Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Tiny Pieces of Art - Funky Mosaic Tile

I recently went to a design seminar sponsored by The American Society of Interior Design (A.S.I.D) that was featured in Bizarre USA's showroom in Soho. While the seminar was related to furniture design from Ancient Egypt to Post Modernism, the hit of the show was the incredible ambiance of the showroom. There are many immaculate hotels and spas around the world that stake their claim on the new cool way to apply glass mosaics. Check out some applications that are absolutely mind boggling used in both hospitality & residential settings.


 Adorable application for a bathroom. Finally, you can have the look of wallpaper with the cleanliness and durability of tile.

 Stunning mixed media of upholstery & mosaic tiles.


 Traditional large scale floral. Try and guess what the repeat is on this little wonder is!




 I don't know how you're suppose to sit on this chair, but it's gorgeous to look at. "Only a true man would feel masculine sitting in a flower chair". Try that line to get this beauty in your house ladies.  


 Eat your heart out.


 In honor of our last post on African design.


 Herringbone taken to the extreme.





 For the past few years, coral has been a huge design craze. I love how the coral design grows out of the water. What can't be seen however is that the coral mirrors into the pool through its reflection. Very clever!


 Another image to make you drool.


 A few of my clients have brought to my attention their desire of a tufted upholstered wall. Coming from a family with allergies, my immediate vision is sneezing/wheezing central. This concept of a tufted upholstered wall has the intricate style of upholstery without the hassle of cleaning.



 I love the whimsical style of the butterflies and tiled claw foot tub. Precious.




Bisazza makes stools that are fully covered in hand cut mosaic tile. I would love to use these in a outdoor setting to bring a pop of color to the space.

Photos by Sicis Tile & Bisazza USA

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

African Luxury Tents... Not a Contradiction!!

To all of our dedicated readers, I apologize for the long delay since the last post. As many of you know, I was busy preparing for our Southern Georgia wedding minus the shotgun!

Before our beautiful affair when people asked us, "Where are you going on our honeymoon?" We quickly responded with excitement, "Tanzania"! We always got the same response, a long pause and awkward look. But my husband and I have a hungry appetite for traveling to more "off the beaten paths". After all, within two years, we met in Israel, scuba dived in Australia, helicoptered to the top of a mountain in New Zealand, and then then got engaged on a cliff side in Italy. So we knew we had to really set our marriage off to an amazing start!

When we first told our families our plan to go on an African Safari and stay in tents, I could only imagine what they were picturing! Heck, even I couldn't fully imagine what these places were going to be like... running water, bugs, animals?? Needless to say, every place we stayed was a completely new experience and accommodated no more than 15 tents.

So after months of requests to see images from our AMAZING honeymoon in Tanzania, without further ado, our incredible accommodations!

All of the amazing boutique tented camps were designed with products that were indigenous to the area. The chandelier was created out of thorn bush and wrapped to form a highly textured drum shade.

One of the incredible views while eating meals. There are no restricting barriers to keep the wildlife out, so you get a real-life discovery channel during brunch.

I wouldn't stop talking for 2 days about the wrapped reeds to mimic a chain link room divider. So creative!


Tree House living! And yes, mosquito nets were both romantic, and NECESSARY!


Pristine natural bathroom with a outdoor shower. We were greeted by an elephant eating leaves from the tree next to us, followed by a monkey that stole the remaining dripping water from the rain shower head.


No really, this happened!



 One of my favorite design aspects were the concept of dried banana leaves woven into the ceilings. I'm waiting for a company like Phillip Jeffries to steal this design!


 Hippo Break!


 The architecture of the spaces were almost dream like. Because the camp was located on the edge of a imploded volcano, the temperatures were shockingly cold, so over sized fireplaces littered the rooms with a tranquil ambiance.


 Stunning mixture of antique furniture and modern sculptures handcrafted in Africa.


 One of the first views when walking into the dining area. I love how the layout of furniture was off balance, yet it created a great pop of interest, you can't look away!


 Luxurious eclectically designed parlor. The architecture of the ceiling was constructed in a cone shape, topped by a glass oculus.


 The Serengeti wasn't one of my favorite places, as it was significantly hotter than all other locations, however I must show everyone the picture of this beautiful vanity. The sinks were carved rock built right into the wood.


 Lovely poured terrazzo stone tub with waterfall inspired faucet.


 Our final days were spent on the remote island of Pemba off the coast of Zanzibar. We chose this location because of the seclusion to other people, and the resemblance to the movie "Blue Lagoon".




 All images were happily taken by my husband and I. The pictures don't give the actual locations justice! Next exotic trip... Bali, so stay tuned for more incredible accommodation images from around the world!