white with a splash

Could a bathroom be more chic?
LOVE the "tambo" sink, in synthetic resin designed by Sergio Rochas ADORE the white version of the "pan" faucets by Ludovica + Roberto Palomba or "tara" by Dornbracht (amazing in black as well, but that didn't match the title of the post!)

sand painting in chelsea

I was walking around Chelsea today with my friend Michale when we saw Wayne Coe on 22nd st, across the street from the Chelsea Museum, sand painting on the sidewalk. It was sort of windy but the sand he's using is a heavy sort (the one they spray on buildings) so it wasn't flying away, but it's obviously ephemeral, it will probably be completely gone by tomorrow. What he was reproducing (see in his hand) was an old gay porn movie flyer. Chelsea was the heart of the gay porn industry before it turned into the art gallery and exclusive fashion store neighbourhood it is now (Balenciaga and comme des garcons are on that block). That's why the sand: a little wind makes one community go away... yes... gone with the wind, I had to say it.
It was 4pm when we met him and he'd been working on this since 10am, I loved his white shirt and tie, and he was extremmely nice and happy to talk about his art. Very nice encouter.
If you want to know more, go see his website www.waynecoe.com or contact Robyn Perry at (518) 392 2469

jan feliks kallwejt

Amazing, absolutely love it!
I discovered Jan Felitz Kallwejt on notcot.com (where else??). He's a young graphic designer/illustrator, officially my favorite!!

much more on his website

paint by pixel

A new product from Urban Outfitters: paint by pixel ($20). I haven't tried it but it's tempting...

euro condoms

I just learnt about the new rule to ban the light bulbs in the EU, starting with the frosted ones in Sept 2009. Find out more in this article of LEDs magazine.
Well, this Ingo Maurer's answer to it: the euro condom! He revealed it during design week in Milan. I found it on designboom.
What do you think?

just scan it!

Just spoted these scanlike photos in the last Urban Outfitters catalog.
I just wish (so bad) that this was my idea, it's so smart and so perfect for fashion accessories - would work great for small home accessory too...

baby black

Black is the new baby blue!
It's getting easier to find cool design for babies.
1 - bloombaby black fresco loft high chair - modern nursery $499, yoyamart $500
2 - bloom coco lounger - yoyamart $350
3 - cat cat cat - yoyamart $23
4 - alphabet zoo re-stik - blik $35
5 - stokke classic tripp trapp high chair - modern nursery $250
6 - baby top havaianas - havaianas $19
7 - yoyamart chalkboard-magnetic paint - yoyamart $35 a quart (12.5 sqf)
8 - vitra panton junior - inhabit $153
9 - monte design ninna nanna bassinet - yoyamart $395

worksite inspired

Maybe I spent too much time in my father's workshop, but I LOVE the industrial look, especially mixed with clean and polished...
I love #1 for how simple it is, and I always had a crush on worksite lamps like #2 (cleaned up version). #3 is the most brilliant radiator I've ever seen: you can leave it hung like that or drag part of it where you're hanging out for extra heat!! love love love.
Most of these could be cool DIY projects, especially if you have the same thrill as me walking down the plumbing isle of Home Depot!

1 - tap hanger from junktion starting at 100 euros
2 - work lamp from Form us with love - ScandinavianDesignCenter ($132.98)
3 - Ciussai radiator from Ad Hoc - world style design (1,520 euros)
4 - Seen in the April issue ELLE decoration - supermarket cart painted glossy white (DIY)
5 - light plumbing from Claus Bjerre, ed. Danish Crafts (75 euros at Home autour du monde in Paris)
6 - towel hanger from junktion
7 - Medito wall lamp - made in design (68 euros)
8 - chanukah lamp from junktion

1, 3, 4, 5 seen in the april 09 issue of Elle Decoration
Home autour du monde 8 rue des francs bourgeois, Paris 3eme 01 42 77 06 08

spring palette

I'm usually not a big fan of the color green, especially in home decor, but this palette in the French Elle Decoration stopped me, and so did this kitchen in the Elle Deco UK (both april 09 issues).

If you like it, here's a little selection of kitchen stuff to get you started!

1- Imperial treillis wall covering from Schumacher
2- E27 pendant lamp - Scandinavian center ($63.30)
3- Picco Lucci - Conrad shop ($16)
4- Unison Larch Moss table linen - Design Public ($40-$98)
5- Jensen bowl set - ScandinavianDesignCenter ($36)
6- Deluxe - moss ($120 for 16 pces)
7- Aval Aalto dual color vase - moss ($215)
8- Marc Newson's Dom Perignon champagne cooler - moss
9- Carribean Blue Le Creuset French ovens - sur la table ($184.95-$269.95)
10- Pantone mugs - Heliotrope ($11.95 ea)
11- Hook up wall Hook - Conrad Shop ($4.50)
12- Lizz Chair - Conrad Shop ($285)

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This post reminds me of these shots I did for Tozai Home, a few years back:
click on the image to see more of my work!

sunprint

I remember my mother always finding the cool toys for my sister and I to play outside. The sunprint kit was one of them and I was thrilled to find it again at the DWR soho store ($18). The exact same kit!! (see below for other places to buy)
Last Saturday was beautiful and we had friends over for a barbecue, so with the help of my little friend Clara 3, I re-discovered the pleasure of sunprinting. Here's the first round of a summer long serie!

