Japonais Terrace Chicago

We started the evening off on the terrace for drinks. This waterfront view looks onto the Chicago river which holds a deep routed history in the city.

Japonais restaurant interior Chicago

Jeffrey Beers created this and other high profile spaces such as Tabu Las Vegas, the Hilton Tokyo and Ono restaurant New York. His spaces are creative with high drama and contrast and surprising elements and forms. he loves to play with lighting and texture. He talks about Glamor, wit and seduction when describing his memorable and enchanted spaces.

Japonais Chicago

Japonais Lounge Chicago

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Yellow Goat Design Halo Vert LED fixture

I have been in love with Yellow Goat Design for quite some time and often used their produc timages in visioning sessions with clients as there designs really push the envelope and complement different design concepts. The design team at Yellow Goat works one on one with design firms to come up with original and sculptural pieces. The company has been around for over 10 years and is known internationally for their work with hotels, casinos, clubs, resorts, shopping centers and residences. I see them being a complete hit in the UAE.

Here are some of my favorite inspiration pieces from their site. Enjoy!

Yellow Goat Design Wings chandelier

 I love this piece for its scale and the uplifting and whimsical feel it gives. The reflections of light it gives off throughout the day must be magical!

Yellow Goat Design Alba Chandelier

This is a very sophisticated and elegant piece. I see it in a saks 5th avenue, boutique hotel, shoe store or jewelry store…. exquisite!Yellow Goat Design Celeste Chandelier 

Yellow Goat Design Crystal Donut

Yellow Goat Design Dishy Chandelier

 These chandeliers compliment this space so well. The contemporary shape but classic feel is effortlessly done and despite the visual weight they seem quite regal and bright.

Yellow Goat Design Drum Fixture with Recessed Diffuser

Yellow Goat Design Amoeba

Yellow Goat Design The Girls

 Can you imagine these pendants over a sushi bar! This fixture belongs in Tao Restaurant New York.

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Donna Sofa by Hans Hopfer

In 1903 Joseph Hoffman and Kolo Moser started the Wiener Werkstätte known in English as the Vienna Crafts Studio based on quality and craftsmanship. After a long history in 1986 Kapo took over the company and still runs it today.  Below are some of their great creations!

Consider using Neue Weiner Werkstaettes moderne and klassik collections for high end residential and hospitality spaces that require quality craftsmanship, timeless details and environmental consciousness. Some of these pieces have been represented through Roche Bobois since 1969. Hans Hopfer was one of the main designers who invented “seating landscapes” like his castell collection.

Walk in Closet by Neue Wiener Werkstaette

Magnus lounger by Annette Hinterwirth

Player sofa by Hans Hopfer

Boheme timless lounge chair by Annette Hinterwirth

Weekend Soft by Jan Wichers Klassik Collection

WW39 wall system by Neue Wiener Werkstaette

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Lamellux Resin and Wood samples

Lamellux Resin and Wood samples

Lamellux Resin and Wood samples

At NeoCon in Chicago I came across a great innovative line of wood and resin combination products from France. The company is Lamellux and they were kind enough to send me some samples. Their is a vast quantity of things you can do with this great product and you can customize it in many ways. Great for wall panelling, furniture, doors, window screens, bars, countertops etc. The resin has a satin texture with a slight frosting so visuals behind the product are blurred. I love the idea of using this product instead of slat doors because you wont have any edges that collect dust or have to worry about sound/ air transfer which makes it great for bedroom/washroom doors and maybe also change rooms. I can see this product being  ahuge hit in the hospitality and residential market. Think of backlighting it just like you would with onyx or any translucent acrylic product.

Lamellux resin and wood product variety

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Armani Hotel Dubai

The Flagship Armani Hotel in Dubai opened with a grand fashion show. The Hotel features handle-less entry doors, Armani branded accessories, rare Canadian Eramosa flooring and Armani Casa Furniture among other great luxuries. The hotel took Armani 5 years to design and a series on 9 more are in the works, Milan being the next on the list.

Luxury hotels, resorts and spas  can be a great inspiration for residential projects. They often have defining features to attract visitors, rich layers of texture and color and a wealth of new ideas. I love to tour hotels in each city I visit to inspire my creativity and understand different solutions to design problems. Staying in hotel rooms when you travel is a great way to test out mattresses, bathtub and shower faucets, towels, layout, lighting levels and general feelings that a room can give you. The more traveled you are I believe the better you understand what you really appreciate and love about a bedroom. Below are some of MANY inspiring hotel rooms that inspire all of my senses and create different moods in my mind. Enjoy!

La Flora Khao Lak Resort Thailand

La Flora Khao Lak resort in Thailand plays the red and gold tones up beautifully with dark woods, glossy floors and layered lighting.

The Lowry Hotel Manchester

The Lowry Hotel in Manchester is a bright and fun contemporary hotel with clean and simple rooms. The bold punches of color along with neutral tones and minimal lighting keep it casual and non-fussy. This would make a great space for someone who likes to keep their head clear and come home to a cheerful and relaxing bedroom to snuggle up with a book.

