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Showing posts with label Spaces. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Spaces. Show all posts

Saturday, March 31, 2012

CurbedWire: Cool Small Spaces; Preserving Boston; Condos in San Fran

× Like us and you'll find top breaking news in your Facebook newsfeed. Sign up for our daily email newsletter and get top stories and breaking news delivered to your inbox. Monday, March 26, 2012, by Sarah Firshein

finalist-3-david-ims-onespace-007880.jpgPhoto via Apartment Therapy

THE INTERNET—On Thursday, Apartment Therapy will kick off its 8th Annual Small Cool Contest in hopes of finding the best small space in the country. [Apartment Therapy]

BOSTON—There's a new campaign underway to preserve an icon of Boston architecture: the triple-decker. Curbed Boston has more. [Curbed Boston]

THE INTERNET—CB2 has launched its outdoor-furniture catalog. [CB2]

SAN FRANCISCO—The guys over at Curbed SF compiled a solid list of the best places to buy a condo in San Francisco right now. [Curbed SF]


View the original article here

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Office Spaces: Last June, the Bill & Melinda...

× Like us and you'll find top breaking news in your Facebook newsfeed. Sign up for our daily email newsletter and get top stories and breaking news delivered to your inbox. Tuesday, March 6, 2012, by Sarah Firshein

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Friday, July 1, 2011

Outdoors Week: Incredibly Sad, Sorry Outdoors Spaces Advertised on Craigslist

× Like us and you'll find top breaking news in your Facebook newsfeed. Sign up for our daily email newsletter and get top stories and breaking news delivered to your inbox. Friday, June 24, 2011, by Sarah Firshein

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People use Craigslist for all sorts of things, from exploiting the Rapture to selling off pathetic-looking mattresses that are endowed with sexual preferences. Much like Craigslist personal ads, its housing and real estate pages are rife with people lying through their teeth. (They are also rife with Photoshopping adventures, which is why all the photos shown on this post are reproduced exactly as they appear in their Craigslist ads. Authenticity, people!) Take this NYC apartment (above), which seeks a roommate pay $1,650 for a room with an attached "800 square foot private outdoor roofdeck!!!!!!!" We'll give the post author due credit for possessing outdoor space anywhere in downtown Manhattan, but to describe that slab of asphalt with the words "Yes, it is private and amazing"? We thinketh not, friend!

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? Keeping things in NYC for a second, here's a plea for a "chill" third roommate in an East Village duplex penthouse. Truth be told, $1,500 is not an astronomical sum to pay for such accommodations in Manhattan—and that roof deck does look pretty sweet—but "2 mid 20's girls. We are friends and hang out often" and "One works and the other is an entrepreneur so works from home half the time" are two must-heed warning signs. Never mind the use of the word "chill" to describe a human temperament.

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? A housing share in the Philly suburb of Conshohocken boasts a
"[n]ice back yard with gardening space able to be shared," but one would never know it from these photos. There is, however, a cluster of tulips. a rusty-looking hose reel, and some rakes—always a plus when you're asked to drop $600 a month to share a space with "2 nice, well trained dogs & 2 indoor/outdoor cats."

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? Truth be told, this five-bedroom, 4,500-square-foot Plantation, Fla., house asking $750 a month is not a bad deal, not at all—two living rooms and a poker rooms are included in the deal. The pool looks awesome, too—oh wait, there seems to be one of the "30 year old male working professionals" jumping in.

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? Also near Miami is a 1,450 square-foot three-bedroom townhouse whose tenant is searching for someone to pay $600 a month. There are supposedly "outdoor living spaces," but all the evidence points only to the driveway and backyard parking spot.

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? Out West, there's a two-bedroom, one-bath house asking USC students to pay $800 per month. *We have beautiful landscaping with Malibu lights that is very pleasant and we provide free gardening service," the ad claims. Yet all that's apparently from the the photo is an sad, sorry empty lot and a house with a sign on its head. C-O-L-L-E-G-E!

