William Morris

Article from Wikipedia

William Morris (24 March 1834 – 3 October 1896) was an English architect, furniture and textile designer, artist, writer, socialist and Marxist associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and the English Arts and Crafts Movement. Morris wrote and published poetry, fiction, and translations of ancient and medieval texts throughout his life. His best-known works include The Defence of Guenevere and Other Poems (1858), The Earthly Paradise (1868–1870), A Dream of John Ball and the utopian News from Nowhere. He was an important figure in the emergence of socialism in Britain, founding the Socialist League in 1884, but breaking with the movement over goals and methods by the end of that decade. He devoted much of the rest of his life to the Kelmscott Press, which he founded in 1891. The 1896 Kelmscott edition of the Works of Geoffrey Chaucer is considered a masterpiece of book design.

Born in Walthamstow in East London, Morris was educated at Marlborough and Exeter College, Oxford. In 1856, he became an apprentice to Gothic revival architect G. E. Street. That same year he founded the Oxford and Cambridge Magazine, an outlet for his poetry and a forum for development of his theories of hand-craftsmanship in the decorative arts. In 1861, Morris founded a design firm in partnership with the artist Edward Burne-Jones, and the poet and artist Dante Gabriel Rossetti which had a profound impact on the decoration of churches and houses into the early 20th century. His chief contribution to the arts was as a designer of repeating patterns for wallpapers and textiles, many based on a close observation of nature. He was also a major contributor to the resurgence of traditional textile arts and methods of production.

Loomah - Halcyon

Like stylized waves gently lapping the shore, Halcyon promises tranquility underfoot. One of eight patterns in the Roscoe collection, the hand-tufted silk-wool rug or broadloom features a variety of pile heights. Available in almost limitless sizes, shapes, and colors-Interior Design

http://www.loomah.com/

Franziska Wodicka - Rescued Drawers

Franziska Wodicka designs sideboards and cabinets using rescued drawers. Describing herself as a curator rather than a designer, she mixes and matches found drawers from her hoard of over 800, constructing a wooden frame in which to house them.
I find it very quirky plus it captures the Bahaus element that i love so much.

http://www.schubladen.de

Interview With WhoHub.com

	What is your specialty? Interior design. Mostly on commercial and F&B
	Where can we view your portfolio online? No I don't put my portfolio online. But i blogged about design. http://dianasharif.blogspot.com/
	What made you interested in design? Passion i guess. And the urge to push the envelope rather than licking it.
	What has been your professional career path? I started off as a junior designer, after two years i was promoted to an interior designer. Now i'm a project designer.
	Have you received any awards for your work in the field of design? Not yet, but am aiming for it!
	What is your motivation? What makes you get up in the mornings? Self motivation. Talent helps but it won't take you as far as ambition.
	How would you define your design style? I'm more into something that allows freer approach. I loves clearly defined areas , eccentric materials that stands out and element of surprise.
	How do you promote and move your work? I don't really promote my works. People knows it by word of mouths.
	In which new areas would you like to experiment? Hotels and healthcare facilities
	Shapes, color, concept: where do you usually begin when conceiving a design? Definitely concept . The concept will tie the whole design elements together.
	What are your sources for documentation and to generate ideas? Books, magazine, the web and travellings
	Which festivals or awards in your field do you find most interesting? The IPDM/MSID awards.
	What is your favourite type of customer? Someone who knows exactly what they want.
	To a certain point, is copying justifiable? Yes. Only to a certain extend
	List some things you dislike seeing in design. Bad workmanship and an 'after thought' stuff.
	Do you believe the newer generations are better at designing? In term of material usage, yes. But ideas, not really.
	With which type of client would you decline in working for? Fickle minded ones.
	How do you calculate budgets for a design project? Depending on the area, concepts, design elements.
	Which professionals in your field -contemporary or past- do you most admire? I love the work of Frank Llyod Wright, Richard Mier, Gensler, David Rockwell, Mies Van De Rohe, Starck, Ron Arad, Mark Newton, Graft Studio..there's so many!
	Which software applications do you most utilize in your work? Autocad, 3D Studio Max & Photoshops
	Up to what point do your designs reflect your personality? Mostly it's my fuss free attitude reflected to my design as well as my colorful personality.
	How do you distinguish passing fads from mainstays in new trends? Herm...the passing fads are usually the mostly over the top with everything whereas the mainstays are usually the more simpler , refined ones.
	If you weren't a designer, what would you be doing? Maybe an archeologist, art curator or an environmentalist.
	At this moment, what would be your dream job or project? My dream job, a design director. Dream project? Restoration of the Kellie's Castle in Perak. It's an old abandoned castle built during the colonial era in Malaya.
	Can you see yourself in this field twenty years from now? Yes
	Which design resources online do you frequently visit? interiordesign.com, wallpaper.com etc

