Archive for March, 2009
Bathroom Shower Ideas: Gather and Cull
Monday, March 30th, 2009
The contractor is coming by today to drop off catalogues for shower installation ideas. In the meantime, I’ve been scouring the internet and magazines for inspiration. Look at this curvy walk-in made by Cesana and designed by Piet Billekens.
Check out this view from above… a designers’s damp dream!
The incorporation of my own tile will be part of the final design and that means a semi-custom job. So off I go in search of pans and receptor basins. I found this lovely cast iron Salient Shower Receptor by Kohler. I love the material nod to the old fashioned claw foot tub and it’s so durable! They even added no-slip texture in a pleasing wavy pattern.
Painting my own ceramic tile as a design element is something I am looking forward to, but there are some groovy glass mosaic tile possibilities out there. I am absolutely enthralled by the Flower Power collection from The Art Mosaic Factory SICIS. Jaw dropping, isn’t it?
Narrowing down the choices is the hardest part of the process. I like to begin with all possibilities and then cull with considerations such as style, usability, installation, maintenance and of course cost. Good design doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg, but the time spent researching is invaluable. Ooh, I have to go, the doorbell just rang and my contractor is delivering more to consider.
Tags: ceramic, design, glass, mosaic, shower, tile
Posted in product design | 2 Comments »
Design Mosaics? Yes You Can!
Friday, March 27th, 2009
One of my favorite things to do is lead others through a creative process. Adults are especially delightful to teach because they enter my classroom in anticipation and completely voluntarily! They are curious and excited to learn. I’ve been teaching mosaics at Artascope Studio for four years and love it when students surprise themselves with how incredibly talented they are. You see, the nice thing about mosaics is its accessibility to every level of comfort, expense, style, color sense, etc. You don’t have to know how to draw or sculpt. It doesn’t hurt that you can incorporate just about any material and our studio is packed with shards, stone, glass, tile, shells, marbles, pottery and more, just waiting to become part of someone’s objet d’art.
Student work: Table tops and mirrors
Student work: Exterior plaques
Become a mosaic artist? Yes you can. Three ways to start, depending on your comfort level:
Right the First Time Method Scour local and internet listings for mosaic workshops. Get hands on experience and advice from someone who has already learned things the hard way… so you don’t have to.
Do Your Homework Method There are so many wonderful websites all willing to walk you through the various mosaic techniques and they often supply books, materials and tools as well. A few to try: Mosaic Tile Guide Mosaic Art Supply Inland Craft
Cowabunga Method Collect old plates (flatter-the-better) from a resale store and smash ‘em up. Go to your local hardware store and purchase ceramic tile adhesive, grout and disposable gloves. Glue your shards to that ugly coffee table your aunt gave you, let the adhesive dry, fill in with grout, clean, and Voila! It’s Art.
Tags: art, artascope, design, direct method, do it yourself, glass tile, mosaic, mosaics, tile, workshop
Posted in do it yourself | No Comments »
Download>Print>Trim>Fold>Smile
Tuesday, March 24th, 2009
Fun! Here’s your daily dose.
I love clever. I love do-it-yourself. I love free.
The folks at boxpunk and cubecraft allow you to choose characters, download, snip and fold your way to a cast of paper players. No glue or tape needed! Get inspired and make your own, if your brain bends that way. Mine doesn’t, so I appreciated the easy instructions. Enjoy.
Tags: download, folded paper, glueless, paper sculpture, paper toys, printable, tapeless
Posted in just for fun | No Comments »
Slow? Let’s call it Intentional.
Monday, March 23rd, 2009
ON SLOW CONSUMERISM The mother of invention has high standards for her offspring. Necessity is the basis of design and every well-designed item will also delight in quality, material, usability, beauty and occasionally humor. Let’s call the buying part intentional consumerism, the making part: intentional design.
ON SLOW FOOD I’ve been hearing much about slow food lately. Alice Waters’ idea that everyone deserves fresh, local food that tastes good is an idea, it seems, whose time has come. It was just announced that First Lady Michelle Obama is tilling the lawn of the White House and planting veggies. Beehive and all! Knowing where our food comes from and how its prepared is once again gaining favor. Let’s call it intentional sustenance.
