song music bar

la-la-la-la-la: designer and owner, zhong song, coincidentally named song music bar after himself, and although a hallmark in bar interiors, he pleads "i wouldn't call it interior design. it's more like installation art or, to be more precise, indoor landscape art". song is a graduate of fine arts in beijing, though practices mainly as an architect. the curves, fluidity, exclusivity, and appeal come by way of a relatively limited material choice: red oak and white leather, throughout. like supperclub, song bar mutates from lunchroom to restaurant to nightclub. song shares the company with nee bing, a predominate chinese music producer, which in every reason explains why this is a song to remember. 

b3d

THE 21st CENTURY: for years, bed supper club has had me drooling about forward-thinking interiors. the space-age lounge is located in sukhumvit, a fashionable district of thailand. upon entering the large, all-white oval pod, divan-beds suspended from the ceiling, illuminated with soft blue neon light seemingly transports visitors into a retro-futuristic environment. the experience is a combination of upscale restaurant, club, art gallery, theatre and stage together. to tickle tastebuds, chefs change the meals once a week from authentic thai, to classic western. bed satisfies all musical appetites spinning house, funky, asian fusion, bhangra, and hip-hop with different theme nights monday-sunday. grab a supperclub cocktail and chill to the likes of dimitri from paris, miguel migs, oliver lang, or stephane pompougnac. the question this club asks is, "who will you go to bed with?"

ho3sch wat3r loung3

BATHE EVERYTHING AWAY: especially throughout the chilly holiday season. the bath... a symbolic cleansing of body and soul, a means to starting a new day; washing away the stresses and strains of yesterday. the hoesch water lounge is a fascinating experiment to discover a completely new kind of wellness. traditional bathing bounds are destroyed as you lie in a transparent glass cube, that from all angles is equipped with a gentle air massage support for the utmost regeneration process. the water inflow is integrated in a 1400 mm high swiveling halogen lamp, while to the side, a swiveling round metallic table hints a book or glass of champagne. treat yourself to the delicacy of warm water, a sprinkle of epsom salts and a refreshed state of mind. 

fram3bar

MATERIAL: STARON, METHOD: DRAPED: 29-year-old architect, dimitrios tsigos, quoted upon completion of framebar, that- "this is a truly contemporary triumph: space that is anything to everyone". in this, he meant, one may walk into framebar at the wrong time of day but not feel disappointed because it is empty. he adds to this by saying, "in fact, framebar doesn't look like anything particularly at all, so you get to decide what it is". therefore, one person unfolds a laptop and begins to work, while another has a coffee. yet, in the evening from the southern balconies, a sunset view of the acropolis is offered, accompanied by one of five resident dj's. in the interior, tsigos draped amorphous pieces of brown spanish emperador marble with ribbons of white-heat-formed staron (the white atop of the marble- seen in the photos). stunningly, the staron forms the stairs, sinks, bar tops, cafe tables, chairs, benches, stands, partitions, floors, and dj booths. the synthetic precision of staron's flawless surfaces allows colored light  to transform the space from a restaurant into a nightclub with the simple addition of, for instance, a violet light. this is a glamorous juxtaposition with the geological serendipity of spanish marble. framebar, a roomful of forms is a warm addition to tsigos design & construction. 

ATTENTION VISITORS: 

it is currently exam time and posts will be withheld about a week. please check back then for "last minute christmas gifts". sorry for the inconvenience. 

keep cool, 

sidethr33

art attack!

DIE FOR LOVE: greek artist living in london, christina koutsospyrou, is a renowned illustrator depicting contemporary culture. gaining much acclaim from her eye-catching pencil on paper like works, koustsospyrou has become vanguard in the london art movement. the artist has earned herself international recognition from companies like time out, elle, and fashion collection in russia, while working with fashion house rafael lopez. over the past several years christina has exhibited primarily in england with plans on exploring film, 3d work, and fashion. trust her words as a source of inspiration: 

"my work is very much decorative and giving it a message would be almost futile... some may consider my work to be pointless, but it is precisely that lack of a message and a specific reason for its existence that makes it my own. i just enjoy creating sensuous imagery-and people have responded positively to it from the start, which has given me more reason to continue in this style"- christina koutsospyrou

yogurt tim3

SWEET TOOTH: regardless of our dietary choices, now and again, we all crave a sweet. daily chocolate intake may be for the extremist, however, indulging into frozen yogurt might leave your guilty conscious less irritated. in the past year, frozen yogurt has experienced a stylish renovation. below, the paris based myberry, and singaporean frolick mix juice/smoothie/yogurt into lounge-like environments. the interiors mix bright colors and pop cultural references, while the eccentric flavors: peach and guinness, have customers filling cup sizes A-C daily. don't fret it, eat it. 

whit3 t33

CLASSICALISM: today street photographers snap the hip and chic; street fashion has become an epidemic. constructing an outfit has never been so fun, or, time consuming. intricate clothing garments produce wow-factors, turning heads of the public eye unaware of the fashion culture. often, you will see simplicity. though, this simplicity has become applied candidly to creativity. the blue jean, the white tee, or... black... which never fades. this week, i'll examine and show the versatility of the white-t; where individualism meets classic. though universally it has become a symbol for casual attire, the white-t's progression into a wardrobe staple is imminent. simplistic and pure, the body is converted into a canvas leaving the wearer an inventive-entity. dress it up, down, but always with class, the one time undershirt is a big deal.

