announcing...

Our temporary website is finally up!  While we work on more images of our projects and a new, prettier website, this one will have to hold you over.

www.maroneydesign.com

The newest addition to our portfolio is a set of wedding invitations for our dear friend Molly... it was so much fun working on these with her.  The graphic was inspired by a fabric she found last year, which she will now be using as tablecloths (octagons on round tables, so clever and perfect for the geometric feel!) at her summer nuptuals.  We took it, refined it a bit, moved it around and voila!  The perfect elegant and understated look for her wedding.  Looking forward to doing more wedding invitations in the future!  What an exciting time in someone's life to be a part of. 

Hearst Castle

This place is a never ending source of inspiration for us, and we thought it would be nice to share some of our photos here.  Besides the roman pool and the stunning spanish cathedral-like architecture, there are a trove of treasures to be found here.  Reclaimed ceilings from ancient Italian cathedrals, original church choir seats from England, even ancient Greek vessels lining the walls of the library.  This really is the designer's paradise.  We get lost in it every time we go there...

beach inspiration

  For some reason, we always find the most solace, and inspiration, in the colors of sunsets over the ocean.  Nothing really beats the intense reds, oranges, pinks, and pastel blues reflected in the water.  Seashells and sand are the typical, and quite literal, beach inspiration, but the sunset (or sunrise!) can be more freeing, more open to interpretation.  The sunset only lasts a few minutes of every day and only a few of those days really make for great sunset conditions, so we feel so lucky to have seen so many beautiful ones lately.  Here is a small collection, the latest view is from our hometown!  Redondo Beach.

Central California coast.

Central California coast.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico

Sian-Ka'an biosphere reserve just south of Punta Allen, Mexico. 

Tulum sunrise (same difference, right?)

Another Mexican sunrise.

Off the coast of Croatia, ocean is too dark to see!

Taken from the rooftop of the W hotel in Hollywood, looking west.  City lights + pacific ocean + bright pink = glamorous! 

Can't get the Lakers out of my mind when looking at this Venetian sunset!  

Another shot of the same sunset over Venice, a few minutes later.  We had never seen that saturation of reds before this!

live art

the latest show by Dries van Noten was amazing.. not only because of the amazing collars on those crisp white shirts but because of the live art that was going on in the background.  Such great bold patterns and different illustrations and it seems to all have been done by those large foam wedge brush things we all love to hate!  (has anyone else out there ruined a good carpet with the huge drips off those foam wedge things?!)  anyways, the featured jacket has a similar print and we just LOVE it too.  enjoy!  click here to see the video of the show

dries van noten w 2012 2013 men

Murano glass factory tour

On our trip to Italy and Croatia last October, we were lucky enough to have the chance to tour one of the world's oldest glassblowing factories in Venice on the island of Murano.  Barovier & Toso has been in existence since the 1200's and continually family owned and operated (making it the 4th oldest family run company in the world)!  Besides their history, the quality of their products made this a really exciting tour.  We began with the family tree in the front of the office, to remind them of their legacy every single day.  

Moving on, our favorite chandelier was this intensely dark purple one in the main lobby.  This would be considered new, but the drawings that it is designed from have been in the company archives for over 200 years so it's almost an antique as well!

The main sales office draws inspiration from centuries past but works it in well with the modern.

Any blemished pieces are destroyed, so that there is never an imperfect product leaving the warehouse.

It takes 25 years of working and studying to become a "glass master".  This one works on a chandelier cup.  Did I mention they sell chandeliers to the Pope?  And they have done since the vatican was built!

Another glass master works on an arm for a modern chandelier

Everything is worked on by hand, blown by hand, and molded by hand.  No machines involved (other than a few scorching furnaces)

Some items awaiting construction

The arms we saw being blown

The colors being used the day we visited.  They only do four per day, and they change every day based on what projects need to be completed.  Scheduling is very precise.