inspiration: design

Showing posts with label design. Show all posts

Saul Bass + Hockey

My husband, an AVID hockey fan, came across this post today. Knowing how much his wife loves the work of Saul Bass (and how she has learned to love hockey), he thought these posters were a great combo. I have to agree.

See more work at 6ix6ix8 Productions

Color… at Sunrise, and Sunset

Color palettes can come from many things.

I am often drawn to acts of nature as a source of inspiration, so here are some images to inspire.

To the left, you have the sunset, as I sometimes see from my back yard. We are looking over the Pacific Ocean, about 4 miles away.

There is nothing like a sunrise. This magnificent one occurred in New Mexico in August. I love the feeling I get when I am up early enough to witness a sunrise. I feel like I own the world.

And now, ... sunset, as witnessed in New Mexico

and the moon.

Dining dilema!

I was having a chat to a friend of mine the other night about their house, I have been helping them ramp up the style a bit since they moved in a few months ago. The house is stunning with breath taking views over the ocean, it was their holiday home but why not have that holiday 365 days a year.... so they made the decision to sell up their home close to the city and move to the beach!

Now as I have said, it is a stunning home with spectacular views but was furnished in a fairly bland way originally as it was not a permanent residence. A lot of the furniture from their city home wasn't the right vibe for this very modern home but some of the pieces have melded quite well.

The trick now is to give this open plan space with it's white walls and very modern kitchen, character, colour and warmth without detracting from those views. We have injected a bit of colour into the living area by introducing some turquoise accessories and some great art but now it is time to concentrate on the dining area.

They have room for a very large dining table that will seat 10 and have 8 existing chairs in a woven seagrass. I would like my friends to choose 2 new dining chairs for either end of the table that will be real statement pieces so I have a collection of images to provoke ideas for them and getting them to think a little outside the square.

These images are quite diverse in style but they are all a little quirky using a mix of chairs. The idea is to get some reactions to these images so that they can work out what they hate and what they love but also how to look at things differently, you don't have to have matching sets..... sometimes mixing things up makes a much more interesting room.

They also need to look at lighting and maybe a rug to anchor the dining area. Large open plan rooms are great but they do have their challenges as well. It is important to have furniture that is the right proportions or they will end up looking a bit lost or as my mum says "a pimple on a pumpkin".

My greatest pet hate when it comes to decorating is rooms that look like they have been bought as a package deal straight out of a catalog. That is why it is important to mix it up a bit....get some old and new.... mix across the ages......be brave and don't bland out!

The images are from Pinterest

Sweet Summer Reads!

The Flower Power girls are now in paperback, with sparkly redesigned covers! Drawing inspiration from Christine Norrie's adorable original illustrations, I was able to channel my inner illustrator and create a new look for these middle grade tween novels. Lauren Myracle is at her best here, with four flower friends and tons of chat room fun. Get 'em while they're hot!

Tutorial - Bathroom design - style

Bathroom design is something I deal with on a day to day basis. It is my day job, I spend a lot of time thinking about bathrooms....funny really when I have only done a makeover on mine and not a full reno!!! So I thought I would go through some of the processes you need to think about. In this ongoing series I will be taking you through style, design, tiles, lighting, do's and dont's and anything else I can think of!

Part 1 - Style

OK this one is going to be a little difficult to define as I have noticed that it is very much a country by country thing and although I am based in Australia, blogs have a world wide audience, so be aware that some of my advice will be Aussie skewed.

