Fold World
Folding is an art form, a way of turning a plain piece of paper into an object of beauty. But the art of folding is used throughout the design world for a variety of purposes. We've discovered an exciting group of designers, architects, and artists who have incorporated folding into their designs in fresh and unconventional (yet practical) ways. Once we started researching, we found out that almost everything can fold: houses, bicycles, furniture, tents, trailers, and even boats.
Cool Tent Designs We Love
Spending time in the great outdoors is one of our favorite things, if you couldn't tell from the articles we've written on glamping, tents, and ultra-chic campers. A quick look around the web shows that we're far from the only ones who've fallen in love with all aspects of camping, especially when it comes to tent design. The humble tent has gotten a designer upgrade and now comes in all shapes, sizes, colors, and styles. Here are some of our favorites.
The Playful Geometry of Pedro Reyes
Pedro Reyes is a Mexican artist whose work we discovered while researching an article about Hotel Boca Chica, for whom he designed the floating island you see above. It's actually an indoor pool based on the doughnut-shaped rafts that hotel guests used back in the 1950s. We fell in love with Reyes' fun take on geometric shapes and headed over to his website to see more of his work. We were not disappointed.
Totems by Alain Delorme
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Photographer Alain Delorme's series Totems depicts the travels of migrant workers in the Chinese city of Shanghai. In the photos, Delorme shows the workers moving through the city, usually on bicycle, carrying impossibly stacked piles of cardboard boxes, tires, bottles, foodstuffs, and even balloons. Photo historian Raphaële Bertho calls these teetering columns the "new totems of a society in complete transformation."
Cape Cod Modernism
Before Cape Cod became, well, Cape Cod, it was known for its isolated beaches, rolling sand dunes, picturesque New England fishing towns, and bohemian, "anything goes" attitude: basically, the perfect backdrop for a gang of young, self-taught architects inspired by European design to play around with form and space unnoticed by the establishment. The result is a collection of almost one-hundred examples of early modern design dating from the 1930s to the 1970s, tucked on the wooded back shore of Wellfleet on the Outer Cape. It is here, within the boundaries of Cape Cod National Seashore, where you will find summer homes that meld the philosophy of modernism with the practicality of New England.
An Enchanted Boat
Agua Moura is an elegant solar-powered yacht sailing the friendly waters of the Barragem de Santa Clara, a reservoir in southern Portugal. It's an additional facility attached to Villa Encantada, a wonderful villa for rent from the Boutique Homes collection. However, we thought Agua Moura was so cool it deserved it's own article. We e-mailed Agua Moura designer Victor Vincente with a few questions about this very special boat and he was kind enough to respond in great detail. As it turns out, Agua Moura is more than just a pleasure yacht – it's a remarkable piece of design steeped in the rich culture and history of Portugal.
Color Your Own Camera
Ever seen a camera quite this colorful? Neither had we until we designed it. No, we're not getting into the camera manufacturing business, we've just been having a bit of fun with the latest product from Colorware – a totally custom made color scheme for your Leica D-Lux 5. MORE >>
Wright For Sale
Frank Lloyd Wright is the most famous American architect of the 20th century. The influence of his ideas regarding the integration of architecture with the natural environment, revolutionary in their day, are still being felt in contemporary architectural trends. At the time of his death, Wright counted 500 single family homes, skyscrapers, and museums among his accomplishments. Not bad for a boy from Wisconsin with no formal training in architecture! Though many of Wright's most well-known buildings are public spaces, such as Guggenheim Museum, Wright was also a prodigious residential architect. The landscape of the United States is still dotted with Wright homes in varying states of preservation. Occasionally these homes come up for sale, giving design lovers an opportunity to own a piece of American design history and serve as custodians of Wright's legacy for future generations of architects. Here's a list of 5 of our favorite Wright Homes currently on the market, and a few for rent, as well. MORE >>
Happy Houseboat
In a 1958 film called The Houseboat, Cary Grant plays a divorced father of three who takes in a free-spirited artist played by Sophia Loren as a housekeeper on his newly-acquired leaky houseboat. Check out the clip below for the scene in which Grant's character, accompanied by a singing Sophia Loren, comes upon his new residence in a most unusual way. MORE >>
Banksy tags LA
As the 2011 Oscar ceremony approaches, speculation has been rife about whether anonymous British street artist Banksy will make an appearance. He's certainly been making his presence felt on the streets of LA. Take this twisted portrayal of Hollywood life that was found embellishing a poster on Sunset Boulevard. It's Mickey and Minnie as you've never seen them before. MORE >>
