If It's Hip, It's Here

Lake Washington Shores Pavilion House Blends Cement, Steel and Woods To Create A Showcase For Art.

2013-05-23T00:00:00.000-07:00

This 6,800 sq. ft home is a collaborative effort between by architect Jim Olson of Olson Kundig Architects, and interior designer/ furniture designer Garret Cord Werner. The home goes by a couple of names depending on with whom you speak. Olson Kundig refer to it as The Pavilion House, while Garret Cord Werner calls it The Lake Washington Shores Art House. Regardless of the name, the breathtaking structure merges the exterior & interior spaces to provide a seamless environment with the northwest landscape.

Outside spaces mimic the interior in function: living area with fireplace, kitchen, dining area, expansive lawn, long terrace.

The Lake Washington Shores home was designed for entertaining and especially displaying the client's extensive northwest art collection. Reclaimed Mahogany woods, nickel plated steel sections and cement were used throughout the whole house to create a unified atmosphere with an elegant yet comfortable finish.

The house showcases art from various Pacific Northwest artists such as Cris Bruch, Kenneth Callahan, Rob Snyder , Dennis Evans, Nancy Mee, Lino Tagliapietra, and Catherine Eaton Skinner to name a few.

Olson considers those who worked on the home also to be artists: interior designer Garret Cord Werner, lighting designer Brian Hood and landscape architect Charles Anderson.

"I lived near the water a long time, but I never felt it until here," says the homeowner of this Bellevue home designed by Jim Olson of Olson Kundig Architects. "It's all about floating and dreaming," says Olson.

The dramatic center pavilion is the focus of the architecture displaying a grand thirty-five foot long dining table by Garret Werner that floats on two pedestals. The table, which can seat 40 people, was engineered and constructed out of reclaimed mahogany wood and nickel plated steel sections and may be disassembled to provide a flexible party space.

Flanking the center pavilion is a floating living room over a reflecting pond and a media room family area at the opposite end with kitchen and bar. All the cabinets were designed by Garret Werner for the home. In the center console in the entertainment room, a projector comes up from inside to project across into the media room.

Custom furniture designer by Werner fills the comfortable living areas.

Working in collaboration with Jim Olson, the master bathroom floor plan was redesigned from initial floor plans and was transformed into an inside-out experience.

A custom designed sunken Japanese bath is the focus of the master bathroom and a Julie Speidel sculpture acts as a focal point.

Blurring the lines of the interior to the exterior is an element Werner believes is important for all architectural projects.

The nickel & fused glass powder rooms and custom lighting in the project are also by Garret Werner.

Relevant links:
Garret Cord Werner
Olson Kundig Architects
Brian Hood Lighting Design
Charles Anderson Landscape Design
photo credit: Benjamin Benschneider

Additional information from the Seattle Times

Chillin' In Denim. SMEG's FAB28 Jeans Refrigerator In A Limited Edition of 500.

2013-05-22T00:00:00.001-07:00

Smeg, which has developed home appliances for 60 years, and Italia Independent, a brand of creativity and style, have combined two icons: the FAB28 fridge and Jeans.

Using traditional objects combined with new ideas has inspired the two Italian brands to produce the first refrigerator covered entirely by jeans.

The FAB28 with its range of colors and soft curved lines is a functional but also decorative icon. Jeans have long been a part of our culture that communicates freshness and comfort, rebellion and style.

The fabric itself combines tradition and innovation. It is treated with PLASMA, a nanotechnology that protects the surface of the refrigerator against splashing water, oil, milk and fruit juice.

Specs:
The FAB28 Jeans stand alone refrigerator with freezing compartment by SMEG is now available in this Limited Edition with Denim Jeans design. This refrigerator features right hinged doors as well as left hinged doors.

Energy efficiency rating A++

Refrigerator:
• automatic defrosting
• interior lighting
• ventilator for dynamic cooling
• 1 bottle grid, 3 safety glass shelves
• 1 fruit & vegetable box
• 1 small cheese & cold cuts box
Inner door equipment:
• 2 small butter & cheese boxes
• 2 containers with stainless steel rail, height adjustable
• 1 egg container, removable
• 1 bottle & can container

The FAB28 Jeans, a limited edition of 500 pieces, made its world debut at the Salone del Mobile in Milan. In addition, this extraordinary example of fashionable technology can be admired in the Corso Monforte Smeg showroom in Milan.

Price is $2498.75

Purchase the Smeg FAB28 Jeans here

Love Hurts: A First Aid Kit For The Broken Heart

2013-05-21T15:00:00.000-07:00

Who among us hasn't spent a tearful evening eating chocolate followed by a vodka chaser while taking a candlelit bubble bath and listening to heart-wrenching songs in an effort to forget that asshole or bitch? You haven't? Well, maybe you ought to - it works surprisingly well. Which is why the Love Hurts concept kit by Melanie Chernock, created for an activity book assignment, is spot on.

