Elle Decor Italia "Be original"

Here it is the second picture of the "Be Original" campaign by Elle Decor Italia that aims to make the public aware of the values of an original design piece. Through Elle Decor, design is talking to the third but not least party of his life: the people. That means you and me. 

An original piece is culture.

Is there anything better than Le Corbusier's longue chair to exemplify this sentence? Designed in 1928 and produced by Cassina , the LC4 Chaise Longue (or "long chair" in English) was dubbed the "relaxing machine" because of the way it mirrors the body's natural curves while appearing to float above its supports. An infinite number of sitting angles are achievable with the LC4, as the moveable frame adjusts along the base, from upright to full recline. The LC4 is included in the permanent collection of the Moma in New York. Each piece is signed and numbered and, as a product of Cassina's Masters Collection, is manufactured by Cassina under exclusive worldwide license from the Le Corbusier Foundation. 

Via Elle Decor Italia and Design Within Reach.

Filippo Bamberghi

  

The picture of today's interiors come from Fillippo Bamberghi's website. He is an Italian photographer specialized in interior and still life works for magazines like Interni, Elle Decoration France, Elle Decor Japan, Frame, Case da Abitare, AD. He has been working also with companies like Moooi or with Rossana Orlandi (yes, the lady behind Spazio Rossana Orlandi, a must if you are an interior addict and happens to be in Milan). I chose these picture among many others because I simply and honestly love this space. I believe it's a conversion of an old industrial space or workshop (for the big windows and the high ceiling). The way the natural tones merge with the whitenes and black/dark corten elements of the stairs in beautiful. Unfortunately, I have no idea where the place is located or who the designer / architect: if you do, please, let me know.

Via Fillippo Bamberghi

Mobiles & other stories

 

I've always had a crush for Charles and Ray Eames Dot pattern: the minimal design made of several different variations is very interesting. In a way, it reminded me of a series of mobiles so, I thought, why not trying to make one inspired by their work? You'll need:

- wooden spheres (I chose black because I had some at home);

- black metal wire (choose one quite thick - 2mm would be better - so the weight won't blend it);

- thin metallic wire;

- modelling clay (I used itin black but you could choose any colour);

First, design your mobile: you can use the Eames pattern as a source of inspiration. Cut the thick wire in different sizes according to the drawing. Then, fill completely the wooden sphere with the modelling clay and insert the wire inside: you can put just one sphere on each end or play with different weights. When all the elements are done, start assembling your mobile. Done! 

Now, MOBILE UP!

Origami book DIY instructions can be found here. Poster by Rk Design. Work lamp by Form Us With Love for Design House Stockholm.

___________________________________________

Thank you all for the lovely comments you left: I'm almost shocked by the response the mobile had! I hope to make you all happy sharing that the mobile has been chosen by  

DIY or DYE blog of Elle Interior Sweden

For an addict to Scandinavia as I am, this is just so so amazingly great.

Thank you Tiger!

I also want to thank Emma Fexeus (the closest thing to an idol that I have in the blogsphere..) to have chosen the Eames inspired mobile as Pin of the Day.

You all make me so happy!

Best Blog Award

I'm very happy and honoured that Laura from LittleFew has chosen my blog for this award: I met her in Stylizmo and it was fun since the first time! Thanks Laura so much.

The award is given by bloggers to young blogs, which have got less than 200 followers. According to the award rules, I have to tell you a bit more about me and extend the awards to other 11 bloggers. So, let's start! (As the blog is written in English but the awards was given by a Spanish blogger, I'll use both languages)

1. Why did you decide to write a blog? 

Well, Facing North with Gracia is not my first  blog. I've been blogging for quite a few years now but the research was connected with my personal professional research and activity (though I have an architecture degree, I took a master in  LA and I've always been working as a landscape architect since my university years). I've always been in love with design, especially with the Scandinavian one: I like and share the view behind the Nordic approach to objects and space, either domestic or public. 

So, after moving to Barcelona and finally having a house just for my husband and me, I started to collect images for decor inspiration, mainly in Pinterest. The problem was I had so many I couldn't find "that I really needed" so I used a blog to clarify ideas and find inspiration. That's how Facing North with Gracia came to life. And now the title that could sound weird: we had a brainstorming with Daniel (mi amor :> ) and combined our Scandinavian style passion and research (facing north= Nordic inspiration) with Gracia, that has a double meaning, combining the Spanish expression con gracia (gracefully, in a nice way) and  the fact that we live in Gracia, the "small town" neighbourhood within Barcelona. 

2. What is the thing you must have when doing diys ?
 Paper and pencil: I always draw the object before, measure and design different options.

3. Who's the inspiration behind you starting in this world?
It was a lecturer at the Edinburgh College of Art, Andy (thanks Andy!) who suggested to open a blog to showcase our works. I had no idea what a blog was back then but, as soon as I started, I fell in love! 

4. What was the most difficult thing you found in starting blogging?  
I guess I share this with 99% of the bloggers out there (and Laura as well as I could read): who can spend time reading what I have to say? 

