan of El Escorial


Interior of Nave


The famous library inside

Design Traits of Desornamentado:
NOTE: These traits are found in the private apartments of Phillip II
* Door & window frames in a pale gray marble
* Floors are clay tile
* Walls are whitewashed
* Wainscoting of glazed Talavera tile

^Above is the only example I could find of the Desornamentado Style. This is one of Phillp II's room.



5. Baroque Style: Churrigueresco

This is style expresses the Spanish character at its most passionate because of its riotous enrichment. Influenced by France and England with the extravagant Baroque and Rococo Styles; the name Churrigueresco came from a family of sculptors, wood carvers, and architects named Churriguera. This style was known for its surface decoration rather than structural changes. Main features were applied to exterior doorways and church retables ( decorative screens or panels behind alters). It reached some houses where it was more seen in the furniture and accessories.


The Transparente retable of the Cathedral of Toledo, designed by Narciso Tomé added to the cathedral in 1721-32.


Design Traits:
NOTE: Baroque known to be more of a "heavy" design style
* Nude figures (made from plaster) appeared under heavy clouds called Cherubim & Seraphim
* Silver Tortoise shells and ivory inlays for wall decor.
* Doric capitals now sprouted Corinthian acantus leaves
* Columns with angel heads along the shafts and capitals
* Bronze sunbeams & marble figures sweeping upwards near a large window in the cathedrals vault
* Fresco work as well
* Theme- DRAMA and HIGH ENERGY

6. Rococo & Neoclassical Styles:

Known as more light (in weight and colour) and feminine but still highly decorated as the Baroque Churrigeuresco style. Influenced by France with "C" shaped & "S" shaped curves.* Architect of style: Juan de Villaneuva


Porcelain Room in Madrid's Palacio Real, surfaced with Rococo porcelain plaques. Interior Designers: Filippo Juvarra & Giovanni Battista Sacchetti. Architect: Francesco Sabbatini.

The Gasparini Room in the Palacio Real, designed by Matteo Gasparini


MOORISH FURNITURE:




Frailero:
* Used frequently in monasteries aka the Monk's Chair & "modern" Dante chair from Italy
* Wooden frame of square rectangular members, sometimes with turnings
* Back separate from seat and commonly upholstred in leather with embroidery with tack heads


Spainish Bed:
* Both made with and without corner posts
* Fabric valences: silk damask with fringes and tassels
* Headboards sometimes elaboratly painted
* Carved with a pattern of intricate scrolls



Vargueno:

* Storage chest (for papers, valuables) with hinged lid to fold down into a desk
* Wood trestle base, turned legs with wrought-iron fiadores
* Inlayed patterns made of ivory, mother of pearl, and wood


MOORISH DECORATION:


Yeseria: Stuccowork around and within arches. Above ^ at the Alcarzar Palace, Seville



Artesonado: woodwork on the ceilings of the family dining room of Seville's Alcazar Palace

Carpet with arabesque design.

***Next History Period Style: France -Renaissance to Neoclassical