New look! New sections and a major redesign. Stay Tuned.

Ann Sack's has released a whole new range of hand-made tiles using the age-old Italian technique of Sgraffato meaning "to scratch." There were no molds used to create each tile making each one of a kind.

dahlia, nautilus and botanical

The tiles shown as a mural.

A redesign of Arne Jacobsen’s Egg Chair originally made by Fritz Hansen will be released coinciding with the book signing and launching of the new book “And Another Thing” and the anniversary of the hit series Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

As described on the teaser site:

Featuring an apropos graphic of an exploding earth on their hand-finished white leather backs, the 42 individually numbered chairs come in blinding white leather with natural seat cushions and are perfect for even the most discerning space traveler.

When designing a good kitchen, one must always be aware of good layout. This is the most important part. A good layout provides the basic blueprint for the functionality of the kitchen. The basic work triangle is illustrated below.

Aside from this, the most important equipments you must have in the kitchen are the kitchen sinks, refrigerator and the cooktop with a range hood. There are a whole range of types of sinks, refrigerators and cooktops out there. We might need to discuss each in detail on my next blogposts. The type that you must choose must of course first and foremost be the best one to address your needs. For example a double-basined kitchen sink is an ideal choice for people with ample counterspace and needs an additional basin dedicated solely for washing or drip drying.

The next items on your list for fitting your kitchen will be the kitchen cabinet accessories like pull-out trays, wall-mounted racks, sink erators and the like. These provide extra efficiency and functionality to well-designed cabinets. Of course, small appliances will also be useful. This category houses the microwaves, blenders, food processors and toasters. All of which need a good storage space in your kitchen cabinetry system.

Lastly, there should always be consideration for good lighting. Cool white fluorescent lighting works well for kitchens since it involves general tasks. A well-lit kitchen is a good workspace for preparing meals.

An up and coming trend now in homes, vinyl stickers are not restricted anymore for cars. Vinyl stickers have now invaded homes as an alternative design accent to wallpapers and murals.  These designs can add humor and become conversation pieces in your home.

Hu 2 Stickers

Vinyl Design

Ali Chapkin is a designer/maker who graduated from Brighton University specializing in bespoke furniture and lighting pieces with a style all her own. She makes spectacular designs using exaggerated curves and incorporating them into the material properties of veneer. Her work is largely inspired from her travels through Mexico and Morocco.

Here are some of her works:

 Parasolita lamp

Hand drawn Mexican patterns, laser cut into segments of walnut veneer, which cleverly link together  with a tab system to form a decorative lamp shade. The shade is brought to life with the Mexican colour palette in the form of jesmonite tops (a bio friendly plastic). (product description on official site)

Concertina Coffee Table

The ‘Concertina Coffee Table’ comprises of multiple curved coloured veneers, which concertina together. Theses curved segments are then injected with layers of opaque and clear resins to form a decorative tabletop. (product description on official site)

Segment Table

Mahogany and Cherry laminated coffee table using the bag press, incorporating curved segments with straight lines. (product description on official site)

Zona Rosa Cabinet

The ‘Zona Rosa’ Cabinet consists of highly decorative draw front handles, crafted from tightly curved laminated veneers in contrasting Walnut and Beech. The draws interiors are coloured electric blue, giving an element of surprise when pulled out of their solid walnut enclosure. The cabinet stands proud on long, pink, resin cast legs.(product description on official site)

If you want to have a bathroom to have a modern Asian feel like the picture above, here are a few style guides to follow:

• Create an accent wall which can be clad by gray or limestone colored tiles. Natural stone in a brick layout is best.
• Use above-the-counter lavatories with a very simple and linear vanity cabinet.
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• Use red as an accent color.
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• Use accessories with oriental accents and patterns.
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• You can choose to put a table lamp on the vanity counter provided that it has enough space. The table lamp should be of oriental or asian design.
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• You can also hang an asian lamp at a corner for added drama.