arete design

Serigraphy, the art of Two Arms

2013-08-20T21:41:00.000-04:00

Well it's been a while, but I figured I would document a little of this lovely form of art that I have always loved to look at, and wondered how it was made.

The form of art is called Serigraphy and it's basically a type of print making that uses wooden forms canvased in silk and layers of ink and.... lots of patience. I have an example of the process here from the National Gallery of Canada.

Here are some examples of Serigraphy from a master of the art, the graphic design duo: Two Arms Inc.:

While we are on the subject of TWO...I would also love to show you a little branding excellence by HyperBrand for the firm TWO, aka The Wild Office, a custom innovation office in Mexico. (Please don't ask what custom innovation is...no idea, but gosh, look at their office, it's so fun.)

I always wondered where the Wild things are, and apparently they're in Mexico.

Monsters in Paris

2013-01-05T22:17:00.001-05:00

I was watching television with my children this weekend and saw Monsters in Paris. The storyline was relatively cute, on the general trend of making the underdog the hero, but what I most liked about this movie were it's wonderful graphics, which were very remniscent of French art of the 19th century and particularly of a series of books I read as teen about a Parisian thief named Fantomas. The main character in this movie is almost a mix of him and the Phatom of the Opera as well. Take a look at this lovely song "La Seine" sung by Vanessa Paradis (who happens to look just like this cartoon version) as well as Sean Lennon (yes, the son of Yoko Ono and John Lennon):

Also, if you are needing a good book to read, check out The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern-

the imagery is wonderful and the storyline is unique:

World Lullabies

2012-11-15T17:15:00.004-05:00

Soir means Evening.

image by Mark Riboud

To me 'evening' is one of the most beautiful words in the English language-- just the sound of it makes me think of a time to relax and unwind from a long day.

However,our newest creation, my son Aydin, has made evening a bit of an adventure... to say the least. :)

To appease this little tike and get some peace in the process, my husband and I did some searching for lullabies, in his native language: Turkish, and in mine: Arabic. We came across something lovely that kept us searching different nationalities and seeing these connections of cultures all expressing a little about their heritage or ways of life thru a simple song...

Here are a few examples and I hope that they may help any parents out there to get their little ones to sleep..

African Lullaby

Turkish Lullaby

Armenian Lullaby

Arabic Lullaby

And if anyone has any others to share please do!! :)))

Home Fronts

2012-09-19T20:22:00.001-04:00

If I had a million dollars, besides buying a lot of fancy catsup, I would have a beautiful home taking ideas from these lovely abodes..

check out the fantastic green 'living wall' how it connects the exterior to the inside- Suzuki would be so proud.

no bad chi in an oval house...from artechnic architects

this fantastic flooring reminds me a little of snake skin, or one finish that has worn away to reveal another.

lovely stair storage for all your kitchen stuff (images above from Oui)

I love the open-ness of this space it makes me want to start placing my own furniture in there.
(image above from got Arch)

from the same home, this exterior glazed tile is just beautiful.

okay lastly-not a house for you or me- but God... and a strange one at that...

I don't know about you but this is kind of freaking me out..
(deconstructed photo of a church-by Michael Jantzen)

Summer Fun

2012-08-22T15:25:00.003-04:00

Okay, okay, I know I said in the last post I would get back to Design fun, but did I also mention I might talk about food from time to time? Well, at the beginning of the summer I purchased half a share of a farmer's crop and every week we recieve different types of organic vegetables and eggs from them. Every week is usually a surprise - we never know what we are going to get, or how much we will get.

This last week I recieved the mother of all zucchinis- and it was an adventure trying to think of some good ways to use this vegetable (or is it a fruit?? it has seeds??) Anywho- I shredded the heck out that zuke and then divided up into three portions.

