! d e s ! g n !

! d e s ! g n !
Hello to all • this is an open letter, not to our regular readers as it is assumed you all know these points, facts. It is in a way an introduction to the new crop of readers who are regularly signing up these days.
So, the following statement is not essential but rather probably much appreciated.  MM

This is all about : : d e s ! g n >
And the fact that design, of all things, is a language that speaks to all of us, and that we all, on various levels, understand. One doesn't have to be trained in design to feel it, to appreciate it - to be moved by it. Design, good or bad, talks to us. We are moved by the dynamics of colour, of form - we become excited by the new and different lines of a Lexus or a Tesla - or a truck. Or, the beautiful mahogany desk shown in this issue. We respond to great graphics on workout hoodies - we are moved by striking photography whether it is capturing beauty or exposing pain.
The old hackneyed expression, 'whatever floats your boat' is appropriate.
DesignReview•International is a designBlog, now entering its 5th year of publication. Recently we moved from a monthly issuance to twice monthly. We seek out current, new and old, examples of design.
That may be a camping trailer, a hammock - a computer gizmo - whatever. The standards we use to evaluate elements of design are fixed in historical pathways of design development. We admire the works of le Corbusier, the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright - we love the playful forms and finishes of great lighting design - for example, in the this issue, the cool/clever fusion of old/new in the WickLamp.
Clever - we love clever. And we work very hard to seek it out.

An important point - we do not, nor have we ever, had advertising in our publications. It is our plan to continue that policy.

Moreover, if you look at our Board of Contributors you should know that each and every one is either a graduate designer or graduate architect. Take for example Leonardo Bechini, Milan. Leo has a Master's degree in Photography. His day job is as head of design for one of the most admired fashion design magazines in Europe. His photography is edgy, jaw-dropping - be it rooted in the world of fashion or from then streets he travels. (www.leomore.net)

Hana, in Amman Jordan, is a graduate architect with a Master's degree in Digital Architecture. Along with that she is also a graduate interior designer. Her architectural partnership is well established in the middle east.                 (www.dimension-7.com)

Steven Hu and Vanessa Bertran, as is the case with all of the Contributor Board members, have been my design students. They are equally passionate about design. Frequent contributions by both of them are provided for publication in either mandarin or spanish, as Steven, now a Toronto resident, was born and grew up in Guangzhou while Vanessa, originally from Venezuela is a resident Montréaler.

For myself, I have spent 50+ years in the role of interior designer having been employed by Marriott Hotels International, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, architectural firms such as Gresham, Smith Partners - and numerous other enterprises. As a multi award-winning designer my work has included airports design, corporate/commercial premises, retail design, residential projects (both modest and high end luxury homes). Moreover as a Certified Graphic Designer for 25+ years the kind of projects I worked on ranged from ID/logo design, print programmes, wayfinding and web-site design. 
And so, we are introducing our selves to you here in the hopes that you will enjoy our offerings. We would particularly love it if you submit comments, questions, critiques. More importantly, everyone is, and can be a design ambassador - send us in photographs or product recommendations. If we find a place for it in an issue you will be given full credit - promise.
Thank you for spending some time with us to read/review this description of DR•I.

Michael Moore M.A., DGC,
(ret: :  ASID, APDIQ, IDC) CGD

First one to correctly identify this wins $10.00 (CAD)
Answers must be sent to inbox@DesignReviewInternational.com
​Subject : :  Answer

Elegance • we're talking élegance here

In a way this beautiful design and craftsmanship subscribes to the old saw about editing:
'Good editing is know what to leave out rather than what to put in'
Resonates with me

Pierre Writing Desk

This elegant writing desk is shown in East Indian Rosewood with a black leather or granite top insert.  It has one pencil drawer plus two file drawers. Black legs and edge detailing.
 
Dimensions:  30"h x 73-1/2" w x 36"d
 
Like all Weitzman Furniture pieces, it can be customized to customer needs.

A very classy piece of furniture • could you not see a series of these in a high-class executive workroom?
Brings back the comforting aura of a warm enveloping embrace - in days gone by this might be seen in law firms or bank headquarters. 

However, it would be equally wonderful in your home office - one would need to select carefully all the accoutrements that would graciously complement it. Perhaps a table lamp off on a console, like the following piece?

The GRAYPANTS Wick Lamp

A portable lamp inspired by traditional candle holders.

​A portable lamp inspired by traditional candle holders.

