A bunch of cool things

Avant-Garde Home Furnishings, LLC présents
Interesting places, sites, sounds..

Today I am just going around in circles and writing about all sorted of things in the design world.. No direction just things that caught my attention...

Sydney's Apollo RESTAURANT....

“For me, Greek food is something you have at home. It’s not made to look refined,” says interior architect George Livissianis, who translated some of that simplicity and lack of pretension to his design for the Greek restaurant, Apollo, in Sydney, Australia. Livissianis, an Australian of Greek descent, was lucky enough to find fortuitous architectural details beneath the dropped ceilings and plasterboard of the existing space, and had the vision to know what to do with them.

“Our intent was to expose the carcass of the building and encourage the inherent Mediterranean feel of the existing arched windows, the hidden decorative ceilings and stripped finish of the existing walls.” Wabi-sabi rawness and a dearth of color—Livissianis refers to the color palette asdesaturated and dusty—recalls the rocky, sun-bleached Grecian landscape; and Artemidesuspension lighting and pale Thonet chairs inject contemporary elegance. Pretty refined, we’d say.

A Water filler

We’ve written about the lovely glass carafe and sustainable water filter designed by San Francisco-based Soma in a previous post, but it’s worth noting their current collaboration with Charity: Water, the non-profit group which has made clean drinking water for everyone its goal. Soma has launched this limited edition yellow filter to help raise funds for Charity: Water’s initiatives in Cambodia. For each Soma carafe and limited edition filter purchased, Soma will donate $12.50 towards providing clean water to every family in 3 Cambodian villages. If you weren’t tempted to buy a Soma water filtering system before, we hope you will be now. 

Interior designs Line Item Rack... 

Interior Design Magazine has announced its “Best of Year” 2013 Finalists in a broad range of categories that includes furniture, lighting, textiles and accessories. A finalist in the accessories category is Line, the elegant storage piece designed by North Carolina’s Davis Furniture—and no design enthusiast would argue the selection. An impossibly slim, wall-mounted slat of oak, walnut, or painted MDF, outfitted with 3 steel pegs and a separate pull-down lever, Line is a visually striking hold-all for clothes, coats or small accessories, whether used singly or in a group. The only conundrum we see is in having to choose amongst the gorgeous selection of colors.

  

Mexican Hospitality...

Anyone in the mood for the vibrant brand of Modernism exemplified by Mexican masters Luis Barragan and Ricardo Legorreta will have to look somewhere besides Mexico City’s new Distrito Capital boutique hotel, a ravishing Modernist nirvana with nary a nod to Mexican culture in sight.

French architect Joseph Dirand, whose previous hospitality venture in Mexico produced the austereHotel Habitat Monterrey, oversaw the interior design at Distrito Capital, and it shows. As with Habitat Monterrey, Dirand’s European flair is prominently on display, with furnishings by great Danes Saarinen and Aalto taking center stage.

Refinement and restraint, down to the monochromatic color scheme, reigns supreme—makingDistrito Capital a Mexican destination in which the only Latin reference point lies in its breathtaking panoramic vie

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Hope all of you enjoyed the pics and post.. 

AG Home Goods 

Tibet Visitor Center..Really cool Lamp

A very cool visitor Center in Tibet...

'namchabawa visitor center' by standardarchitecture, linzhi, tibet all images courtesy standardarchitecture


Positioned within the small village of pai town in linzhi, tibet, the 'namchabawa visitor center' by beijing-based practice standardarchitecture provides visitors with information of the area's attractions. carved into the steep slopes, the rectangular forms initially read as stone retaining walls within the landscape. near the yaluntzangpu river and set alongside the road connecting the last zhibai village within the yaluntzangpu grand canyon, the 1500 square meter building offers details of the 7,782 meter tall mount namchabawa. additional program is accommodated including a reception and information hall, public toilets, supply store, internet bar, medical center, locker room, meeting rooms
and offices allowing the facility to serve as a town center for villagers and supply base for hikers.



view of the center from the road


three linear volumes are oriented parallel to each other and accessed through a stairway which reveals itself asindividuals approach the structure. devoid of windows, the construct does not announce itself as traditional 'tibetan'architecture but instead features traditional assembly methods by the local 'shigatse' craftsmen. a combination ofmasonry stone walls and concrete, the facade's components are sourced from the surrounding region and vary from 60cm,80cm and 1 meter in width. columns, ring beams, lintels within the self-supporting walls reinforce the structure including the concrete roof against earthquake forces.



rectilinear building volumes read as stone retaining walls within the landscape


the interior is illuminated with a series of skylights and a single window overlooking the river to the north. unadorned by cultural decorations, the space accentuates the construction process and materials. individuals pass through the fortified walls to find the restrooms and luggage storage areas, and continue to a 'stairway to heaven' which leads to a resting area and roof garden. a water storage tank and electric switch room is concealed within the stairs to maintain the self-sustaining site.