For the first attempt I made a very typical Turkish dish called Mujver or Zucchini Fritters and the recipes goes like this:

5-6 small firm zucchinis, grated (makes ~4 cups)
3 eggs
1/3 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
1/3 cup chopped fresh dill
2-3 tbsp or 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint (depending on how much you like mint)
3-4 green onions, finely chopped
1 cup white cheese/feta
1 tbsp paprika
salt
black pepper
~1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup olive oil for frying

-Put grated zucchini in a colander. Sprinkle with salt and let drain for 10 minutes. Squeeze and place in a bowl.
-Mix well all the ingredients except for flour and frying oil.
-Add flour in slowly and mix well.
-Heat oil in a frying pan. On medium drop scoops of Mujver mixture in hot oil. Make sure they don't touch.
-Fry them on each side until golden brown, 4-5 minutes.
-Drain excess oil by placing fritters on paper towels.
-Serve with plain yogurt or garlicy yogurt sauce. For garlicy yogurt sauce beat every 1 cup of yogurt with 1 clove of minced garlic.

Then I decided to make a savory zucchini cheese bread with walnuts- it's my mother-in-law's recipe, which she makes superbly :)

The recipe:

-3 eggs

-1 cup yogurt

-1/2 cup canola oil

-1 cup grated cheese (mozzerella or cheddar is fine or even feta)

-2 1/2 cups self-raising flour

-1/2 cup grated zucchini

-3 green onions diced

1 tbsp of dried oregano

1 tbsp of sesame seeds and 1 tbsp of caraway seeds for sprinkling on top)

Mix all of the ingredients together and pour in a greased glass 9x12 pan at 375 degrees for 40 minutes

and lastly a more typical sweet zucchini bread but with cocoa added and chocolate chips (and walnuts- I went to Costco, so I had ALOT of walnuts :))

2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
3 teaspoons cinnamon
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups zucchini, grated
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup bakers chocolate, chopped (optional)

Sift flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt, baking powder and cinnamon together.

Combine eggs, oil, sugar, zucchini and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Beat until well mixed. Add the flour mixture from the waxed paper. Mix until smooth. Add chocolate and nuts and mix. Pour mixture into a greased 13x9x2" pan or if you have a similar size just check with a toothpick until it comes out clean.

Bake at 350ºF for 40 minutes.

okay that was fun--Bon Apetit!

DIY Part II - This time it's personal.

2012-08-07T20:33:00.000-04:00

Okay, I'm back with more fun.. I had a brief stint DIY-ing stuff around my home. I found some chairs someone was going to throw away. Here they are:

They weren't bad looking just old and worn. I also didn't care for the wood stain color, or the seat material for that matter. After cleaning it until I was satisfied all the cooties it might possibly have were gone, I removed the seat and sanded down the frame. I then painted the chair frames a bright cherry red. After it dried I painted over the red with an espresso brown --not very evenly, so the red still popped thru in areas.

I had found an interesting quilted fabric that had a worn looking print of flowers that I liked..

and Voila! There's my big ole' reveal..

I think they look nice on either side of the fireplace, don't you?? :)

Alright I think my next entry we'll get back to some of the best of the oddest of design and environmental endeavours...
until next time!

A little on the home front

2012-08-06T19:46:00.001-04:00

Okay, this is just a little experiment. I want to show a little of the projects I do at home for fun.

Ikea has some wonderful patterned fabric--it's not always something you might put on a sofa, but some large images that are whimsical and colorful-

so my bare stair landing needed some interest...

I bought a couple of yards of a few of the larger scale patterned fabrics and played with them in couple areas that needed some love...

The stair landing:
I took an old poster frame and cut the fabric the size of the poster's image and voila!

I will be adding more to that wall as i get more inspiration...

(Forgive the bad picture, It's hard to get a good angle for the stair-- and yes, that is a brick wall view from our window- but hey at least I can look into the neighbor's house, just 5 feet away :p )

I also needed to clean up our entry with some fresh paint and kid's storage--nothing too fancy and or expensive,

so I took out the ikea fabrics and made the simplest pillows I could with my limited sewing skills- painted the whole space a neutral beige with a slightly glossier finish for ease in cleaning.

ikea also has these panel dividers that are meant to be hung as a divider between rooms, i cut one into three pieces to make curtains for the entry sidelites and window and...

Voila!