ON SLOW ECONOMICS I recently listened to Robert Monks (shareholder activist and founder of the field of corporate governance) speak at the University of New England. He was passionate that shareholders take responsibility for the companies they invest in. He spoke of rebuilding the economy one ethical relationship at a time and that corporations be responsible to the client, not conflicting interests. Capitalism began on a handshake and real goods and services exchanged for the betterment of both parties. Let’s call it intentional business practices.
ON SLOW HOMES & CARS Alternative power, super efficient appliances, eco-friendly paints, etc. This topic has already become part of the vernacular and many of us are just waiting for the technologies to catch up to the demand. We care about the environment: inside and out. Let’s call it intentional shelter & transportation.
ON LIVING A SLOW LIFE The call for SLOW is all around. Whether by choice or by situation, many of us are finding that our lives have become unsatisfying and unsustainable. We make choices about how we work, play and consume. Changes in personal habit will change a culture. Let’s call it living an intentional life.
Be Intentional! The world is full of well-designed items that delight and serve. This forum is a place to share that delight and become more intentional about how we live. I’m pretty sure the rest (energy, food, economy) will creep in, along with some music, science and even a little spirituality. We humans are very complex and there’s a lot to consider, but I figure if we put our heads together and start sharing resources, we’ll all be just fine. Maybe even a little better off.
Tags: consumerism, design, intentional, michelle obama, slow food, sustainable, white house
Posted in on design, sustainable design | 1 Comment »
Slow? Let's call it Intentional.
Monday, March 23rd, 2009
ON SLOW CONSUMERISM The mother of invention has high standards for her offspring. Necessity is the basis of design and every well-designed item will also delight in quality, material, usability, beauty and occasionally humor. Let’s call the buying part intentional consumerism, the making part: intentional design.
ON SLOW FOOD I’ve been hearing much about slow food lately. Alice Waters’ idea that everyone deserves fresh, local food that tastes good is an idea, it seems, whose time has come. It was just announced that First Lady Michelle Obama is tilling the lawn of the White House and planting veggies. Beehive and all! Knowing where our food comes from and how its prepared is once again gaining favor. Let’s call it intentional sustenance.
ON SLOW ECONOMICS I recently listened to Robert Monks (shareholder activist and founder of the field of corporate governance) speak at the University of New England. He was passionate that shareholders take responsibility for the companies they invest in. He spoke of rebuilding the economy one ethical relationship at a time and that corporations be responsible to the client, not conflicting interests. Capitalism began on a handshake and real goods and services exchanged for the betterment of both parties. Let’s call it intentional business practices.
ON SLOW HOMES & CARS Alternative power, super efficient appliances, eco-friendly paints, etc. This topic has already become part of the vernacular and many of us are just waiting for the technologies to catch up to the demand. We care about the environment: inside and out. Let’s call it intentional shelter & transportation.
ON LIVING A SLOW LIFE The call for SLOW is all around. Whether by choice or by situation, many of us are finding that our lives have become unsatisfying and unsustainable. We make choices about how we work, play and consume. Changes in personal habit will change a culture. Let’s call it living an intentional life.
Be Intentional! The world is full of well-designed items that delight and serve. This forum is a place to share that delight and become more intentional about how we live. I’m pretty sure the rest (energy, food, economy) will creep in, along with some music, science and even a little spirituality. We humans are very complex and there’s a lot to consider, but I figure if we put our heads together and start sharing resources, we’ll all be just fine. Maybe even a little better off.
Tags: consumerism, design, intentional, michelle obama, slow food, sustainable, white house
Posted in on design, sustainable design | 1 Comment »
About the Designer
Tile design is a functional aesthetic. It's that place between art and
order where I am most happy to be. I'm a graphic designer by training,
a painter in practice. Painting appeals to the artist in me, while I
rely on the grid and functionality of tile to bring order and utility
to environments. Welcome to my site and that place where art meets
utility.
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