The Idealist Magazine: November 2017

Wednesday, 29 November 2017

Hotel EMC2, where art meets science in Chicago

Named after Einstein’s famous theory of relativity, this new 21-storey hotel is aptly situated near the Northwestern University’s research labs and medical school and Chicago’s main tech hub. It’s this fusion of science, innovation and art that has driven the design concept through collaborators David Rockwell and his team with Koo & Associates.

The Rockwell Group are used to merging architecture, theatre, craftsmanship and technology to create unique narratives for their work and this project is another trademark example of their style. Rockwell Group Partner and Studio Leader on this project, Greg Keffer says,

“Through Hotel EMC2, Rockwell Group wanted to capture a moment produced by the intersecting worlds of art and science. The design concept we have created celebrates and brings to life their sense of discovery, creativity and innovation and invites visitors to explore.”

An eclectic entrance

Guests are met with the spirit of discovery when entering the hotel lobby with a two-volume centre-piece, an assemblage of bookcases piled on top of each other like an unexplored attic or a modern day cabinet of curiosities.

Book-cased lined walls extend further into the lobby and reception area creating a series of curios nooks and crannies as places of exploration and relaxation grouped with eclectic furniture, overdyed rugs and quirky objects.

Works of art

A curated collection of art from local and international artists lines the walls within the public spaces adding personality and interest to the lobby and restaurant. The backdrop for the reception area is a folding fabric screen depicting a dream-like state of cloud formations, a custom design by Rockwell Group in a bright polished rose gold and glass. Within the lift there are two-way mirrors and a digital art installation of ink dropping from above displayed on concealed video screens.

The Archive lounge and event space

The second floor, accessed by an interior staircase in a bookcase, leads to the Archive lounge and event space. The lounge is a comfortable play space with plush seating and modern furnishings in further rich hues of rose gold and shades of brown and green. A custom oversized vintage steamer trunk opens to reveal a breakfast space in the morning and a cocktail bar at night. To the side, a glass-walled multi-purpose room overlooks the restaurant’s communal kitchen below. This flexible space can be used a dining room with the lounge reconfigured as a VIP or pre-function space for meetings and events.

The Albert restaurant

The double-height 120 seat restaurant is designed to create a lively casual neighbourhood atmosphere made up of cosy grouped seating whilst behind ribbed glass panels, chef’s tables inside a large expo kitchen offer a theatrical dining experience. In the mornings, hotel guests have breakfast here, entering the space via a secret bookcase entrance. The bar area explores the synthesis of science and art with a custom chandelier comprised of glass cylinders filled with infused liquors suspended over a copper and enamel-clad bar with art work in various stages of completion lines the back wall.

Guest rooms

Copper details are continued in the guest room as frames for large artworks above the bed and bathrooms having copper tubing towel rails, vanity unit and a shower head with exposed pipes. A brass phonograph-style speaker, rotating wooden desk drawers and adjustable lamps are also supported by a copper pole adhering to the vintage, quirky, playful design emanating throughout Hotel EMC2.

ADDRESS: 228 E Ontario St, Chicago, IL 60611, USA

Monday, 27 November 2017

El Pastór – Bringing an Authentic Mexican Aesthetic to Borough Market

‘My books are derived from city images, and the city of my dreams or nightmares is Mexico City.’ –Carlos Fuentes

Few places capture one’s imagination in quite the way that Mexico City does. Today one of the financial and cultural powerhouses of Latin America, the very thought of the city’s sun baked plazas, the kaleidoscopic pastels of its markets and the proud murals of the country’s many chaptered history mentally sets in motion an explosion of colour -total sensorial immersion. So it’s fair to imagine the gargantuan challenge that faced the London-based architectural practice, Michaelis Boyd, who were tasked with capturing the colour and carnivalesque vibrancy of Mexico City when composing the interiors of El Pastór, a London-based Mexican restaurant that pays homage to both Mexico City and the famous al pastor taco- brought to the country in the 19th century by Lebanese immigrants but now synonymous with Mexican culture.