I needed some artwork so i painted an old canvas with similar colors from the pillows, and a flower to match the panel fabric..

notice the pillows are different? i started with a big long pillow and kept playing around until i was satisfied with two smaller ones...Btw, the mirror is just an outdoor mirror from Canadian tire that was about $30, and the leather storage bench everyone has seen before - from Zellers for under a $100.

alright tune in tomorrow, you'll see what i did with these ugly chairs:

Yarn Bombing and Happy Yellow

2012-05-29T13:12:00.003-04:00

Well, I haven't posted anything in a while (had a baby and am finding not much time these days), but I am hoping to be back on more often!

So, while were on the subject of kids, check out this design and arts center for underpriveledged children in Thailand, designed by the architectural firm Sparch :

love this Swiss cheese facade..

and this yellow.. If I'm not mistaken, I think Feng Shui describes golden yellow as symbolic of health and well being, I wonder if the children who utilize this space feel that way too... (not sure what cow hide does, however :))

and lastly check out this fantastic installation in Seattle, Wa. from Suzanne Tidwell, it's called Yarn Bombing, it's an example of a new art movement where you knit unlikely objects in often public places, I've seen this around Uptown Waterloo, recently as well.

I love Green...and everything in between..

2012-04-15T20:48:00.003-04:00

Spring is here and I am reminded just how much I love the sight of new things growing and of course the color green.

Images above from Young House Love

Clothing store Zara recently commisioned an installation of 3,000 pear, quince and cherry blossoms to commemorate the opening of their new store in New York:

(images above from Saipua)

some really lovely interiors images:

(images from Emily Johnston Anderson)

And lastly, check out this famous (green) Siren:

Starbucks has opened a new concept store in Amstredam where it's not only trying out a new look- it's trying out new types of brewing and coffees.:

(looks fun to me, and of course there's..mmmm.. coffee..:))
(image above from Business Insider)

Small is Big...:)

2012-01-23T09:32:00.003-05:00

A while back I posted an entry about Micro Homes and wanted to expand on the subject with some additional images of small spaces...

take a look at the following examples of a simpler way of life:

this 'greenhouse' above is from Kekkila Garden, it's a prefabricated shed that's available in many configurations.. it looks like it may get mighty uncomfortable on a sunny day, but it still looks idyllic in the midst of all that forest..

This feels more treehouse than home, but I still like it.

nothing like an orange cabin to brighten your surroundings.

(images above from Apartment Therapy)
this home above makes me happy, in a Lake House sort of way..I'm just expecting Keanu to come and tell me that he's from the future, or was it the past?? Never understood that movie's logistics...

Waterloo

2011-12-31T14:04:00.005-05:00

In the years I have lived in the region of Waterloo I've been amazed about the quality of architecture that is being created out of old structures as well as new innovative buildings..

Check out examples of some of my favorite buildings in this area:

The Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics in Waterloo.

The Waterloo Region Museum in Kitchener

The Waterloo Clay and Glass Gallery

Seagram Lofts in Waterloo

Waterloo Regional Children's Museum in Kitchener

Nice..

2011-12-18T21:29:00.006-05:00

Inspiring places to relax and contemplate...(image above from Cococozy)

Vitrelux modern vases- image from grass roots modern)

Post-it "watches" for forgetful people like myself..

(image from better living through design)

Abstract pottery that reveals a message "trust" when a light is shone upon it.

(image from Mocoloco)

"Slow-tech" biodome that links to your ipad-- which controls the mini eco system within the dome. The ipad controls it's light,water, and other nutrients. (image from Josh Spear)

Aesop, a store in New York designed by Tacklebox, that uses wool felt lined walls.

Street art- laughing all the way to Banksy...

2011-11-14T12:03:00.002-05:00

I just recently came across an interesting documentary about street art called "Exit thru the Giftshop".

The film depicted the rising trend in street art across the world and some of the key players who generate art out of unlikely places and objects. I gained an admiration for those artists that bring humour and interest to the areas of a cityscape where formerly there was nothing of interest, often putting themselves in the path of danger and outside of the limits of the law.

Here are a few images from the infamous street artist named Banksy also depicted in the film:

100 Abandoned Houses

2011-11-07T11:15:00.001-05:00

100 Abandoned houses is a photojournalistic project by photographer Kevin Bauman. He’s spent the last ten years documenting the many abandoned neighbourhoods and houses that litter the city of Detroit.

