In with the New

There's a new project in store for me, and this one is dear to my heart because it is the place I call home when I go to Miami. The apartment belongs to friends who are so dear to me that they have become family.

Over the next few months we will be remodeling this great apartment by installing new floors, painting, adding new furniture, window treatments, a new bathroom and a new kitchen.

As you can see the apartment looks very washed out with all white surfaces and black and steel furniture with the orange chair as an attempt at color. It is the quintessential bachelor pad... ha!

As I move forward with this project I will be showing you what we do and how we do it, I will share product information, tips and other helpful information for you to get your own renovations going.

It will be a great journey as we give this apartment a new life step by step, and turn it from a house into a beautiful home!

Have a great day!

Good Behavior

Life as a designer is complicated as we have to deal with many divas and their temper tantrums. Last week I introduced you to my latest design project, a complex of restaurants at a beach resort in Costa Rica.

 

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Despite the fact that I really enjoyed the design process, it also got me thinking a lot about work ethics and the commitments we assume when we provide other people with a service. On my side, my team was great as I always counted with the support of those assigned to help me installing and completing the project. In return, I made sure they got a nice holiday gift from me.

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Unfortunately, not everyone took their job that seriously and repeatedly fell short of delivering what they had agreed on to doing. The worse part was being lied to my face putting at risk my prfessional credibility and prestige.

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I believe in living up to other people's expectations or excel them. When  you have one chance of making or breaking it you cannot shoot yourself in the foot and eliminate the opportunities given to you. All too often I have come across these kinds of inconsiderate people that do not take their and my job seriously, causing all of those associated with the project much harm.

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Dealing with unethical narcissists drives our stress level to the roof and lowers our productivity as we have to constantly be micro-managing them. My advice is to avoid them at all cost and apply the "Hurt me once shame on you" quote and let them hurt you twice. 

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If for some reason you have to deal with the again, remember that the paper trail is your best weapon against them, penalize them for not performing as they firmly agreed with you, and  make sure your superiors/clients/partners are informed at all times of every situation. Protect yourself from other people's bad behavior!

Have a great weekend!!!

Design Baby

Whenever you hear designers say that projects are like children, well... they are! As you well know I completely dropped off the face of the earth at the end of last year because I was so busy with my design project. The project was finally completed and here are some images for you to see.

The project is a restaurant at the Westin and a beach club for the owners of the residential units of the resort. It included a casual restaurant, a pool terrace, a formal restaurant and a bar lounge.

All the furniture was made locally in teak wood and all the fabric used was outdoor, this way it would be durable and easy to clean.

Because I was dealing with a large open space and needed to create the different spaces somehow. I created the spaces using colored cushions and accent furniture to differentiate each area.

So, here is my latest baby and what it looks like... Hope you like it!

Have a lovely day!

Projects

Someone once told me that when you're a designer, your designs are like your children, and even though I don't have kids I have care deeply about my projects. Over the past three months I've been working on an expansion of one of the hotel's restaurants, which will see its first even this coming Staurday.

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The image above was before we started construction about 6 weeks ago. This rooms was built about six years ago and was a room surrounded by windows and wood shutter. Today, the room has no windows around it but the shutters remain and were refinished.

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I took this image yesterday while checking the job site. As you can see the lamps have changed, there's more light in the room, the wood strips in the wall are gone and there is a new stone accent wall where the show kitchen window used to be.

Check out the progress of the project via Instagram @efournierm... You might find something you like!

Have a lovely day!

Not Just a Lamp

The project I'm consulting for at the Westin Resort has been fun but not without challenges. As part of my design series, I'd like to talk today about the importance of weather in design and the huge impact it has on projects.

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You see, tropical weather I believe is one of the most difficult types you can work with, especially if you're by the sea. Humidity, salt water, rays of the sun, lush vegetation and wildlife determine the types of materials and style you have to go for.

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As an example, I have to talk about these lamps I've looked for days {many days!} as they have to meet many aesthetic and functional requirements. The things to consider have been: height to bring light to the space at night, volume but not mass as they cannot obstruct the view of the ocean, resort looking to go with the existing decor and resist the changes from dry weather during summer into damp during the winter.

