Thumbtack Microphone
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The first thing you'll notice about ThumbTack is that it's a familiar day-to-day object in your life. This unique design feature not only looks great, but is also the perfect shape to easily push and pull out of your iPod. It is smallest mic of its kind, but still tough enough to withstand your everyday use. Push your Thumbtack into your 3.5mm headphone jack and your iPod will automatically turn into a voice recorder. So next time when you need to record class dictations, office meetings, or even covering the next big story, don't forget to bring along your ThumbTack. Please upgrade your iPod to the latest firmware before using ThumbTacks
Thumbtack Microphone
Thumbtack Microphone
Contemporary Furniture
Diposting oleh fatih on Sabtu, 27 Juni 2009
Contemporary Furniture
Textured leathers, animal prints, metal hardware, graphic patterns, and high-contrast veneers create a bold, visual panache and are all a part of a unique furniture style. When it comes to contemporary furniture, it’s all about the shape, mix of materials, and colors. The unique designs of contemporary furniture can also break all the rules of symmetry. Today’s contemporary furniture doesn’t cause a media frenzy as much as Scandinavian Modern did in the 1950’s or as much as 1980’s designs. Today’s contemporary furniture, although still trendy and distinctively leading edge when it comes to design, is a bit more demure than in the past in contrast to the designs that rocked the 1950’s.
The timeless Barcelona chair is an ideal example of enduring contemporary furniture design. The functional design of the iconic Barcelona chair was made with the teamwork of the famous Bauhaus architect, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, and Lilly Reich. The inspiration for the chair came from the functional folding chairs of ancient times. At first, the Barcelona chair was constructed to simply be bolted together. However, in 1950 stainless steel was used for the frame, thus giving the chair a smoother look. Pigskin was used on the original Barcelona chair but later cowhides were used. This contemporary chair received considerable attention when it was introduced and today there is still a rising degree of interest for this chair.
First introduced in 1948, the Noguchi cocktail table, designed by the famous sculptor Isamu Noguchi, hides nothing and exposes everything about the nature of minimalism. It is a perfect example of practical contemporary furniture design and it set out to redefine typical cocktail tables. Two curved solid wood furniture pieces join to form a stand and a .75 inch clear glass stands on top. Although it looks fragile, it disguises tremendous strength. The notion of less is more applies to this table. As Noguchi said, "Everything is sculpture. Any material, any idea without hindrance born into space, I consider sculpture." One of the most illustrious examples of contemporary furniture of the last century can be seen today in offices as well as private homes.
Introduced in 1956, the comfortable Eames lounge chair and ottoman were designed by Ray and Charles Eames and features classical contemporary furniture design elements. The chair is basically three curved plywood shells with cushions covered in leather. The backrest and the headrest of the chair move. The seat swivels on an aluminum base. The Eames lounge chair and ottoman set out to redefine seating with a unique design and comfort that caters to one and all. The chair together with the ottoman is the perfect combination of function, style, and comfort.
Today’s contemporary furniture is going “green” as well and this will be a priority in the future eco-consciousness. However, the trend is still in its infancy, but many manufacturers, including contemporary furniture manufacturers, are turning to sustainable materials or recycled materials for their products. Several organizations assist furniture manufacturers to adopt sustainable business practices. Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is one of them and is dedicated to responsible forest management. FSC instituted an array of forest management practices and their certification program guarantees that the whole production chain, from cutting trees to actual manufacturing, conforms to the utmost standards of forest management. The movement toward environmentally friendly furniture is beginning to take hold and if your next contemporary furniture purchase is FSC certified, you can be assured that all the trees used to make that furniture came from managed forests.
Today’s contemporary furniture design elements offer innovative lifestyle environments and a wide range of categories for bedrooms, dining rooms, living rooms, accessories, and more. Contemporary furniture is one of the easiest ways to inject a note of exhilaration, sophistication, and vision into any room. There is nothing quite like an intricate geometrical pattern of an area rug to give a revitalization to a predictable room scenery. Customization is and will be another hallmark of contemporary furniture allowing consumers to select dimensions, finishes, fabrics, leathers, or any attributes they desire. Contemporary styled furniture continues to be popular among young and old consumers and shows no sign of slowing down any time soon.
