Sculptural Stair Inspiration

It’s been a hectic week for all I’m sure and since it’s my Birthday I’m going to present a simple post that I hope you find inspiring. These beautiful sculptural stairs by Arquitectura en Movimiento Workshop join two levels of a Mumbai apartment. Treads of engineered walnut form the bottom portion of the staircase and ascend up as a continuous elements to create the upper steps. The wood is formed around a metal structure that is anchored to the walls on both sides. Vertical steel cables that help support the upper portion of the structure also form a balustrade.

Specifically in the SDM apartment, after a talk with each member of the family, we got a well defined program based on the customs of each user and each space, the staircase located at the center of the apartment. It was designed as a sculpture in the space with more light and natural ventilation; with very subtle lines but protagonist of the space, it can be seen almost from anywhere in the public areas, it becomes the articulator of spaces and is replicated in other architectural elements such as blinds and ceiling; every space, every detail meets a special character of the users, every color, every picture, every kitchen utensil, every linen was specifically chosen to complete this project and to make it unique.

The workshop used models and renderings to mock up the large sculptural piece for the client.

About Arquitectura en Movimiento Workshop:

Arquitectura en Movimiento Workshop is formed by young architects, graduates of different universities in Mexico, EEUU and Spain, founded in 1996. Their professional practice has led them to realization of projects of public and private character in different Geographic latitudes and parallels.

October 22, 2014

Parisian Bathroom Inspiration

I stumbled across this bathroom online and I was struck by its bold graphic statement.

Then I discovered that this is a 3D rendering by Ando Studio Inc. Amazing, Right? I think knowing it is a rendering explains why the reflection in the mirror is a little funky. Their site is in Hebrew but I can read beautiful images in any language.

So, if you were given this rendering, would you move forward with the construction?

October 19, 2014

Legrabox by Blum

When it comes to drawer box choices for cabinets, generally there are four choices for consumers.

Blum MetaBox – a three-sided drawer with the metal sides functioning as the runners. This tired and true choice is the most economical.
Melamine Box – usually a white box doweled together with a choice of runners ranging from vinyl Tandem glides, full-extension side mount glides and concealed undermount glides. The action can be standard or soft-close. Another color choice is dark gray for a European or Contemporary aesthetic.
Blum TandemBox – an evolution of the MetaBox and the Tandem concealed drawer runners. This three-sided, double walled drawer offers full extension, soft-close action. The Intivo option can be personalized by using a design element with BoxCover or gallery rail. These drawers are offered in gray and stainless. The new stainless now doesn’t show fingerprints which was a big problem before.
Dovetailed Box – a solid maple or birch box dovetailed on all four corners. Considered an upgrade by most manufacturers, these drawers are usually offered with concealed undermount glides with soft-close action. Many companies now offer a walnut as a luxurious option.

A fifth drawer box option is now available. The LegraBox from Blum features a slim half-inch (12.8 mm) profile for maximum storage capacity.

LegraBox features a new innovative, runner system utilizing synchronized drawer profiles for greater running action and performance even under heavy loads.

The LegraBox program consists of three drawer side heights for standard drawers and two drawer side heights for interior roll-out drawers.

The sleek and noticeably straighter box is offered in two finishes – a brushed stainless steel or a gray matte finish. I am hopeful the black finish available in Europe will soon be offered here.

The LegraBox drawer has its own divider system called Ambia-Line. The drawer accessories include cutlery inserts with integrated containers with Softtouch coating and pull-out frames with magnets for connection to steel as well as wood frames for an elegant contrast. Ambia-Line Kitchen Accessories include a spice holder, foil dispenser, plastic dispense and plate holder.

I expect for most manufacturers the LegraBox will fall between the TandemBox and a Dovetail drawer. Adding accessories or glass inserts will obviously add expense.

October 8, 2014

Houzz Marketplace

Fueling the current trend of digitizing the home-remodeling experience, Houzz has raised an impressive $165 million in a fourth round of capital, led by Sequoia Capital, one of its early backers.

Houzz is using its pile of cash and its popularity with home remodelers to fuel a foray into e-commerce. In a new section of its site called Houzz Marketplace, the company will play host to a selection of bathtubs, vanities, backsplashes and other home décor items being sold by thousands of online retailers.

The transactions will all take place on the Houzz site, and the company will keep a 15% cut of each sale. The order fulfillment and customer service will be handled by the sellers.

E-commerce will become the third source of revenue for five-year-old Houzz, which also sells advertisements and charges architects, designers and other home contractors an annual subscription fee for tools to help them engage with potential customers on its site.

Selling actual products on its site is what Houzz says will make it stand apart from Pinterest, another popular destination for design enthusiasts. I tend to prefer Pinterest over Houzz for collecting pictures and taking a mental break. While I’m interested in seeing the new site design that Houzz has rolled out, I doubt that having products constantly pitched to me is going to be appealing.

I can see how his might appeal to the D-I-Yer more than the Design Professional – especially those who protect ability to source unique finds for their clients.

How do you like the new Marketplace?