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We love incorporating photography into our interiors. Here is a sampling of local photographers work. Consider displaying some in your home.
By Mark Kawell visit www.kawellphotography.com
By Jim Brandenburg visit www.jimbrandenburg.com
By Alec Soth visit www.alecsoth.com
By Tom Arndt vist the MIA to see the current exhibition of his work.
By Larry Millett visit www.larrymillet.com
By LuAnne Silvia
When you happen to come across something that sparks a different perspective, a fresh approach or a new way of thinking it can lead to your next great idea. It could come in the form of a conversation, something you read, or something you heard. I enjoy these moments that allow you to think about something in a totally new way. In our office we collaborate on design solutions. Sharing our perspectives with one another results in the best solutions. The creative process is a collaborative effort even when you are not aware of it. What has inspired you?
I attended a lecture through the Minneapolis Library last year about an architectural photographer, Balthazar Korab. There was a series of photographs he had taken of the St Louis Arch that struck me. The first photograph was the picture perfect post card image. There was beautiful landscaping in the foreground that led your eye to the Arch surrounded by a clear blue sky. The image was in black and white, but you just knew the sky was blue. The second photograph was the artistic abstract interpretation. The photograph was taken from a different angle that really played with your sense of scale and perception because there was no recognizable foreground or background to give the Arch any context. It left you wondering how the Arch truly reads in person, what does it really look like? The third image took the viewer to yet another perspective. This one had so much context and in an extremely different way – a completely urban shot with all of it’s real surroundings, a gritty urban context. Three photographs of the same structure, evoking three different emotions. A new perspective.
Part of our role as an interior designer is to establish what the perspective is, discover what perspective we are coming from. Are we designing the post card, the artistic abstract or the real nitty gritty? That’s the best part of collaboration. You can build off of someone else’s vantage point. And the final result after all, is all in the eye of the beholder.
For more of Balthazar Korab’s photos and unique perspectives visit www.balthazarkorab.com
When selecting seating for a room we take into consideration a myriad of details. Proportion, mass, scale, seat height and depth, arm height, back height. We consider if the frame should have a simple fabric which highlights the lines of the chair or sofa or if a patterned fabric creates the right emphasis in the room and the chair frame is one that can allow the fabric to be the star. Should we use leather, fabric, pattern, texture or a combination. Following are some photos of the details and results.
A comfortable chair is a thing of great value but chairs can also be beautiful, artistic elements in an interior. Modern or traditional, a sculptural chair will add emphasis in an interior.
For more sculptural chairs check out the following websites.
When looking for the perfect chair don’t overlook vintage resources. A well built chair that can be reupholstered to become your own is a sustainable idea and often a great value.
Hans Wegner designs are modern classics. To come up with ideas and see more vintage gems visit www.1stdibs.com
Traditional chairs can be found at antique shops, consignment stores or estate sales.
There are shops around the Twin Cities that specialize in mid-century modern furnishings including Spinario in Minneapolis. The Retro Loop in St. Paul and many antique shops for vintage resources. For inspiration check out www.1stdibs.com.
We are fortunate to have such a rich local art and design scene. Here are some chairs designed by designers from the Twin Cities. We are thrilled to be part of a community that supports the local arts.
The designs above are from BluDot. For more wonderful locally designed furniture see www.bludot.com
A combination of bent wood and metal, these chairs are works of art. For more see Solv Studios at www.solvstudio.com
Local designer Tom Oliphant uses unsual materials and innovative ways of looking at ordinary objects. Visit www.thomasoliphant.com
What should a home be if not comfortable. What makes a home comfortable? It is a combination of many things: light, color, smell, a great place to cook, a wonderful spot to gather with friends and family, but at the top of our list, a must have in any home is a comfortable place to sit….or “the perfect pitch”.
This term has a different meaning to baseball fans, but to me “the perfect pitch” is a chair (of sofa) with just the right angle between the seat and the back of the chair. This chair is one you can spend hours in reading, working on a laptop or doing needlework. Finding a chair or sofa with a perfect pitch, seat height, seat depth, arm height and back height is a wonderful thing. We strive to have a comfortable seat for everyone in each home we design including their guests.
There are some chairs that are so well designed that they seem to fit both a smaller woman and a tall man like a glove, but these are few and far between. I keep a record of these at the ready and they are great to include in a room. We take note and have knowledge of what furniture manufacturers build seating pieces that work well for different people. If necessary or desired we do take clients on field trips to sit test. This is particularly helpful if you have any back issues or unusually small or large stature.
There is a controversy amongst seating designers, engineers and ergonomic experts as to what is needed in a chair. Much of this centers around chairs for working rather than chairs for residential use. There is continual research, exploration and debate on the topic of what makes a comfortable seat. Considering how long seating has been around it seems strange that the perfect chair has yet to be designed or perhaps there just needs to be as many perfect chairs as there are people.
A comfortable reading chair, good lighting, a table next to it that is the perfect height. It’s heaven. Here are some great sitting and reading spots to inspire you to create your own.
Ceilings are often the carrier of light sources. Indirect light, daylighting and cove lighting are great ways to provide light in a discreet way.
Celestory windows in this living room provide soft daylighting in this great room and define a separate area for seating. Architect: Mark Kawell www.kawell.com
A skylight at the center of this kitchen provides great general lighting during the day. Architect: Locus Architecture www.locusarchitecture.com
Lighting in the stepped tray of this house creates soft, intimate lighting in the dining room. Architect: Charles Stinson www.crsarch.com
Lighting the tray ceiling in this bar helps aleviate the impression that you are in a lower level. Architect: Mark Kawell www.kawell.com
Applying fabric to a ceiling may seem like a fanciful idea but there are good aesthetic and functional reasons for using fabric above your head. Here are some photos and ideas for your inspiration.
The upholstered ceiling here doesn’t call attention to itself but softens the vaulted ceiling while providing favorable acoustic absorption.
The geometric lines of this upholstered ceiling echo the buildings exterior and helps the acoustics in this space.
These suspended squares of fabric add human scale to this atrium space and provide shading to the space below.
A more traditional look but sprinkled with lights this upholstered dome provides light, softness and defines space below.
Fabric suspended beneath light fixtures creates shadow, pattern and interest in this ceiling.
Tray ceilings are an effective device to create height, define areas within a larger space, and bring diffuse light into a space. Here are some examples of how trays can be used within a ceiling.
This tray ceiling puts emphasis on the seating area in this larger great room and is used to deliver indirect, soft light.
Architect: Mark Kawell www.kawell.com
A smaller tray echos the shape of this bar and creates a sense of intimacy.
Architect: Mark Kawell www.kawell.com
This tray ceiling is combined with a vault at it’s center creating both a sense of human scale and a soaring space at the same time.
Architect: Charles Stinston www.crsarch.com
You are currently browsing the Design Inspiration Blog blog archives for June, 2009.
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LiLu Interiors, a boutique interior design firm with offices in Minneapolis, Minnesota, provides custom design, project management, space planning and construction oversight services to homeowners across the Twin Cities and wherever our clients may take us. About | Work | Accolades | Contact | Client Access | Trade Partners | Privacy ©2008 LiLu Interiors |