To purchase contemporary products go to FOWfurniture.com
Mixed Media Painting Techniques, Frottage and Grattage
Diposting oleh fatih on Kamis, 18 Juni 2009
Frottage 1 - 24" x 36" Mixed Media Painting: Pastel, Acrylic, Gesso on Glassine For this summer's program of continuing education (last summer I studied Architecture in Italy), I have embarked on a course in 'Mixed Media Painting Techniques' at Emily Carr University of Art. The course teaches the process of image-making on built surfaces and works with a range of materials such as gesso, plaster, paint, ink, charcoal, and various papers. I am learning to explore 'expression and emotion' through layering, drawing, brushwork, Frottage and Grattage following in the footsteps of the greats in mixed media painting like: Max Ernst, Mark Rothko, and Paul Klee. I particularly like my teacher, Diana Kubicek's style of teaching. She teaches us to explore the various techniques fearlessly and says repeatedly there are "no mistakes"in painting. As a matter of fact "mistakes can be the building block of a great masterpiece". I like that! I have always been interested in drawing and sketching since my days in Design School, but find that I never have the time to take a brush to paper and do larger abstract paintings and works of art. So this course is a perfect opportunity to allow myself the freedom to explore different mixed media painting techniques. The last class we spent exploring the technique of Frottage (from French frotter, "to rub") a surrealist and "automatic" method of creative production. Frottage was developed by Max Ernst.
Frottage 2 - 18" x 24" Mixed Media Painting: Ink, Acrylic & Pastel on Paper
Frottage Painting 3 - 18" x 24" Pastel on tracing paper
Frottage Painting 4 - 12" x 18" Mixed Media Painting: Acrylic & Gesso on paper
In the first class we explored the technique of mixed media painting starting with a base of Gesso
Study 1 - 11" x 14" Mixed Media Painting Technique: Gesso, Acrylic and Watercolor on Card Stock
Gesso is an art supply used as surface preparation or primer for painting and sculpting. Gesso is believed to have been developed in Italy, since the word gesso is Italian for 'chalk'. Preparation varies according to intended use, but usually consists of mixing glue with plaster, chalk, or gypsum. (Gesso is the perfect base for starting a mixed media painting.)
Gesso resembles paint, but is thinner and dries hard. Gesso is applied with a brush and must dry before the surface can be painted. This technique of applying Gesso was first created for use in painting, in order to give the surface the right properties to receive paint. In Gothic and Renaissance panel painting, the technique of applying gesso over a panel of wood was used in order to give the paint something to adhere to. It created a slightly rough surface and prevented the paint from seeping into the wood. We were taught to apply the Gesso to our surface of our mixed media painting with a palette knife using broad strokes to building up the surface. Then various tools are used to create the textures. In Study 1 I used a metal clay sculpting tool with a comb like ridge to scrape across the wet Gesso. I then used the edge of my pallet knife to scrape in the diagonal ridges, then finished off with blotting areas with a sponge. I let the piece dry and then applied watercolor and acrylic in layers to the painting, while at the same time using a roller to take off the excess wet color on the surface so that the paint pigment settled into the crevices of the Gesso. I used the side of my palette knife to scrape off the raised portions of the diagonal lines to reveal the white Gesso below - a technique called Grattage*. Also the Gesso doesn't extend to the edge of the paper and gives it an interesting border. *Grattage is a surrealist technique in mixed media painting in which (usually dry) paint is scraped off the canvas. It was employed by Max Ernst and Joan Miró
Detail of Mixed Media Painting Technique: Study 1 above.
Study 2 - 10" x 10" Mixed Media Painting Technique: Masking Tape, Gesso and Watercolor on Glass
Study 3 - 7" x 10" Mixed Media Painting Technique: Gesso and Watercolor on Paper
Have you had any experience with Mixed Media Painting, Frottage or Grattage or other Mixed Media techniques?
Please let me know by leaving a Comment.
