camera obscura by abelardo morell

"the well-known cuban-born photographer essentially turns a room into the interior of a camera. he blacks out the windows, leaving a pinhole opening in one of them. because of the nature of refracted light, the scene outside the window is projected upside down into the dim room. morell then captures the room on film with a large-format view camera; exposures can take eight hours or more."

abelardomorell.net

hot rod house by olson kundig architect

"the design relies on a single move—the insertion of a folded steel stair—to provide circulation while becoming a free-standing 3-D sculptural element."

olsonkundigarchitects.com

Lee Jofa Veranda Ad

Lee Jofa has a beautiful fabric shown on their ad on Veranda this month with a floral and leaf pattern.

The ad didn't show the pattern and we got tons of inquiries as to what it was.  In case you need to identify it, it is called Tree of Life, pattern number 2009129 color 519.  

You can find the pattern here.  Sorry, the image is not uploaded but we will be loading it up shortly.

house by suppose design office. hiroshima

"who says a window has to be rectangular?"

anthologymag.com

the royal mansour. marrakech

royalmansour.com/

ozone bar. ritz-carlton hong kong

"located on the 118th floor of the new ritz-carlton in hong kong, the world's tallest hotel, the ozone bar was designed around the theme of an 'edenic experiment' – a man-made environment of nature in an imaginary world, spacial composition, the line of motion and down to every material and finish were carefully considered."

designboom.com

14 billions by tomàs saraceno

"the project took two years to complete with the black rope spanning 400 cubic meters, consuming much of bonniers konsthall main gallery. saraceno's work looks to scientific study which uses the imagery and structure of spider webs to map the origin and structure of the universe."

coolhunting.com

abstract architecture by brian parillo

"shooting at abstract angles, parillo directs our eyes to captivating geometric shapes. when he shoots up from the ground and into the sky, he gives us a sense of scale, showing us just how magnificent modern architecture can be.”

theinspirationgrid.com

globe fireplace by vauni

gadget-o.com

disastro ecologico by alberto seveso

"the result of pouring colored varnishes into fish bowl’s and using high speed photograph to capture the effects."

unstage.com

nakahouse. xten architecture.

"the rooms of a black and white house in california lead out to a series of stepped terraces with a view of the famous hollywood sign. the single-storey house, named nakahouse, was designed by american studio XTEN architecture and sits upon the foundations of a 1960s house that has been demolished."


www.dezeen.com

Expectations

This weekend is special... And that means usually we are having guests! After 10 years my parents are visiting again from Europe, as well as my sister - for the very first time coming to America and my oldest son arrives with his girl from Berlin! It's going to be a wonderful reunion.
There has been lots of prepping and sorting, making space and fluffing up featherbeds....
The culminating expectations for the coming days could not get any higher.
It's not so much the actual plans, we try to keep this in motion and easy going, but to have them here at our place is just wonderful!
Of course you might ask what the occasion might be and here I will reveal that yours truly turns fifty in the coming week... this has been looming for a while ( duh) and although aging has never bothered me, I felt over the last months how this milestone has occupied my mind.
I have the strongest urge to reinvent myself. To turn over a new page in my life and fill it with all that, what I have been dreaming up lately. When I was younger to refer something to later times made often sense and meant only that priorities were such that my own plans had to wait a bit. Now I feel the time has come where I can't wait for more suitable times. The time is now!
There are so many things I have experienced in my life: Multiple immigrations, many moves, parting from people I love and people I do not, meeting the dearest friends in the most unlikely places and learning to make a home, when roots have been cut off.
I look back and count my blessings!

What's the essence of my life until now?
Firstly I am a mother! It has shaped everything within me! Nothing could have prepared me for the overwhelming love with which I would receive 4 children over quite a span of time. I never thought I might have four. I did not think about this for the longest time. What it would mean for my career, my personal growth, my own development.
I wanted children!
That they might have also been an alibi for my insecurities, well this occurred to me only later in life. But it changed the course of my life and now I am utmost content with motherhood. I grew up with all my children. They teach me so many valuable lessons. To love, to be patient (somewhat), to hold my horses, so give without expecting anything in return, to be rewarded by all sorts of small and large tokens of appreciation, to look at life with new eyes. To be more flexible.
They are young and modern and independent and above all they are wonderfully confident!
If anybody would have foretold the insecure, ugly little duckling I thought of myself as a twelve year old, that I would move to another continent, marry twice and have a large brood,  speak another language almost better then my original one, I would have laughed out loud. Impossible, I would have said.
But nothing is impossible. I learned that! And to have faith in one's abilities.

