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Philippe Starck on design

Kyle — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 15:49:54 +0000

Photo: AndreaMatarazzo / Flickr

Phillipe Starck is one of the most prolific designers of our age. His creative insight has touched everything from inflatable products to toothbrushes and motorbikes. Educated in France at the École Camondo, he founded his first design firm in 1968. He became art director of Starck the following year, along with Pierre Cardin. Starck later established yoo in 1998 with John Hitchcox and has since been involved in the design of extraordinary hotel and residential spaces across the globe.

Starck’s design process

In the process of improving our lives, design also offers us evidence of our existence. For Phillipe Starck, the design process, which is enabled by human ingenuity and imagination, begins with an idea and ends with a product. He points out that for him this process is never applied in reverse.

‘First you have intuition, which brings vision, which builds an ethic, which will give birth to a concept, and finally, perhaps, which will make a product,’ he says. He explains that the ‘need to question’ is our intuition and our imagination is our vision. Our culture then becomes our ethic.

Add our concepts, which are ‘our beliefs, values, desires, sensibilities, modes of expressions and behaviour.’ And what are we left with? Starck believes these all bring about the manifestation of the ultimate product: Us.

Beauty

In his interview with Thought Economics, Philippe Starck further explores the fundamentals of design and beauty. He suggests that beauty does not exist: ‘I have no respect for this word ‘beauty’. It is too volatile, which means it’s nothing. You can change, whatever time you like, your opinion of what beauty is, and what is beautiful.’

He suggests that this encourages greed in order to give people reasons to buy more as seen in ‘vanity, cynicism, marketing, business, advertising- and everything like that.’ It is for this reason that he says he cannot accept beauty in it’s current form.

Starck says that we have to take care in these times when a chair can be seen as more important than a human being. Whereas before there were fashion victims, there are now design victims. He says he prefers to speak about coherence, harmony and balance of parameters rather than use the word ‘beauty.’

Don’t kill forests to make chairs

Starck warns that we have to prepare for a post plastic era in thirty to forty years when we run out of oil. ‘Some stupid people will say ‘no problem, we shall have bioplastic — we shall make corn, and make bioplastic. No way!’

He explains that killing forests to make fields of corn to put gas in cars and make new Starck plastic chairs is not the way to go, especially considering pending famines. ‘Every day there is a new bio-plastic, and we have a question they cannot answer. Can you eat the component which made this plastic? es? or no? And mainly — it is yes.’

He adds: ‘if you can eat it, we don’t do it.’

Create Garden Bones using Dwarf Evergreens

Lindsey — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 09:23:04 +0000

“Garden Bones” is the term used to describe the architectural structure of a garden. It can be either natural or artificial. If natural, plants are used to create the garden designs. If it is artificial, then materials can be used to create structures like an arbour or obelisk. When people prefer to go green, they use an evergreen shrub or tree to create an architectural structure in the garden that really is unique. For centuries, evergreens have been used in large gardens to create designs.

Garden Bones has become quite popular among many homeowners who have small gardens. With the variety of dwarf evergreens available in the market these days, it is possible to create so many wonderful designs.

Dwarf Conifers are evergreens that have a mature height of less than 12 feet and they grow at a very slow pace. Dwarf Conifers are best planted in October up to March after which the sun begins to shine bright and they love sunshine. The soil should be slightly acidic but healthy and no fertilizer is required. Dwarf Conifers are slow to grow and that makes them expensive to propagate and buy. Not only will you will require certain supplies, like hedge shears, to care for the Conifers, but you will also need to dedicate a lot of time and effort in ensuring the plants are looked after well. Moreover, always ensure that you buy your evergreens from reputable nurseries as most come with a 1-2 year guarantee. Nurseries are spending time to propagate new varieties every year.

Varieties of evergreens that are popular among homeowners who grow them in their garden to create Garden Bones include Hudsonia, Minnima Aurea, Compressa, Meyeri’v, Conica, Gnom, Fletccheri are some of the commonly grown evergreen shrub and tree varieties.