El Pastór is a joint venture between the Hart Brothers, of Barrafina fame, and Crispin Somerville, a founding partner in El Comillo, a seminal underground jazz bar located in the famous Juárez district of Mexico City. So that El Pastór depicted Mexico City with the faithful strokes, Michael Boyd, the Harts and Somerville travelled to the city, intent on authentically bottling the colour, sounds and scents of a local taqueira – a Mexican street food café. Found at No.7A Stoney Street, El Pastór’s brilliant façade, with the name resplendently illuminated in amber-tinged neon, cuts the uniform greys of that have come to characterise our fair city streets. The location also adds to the drama and theatrics of it all. Found under the railway arches that encircle Borough Market, El Pastór shuttered front suddenly refashions itself as a portal from London’s monochromic walkways to the orchestral din of Mexico City’s lanes. We take a look at El Pastór, diligently paying attention to the various elements through which Michaelis Boyd were able to channel the colour and personality of Mexico City, brought right to London’s heart.

Urban Mexico

Michaelis Boyd’s goal with the interior El Pastór was to capture Mexico City’s urbanity in all its candid glory. In order to do this, much of the restaurant’s interior spaces were actually composed according to the vernacular of Mexico City’s avenues; corrugated metal sheets, shutters, and antiqued expose brick dress the walls, whilst a polished concrete floor ornaments the floor, complete with manhole covers – a perfect imitation of the city streets. Michaelis Boyd further develops this narrative through adorning the walls with hand-painted vintage advertisements and other street paraphernalia- a distinct lack of English heightens the idea that defiantly Mexican cultural mode is in operation. Shelving units, antiqued and road worn, allows for intelligent storage flexibility, whilst still retaining the raw and edgy urbanity the Michaelis and Boyd were going for. Gaze upward, and celestially floating above the dining tables are busy networks of light bulbs, which, in star-like fashion, kiss the space with a soft, warm glow reminiscent of the city’s night-time fiesta culture.

However, Michaelis and Boyd did not stop at mere, albeit astoundingly beautiful, visual imitation of Mexico City’s streets with El Pastór. When at the restaurant, diners are immersed in an authentic cultural dialogue, caught in the middle of the action in Mexico City’s streets. Michaelis Boyd achieve this through the inclusion of a real tortilla factory on a mezzanine floor, bringing with it the sights, smells and sounds of Mexico. Similarly, inspired by the city’s food markets, Michaelis Boyd created a mezcleria, finished in a breath taking emerald green marble conglomerate. Immediately behind the bar, the back wall is dressed with both fruit and glass bottles, just as they would be in Mexico.

Take a seat

Michaelis Boyd’s keen eye for detail is also observed with El Pastór’s table arrangements. The restaurants tables sport unique Pyrolave tabletops- lava rock that has been heated and at very high temperatures to yield a vitreous finish. Glazed in a beautifully mottled, sea form green, the tops serve as brilliant accent point whilst still retaining a gritty tactile quality that keeps with the restaurant’s urban feel and ambience. Aside from central, fixed seating areas, satellite tables flaunt woven Afro Chairs by India Mahdavi; each featuring a latticework of brightly coloured threads, wrapped around an elegantly simple metal frame.

In Media Res

With bold tones, flavours, scents and sounds, it is difficult not to imagine oneself as right in the heart of Mexico City when at El Pastór. The uncompromising atmospheric warmth and cultural verisimilitude achieved through Michaelis Boyd’s masterful command of the interiors conjure up soft warmth of sublime, summer evenings spent in the company of friends and lovers. By translating elements straight from Mexico City to the restaurant’s Stone Street location, the sounds the ring in one’s ear, the sights that envelop one’s eyes and scents that fragrance the room are that of Mexico City’s, even though they are encountered in the heart of London.

Sunday, 26 November 2017

Tewkesbury Park Hotel – timeless design with a welcoming and luxurious feel

Friday, 24 November 2017

Get The Look: Relaxed dining for winter suppers

As the days grow shorter and gloom descends, gathering for a meal at the end of the day, whether with family or friends, becomes a source of comfort and warmth. Make sure your dining area is ready to provide the cosy for hearty winter suppers to linger over.