The recent Graphic Designer/Animator graduate thought it would be more interesting to make a sort of activity kit instead of an activity book. So she came up with the concept of Love Hurts: A first aid kit for a broken heart. Melanie wanted to approach the product with a sense of humor and she did - creating a fun kit that contains the necessary items needed to get through a rough breakup: dark chocolate, vodka, bubble bath soap, a candle with matches, candy hearts, a mix CD, and, if all else fails, tissues.

All of the products come neatly and attractively packaged in a compact kit designed by Melanie. Now, if only it were available for purchase.

The promo video below was also made to show the products in use:

Photos by Luke Nilsson

Melanie Chernock

a special thanks to Maria Victrix for bringing this to my attention

Refined Hardware Watchmakers Combine Metal with Mettle In Three New Limited Edition Watches.

2013-05-21T00:00:00.001-07:00

Having had success with their first made to order American industrial watch, The Harbinger, Los Angeles' Refined Hardware has just introduced three new watches; The Gatsby, The McQueen and The Rearden. Each steel encased watch is made to order and created in a limited number.

The Harbinger Edition, their first watch which is shown below, was made in a limited edition of 125 and is now sold out.

The Harbinger (Sold Out):

The Gatsby, $2985:

The McQueen, $2985:

The Rearden, $2985:

Due to their made-to-order basis, the Gatsby, The McQueen and The Rearden build times are approximately 8 weeks and all payments are final.

Order your watches here.

Wasabi and Salty Caramel Popcorn Vodka? Introducing Oddka, Crazy and Beautiful Flavored Vodkas From Wyborowa.

2013-05-20T00:00:00.001-07:00

Oddka by Wyborowa, is a new line of creatively flavored vodkas by Pernod Ricard that will initially launch in select U.S. states including Alabama, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island, prior to expanding its global distribution later this year.

The unusual beverages have an equally unusual spokesman, a 2-D illustrated gentleman named Wit (more on him later in the post).

Oddka is available as an original, clear vodka and in five unconventional flavors, including Apple Pie, Electricity, Fresh Cut Grass, Salty Caramel Popcorn and Wasabi, each designed to inspire experimentation and self-expression.

The flavors may be weird but bottles are beautiful. Take a look.

Original:

Electricity:

Salty Caramel Popcorn:

Fresh Cut Grass:

Wasabi:

Apple Pie:

Meet Brand Spokesman Wit Oddoski:

The voice and inspiration of the Oddka brand is Wit Oddoski, a virtual character in the real world. He is a charismatic individualist and curious 2-D line drawing born in the age of invention and experimentation who marches to the beat of his own drum. He has made his social debut via Facebook and Twitter (@WitOddoski), connecting with consumers and sharing imaginative "oddtail" cocktail recipes.

"ODDKA was created for the individual who seeks brands that are confident, expressive and challenge the norms, just like they do," said Maxime Kouchnir, vice president, Pernod Ricard USA. "We are excited about the initial release of ODDKA in select states and sharing our curious approach with these individuals and provoking their senses."

Here's how Wit describes the unique flavors:
Original: I once meditated for a week. Afterwards I came up with the idea of a vodka-flavoured vodka. An idea so fresh, so elegant, so smooth, I couldn’t believe it hadn’t been thought of before. When I discovered it had, I thought I’d make it anyway.

Electricity: Ever wondered what a bolt of lightning tastes like? Me too. That’s why I created this shockingly good tongue-tickling vodka. Now lightning can strike as often as you like.

Salty Caramel Popcorn: I love the movies, though personally I’ve never seen the appeal of those 3D ones. If this flavour was a film it would be a caramel comedy with a sea salt subplot and a warm, feel-good ending.

Fresh Cut Grass: One day my llama distracted the janitor when he was mowing my factory lawn and there was an accident. A fortuitous accident with a crisp and citrusy outcome.

Wasabi: At Ninja school I was taught the saying, ‘The Wasabi-eating Ninja Laughs Last’. I’m still trying to figure out what it means, but in the meantime have created this fiery flavour to creep up on your taste buds. Enjoy.

Apple Pie: Inspired by Grandma Oddoski’s famous apple pies. I gave her my word I would never reveal her secret ingredient. This sweet tasting apple and cinnamon flavour vodka is a tribute to that promise.

The elegant and smooth Original Oddka (40% alc./vol., 80 proof) and the new five sensory-pleasing flavors (30% alc./vol., 60 proof) sell for a suggested retail price of $15.99.

ODDstache mobile app:

To connect fans with the brand's experimental personality, ODDKA launched a free "ODDstache" mobile app, available on iTunes. Men and women alike can grow their very own ODDstache on a mobile photo of their choice. To mature, the mustaches need tending; growth can be accelerated with grooming, feeding and by sharing with friends on Facebook—the more "Likes" received, the more ODD it will grow.

ODDKA