What is luxury? According to the creators of Rough Luxe, it’s not what you might think, especially when it comes to a hotel. To them, luxury is a moment in time rather than just part of an object of consumption. Luxury is an enriching personal experience and not only an ownership of an expensive object. It’s time for reflection, personal encounters with people, nature, architecture and environment as well as food and social and cultural experiences linked to geographic locations. It’s the intellectual solicitation, listening to one’s own feelings as well as comparing objects and time and thinking of their hierarchy. Suffice it to say that the Rough Luxe Hotel experience is about your surroundings, the intrinsic value of objects, art, culture and the people around you, as well as the ‘consumable’’ items that you encounter in the hotel itself. With hotels in London and Cape Town, the Rough Luxe Group aims to create an experience that will no doubt appeal to growing flashpacker market – one that is one part rough and one part luxury. While your room might be small and you might even share a bathroom, the wine will be exquisite, the bed linen luxurious, and the service unparalleled. For the Rough Luxe philosophy is simple: “You are staying with us in our home, so just ask.”
Archive for the 'Design' Category
the rough side of luxury
look up
The key to happiness is looking up. Alex Ostrowski, a recent graphic design graduate from the University of Bristol, discovered this piece of advice when talking to a friend who had suffered from depression. His friend was advised to look up into the sky and count chimneys when he was feeling down, as the extra light absorbed by the eyes triggers the release of endorphins, which promotes a sense of wellbeing. So when Alex was offered the chance to print a small run of business cards for free, he decided to spread a little happiness instead. The result is Look Up, which are 250 printed cards that he distributed through the city of Bristol. On one side, he printed the scientific explanation of why we should look up in order to enhance our mood. On the other, he printed a simple photograph of four chimneys set against a backdrop of a beautiful blue sky. What a wonderfully simple example of how to create positive change through design.
“the storm is the time to fish”.
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This Eskimo proverb provides a timely insight into the potential of innovation as a source of economical, social, technical and environmental change. One of the world’s most innovative companies, Ideo, invites discussion on its ‘Big conversations & small talk’ facebook group titled ‘Turning recession on its head: is there an upside to the downturn’? For readers of Street Editors with an inkling for entrepreneurship, a bone for invention and a deep craving to make a difference, this forum will provide some appetizing brain food. And it seems timing is everything. Just yesterday it was brought to my attention that this week celebrates the inaugural Global Entrepreneurship Week, an initiative launched by British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. The international program of events encourages youth to think big, turn their ideas into reality, and make their mark. For those in Sydney on Wednesday night, Vibewire is co-presenting an evening with the School for Social Entrepreneurs in Ultimo.
CS4 keeping it real
That is the Adobe Photoshop interface re-created by hand with, yes, a real paintbucket for the ‘paintbucket’ tool! You can see how agency Bates141 Jakarta created this clever poster at flckr. It’s really fun and cute, but pehaps also a critical and subversive comment on how digital technology has greatly changed areas of design process and primary art skills. If you like this, there is also a Gmail interface made by hand.
Hungarian architect, designer and university professor Erno Rubik invented the Rubik’s Cube in 1974. He designed the Cube as a way of explaining geometry and it soon became the fastest-selling toy in history. The height of Rubik’s Cube popularity was in the 1980s but today, there are still ‘speed-cubing’ world championships held (overseen by the World Cube Association), and even a giant Rubik’s Cube in Knoxville, Tennessee. Erno Rubik is now retired but there are still hundreds of different versions of the Cube being made. In 1995, Diamond Cutters International designed and produced a fully functional 185 carat gold Cube to celebrate the Rubik’s Cube’s 15th anniversary. One of the most recent versions of the Cube is the Rubitone – a meshing together of the Cube with the Pantone colour scale. Designed by Ignacio Pilotto, the Rubitone comes with complete with correct Panetone numbering for all those design devotees. Design inpiration or endless frustration? You choose.
Thai monks from the Sisaket province have used over one-million recycled Heineken and Chang Beer bottles to construct their Buddhist temple. Mindfulness is at the centre of the Buddhist discipline and the dedication and thoughtfulness required to build everything from the toilets to their crematorium from recycled bottles, shows what limber thinking and persistence can accomplish. By using the recycled bottles, the monks were able to appease the effects of local pollution. The glass wonderfully reflects the sun and the different colours of the bottles have been used to create intrinsic patterns on the exterior and interior of the buildings. This Buddhist temple puts all other recycled-bottle buildings to shame. I know, that’s a bit harsh, but this one is really extraordinarily good.