Enhance your kitchen with Vintage Home Appliances: Make a unique style statement

Paul — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 13:48:41 +0000

When most homeowners are equipping their homes with an ultra modern designer look, some people prefer shopping around for vintage furniture and home appliances. Incorporating vintage home appliances and furniture in your homes is certainly going to make a signature statement. Your home is truly set to look unique.

Many of us would have condemned the hand me down furniture that were used in our parents and grandparents homes. However, these very pieces are in great demand in the market these days. The vintage Baumatic RETRO2 fridge freezer is definitely a throwback to earlier times, and actually lends a cool ambiance to your vintage kitchen. People are shopping around at garage sales and other places looking for vintage furniture and kitchen appliances so they can make a similar fashion statement in their homes.

The internet is an ideal source for many ardent vintage home appliance fans. A little search will help you locate various vintage home appliances like ovens, pans, pots, stoves, refrigerators, etc in excellent working condition. A search on the internet is sure to lead you to authentic sites selling vintage home appliances and furniture. Interested buyers can browse through the items on sale and make a purchase if they find anything to their liking. Of course there is nothing like attending an auction and inspecting vintage furniture or home appliances personally. You should know that you are paying money for a good piece.

Other than the web, vintage furniture and home appliances can be found at auctions and garage sales. Check your local newspapers for advertisements regarding these sales and ensure that you pay them a visit. You never know. You may get a good bargain and locate that perfect vintage furniture or appliance for your home.

Portable Dishwashers for your Small Kitchen after Remodeling

Paul — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 13:04:13 +0000

If your kitchen is small and you have decided that remodeling would allow you more space then you are absolutely right. Innovative and creative kitchen remodeling does give you an opportunity to create more space. It is not very easy to accommodate dishwashers in the kitchen. Finding that perfect spot where they fit in is often difficult. Therefore, you can consider installing portable dishwashers in your small kitchen after remodeling.

Not only are portable dishwashers efficient, they are convenient too even if they do not have the large load capacity of regular dishwashers. Of course, when we say portable, we do not mean handheld dishwashers, but rather small dishwashers that can be easily moved, like the freestanding Hotpoint FDH554. Do not let their small size deceive you into thinking your dishes will not get done. They perform incredibly.

There are numerous benefits to buying portable dishwashers and installing them in your small remodeled kitchen. They fit into a small space conveniently and allow you to wash your dishes as and when they fill the dishwasher. Thus, your kitchen remains devoid of piling dirty dishes that emanate unbearable odours in your kitchen. Singles and those with small families find portable dishwasher very convenient.

While the paramagnet dishwashers are more expensive, portable dishwashers cost less and you can easily wheel them out of your kitchen if necessary. Many of these portable dishwashers come with hot water amenities. There are portable dishwashers that can be kept on your countertop and models do not come with wheels. The only disadvantage in this model is that it takes up valuable counter top space. Place a fruit bowl over it and use it as an extra counterpace.

Essential Safety Tips for your Kitchen Design

Jay — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 16:22:54 +0000

The kitchen is an important room in any home, for it is here that the woman of the home prepares and cooks important meals for the whole family. It is essential that the kitchen design offers functionality, so cooking becomes an enjoyable experience. Safety precautions need to be incorporated while designing kitchens. Here are some kitchen design and safety tips, which are sure to be useful for those who are planning on refurbishing their kitchen.

Make sure that the kitchen has quick and easy accessibility. Keep your kitchen counter tops at the right height so you can work comfortably without having to stretch or stoop during your cooking process. You also need to move around with ease in your kitchen, so ensure it is designed well with enough space for you to reach out for everything. Place your dishwasher in a raised position so you can load and unload all your dishes easily.

