Simple Chic

After sifting through tons of interiors 'stuff' the other day, I realized you could condense 'chic'(in a general sense)pretty easily; and figured I best share it as it helps navigate a lot of "I'm not sure if it works moments". Essentially, keep it neutral; keep it simple; and keep it textured. These would be the 3 rules to live by if one forced you to express 'chic' in an E=mc2 kind of way. Thus the below are all easily accomplished, and all "simple-chic". I like this term. Mix and match, or just choose one of your liking to inject a little elegance into any situation. As an overview we've got two bigger items. A natural textured rug and a headboard; both chosen for there dual neutral and textured qualifications(as well as being excessively simple flat slabs of form). An then getting smaller in scale, I've got some super simple things anyone can pick up quickly like knitted pillows(texture on a smaller scale), and throws, as well as some things that wouldn't come to mind so quickly; such as a weathered clock, or some trays that I'm sure you can come up with a reason for having. And to cap it off, candles from Jo Malone. Can't get more chic with less effort than that. Enjoy!

A Natural Jute Rug Via FashAndFurn.com

Home Decorating Ideas, Simple And Chic, A Natural Jute Rug

A White French Tufted Headboard Via FashAndFurn.com

Home Decorating Ideas, Simple And Chic, A White French Tufted Headboard

White Rib Knit Pillow With Buttons Via FashAndFurn.com

Home Decorating Ideas, Simple And Chic, White Rib Knit Pillow With Buttons

Knit Throw Blankets Via FashAndFurn.com

Home Decorating Ideas, Simple And Chic, Knit Throw Blankets

Rustic White Antique Clock Via FashAndFurn.com

Home Decorating Ideas, Simple And Chic, Rustic White Antique Clock

Weathered Wooden Trays Via FashAndFurn.com

Home Decorating Ideas, Simple And Chic, Weathered Wooden Trays

Jo Malone Vanilla Candles Via FashAndFurn.com

Home Decorating Ideas, Simple And Chic, Jo Malone Vanilla Candles

My Projects, An Exhibition Concept For DVF Home

For those of you who don't know, DVF has a recently lauched 'Home' line which includes what else; a very fashionable array of bedding and tabletop. If you haven't seen it yet, you should check it out.


The below is actually the 'lesser' of two schemes I drew up for one of their 2012 Maison & Objet exhibition booths. The other(chosen) scheme we'll have to wait on a little bit before posting as the booth hasn't happened just yet. So... I suppose the obvious over-riding question is how to take a brand which is so canonically associated with fashion and shift it slightly to present a different type of product... This scheme utilizes the mannequin as an embodiment of the connection to fashion; while utilizing the new product line in cleaver ways to articulate them... Plates and pillows are used to cover the 'un-mentionable' parts of the body, bedding sheets are treated as simlutaneously covering and sliding off(as clothing); and further yet, the patterns of the home line are applied directly to the bodies of the mannequins themselves. I suppose there are a few ways you could go with that last part if you were more broadly thinking about the relationship between a brand and a consumer(the kind of direct application of the brand to the consumer's life, or imprint if you will). Or even the relationship between clothing and skin. But whatever... Pulling back, I grouped in the mannequins in the extremely posed manner of fashion photography, even a little bit thinking about groupings in classical art and sculpture; all-in-all to keep insinuating fashion while simultaneously elevating the presentation of the product in a kind of museum like sense....


But I suppose my favorite parts are some of the less obvious things such as the use of a Mondrian type of architecture on the mannequin bodies. Something about the extreme geometrical definitions of Mondrian interfacing with the curve of the body really interests me. More broadly from the outside of the booth, I love the extremely narrow doorway opening for it's proportions(Egyptian inspired I think) and for the way it suggestively frames what you're about to encounter inside. In the same manner and even to a greater degree I love the excessively narrow slot window you'll see at the end of the images. At a time when brands and merchandising can't find a billboard or a store display window large enough; I actually think the most powerful way to get someone to look, is to hide(or tease). Everyone wants to peek through a crack in the wall, don't they. So the sides of this booth as you'll see are designed with an extremely narrow 4-6 inch slot at eye level; where-upon you can just see the heads of the mannequins, and tell that something interesting is happening inside...