Merivale Establishment Hotel Sydney Australia

If you are ever in Sydney check out this fine Boutique Establishment Hotel. The contemporary but busy vibe is clean and young. The design is all about layers, textures and materials. Throughout the hotel they have shown off beautiful white marble. During your stay or tour be sure to visit the Establishment Bar, Gin garden and Sushi e all within the building- Gorgeous Interiors!!

Radisson Blu Media Harbour Dusseldorf Germany

Radisson Blu Media Harbour is a beautiful project with floor to ceiling windows and design by the prestigious Italian designer Matteo Thun.

Pelham Hotel London

The Pelham Hotel in London is unique in that each room is individually designed with antique furnishings, its own color palette, bold fabrics and padded headboards. When you look at any Pelham room however they all look to be in the same series and concept but each with its own personality. This is a great approach for any home. Make each room have a different color palette but keep the overall theme similar- same headboard shape, always have a footstool at the end of the bed, always use at least 2 bold fabrics etc.

The Setai South Beach Miami

The Setai is a dramatic landmark in South Beach Miami. The Art Deco building has been refurbished and Asian accents have been added to provide a rich historical and thematic feel to the hotel through the lobby and suites. All of the details feel architecturally melded into the design which provides a sense of timelessness. The craftsmanship is exquisite!

The Chedi, Muscat Oman

The Chedi Muscat is a luxury hotel with a rich simplistic Arabian design. The minimal use of materials and effect of the elegant lighting details and play with shadows make this hotel serene and tranquil. A beautiful escape to an exotic piece of luxury. To achieve this look consider using clay wall paint, crema marfil marble or limestone, dark matte woods and metal light fixtures with intricate designs.

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Brian Sofa by Jesse

Jesse modern furniture from Italy is an ever growing brand with international reach. They were recently at Salone del Mobile in Milan and I cannot wait to see them on my own trip to the show hopefully in 2011. Jesse can be found in Canada in both Montreal and Toronto but has not yet hit the Western Canadian market. They are known for their rich textures, lacquered surfaces, oak and walnut wood veneers and textural fabrics. The company has great sofas, tables, credenzas, beds and impeccably crafted wardrobes.

Jesse Logo

Jesse Home Furniture at Salone de Mobile Milan

Jesse Home at Salone del Mobile in Milan

Jesse Night Collection

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Artistic Tile - Horta

I have used Artistic Tile in the past but NeoCon in Chicago was the first time I was able to see one of their showrooms. Great staff and gorgeous product! I also absolutely love their marketing with the tile clothing with taglines like “Our latest designs are bringing glamour back” and “We stand for chic selection and sparkling service.”

Artistic Tile Advertisements

They are a great active company within the global community sponsoring and donating to dozens of great valuable charities. Many large design names use their product for low to high end commercial and residential projects. They have provided product for great projects such as Holt Renfrew Canada, Tiffany and Co, The Four Season Bora Bora, Emeril’s Restaurant, Toys R Us Headquarters etc.

Consider using floor tiles and wall tiles like back splashes in new ways with glass, porcelain, marble, granite or slate. Decorative mosaic tiles can dramatically change  a space and add a beautiful pattern or texture to the luxurious quality you wish to achieve. never go cheap on tile as it is often the one item people will remember from a space.

Artistic Tile

1. Artistic Tile: Celestial Blue Mosaic Tile
2. Artistic Tile: Danse Mosaic Tile
3. Artistic Tile: Horta Argent Mosaic Tile
4. Artistic Tile: Ambra Tile
5. Artistic Tile: St Louis Linear Mosaic Tile
6. Artistic Tile: Marmara Marble

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Stepevi classics Organic lines

Stepevi Carpets was born by “Step” which has been around since 1919 originating in Istanbul. The Creativity and Luxury found in their rugs is nearly unsurpassed as a market leader in their industry. The texture and quality is elegant and posh. They have showrooms in Istanbul, Vienna, Saltzburg, Nurnberg, Dubai, new York, Miami, Johannesburg and London. These elegant products are great for Commercial, residential and hospitality spaces.

Stepevi Classics Select

Stepevi Classics Vedia

Stepevi Luxury Carpet

Stepevi Modern Gorgeous Vedia collection

Stepevi Modern Gorgeous Sexy Carpet Line

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Grand Limestone Staircase

Grand Entry Staircase

A grand staircase is the perfect entrance to a building-either commercial, redential, retail or hospitality. The stair can show of the detail and precision that the architect, designer and/or craftsman had in mind with exquisite skill. The details of joints, proportions, scale and complexity set a tone for the space and/or building and are often one of the most memorable features. As a child I loved coming down the staircase in my home to show off my dress and party attire and loved the whole movement donw the stairs. I loved the idea of photographing family and friends at my balustrade so I coudl see everyones faces and glimpese into what they were wearing. Picture yourself walking down each of these to adress a crowd or give your first glimpse to a new date.

