Design & Lifestyle Blog

17 Sep ’11

A Piece From Heaven: Massaya Vineyards In Lebanon | Travel

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I can’t believe it took me this long to finally visit the restaurant and vineyards at Massaya in Taanayel, Lebanon. The funny part, is that I am originally from an area very near by and my parents live 5 minutes away, yet this summer was the first time I visit this lovely place. Upon arrival I was surprised by the number of tourists who have discovered this gem, many of which were from the GCC.

Located in the heart of the Bekaa valley, Massaya has one of the most popular vineyards in Lebanon. The name “Massaya” means Twilight in Lebanese, and due to the royal blue color of the sky when the sun sets behind Mount Lebanon, they decided to create their signature “Arak” bottle which is a beautiful elongated and very elegantly designed blue bottle. Arak, by the way, is a popular alcoholic drink in Lebanon and specially in the Bekaa Valley where anis seeds are added after the grapes are fermented and distilled; in Massaya’s case the anis seeds used are organic. The area where Massaya’s Arak is fermented is magical, you will see the photos below.

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We arrived at the restaurant “Le Relais” which is located in the middle of the vineyard, you have to walk a bit to reach this charming place where all the food is cooked and prepared by housewives of neighboring villages. The menus are set seasonally, and the food was simple and amazing, it was a “back to basics” buffet specific to the Lebanese country side, with dishes like roasted chicken, kibbeh, freekeh, saj  goodies,different types of salads, hommus and mtabbal, and many more. Even the sweets were very simple, all Lebanese themed.

Mr. Ramzi Ghosn, one of the owners and winemakers, was an amazing host who accompanied us throughout our visit making sure we had a great meal and a comprehensive tour of the vineyards, the wine reserves, and the boutique, he even explained to us how the Arak is made and how transparent and proud of their products they are. Massaya is one of the very few places where people have access to the entire place, because they have nothing to hide. Everything is of utmost quality. The barrels where the wine is stored is even imported from France from designated suppliers known for the best finishing.

 

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Massaya export 85% of their production to the USA and Europe, their Rosé wine has been listed as one of the top 10 according to The Independent which was one of the reasons I wanted to try it during my visit. To my bad luck they were out of stock everywhere (due to high demand). I ended up trying their white wine which was lovely and appropriate with the meal and the warm weather.

 

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These are the clay jars where the Arak is stored, such a lovely sight, the aroma of the anis seeds was overwhelming.

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Massaya’s signature blue Arak bottles.

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I wasn’t planning on writing much, I’s rather allow you to enjoy the photos accompanied with bits and pieces of information. I really hope you liked them.

Ramzi Ghosn is very well into social media, you can find Massaya on  Facebook and Twitter. In addition to that, their blog and website are updated regularly with images, events, and historical information on wine and the Bekaa Valley. You can spend hours on the website learning about the art of wine making and its history.

I HIGHLY recommend you visit Massaya and enjoy the experience, you will be glad you did.

Thank you Ramzi for an unforgettable day, I will be visiting again very soon, that’s for sure!

16 Sep ’11

The Hollywood Hills Dream Home | Architecture

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In a very exclusive area known to house properties for the rich and famous, lies this breathtaking residence. This 4,000 square foot property is located in the famous Hollywood hills and is worth almost $10,000,000. I actually think it is totally worth it. Not only does it overlook amazing views, the finishes, the furniture, and the landscaping is of the highest quality.

This residence has 4 bedrooms, five bathrooms, home theater, and a beautiful garden with an infinity pool overlooking a beautiful cityscape. Brands used were B&B Italia, Poliform (kitchen and cabinets), Gaggenau, Sub Zero, Crestron, Dornbracht faucets and Caesar stone countertops in the kitchen, Boffi accessories and fixtures, Antonio Lupi and Paola Lenti outdoor furnishings. Finishes include American Walnut floors, terrazzo, and Macassar Ebony.In addition to that, there are i-pod docks in all rooms, integrated CCTV, exterior speakers and the home theatre professional 3DLP HD projector. A beautiful art installation – “Sprout” by Nancy Braver – dominates the back yard landscape.

All extra information is listed on the property’s website. Check 9010 Hopen for more info.

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When Street Art And Food Meet | Restaurant Design

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In Miami, specifically Wynwood Walls Park, Tony Goldman offered the exterior of the buildings owned by Goldman Properties to international artists selected by New York gallery Deitch Projects. What was once just a warehouse, is now plastered inside out with street art of different styles and themes. Goldman’s daughter, Jessica, came up with the idea of turning one of the warehouses into a restaurant, Wynwood Kitchen & Bar. The restaurant finishes were mediocre, but the installations and transformation of the space was beautiful and well done. The restaurant is an attraction for hundreds of artists especially that Miami is popular for the Art Basel Miami Beach that takes place annually.

The difficulty in the transformation was not harming the murals specially when they were deciding where the location of the door and other major elements would be. When that happened, the artists would help out and incorporate the functional elements within the mural.

“Wynwood Walls will be getting six more murals before Art Basel 2011. But the park itself, which consists of a few re­purposed tractor tires, some blacktop, and some grass, will never get any fancy landscaping. "This is Wynwood," Samson says. "We’re not going to Disneyland it up." That means no birds-of-paradise and no palm trees.”