main entrance is accessed with a stone stairway



information hall



information desk



(left) stone stairway
(right) multipurpose hall



at night



site plan



floor plan / level 0



floor plan / level 1



floor plan / level 2



floor plan / level 3



section



section



section


project info:
 

project name: tibet linzhi namchabawa visitor centre
location: pai town, linzhi, tibet
program: visitor centre
site area: 10000 sqm
building area: 1500 sqm
architect: standardarchitecture
design team: zhang ke, zhang hong, hou zhenghua, claudia taborda, maria pais de sousa, gai xudong,
sun wei, yang xinrong, wang feng, liu xinjie, sun qinfeng, huang di, chen ling
collaborate design institution: china academy of building research & tibet youdao architecture associates
structural system: mixed - stone masonry and concrete reinforcement, concrete roof

Really Cool Lamps


'tamtam' by fabien dumas for marset
images courtesy of fabien dumas and marset

berlin-based product designer fabien dumas has created 'tamtam' for spanish company marset. the pendant is composed of a central lamp measuring 50 cm (20 in), with smaller satellite shades (35 cm or 14 in) attached using a swivel mechanism. this allows a 350° rotation in either direction, allowing the user to control the direction of the light. the shades are made out of lacquered aluminum and available in black, white, orange, tobacco, green or gray. depending on how much light is needed,
either 3 or 5 satellite shades can be attached to the central lamp. to soften the light, a methacrylate diffuser is put over the open ends.




view from below
images courtesy of fabien dumas and marset

different color and number variations
images courtesy of fabien dumas and marset



pendant over table
images courtesy of fabien dumas and marset



a combination of sizes and directions
images courtesy of fabien dumas 



detail
images courtesy of fabien dumas 


AG Home Goods

Two fantastic Modern Homes..

Two Modern Homes

The following homes are two of my favorite designs.. The first has a lot of wood which I absolutely adore and the second hads large open glass windows which I also love.. These two homes are perfect examples of modern contemporary homes.. 

Enjoy the pictures

A fantastic House with lots of wood

Wooden Citriodora House in Town of Anglesea, Australia Front View

Wooden Citriodora House by Seeley Architects in Town of Anglesea, Australia.This beautiful dwelling has been designed to maximise the opportunities offered by the site, with a character that respects its locality and environment. The layout of the house is centred around a raised east facing living platform capturing coastal views and connections into the treetops. It is reminiscent of an adult’s tree house.The approach to this house is a gentle rise gently from the street. Wooden Citriodora House is sited in the lee of a small hill and nestled closely between two neighbouring houses. Upon entering the house, you are greeted by massive in-situ concrete walls that form the staircase spine and dominate the entry space. This floor is the teenager’s zone with a swathe of bunks, a TV nook and a pool table for the obligatory holiday competitions. Rising upward into the kitchen – living area, one’s eye is taken by the breathtaking views along the coastal cliffs and Southern ocean. Separated from the living zone by a protected courtyard deck and a generous internal void, lays the master bedroom, study, bathroom and a guest bedroom. The ceiling that sweeps generous over the entire upper level is gently formed from plywood and is reminiscent of the hull of an upturned yacht. now look the Wooden Citriodora House in Town of Anglesea, Australia

Bathroom Design in Wooden Citriodora House in Town of Anglesea, Australia

Wood Dining and Kitchen Furniture in Wooden Citriodora House in Town of Anglesea, Australia

Wooden Citriodora House in Town of Anglesea, Australia Night Lighting View

Wooden Citriodora House in Town of Anglesea, Australia Night View

Wooden Citriodora House in Town of Anglesea, Australia Side Lighting View

Wooden Citriodora House in Town of Anglesea, Australia Side View

Stunning Kitchen Design in Wooden Citriodora House in Town of Anglesea, Australia

Second Floor Layout Ideas in Wooden Citriodora House in Town of Anglesea, Australia

Entry Way Inside House design in Wooden Citriodora House in Town of Anglesea, Australia

Elegant Living Room Design in Wooden Citriodora House in Town of Anglesea, Australia

Absolutely fantastic design and interior decorating..

A Modern Beach Home..

architecture as art beach house remodeled

Here’s the beach house remodeled with open floor plan in Carpinteria California call “Architecture as Art”. This house have three bedrooms and great room where the living, dining and kitchen spaces are as one with the beach. Upper level is a sublime master suite where office, bedroom, closet and bath share spectacular views. house interior features: hardwood flooring, security system, spa and hot tub, hi-speed internet. building association like amenities courtyard, parking and garage, rooftop terrace, air conditioning, and storage room. Detached 800+ sq ft guest house sleeps 8 and overlooks the tennis court. The house sophisticated awe inspiring 5900+ sq ft home is from a long gated driveway lined with mature coral & eucalyptus trees alongside a new clay tennis court with lights. An element of surprise is provided by the brilliant red of the front door. The house now listed at Sotheby’s for sale ($29,000,000). let’s check the beach house remodeled with open floor plan Design in carpinteria california

dining room and kitchen design in architecture as art beach house remodeled

living room comfort design view in architecture as art beach house remodeled

great room view with wooden floor in architecture as art beach house remodeled

guest bunks design with more bed in architecture as art beach house remodeled

guest living room view in architecture as art beach house remodeled

front door view in architecture as art beach house remodeled

second floor deck view with lounge chair and beach view

deck view with wooden floor and outdoor chair furniture design

cove view in architecture as art beach house remodeled

lighted clay court view in architecture as art beach house remodeled

Great relaxing beach home in California..

AG Home Goods