...K, hope you enjoy!

tmds1.com

Somewhere Between Fashion And Interiors, A Visual Merchandising Concept For DVF Home

tmds1.com

Somewhere Between Fashion And Interiors, A Visual Merchandising Concept For DVF Home

tmds1.com

Somewhere Between Fashion And Interiors, A Visual Merchandising Concept For DVF Home

tmds1.com

Somewhere Between Fashion And Interiors, A Visual Merchandising Concept For DVF Home

tmds1.com

Somewhere Between Fashion And Interiors, A Visual Merchandising Concept For DVF Home

tmds1.com

Somewhere Between Fashion And Interiors, A Visual Merchandising Concept For DVF Home

tmds1.com

Somewhere Between Fashion And Interiors, A Visual Merchandising Concept For DVF Home

Shop Fashion And Furniture, Shop Lifestyle

Haven't posted in w-a-y too long. Part of the reason is below though, so let's get into it. About a month ago, I realized a few of the following things. Shopping on the internet can be a pain(so many sites/brands/etc.). To go from one individual site to another(one at a time) is relatively time consuming effort. And let's face it, it gets frustrating. Particularly for those of you trying to hide it from your co-workers. Then, there's the auxiliary problem of all that, ummm, we'll call it 'less-than-interesting' merchandise that gets in the way. A LOT of sifting to do. Now while everyone could simply cut through all that by hiring a personal lifestyle consultant or a designer like me, that takes time as well(meetings = ugh), and can also be expensive. What do you do when you just want some quick advice on a chair, and nothing else? Hmmm...

So now for all of my blog readers, and hopefully others, we have the below. It's a shopping/starting point on the internet and I'm calling it FashAndFurn. And anyone who can add 2 and 2 together should be able to guess why. We've got fashion(girls AND boys), and home furnishings in one spot. Better than that, it only takes about 1/10th of a second to switch from one to the other(Note: Big 'W'(omens) 'M'(ens) 'I'(nteriors)) on the site... To additionally ease the burden of having to engage multiple sites; we've also got tons of brands to choose from; so navigate by brand at will...
Now, in terms of quality; because I said part of the issue was weeding out the 'less-than-interesting'. I personally sifted everything ahead of time; so you're always looking at a pre-curated selection of what out there. It's a bit like having a personal shopper, but it's just online. If I didn't think it looked great, I didn't put it in front of you(on the site)...

Lastly, the concept is super easy. Jump on, find something you like, and click it. The site will transport you as directly as possible to that product on the internet while keeping itself open in the background; so you can come back and look some more. Super easy. The interface is 'stuff'-free/clean and modern with NO pop-ups, blinking things, or whatever else... Just white and to the point, the way I like everything design...

Some images and sample merchandise below, hope you enjoy!

Shop Fashion And Furniture, Shop Lifestyle At FashAndFurn.com

Splash!

F2 Home Page. Click the image to check it out, and easily navigate into the shopping portal...