louise body wallprint
When it comes to interior design, wallpaper has made a stylish return to the design palette. With a nod to retro inspirations, the use of wallpaper is becoming more commonplace in homes and offices, from feature walls to whole rooms. With the ensuing evolution of chic designer wallpaper, the choice is no longer just between traditional paisley or flocked prints. Louise Body, an English designer specialising in wallpaper, has created a high-end line of eco-friendly wallpapers. All paper is sourced from managed forests and only water-based inks are used in the printing process. In addition, all paper waste from the cutting process is recycled at a local mill. For a 1920s feel, choose the ‘Erotica’ print, which depicts a glamorous menagerie of dames dressed to the nines, including one swinging from the ceiling. For a more whimsical feel, choose the ‘Lacey Birdies’ print, where small birds flutter in an out of leafy branches, against a gentle background of lace-patterned print.
art on the wharf
One of the most wonderful things about travelling places like Europe prior to Christmas is the Christmas markets that line village squares and perch beside ice rinks, offering unique, handmade trinkets, hot food and friendly pre-Christmas buzz. Drawing on the wonderful tradition that is the Christmas market, Portside Wharf is hosting an artistic twist on the original concept. Art On The Wharf is being held on Dec 6-7, and promises a weekend of fine art, free creative workshops and stalls, as well as a site-specific light installation created by digital design collective, Rinzen. Local artists who will be showing and selling their work over the weekend include: Benjamin Werner, Wayne Radford, Jan Van Dijk, Pia Robinson, Jonathon Oxlade and Neils van Amsterdam.
mama shelter
Architect, interior and industrial designer Philippe Starck’s latest hotel project was recently unveiled in France. Created in collaboration with the Trigano family (founders of Club Med) and enveloped by the heart of cultural Paris, Mama Shelter is an eclectic and atmospheric hotel that balances a fine line between bohemian and bourgeois. The unique spatial and lighting designs have created a dimly lit Parisian escape, where modestly sized rooms boast five-star bedding and internet-ready iMacs. The diverse interior switches from sleek designer surfaces and minimalist, monochromatic palettes to busy, word-filled walls, ceilings and floors, and elaborate lighting features. Tucked between artists’ studios in the Saint Blaise quartier, Mama Shelter beckons artisans and creative types who want to experience the hidden inner sanctum of Paris’ music, art and creative scene.
May Those Who Help The Most Win
Google’s latest contest Project 10^100, is a call for ideas to change the world, in the hope of helping as many people as possible. This $10 million contest is part of their 10th anniversary. The entries closed last month, and Google will now select the 100 best ideas before having the public vote for the top 20 semifinalists in January 2009. If you don’t want to wait that long, there are already some ideas floating around on youtube, and an example entry is ColaLife.
With so many devastating facts and figures about the earth’s environment, it’s easy to harvest an ‘it’s too late’ outlook on the world’s current environmental state. But, when you stumble across the many outstanding individuals and organisations that devote their life’s efforts to saving the environment, it’s obviously not ‘too late’ – why would they expend so much of their energy to saving something that they thought was doomed? One of these organisations is Climate Camp – the place for anyone who wants to take action on climate change; for anyone who’s fed up with the empty government rhetoric and corporate spin; for anyone who’s worried that the small steps they are taking aren’t enough to match the scale of the problem; and for anyone who’s worried about our future and wants to do something about it. Continue reading ‘climate camp’
Knock Knock describe themselves as “a semi-spanking-new design company with aspirations to greatness”. The range of books and stationary are playful, ironic and witty, and I especially like their funny note pads and post-it notes. They have such things as the “To Don’t” list pad, a “Paper Email” pad for those email-addicted people, “Paper GPS” pad to write down directions, “Don’t Kill The Kids” pad to write instructions for babysitters and the “My Top Secret Password” pad for all the website user name and passwords you need these days.
cameron sinclair
Cameron Sinclair and Kate Stor are the folks behind Architecture for Humanity, a charitable organisation which seeks architecture and design solutions to humanitarian crises and provides design services to communities in need. They used the 2006 TED Prize to start “Open Architecture Network” the worlds’ first open source community dedicated to improving living conditions through innovative and sustainable design. This week, I saw Cameron speak at EcoGram and true enough he was inspiring and funny. Their projects prove that positive change can and does happen, and the best part is that it can be grounded in super simple, pragmatic and universal principles like involving the community, sharing ideas and using resources in smart ways. The high of getting a business card from a TED speaker is my geeky equivalent to getting an autograph from your favourite rockstar. Cameron Sinclair’s business card doesn’t say “architect” it says “eternal optimist”. I think that is an awesome job title to have.
a balinese blessing
I had high hopes for the week in Bali. I’d heard therapeutic-sounding tales of the island’s virtues; a place perfect for relaxation, massages and downtime. This was my main aim for the week; an island getaway.