Being married to a man who loves me deeply, challenges me regularly and devotes all living hours to his family has been the most wonderful thing that could have ever happen to me. After a failed relationship in my youth I have now a mature, responsible and sheltering marriage. But perhaps this also was only possible after the lessons of the first one. I feel now that everything carries a lesson in life. Sometimes it just takes a long time to learn it! 

Marriage is movement: We change and to love the changes, the different people we become is not always easy. There are so many challenges, but one of my lessons has been: Live and let live! And to keep it special. With open arms...I love!
I try not to take anything for granted! Life can change in an instant and to cherish every day together has become so important to me. I remind myself often and I forget sometimes.

Deep inside me resides the artist, after many years of dormant life she has reappeared on my mental doorstep and I am ready for the new ideas, which do not let me sleep at night.
Or perhaps these are my tumultuous hormones, not knowing which direction to choose?


My thoughts are more and more turning towards writing, but the form still eludes me.
When I read I notice the shape and texture of a story, the way the language shapes feelings and mood. Years of reading have been my education, but it does not guaranty success in writing myself. I am probing and like a blind person, I feel my way in uncharted territory.


Life ahead is uncharted as well and I love the idea. To move along in it, still full of energy, with great expectations and many more years is what I hope for. I feel so young!


The path ahead is filled with wonder!

All pictures by V.Zlotkowski

panteón nube by clavel arquitectos

architizer.com

63.02° by sschemata. nakano, tokyo,

"this concrete building is entirely minimalistic inside and out. architecture as japanese lifestyle is based on minimal simplicity and self-reflection. and while this super narrow apartment may look absurdly small to the rest of the world, it may not be that odd for what renters are used to in japan."

oneoffmag.blogspot.com

restello apartment by piercy conner architects

"the use of steel for this project was influenced by the high levels of humidity that the area experiences, which can cause structures made from less robust materials to deteriorate and decay quickly. steel’s imperviousness to moisture means that it will not shrink or swell, and exposed areas can be galvanised or treated to reduce corrosion. aimed at the growing market of high-income professionals, the apartments retain the aspirational qualities of light and space that steel and glass structures offer, while combatting the issues posed by the harsh sunlight, providing a comfortable and luxurious living environment. "


architonic.com

Autumn polish

Fall is for me like the beginning of a new year. Perhaps the onset of a new school year makes me feel that way. Spring moves seamless into summer, but it's different with autumn. It always fills me with the need for autumn clean up and I am off to a good start:

First the dining room: 
I sorted out, moved china on display in my china cabinet, left only things out for daily use:
Coffee maker, coffee, toaster, much loved salt and pepper pigs, a small silver lidded box holding stevia bags, my daily silverware in easy reach to set the table!

It looks so clean now. I moved things away from my window ledge and now the sun streams through glass candle holders and a small fern plant in my copper planter.

Old postcards from the mirror were removed and only the most important ones are left on the large world map!
I waxed the table with delicious table wax and the room is done for the next few weeks!

Image

Then I moved to our family room to give it a thoroughly check up. There is a dresser, filled with games and a drawer with candles, but the top has become a catch all for spill over china....
So I sorted: The melamine plates down to the basement, glasses back into the cabinets,
vases restored to their original purpose: holding flowers...

Do I see still some lego under there??? The basket candle holders need to go back to the deck table....And the old torchiere has to go elsewhere!

Better!

What's left?
My desk, the sorting of magazines, cleaning out of the bookshelves.

The winter room needs a fixing as well: Fire place and chimney cleaning, piano tuning, and a new wall paper.
My husband declared it's good to have visitors coming on the weekend, the house looks spic and span... Well, it's sheer coincidence!!!
So much has been removed: I am clearly heading for my own yard sale...
But there is more: bedroom sorting, clothes sorting and give aways, looking through my winter wardrobe.
I am trying not to hold on to things I haven't used in a while, I am learning! It's hard though!


Still I hear the cicadas in the trees, but I am so looking forward to the long cozy hours at the fire place, the rustic meals, pumpkins and the harvest of apples.
Autumn, I am yours!








Pictures by V.Zlotkowski and as indicated.