Arch+Details: Furniture

So far in my Arch+Details series I have covered components that make up the frame of the structure. I have always shared with people that as architects we create the "arenas" and allow people to inhabit the space in any manner they wish. And this partially includes how the furniture is set up throughout the house. In traditional residential projects, individual rooms are clearly defined by the walls and layout, but nowadays house plans are a lot more open and furniture is utilized in distinguishing areas of the house, rather then walls. And I am a huge fan of such layouts because you never want to feel restricted within your own household. Just like other art forms, architecture should inspire rather than suffocate, which is something architects have to keep in mind during the design process. That being said, a lot of architects have taken upon themselves to design and manufacture their own furniture. It is interesting to see notable names in the industry tackle smaller scale projects like furniture. Such individuals such as Charles and Ray Eames, Walter Gropius and Meis Van de Rohe are renown names in architecture circles, but part of their genius was the ability to design pieces of furniture just as popular as their architectural designs. I find furniture just as important because I want to say 90% of the time we are utilizing some sort of chair, table, couch etc when at home. And thats why the big names mentioned above took furniture seriously because the home is a dwelling of leisure. Therefore, it has to be comfortable and elegant in its own right and this is where the imagination takes over. Furniture is not just merely for lounging on it, but it has become a decorative element. This was prominent during the classical and Victorian days where furniture used lavish materials and bold colors. In this modern age, similar principles are evident in the color choice, but a lot more minimalist in design. For me personally, comfort is the most important. I mean, it can't be a hideous piece of furniture, but if it only takes me a minute to fall asleep when I sit on a coach because it is so comfortable I am going to buy it!! Anyway, check out the variety of furniture I found over the past week. The images cover bedroom, living, dining room and outdoor furniture! Enjoy!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Can't Knock the Hustle: Denise Hernandez

So I am really excited to present my followers and viewers to the second installment of my new series "Can't Knock the Hustle." This week I am featuring my good friend Denise Hernandez! Denise and I went to high school together back in the day. We had class together and she also was a cheerleader for the football team, so me and her crossed paths on a daily basis. We kind of lost touch after we graduated, but we would run into each other through mutual friends. It wasn't until this past summer where I really got to hang out and know Denise. In the spring she messaged me asking if I was going to be in NY this summer. I thought she needed a place to crash because I knew she has always wanted to go back again to visit the East Coast. But she told me she might have found a fashion opportunity in New York so she was looking for help as far neighborhood recommendations if she got the internship. I was excited because I knew NY would be the perfect place for her! So for a couple months I helped her out finding places to live, so I recommended Brooklyn, which was the area she called home for the summer. With experience living in the Big Apple I toured her around the city, recommended places to visit and restaurants to eat. We weren't really close, so I was excited to get her insight about life and what she was doing.

I told Denise I wanted to feature her for a couple reasons. The biggest one was that we came from the same place. The reality is, where we are from (San Fernando Valley) a lot of people get stuck. Not everybody but a large percentage of my high school friends decided to stay. I know there were reasons that prevented people from leaving, but it doesn't mean leaving is not an option. And it doesn't mean that not leaving makes you less successful. Like I have said and reflected on, we all can be successful in our own right. Not everybody shoots for the same target. I always thought and still believe that if you are dedicated then there is a way out to explore the rest of the state, country and world both physically and mentally. So I encourage people to don't be afraid to put yourself out on a limb, to go against the grain as far as society as a whole, or just of your environment. The people who get "stuck" are those who give excuses for everything and run away from adversity. So I gained a lot of respect for Denise because she took herself out of a comfort zone, physically and mentally, to follow her passion for fashion and pursue an opportunity in New York. She applied, interviewed and eventually got a dope internship. She doesn't go to an Ivy League school but it doesn't mean she is not successful in her own right. To be honest there isn't much that makes me and Denise different. Just 2 valley kids that went our separate ways and somehow ended up working internships in the same city this past summer; who would've thought!?. I respect her hustle in aiming for something and obtaining it! She'll tell you that she was nervous moving to a whole new world, and I sympathized with her because I didn't know anybody in New York when I moved too. She fully took advantage of her situation and met some cool people that will propel her future in fashion. A lot of people outside the Valley might not understand because they don't see the culture and what goes on back home, but I don't know many people that took that big leap to pursue their passion. Get out of your comfort zone and screw what people tell you and just go out and "Live"!!!

Denise actually inspired me to start blogging. At the beginning of the summer she came over and we set up her blog which features her favorite styles and trends in the fashion industry, along with other subject matter that catches her attention! It was cool helping her out and I liked the idea, so I started my own blog and now I'm returning the favor by introducing her on my blog; another soldier of the movement!

Denise's roommate Nadia is from Russia and loved her style, so she asked Denise to do a photoshoot. Little did she know that her first photo shoot would be featured in the Russian magazine "Look at Me". Nadia has a couple of friends who work for the magazine whom also fell in love with Denise's style when they saw the photos! If Denise never would have looked into New York then the magazine would have never happened. So this is another reason I see Denise as a member of this movement, because didn't care what people thought. She went after it and I am happy for whats in store for her. Below is the link to the feature and also a link to her blog!! Check it out!

Look at Me: Denise Hernandez

Blog: Ruthless Kreation

Denise Interview Copy

Denise's friend Nadia is an awesome photographer! Denise showed me her tumblr and I love what she is doing with the camera!! Big shout out to her and what she is doing! Respect what she did for Denise and I definitely see big things happening for her too! Below is a link to her blog! Check it out:

http://bedj.tumblr.com/

A couple weeks ago Denise told me exciting news a couple weeks ago that she was asked to do a photo shoot. Below are the shots she sent me and they were for a friends project. She was styled in LF clothes (how do you guys like her look??). Some of you might recognize the setting, but the site is Lombard St. in San Francisco. People associate Lombard St. as the long winding street in the Bay. Happy Denise has been active and keeping busy with fashion. I know it is her passion and I am excited for new updates in her own movement! Make sure to follow and check out her blog!

 

Arch+Details: Swimming Pools

I am back with my 4th installment of my Arch+Details series, and this time I am focusing on swimming pools. Now swimming pools are not a necessity in architecture such as walls, windows, doors etc but it is a nice design piece that can make a home complete. It was weird that the only pools I came across in New York were public pools or in hotels. Unless you make your way out to the Hamptons or further away from Manhattan, you won't really come across a pool. In Los Angeles it feels like pools are as much as an architectural necessity as walls and windows. It seems like every other house has pools and most apartments also contain one. Like Sports Architecture, architects don't just focus on the structure itself but rather the whole picture. That includes the front yard and backyard. Swimming pools are a nice touch because it adds that natural element of water to the design. There is a sense of relaxation and peace when it comes to water and I am happy I can find access to pool in LA really easily. It really is incredible the concepts people come up with this detail. There are outdoor, indoor and elevated pools. They come in different shape and sizes. They also come in different kind of water usage. When I went to Barbados last year, the Villa aka the Hotel we were partying at all week had a salt water pool. It was a lot softer (which I didn't know you really can do that with water) and warmer (I mean that can be a result of being in the middle of the Caribbean). Anyway, pool designs can be modern, natural/tropical or elegant by the materials used to layout to pool with. Or what if your pool was the ocean?! Or if that is too much you can have a pool elevated right above the sea water. These are just a couple examples where pools are placed and how architects expand their design concepts beyond walls and doors. Architecture is incredible, it really is a type of art, and the best part about it is we as people can inhabit these art forms. Check out the cool pools I found this past week! (the only thing about this post is that it makes me sad I don't have a pool like any of these!)