 

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Designed by : James Samson

 

Interior Design Magazine

15 Sep ’11

Minimalist Luxury in Cape Town | Residential Design

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Designing this house had to be a very tough task. As simple and minimal as everything looks, the idea of incorporating the exterior into the interior this smoothly requires a good eye and talent. The owner wanted the entire 335 sq.m to overlook the sea, after all who wouldn’t want to take full advantage of this breathtaking view . This house is occupied by a single person who regularly has guests over, thus you can feel there are areas more public than others, yet all open and embracing the beautiful nature surrounding it. This house is located in Camp Bay, Cape Town, Africa and designed by Luis Mira Architects.

The architect used neutral materials that allowed a contrast to the very rich landscape surrounding it, thus allowing the exterior to be easily invited into the interior. Such simplicity is a perfect example of how minimal design could be so luxurious when addressed properly. Enjoy the photos below.

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14 Sep ’11

Mont Blanc Pays Tribute To Princess Grace Of Monaco With Limited Edition Collection| Luxury

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Grace Kelly was a role model to millions. Her celestial beauty, stunning elegance and calm demeanor defined the 1950s and illustrated the covers of magazines all over the world. She had a signature style that embraced her films and private life. She was one of the foremost talents of her generation. Providing for new talent was a defining principle throughout her lifetime. She encouraged many emerging artists, from different creative disciplines, to pursue their career ambitions.

 

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Montblanc is helping Princess Grace further with her royal endeavors World Premiere of the Montblanc “Collection Princesse Grace de Monaco” that will support her artistic Princess Grace Foundation. The collection features three unique fine jewelry sets, timepieces and writing instruments that reflect her style and persona. The launch event saw big names like Naomi Watts, Daryl Hannah, Jerry Hall, Olivia Palermo, Johannes Huebl, Emmanuelle Béart, Franziska Knuppe, Elsa Pataky along with the royal family. The event also saw Montblanc donated $1 Million to the Princess Grace Foundation USA.

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13 Sep ’11

Fender Introduces The Kurt Cobain Jaguar Guitar | Music

 

For the the 20th anniversary of the iconic Nevermind album of Nirvana,Fender® introduces one of its most distinctive signature models ever, the Kurt Cobain Jaguar®-meticulously modeled on the battered and highly unusual 1965 Jaguar that Cobain wielded during the heady early-’90s era when Nirvana ruled rock and led a musically stunning and culturally subversive movement.

Fender craftsmen have reproduced Cobain’s battle-hardened left-handed Jaguar down to the last unusual detail, including its worn finish, dual hum bucking pickups and unique electronics and controls (which were already in place when Kurt acquired the guitar in summer 1991).

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Unique features include an alder body with Road Worn aged finish and hardware treatment, bound fretboard with pearloid dot markers, Stratocaster headstock shape with 1950s-style “spaghetti” logo, DiMarzio® humbucking DP103 PAF 36th Anniversary neck pickup and DP100 Super Distortion bridge pickup, triple knurled “chrome-dome” knob configuration (volume-volume-tone), three-position toggle switch, black chrome Adjusto-Matic™ bridge and Gotoh® sealed tuners. Available in right- and left-handed versions.

Accessories include a black textured vinyl hard-shell case and an exclusive Fender Kurt Cobain book with photos and commentary by Charles Peterson and an insightful interview with Nirvana guitar tech Earnie Bailey.

It will be sold for 1820 USD.

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10 Sep ’11

Geometric Illustrations Of Superheroes by Liam Brazier | Art

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Liam Brazier is an illustrator and animator who has been creating illustrations of popular characters using geometric lines. He was noticed at first for the Star Wars illustrations and now presented the superheroes in the same manner but with much more vibrant colors. On his blog he explains part of the process of creating them. I actually loved them as huge pieces of art to be used in any room, the colors

Liam has had illustration and animation work displayed in and at the Dazed & Confused, Creative Review, Design Week, Glastonbury, the Museum of London, London tube platforms, international film festivals & Virgin TV.

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Sneak Peak At Patricia Urquiola For Kettal At Maison & Objet | Outdoor Furniture

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Kettal will be introducing their new line by the Spanish Designer Patricia Urquiola to be launched during Maison & Objet in France this week. These images are a peak of what it looks like, check the video below featuring a glimpse of Urquiola at work!

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From Kettal:

Kettal presents its new collection: Kettal Vieques by Patricia Urquiola. Kettal Vieques is a collection characterized by the combination of an aluminum frame with a new and revolutionary three-dimensional fabric, Nido d’Ape, with exceptional technical features, created especially for this collection and exclusively for Kettal. ‘My intention was to maintain the lateral aluminum double molding but with a seat and back similar to taut netting, a soft and pleasant grid, in three dimensions, which we have achieved after two years of research.’
Kettal Vieques is modular and consists of pieces for the living and dining room.

 

For Inquiry about Kettal Products in Kuwait, contact Pro-contracts on: 2 22 55 45 0. Or visit them at their showroom in Tilal Mall in Shoueikh.

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