It's A Boy!

An atypical splash of color for a growing boy’s room. Statistically, boys prefer an interior with blue and green colors—but who is to say boys are not partial to the other colors on the spectrum?

This combination of fabrics is impartial towards color, sex, or time. It is designed to depict the joy of life in a setting that adapts to a baby boy’s changing moods and humors.

This fabric combination has a story behind it: when we started an interior design project in Miami, Florida for a young couple with a three-year-old daughter and a boy “on the way.” Plans were made for a total renovation of their house on the Miami waterfront with one room assigned for their daughter and another one for the baby boy.

Keeping in mind kids grow so fast, the nursery was designed for the transition from baby to toddler and from toddler to child, so we used a palette of soft muted yellows. The interior design concept we applied was subtle with touches of whimsy. We added hand-painted texture to the walls, and the ceiling is an interior design master piece depicting little stick-figure boys doing different activities like riding a bike and sailing, etc. Young and old alike enjoy finding the stick figures throughout the painting.

As the little boy outgrew his crib, a pair of custom beds was made in an L-shape keeping the room open allowing for ample play space and for little guests to spend the night in the second bed. The frames were upholstered in a heavy silvery-blue woven fabric which will last for years of boyish use and will appeal to boys no matter the age. For the cushions and the pillows we used the fun patterns as they add a splash of color without taking away from the rest of the décor and the painted ceiling. Conveniently the beds can be updated effortlessly simply by chainging the cushions with a color and pattern appropriate for the age while the understated background colors will transcend the trends.

1. COLLIN, 10 / SACHO
2. 30691-410 / KRAVET
3. MILLSTONES, LEAF-BLUE-MAUVE / LEE JOFA
4. PRIMA ALPACA, MULBERRY / SANDRA JORDAN
5. PRIMA ALPACA, DAFFODIL / SANDRA JORDAN
6. BOW TIE, GREEN-YELLOW-INDIGO / LEE JOFA

DESIGN TRENDS: Winter collection

We’d like to share this work of art as an example of an intellectual trend of our current times rather than a fashion trend. Shoes are an everyday item but in Radevich’s world they are a canvas for profound expression.  This shoe collection is an amazing accomplishment that transcends the fashion and design world. By compiling intense amounts of information in a sculpture of an item that already has a purpose, Radevich seeks to ‘define our walk through life’. This diligent and optimistic designer sculpts shoes to state a global problem, a historic account, or a personal message.

As a history lover inspired by ancient historic accounts, Anastasia Radevich native of Belarus devised a collection of feminine shoes remembering lost cities of the past. Her confident designs comment on the decaying of our environment and reflect on the current threats to planet earth, and hopefully instill a proactive view on the future state of the world.

We interviewed Anastasia to get an expanded view of her collection and this is what she said

What did it take to discover the possibility of bringing your true expressions as an artist into your passion for shoes?

I grew up in a family of shoe designers and experimented with shoes since childhood. Shoe craft became a canvas for ideas because it is something I know very well.

What inspired you to do the "Lost Civilization" collection in 2012?

The Lost Civilizations came to me as a wave of already accumulated ideas and world vision. For quite a while and until today I am keen on philosophy, history (narrated from different angles), anthropology and have noticed patterns how civilizations grow and descend, also investigated the “untraditional” story behind Egypt and the real timeline of the history and evolution. It wasn't hard to draw some parallels with modern state of things. And based on the research I came to the conclusion about the coming future J  All those ideas were brought into the collection…

Do you hand-model/carve the impressive heels of your shoes and 3d print?

You are correct, I sculpt the components and my husband helps me with technical development

Which shoe is your favorite? Why?

I love the “Galvanica” pump from the “PAST” of Lost Civilizations as it gave me a wonderful experience of meeting with extraordinary people while developing it. Making it was a very beautiful journey that translated into the shoe

The platforms are solid in character and the upper shoe has more emotional qualities. How challenging is it to recreate an item that is conceived as heel and shoe?

To be honest, I don’t divide the shoe into upper and lower -it is one “organism”. It is all “cooked” intuitively.

I understand that the message of the collection is to analyze the current state of the earth. What overall impact do you dream your works of art will have in our society?

I don’t have high hopes of stopping some environmentally wrong projects to go through. But I am trying to influence on the subconscious of people, hoping this will echo somewhere, somehow…

Do you plan to further in the preservation subject, or do you have a new collection in the works?

There is something amazing boiling at the moment and I cannot say yet as it is rather fragile, but I cannot not hide a witty smile!

Secretary Desks

The secretary desk, also known as a “secretaire”, is made of a base of wide drawers topped by a desk with a hinged desktop surface, which is in turn topped by a bookcase usually closed with a pair of doors, often made of glass, for those who perhaps have not seen one before, the secretary desk in a "mélange" of furniture pieces made up of a mix between a commode-dresser, a slant top desk and a book case first became popular around the 17th century. As the design began to evolve and adapt to modern day amenities, the slanted writing surface ultimately was replaced by a flat pullout design that is better suited for computers and keyboards.

Selected antiques and custom furnishings can be very decorative and because of its popularity, the "secretary" (not to be confused with the person that takes notes) has grown to be the most common. Today, one can find an endless array of reproductions from a string of manufactures and designers. Below is a custom made secretary that I created for a recent bedroom redesign. My client’s wife wanted a functional but yet beautiful piece of furniture for her bedroom that she could use to organize stationary and personal items.

Secretary desks are great for storage; they’re versatile enough to fit into almost any home and can be tailored to fit your design aesthetic. In addition to serving as a storage unit and desk space, the secretary can also be used as a display case. By throwing open the top tier one can easily showcase treasured collectibles while keeping clutter neatly stored away.