In Australia we have a tendency by far to go for quite a modern sleek look in bathrooms. The top of the line is quality stone, porcelain or glass tiles with custom vanities, solid stone baths, European tapware, wall hung toilets with in-wall cisterns and large frameless glass shower screens. All very sleek, clean and minimalist.

via

freestanding baths are right on trend and marble tiles add a timeless luxury

via

the frameless blade shower screen is very now but you must make sure that the water is well contained in the area, linear grates are perfect for this situation with the fall to the back of the shower. Word of warning, if the blade is not long enough you will get a lot of overspray into the bathroom.

via

Pure luxury, a room with a view ... quite a masculine bathroom with the dark wood surfaces both on the floor and ceiling. The different surfaces add interest and texture to the room.

via

large format tiles, built in cabinetry, double basins, freestanding baths all of these make a top quality contemporary bathroom

via

glass splash back tiles, good lighting and double basins

via

Asian influence with special artistic touches, never be afraid of displaying works of art in the bathroom as long as you have good ventilation. This bathroom does lack natural light which can be a drawback at times but sometimes it is unavoidable.

via

This is something I do a lot in bathroom design, I run a feature tile over the floor up the bath and on one wall, then use a less expensive white tile on the other walls. More bang for your buck!! plus it is not overwhelming, this pietra grey marble is very dark and would have been overpowering in such a small space.

via

One of the big new trends for ensuites (if there is room) is a his and hers vanity rather than one large one with individual mirrors above each basin

via

the individual mirrors allows for easier lighting either side of the mirror

via

no arguments with separate vanities.

via

my personal preference is for something a little bit more traditional but not quite so grand as the bathroom above. There are not too many of us that can afford to use this amount of space!

via

this is probably a bit more like it but I would tend to avoid carrera marble on the bench tops as from experience they don't stand up well to makeup stains.

via

this is just gorgeous!

When planning your bathroom consider who will be using it.... is it a family bathroom, a master bathroom a small en suite. A lot of people like to put in double basins in the family bathroom but realistically they are only used by one person at a time, most kids (especially as they get older) are not interested in sharing the bathroom while they are in it!!! Different story for the master bath, if you have a large enough room it is definitely a good resale point.

Also to consider is the bath, there really should be a bath somewhere in the house and the most likely place is the family bathroom as they are needed to bath young children. If you have the space include one in the master bathroom/en suite as a little bit of luxury but don't compromise the space if it is tight, you are better off going for a large double shower.

More will be discussed in part 2 on design. Coming soon!

Another Shadow Shot

on a cobblestone street, in Verona.

2011 Design Retreat in Italy

Ciao all!
We have just begun our Design Retreat.

Here is the group this year, with our English and Italian names.

Back Row, L-R
Maureen from Texas, aka Morena
Mary from Michigan, aka Maria
Shari from California, aka Sara
Kath from California, aka Katerina

Fron Row, L-R
Susan (me), aka Susanna
Maria from New York, aka..... Maria (surprise)
Cynthia from Conneticut, aka Cinzia

Here we are at Dante's statue, in Verona.

Under the Cover: Gay America

To mark the passage of same-sex marriage in New York, here's a look at the making of a book that honors the LGBT struggle for equality.

Book Summary

Milestones of gay and lesbian life in the United States are brought together in the first-ever nonfiction book published specifically for teens.

Profusely illustrated with archival images, the groundbreaking Gay America reveals how gay men and women have lived, worked, and loved for the past 125 years. Gays and lesbians play a very prominent role in American life today, whether grabbing headlines over political gains, starring in and being the subject of movies and television shows, or filling the streets of nearly every major city each year to celebrate Gay Pride. However, this was not always the case, and this book charts their journey along with the history of the country. Providing a sense of hope mixed with pride, author Linas Alsenas demonstrates how, within one century, gay women and men have gone from being socially invisible to becoming a political force to be reckoned with and proud members of the American public living openly and honestly.

Cover Creation

I worked a little backwards in the Gay America design process, creating the title lock-up before I solidified the design. But in this case, the typography actually inspired the overall look.

For this book, I really wanted the typography to speak to the subject. I felt it was important for "GAY" to be prominent, looking embattled but strong, while "America" was smaller and more idyllic. But most importantly, I wanted the two words to be physically entwined, to suggest that these two worlds are intrinsically united.

"GAY" is set in Eroxion Roman and "America" is set in Bickham Script.

In these initial sketches, I played with the combination of both American and Gay Rights symbols: stars and stripes of all colors.

Finally I found the best marriage of symbols: Stars on a field of rainbow stripes.

