Clever, Comfortable and Industrial

Found in the archives of Sacramento Street comes a living room and kitchen designed by Beth Martin, Sara Story, Grant K. Gibson and Aurelien Gallent for Elle Decor's Modern Life Concept House. It's a shame I found this because now I will be accountable when I copy every. single. thing. in this place. The dark walls, copious amounts to texture, clean lines, masculine furnishings, and use of art are all worthy of a sigh. They took ALL the good ideas.

I like the contrast between the feminine, light rug from the rest of the industrial, rigid decor.

Don't forget about using art in a space. Use it to further the concept and complete the look.

 Aweessooome lighting throughout

Pages from take out menus are used as the backsplash in the kitchen. Would this be an idea you would use? What would you choose to display? newspapers? old letters? recipes?

I wish I had never found this. I'm smitten.

My new crush

Some girls have crushes on actors, other on musicians, and most on attainable human beings.

Along with the above mentioned, I have crushes on rooms. Today's heartthrob:

Hubba hubba

If I were to actually live in this space I might add a pop of color in the light fixture or on the mantle, however, Kerrisdale Design Inc. chose classic furniture with a pinch of sass, a delightful color scheme, and allows the beauty of the architecture to play a large part in the space. Classic, timeless, and gender neutral. Yum.

Soho House New York

Located in New York is Soho House, a private member's club and hotel in Manhattan's Meatpacking District. The Soho House was "born out of a reaction to the pomposity of the traditional private members club." In an area where private clubs are generally made of a similar crowd - a place for corporate men and women to gather together in their suits to drink some brandy, this private social club has a strict requirement allowing only those working in a creative, unconventional field to qualify for a membership.

I was in a club once. Meetings were held beneath the tree in my grandparent's front yard. We gathered once or twice to discuss in hushed voices what game we should play next. 

I was in another club too, one that met in the closet beneath the stairs in my old house. That club never got further than calling itself a club. 

Soho House has a history far greater than either of my wimpy clubs.

While the Soho House is certainly not in want of money, the designers did an excellent job at keeping the space from feeling like a ritzy museum. Their intention of a comfortable and cozy feel is evident in every room of this renovated factory. They maintained the original brick and aged wood as part of the space and chose inordinate amounts of tufted sofas and arm chairs, detail-ridden ceilings, ridiculously cool light fixtures, and a mix-and-match style to highlight the existing features. 

I'm pretty sure this place is home to every chair crush I have ever had.

Introducing: Factory 20

Factory 20, you must stop. Your pages are filled with sawdust, rusted nails, raw wood, clean lines, worn-in drawers with labels on their fronts, and....and black! So much black. You make the 20th century look so good. And yet, you tease me. Your prices jump far, FAR above my own meager bankroll. Hmm.

I saw the Old Industrial Infinite Drawer Cabinet (seen above) and let out an audible gasp. My fingers left my keyboard and shielded my open mouth, and I sat that way for a minute or so. Then I realized my reaction may have been too much and I tried to put my hands down, but they couldn't bring themselves to close the page and get back to reality - a reality where that piece is not looking at me saying, "hey, thanks for buying me and putting me in this room. I'm happy here." A reality with cabinets that have six drawers at most because that is practical. Wretched reality.

Caged Light Pendants and 1920's Saltoon Town Hall Wall Clock

Switchboard Operators Stool

Kennett Textile Chest and Artist Sculpture Stand

Victorian Ornate Steamer Trunk

Vintage Shoe Factory Rack

Typesetter Box and Switchboard Tabletop Cabinet

Factory 20, you say that you are "confident that we can give to you the unexpected and the unforgettable". You have achieved that goal for me a hundred times over. Congratulations.

Some find it to be over-priced junk (dad?), and others, like me, are avid obsessors. What is your take?

Paintings by John Constable

Seascape Study with Rain Cloud

Sure he doesn't have the most creative names for his marvelous paintings, but John Constable makes up for the lack of written creativity with his rich colors, sharp textures, deliberate brush strokes and, a must have for any artist on my list of favorites, the abundant amount of blacks in each of his paintings. Mmm mmm.

  A Farm Cart with Two Horses in Harness

Willy Lott's House

Michaelis Boyd Associates

Most girls who have seen Anastasia or Lion King know that it is possible to have crushes on things that seem uncrushable. Dimitri? Simba?

Well, I have made an addition to my list of weird crushes, an addition that will fit nicely on the shelf along side the work of Roman and Williams. They are a design firm by the name of Michaelis Boyd. Formed by Alex Michaelis and Tim Boyd in 1995, Michaelis Boyd Associates has established itself as a practice producing simple, elegant architecture with an environmental emphasis. They are based primarily in London and do both residential and commercial work. And boy, are they good. Take a looksy.

 

Pizza East Restaurant

 Byron Burgers - High Street Kensington, London

Eastcourt House - Private Residence

Byron Burgers - Canary Wharf

Do you think they are crush-worthy? They had me at the lighting.