Tables & Chairs

If you have the space, start with a really great table, sturdy and substantial enough to accommodate family service (where plates of food are left on the table for everyone to take as much as they like).

This refectory style table in oak seats up to 12 with an extension and works well with mid century modern, Scandanavian and contemporary interiors. £995 Pair it with a matching bench on one side and champagne-coloured upholstered chairs on the other for a more intimate and relaxed take on dinner seating. £350 / £315

For a rustic bistro look, start with this oak and whitewash farm table. £1235

Your guests, especially the younger ones, will enjoy settling into a cushy settee for supper. It’s more laid back than individual dining chairs and can add considerable charm as well.

We love this Tetrad Harris tweed settee with button details. £1599 For a bolder statement, use this saffron two-seater on one side, and a few comfy velvet dining chairs in contrasting colours on the other. £450 / £95

Tableware

Set your winter supper table with dishes that are casual, sturdy and colourful. This faience Citron earthenware series from Maisons du monde will add a sunny hit to the dinner service. £50

For something a bit more earthy and dramatic, consider this dark graphite stoneware series from Portugal – off set with gold, copper or bronze flatware and accessories for maximum gleam. £95

Accessories in organic materials can also add to the textural and atmospheric warmth of your table. We’re thinking punctuating items such as this solid teak hand hewn bowl, for example, or several of these hand glazed serving platters. £95 / £30

Turn on the Heat

In a dining room, decorative elements that utilize light, reflection and heat will go a long way to establishing a cosy ambiance. A fireplace would be nice – but realistically, few of us have one in our home, never mind dining room. This freestanding Imagin bioethanol fireplace could change all that. Amazingly, it’s portable and requires no complicated ducts or flues. £430

You can get that same soothing effect of dancing flames by carefully choosing light fixtures and decorative elements that amplify and refract light. We love these black and yellow pendant lights hung in a series over the dinner table. They’re contemporary yet cast an old fashioned glow. £95

Add Accessories

This wall installation does something similar while providing a talking point and casting a soft pink glow (the most flattering kind for the human face) over your guests. Great in rooms with a pale colour scheme, we see it hanging over a sturdy sideboard, such as this quietly stunning chalky grey piece from Loaf. £93/ £825

Mirrors are also a wonderful way to spread warmth and light over the proceedings. Especially when combined with candlelight. This sunburst mirror would look great in a dining room with its convex glass and antiqued gold rays. £161

Cooking hearty meals to share with family and friends is a great strategy for making it through the dark and slushy days and nights of winter with a warm feeling inside. You don’t need a dedicated dining room for relaxed winter suppers – whatever you’re working with can be dressed up with ambient light sources, cosy materials and and a eye on comfort.

Thursday, 23 November 2017

Our 10 Favourite Winter Home Accessories

We all love summer, but many of us welcome the blustery autumn and winter days, cherishing the prospect of that cosy home feeling. It seems nearly everything changes with the seasons, including our favourite foods and drinks, the music we listen to, and even the way we style our homes.

Each season provides a unique opportunity for a redecoration. Winter is no different. As the possibility for snow arises and the weather shifts from mild fall breezes to chilling winter winds, it’s the perfect time to get your home ready for the holidays. If you’re looking for tips on how to style your home like a winter wonderland, check out these 10 home winter accessories we’ve found.

10 Home Accessories for the cold Winter

Getting Cosy

If there’s one thing you want during the winter, it’s staying warm. The easiest way to do that on those cold winter days—aside from cranking up the heat—is to get some nice blankets. The Brilliant blanket from Loaf is a great choice because it’s both lightweight and large enough to cover any bed.

However, if you need something a bit warmer, the perfect solution is a sinfully soft, but sinless, faux fur throw from Feather & Black.

If you prefer your winter blankets with a bit of Christmas flare, John Lewis has some beautiful throw blankets, including this red woodland throw.

There’s no better complement to blankets than some beautiful cushions. If you prefer a small square cushion, these faux fur cushions from Feather & Black are great—plus they’ll match their throw.

If you prefer something a bit more traditional and homely, try this stunning grey cable knit cashmere mix cushion.