The wall cabinets where you store most of your kitchen essentials should be placed in heights on the walls where you can reach out for anything without having to strain much. If you have children, then make sure your knifes, especially sharp ones like the Haiku H-04 Deba Japanese filleting knife, are stored safely out of reach. Place the wall cabinets just above your kitchen counter tops, to enable you to reach out or pull out any ingredient during your cooking processes. Incorporate many drawers and pull out racks in your kitchen cabinets so storage becomes easy.

Design your kitchen according to your needs, so that you feel comfortable and safe working in the kitchen. A well designed and safe kitchen is surely an asset.

Utility Room practical Planning: the Importance of including this Room in your Renovation Plans

Kyle — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 11:37:11 +0000

Incorporating a utility room design as part of your home renovation plans is a very important move. Many homeowners fail to realize the importance of having a separate utility room when redesigning or renovating their homes. Many fail to realize the importance of a utility room other than a place where they store their washing machine, ironing board or other knick-knacks. The utility room can be redesigned ideally to accommodate all the unwanted stuff in your home for future use if necessary.

Did you know that the utility room can be used for storing many of your stuff like washing machine, chest freezer, sports equipment, clothes and dirty boots, your plants, recycling bins, and even a shower area with a sink where you can shower after your swim or give your pet a good wash? The utility room doubles up not only as storage space but also as a wet room /mudroom.

Placing your washing machine in the utility rooms allows you enough space to wash, dry and iron your clothes. With a dryer, like the Hotpoint AQCF852BI, you can get all your clothes washed and dried in winter. A chest freezer allows you to store all your garden produce if you live in the countryside.

If you are sports fanatic or have children indulging in them then the utility room becomes the ideal space for storing stuff like tennis racquets, cycling and jogging shoes, skateboards, bicycles, helmets, and much more.

Anyone with a nice garden loves to be outdoors in the garden. Children love playing in mud and the utility room is ideal for storing all your dirty wet boots and even your winter clothing. A sink comes in handy to get your dirty muddy boots washed or to give your pet that much needed bath.

Kitchen Styles: Reinvent your Kitchen in numerous Ways

Kyle — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 11:30:47 +0000

Kitchens are undergoing transformation with the new age living. Gone are the days when kitchens were just a place to prepare meals and serve them. Kitchens are built in a variety of styles these days to suit the taste and lifestyles of homeowners. Some varieties of kitchen styles include the Shaker-style kitchen, small white kitchen, contemporary kitchen, Classic black and white kitchen, Country corner kitchen and traditional wood kitchen.

In shaker style kitchens, the units are simple, white roundhouse with shaker style doors. This modern country kitchen has hinges, which are sleek and exposed. The counter worktops are Kashmir white granite. The flooring is of oak wood and helps highlight the white unit. The small white kitchen style has a Rangemaster cooker, like the Rangemaster Classic 90 Deluxe cooker, and the island unit is sturdy and from Barratts Garden centre. Elmridge Gardens has provided the silk flowers, which have been tacked to the ceiling.

The contemporary kitchen style has walls with built in stainless steel cupboards that come with frosted glass doors. The floor consists of polished stone tiles. The dining table is of dark wood and the chairs are textured and curved with metal legs. The room has a large round mirror and shelving units help divide the space.

The country corner kitchen comes with white painted cabinetry built around the chimney. There is a granite worktop and the wooden flooring with a border around its edge gives a classic and elegant appearance to the kitchen.

The traditional wooden kitchen comes with an elegantly fashioned marble granite island, which provides a classical style look to the kitchen. A chandelier that hangs overhead adds opulence to the room. There are traditional wooden cabinets with glass doors.

The New Smart Approach to Kitchen Design

Paul — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 10:38:13 +0000

Today, we can find state-of-art kitchens being customized exactly to requirements. This is the latest smart approach to kitchen designing. The idea behind this is to combine elegance with functionality and comfort.

