Sanya Arts Space

The amazing waterfront architecture featured in this article is the Norwegian Opera House in Oslo, Norway. This project was voted on in 1999 by the government to be built as an urban redevelopment effort. It is located in Bjørvika on the waterfront at the Oslo fjord. The government pushed that this building should be designed and created as a national landmark for the arts. The architecture firm of Snøhetta AS was hired for the project. You can see from the pictures the challenges in creating such a building on the waterfront with this vulnerability to tidal surge. This project was winner of the Mies van der Rohe Award for in 2009 which honors contemporary architecture achievement.

Special thanks for this article go to my great friend and opera singer, Joe Key. I also want to thank e-architect and my friends over at Dezona.

Post from Amazing Waterfront Architecture : Norwegian Opera House in Oslo

When I was younger, I once made a pencil can out of pencils and I thought I was pretty cool.  So maybe my talent was a little questionable, but artist Jennifer Maestre has indeed made of art from this unconventional medium.  Made of the ends of used pencils, not only has Maestre discovered something cool to do with material that would otherwise be discarded, but her work really is captivating.  Pictured here is just a small selection of here pieces.  See more at her website.

So what do you think – can pencils be art?

Modern style has a way of incorporating what was great from past styles, and updating it to give it a brand new look. That ethos is what permeates the recent trend of adding some retro-mod fabrics to your home. This look can be achieved by using fabrics that have earthy tones, speckled with vibrant accents like pink and orange, and feature patterns that simply scream retro, like the image above.  Amy Butler does a wonderful job of updating the retro look in her Midwest Modern 2 series of fabrics, and you can check out her website for inspiration for, or to order, fresh, retro-mod fabrics for your home.

Check out our Modern Furniture collection on PadStyle Shop.

The Iconic stackable plastic chair meets children’s furniture thanks to designer Javier Mariscal and Magis, a well known Italian firm that has made some really great furniture from plastic. The durable injection-molded polypropylene Alma chairs are available in yellow, brown, green and white, and feature a nice floral pattern on the back to brighten up the room a little. Good for outdoor use as well. 22.8″ H x 15.4″ W x 15.7″ D, seat height: 12.6″ £25 From Nubie.co.uk

Post from Alma from Magis :The Children’s Plastic Stackable Chair with Style

Andrea are the world’s first “Living Air Purifiers” that clean air through the use of plants. It was invented by Harvard professor, David Edwards, along with French inventor Mathieu Lehanneur. Andrea has already claimed the prestigious award, “Invention of the Year”, by Popular Science Magazine shortly after its exhibit at the MOMA last year in New York. Any kind of household plant can be used, which means ANDREA offers the freedom to select the foliage that best suits the motif of any part of your home. Certain plant species are more effective filtration agents, such as Spathiphyllum (Peace Lily), Dracaena marginita (Madagascar Dragon Tree), Chlorophytum comosum (Spider Plant) and Aloe Vera. Andrea Living Air Purifiers can be purchased at Amazon for $199.99 HERE.

Post from Andrea Living Air Purifiers for the Home

The Pkolino Klick Desk and Chair Set has a neat design which forms into a cube when not in use. This space saving kids furniture is designed for children ages 3-7. For parents that have small homes or apartments, this product creates possibilities in improved space management. Also, divorced parents can use this product when they have weekend visitation and provide an improved environment for their children. This product retails for $198 at Design Public and can be purchased: here.

Post from Space Saving Kids Furniture : Pkolino Klick Desk and Chair Set

Eva Solo has so many great ideas when it comes to food preparation and serving, and here is one I could have used many times myself. The Grating Bucket keeps all of the grated food inside instead of on the counter where you will inevitably have to pick it up saving time and effort along the way, not to mention it collects juice from fruits and vegetables in the bottom of the bucket. Visit EvaSolo.com for a good look at some more innovative cooking utensils, serving dishes, and containers.

Post from The Grating Bucket from Eva Solo makes Food Preparation Easy

Uten.silo from designer Dorothee Maurer-Becker, 1969 is one of the best known plastic designs from that era and is the perfect “out of the way” place to store and keep track of all the kitchen, bar, and bathroom trinkets we normally look through drawers for. Today, this colorful wall mounted storage tidy is a veritable design icon and a true-to-the-original version of the product has now been reissued by Vitra Design Museum. The uten.silo is available in White, Red, and Black and is available in two sizes from Hive Modern. Small $350 20.5″ w | 26.75″ h | 2.5″ d Large $425 26.5″ w | 34.25″ h | 2.5″ d A small chrome version is available for $575 as well.

Post from uten.silo : The Pefect Wall Mounted Storage for Bar, Bathroom, and Kitchen

These unusual home accessories feature milk cartons that have been made into lamps. The project is “Milk Gone Bad” created by Anatomicfactory and Bombo. The eight distinct lamps could be interpreted anywhere from toys to home furnishings based on the lighting aspect or child-friendly illustrations. The selection of an everyday object like a milk carton was an interesting choice for the artists.

Post from Milk Gone Bad Exhibit : Where Lamps and Art Merge

We all know the story of the Titanic, the great ocean vessel which met a tragic ending. Now meet “Titanic” a modern day lamp interpretation. We have covered some strange lamp shapes at Furniture Fashion and this piece certainly follows those examples. Set on its side, Titanic appears to have fallen over much like a lamp might be knocked over and end up on its side. This product comes from Fluke and is available for $600. Finding it in the U.S. may be a challenge as it is currently discontinued there. Link to product: here.

Post from Strange Lamp Shapes : Titanic from Fluke