Or pair this red knitted reindeer cushion from John Lewis with the red woodland throw from the same brand to create a cohesive combo that serves as a perfect reminder that Christmas is right around the corner.

Warming the Winter Glow

A cosy winter wouldn’t be so cosy without candles. The smell, the warm feeling… you can never go wrong with candles. This cream vanilla scented candle will fill your home with scents reminiscent of warm baked goods.

For those of you who can’t get enough Christmas spirit—not that we blame you—check out some of the scented glass candles available at Maisons du Monde.

They even have a candle with a vivid winter scene inside featuring an adorable little mouse.

If you prefer your candles with no scent, you still have plenty of options. This white curved candle has a unique look that will provide gentle, warm light in your living room for hours on end.

You can even toss some tea lights in a decorative holder, like this copper lotus tea light holder from John Lewis.

Tuesday, 21 November 2017

Get The Look: Antiques + Ultra-Modern

For those confident enough to ignore rules and conventions, mixing and matching furniture pieces from different historical eras can be lots of fun.

There is an art to combining looks but it’s a good one to master – because everyone has an heirloom piece or two that they just can’t part with. Fortunately, Grandmother’s Victorian sideboard can co-exist happily with your own mid-century modern sensibility, alongside a few ultra-modern pieces your partner feels strongly about. It’s all a question of layering texture and colour, editing and juxtaposing.

Your goal is to ensure that each piece has its perfect place in a coherent whole.

Here are a few ideas:

In very broad terms, antique implies luxury and a sense of the ornate while modern values are more often associated with minimalism. The simplest way to mix the two is just to put them together in a single working unit. So, for a dining room think of a very modern table with vintage chairs. Or an antique find of a sideboard floating just past an ultra-modern dining set. See how this very contemporary oak and grey dining set from Habitat could hold its own next to a much more complexly textured antique-style mirrored sideboard from Artisanti? £490.00 /£1050

Antique Dishes

Or imagine the sophistication of antique dishes on a modern table. The contrast couldn’t be greater between this sleek black and copper dining table and a set of multi-hued Wedgewood dishes that recall Edwardian times. £715 / £170 Yet somehow the elements speak to each other. If you have your own ornate (gilt-edged?) heirloom china passed down through generations, all the better.

Sitting Area

Another way to create a framework in which to mix the antique and the modern is to layer colour… or do away with it altogether. The California design studio Shabby Chic created a strategy for blending disparate styles by limiting rooms’ colour palette to tones of white, cream and very light pastels. You can adopt the same method for blending antiques and more modern pieces.

So a monochromatic palette in a study or office could combine an antique style bleached wood writing desk, this one from Loaf £775, with a chair that boasts a more modern aesthetic like this metal and linen number, also from Loaf. £320

Decorate

Accessorise in either direction. For example, this carved frame mirror reads vintage, while this metal mirror from Maisons du Monde references more space age values. £75 / £287.50

Add a Layer

Rugs are also great for reinforcing a mix and match theme. You can stick with the monochromatic option but add another layer of texture with something like this cream tin ceiling inspired Morris and Co rug. £480 Or if you simply can’t resist adding a punch of colour, consider a modern bold graphic rug or the muted tones of an antique Persian carpet. This traditional style Pazyrk in 100% wool is a great substitute for the real thing. £625

For the Bedroom

In a bedroom you could set a Regency style bench at the foot of a clean lined contemporary bed frame to signal a multi-era design scheme. This French Rococo bench from Swoon Editions comes traditionally upholstered in several muted fabrics. £299 The bed, from John Lewis, is also upholstered in linen but in a very contemporary way. £1050

Antique Twist

There’s another way to slyly time travel through design eras: with a unique work of mashup art. This Sèvres Dicranocephalus Wallichii AP giclée print by Magnus Gjoen takes the Victorian convention of displaying insects, and adds an early 18th century reference to fine porcelain for a very contemporary twist. £435

Whether you are a collector of museum quality antique furniture pieces, or just the recipient of some much loved hand me downs, don’t let anyone tell you they won’t sit well with a modern design aesthetic. Place each element carefully and you can enjoy it all, no matter its lineage.

