Tuesday, April 8, 2014

ICON // Louis Ghost



Design: Louis Ghost

Designer: Philppe Starck

Year: 2002

Country: France

Philippe Starck always likes to mess with how we think about design, and the Louis Ghost Chair is no exception. The lines and style of this chair are taken from Louis XVI's armchair, however the use of polycarbonate has propelled this design into the post-modern era. Like the era of Louis XVI, this chair is now simply a ghost of the past. The Louis Ghost is sold by Kartell.

The Industrial Designer in me is always impressed that this is a single moulding. As well as being a very iconic design, this chair holds a special place in my heart because it was my first favourite chair once I begun studying.

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

ICON // Eames Moulded Fiberglass/Plastic Chair (aka Eames Eiffel Chair)



With a degree in Industrial Design, it is no wonder one of my loves is furniture design. I have decided to start a post series on iconic designs that shaped the world of furniture. To begin I thought I would start with my favourite designers, Charles and Ray Eames, and one of my favourite of their designs, the Eames Moulded Fiberglass/Plastic Chair, or more commonly called the Eames Eiffel Chair.

Design: Eames Moulded Fiberglass/Plastic Chair

Designer: Charles and Ray Eames

Year: 1950

Country: USA

Husband and wife Industrial/Graphic Design powerhouse Charles and Ray Eames revolutionised furniture design and production in the 20th century. The Eames Moulded Fiberglass/Plastic Chair is one of their iconic designs.

“The role of the designer is that of a very good, thoughtful host anticipating the needs of his guests.” Charles Eames

Originally the shell of this chair was moulded from fiberglass, however for environmental reasons has since changed to a polypropylene moulding. Different variations of the chair are available, both with and without armrests, and also as a rocking chair.

Charles and Ray Eames have a strong connection with Herman Miller, through whom this chair is still avaliable.


Friday, March 21, 2014

it was acceptable in the 80s.

Almost as soon as I finished the post the other day on hanging planters, I decided to give it a crack. I went with this tutorial and followed it exactly as it says. I'm pretty happy with how they turned out.



I'm very pleased with how they turned out. They were pretty easy to make but also relatively time consuming. Wrapping the coloured cotton around the top and the bottom of each one by far was the part that took the longest.



Wednesday, March 19, 2014

oh how times (don't) change.

A little while ago my mum gave me a ball of thick twine/rope like stuff she used to make hanging planters from back in the 80s. As you are probably well aware these guys are back in fashion, and I am yet to decide whether or not to jump on the band wagon. But in the meantime I thought I would share a few different tutorials that are floating around out there in cyberspace. If any of these gravity defying planters tickle your tastebuds, clicking on the photo should take you to the respective tutorial.





Just looking at some of these pretty little things may have just made my mind up for me.



 

Thursday, March 6, 2014

going for a dip



It's been a while but I'm glad to be back here blogging away about my creative little pursuits. I was inspired to undergo this project when my attention was brought to an old chair I picked up off the side of the road about a year ago. When I looked to evaluate whether it was worth keeping I noticed that it was actually in pretty good shape considering its kerbside-rescue-past. There weren't any joints loose, it wasn't wobbly and there were no major bumps or dents. Apart from being covered in dirt, dust and our dogs hair and the odd bit of flakey paint it wasn't going to take much to get this chair ready for some new paint.


After a bit of hand sanding and a hose down we were ready for paint. Having painted a chair similar to this about a year ago, I had discovered that spray paint seemed to give the best colour coverage and finish, and was a whole lot faster. So this time I headed straight to the spray paint section of my local Bunnings. I stood trying to choose a colour for quite a long time. Should I go for a bright colour to make a pop in my room? But I already have a bright yellow chair in my room. Maybe I should go for a light colour? Maybe dark? I also wanted to give the legs a 'dipped' effect to throw that into the mix. I ended up deciding that a darkish grey with metallic silver dipped legs would look good. I ended up going with a Medium Grey paint. I held off the metallic silver at this point incase I changed my mind.



Three coats and two days of trying to squeeze some painting in between rain later The chair was looking good and fresh. Time for the dip. Whilst rummaging around the spray paint in the garage I stumbled across a gold spray paint. At first I had been thinking silver, but now gold was looking like a nice option. After testing on a piece of paper, I concluded that it was metallic enough for what I wanted, saving a few dollars and a trip back to Bunnings. Next stop, taping up.




I decided to have the gold go all the way up to the bottom of the higher two bars connecting the legs. I don't really know why, it just seemed visually like a good place to cut it off. It probably has something to do with the rule of thirds. I nervously pressed down on the nozzle, but as soon as the first bit of gold hit the chair I cheered for joy. It was so shinny! And so pretty!


I was immediately so glad that I ended up going with gold instead of silver because I think the contrast between the two colours is delightful.






Tuesday, December 31, 2013

lates 2013.


Farewell from me for 2013! I hope you all have a very happy new year! Not only am I farewelling 2013, I am also leaving the country on friday until mid February. I don't expect I will have much opportunity to upload any posts here while I am exploring Spain, but you never know. If any of you are interested to see what I get up to I will have a travel blog over here. So, until we meet again, enjoy all of the pleasant things new years bring. 

Saturday, December 14, 2013

it's the best time of the year

To be honest Christmas is legitimately my favourite time of the year. For a bit of festive fun I have created some iPhone backgrounds.

          

1. Peace & Joy green - iPhone 4/4s, iPhone 5/5c/5s
2. Peace & Joy red - iPhone 4/4s, iPhone 5/5c/5s