Caroline Swift - Glass Baubles

Through two decades in fashion, including a stint as head knitwear designer at Benetton, Caroline Swift shuttled around the globe, sketchbook in hand. Then she had an epiphany. Disillusioned with the pressures of the garment business, she moved to South Asia and volunteered teaching English. After returning to her native U.K., she channeled her creativity into baking cakes. She began making her own plates for photo shoots when she found herself struggling to find exactly what she needed. Suddenly, Swift was in the midst of Career Number Four.

Focused on delicate china and nature imagery, her signature line quickly grew beyond tabletop to include accessories. Glass Baubles, a string of three dangling 5½-inch-wide vessels, are handblown in Italy in Mandarin, lime green, pale rose, or black-amethyst. Stoneware Flowers, handcrafted in the U.K., are one-of-a-kind natural-colored or charcoal-gray blooms 3½ inches across, including removable centers. Black or white Porcelain Hanging Flowers, ranging from 1 to 3 inches in diameter, come 30 to a string. And white Porcelain Leaves, paper-thin at approximately 2 by 3 inches, are sold. Go to carolineswift.com. - Interior Design

Genevieve Bennett - Stucco

As its name suggests, Stucco resembles molding sculpted on a plaster wall, but it is actually a cleverly designed, three-dimensional wall panel adorned with cut leather pieces. The resulting composition of abstracted leaves and flowers comes just in time for spring. While custom colors and sizes are available, it comes standard in a 30 1/3-inch-by-39 1/3-inch panel. Go to genevievebennett.com.

Rolf Benz

Rolf Benz epitomizes German Engineering and Craftsmanship. The same high end design, quality and craftsmanship we have come to expect in German Automobiles finds it’s deserved place in this outstanding Furniture Collection. Designed, manufactured and shipped direct from Germany, Rolf Benz presents a complete line of Living Room and Dining Room furniture. For your living space, you can choose from modern and contemporary sofas, sectionals, recliners, occasional chairs, and coffee tables to provide the long lasting comfort you deserve. For your dining space, the beautiful collection of dining tables, chairs, and benches provides the prefect touch for the space where the family congregates. With the ability to choose from dozens of sizes, configurations, leathers, fabrics, and finishes, you are certain to find the best furnishing solutions for your home from Rolf Benz..

+House of European Design

Parisian Chic

The French always have a way of being chic without even trying to be chic. Think about their fashion, woman , way of life (ces't la vie). Same goes to interiors. The Parisian apartment is the ultimate dream of a modern contemporary women ( which include yours truly, moi. Even i can be a minimalist at times). Imagine the soft breeze blowing in through open balcony doors, rippling against the gauzy curtains, as you recline on a chaise lounge and gaze out at the Eiffel Tower, silhouetted against a backdrop of crimson sunset. Oooh, la la.

What is Parisian Apartment Style?

Parisian Apartment Style encompasses a number of different decor styles and spans over many design.Style will incorporate Mediterranean and Old World flair with the "noveau" trends of Art Deco and cabaret influences. Overall, the feeling of a Parisian Apartment decor should be one of over the top elegance with luxe layers and rich appointments. In short, the gaudier the better. Add herringbone parquet oak floor together. You'll get the picture.Perfect for that Te'te' a te'te'.

What color palette is most often associated with Parisian Apartment decor?

Jewel tones. The opulence of jewel tones works best with Parisian Apartment Style. Examples of appropriate colors might include crimson red or garnet tones, emerald green, and cobalt blue - colors that have richness, depth, and remind you of something palatial or "royal" in nature. Accents in burnished gold, black, and white work best and give a graphic liveliness to the space. Black is "grounding" in nature, toning down the bold richness of the jewel tones. White softens and lightens the color palette. Gold adds to the rich and royal feel of the space. time periods, drawing from and expanding upon rich, historical elements.

N'est ce pas?