Only two hours by plane from Darwin, the temperature was similar to the Top End; a little humid and barely dropping below 27 degrees. After being picked up from the airport by my driver, Yeoman, we whizzed through narrow streets lined with a blur of wooden furniture shops, stone statues of ancient gods, and colourful flags. We were on our way to my haven-from-the-world for the week, a ‘cultural village’ called Desa Seni.
The village is about 30 minutes from the airport in Denpasar, so Yeoman and I had time to chat on the way. He told me that after the bomb attacks at Jimbaran and Kuta in 2005, many tourists stopped coming to Bali. Now, slowly they have started to come back. Through the city streets we sped, while Yeoman pointed out some key points of interest on the way, Continue reading ‘a balinese blessing’
Do you know someone who needs one of these notepads? Maybe they do too much and need to concentrate on doing one thing or they might have trouble remembering one thing to do. Available online at pretty bitter, two packs of these notepads will provide you with over a year’s worth of ‘to-do’ actions and will keep you focussed on the task at hand.
Remember how much fun it was to ride around in the driver’s seat of your parents’ supermarket trolley, wind in your hair, as the colourful world of consumer products flew by? While some of us still shamelessly scoot down the shopping aisle on the back the trolley, dodging all those who dare to linger in our paths, for most the trolley experience has been relagated to a childhood memory. Korean designer Jaebeom Jeong has recaptured that magical pasttime in a (slightly) more adult sense with his creation of Cartrider. While the added bicycle aspect of the design is intended for children so that they can roam freely to do their own shopping, it’s also big enough for a medium-sized adult, turning a simple weekly chore into a gleeful adventure.
a revolution in public transport
I love innovation and ideas that become action. There are many wonderful people on this planet doing extraordinary things for the benefit of the future of the planet. Ultra is an innovative form of Personal Rapid Transit (PRT). The idea emerged from a fundamental reappraisal of the transport needs of a city. Conventional forms of public transit require passengers to collect in groups until a large vehicle is scheduled to travel on predetermined routes. In contrast, Ultra offers personal transport with no waiting, and takes passengers non-stop to their chosen destination. This is a transport system which is as convenient as, or in congested environments more convenient than, the car, but with minimal environmental impact. Continue reading ‘a revolution in public transport’
Greenhouse by Joost
via That’s Melbourne: Melbourne will witness an Australian first in Greenhouse by Joost - a self-sustaining temporary event venue at Federation Square that will engage and inspire from October, 30 2008 to January 2009, constructed entirely from recycled or recyclable materials. Open to the public by day as a gallery, cafe and place to ponder your impact on the planet. Feast on the freshest fare in town, using ingredients from the rooftop garden worked into delectable dishes by the lads from Seamstress. At night, Greenhouse will entertain the new “in-crowd” -being the savvy set who’ve simply grabbed a ticket from one of the outlets around town. Greenhouse by Joost is also available for exclusive functions, with food by Shannon Bennett. Greenhouse by Joost is a joint venture between flower artist & waste wizard Joost Bakker, and events guru Corina Baldwin, Director of bttb (bigger than ten bears).
soundwalk.
Precious spherical bulks, indeterminable amongst the grey sky, fall and swirl through the air before abruptly collapsing onto roofs which slap on clay tiles and ping on tin sheets in tiny amoeba shapes. Slowly the sound repeats and repeats until quietly, softly, a backdrop of polite applause has formed. A woman appears and so, the complimentary sound of her boots are heard, equal in pitch, walking, then pausing to consider the phenomenon, before continuing their journey. Such atmosphere conjures the warmest of memories. For three of China’s most respected and famous female actors, and one of the world’s most lusted after accessory brands, it represents the marketing of love. In an online experience that is truly a work of art, three memories of love are recreated in an audio and visual language as beautiful as has ever been produced in the online advertising form. Listen to their stories as you become entangled in the telling. My pick: Joan Chen in Shanghai, if nothing but for the musical score.
Turn it into a hostel! Welcome to one of the world’s coolest hostels in Arlanda, Stockholm! The 1976 Boeing 747-200 has been converted into the Jumbo Hostel. The 85 room hostel is the sheer ingeniousness of Oscar Dios – previous owner of hostel Uppsala Vandrarhem och Hotell. Here you can spend the night onboard a real jumbo jet – in the ground! Choose between sparkling three-bed rooms with shared shower and toilet in the corridor or the luxury suite in the converted cockpit with its panoramic view of the airport. In December 2007, Oscar Dios was granted the building permit for establishing the Jumbo Hostel at the entrance to Arlanda airport and this summer it will open to the public. Welcome aboard!
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