If It's Hip, It's Here (Archives)

Pouring Money Down The Drain Can Be A Good Thing. Luxury Vanity Wastes For The Bathroom.

Murano House has turned that simple stainless feature, the drain, into a piece of art.

Murano House has launched its debut product: Venetian bejewelled marble and stone vanity wastes (aka sink and shower drains)

Titled as: 'Murano Scolpisce il Tappo,' this designer vanity waste range is jewellery in the bathroom for those who wish to indulge in understated and contemporary elegance.

The jewelled vanity wastes reflect the company’s branded strategy: luxury appeal, high-end quality and its unflinching integrity in its approach to design. The elegant glass and stone drains for sinks, showers, bathtubs (both overflow and fillers) really add a posh splash to the bathroom.

Polished stone, glass, terrazzo, marble and 24k gold finishes:

Watch faces that function as drains:

Bath overflows and bath fillers :

A bit about Murano House reprinted from their site:

Be seduced by Murano House defining the essence of bathroom beauty with handmade Venetian bathroom wastes for the sink, bath and shower.

Murano House’s myriad of colours and innovative creative sense incorporates precious stones including: Emeralds, Rubies, Topaz, Amber and Amethyst. The jewels are set in glass onto refined mountings in gilded silver gold and platinum.

The nimble hands of the glass master whose craft has been passed down through father and son generations fuses the glass together and moulds the glass giving the sculpture its form and shape.

This exclusive designer range of vanity wastes will stand alone as an independent objet d'art in any bathroom scheme. Additionally, when immersed in water, the vanity wastes sparkle brightly as lustrous and luminous jewels.

These exclusive Venetian jewelled vanity wastes will adorn any high-end specification including hotels, bars and restaurants as well as those discerning and indulgent clients from the domestic interior market.

Bespoke commissions are available, particularly; if there is a colour scheme you are working to. Bespoke pieces are priced on application. Also note that each vanity waste is individually crafted and therefore, colour variations can be expected.

Now your sink can have a beautiful drain as well as fixtures.
The also make drains for showers. Amazingly beautiful collection. And, well... another thing to spend your money on.

learn more about Murano House bejewelled venetian fixtures by clicking here.

CHANEL's New Pavilion in Venice by Zaha Hadid

above: Karl Lagerfeld of Chanel and architect Zaha Hadid. Her firm conceived of and designed his new Chanel Pavilion in Venice.

You can read an interview with Wallpaper Magazine and Karl Lagerfeld on his reasons for choosing Zaha Hadid here.

Exhibition Pavilion for Chanel: Zaha Hadid Architects_June 2007
Below are computer renderings of the building now under construction and expected to open in January 2008.

The following description was reprinted from the Zaha Hadid Architecture site.

The form of the Chanel Pavilion is a celebration of the iconic work of Chanel, unmistakable for its smooth layering of exquisite details that together create an elegant, cohesive whole. The resulting structure is very much tied to that original inspiration—elegant, functional, and versatile both in its overall structure and detail.

The architectural structure of the Pavilion is a series of continuous arch-shaped elements, with a courtyard in its central space. The glazed ceiling adjusts to allow for control of the interior temperature in response to the particular climate conditions of each venue city.

Natural light descending from seven elements on the ceiling, meets artificial light pushed up from gap between the walls and raised floor to emphasize the “arched” structure, and assists in the creation of a new artificial landscape for art installations. Six of these elements are roof lights for artworks; another large opening dramatically floods the entrance in daylight to blur the relationship between interior and exterior. In addition to the lighting and colour effects, the spatial rhythm created by the seams of each segment gives strong perspective views throughout the interior.

The size of the Pavilion will be 29m x 45m, a total of 700sqm. The overall height is 6m, with the floor raised 1.00m above the existing ground surface. In light of the extensive shipping between cities, each structural segment will be a maximum of 2,25m wide.

The 65sqm central courtyard has large transparent openings to the sky above and is designed to host events as well as provide an area for reflection after visiting the exhibition. The courtyard serves as an intermediate space between the exhibition and a public area of the Pavilion. A 25sqm cloakroom is also provided.

With a direct visual connection to the courtyard, the 128sqm terrace continues this dialogue between the Pavilion’s exterior and interior. During an event, the two spaces could be linked to become one large event zone.

Reflective materials allow the exterior skin to be illuminated with varying colours which can be tailored to the differing programmes of special events in each city.

The dichotomy between the powerful sculptural mass of the Chanel Pavilion’s structure and the lightness of its envelope create a bold and enigmatic element. The Pavilion’s exterior develops into a rich variety of interior spaces that maximize the potential to reuse and rethink space due to the innate flexibility of its plan.

The total fluidity of the Chanel Pavilion’s curvilinear geometries is an obvious continuation of Hadid’s 30-years of exploration and research into systems of continuous transformations and smooth transitions. With this repertoire of morphology, Zaha Hadid is able to translate the ephemeral typology of a pavilion into the sensual forms required for this celebration of Chanel’s cultural importance.

Click here to see a video rendering of the Pavilion from the NY Times.

Now be sure to see the mobile art exhibit and Zaha Hadid's finished structure here.

Product Pick of The Week: The Corner Lamp

I'm actually really surprised I haven't seen this before, it's so smart and yet so obvious.

And I really like that it's still elegant and simple and clean as opposed to becoming a 'silly' lamp.

by Design House Stockholm Corner Lamp
pergament plastic lamp shade & steel pole

height = 66"

$225.00

$15 shipping charge added at fulfillment
Available for purchase by clicking here.

Headhoods; Hot Hilarious Hoodies

If you're a blog reader, chances are you've seen these written about and showcased on many a design blog or community shopping site. But, because it's my job to bring you what's hip, I'd be remiss if I didn't do a post about this rapidly growing trend, Head Hoods.

Now printing or silkscreening on American Apparel Tees and Hoodies is nothing new nor ingenius, but this simple idea has taken off like wildfire.

Taking famous faces like Elvis and Audrey or icons like Skulls and Kings, headhoods has printed these on the "hood' of the hoodies to give the illusion from profile that the head is that of someone else. At $60.00 a piece (custom ones cost more and take longer to produce) they arrive via priority mail in 2-3 days.