5. What was the best gift someone gave you?
I've been quite lucky: I could list at least three. A Parentesi lamp by Castiglioni by my little brother. My cousin designing my wedding dress, a minimal Japanese inspired piece, and his ability to make me look beautiful though I definitely have not a Eastern body structure. But surely, the one I loved most was my husband's first birthday present: a collection of handmade vouchers with dancing nights, home made dinners, Princes St. Gardens picnic ( we used to live in Edinburgh then) and even house cleaning! hahaha
I loved it! 

6. Do you enjoy more cooking or eating?  
Cooking but my scale does not agree...

7. what's the last book your read?  
A book about the night dreaming process.

8. What is your favourite season?  
It depends where I live but I'd say late Spring or late Summer: it's not so hot and I do not get sunburnt so much. My Italian nationality didn't include a Mediterranean resistance to sunlight: I'm very white skinned ...

9. Where would you like to lose yourself?
Japan. We couldn't go there for our honeymoon because of the tsunami and the nuclear station issue so, yes, Japan!

10. What is the most important thing to become a friend of yours?
I guess to be honest about who you are and accept me for who I am.

11. Any project about to start?
Too many! But you'll see all of them in the blog, I promise.

Estoy super feliz de compartir con vosotros que Laura de LittleFew.blogspot.com me ha concedido el Best Blog Award, un premio que se conceden entre bloguers a aquellos blogs que empiezan, de menos de 200 seguidores. Segun las reglas del premio, tengo que contaros algo mas de mi y conceder el premio a otros 11 blog. Empezamos!

1. ¿Por qué tienes un blog? 

Bueno, Facing North with Gracia no es mi primer blog. He estado blogueando desde hace unos años, pero estaba más relacionado con mi investigación profesional (aunque tengo el título de Arquitectura, después hice un máster y siempre he trabajado como arquitecto del paisaje desde mis años universitarios). Pero siempre he estado enamorada del diseño, sobre todo el escandinavo: me gusta y comparto la manera nórdica de pensar en los objetos y el espacio, ya sea doméstico o público. Así que, después de venir a Barcelona y, finalmente, tener una casa sólo para nosotros, comencé a guardar imágenes que me inspiraban, sobre todo en Pinterest. El problema era que tenía tantas que no podía encontrar "la que realmente necesitaba", así que usé un blog para aclarar las ideas. Así es como nació Facing North with Gracia. Y ahora tendré que explicar el título, que podría sonar raro: tuvimos un brainstorming con Daniel (mi amor:>) y combinamos la pasión por el estilo escandinavo (Facing North = inspiración nórdica) con Gracia, que tiene un doble sentido: de un lado la expresión española "con gracia" y del otro el hecho de que vivimos en Gracia, el barrio bohemio en Barcelona.

2. ¿Qué no te puede faltar a la hora de hacer manualidades? 

Papel y lápiz: siempre dibujo el objeto antes de hacerlo  y diseño las diferentes opciones.

3. ¿Quién fue la persona que te inspiró para empezar en este mundo? 
Fue un profesor en el Edinburgh College of Art, Andy (gracias Andy!) quien sugirió abrir un blog para mostrar nuestros trabajos. No tenía idea de qué era un blog en esa época, pero, tan pronto como empecé, me enamoré!  

4. ¿Qué es lo más difícil que te ha parecido de poner en marcha tu propio blog? 
Supongo que comparto esto con el 99% de los bloggers de ahí fuera (y con Laura también por lo que he podido leer): ¿a quién le puede interesar leer lo que yo escriba?

5. ¿Cuál ha sido el mejor detalle que te han hecho?

He sido muy afortunada: podría enumerar por lo menos tres. Una lámpara Parentesi por Castiglioni de mi hermano pequeño. El diseño de mi vestido de novia que hizo mi primo: una pieza minimal de inspiración japonesa; y su habilidad para hacerme parecer guapa aunque definitivamente no tengo una estructura japonesa. Pero sin duda, el que más me gustó fue el primer regalo de cumple de mi marido: una colección de cupones hecha a mano con noches de baile, cenas caseras, picnic en Princes Gardens St. (vivíamos en Edimburgo entonces) y hasta uno de limpieza! hahaha
¡Me encantó!

6. ¿Qué te gusta más, cocinar o que te cocinen? 

Cocinar pero mi báscula no está de acuerdo ...

7. -¿Último libro leído? 
Un libro sobre la el proceso de los sueños. 
8. ¿Mejor estación del año? 
Depende pero yo diría que a finales de primavera o finales de verano: no es tan caliente y no me quemo tanto. Mi nacionalidad italiana no incluía la resistencia mediterránea al sol!

9. ¿Un lugar para perderse?
Japón. No pudimos ir allí para nuestra luna de miel por el tsunami y el desastre de la central nuclear.

10. -¿Qué le pides a una persona para que sea tu amigo/a?