1- You place objects on the sheet (I cut it in pieces so we'd get more prints in the end). They recommend finding flat objects and they provide an acrylic sheet to keep everything flat, but we did use 3D objects to play with the shadows.

2- You wait (that's the hardest part) from 1 min to 5 min depending on the sun, the blue paper starts to turn white.
3- You rinse and voila!

We decided to create frames for our works of art. The paper being very thin, it also gives some structure without having to properly frame it. I cut a cardboard box, and Clara and I decorated them with blue only pencils and markers (to stick with the blue theme) and I double-side-taped the prints. See the final product below.
Better priced at the Laurence Hall of Science ($14.95 and many options - refills only etc), and great examples there.
Right now on sale on Amazon.com for $11.95

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Have fun!

urban twist on delftware

I rarely blog about 1 item, but this set from Lovegrove & Repucci - NYC delft - is that good it deserves to be on its own.
You can buy it on their website, or at Clio in Soho, and also at Future Perfect ($100) in Williamsburg, two of my top shopping spots.



Here's a classic Delft plate for those of you who aren't familiar - just a good opportunity to review the classics !
Here's the link to the wikipedia page for Delftware if you're interested.

Tangled Alphabets

If you haven't already, go see Leon Ferrari and Mira Schendel's Tangled Alphabets at Moma. Very inspiring.

Above: detail of Cuadro Escrito (written painting) by Leon Ferrari
Below: Leon Ferrari (left) Mira Schendel (right)

homemade look

We all know the American Apparel ads. Forget the porn aspect for a second, just look at the "homemade" feel: like you could have shot it yourself with your point-and-shoot.
Well, I've been noticing more and more of this style of photography in magazines and billboard lately.

Spring break editorial in ELLE US May09Marc by Marc Jacobs and Vans adds

American Apparel images from their website

Some might think it's because of the economy: no elaborate lighting and expensive digital equipment, maybe just get an HOLGA (see my hello lomo! post) and the accountant can shoot it right here in the office!
Well, no offense to the accountant, but that's really not the best choice: there's a real difference between a "homemade look" which is controlled, tasteful (sometimes),consistent and plain homemade.
So yes, we still need professional photographers and mostly art directors (wink wink) by the way, check out my portfolio if you haven't in a while.

poladroid

I just discovered Poladroid -a polaroid making software- in Ready Made's blog.
You drag a jpg on the polaroid camera on your desktop and it transforms it into a polaroid, with the darker edges, the color shifts (even from one pola to the next with the same image).
It's as realistic as can be, it makes the oh-so-familiar noise, and you have to wait for the image to appear... You even have to reload the software after 10 photos!! Download it here, it's free.



I know it's cheating, it doesn't replace the real thing, but that said, it's fun.

all photos by me !

painting Veuve Clicquot

The iconic champagne brand gets painted by Florence Deygas for their new add campaign. The year's seasons and events illustrated with her stylish line drawings - uh I mean line paintings - to remind us that Veuve Clicquot is the best accessory for any occasion.

Florence Deygas was born in France in 1965, she studied film animation in the reknown Ecole des Gobelins in Paris. She's famous for the now iconic dog duo for Colette (Paris), and Winney the animated cow.
Florence Deygas had already collaborated with Veuve Clicquot earlier, she did a charity auction organised by the brand in Japan and a calligraphic installation for Veuve Clicquot's Starlight Yellow event in NYC.
Here are a few photos taken in her studio while she was working on the Veuve Clicquot project. See her work on her websites addadog.com and kuntzeldeygas.com.

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Illustration in advertising is definitely a new trend (which is also as old as advertising itself), probably because we're saturating with all these photos of "perfect" people telling us what to buy... it's so refreshing to go back to art.
Hermes made the same choice:

...and also (more modestly) I did it for the Cupcakes & Cartwheels catalogs.
It actually wasn't planned at all: I had received the items early and we had to shoot them right away, as I didn't have any props, I decided to draw them all. It went so well that it became the identity of the brand. The cheapest set I have ever created!

hello lomo!

I love love love my digital cameras, including my iphone for more low-tech looking images, but right now I'm absolutely craving a lomographic camera. These "toy" cameras that allow you to control close to nothing, with their very limited settings (click here for more info). They've been around for many years, but they're exploding right now.
I wish it had just magically come to me and that I was the first to share it with the world but no, it's already a huge phenomenon, and the Moma store, Urban Outfitters and Colette in Paris already caught the wave, they all carry the Holga, the fish eye or the Diane F, and many fun accessories...
Here's a mini gallery of lomo images:

Here's a short ad with the golden rules: the main one "don't think, just shoot"



To get your own: Momastore, Lomographic Society, Urban Outfitters, Colette. Starting at $59.
I'm still debating whether to get a Holga or a Diane F, I'll keep you posted maybe with a little gallery of images...

Look: I used a Holga as a prop 2 years ago for a Two's Company shoot. Maybe I did catch the wave early after all!

photography: Arthur Belebeau