The missing element was photographic. We felt it was important to depict the many faces of Gay America in united celebration. After much deliberation, we decided on this image from Getty.com:

And the final cover and full jacket:

Reviews

From Booklist:
*Starred Review* "Alsenas’ landmark history of American gay life focuses largely on public attitudes toward homosexuality and the seemingly endless struggle for gay rights. After a brief survey covering pre–twentieth-century America, Alsenas narrows his focus to offer a closer examination of more recent events. Thus, Chapter Two deals with the period 1910–39; Chapter Three, with 1940–59; and so on until the final chapter brings the reader to the present—and beyond. In an effort to humanize his material, the author begins each chapter with an individual story told from a personalized (i.e., lightly fictionalized) point of view. While this succeeds in dramatizing factual material, the effort may be unnecessary, since the epic story the author tells of the gradual emergence of gays and lesbians from the shadows is itself a compellingly human drama. Alsenas’ often sprightly, always engaging style makes his history even more reader-friendly, as do the many archival photographs that enliven each page. This first-ever book to cover this material for young adults is essential reading for all young people—gay, lesbian, and straight. Grades 7–12." —Michael Cart

"Gay America is an amazing book: entertaining, informative, and endlessly fascinating. Thoroughly researched, beautifully written, and gloriously illustrated, the book puts the LGBT movement into its proper historical context and features many luminaries of our community. Whatever your sexuality, Gay America is YOUR America. This important and groundbreaking book should be required reading in every high school in the USA.” —Lesléa Newman, author of Heather Has Two Mommies

Under the Cover: Shine

One of the best things about being a designer is getting to work on projects that I really care about. Shine by Lauren Myracle is hands-down, without a doubt, one of those projects. The story is raw, gritty, and just plain beautiful—and I knew the cover had to do it justice.

Book Summary

From Amazon.com:
When her best guy friend falls victim to a vicious hate crime, sixteen-year-old Cat sets out to discover who in her small town did it. Richly atmospheric, this daring mystery mines the secrets of a tightly knit Southern community and examines the strength of will it takes to go against everyone you know in the name of justice.
Against a backdrop of poverty, clannishness, drugs, and intolerance, Myracle has crafted a harrowing coming-of-age tale couched in a deeply intelligent mystery. Smart, fearless, and compassionate, this is an unforgettable work from a beloved author.

Design Exploration

I read an early draft of the Shine manuscript and immediately had a very vivid picture of the town and its cast of characters. I'm from southern Virginia, so the setting and the people felt very familiar. (Seriously, even things the characters would say, like, "Shit fire and save bullets!" were common expressions in my upbringing.) So I used that sense of nostalgia to compile imagery that felt appropriate for Shine.

Inspiration

I'm a fan of the HBO show, True Blood, so the opening credits instantly popped into my head as evoking that kind of gritty, southern energy.

This last image in particular was sort of a muse for the design direction. It just feels like the South—weathered and beautiful and a little unsettling. Other stock photography and the work of North Carolina photographer Sterling E. Stevens also lent inspiration:

Cover Creation

When I started designing this cover, the title of the book was Speechless. The design angle being how Cat was silenced by a terrible childhood event. A very early comp looked like this:

But (thankfully!) we didn't stay with this direction long. We decided it was more important to focus on how Cat was emerging from her fearful silence and blossoming into a strong young woman. Going back to my inspiration board and childhood memories of magnolia trees and rust covered sheds, the design went in this direction:

And got a lot of positive reaction. The strongest element was the magnolia blossom—sort of a diamond in the rough—so I continued with that imagery.

When the title of Speechless became Shine, I knew the cover needed to be less about receding and more about emerging and the struggle of becoming. There's a powerful scene at the end of the book that involves water:

And another with a mourning cloak butterfly caught in a spider's web:

But what these comps were missing was hope. The struggle was evident enough, but ultimately, Shine is a story of hope and compassion and leaping off the edge of doubt.

And blooming in the face of adversity.

As with most things, this design came full circle and ended where it began—which was with this early comp. Something about this flower blooming in spite of everything, spoke most to Cat's struggle and her cause for hope.