Supongo que ser honesto acerca de quién eres y aceptarme como soy.

11. ¿Algún proyecto pendiente? 

Demasiados! Pero vais a verlos todos en el blog, lo prometo.

In alphabetical order / En orden alfabético

2bmodern

Educate your Sofa 

Efter Stormen

Itu + Ini 

Little Helsinki

Otis and Franck

Pane e Burro

PIIPIII

Pompoon

Taulu ja tapetti

The Rag rug

I had to keep many blogs I love out because I couldn't see the number of followers. A pity but that was the basic rule.

Coat racks

Trying to find inspiration for our entrance, I decided to post this collection of light, minimal coat racks and railings: white | yellow | black is definitely the winning colour palette. The Clothing railings by Annaleena Leino is a very flexible solution that could work well in a bedroom, in the bathroom or, obviously, in a hallway. It matches perfectly with the HAY hangers in black.

 

[ 1 ] Clothing railing by Annalena Leino [ 2 ] Ladder by Yenwen Tseng [ 3 ] Think Black Lines by Nendo [ 4 ] Caio by Paolo Capello for Miniforms

Elisa Ossino

Elisa Ossino is an interior stylist and designer, known to the great public for her collaboration with Elle Decor Italia. Here I show some pictures coming from one of her interior works. Transparency and light are the two elements that caught my attention: the space doesn't look very wide but the election of glass makes it wider. In fact, the material is used throughout the whole flat, from the walls to the shelves where the owners' collection of art objects is displayed. A basic colour palette of black and white and natural tones underline the minimal approach to the space.

 

Via Elisa Ossino

Elle Decor Italia "Be original"

This month's edition of Elle Decor Italia has a wide section dedicated to the "Be Original" campaign, that wants to show and makes the readers conscious of the real values of an original design. 8 portraits of 8 design masterpieces have covered the magazine pages and I have decided to present one each week in my blog starting from now. To become aware and help other people to understand why copies are a big issue is a way to help many friends to defend their work, to appreciate that of people I admire but don't personally know and to defend the Italian tradition and heritage, especially now. Through Elle Decor, design is talking to the third but not least party of his life: the people. That means you and me. 

If you have an original piece, you don't need anything else. 

If you have been following my blog, you know I do prefer minimal spaces and the reason is quite simple: in it,  each, selected object can breath and express its history, becoming a companion that grows old with me. I like things that last and are rich in meanings. I like to share my life with special people and to things that special people have designed. In the image above it is Arco, by Achille e Pier Giacomo Catiglioni, Flos. It was born in 1962. If you have Arco in your living room you do not need anything else: it is not just a lamp but a beautiful poem in steel and marble.

Styling Elisa Ossino Studio.

Via Elle Decor Italia.

Masculine Fantastik Frank

Fanstastik Frank, to me the most stylish estate agency in Sweden, takes us today on a tour in a flat with a strong - but not dull - masculine atmosphere. White floors and ceilings are interrupted only by some pieces of brick wall in a nice terracotta tone (some bricks can be too reddish but  not these ones!). The living room is decorated only with a side table of industrial reminiscence and a confy black leather sofa. I love the idea of the guitar hanging from a hook: one of those detail that only FF can add and turn them into something special. 

Enjoy the tour!

Via Fanstastik Frank

New York loft

We are in New York, in Manhattan to be precise, and we are in front of what could be the epitome of anyone day dreaming of having a loft in the Big Apple: the place is part of the Tribecca Loft Conversion. The high ceilings recall the previous use of the space and, thanks to the whitnees treatment of the vertical and horizontal surface, add magnificence to this home. Light floods the space completely, coming from the gigantic windows. The loft is quite minimal in the arragements: few selected pieces of furniture are displayed, mostly in dark grey and blue tones. Big beige curtains are used to divided up the loft in different areas. The kitchen is practical, industrial with high sliding doors conceiling the cupboards. The living room is essential, defined only by the volumes of the dark sofas and the big carpet. This place is simply gorgeous. 

 

 

Via Solid Frog

Nanna Stock

I first saw Nanna Stock's home in Elle Interior Sweden in 2011: her kitchen captured my attention immediately, with that wall made of white square tiles with contrast grout, few wooden shelves and the big flap clock. The space was so inspiring it has been popping up in interest and blogs since that moment and looks like it won't stop, especially now that the Swedish magazine has published in their website a second photo shooting by Marcus Lawett. The wall in the living room has been painted in dark grey and covered with sparring rails and white shelves that I love ( I used the same shelving system to organize our cds at home). The place is decorated with lots of flea market find, contemporary artworks and classic design pieces, such as the Asplund table in the dining room being the last purchase but you can also recognize the Tolomeo Terra floor lamp by Fassina and De Lucchi for Artemide, a Thonet chair whereas the white ones are those designed by Sandell for Asplund and many others. It's worthy to say that DIY projects have been carried out,too: the master  bedroom headboard is actually a MDF board covered with grey linen. 

Check the full article here to know more.