Thermosensitive Experience

The Mississippi-based design team of Erin Hayne and Nuno Gonçalves Ferreira is behind the Swamp Collection, a series of heat-sensitive stools and lounges that integrate materials that allow the surface to change color temporarily in response to body heat or ambient heat. Far from being a gimmicky fad option, the collection is a class act that encourages users to interact with objects in order to enjoy tactile experiences. Visual Reference Studio’s new collection includes Touch wall panels for public spaces and the Please Touch pillows that offer a smaller scale thermo-sensitive option. Reverse new color ways are also available, so that there is also the option of seeing the red material change to violet.

Staying up to date with CEU's

Keeping up with trends and design practices can be and is, indeed a full-time job. On the one hand you must take the CEU's to keep you license in 'current' status, thus a chore. On the other having the choices of what to attend not only keeps you informed but let's you hone in and tap into resources you did not have before. I have been approached in several occasions regarding my interest in becoming an expert witness in several design-related cases. While I must admit that attending any courtroom for whatever the reason is about as appealing as getting a root canal, the CEU I attended this evening on 'becoming an expert witness' has opened my eyes in fearing not the process but actually finding it quite educational in nature. I have provided affidavits before and even referred colleagues for their experience, yet, now I further understand that my experience is what I bring to the table. Being able to listen, learn and offer an impartial, unbiased opinion on subjects that I am passionate about, and so versed in that it comes natural, is one more way I can further my value to the profession.

Book Signing at Book&Books in BalHarbour

David Shepherd, mentor, business guru, friend and now author of page-turner 'Resurrecting Randi' available through amazon.com, joined us this past weekend as we hosted in his honor a 'very Latin happy-hour book-signing event'. David had an opportunity to read a few pages from his novel and afterwards autographed quite a few books for guests and friends. Now his National book tour continues as he heads through Texas and ends in his hometown Austin.

Please pick up a copy, you will 'not be able to put it down'. David Oshinski, Pullitzer Prize Winner (author of the terrific book, 'Polio')
said he had picked up Resurrecting Randi while on a plane.

"To put it mildly--as they say--I couldn't put it down. It's a beautifully written book with terrific characters. I was swept away by the narrative and found myself trying to figure out what was coming next. You are a truly remarkable story-teller; this book deserves best-seller status."

Call it tech-toy pride.

Must-see TV. Upfront and center as the new focal point in the main room.

Never mind that many designers will cringe at the sight of exposed sets in living rooms, especially those prominently displayed. That opinion is so widely held among designers that some don't even like seeing TVs in plain sight even in more casual family rooms. But slim, sleek, flat-panel screens are changing our interior landscapes. This is particularly true for young people. They are very electronic in their thought processes, so the design for the main room's focal point is shifting. "I have a penthouse that is soft, modern and sleek. The fireplace isn't fussy. And the TV is so contemporary, it's almost like another piece of art," says Davis, a real estate broker.

Some designers find themselves resisting client pressure to show off the TV. "Not in a formal living room," Washington designer Lori Graham says. "I am a purist in that regard." She is putting a set in one living room grudgingly, she says, quickly adding, "It was a loft-like space whose style is much more modern and eclectic." Even there the TV is mounted in a grid of shelving.

"I will not ever put one over a fireplace," declares D.C. designer Susan Vallon. "It is a traditionally warm gathering place and focal point, and you are negating the whole thing by putting a TV there. I would rather have people drywall over the fireplace and remove it as a center of attention."

Rather than being so dramatic as to drywall over a major architectural feature we understand the need of our clients to want the option of occasional entertainment when they would enjoy a TV in their living room and above their fireplace. Be it New Years and your guests want to see the ball drop or the yearly football/Thanksgiving dinner... Finding 'designer-acceptable' solutions is more challenging than trying to swim against flow.

Lladró Boutique opens in Tokyo

On 1st November 2002, the Spanish firm Lladró opened its first exclusive store in Tokyo, on Ginza Street, one of the most commercial and prestigious streets in the Japanese capital, where a large number of the most luxury international brands are present, such as Chanel, Prada, Loewe…

Lladró was founded in 1953 and has its headquarters in Almàssera (Valencia). This manufacturer of exclusive decorative porcelain pieces is one of Spain’s most internationally prestigious brands. Through its particular manufacturing process Lladró obtains outstanding pieces characterised by their crystalline finish and pastel tones.

Lladró Boutique Ginza store occupies 380m2, distributed on five floors. Each floor is devoted to different collections, from the most traditional to the most innovative. The third floor of Lladró’s Tokyo showroom is reserved for Lladró Privilege members. This is an innovative customer loyalty scheme created by the company in 2001. It incorporates a new service concept providing Lladró porcelain enthusiasts with even more attentive and special customer service.

Lladró has recently collaborated with internationally renowned young artists such as Jaime Hayón or Bodo Sperlein, launching completely new collections that have managed to woo a younger Japanese clientele.

Happy Passover!

Wishing you a healthy and sweet Passover! May you enjoy with family and friends the story telling of the Hagaddah.

May your home be cleaned as thoroughly at least once a month and not once a year for passover. May you take the time to be in the now with your loved ones as the future begins today. Hag Sameaj!

Blue & White for the bedroom

Some might find the color blue a cold choice for a bedroom. Yet blue in its many shades evokes nightfall, sky and water. More commonly used for boys bedrooms, in the master it has a grand effect. It is like being on vacation every night. When paired with white the contrast offers a calming effect. The same goes for the use of patterns versus solid tones, the combination keeps the eye interested on the patterned fabrics while offering a soothing rest with the solid hues. The choice of accent pieces from art murals to accessories add the finishing touches and further emphasize the desired effect. As winter draws to an end more choices in blue flood the markets for home decor.

Spain's hotels are hot design destinations.

MSNBC /Forbes Traveler (3/25, Grant) reported, "Spain is hot," and its "hip hotels" are becoming "destinations in their own right." At Madrid's Hotel Puerta America, a $94-million, 342-room property, "the focus on design reaches is apotheosis," with "each of its 12 guestroom floors...designed by a different high-profile architect or designer." The "difference between floors is nothing short of extreme," because there was "no limit in the budget or in the use of color or materials." Another of Madrid's hip hotels is Oscar, part of the Room Mate Hotels brand owned by Enrique Sarasola. There, "hipness is surprisingly inexpensive," at about 100 euros per night. The same is true in Barcelona, where the Casa Camper is "a living experiment in eco-chic hospitality," with "bicycles hanging from the lobby's ceiling" for guests. In the Eixample quarter, Hotel Axel is "spare but chic." And, (pictured) in the Rioja wine region, "Frank Gehry continues his architectural conquest of Iberia with the jarring Hotel Marques de Riscal in Elciego." His "titanium jumble may not be to everyone's tastes," but "the sun-drenched, loft-like guestrooms are irresistible." The next hot region of Spain is Valencia, an "up-and-coming center of modern design after Bilbao."

in memoriam of George J. Berlin; beloved dad and grandpa

On Sunday, March 16th, our dad, George Joshua Berlin passed on at the age of 85, following a week of simcha with all his family and friends who gathered to celebrate his youngest daughter's wedding. He is survived by his wife of nearly 57 years, Lila, his four children and ten grandchildren.
Born in Brooklyn, Dad grew up in Miami Beach and Elmont, and was graduated from Miami Beach High. He studied engineering at Case Western Reserve, where he was a member of the same fraternity to which his grandson now belongs. During WWII, he served in Guam as a Naval officer in the Construction Battalion (CeeBee’s); it should come as no surprise that Dad built the synagogue for the base on Guam. He will be missed by all, for whom he served as a role model, mentor, and teacher. We Love you, dad!