Shop Fashion And Furniture, Shop Lifestyle At FashAndFurn.com

A Clean Easy-To-Use User Interface Design

Shop Fashion And Furniture, Shop Lifestyle At FashAndFurn.com

FashAndFurn Merchandise, Play By Givenchy

Shop Fashion And Furniture, Shop Lifestyle At FashAndFurn.com

FashAndFurn Merchandise, A Modern/Elegant Lighting Fixture From Nuevo Lighting

Shop Fashion And Furniture, Shop Lifestyle At FashAndFurn.com

FashAndFurn Merchandise, A Great Relaxed Gucci Watch For The Boys

Shop Fashion And Furniture, Shop Lifestyle At FashAndFurn.com

Shop Fashion And Furniture, Shop Lifestyle At FashAndFurn.com

Mondrian Inspired

Bit of a hiatus last week from the blogosphere. But as those of you who know me best are well aware, I like to go MIA from time to time. Just for a little bit. So anyway, back down to business. Busy weeks last couple, and LOTS of new ideas inspired by recent projects. Like today's theme, which is Mondrian. Now, I can't exactly tell you how I got to Piet, as I can't disclose who I was designing for; but when I got there I completely fell in love. Let me disclose, it's been a LONG time since I've looked at Mondrian, or tried to use it in design. But I think that time has come again. I like the big bold geometry going on here. The tension of shifting things just slightly off of symmetry. And then of course, what I'm loving the most is the idea of lineweight. Those black lines at varying thicknesses. The way they are outlining shapes and spaces(nice abstract idea on it's own across all of the design disciplines). In terms of what's out there relative to Mondrian, there isn't exactly as much decor and fashion as you'd think. Particularly on the runway, which I was really shocked by. Turns out you have to go ALL the way back to the 1960's to see Mondrian in Yves Saint Laurent. So I gathered up what I could find, and am generally working on the assumption that we're early to the party on this trend... Hope you enjoy!

Thomas-Michael

...

Mondrian Inspired Decor And Fashion, Mondrian, Number 2.

So here we go. This is the painting I always think of when I think Mondrian. It's easily my favorite. Relative to the others, I love this one for it's refinement, and extreme size variation in the color fields.

Thomas-Michael DelSordo

Mondrian Inspired Decor And Fashion, Mondrian Inspired Pattern.

Here's the sketch that I was working with for a recent project that inspired the whole post. You can see that just this variation in lineweight and balancing of spatial field sizes does amazing things in terms of creating spatial/graphic texture as well as 'depth'.

cappellini.it

Mondrian Inspired Decor And Fashion, Cappellini Cabinet.

Now into some products that we can all use. This and the below are some gorgeous Mondrian inspired cabinets from Cappellini.

cappellini.it

Mondrian Inspired Decor And Fashion, Cappellini Cabinet.

Another great Mondrian piece from Cappellini. I could see using this in a room that has zero other reference to Mondrian. Where it could just kind of be bold on it's own, and contrast.

polyvore.com

Mondrian Inspired Decor And Fashion, Ruthie Davis Pumps.

From fashion, you can find these Mondrian inspired Ruthie Davis pumps which are really cute. I love the color variation in these in how she's deviating slightly from the default primary color scheme. I did something slightly different with the color fields, but we'll have to wait a little to see those...

polyvore.com

Mondrian Inspired Decor And Fashion, Kara Ross Clutch Handbag.

A clutch handbag from Kara Ross. As everything Mondrian, excessively clean, refined, and elegant in design.

ysl.com

Mondrian Inspired Decor And Fashion, The Original 1960's Yves Saint Laurent Mondrian Dress.

I was sure I had seen a Mondrian dress before but couldn't come up with it until I found the original. A YSL dress from the 60's. Thinking we're not too far off from seeing this on the runway again...

Thomas-Michael DelSordo

Mondrian Inspired Decor And Fashion, An Interior Sketch For A Mondrian Rug.

And lastly as I usually do when I have a new theme in mind, a couple of super quick sketches in 3D in a default interior setting. Thinking I'd like to design a Mondrian rug...

Thomas-Michael DelSordo

Mondrian Inspired Decor And Fashion, An Interior Sketch For A Mondrian Rug.

Really loving it, what do you think...? Hope you enjoyed...!

A Few Chic French Country Chairs

Hi. My name is Thomas-Michael, and I have an addiction to french country. Just kidding. Well, not really. Truth is I'm not exactly sure what it is about these pieces that I overly enjoy, but I do. They've got so much character. They're rustic and worn, but still as chic as anything slick and contemporary. They also have all of those incredible hand-crafted details that are so amazing. So, as I usually do when I remember to, or when it's just on the mind like it was this morning; I go check out this amazing little website I found about a year ago that has a small but really beautifully curated selection of antique provincial pieces. All merchandised gorgeously. It's truly a secret little find, and it's called 'The French Garden House'. It's where the below chairs as well as other things I'm sure I'll be posting about in the near future came from. So, just a quickie, a few chairs to get started for today; and for anyone who wants to visit the site on their own, there is a link provided immediately below each of the post images.

