Keep it simple

Keeping it simple can often pay off. Featured here is the Townhouse Hotel in South Beach Miami that I'll be staying at this July. Owner, Jonathan Morr, said "it's meant to be a fresh, simple, fun place to be". It certainly looks fresh through its simplicity. I'll report back if it's the fun place I'm hoping it is. 

Creative juices

Just a little something to get the taste buds craving and  the creative juices flowing...

- Design by Firma 

"Perfect Slice of Summer" by Kleenex

Kleenex has made the purchase of tissue fun! Amidst the itchy eyes, and runny noses (excuse me while I blow my nose...) I can imagine that these fun shaped boxes could potentially make the awful allergy season bearable. But what if I can't get to Target???

From fashion to interior design

Fashion trends influence interior design trends and vise versa. If only we could dress a room for the price of one outfit! 

- Material Girls Blog

Functional sculpture

The "Line Desk" from Wolfson Design is a single piece that results in a functional sculpture. Modern and elegant, but I'd like to see them design a chair that would 'fit' in. Some how I just don't see that standard black mesh ergo chair sitting well next to this modern sculpture. Maybe I'll design the chair that 'fits' with this piece...

Small adjustments with BIG returns

Since our monthly 'mortgage' isn't going toward our 6,000 sq. ft. house in the hills, yet, we have less space which requires more creative solutions. Here's a way to turn a guest bedroom into another hang out/living room. Or ideal for that studio-size apartment that was listed as a 1-bedroom. It's like the convertible car of beds!

From fashion to transportation

Jinyoung Jo, a car designer in South Korea, created a Chanel concept car he's calling Fiole (which means "vial" in French). It comes with a crystal-encrusted double-C logo on the front and wheel rims. Chanel isn't selling this car, although could you imagine this thing parallel parking? Brilliant! 

- New York Magazine 

What's in a brand?

A) Engraving of a twin-tailed siren (15th century); B) First Starbucks logo (1971 - 1987); C) Il Giornale logo; D) Merging of Starbucks and Il Giornale (1987 - 1992); E) Redesigned Starbucks logo (1992 - today); F) Current Starbucks logo, a revival of the original - SeriosEats.com

What's in a brand? Better yet, what's in a logo? The staying power behind the Starbucks logo is in its intricacy, its layers. It carries with it a sense of timelessness. Just look at its now old, logo (E above)...they could have left it to simply the text. But instead they created an image, literally, taken from history which in turn created a story and more depth behind the brand. 

Walking advertisements

Talk about branding! Let everyone know what shoe brand you're wearing just by walking - that is if you're wearing the luscious red soled Christian Louboutin. I wonder how I can transfer this into other areas of design???

Mobile architecture

Puma City  is a three level indoor-outdoor structure, constructed out of 24 steel shipping containers right here in Boston. Now that's 'Reuse' at its finest. 

Indigenous to Arizona?

This modern residence in Arizona, designed by Chen Suchart Studio, is attempting to fit in. At least its lower half. What is the top layer doing?! It looks like a portion of Puma City plopped on top of Arizona vernacular. Just not quite there yet. Oh the house is done you say? Oh well, we'll get'em next time!

A match made in heaven

Container, a packing and branding company, has created a duet shape that encourages the purchase of the other half, brilliant! Now USPA Haircare just needs to change their name. Tad too reminiscent of SPCA, no?