The first step is to work out the various activities that are predominantly going to go on in the kitchen area. As you renovate your kitchen, you can look into a better plan for layout. Incorporate better storage options in the pantry or even in the kitchen cabinets in order to be better organized. An excellent option would be to add in a work island, a breakfast bar or a nook.

For more comfort cooking, try and increase the countertop space if possible. An important decision you have to take is whether you are going to improve on the existing décor or go in for a completely new design for the kitchen.

If you are thinking on the lines of remodeling and restructuring the kitchen, you can add in more floor space. The new plan can be worked out in such a manner that effectively incorporates an extra space for dining.

The next step is to identify the main activities that are going to be a part of the kitchen. For example, are you going to use your kitchen for cooking on a daily basis or only now and then? Are you the type who hosts frequent parties? Do you have children who love sitting around in the kitchen doing their homework? Do you eat in the kitchen? Consider all these aspects before finalizing on your renovation plans. Also, you can either do the remodeling yourself, which requires a lot of DIY knowledge and power tools like the DeWalt DC 234 KL cordless hammer drill, or pay professionals to do the work for you. This decision obviously depends on both your finances, and also the scale of the remodeling job.

Contemporary Cupboards for your Kitchen: Give it a modern Look

Lindsey — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 11:18:09 +0000

Today, there are numerous options for highly functional and stylish kitchen cupboards. With advancement in engineering technology, engineers are redefining kitchen cupboards.

Today’s kitchen cupboards are not just boxes of the same size to accommodate various appliances. Space is provided for various small accessories too including the serving trays, cutting boards, knives, etc. In fact every kitchen cupboard is custom built to suit the requirements of every home depending on the appliances they have to place. For instance, many kitchens have a slot specifically reserved for a microwave like the LG MH6347GR, or other small appliances. In fact, you can even create an attractive space in your kitchen to beautifully display family heirlooms including the attractive china set.

With a good organization and planning, kitchen cup boards can be made to stock various things including dry foods, medicines or just about anything miscellaneous. Cupboards with shelves and compartments can be designed to accommodate everything so the kitchen looks very neat and clutter free. Contemporary cupboards in kitchens are made to customer specifications. So you can sit with your family and spend some time planning the cupboard design. After all, once it is made and installed, it is a lifetime companion.

Another aspect is to place your contemporary kitchen cupboard at a convenient place in the kitchen. If your kitchen is small, there is no problem. But if it is a large kitchen, it is important not to place it too far away from where you do your cooking. You can strategically place them under the kitchen island, above the oven, near the kitchen sink, just about anywhere you feel will be within comfortable reach.

A well planned contemporary kitchen cupboard placed at the right place is thus an asset to any kitchen.

Enhance your Utility Room with attractive Designs

Paul — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 16:28:43 +0000

Any modern home is equipped with a well designed utility room. The utility room can be used for various purposes. You can do your laundry here, store a lot of stuff and even get together with your family to spend some relaxing moments as you complete your chores. A utility room that is well designed helps creates a space that is very beautiful, modern and spacious.

If you are planning a home, ensure that you include a utility room that is spacious and well designed so that it accommodates all your laundry equipment like washing machine, dryer, ironing board, chairs, stools, laundry baskets and enough storage space. Getting a washer-dryer combo, like the Hotpoint WDL540, can help to further save even more space. A well designed utility room will allow you and your family to work in a single area and not only does it add value to your home it also helps improve your life. Imagine having small kids, you can have them work on art or some creative work while you are doing your laundry. This way not only do you get to finish your laundry; you also get to spend quality time with the kids.

A well designed utility room should have all these features like storage space, sinks, accessories and good décor. Incorporate laundry cabinets, closet organizers and open shelves. Lockers for school going kids will allow them to store all their knick-knacks.

Sinks are essential so you can do your laundry. Those into gardening will find having double sinks very useful. A floor sink comes in handy when giving your dog a bath or washing gardening tools. The accessories you can include are boards, clothes racks and lovely counter top for folding washed and dried clothes.