Another post you might be interested in: Abstract Art - Go Big or Go Home
Patricia Gray writes about 'WHAT'S HOT 'in the world of Interior Design, new and emerging trends, modern design,
architecture, and travel, as well as how your surroundings can influence the world around you.
© Patricia Gray Interior Design Blog, 2009
Kids’ Glider Rockers
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Kids’ Glider Rockers
You want you child to have a rocker? No problem, they rock. You want your child to have a glider? No problem, they glide too.
Are you tired of the same old kids’ glider rockers? If you did find one, is it just another import with 1 or possibly 2 fabric options?
Our kids glider rockers are meticulously designed to provide the ultimate in comfort seating. They are so comfortable; they rock young and old to sleep. These kids’ glider rockers are proudly made in USA and feature exceptionally smooth glider/rocker mechanism. Each kids’ glider rocker is offered in 45 custom fabrics as well as 45 custom welts. For those that are not familiar with the term welt, it is the accent piping that is sawn into the seam of the glider rocker. With all these fabric and welt options, the possibilities are endless when it comes to the glider that they can call their very own.
For those looking for a more traditional look for their child’s glider rocker, we offer a glider rocker with rolled arms that can be ordered with a skirt or without a skirt. For those looking for more of a contemporary look, we offer a glider rocker with track arms. Even if you want one with a round back, we have it.
To purchase these products go to FOWfurniture.com
The Best Garden Pathways
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This is the time of the year, summer, glorious summer to spend time outdoors. Renew, refresh, get inspired. Visit your favorite garden or park, or dream about making your garden a little more special. I love gardens with pathways that invite exploration. Gardens that make you want to meander, to spend time and to contemplate the finer things of life. I love all the different colors of green in gardens. You don't necessarily have to have color in flowers to make a garden pop. Try different textures, shapes, and colors of greens. A well placed statue or urn gives the eye a place to focus and center on. A water feature can add a cooling element, and a splashing fountain can be a calming and soothing to the soul. Well designed gardens with meandering pathways with well placed plantings and focal points are truly works of art using nature as the canvas.
Garden Pathways
Lavender Garden Pathway
Smell the lavender as you walk down the gravel path to the fountain with lily pads awaiting you.
I imagine that this pool is filled with Koi and that there is a bench or comfortable seating on
the other side to sit and contemplate.
Garden Pathway
What a feat of design this elliptical planting between the slate pavers is.
A well placed statue draws you to the end of this pathway.
Garden Pathway
Still there are moments when the shadows fall And the low sea of flowers, wave on wave,
spreads to the pathway from the rosy wall Saying in coloured silence,
"Take our all; You gave to us, and back to you we gave. Vita Sackville-West
This beautiful arbor (above)is supported by a brick wall. It reminds me of the gardens that English poet and novelist, Vita Sackville-West created at Sissinghurst Castle Garden. In April 1930 Vita Sackville-West and her son, Nigel, were looking for an old house where she could make a new garden. Vita fell in love with Sissinghurst Castle and bought it, along with 400 acres of farmland. She spent the next 30 years planting and designing the layout of the garden using the walls & buildings already in place. She was also the first to plant an "all-white garden" because she wanted the color of the flowers and foliage to act as an illuminating factor to prolong the daylight hours and hence to be able to extend the time she could spend in the garden. I spent a delightful summer, several years ago, reading her book: Garden. The gardens at Sissinghurst that Vita so lovingly created, are now part of the National trust and are open for public viewing.
Garden Pathway Villa San Michele, Capri
The house was small, the rooms were few but there were loggias, terraces, and pergolas all around it to watch the sun,
the sea and the clouds -- the soul needs more space than the body.
Reading this poem just makes me sigh and relax. It is so true that "the soul needs more space than the body" and how wonderful to recharge by spending time strolling under this pergola and hearing the soft crunch of the pea gravel under your feet - A thing of beauty is a joy forever! Excerpt by Axel Munthe from La Strada della Dolce Vita
Garden Pathway
Garden Pathway Photograph David Duncan Livingston
Garden Pathway
Garden Pathway
The best garden pathways can be the simplest, like this cut grass pathway above.