The list of houses, which is actually closer to 12,000 abandoned properties, shows the effects of the economy on the city and how a city that used to have 2 million residents-now has dwindled to 800,000 in the past decade. A portion of the proceeds from the sales of his photo prints (available thru the link)will go to Habitat for Humanity and Greening Detroit; two groups who are actively working to help those afflicted areas.

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New Materials and Just another brick in the wall...

2011-10-24T10:43:00.001-04:00

Material Connexion- the self-proclaimed largest database of materials library and references has given a little taste of some of the latest materials out in the market today, a few items to check out:

durable ceramic-like roofing material made from carbon and soil..

non-toxic building insulation made from hemp and flax (not glass fiber or mineral wool), absorbs and releases moisture easily and has Euroclass E fire rating and not attractive to pests or rodents..

hexagonal aluminum honeycomb cast in resin, the surface of these resin panels are gouged with a CNC router, with no standard sheet sizes, they can be easily used for doors, sliding doors, and some horizontal surfaces.

FSC-certified cellulose wood veneer that can be used for sound absorbtion when applied to a substrate, has no VOC's or formaldehyde- it's water repellent, and resistant to scratching/abrasion..

and last but not least, some interesting uses of the most common building material: bricks...

(images above from architonic)

Artificial Trees light up Boston skyline..

2011-10-03T12:31:00.003-04:00

Boston's Treepod Initiative (a proposed project with Influx Studio and Shift Boston) is a plan to create artificial trees that clean the air of CO2 and releases oxygen, just like an actual tree! Made from recycled and recyclable plastic, these trees will produce shade while harvesting energy from the sun's rays to illuminate the trees at night...

(images above from Evolo Magazaine)

Paradigm shifting...

2011-09-21T20:46:00.045-04:00

Is it Yes or No? Or maybe both...

I guess Life is a series of shifting perceptions or paradigms..

Check out this renovation of a Lincoln Park home in Chicago that seems to mix the two paradigms of modern and traditional living all at once:

traditional Front Elevation:

modern Back Yard:

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traditional light filled Entry with funky modern basket lights:

modern Kitchen :

Eating Area, with traditional rough wood Restoration Hardware cabinet...

very modern, eye catching medusa-like Light Fixture within Living Room with very traditional detailing:

Old Railing stained to feel worn yet new at the same time...

And lastly,serene Bedroom, modern because it's light color palette, and traditional because it has tons of crown moldings and giant ceiling medallion overhead..

(images from Fresh home)

give it to me straight-

2011-09-14T22:00:00.000-04:00

Mobius strip inspired two-seater chair from Onyx (image from crib fashion)

(Vessel sinks from Amin Design, image from Crib fashion)

Inspired by the flow of unspoiled mountain springs, the Abisko washbasin by Eumar

Lapsi Children's chair and book shelf by Catie Becker

Mydna bookshelves and Love bench by Joel Escalona.

Orange you glad...

2011-08-29T17:47:00.001-04:00

(image from Roland Persson)

(Orange accent images from From Scandanavia with Love)

(Orange table image from Crib Fashion)

(organic climbing book shelving by J1 Studio)

(Bell chair by Alvin Tjitrowirjo)

(Indonesian rattan chair by Alvin Tjitrowirjo)

(image from Sixx Design)

(partition made from discarded books by Lula Dot)

Two Grey Rooms

2011-08-16T21:10:00.005-04:00

When i was single and poor and used to live in the busy city of Chicago, I loved nothing better than to visit this huge flower store called A New Leaf. It was a dark and beautiful mix of greenery and flowers and furniture that extended into the outdoor backgarden as well as a separate 'shed' and attic. It was like something out of the book 'Griffin and Sabine'-where I, the explorer, would unearth antiquities and rooms that no one else had seen before...well, the following images remind me of that store's charm- and I'd like to share it with you:

(images from Saipua)

and I have to show these beautiful interiors images-they remind me a little of my first apartment-(minus the expensive sofa...table...carpet...well you get my point--the overall aura is there I swear it. :))

(images above from Atelier Abigail Ahern)

and lastly, a little Joni Mitchell, a perfect soundtrack for those rainy Sunday afternoons in Lincoln Park..

and don't forget your cup of coffee--black..

Absolutely Verdant....