Thomas-Michael

frenchgardenhouse.com

Shabby Rustic Chic Antique French Country Chairs.
So here we go. I'm starting off with this gorgeous white on white Louis XV French style bergere. It's just really elegant, isn't it. Like I said above, I also love the way these chairs are merchandised. Love that newspaper wallpaper in the background.

frenchgardenhouse.com

Shabby Rustic Chic Antique French Country Chairs.
This is almost slightly medieval I think in it's form. Very strict and serious looking. Love it. I'm showing the back because I love the old wooden frames on these chairs. Really gorgeous.

frenchgardenhouse.com

Shabby Rustic Chic Antique French Country Chairs.
Some of the beautiful details in the chairs that I was referring to above. The caning is amazing here. Love everything about these chairs.

frenchgardenhouse.com

Shabby Rustic Chic Antique French Country Chairs.
And lastly for today's quickie post, a gorgeous vintage Louis XV upholstered daybed. This is such an incredible piece. Look at the curvature and the detailing on the frame. And so chic with that old gold gilt. All really beautiful. This is a theme I'm sure I'll have to come back to again, very soon.

Chic Bulletin Boards

So today isn't the sexiest or most mind blowing topic. But we all need some everyday functional elegance from time to time, and I love organization. So it's all about chic bulletin boards. Proof I suppose that anything can have a stylistic side. Now, you all know cork boards are wrong. And if you have one lying around, it may be time to start considering wrapping it in a nice piece of fabric. It's an easy little DIY project that can return sensibility to your home office or inspirational image wall with very little effort. As far as magnetic boards or chalk boards are concerned, even though I know there are a ton of you out there that love chalk boards in particular, I don't reccommend it. They're often cold looking, dark, and messy. I think the selections below will give you some great options in terms of keeping your wall organization artistic and beautiful. Enjoy!

Thomas-Michael

potterybarn.com

Interior Design, Chic Bulletin Boards, Pottery Barn, Linen Pinboard. This has always been a favorite of mine and you can pick it up quick and easily at Pottery Barn. It's linen which is a lovely texture, neutral in color, soft, and elegant. I love these over the bed, but I could also see doing a whole home office wall in them. And those vintage photographs are great as well...

potterybarn.com

Interior Design, Chic Bulletin Boards, Pottery Barn, Linen Pinboard. Here's the larger size from Pottery Barn for those of you who just need one quick one in the kitchen or wherever.

ballarddesigns.com

Interior Design, Chic Bulletin Boards, Ballard Designs. This one is actually magnetic, but I let it pass because it doesn't look like it is. I love words, print, and classic script in atypical places.

emmas.blogg.se, Designer Nina Kejser, Stylist Katrine Martensen-Larsen

Interior Design, Chic Bulletin Boards. This one is fabric, and super chic. Just clean, white, and elegant. Doesn't get easier or sexier than this in terms of wall organization.

decorpad.com, Courtney Hill Interiors

Interior Design, Chic Bulletin Boards. I love the beading here. As well as how it's built in. So convenient. The whole little workspace ensemble is great. Love the colors. The green is perfect in how it's not too minty.

designsponge.com, Aesthetic Movement

Interior Design, Chic Bulletin Boards. This one is great too. Nice and white, let the elements pop on their own. Tiled like art on a miniature salon wall.

emmas.blogg.se, Stylist Susanna Vento, Photographer Kristiina Kurronen

Interior Design, Chic Bulletin Boards. And lastly, the complete opposite. I love when people reverse conventional wisdom to show how both ends of the dialectic work equally. A bulletin board made out of clipboards. Love this idea.