Garden Courtyard Pathway 
Pea Gravel Pathway Bulgari Hotel Milan
I love the use of old brick for garden pathways. Old brick has a character and charm that is hard to duplicate with new materials.
Garden Pathway
Garden on Turtle Creek, Dallas TX, (above and below) was designed by renowned Landscape Architects, Michael van Valkenburgh.
The backbone of the garden is a continuous path of varied walking surfaces and garden pathways that flow from the house down the slope.
The meandering stainless steel planks are hollow underfoot altering the pace of the walk through the garden.
A brilliant juxtaposition of materials!
Garden Pathway 
Garden Pathway Versailles
And who is not in love with the beautiful gardens at Versailles.
The French really take their strolling in garden pathways seriously!
Some of my most memorable and refreshing times have been spent in gardens
walking their beautiful pathways while taking in the sights and smells around me.
What makes a perfect garden pathway for you?
Please leave a comment and let me know.
PATRICIA GRAY INC is an award winning interior design firm writing about lifestyle and
WHAT'S HOT in the world of interior design, architecture, art and travel.
2011 © Patricia Gray | Interior Design Blog™
Ridgeway Clocks
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Ridgeway is America’s oldest grandfather clock company but Ridgeway offers much more than grandfather clocks. The Ridgeway clocks have the capacity to not only become a real heirloom but also a true family treasure. Select grandfather clocks have a lighting feature exclusive to Ridgeway. The lower lamp offers a touch switch, located at the middle door hinge, for dimming to create a more romantic mood for light inside the case.
Some of the Ridgeway mantle cocks are quartz battery movement that offers a choice of Westminster and Ode to Joy chimes with selectable auto-night silence feature. The Ridgeway wall clocks offer distinctive features such as uniquely detailed dials with colored numeral rings. Even outdoor clocks such as Madison Avenue have a unique double sided dial that shows time with Roman numerals on one side and a thermometer on the other.
Not only are Ridgeway clocks impressive in quality and attention to detail but they are all proudly made in the USA.
To purchase these products go to FOWfurniture.com
25 Top Patio Chairs
Diposting oleh fatih on Senin, 01 Juni 2009
Why is well designed outdoor furniture so hard to come by????????? Everywhere I look I am visually assaulted by poorly designed and equally stinky, (as in smell) off-gassing furniture manufactured in China. I have through diligent searching found some truly amazing, beautiful to look at, and environmentally friendly outdoor furniture that is not manufactured in China. FYI Knoll practices Sustainable Design. All Knoll Space seating is GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality Certified® for low-emitting products.
First the UGLY........
Okay that's enough of that, now for the sublime...................
These chairs are so beautiful and sculptural and are appropriately call "The Clover Chair"
A truly classic and timeless design by Knoll - the Bertoria Chair and
the appropriately named Paperclip Table
I am partial to the Bertoria chair in white powder coated finish with a white vinyl chair pad.
It also works equally well indoors.
This is a design by the prolific Philippe Starck called One Cafe
The One Cafe also comes in black/ivory and a bar stool is available
with slip cover options in white cotton.
Another design by Philippe Starck called Dr No by Kartell is stackable.
The Dr Na aluminum table is practical, simple and a perfect companion piece.
The Lord Yo Chair (above) designed by Philippe Starck, is a take-off on the classic Lloyd Loom chair.
I like the cotton slipcover. They also come with Leather Slipcovers so you can take them
indoors in the winter for an attractive addition to your kitchen or dining room.
Knoll Noguchi Cyclone Table Kissi-Kissi Table One Cafe Table
Bo Chair Miss Lacy Chair Toy Chair
Now for a few divine settings to get you in the mood for those lazy, hazy days of summer
Sigh
What makes a perfect outdoor setting for you?
Please leave a comment and let me know.
Patricia Gray writes about 'WHAT'S HOT 'in the world of Interior Design, new and emerging trends, modern design,
architecture, and travel, as well as how your surroundings can influence the world around you.
© Patricia Gray Interior Design Blog, 2009
