Modern design blog for modern lifestyles. eat.live.modern

MUJI store

MUJI is a fun little store I came across in Europe. They have simple travel, office, and home essentials along with crafty goods that use the best materials with environmental consideration. MUJI is IKEA-esque with personal, functional goods - no furniture.

Here's the MUJI travel brochure: Download Travel_brochure_UK

And, here are some product highlights. The press out airplane is a great project for kids (or adults!), and they have a London taxi press out too that's really sleek. Took me a good 2 hours to put it together, ha. Then, the cityscape stands can liven up your desk landscape.

Check out the full MUJI website They have store locations all across Asia and Europe, and 6 stores in New York City.

Starck Struck - Modern Designer Philippe Starck

Lately in my travels I have had the pleasure of experiencing the places and spaces of French designer Philippe Starck - perhaps the most influential designer of our time. Starck's approach to design is unique, and he exhibits such a range from his simple product designs to lavish interiors. (You may remember the collaboration he did with Target back in 2002.) He has notably stated that he is never satisfied with his work which, perhaps, continues to fuel his drive for perfection.

Here are some highlights of Starck designed modern architecture and interiors in Beverly Hills, New York City and Paris. You can view his full portfolio at the Philippe Starck website: www.starck.com  

The Bazaar, SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills

http://thebazaar.com/

The Bazaar restaurant in the heart of Beverly Hills will not disappoint. From the people watching to the eclectic menu to the layout of the restaurant - your senses will be in overdrive. For each course you'll be seated in a different themed area of the restaurant at communal style tables. Try to get by the chef's table for your main course and be sure to save room for the delicious dessert bar. There's even a section of retail items with wonderful finds and gadgets. To top it off stop at the outside lounge bar on your way out.

 

SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills

www.starwood.com

Owned by Starwood hotels the SLS Hotel is a good choice if you are looking for excitement in LA. In addition to the standard amenities you would expect, there are pool tables on each floor, the bath products come in full sizes, and the concierge staff has the hook up to all the best spots in town. In our case they even went to the same place they recommended to us for the night!

Hudson Hotel in New York City

http://www.hudsonhotel.com

The Hudson Hotel is conveniently located near Columbus Circle in New York. It is steps away from Central Park and across from the Time Warner center with plenty of shops and a Whole Foods at the bottom. The hip hotel has hidden design surprises at every turn. With a cafeteria style restaurant on-site and lovely rooftop terrace, it's a refreshing boutique hotel with affordable prices for NYC. 

Le Royal Monceau in Paris

http://www.raffles.com/paris/

A true gem in Paris, the Le Royal Monceau will whisk you away with its charm and luxury. Located in Philippe Starck's native Paris he certainly put his best foot forward with the hotel renovation and design. The restaurant scene on property offers white glove service or casual dining if you prefer. You'll want to book a spa appointment at the Spa My Blend by Clarins which was also designed by Starck. After walking the nearby Champs-Élysées and admiring the Arc de Triomphe your feet will need a good rub down!

Restaurant Bon in Paris

http://www.restaurantbon.fr/indexacc.html

Off the beaten path and a true local spot, Restaurant Bon restaurant delivers on both design and cuisine. The modern restaurant features Asian-fusion dishes and pockets of different decor. I highly recommend the seating in the library room - other choices include the boudoir, the fireplace room, or the vinotheque.

Kong Bar and Restaurant in Paris

http://www.kong.fr/

A few steps off the Seine river bank Kong Bar and Restaurant makes for an superb evening out or an amazing brunch on the windowed, rooftop terrace. You can't miss the Asian influences like the boy pictured in the bathroom or the random faces adorning the place. Kong has a good section of local and traditional cocktails - the Rossini (champagne, creme de fraise, puree de fraise) was a big hit! 

Must Have Design, Travel and Lifestyle Apps

There are tons of apps being created these days which makes it hard to find the true gems. Discovering a cool app can make a big difference in your day-to-day with location based features getting more and more advanced. 

Here are some of my go-to design, travel, foodie and lifestyle apps for your iPhone and/or iPad - in no particular order. Send or post suggestions of your favs too!

GOOP App (iPhone, $3.99)

Gwyneth Paltrow's GOOP lifestyle brand released a new iPhone app today. It's a City Guide for New York and is filled with hand-picked favorites and suggestions from the actress. I can't wait to try out the GOOP app when I'm in NYC in a few weeks. It has a "What's Near Me" feature that pulls in the suggestions based on your location, and there are also a few NYC walks highlighted in the app with superb stops. Go Gwyneth.

Houzz App (iPad/iPhone, free)

The Houzz app has home design ideas and photos by room type. You can also layer on the Metro area filter or Style features to customize the pictures shown. Interior design at your fingertips.

FoodSpotting App (iPhone, free)

Looking for the tastiest key lime pie or a huge helping of lasagna? The FoodSpotting app lets you find food by location and picture. The user submitted photos allow you to navigate through the world of food - one dish after another. Eat your heart out!

Instagram App (iPhone, free)

The Instagram app makes every picture look better - without fail, guar-on-tee! This app is addicting and will have you whipping out your phone at inopportune moments to capture things just to see how they'll turn out with the various filters. A must-have for shutter bugs.