· Otherworldly Real Estate Opportunities Created By the Rapture [Curbed National]
· Is This Sad, Slumped Mess the World's First Openly Gay Sofa? [Curbed National]
· $1650 A Bedroom for rent w/ Private outdoor roofdeck (SOHO/NOLITA) (map) [Craigslist New York City]
· $1500 Looking for chill 3rd roommate! Awesome outdoor space (East Village) (map) [Craigslist New York City]
· $600 Room Furnished or Unfurnished /Houseshare (Conshohocken) [Craigslist Philadelphia]
· $750 Room in 4500 sq ft house (Plantation) [Craigslist Miami]
· $600 Flatmate wanted for 3BR 1.5BA on NE 18th Ct near Wilton Manors Drive (NE 18th Ct) (map) [Craigslist Miami]
· $800 NEW LUXURIOUS 2 BD HOUSE 5 MIN WALK TO USC AVAILABLE 8/1/2011 (Los Angeles, USC, 90007) (map) [Craigslist Los Angeles]
· All Outdoors Week posts [Curbed National]


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Friday, June 17, 2011

Office Spaces: Inside the Tripped-Out World of AOL's New Palo Alto Digs

× Like us and you'll find top breaking news in your Facebook newsfeed. Sign up for our daily email newsletter and get top stories and breaking news delivered to your inbox. Wednesday, June 8, 2011, by Sarah Firshein

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Photo by Jasper Sanidad (courtesy of Studio O+A) via Co.Design

Today Co.Design publishes a terrific piece on the newly revamped Palo Alto, Calif., offices of AOL. Yes, this would be the very same AOL that just unveiled its bonkers "Rainbow City" art installation-type balloon-world thing-y on the High Line in NYC—so no surprises that its professional environment would be equally unconventional. It's an open-floorplan space, but milking employees' need for privacy, design firm Studio O + A created—what else?!—a bunch of fiberglass pods. There's also a "Town Hall" that's “part kitchen, part play space, part kick-back area... [and] all-hands common area,” as well as (of course) a game room. (We actually think it's against Silicon Valley building codes for all Web companies to not have a game room.) Click over for all the photos.

· At Least AOL's New Offices in Palo Alto Aren't a Disaster [Co.Design]
· Here Now, an Impressionistic Stroll Up Phase 2 of the High Line [Curbed NY]
· Studio O + A [official site]


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Thursday, May 19, 2011

Office Spaces: It's Almost As If New Lonny HQ Should be Featured in Lonny

× Like us and you'll find top breaking news in your Facebook newsfeed. Sign up for our daily email newsletter and get top stories and breaking news delivered to your inbox. Wednesday, May 11, 2011, by Sarah Firshein Photos: Patrick Cline/Lonny

Last night, the storks of spring dropped the May/June issue of Lonny into the digital sphere, along with a feature about the magazine's newly revamped NYC office. Thanks to the efforts of NYC-based design firm FLAIR (which has been featured in the pub before), and draperies source Lillian August, the fresh Lonny offices actually look like a pretty rad place to work. To the photogallery above!

· Office Makeover [Lonny]


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Friday, May 13, 2011

Secret Spaces: Secret Passageways for Budding Bonds and Pseudo Superheros

× Like us and you'll find top breaking news in your Facebook newsfeed. Sign up for our daily email newsletter and get top stories and breaking news delivered to your inbox. Wednesday, May 4, 2011, by Rob Bear

The fantasy of a hidden door or concealed wall safe can be made a reality by Creative Home Engineering, the only company that deals exclusively in secret passages and hidden doors. From the classic rotating fireplace to a hydraulically-raised stairway to a Laz-E-Boy that tips back to reveal an escape slide in the floor, this company has been involved in more than 150 stealthy installations nationwide. In an interview for the May issue of Wired, company founder and former robot designer Steve Humble described one of the most involved assignments: "an underground complex with 10 secret-passage doors made from Kevlar-steel ballistic armor, blast-resistant hinges, and multiple redundant locking systems." Nothing like cashing in on paranoia!
· Creative Home Engineering [official site]
· Your One-Stop Shop for Hidden Stairways and Secret Crypts [Wired]


View the original article here

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Spiral Staircases for Small Spaces Shopper's Guide

Staircases aren't something one usually shops for, but you might build a loft one day and find yourself in need of a space-saving design that looks good and fits your budget. There are two main options when it comes to stairs: custom built (generally more expensive) and kits (which tend to be cheaper). Here are 10 sources for both — some high and some low.