Since the dawn of humanity, light has been the force that not only chases away the darkness but also brings people together. This concept, along with the belief that light is meant to be shared, provided the inspiration for Graypants’ latest lighting design. Named Wick, this portable lamp reinterprets a traditional candle holder in a creative design. The base has a rounded shape and features a minimalist take on the classic handle; here, a metal circle rests on the edge of the base and provides a perfect grip. Rising tall, the candle-like top ends with a circular “flame” that always stays still and bright. Wick represents the idea of community and togetherness. As a result, it has a completely portable design.

Apart from the convenient handle that makes carrying Wick around easy, the lamp also comes with a rechargeable lithium battery with an USB-C cord. The user can easily make sure that Wick has plenty of juice to stay lit for hours at the heart of a family gathering, get-together with friends, a solitary reading session on a terrace, or even on a busy restaurant patio. Plus, the 1W LED has a color temperature of 2600K. This means that Wick illuminates with a warm and cozy light.
​
The lamp has four modes: high, medium, low, and pulse. Depending on the mode, a fully charged battery lasts for 12.8 hours on high and 115 hours on pulse. Like other Graypants lighting, Wick is designed in Seattle, Washington. It features a plated aluminum build with a golden color and an acrylic diffuser. Made for use in dry locations and dry weather conditions, Wick suits both indoor and outdoor use. Available now for pre-order, the Graypants Wick lamp will ship from October 2020 in limited quantities. Photographs© Graypants.

This, is a concept. . . . . however there is one fact that might just propel it to reality.
The design development has been carried out by one of the world' sbest know auto stylists - KYOCERA.
Oh! You don't know them? Well, they actually are in the business of designing and manufacturing printers.
And that has exactly what relevance to a veryCool retro style automobile?

Some might yell, 'plagiarism!'- but IMHO, I don't agree. If there is nothing new in design (as one hears all too often) then where is the crime in extracting some of the essence of previously great cars like the Citroen, or the Jaguar 150K class. You do recognize those lines in this don't you?

​ The Kyoto-based technology company have shown off their vision of an autonomous vehicle. Features include making a part of the cockpit “transparent” using optical camouflage technology that transforms the entire 1.2-metre wide screen and the A-pillars into see-through objects by displaying footage captured by outside cameras. The car’s retro-style exterior is a complete contrast to its futuristic interior because the Moeye’s design theme is ‘time’, offering an experience that runs through the history of cars, from the past to the future of automobiles envisioned by Kyocera.

WOW! Now that is wayCool, no?

From the publication NASCAR COLLECTIONS comes this review:
Alex KiersteinAuthorOct 15, 2020
Today in sentences we thought we'd never type, this Kyocera concept car features both a see-through dashboard, vibration speakers embedded in the headrests, and a lab-grown opal embedded in the center console. That's the Moeye Concept in a nutshell: a deeply, delightfully weird conceptualization of futuristic personal transportation from a Japanese company associated with electronics, but not so much cars. But instead of adopting futuristic lines and sci-fi styling tropes, the Moeye's profile recalls postwar French cars like the Citroen DS and 2CV, with a hint of Jaguar XK around the front fenders and maybe even a little Bugatti Atlantic somewhere in there. There are even knock-off style hubs laid over some very intricate and interesting wire-spoke-esque wheels.

Kyocera's not trying to break into car design, but the move is savvy—this Moeye concept stands out much more than the phone-booth-like mobility pods that are by now a cliche in this space. The mashup of timeless—or at least not of our time—design and moonshot user interface tech seems like something out of a Studio Ghibli anime, but some of the less whimsical elements look useful.

The Moeye's virtually transparent dash—Kyocera calls it "optical camouflage"—is the sort of thing companies like Jaguar Land Rover have been playing around with for a while now, in which projected camera imagery enhances outward visibility by "eliminating" blind spots created by the car itself. And it's a good idea. Meanwhile, the lab-grown opal embedded in various places in the cabin is less likely to catch on, but endearing nonetheless.

How does it go? One if by land, two if by sea? So, it would three if by land and sea?
​'Cause see - this is a houseboat!

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​In the living area, Sky-Frame window walls capture vistas of Copenhagen harbor. The sofas are by Kibisi, the Danish brand cofounded by Ingels; the suspended fireplace is by focus, the floors are lined in Marokk concrete tile, and the artwork (far right) is by Katja Schenker. 

Bjarke Ingels, founder of international architecture firm BIG–Bjarke Ingels Group, smiles through a skylight on the houseboat that he shares with his young family, Spanish architect Rut Otero and their son, Darwin.

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From a recent issue of Architectural Digest is this stunning transformation of a car ferry.
https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/inside-bjarke-ingelss-innovative-houseboat
By Sam Cochran
Photography by Pernille Loof and Thomas Loof      Styled by Julie Lysbo             October 7, 2020​

​The converted Norwegian ferry ship, originally named Bukken-Bruse, or “billy goat gruff,” is docked in Copenhagen’s historic harbor; bench by Hay.

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For the Danish starchitect, home is a radically transformed ferryboat in Copenhagen’s harbor 

​Below deck, new porthole windows capture slivers of sky. The patchwork beanbags and pillows are by Ashanti Design, the puzzle-piece carpeting is by MVRDV for CSrugs, the cone pendant lights are by Louis Poulsen, and the Artemide lamps are BIG's designs.

 Ingels and Otero pose on the stairs, which were painted a traditional nautical orange; the calligraphic work is by Tomoko Kawao, and the Jamen Percy photograph shows The Orb, BIG’s 2018 installation at Burning Man.

​In the living area, a suspended fireplace echoes the curves of a hanging rattan “egg” chair and the semicircular floor lamp, which is made up of a modular lighting system that BIG designed for Artemide.

Ingels and Darwin below deck, seated on a patchwork beanbag by Ashanti Design.

The only thing missing from the picture above is a few of these woolly critters.

B A A A A A A A A A A !
​r e p e a t 

P O P !

'SHIELDED' 36" x  36"

Just goes to show ya!
One can never know where they may be 10 - 15 years in the future.
This painting is by a friend, an old client of 30+ years, Del Foxton.
Del spent the bulk of her career with Sara Lee Corporation in their TANA shoe products division, the last number of years as Vice-President, Public Relations.  Del was the public face of TANA - and she was great at it. Wasn't a week that passed when she wasn't a guest on one daytime talk she or another.

What is showcased here is a small part of her studio galleries - One in Orangeville, Ontario and the other on Grand Bahama Island, Bahamas. 

Interestingly, Del, who started this second career being interested, being fascinated by the history of paper-making, has evolved - is evolving still - a whole new platform of the arts, that of a paper sculptor.
​It is a term which is not yet so well known in north america....but watch for it - it is certain to become  more prominent as a different media expression.

Understand that the sole content, material-wise, in these pieces is only paper.
​So, in taking a second look at the piece shielded, one sees:

— the three dimensionality of the piece. So it is not solely a painting, per se - it is a wall sculpture.
​As are the following:

Del is an effervescent, full-of-life, woman — one who has set and met her own challenges in the world of corporate competitiveness and in the world of artistic expression. Her work has won numerous wards.
Visit her site at www.DelFoxton.com

As is the case for most all of us, Del is extremely upset by this global pandemic. Her beachfront home some 30 miles outside of Freeport is in a tiny community which has suffered extreme hardships in the last year  or so. The utter and complete devastation caused by Hurricane Dorian last fall, followed closely by the Coronavirus has destroyed a great swath of the Bahamas, including Grand Bahama Island.
It has been in her own families journey through this cataclysmic time and in her unflagging assistance and help to the community and neighbours that she was inspired to create a 'strength message'. 
In the adoption and total need for all to wear protective face masks she was constantly moved by the strength of her community and one day simply felt able to see the indomitable smiles, telegraphed through their face masks. In a tribute to that unbending human spirit she found a way to get into a studio and create an artistic expression in support of such human spirit. It is called, 'Read My Lips - It's Cool to be Kind' and the following are two pieces from that series. It is her hope that the creation of these pieces, out of chaos, will help to contribute much needed financial support to friends, neighbours and community in general. Bravo Del.

Both pieces are app 18" x  24" and are done on the handmade paper she creates in her studio.
​$600.00

QUO VADIS?
​Lac Lugano . . . . . 

P o u r q u o i ?
I like to awake to the crisp cool fall air, the sounds of waves
lapping gently outside my window — 
an early morning on the deck with a fresh-brewed 
french press espresso. . . . 
Why do you ask?

My time here is longingly
too short
I crave a continuity of continuation
​of sensory massage and comforts

A certainty cements my soul
knowing that, when that day comes,
that I return thus
that I shall forever remain
comforted and comfortable
wrapped in white goose down covers,
​bare feet, painted toes, flirting with the water's insolence

I am here
come find me
I await thee
​expectantly

We have together - ensemble,  completed another journey. We will pause it here — time to absorb, digest — ready yourselves for the next chapter.

In the next issue •  •  •  •  •  

Comments may be added at the beginning of the post,

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