Category: Architecture

Party Dress

by Rachel Hagen on October 19th, 2009

A New kind of party dress.  By the looks of this picture, doesn’t look too original:

but that goes to this:

to this:

From the designer Dana Karwis’s website:

Party Dress functions as a pavilion worn exclusively by five women that seamlessly injects architecture into fashion by using the body as space. The dress begins as a shared, bustled garment that gradually unfolds to create a temporary, inhabitable structure. Each seam, each dress, and each body are interconnected by a single, amorphous surface of flowing material.

It’s pretty cool, but I just think of the five women.  Wouldn’t it be cumbersome to stand there all night?

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Oh Happy Day

by Rachel Hagen on September 28th, 2009

I love starting the week out on a good note.  Two good things: we’re FINALLY starting construction on a high-end kitchen remodel today!!!  Kitchens are the center of the home, so I never want a client to be out from their kitchen longer than necessary.  We’ve spent months getting bids, picking out granite, flooring…everything. Now construction will be one smooth process.  I’m also excited to start a new project for a new client.  I love going over to people’s houses, meeting their families, and work with them on making their house a home.  My mind is always going a hundred miles a minute on the drive home.

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Birdcage wall?  Any takers?  I think it’s pretty fun…

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Today my blog has become quite international.  I don’t know if I should appologize or not. Apartment Therapy has some pretty cooky things, but this is pretty amazing.  Yep, that’s right; a cantilevered pool on top of a house.  Found in Madrid, Spain.  If you have more patience than me and care to watch the video, it’s here.  Otherwise enjoy these fascinating phots from Archinet.

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Cottages

by Rachel Hagen on April 29th, 2009

It’s been a rough day.  I need some happy homes to brighten up my day.  Enjoy.

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I’m in love with this pool. The tile work is amazing, the arches and columns are spectacular.  And I love the simplicity of the layout.   New York designer Todd Black created this Oasis for Veronica Webb’s Flordia Keys home.  Personally, I think the interiors are a little much, but I could spend all day on the outdoor chaises reading a good book.

 

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HaHa! AreaWare has done it again.  Quirky, Clever still life bowl.

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Unlike most professional athletes homes that are adorned with gody interiors and tacky trophy displays, this athlete’s home is built with some serious class. An article in the July issue of Architectural Digest has an article on Lance Armstrong’s Austin home. Built with timeless architecture, modern updates, and contemporary furniture, this home is beautiful.

Things I love: the landscaping is amazing.

I love this shot. Since the weather in Austin is nice most of the year, making use of the outdoor space is great. This doesn’t even feel like a patio, I love the thought of drapery and chandeliers for outdoor spaces.

Although the kitchen is pretty masculine, I like the industrial touch with the light pendants. I also like the way the family photos are displayed above the mil work.

I like the way he displays his Tour de France jerseys. Seven years in a row. Wow.

I’m a big fan of soft contemporary design: design with clean lines and simplicity that still is warm. This room epitomizes soft contemporary.

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Smart design

by Mick Hagen on September 17th, 2008

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Amazing

by Mick Hagen on August 15th, 2008

I can’t wait to visit Dubai someday.

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Clingstone, an unusual mansion on an island in Rhode Island’s Narragansett Bay, has survived stormy weathers and high seas for 103 years.  It looks kinda creepy and seems like the perfect set for a scary movie or horror film.  But I find it fascinating that it hasn’t been destroyed and that it’s still being lived in.  It’s a beautiful home by day, but i’m not gonna lie…i’d be freaked out to stay there at night.  Here’s the New York Times article and also their Slideshow.

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Cool building.

link

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Student dorms at Utrecht University in Utrecht, Netherlands. By Architectenbureau Marles Rohmer

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I’m excited for a new church outfit I got today from anthropologie.

And I’m debating if I should get this necklace


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An innovative idea proposes to capture the energy expended at the gym and use it to transport people around the rivers of New York City. The River Gym concept is a human-powered floating gym that will provide the user with the one experience that no other gym can provide: floating your workout around Manhattan. Designed by architect Mitchell Joachim and personal trainer Douglas Joachim, this project could bring inspiration to both the morning commute and workout.

The design won the third place in New York Magazine’s 2005 Create a Gym competition, and it is certainly easy to see the appeal of one of these. Obviously, while the design proposal was specific for New York, pretty much any city with access to a river could be filled with these gyms.

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Check out this elegant-looking hotel by Argentinian designer Alexander Lotersztain.  It’s called the Limes Hotel and it opened up just a few weeks ago in Brisbane, Australia.

A cool roof-top hang-out spot and cinema.

“I decided to view the hotel in its absolute entirety – considering the intended look and feel, and paying heavy attention to the interiors, furniture, surfaces and finishes, as well as extending my design influence to Limes’ music and drinks list. I went on to give the Limes a “face” by tangibly branding the hotel through its facade – an extension of the Limes logo on a gross scale. By leaving no facet of the hotel to chance, one feels what I can only describe as the “spirit” of Limes when in its presence. A strong feeling within the doors of Limes and a residual impact realised on returning home.”

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Some interesting architecture that caught my eye today.

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Just short of a Drive-in.  Beats the heck out of the dungeon basement media room.

The owner of the home is architect Hagy Belzberg, a Harvard graduate (1991) who interned in Frank Gehry’s office.  This home was designed by the entire team of his Santa Monica-based, 13-member Belzberg Architects that the now 43-year-old Hagy Belzberg founded in 1997.

Check out a few more pics of this 5,800-square-foot Skyline residence that overlooks Hollywood and downtown LA.

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I was searching through architect websites and came across this amazing firm. Some their work is absolutely gorgeous. Never mind the fact that they have beautiful locations and backdrops… you can’t go wrong with Maui. Here’s one of Kollin/alotmare homes.

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MSN did an article on the World’ Wildest Architecture. Some of these architects think of the craziest things…

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About Elegance

My name is Rachel Hagen. Interior designer. Fashion virtuoso. Trophy wife (minus the trophy part). This is where I share my love for all things pretty. Oh...and occasionally my husband chimes in. He's also got an eye for good design. He blogs at Dweebist.com.

If you make something amazing, want to offer a special discount to Elegance readers, know of something post-worthy, or are interested in any of my design services, I'd love to hear from you. Emails and comments totally make my day. Thanks again for stopping by!

rachelhagen (at) gmail (dot) com