2011-08-07T18:22:00.002-04:00

(image from everything in 3s)

(if anyone knows where this image is from please comment below - thank you!)

(image above from Michael Eastman Photography)

( Live moss tables, images from inhabit.com)

Loving this rapidly renewable bamboo plywood- All in One Desk from MisoSoupDesign for tight spaces- it makes me want to work yet strangely hungry at the same time:

Also from Miso Soup Design, this chair made of 3-Form's 'green' acrylic: Varia Eco-resin:

Amazing luminous LED wallpaper with sound absorption properties from Phillips and Kvadrat Soft Cells:

Lastly, because I still am on that Chuck Norris kick..these 'brass knuckles' will TKO your next environmental offender. Or you can just wear it as jewelry: Icelandic Moss ring by Hafsteinn Juliusson:

Just imagining what I should say when I wear this...Don't mess with me or I'll go green on your a**...

(hmm, I guess I'll work on it.)

Atonement or a little wine with that cheese?

2011-07-27T20:37:00.007-04:00

I feel I must atone for last weeks' cheesy blog post, so to get back to the nitty gritty of interior outlandishness:

Does anyone remember that phase in the furniture world of using faux suede on seats?? Looks great, but faux suede had a little problem: it has amazing 'Memory'-- meaning it keeps the imprint of whoever sat on it even after you leave...

Well to commemorate such a lovely event the following chair doesn't even try to hide your butt imprint, but makes it the most 'memorable' part of the chair:

(images from 16th workshop)

Speaking of cradling your backside, Jon Edwards designed and created this rope chair out of 80 meters of rope he dipped in polyurethane resin and molded to create a simple seat:

he also has a foot in this: cork-soled shower sandals that help clean your feet while you shower:

(although that wire brush looks a little painful..)

Lastly, because we all need a little Winehouse with our cheese--

7 Rules

2011-07-20T21:47:00.000-04:00

When I see the black page of my blog it reminds me of a blackboard where I get to write all of the rules of the classroom for the delinquent kids in afterschool detention. So, kids here's your list for today:

Rule 1: try not to take yourself too seriously.

Rule 2: take yourself very seriously.

(image of Karim Rashid)

Rule 3: make things, don't take things

(lace chain link fence that prevents burglars/climbing from Decor Addict)

Rule 4: be kind to your neighbor, not just the ones that look like this:

Rule 5: work at success, not necessarily money success, but it's a wonderful life kind of success..

(image from decor addict)

Rule 6: try to express some feeling you have in another language.

(a bold expression of feeling thru color :)) from decor addict)

and lastly, Rule 7: enjoy the weirdness of the world and all the beauty of it:

(image from design-dautore)

Alright, now write that 50 times each, and I'll be back in a couple hours...

Lovely things

2011-07-13T20:30:00.011-04:00

This image makes me think of things collected slowly over time and with tons of character:

(image from Cococozy)

Despite the fact that this lofty space makes me want to color on the walls with an 8 pack of Crayola crayons, I still love the cool clean white walls and simple furnishings:

I think I need this desk below (and my crayola's too):

two poor sheep are feeling cold right now, but I think the result is some really cozy looking chairs:

(images above from Fresh Home)

some wonderful giant sculptures:

and lastly, something to comb over:

(sorry for the pun... not really though :) )
(images above from Monkeyzen)

DIY Chuck Norris Style

2011-06-22T21:20:00.035-04:00

It looks like this is all the rage in the blog world:

Take the look of a high-priced fixture and make it yourself,

For example:

This Moooi light is priced for about $2400

but all you really need is a large balloon,
white yarn, fabric stiffener (for the yarn) and a home depot light kit, all under $15 total.

(image from Oakland Avenue)
just remember to remove the balloon..

Another option:

This lamp is made with a simple paper latern, a light cord, a glue gun, and lots of coffee filters...

(DIY from Kara Parlay Designs)

Or you could do what Design Sponge did with their paper latern and cover it with paper icicles...

or these paper laterns covered with doilies from Curbly:

or these covered with silk flowers or trim by Crafty nest:

This is not a DIY, but an amazing light carved from a dried gourd- but hell, why not try it?

(image from Fresh Home)

And just for fun, a little DIY, Chuck Norris style: