Tag: <span>design trends</span>

Published February 20, 2012 by

Beyond Rio…Carnaval Style

Some people think Carnaval is just a debaucherous four-day party in Rio de Janiero but the rest of Brazil would have to disagree. Months leading up to Fat Tuesday, even the tiny towns are constructing elaborate floats, practicing samba routines, and gearing up for this nationwide party. Beyond the grandstands of Rio (we’ll get to that after our stay this weekend), here our the look at Carnaval from the four weeks traveling the country through little beach towns to the colonial cities that started it all.

In Brazil it's all about attitude. Colors can never be too bright, clothes are never too tight, and self confidence pulls anything off. This piece of street art rules the block.
Bright pinks, blues, yellows, greens... essentially the rainbow pumped up a notch is the palette of not just Carnaval but the whole of Brazil. Everything from houses to shops are in a vibrant coat of paint so when streamers of every color hang through the streets of Olinda for Carnaval, they perfectly complement the town.
Over-the top frocks like this sweet pea dress are perfect for nights out and these Liberty of London (meets Brazil) style skirts are just the thing for a morning block party.
Carnival bead shop in brazil
Like Mardi Gras, reams of glitzy beads are essential to Carnaval style. This shop caters to the locals and can string up anything from their 100s of choices. Women wear a numb of strands around their neck and men tend to slip them through each arm to crisscross them over their chest.
carnaval shakers
For sound and flair, colorful beads slip over gourds to create every neighborhod's percussion section. Even if you never gave these a shake they would look very global chic on a console table or bookshelf.
carnaval puppets
Massive papier-mâché puppets modeled after local celebrities and political figures are the stars of the bloco. When worn on the shoulders of a puppet master as he saunters down the parade, the figure is the mark of that group's artistic talents and sense of humor.
Girls take the streets with their resounding drums, and equally loud hair and makeup. Flowers are a running theme in clothes and accessories.
carnaval bloco
Woven baskets encircled with metallic streamers become an essential prop for traditional Afro-Brazilian dances through the streets of Salvador.
salavador carnaval dance
Sassed up with head scarves, bangles and some relentless dance moves, these ladies weren't going to leave the party to the kids. Flowing linen and lace dresses make for dramatic spins and a classic look.
carnaval olinda
Classsic red blue and yellow umbrellas are a dancing essential in Pernambuco. For spins, jumps, pivots, they make every Frevo dance move more dazzling with their blur of primary colors.
carnaval bloco leader
Leading this neighborhood bloco, these intricately beaded banners command the attention they deserve.

Has anyone ever been to Carnaval in Rio or seen photos? Though spectacular (we went to the Sambadromo last night), I was amazed by  how different and incredibly charming the regional takes on the party different could be.

Places

artisans Brazil design trends events

Published January 11, 2010 by

Rebirth of the Toast Rack

decor-ideas-toast-track.jpg

As you may have noticed, I’m a big fan of creative reuse. And when it comes to antique tabletop, the possibilities are endless. The Victorians had a special piece of silverware for nearly everything: bonbon scoops, bacon forks, lemon picks, cake breakers to name a few (click here for more). Today much of this food-specific silverware now reads as alien, but that doesn’t mean these objects don’t have a use.

The other day I had lunch with an old colleague and friend, Eddie Ross, and he was telling me that of all the things he sells at his Etsy antiques shop, silver-plate toast racks are by far his most popular item. Though his customers may have purchased them to step up their Sunday brunch presentation, my guess is most of them didn’t buy these racks with toast in mind. A compact silver accessory with a series of rungs, a footed base and an ornate handle–that doesn’t say breakfast to the average lover of creative reuse: it says organization. For bills or stationery, a toast rack is the chicest way to file. Plus, it would be so eye-catching on a desk or in a foyer.

Though I love the thrill of stumbling upon a treasure at a flea market, when you have a specific type of item in mind, the Internet is the way to go. I did a quick search for toast rack on a few of my favorite online sources for antiques and found these pretty options available for purchase.

home-decor-toast-rack

Etsy.com continues to be a fabulous source for one-of-a-kind designs, and Eddie Ross’s Etsy shop is among the best. He features vintage finds, all under $100, and he always delivers handy tips on how to enjoy them. Eddie is also of the toast-rack-organizer philosophy and suggests it for this English brass piece, which is selling for $90.

decor-ideas-toast-rack-la

LiveAuctioneers.com is another great online source for antiques. This silver-plated toast rack is a great buy–especially considering that it comes with a three-footed dish (were not sure why, but it does). Starting bid is $50.

home-decor-toast-rack

Ebay had over a 100 options, with starting prices at $2. I liked this one by Asprey London for its simplicity and ball feet. Valued at $52.

home-decor-toast-rack

And cleverly enough, Mothology has caught on to the demand for toast racks, and it is now making gorgeous reproductions: $84 for the small and $148 for the large.

Finds

antiques design trends tabletop

Published September 1, 2009 by

Cage Light Craze

DesignIdeas-DesignStockholm.jpgLast March, when I suggested construction site light bulb safety cages as a great idea for a modern pendant lamp–I thought I was going out on a limb. But after a weekend at the New York International Gift Fair, it looks like this seemingly-crazy lighting concept may actually be emerging as a legit trend. Some of the presenting designers gave an antiqued look to the industrial design, while others took traditional shade styles and stripped them down to their wire framework. Regardless of the approach, encaged light bulbs were glowing all around the show.

(Above) My favorite light of the group and the closest to my original dream pendant is by Design House Stockholm. Available in gold or chrome plate, the industrial motif is chicer than I ever imagined.

Design-Ideas-lightsRoost’s collection gives a sense of history to the work lamp.

Design-Ideas-Vagabond-Light.jpgThe wide wire shade by Vagabond Vintage gives the bare-bones pendant a more substantial feel as a pendant.

Design-Ideas-LightsPeddlars.jpgIt feels as though Peddlers Design has ripped the fabric off the classic shade design and exposed it for a new urban edge.

Etc Finds

design trends lighting

Published May 21, 2009 by

The Construction Site Chandelier

LightandSafteyCage.jpgThey are repairing the elevators in our office building and it just gave me the craziest idea for a chandelier. When I came to work the other day one of the elevator doors opened to an empty brick shaft. I peeked in and three light bulbs were dangling on long cords with bright yellow plastic cages around them. They looked so modern—I could envision them perfectly over a Saarinen dining table. I love the way they mirror the shape of the bulb, the shadow the cage casts, and the stark industrial edge they have about them. In the middle of my fantasy about decorating the SoHo loft I don’t have, the elevator doors shut. And I had no photo to show for it. So for the past two weeks I’ve been getting off on random floors hoping to catch more repairs in progress. But today I got my photo and a whole adventure to go with it.

Elevator-Cart.jpg

Returning from lunch I saw a workman’s cart on the 40th floor and I got off to investigate. No lights were set up but the nicest elevator repair man gave me the scoop on where to get another glimpse. They are gutting the 32nd floor and they have strings of them set up all over the place, says my new buddy. Not quite sure what to expect or if building security would approve, I grabbed Assistant Editor Leah Konen for backup.

Floor_under-Construction.jpg

The elevator ascends to 32 and opens to a concrete shell of an office the size of a New York City block. The space was raw but lit beautifully. Strings of caged lights traversed it, looking even better in hoards.

Hung horizontally like that, they would look amazing around a patio. And I still think five of them hanging over a dining table in a staggered formation would be the epitome of urban chic.

Metal-Safety-Cages.jpg

If yellow is not your thing, they also come in a metal style. V-2100 is quite sleek and I love how open and airy 1438-1 is. I found these on McGill Electrical Product Group’s website, they seemed to have cornered the market on safety cages. They don’t sell to the public (not surprised) but you can call (800) 621-1506 and they can direct you to a retailer in your area. Or funny enough, I found someone on eBay selling ten yellow cages with matching yellow cords right now for $90. Now that’s one cheap chandelier.

Etc Projects

design ideas design trends DIY