Arke: Arke is a US subsidiary of an Italian company that sells in the US through Home Depot, Lowe's and other stores. They offer DIY spiral staircase kits, starting around $1,500, that can be assembled and customized to fit your space. Serett Metal Work: Owner Joshua Young has made a name for himself as a designer of unusual staircases. His Brooklyn-based studio does custom work, and their expertise rests in traditional blacksmithing, contemporary metalworking, furniture making, and fine art.The Iron Shop: Like Arke, this company sells spiral staircase kits that can be assembled by a home DIYer. They offer online shopping and ordering, and their kits come in both modern and Victorian styles in a range of colors and finishes. Kit pricing ranges between $1,000 and $2,500.MILK Design: Chicago-based MILK design was started by two former construction workers, Joe Colosi and Pawel Korczakowski. With a range of custom pieces built for Christian Liaigre for Holly Hunt, they create high-end staircases and railings in the Midwest.Mylen Stairs: They've been in business for 50 years, and they sell both custom spiral staircases and modular "econo" kits. Based out of Peekskill, Nyew York, they ship their kits nationally, can provide drawings to architects, and have a service line you can call for installation advice.Spiral Stair Warehouse: Based out of Broomall, Pennsylvania, they sell metal spiral staircase kits that come with 8 structural parts. They have five available sizes, and you can call for information about how kits and installation work.Salter Spiral Staircase: Headquartered in Collegeville, Pennsylvania, they sell kits in steel, wood, aluminum and galvanized steel. They have residential and commercial sales departments — call for a price quote.Spiral Stairs of America: This Erie, Pennsylvania company sells standard and Deco-style spiral stairs, in both kits and custom designs. Their stairs comply with the standards of BOCA, CABO, IBC, and IRC.Duvinage: They describe themselves as "the oldest" manufacturer "of custom spiral stairs and circular stairs in the United States," and they've built staircases for the White House and the National Gallery of Art. Based out of Maryland, they sell both prefab kits and do custom work.Precision Pine: Their spiral staircase kits are all made from wood and start around $2,600. Based out of Knoxville, Tennessee, they offer mostly traditional styles.

View the original article here

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Conversions: With Some Elbow Grease, Garages Become Stylish Small Spaces

× Like us and you'll find top breaking news in your Facebook newsfeed. Sign up for our daily email newsletter and get top stories and breaking news delivered to your inbox. Friday, March 18, 2011, by Rob Bear Photo: Dwell

For some time, people have been trying to eek some rent out of an apartment over the garage, but those spaces were rarely fit for glossy shelter-mag stardom. In the past few years, with small-space living hip again thanks to dedicated sites like Apartment Therapy's Re-Nest, design-minded folks with some extra space have produced some stunning renovations of otherwise forgotten structures. Take this 1908 carriage house/pigeon coop in Oakland, Calif. It must have taken some serious vision to get past the putrid yellow color, unhinged door, and chicken wire window, but architect Christi Azevedo enlisted a friend—and future renter—to convert the former bird's nest in the attic into a stylish single's 360-square-foot crash pad. They did such a snazzy job with the place that San Francisco-based arbiter of taste Dwell stopped by to check out the final product.

? Even more petite than the Oakland overhaul is this 250-square-foot Seattle garage conversion. Using finds from local salvage yards—including a metal ship's ladder and tall silver lockers that used to belong in a United Airlines maintenance building—homeowner Michelle de la Vega outfitted the tiny structure as her own private sanctuary for just $32K, thanks in part to some help from a contractor who's now her husband.

? Seattle is apparently a hot spot for garage renos, as this conversion by the architecture firm Shed can attest. The before-and-after photos reveal one sleek transformation, from a rustic garden shed into a stark space. The large wooden doors now let light in rather than cars, and a modern gray-and-white color scheme blends with classic beadboard on the ceiling and refinished flooring so as not to stray too far from the turn-of-the-century roots.

? Not all such conversions are modestly-sized—or priced. 11 Leroy Street, a turn-of-the-century carriage house in the NYC neighborhood of Greenwich Village, was recently listed at almost $10M and measures some 4,800 square feet. Renovated in the 90s by former PanAm Airlines CEO Peter McHugh and his wife Louise McNamee, the retired head of ad agency Messner Vetere Berger McNamee Schmetterer, what the home lacks in quaint charm it certainly makes up for with practicality: this former garage still has space for two cars.