thanks to sidethr33 friend, 

nancy nashid for photo finds and idea.  

d3sign tid3

PAST IS PRESENT: designtide tokyo2008 finished earlier this month but the affects are still causing uproar. in its 4th year, this convention has attracted architects, interior, product, fashion, graphic, and textile designers alike. the unique trends we see arising from tokyo, and artists pharrell williams often recruits, are the brainchildren exhibiting here. designtide is an opportunity to reconsider design; as a concept and way of thinking. anyone can share and participate in the 5 day gala. it links creative talents, manufacturers, journalists, and buyers worldwide, spreading the word about design activities manifest in their everyday lives. still in its infancy, but sure to blossom, peel your eyes for an even larger 09 showing. 

matth3w williamson

THE BUZZ: h&m has announced the next campaign designer as matthew williamson. the swanky english style guru will tie his indian influenced garments into a women's line scheduled to launch april 23, 09. though these first releases will only be available to select locations, williamson is also in charge of a summer womens/menswear line available worldwide in may. the anticipation has been fulfilled in the past celebrity collections and i am certain the frenzy will continue. www.matthewwilliamson.com

3rik björk

SPOTLIGHT: erik björk studied metal and woodworking at nyckelviksskolan and furniture design at the university of linköping. upon completing his scholastic endeavors, he introduced an independent design company, simply titled erik björk, in stockholm, sweden. specializing in lighting, he has initiated products for IKEA, MIND, svensk slöjd, and the royal art academy. björk has also worked closely with wood, which explains his sustainable philosophy. in his words, "products should not be to experimental, not to conventional, they should be easy to mass-produce yet hard to copy, the materials should be low-cost yet have an exclusive look". almost hypocritically however, his do it yourself bike does everything but this. it is easily reproducible. for that matter, it is encouraged and designs can be sent to your email by björk himself. with the help of a few salvaged bike parts and a hardware store, anyone can build it. the product is to ingeniously brilliant to pass, and so, the diy bike 1.0 is this weeks spotlight.

soho hous3: n3w york

UP AND COMING: the meatpacking district (MePa) in ny, or as it is known now, gansevoort market, has easily become one of the most fashionable neighborhoods in the world. prior to the late 90s, before the district underwent a dramatic transformation, prostitutes, transsexuals, and drug dealers operated the over 250 slaughterhouses lining its streets. shockingly, under only 10 years, this number has substantially descended to 35. today, alexander mcqueen, stella mccartney, diane von furstenberg, and christian louboutin house boutiques here, while establishment restaurants like buddha bar, tenjune, and apt have recently opened to serve young professionals. soho house: new york is a jaw-dropping example of one transformation that has taken place in MePa. the 24 bedroom, 6 floor hotel, offers guests a combination of luxury and style. fully equipped with private eucalyptus steam rooms, a cowshed spa (www.cowshedonline.com), screening room, private library/seafood bar, and games room, the hotel may be less for sleep and more for exploration. in hot months visitors can sprawl on the all day rooftop terrace equipped with a heated pool offering fantastic views over the west village and hudson river. book fast, this place hustles. 

www.sohohouseny.com

rashid's s3miramis

MODERN GRECIA: "hotels today make you feel like you're living in the previous century. that's the last thing i want to do" says hotel semiramis designer, karim rashid. if you are unaware of rashid, he is a leading industrial engineer of our time. after introducing his first successful project, "the garbo", a plastic bin which has sold over three million pieces, rashid has went onto add modern simplicity to practically all items: mouse pads, soap dishes, kettles, vases, lamps, and coffee cups. the semiramis hotel, based in kifissia, athens, is a reflection of this. the 52-room hotel is nestled in a trendy suburb encircled by cafes, boutiques, and high-end restaurants. guests will immerse themselves into a product of 21st century chic while observing the hotels modern art collection. rashid's refusal to accept day-to-day environments is apparent... there is always room for design.

Patricia Urquiola

TAKE A SEAT, RELAX: it's easier said then done. however, with the help of spanish designer patricia urquiola's 'frilly' chair line, launched last week in milan, lounging seems favorable. the furniture is constructed from polycarbonate and embraces the fabric affect of material furniture: pleats, grooves, folds, and lines. the high back chairs come in a variety of colors offering versatility as they have been designed to use indoors and outdoors. for more information link33 www.patriciaurquiola.com

ART BUZZ: contemporary and minimalist design - although require a certain appetite - has become integral to nearly all new interior and architectural concepts. be it linearity, bold daring colors, or chrome, glass, and mahogany. minimalism accentuates form, disregarding all decoration that drapes most spaces. forms are stripped to the essentials. on the other hand, minimalism in the visual arts is relatively recent. it dates primarily to american visuals of the late 60s' with artists like donald judd and frank stella. minimalism's exact origins are skeptical but highly regarded as a reaction to abstract expressionism. more linear and precisely organized, new york artist sara eichner drifts away from the blurred images and drip paintings of abstractors. her work hints architecture, done symmetrically on patterned grids. in this sense, the reoccurring patterns cry escher. eichner states her inspiration came in geometry from homes in her neighborhood of williamsburg. the works zen-like shades; pinks, blues, and greens play nicely off the retina, as polygons and boxes are first applied to wood and paper then diligently painted overtop. sara eichner is a graduate from syracuse university and this is her sixth independent show. view her closely at33 www.saraeichner.com