Something soo true

E-mail i've received _ really funny:

If you are architecture students you've probably experienced:
-the taste of wood glue
-changes in your vocabulary: homework to project, ball to sphere, etc
-you don't understand how somebody can spend less than $20 at the supplies store
-you hate people telling you "go to sleep" or "do you still have a lot of work?"
-your friends and you don't have the same concept of work "oh, well do it right before class"
-you've slept more than 20 straight hours on weekends
-you can easily discuss with authority the effects of caffeine on different drinks
-no matter the effort you put in a project, somebody will always say “why don’t you add this?? or “why don’t you change this here?? or “i think that…but…yeah, its ok??
-you’ve heard all your ipod songs in a week
-you aren’t seen in public without bags under your eyes
-whenever you get invited somewhere, it is followed by “or do you have a lot of homework???
-you’ll dance ymca with a choreography without a drop of alcohol in your system
-you write down a quick message with rapidographs, lead holders, markers and ink
-you constantly make up excuses for courses that are not design related why you didn’t do your work
-you have more pictures of landscapes and places than of people
-your worst nightmare consists of not finishing a project
-someone once called you “lazy?? and you wanted them murdered
-you can live without human contact, sunlight, food, but if your plotter’s ink runs out… chaos!!!
-when somebody lends you a Bic pen you look down at it
-you don’t care about sports cars, your favorite car is the one where you can put in your model and your huge computer
-you design spectacular things without the idea of the cost
-you have the modern mark: a blister in your palm’s hand for the constant use of your mouse
-everybody tells you how they admire your work, “but there is no money for it??
-you’ve gained the ability to sleep in whatever surface: pencils, keyboards, backpacks, your studio mates, food, etc
-you always have the idea that your project will always be recognized
-when you finally have free time to go out you keep thinking “who was the idiot that designed the restaurant’s bathroom??? “who designed this menu??? or “who designed this [chair, table, lighting, fork, etc]??
-you've been at many sunrises, yet you've never seen one
-you need to read all this in a facebook group to realize how weird your life is

top 10 reasons why to date an architect

1. all night long, all night strong.
2. we are damn good with our hands.
3. if we can commit to chipboard, relationships should be easy.
4. you should see the things we errect.
5. use to doing things over and over again.
6. finishing early never happenes.
7. we know the true meaning of interpretation
8. creative positioning.
9. work well in groups
10. entry and passage are always exciting.

Jonathan Adler

Hey you guys,

Few weeks ago i stumbled upon this name in Interior Design ; - Jonathan Adler.

Decided to Google him, and whoa, if you have a chance to visit his showroom in New York, please, pack me in your luggage so that i can come along.

His forte is really in ceramic lighting design. Everything is so whimsical yet there's refinement in each unique piece.

Rams Head lamp (kinda reminds me of the Mooi Design Floor lamp)

Parker table lamp ( can you see the oriental touch on this piece? love it)

Giraffe Lamp (whimsical)

Nelson Minor Platinum

Jere Rain Drops mirror (funky)

Queen Anne mirror (ooh i would love to have one of these!)

He have alot more stuff to offer. If you like what you see here, go to

www.jonathanadler.com

Regards,

Diana Sharif

Architecture/Design 101

1- Architects/designers use different lines for different purposes. Hard lines to define space/items /ideas and soft lines to accentuate soft ideas.Hard lines are best for conveying information that is decisive, specific, and i might say quantitative. (that's why we have those layers/linetype command on our Autocad program).
2-Space planning is the organizing or arranging of spaces to accommodate functional needs.
3.All design endeavors express the zeitgeist.
4. Most of the times, less is more (unless you are Starck).
5.A good designer/architect is not afraid to throw away a good idea. 'I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work -Thomas Ava Edison'
6-An architect/designer is a generalist. We must know enough about each discipline to negotiate and synthesize competing demands while honoring the needs of the client and the integrity of the entire project ( budget, conceptual etc)
7-Any design decision should be justified in at least two ways. Avoid the 'that might look good there' approach. Have a reason!
8.If you can explain your ideas to your grandmother in terms that she understand...well that means you don't know your subject well enough.
9.Create space through informed simplicity or an interaction of simples rather than through unnecessarily busy agglomerations.
10. Have Fun!

An Introduction

I am an interior designer by profession. This blog is a platform for me to write about design, architecture, trends as well answering your queries about interior design.


I've been working for almost 6 years as a designer.


I do freelance work as well.


Feel free to contact me ....


Regards,

Diana Sharif