? The theme of adaptive reuse doesn't seem to have made it to larger parking structures. In 2006, NYC's Tunnel Garage—which had been serving as a home for cars since 1922—was demolished to make way for a new residential building known as 55 Thompson. To add insult to preservationist injury, the terra cotta Model T imagery that once graced the garage facade is now featured as an ornament on the new building's roof, as our colleagues at Curbed NY described it, "like a stuffed moose head in a hunter's cabin." Still, hard to argue with the new glassy environs.
· Re-Nest [official site]
· Living in a Mini-House [Dwell]
· Converting a Garage Outside Seattle Into a Tiny Home [NYT]
· Projects - Garage Conversion [Shed Architects]
· The West Village Carriage House Turned PanAm Exec's Hangar [NYO]
· Taking Soho's Newest Luxury Rentals Out for a Test Drive [Curbed NY]
· All Tunnel Garage coverage [Curbed NY]


View the original article here

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Office Spaces: If These Walls Could Talk: Studio of Charles and Ray Eames

× Like us and you'll find top breaking news in your Facebook newsfeed. Sign up for our daily email newsletter and get top stories and breaking news delivered to your inbox. Monday, January 10, 2011, by Sarah

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Photo courtesy of Courtesy Gestalten/Co.Design

Today Co.Design publishes a terrific feature on The Story of Eames Furniture, Marilyn and Jon Neuhart's painstakingly researched new tome that sheds light on every single piece of furniture ever created within the the hallowed hallways of Charles and Ray Eameses' design studio (above). Food for (ever so humbling) thought:

"When someone such as Yves Behar talks about a simple office chair being an 'epic challenge' that required 10 years of practice to even contemplate, they're responding to the legacy that Eames created, with their fanatical devotion to ergonomics and function. Sit in a shell chair or an Eames lounger; feel the way it seems to intuit your posture and bone structure. That's the truest statement of the remarkable process that lived in just a few rooms, in a California studio that created the modern furniture industry."

· The Definitive History of the Eames Studio, and Its Works of Genius [Co.Design]
· A Brief History of the Most Important Chair You'll Ever Sit On [Curbed National]


View the original article here

Monday, January 17, 2011

Curbed Awards: Curbed Awards 2010 Interiors/Decorating: Non-Residential Spaces!

Like us and you'll find top breaking news in your Facebook newsfeed. Sign up for our daily email newsletter and get top stories and breaking news delivered to your inbox. Wednesday, December 29, 2010, by Sarah

It's only been three months since Curbed National launched, but even still we decided to make up a bunch of awards as a way to recap the stuff we've covered. Over the next few days, we'll be feting the most deserving people, places, and things in the national design, decor, and real estate sphere. Herein, we unveil the first annual Curbed Awards!

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The Most Lavish Restaurant Award
That would be Alain Ducasse's restaurant at the Hôtel Plaza Athénée, in Paris (above), where designer Patrick Jouin abandons his usual modernist work for Kartell and Alessi in favor of "a technical feat, inspired by the swirls of the Baroque period that decorate the capitals in the restaurant." Oh, and they serve food here, too.

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Photo by Matthew Millman

The Best Reno/Resto of a Hotel Suite Award
Designer Alexandra Champalimaud took the penthouse at The Fairmont Hotel San Francisco under her wing, imbuing the 1920s space that has played host to Prince Charles, former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, Mick Jagger, Elton John, Tony Bennett, and JFK with a totally fresh personality. The "east meets west" interiors include rooms with furnishings brought in anew (the dining room, above) and others that have been lightly brushed. The billiards room with floor-to-ceiling Persian tiles remains intact.

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The Office Space Award
The new HQ of software firm 37signals in Chicago (above) was designed by architecture firm Brininstool, Kerwin and Lynch, who sought to give the office of 9 people every creature comfort imaginable, including acoustical wall tiles; a 37-seat theater for workshops; and three "phone rooms" for private calls. How's that cubicle doing?

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The Office Space Runner-Up
The NYC workspace of spirits producer Tanteo Tequila. Working for a tequila company: check. Working in an office that has a bar: ding-ding-ding.

· All Curbed Awards 2010 posts [Curbed National]


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Sunday, January 16, 2011

Linkage: Colorful in Chicago; Mini Studio in San Fran; Whimsical Spaces

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