Design & Lifestyle Blog

Villa Kian in Iran | Minimalist Residence Design

Those who know me as a designer know how much I appreciate traditional design, yet the style I am passionate about is the minimal modern. To see such a structure in Iran, a country known for and rich in culture and history is magnificent!

Villa Kiani is located in Mohammad Shahr region, near Karaj city, Iran. The 500sq.m residence has a 4000 sq.m garden and was designed by Makan Rahmanian and Kamran Heirati. The volumes of this villa along with the beautiful planes of the garden complement the high ceilings and high glass facades. Everything is minimal, yet luxurious through the use of the finishes and the sleek architectural lines.

Continue reading “Villa Kian in Iran | Minimalist Residence Design”

14 Jan ’11

Famous People Portraits by Ljosha | Art

Alexey (Ljosha) Kurbatov is a Moscow-based graphic designer, illustrator, photographer, and artist with a unique style. I came across his work on The Cool Hunter and loved it. Something about the quality of the lines, the colors, the classiness in his portraits just caught my attention.

Continue reading “Famous People Portraits by Ljosha | Art”

13 Jan ’11

Salvador Dali Museum Opens on 11.1.11 11:11

“ Each morning when I awake, I experience again a supreme pleasure – that of being Salvador Dali.” Salvador Dali

On a date that would have been perfect for the famous artist Salvador Dali, a museum holding his name and works opens in St. Petersburg, Florida. HOK, along with Beck Group, has designed a new museum with an architecture greatly inspired by the great surrealist, “combines elements of the classical and the fantastical,” according to the director of the museum. The design speaks to the essence of Dalí while incorporating functional elements to combat Florida’s tough weather.

The new $36 million, 66,450-square-foot museum Dali Museum houses more of the artist’s works than any other museum outside Spain, including a permanent collection of 96 oil paintings (including the 8 masterworks), 125 drawings and watercolors, 2,500 prints and photographs, 250 objets d’art, and a 5,000 book library.

While the concrete protects the art, this “treasure box” is broken and disrupted by the organic, triangulated glass “Enigma.” The glass is seen as “contrast between the rational world of the conscious and the more intuitive, surprising natural world” – a recurring theme of Dalí’s work.

Continue reading “Salvador Dali Museum Opens on 11.1.11 11:11”

12 Jan ’11

Eiffel Tower A French Beauty | Icons

Life has a beautiful slide show of the Eiffel tower’s history and what it has passed through since it was being constructed. An Icon so strong it has become the symbol of an an entire country. I will leave you enjoy the images and their description. You can check the original slide show here.

11 Jan ’11

How to Add Blue to Your Space the Minotti Way

Minotti presented their “Senza Tempo” collection last April put together by the famous Rodolfo Dordoni who has been coordinating their collections since 1997. The surprise in this collection was the emphasis on the Cobalt Blue color, an approach not usually taken by the minimalistic designs of Minotti. The way they introduced the blue gives us an idea on how to introduce such a bold color without losing the classy and neutral ambience often known as Minotti’s signature.

Continue reading “How to Add Blue to Your Space the Minotti Way”

10 Jan ’11

Swirls of Emotion by Leah Durner | Paintings

Leah Durner is an American artist known for her painting that embody strong emotions, translated through the strong colors and swirls of paint. The colors are vibrant, the mood is refreshing yet very emotional, you can’t ignore their beauty. When I cam across her collection, I couldn’t but keep staring, the way the colors are intertwined yet not losing their color and identity is magnificent. I loved every single one of them. Enjoy the selection!

Continue reading “Swirls of Emotion by Leah Durner | Paintings”

8 Jan ’11

CastaDiva Hotel at Lake Como | Hotel Design

Lake Como has long been known a luxury retreat for celebrities like George Clooney and Madonna. The beautiful lake is bordered by both the countryside of Italy and the mountains of Switzerland.

CastaDiva is a newly renovated hotel designed by interior designer Erasmo Figini, which recently opened its doors to posh travelers who are in search for a romantic Italian get away. This hotel is of 18th century architecture, all decorative elements are of classic style yet the interior is modernized with a hip spa and bright colored furniture and finishes.

Continue reading “CastaDiva Hotel at Lake Como | Hotel Design”

7 Jan ’11

Komb House Cairo by Karim Rashid| Concept Design

Karim Rashid, one of the most prolific designers of his generation, having worked in over 35 countries, with over 3,000 designs in production and over 300 awards under his belt has designed the ‘Ideal Home’ named KOMB HOUSE.

KOMB HOUSE by Karim Rashid is a smart and environmentally sustainable home concept and based on the design versatility. It also features the domino hobs and ovens from the collection Gorenje designed by Karim Rashid.

The interior of the KOMB HOUSE is composed of four spaces that represent our main activities: Play, Eat, Sleep and Cleanse. The house layout flows from the central pool and expands to four quadrants making up the living room, bathroom, bedroom and dining room. The kitchen is merged with the formal dining room and breakfast area. The ‘origami’ kitchen unit features a concealed fridge and two built-in Gorenje ovens.

Continue reading “Komb House Cairo by Karim Rashid| Concept Design”