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I haven't found THE lamps yet but have a few choices that fill the requirements, but it goes without saying that it has been a great reminder that you have to experience an environment in different times of the year... especially if your project is open to the outdoors. Our weather has a great influence on what we design if its' cloudy or sunny, rainy or dry, desert or forest, beach or city location it certainly makes a big difference.

Have an enlightening day!

Suspended Shapes

I have been a bad designer the past few weeks as my little studio on the beach looks nothing like I have been wanting it to look like. Since I arrived here, I've been collecting twigs and other things to make a nice long wall mobile... but work and life have gotten in the way.

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I have this loooong wall and the building doesn't let me put nails on the walls, so what I want to do is put double sided tape hooks and create a really long mobile on the wall.

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The challenge has been to narrow down the things I want to hang on the wall and the more I think about it the longer its taking me... Unfortunately, the organic nature of the project is out the window already!

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So, to make a long story short... I'll take a few days or mental break from the project, cool down and resume next week. I will take the tried and true design advice of stop thinking about it so I can retake it with a fresh perspective. What do you think? I guess this is a nice little conundrum to have... ha!

Have an easy day!

Aesthetics Exploration

In order to learn how to identify the aesthetics of designed objects and environments, you have to embark on an exploration journey of everything that surrounds you. This journey is all about discovery, leaning and thinking.

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Now that you know about the 3 criteria of design {check out previous posts of Design Punctuation} you can start discovering more about the world around you. You can evaluate if that environment and its element have a well defined function and if that purpose is fulfilled.

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After that you can analyze the quality of the materials everything is made out of, if they are long lasting, or if they come from a good source {sustainability might be an interesting concept here}. These two criteria are more objective and easy to identify.

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Finally, your exploration journey becomes subject to the emotions the environment and its elements make you feel... Excited, anxious, warm, cold, elegant, casual, and so on. My advice is next time you go out for coffee, dinner, lunch or maybe the spa, use all your senses and if your reaction is pleasure, most probably you are in full exploration of the designed environment.

Have a great week and explore endlessly!

From the Trees

One of my favorite and most valued materials is wood. This precious material has some of the most amazing characteristics out there being the most important is that it is natural and free of artificial ingredients.

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Wood is so versatile that it can be bent using steam and formed into anything, it can be painted to change its color or waxed to enhance its natural beauty, it can be carve and sculpted, or it can be cut a reassembled into furniture or structures. It's the perfect materials to give a warm feeling to sterile and monochromatic environments.

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Few materials can be used in as many ways as you can do with wood because with it you can build entire buildings that can withstand earthquakes like temples in Japan, it's so resistant to the elements that it can be used in decks and to build boats, and even some surfers today prefer their wooden boards instead of the fiberglass ones.

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If you are the a romantic a traditional type of person this material can accommodate easily to furniture, flooring, moldings and decorations. But, if you are a the modern and sophisticated type this materials has been a favorite of some of the most famous designers in history like Eames and Saarinen.

Have a great day!

Design Punctuation

I want to introduce today a whole new feature on the blog called Design Punctuation. It is one of the new features I designed for the 2013 and has been in the works for a while. It's been born out of those who love the world of design but never lived it like those of us whose careers have been in it.

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The main purposes of this blog are to be inspirational, educational {for you and me!} and entertaining, which has led me to come up with a way of talking about design in a way everyone can learn what it's all about and how designers see and feel it.

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I look for this section to be a journey and exploration of the design world that will take us from principles and theories like harmony and color, to styles and periods like baroque and post-modern, to ways in which we all can incorporate a little bit of design into our lives.

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Starting next Monday I invite you to stop by and see design from a different angle and perspective, from the inside out, one that will change the way you look at things around you.

Have a fun day!

Things to Come

This year I'm planning to take more time to make the blog better... like a little mission! I know it´s going to take time to get things done but hope all of you come along for the ride.

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The first things is that I will be bringing back PM Masters, Color Mark and Question Mark. They will be back in February as I'm working on the art, writings and interviews for the features. If you know of someone who is a prefect fir for PM Master just send me an email.

