When brainstorming about blogging and what cool designs I could discuss next, I had an Oprah-esque “AHA!” moment. We don’t give The Earth/Mother Nature/Spiritual Higher Power enough credit for the natural designs found in the landscape of this planet we call home. So here’s a look at some of the absolutely fantastic designs that were naturally created.
Painted Cliffs, Tasmania
Garden of the Gods, Colorado, USA
Angel Falls, Venezuela
Taughannock Falls, Finger Lakes Region, New York
Finding yourself in one of David Lynch’s films will either be your greatest dream come true … or your worst nightmare. Lynch’s films are eerie, striking, and mysterious. One of the greatest scenes of any Lynch films comes from 2001′s Mulholland Dr. and is set in night club Silencio.
So, when I heard that Lynch was opening his own club in Paris named after the thrilling Silencio, the hairs on my arms definitely pricked up a bit. Raphael Navot and Lynch headed a large team that designed the space from the ground up, creating a Lynchian dream world.
Here’s a look at some houses and house designs that I would kill to have. See? I told you envy was deadly.
This over the top tree house looks like way more fun than the makeshift one we scraped together as children. Of course, I’ve always been told it’s the thought that counts.
I wonder what the inside looks like….
Should we take the speed boat or the cruiser into town today, dear?
The grass is always greener, the grass is always greener, the grass is always greener…
Recently I’ve been drawn to some really exquisite and beautiful pieces of stained glass. I used to think stained glass was tacky and not at all attractive, but I’ve given it another chance. Don’t get my wrong, stained glass can definitely be a little on the extreme side and not for everyone. There are instances though, when you cannot deny the beauty and intricacy of a piece.
Living in the South, you will inevitably come to love some hole in the wall, middle of nowhere, run by an old married couple barbecue joint. They always have the best food, and there’s never a wait. There are a few places like this in my hometown, and I love driving down a road and seeing an sign or restaurant that reminds me of one of these places.
There’s absolutely nothing like home, but a good ole’ barbecue place with great fixin’s and lots of sauce can run a close second.
Jeff Lewis has been a fixation of mine since his series, Flipping Out, premiered on Bravo in 2007. Lewis and his quirky staff flip houses and generate profits, laughs, and awkward silences. The self proclaimed OCD narcissist is often times placing himself in the middle of conflicts that I love to watch unfold. Last season (in a less dramatic scenario) Lewis was honored by House Beautiful when he was asked to design and create their Kitchen of the Year. The kitchen Jeff designed was modern, clean, and beautiful. Using dark, rich tones throughout the kitchen Jeff created a room that has become the envy of every housewife and Martha Stewart wannabe in America. Take a look at Mr. Lewis’ masterpiece.
In his House Beautiful interview Jeff Lewis states, “The kitchen is number one. It’s what really sells the house. It doesn’t matter how nice your living room is, or your dining room. Don’t spend the money, because people are going to end up in the kitchen.” His logic certainly rings true in my experiences. People seem to constantly gravitate towards the food!
Here we see Jeff using a wine rack as a divider to break up the room. This creates not only a beautiful aesthetic look, but also a talking point for guests at dinner parties. If you look in bottom right of the photograph you can see that the microwave in this kitchen is placed in an unconventional location – under the counter! At the push of a button this Jenn-Air microwave opens like a drawer for easy access and a less cluttered look.
Lewis also included specific touches like these customized drawers. These pegs can be removed and reorganized if you were to update your kitchenware.
The kitchen table was by far my favorite part of the room. With one end of the table resting on the counter top, the table became more dramatic. The large slab that is used as the table is very masculine and strong and serves as a great contrast to the rest of the kitchen. I was also struck by the intricacies and fantastical design of the light fixtures throughout Lewis’ kitchen. Jeff leaves the readers of House Beautiful with one tip to a quick, cheap, and easy kitchen remodel. Lewis advises that a simple change of your cabinet hardware can completely change the look and feel of any kitchen. Guess it’s time to head to the hardware store!
I found myself watching a rerun of the MTV Movie Awards in an effort to lull myself to sleep last night. Instead, I was enchanted by the shows elaborate and fantastical set this year. The Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, California was transformed into a magical wonderland filled with butterflies, jewels, caves, moss, etc. The creative mind behind this transformation was MTV’s production designer, Leroy Bennett. The obvious front runners in any MTV race are Twilight and Harry Potter, and the set accurately reflected the themes of these movies. The set would have fit in perfectly in any werewolf, vampire, or wizard world. Eerie trees and billowing fog created a beautiful and picturesque backdrop for the evening’s events.
Here are a few shots of Bennett’s work.
Here 35 year old Reese Witherspoon accepts the MTV Generation Award for her body of work.
Here’s some pics of the soon-to-be-famous Brent Knoll House, built in Melbourne Australia. Cool Hunter featured the house, and the pictures are from them:
Nicknamed the Bird’s Nest, and host of the 2008 Olympic Games.