Interior Design, Chic And Rustic Furniture From Anthropologie

A few weeks back I did a post on rustic bedroom ideas that seems to have gone over quite well. Apparently there are a lot of people out there looking to make things a bit more textural at home. Here's the post for reference, Ideas For A Rustic Bedroom Retreat. And so for today, I decided to cruise around Anthropologie and pull up some more great options for those looking to pursue this route. I love all of the below. And think most of them will work with what you've already got. In general I think it's safe to say that Anthropologie has a really nice thing going with furniture. It's a kind of rustic modern that I think strikes a nerve. Combined with a little bit of funkiness, it's chic and playful at the same time. So all of the below are from there, with a link provided below each image to the furniture section of the website for easy reference. Enjoy!


Thomas-Michael

anthropologie.com

Interior Design, Chic And Rustic Furniture From Anthropologie. Here's a gorgeous living room example of how you can pull the elements together. I love that old rustic wooden coffee table, as well as that chic off white sofa. It's clean but textural at the same time. The shape is nice and simple, classic and refined.

anthropologie.com

Interior Design, Chic And Rustic Furniture From Anthropologie. Here's a gorgoues bedroom example. The company has a few great bed designs, this one being an antique like canopy. The mirrored dresser I like as well.

anthropologie.com

Interior Design, Chic And Rustic Furniture From Anthropologie. A great rustic claw foot table. You could use it as a dining table or as a large desk. I also have to say that I love everything about how this company merchandises the products in these images. All gorgeous.

anthropologie.com

Interior Design, Chic And Rustic Furniture From Anthropologie. Now for some specific elements. This bed was in the post a few weeks back. It's still one of my favorite pieces of furniture. Hangs from the ceiling. You have to love those big rustic chains.

anthropologie.com

Interior Design, Chic And Rustic Furniture From Anthropologie. Here's basically a modern couch, but a little more rustic with those tufted sides and antique legs. A great example of furniture design that's clean but still with some character.

anthropologie.com

Interior Design, Chic And Rustic Furniture From Anthropologie. Some neutral seating options for your rustic space. A great armchair, stool, and dining chair. I love all three. The armchair is so chic and comfortable. And that stool in the middle has such a great shape. The bronze dining chair is classic.

anthropologie.com

Interior Design, Chic And Rustic Furniture From Anthropologie. And lastly some more colorful options. You don't have to be completely neutral to go rustic. All three of these are more than capable of holding the theme. I particularly love that old patio chair on the right. Such a great color and such a mysterious shape.

Rex Ray: Contemporary Art And Design

Ever since I saw one of the below images, I've kept it on my mind. So today is all about Rex Ray. A San Francisco based artist and designer. The images themselves are extraordinarily powerful. A heightened fusion of art mixed with a decorative attitude. Amazing colors. Exotic patterns. Sometimes even butting up against each other, or overlaid. I really love this confrontational aspect of them. At times they feel modernist, at times totemic. But always contemporary in an unique way. Throw moments of Miro and Matisse influence in there as well. I almost forgot. I think they're amazing. But what I also really love about this artist and designer is that he is in fact both. He's managed to straddle that line between high art and usable design which I think is always a tricky move. His work has been exhibited in major art museums. But he has also done product design work in conjunction with companies like Apple, and album art for David Bowie. And as I'm further showing below an assortment of rugs, placemats, and wall tiles for various manufacturers. It's really quite a diversity of art and design applications.

Thomas-Michael

rexray.com

Contemporary Art And Design, Rex Ray.

rexray.com

Contemporary Art And Design, Rex Ray.

rexray.com

Contemporary Art And Design, Rex Ray.

rexray.com

Contemporary Art And Design, Rex Ray.

rugsandcarpets.com

Contemporary Art And Design, Rex Ray. This is an example of one of his rug designs. Really love this.

modern-twist.eu

Contemporary Art And Design, Rex Ray. This one is a placemat design. It could be so many things, couldn't it.

modwalls.com

Contemporary Art And Design, Rex Ray. And finally some subway tiles for the wall. I love information inspired design.