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For a while now I've been trying to keep design related posts to go online on Mondays and that got me thinking of a new feature. This one will start on February as well and will be taking the blog blog a more "designerly" {is this a word?} and creative direction.

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In the meantime, I want to leave you with some cute calendars to dowload and print so you can decorate your space.

Have a great day!

Holiday Prep

Yes, the more we deny it the more it becomes a reality... The holidays are just around the corner and we better get ready for them. This weekend was one of checking the Christmas lights, unpacking the ornaments and making room for the Christmas tree.

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If you're planning to go and buy a real tree, make sure it is fresh a recently cut, do this by checking that it looks bright and the smell is quite strong. Also, you can shake it a bit and if the needles start falling that means it's not fresh.

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When you go out to buy your tree, check out which charities and associations are having their annual sale. By buying your tree from them you are helping their cause. Also, these people usually buy their trees from certified farms and growers.

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If you are into eco-friendly options, look for planted trees that can last for a couple of years, fake ones that can be used for many many years {I used mine for 12 years before taking it to recycle}, or  maybe lots of little trees that make up for a big one. There are many alternatives and substitutes that are just as beautiful and festive.

Have a great start of the week!

Danish Duo

When I was in design school one of my teachers used to say that a good designer is good in any design field, which in the case of Hvass and Hannibal it is true.

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This Danish duo, composed by designers Nan Na Hvass and Sofie Hannibal, has been working with different media since 2006 for clients like Ralph Lauren, Random House Group and Asos, amongst many others. Their work ranges from digital media to colorful graphics, photographics installations and costumes.

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These two designers and artists met at a young age and after graduating from design school they decided that it was better to be a duo than to work alone... they preety much joined forces! Since then they have been busy designing brand identities for famous bands, stages for for conferences and concerts, a textile collection for Marimeko and exhibits at famouse galleries all over the world.

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There's something great about finding people you can connect and work with... and later find success with. Designers like them have learned not to be conditioned by conventional standards, design limitations and always go beyond the boundaries of imagination.

Have a great and creative day!

The Graphics of Wine

There's no doubt that the wine industry has changed a lot, from snobs with fancy descriptive words to modern enthusiasts who appreciate a good glass. Wine producers have also evolved with time and have created new varieties and blends, but also have modernized the way their wines attract people from the shelves.

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The new era wine makers want to communicate to their target markets what the wine is all about, like the woodsy flavors that and inherent to the wine or the time of the year and occasion when they should be consumed because they are seasonal wines.

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Many people nowadays are choosing their wines based on price and the label design, which makes it even more important for new labels entering the market to stand out from the competition.

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The typical strategy to make these products stand out are looking for unique elements of their landscapes and history that make the wines truly unique. European wines can evoke the long history of monarchies and Australian wines reflect the rugged terrains where the vines grow.

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So, nest time you find a wine that has an out of the ordinary label, take a good look at it and let your imagination fly as to what that label means.

Have a great week!

P.S. Please don't forget to donate to hurricane relief efforts!

Hermès Texan Designer

This weekend I heard on the radio one of the most interesting pieces I've heard in the longest time. The story was about Kermit Oliver, a man who lives in a ranch in Waco, Texas, and who's the only American who designs for the prestigious French house Hermès.

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This man, who is actually a postman, started working for Hermès in 1980 when the company's North American president of operations discovered him through Lawrence Marcus, Neiman Marcus' EVP. His first scarves collection was chosen by him and the theme was Native Americans and the Pawnee chief scarf came to life.

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 He has collaborated with the company a total of 16 times and counting. Amazingly enough, little is know of this man. He is said to design first the frame of each one of his pieces and then the actual painting is done. His main themes are farm animals, nature and the people around him.

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He designs the scarve in a span of around 6 monthsup to a year. He does research about each one of his topics, creates the composition and paints them on a 90cm X 90cm watercolor paper, which is the same size as each scarf. The designs are then sent to Hermès, where they are screen printed on silk. Read more about this amazing artist HERE.

Have a great day!