Always remember to detail your stairs to perfection, become best friends with your structural engineer and craftsman and always think of how the surfaces will be touched or seen. Consider, stone, wood, tile, glass, metal… almost any material can become a staircase if you let your imagination free. Do you have any other inspiring staircase images? I would love to see them.

Round Wood Staircase

Contemporary Wood Staircase

Marcel Wanders South Beach Mondrian Staircase

Grand Red Library Staircase

Victor Horta Hotel Tassel Staircase in Brussels

Contemporary Wood Staircase

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Best Of NeoCon Products

 The Merchandise Mart is so large in Chicago that it is hard to put my finger on my favorite products from the trip but I managed to pull something together! NeoCon focuses mainly on Commercial interior design with a heavy focus on contract furniture and floor coverings. Most of the Showrooms are year round spaces but some of them were temporary booths.

1. 18×36 Commercial Carpet Tile by Shaw Contract Group. In 4 great patterns: Fade, Overlay, Blur, and Laser Cut. The great selection is produced in eco-friendly Eco-Solution Q nylon on EcoWorx tile backing. This company has truly dominated the market for environmental story and aesthetics. Few others match them for the richness of their colors, quality, customer service (Thanks Celeste!) and the timelessness of their designs. I’m glad that they were the first to bring out the rectangular carpet tile and cant wait for samples to come out in the fall.
2. Joel Berman’s Heat lamp won Gold for decorative lighting at NeoCon. Heat is a light sculpture for designed interiors. Fashioned from a solitary 2 ¼ in. thick volume of acrylic resin, the luminaire is cast in Berman’s signature Arrigado texture, accented with brushed stainless steel hardware, and equipped with a high intensity LED light source.
3. Davis has created a great line of residential feeling contract furniture that is fully powered in delightful ways. I was also particularily struck by their bench seating- great form and quite conmfortable! Locally in Alberta you can find Davis through Solutions Workplace Furnishings, have a chat with Todd or Shannon and they can bring back some style to your outdated office space.
4. Kvadrat Maharam came out with this great vintage feeling nordic pattern in great colors called A Band Apart.
5. I can’t say enough how much I love Tai Ping Carpets. Their exploration of color and texture in wool and silk has been incredible to watch. Here is just one fine example of hand carving, color and play on textures. I can imagine anyone taking off their socks and shoes to run their toes through this piece. This company also suprised me this year by launching a luxury line of carpet tile called Innuendo.
6. Halcon came out of nowhere. I had never even heard of the company. Turns out they make high end Commercial and residential office furniture. As you can see by this image Simon was rather excited to see the clothes hanging space within the unit. Each and every element was customizable and teh drawers were all felt lined. The Proximus line was impecably detailed with the sliding workwall, eye height open filing, soft cloding drawers, ball bearing slider. The veratility and efficiency of this piece are well displayed and can benifit both the office piler and filer!
7. DIRTT (aka. Doing It Right This Time) certainly has blown me away. I had never seen an install until NeoCon and am shocked by how advanced their research and product line is. The clean lines and simple details of their project surely put it ahead of all other modular walls companies. These are truly living adaptable systems with infitite capabilities. I am not a health care designer nor have much interest to go that route but their healthcare display gave me infinite respect for how much work it must be to pull of an aesthetically pleasing, ergonomically correct compact hospital room that feels welcoming and clean. Congratulations DIRTT for opening my eyes!
8. Designed by Scott Wilson the SW_1 conference table for Coalesse is a great modern adaptation to the way we live and work. The casual work setting begs for comfort and flexibility as well as connectivity. This table allows a person to pull their table pad closer to them to make for a better posture and comfort when working with a laptop.
9. Jofco presented this piece in all white with a few pale blue accents but when I re-looked at it online in wood and black I was completely drawn. This piece is gorgeous and shoudl be a stand alone in any law firm or partners office. Its simple and uncluttered meant to show off stature and how critical the only desk accessory (the laptop) really is.
10. I was unfamiliar with Carvart until NeoCon 2010. nearly completely customizable the laminated glass can showcase images, materials, textures, graphics etc. in a sophisticated and elegant way. This large peice shown was of two faces with metallic sheer fabric in between giving the image a subtle and reflective quality to it that cannot be captured in photographs. Their website has some great closeups of what they can do. Turns out that they did Andres Escobars 11 Fulton as well as the Park Plaza in New York.
11. Poggenpohl makes luxury contemporary kitchens. I have been admiring the Porsche kitchen for a few years but it wasnt until visiting the Merchandise Mart in Chicago that I finally got to explore the design and truly appreciate it. The linearity of the design and integration of lighting as well as the assisted opening drawers and cabinets make you feel the qaulity and craftsmanship of the piece. Cabinets and drawers are divided by 5mm thick dark oak. Th eproporation of cabinet heights and depths is truly unique and ergonomic.
12. Poliform has a great collection of furniture, wardrobe and kitchen designs all in the same style but different proporations and aesthetics. I have used them in the past on a few projects overseas and am in love with particularily the Matrix collection (as shown in photo). There Grey-Dyed Oak is the most beautiful wood and finish I have seen and would love to have it for both my kitchen and wardrobe.

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