Number Guru (iPhone, free)

Ok, I selfishly debated about whether to give this one out - but here goes. Number Guru lets you get the identification for ANY telephone number. You heard me. Caller id for cell phones is freaking awesome.

Scoutmob (iPhone, free)

 

Based and started in Atlanta, Scoutmob is a mobile deal app that may determine where you are eating out each night because the deals are that sweet. What's really great about the app is that you don't have to buy anything in advance (like Groupon) all you do is show your phone to redeem the deals which in most cases is 50% off. Scoutmob is now in 13 major cities with 6 more on the way. Their marketing is charming and funny, and the deals tend to be at quality places. Mobile deals for the local curious.

 

Artist Bradley Gordon featured at Billy Reid

Billy Reid's flagship design store in Florence, Alabama featured talented artist Bradley Gordon and his paintings in an evening showcase. Gordon's stunning work depicts animals which were an inspiration while he was growing up and living in Mississippi. The paintings have just the right amount of color and form while the reclaimed wooden frames give them a rustic touch. Here are some of the highlights from the show, and you can find more on Bradley's website, The Gordon Gallery.

Parallax Web Design - Creative Showcase

Your eyes are in for a treat! An interactive colleague tipped me off on this cool vertical web design technique called Parallax that adds an amazing sense of depth to the web. Parallax design and layering creates a 3D effect and adds movement to the page.

You must see for yourself in the cool parallax design examples below:

The sherbet colored shoes on the Nike Better World site standout incredibly! Reminds me of those circus peanut candies.

Visual flow for the SXSW Beer Camp page is similar to Prezi.

Fancy way to promote your business like this digital agency in Oslo.

Parallax is a great tool for high-end, luxury brands as seen above for Manufacture d'Essai.

Jan Ploch uses parallax design to showcase an online portfolio. Parallax resumes will be the future - much better than the boring black and white one-pager. Ick!

High School Students Build A Farmer's Market In A Food Desert | Fast Company

Bertie County, North Carolina is the poorest county in its state, with  residents who are largely obese and an agricultural economy that is reliant on tobacco, cotton, peanuts, and soy. It's also home to Emily Pilloton and Studio H, a design/build program in a local public high school. This past year, Pilloton and partner Matthew Miller led a class of high school students in designing and building a much-needed (and quite beautiful) farmer's market pavilion for the area.

Studio H construction timelapse from Project H Design on Vimeo.

via www.fastcompany.com

It's great to see this follow-up story by Fast Company to the blog post and interview I conducted on Emily Pilloton's design work.

Wearable Planter Jewelry

Carry a little bit of nature with you with Colleen Jordan's planter jewelry. The designer uses 3D printing and modeling software that allows her to create unique forms that house small, stable plants like succulents. Her shop on Etsy, A Wearable Planter, showcases her creations which are mainly necklaces and pins. Colleen's pieces are driven by the idea that "the world would be a better place if we showed a greater respect for nature, and even carried plants closer to our hearts". 

The United States Of Design | Fast Company

From GM to 3M, in boardrooms and on Wall Street, in Silicon Valley and on Madison Avenue, design matters more than ever. Around the globe, American designers have never been more influential. Welcome to an unexpected and inspiring moment.

via www.fastcompany.com

Interesting article. Do you think design can kick start American business?

Art and Design - Movie Reviews

While the blockbuster thrillers may be on your Netflix list, here are some design conscious films to broaden your movie playlist.

The first set of recommendations is actually a trilogy by Gary Hustwit: Helvetica, Objectified, and the upcoming Urbanized. The first film, Helvetica, is a film about typography, graphic design and global visual culture. It looks at the way type has shaped our lives. Then, Objectified (my favorite so far) explores the world of industrial design and how creativity is in objects all around us. It's about designers who influence and create the products in our environment on a daily basis. Seeing the process designers go through was really eye-opening. Lastly, Urbanized is the third and final part of the series taking a closer look at ubran design, and it is premiering at the Toronto Film Festival in September. The documentary reveals the people who shape cities and how urban planning will evolve as more people live in cities. It is truly a global discussion on the future of urban areas. Check out the Urbanized screenings for dates and cities!

My next recommendation stems from my passion and career in Marketing & Advertising. Art & Copy is a documentary about the advertising industry, how good brands relate to consumers, and the people that were behind some of the most memorable campaigns like "Just Do It", "Got Milk?" and "I Want My MTV".Who knew the idea of the Nike "Just Do It" campaign came from a newspaper headline about someone getting executed?!

Last but not least, My Playground explores the phenomenon of Parkour and Freerunning. The sport is changing the thoughts and strategies around urban planning and the spaces that shape our cities. The film takes a deeper dive into urban mobility and the Parkour movement.

Atlanta INtown Paper - Lori Shearer - July 2011

The July issue of Atlanta INtown Paper gives a nice shout out to eat.live.modern's coverage of the Modern Atlanta Home Tour - and yours truly. :)

Check out the full issue below. See pages 36 & 37 for the article.

 

Open publication - Free publishing - More art