Thursday, 16 November 2017

Dream Hollywood Hotel: Iconic mid-century design meets LA style.

Surrounded by the famous Hollywood hills, the Dream Hollywood Hotel has been designed in reference to the iconic mid-century modern architecture of Los Angeles by the Rockwell Group, a New York based architectural practice. Along with his team, led by Rockwell Group Partner and Studio Leader Shawn Sullivan, they have created a contemporary framework for the lobby, guest rooms and rooftop amenities. The 178 room hotel is moments from the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the landmark Grauman’s Chinese Theatre with views of the iconic Hollywood sign and the city’s skyline from the rooftop bar, lounge and restaurant.

Respected mid-century architects in such as John Launter, Richard Neutra and others were the inspiration for the hotel drawing on their residential work in California. Garden-inspired elements and plush upholstery were key components to creating an experience that is the perfect blend of hyper-chic and comfort.

A Sense of Space

Reflected in the landscape and neighbouring hillside properties, the hotel has strong, seamless visual connections between the indoors and outdoors. This is evident as soon as guests enter the lobby with it’s double height entrance space opening up to a landscaped pedestrian ‘path’ Subtle tiling leads to a reception and concierge area with a focal point of an oversized stone fireplace inspired by the hearths found in many mid-century Los Angeles homes.

A Sense of Play

Even when walking around the hotel there’s a playful hint of the outdoors with strips of grass set between stone tile flooring and corridor ceilings lit in a way to echo sunlight streaming in through the wooden slats. Custom carpets are based on abstract random patterns created when light hits the floor and in the lobby area at night there are lights mimicking the shadows cast by the sun hitting the trees.

A Sense of Nature

The two colour schemes for the guest rooms were inspired by colours found in nature. The first was inspired by sky, water and white houses against a desert backdrop with a palette of blues, whites and the neutral tones accented with orange. The second palette draws from the warmer hues of a sunset.

A Sense of Openness

Each guest room has been designed to convey a modern sense of openness with large windows linking the outside and inside worlds. Internally, the bathroom and sleeping areas are divided by a row of freestanding, bronze shelving units that support the bathroom sink, mirror and mini bar. The bathroom walls and walkway are clad in reclaimed wooden tiles arranged in an exaggerated parquet pattern, adding texture, interest and warmth to the rooms.

A Sense of Calm

The Guest House is a spacious, glass-walled retreat inspired by the clean simplicity of mid-century architecture. Floor to ceiling windows maximise the sweeping views of the Los Angeles cityscape and a glass-enclosed daybed surrounded by views of the trees provides a cosy area for lounging with an additional dining/bar area and a living room with a feature marble wall.

A Sense of Sophistication

Located on the rooftop of the hotel is the Highlight Room, an outdoor bar, lounge and restaurant covered by a retractable roof enclosure with views of the city skyline and iconic Hollywood sign. The pool area offers guests intimate seating such as two-person chaises and raised cabanas with a retractable top and sides or there is more communal seating with a fire pit area for guests to gather. However you choose to relax, this is pure Hollywood sophistication.

ADDRESS: Hotel address 6417 Selma Avenue, Los Angeles, California.

Wednesday, 29 November 2017

An eclectic entrance

Works of art

The Archive lounge and event space

The Albert restaurant

Guest rooms

You May Also Like

Monday, 27 November 2017

Urban Mexico

Take a seat

In Media Res

You May Also Like

Sunday, 26 November 2017

Friday, 24 November 2017

Tables & Chairs

Tableware

Turn on the Heat

Add Accessories

You May Also Like

Thursday, 23 November 2017

10 Home Accessories for the cold Winter

Getting Cosy

Warming the Winter Glow

You May Also Like

Tuesday, 21 November 2017

Antique Dishes

Sitting Area

Decorate

Add a Layer

For the Bedroom

Antique Twist

You May Also Like

Thursday, 16 November 2017

A Sense of Space

A Sense of Play

A Sense of Nature

A Sense of Openness

A Sense of Calm

A Sense of Sophistication

You May Also Like