the parker palm springs

just got back from a lovely weekend in palm springs at the parker hotel designed by the fabulous jonathan adler.  the whole thing was so inspiring to me- the meandering paths, the private lawns with croquet and hammocks.  it was like a time warp back to the 60s/70s over most of the hotel.  the spa, however, was totally new and different, almost morroccan feeling.  i took these pics inside the spa's co-ed indoor pool and hot tub area.  the room is so big they added a lounge area under the indoor cabanas.  SO relaxing!  the cabanas are executed well- the tassles, the lining on inside and outside make a seamless connection and the drapes frame everything very well.  i just loved it.  hope you do too

glow

just found this article on LED glowing wallpaper... this is the stuff of the future!  very cool.   one of my favorite parts of design is getting to read about and experience great new products like this.  design is the new wild west frontier- but instead of covered wagons these pioneers have imacs and light emitting diodes

http://inhabitat.com/luminous-led-wallpaper-lends-a-low-energy-glow-to-any-room/

philly

on a trip to philadelphia with some friends last month i managed to fit in some philly cheesesteaks and speakeasys, but my favorite was walking around the city at night.  i got the most spectacular photographs!  my favorite of which is this one, a profile of so many different decorative motifs all right next to each other giving the entrance to the masonic temple a very grandiose feeling.  the monochromatic look really makes them work together.  love the detail!  to me, architectural details are a must.  i appreciate modern architecture, but feel like the finishing details are always missing.  not here!

beijing tile

watching the women's world cup as we write this entry.  these women are so inspiring!  we were lucky enough to watch their last win in 1999 from the 5th row!  it will be lovely to see them win again today (fingers crossed).
sports might be the theme of the day, as we just came across this new tile in architectural digest.  it immediately reminded us of the aquatic center where michael phelps won all of his medals in the beijing olympics a few years ago.  between the aquatic building and the "bird's nest" we were captivated by those olympics.  not only did it show brightly on the chinese culture (do you remember the opening ceremony?!) but it also proved how promising their architectural future would be.

these tiles demonstrate the continual impact that it has had, and  they are an interesting testament to the relationship between interior finishes and architecture.  all too often, i find that interiors and architecture are fighting for attention in the same project.  or when interior designers take inspiration from a project it becomes so convoluted that it's barely recognizable.  but this tile is so directly drawn from the building it's easily recognized.  and the scale is so drastically changed it gives the tile a real charm and sophistication.

i think they would be perfect for a cute little laundry room or bathroom!

sketchup!

i am in the process of learning sketchup and i cannot believe i went so long without learning it!  the very intuitive interface is great, very similar to illustrator.  here is my second little model.  hot staircase huh?  i see many more in my future...