I'm crazy about Brass these days. I love the warmth that this metal finish holds in comparison to cold steel and glaring polished gold (which can often give off a green tint). A lot of my older friends or clients hear the word brass and gasp. It's commonly associated with a dated look for some reason. Don't get me wrong, there is a time and place for any finish. But the truth is, brass is very popular in the design world today as it is commonly offered as a finish option.
It's been a while since I've had a source of inspiration for a side project. A side project for me is always an ambition, a wild dream and a rebellious idea. This particular daydream is sort of a new interpretation for an existing fashion label.
My history in retail actually began with this brand and I find it sort of ironic that it has, in one way or another, stumbled back into my life. It's as if everything comes full circle in life. Well, my idealist nature fantasizes that it could come full circle and be a break my career could prosper from.
I was looking through a magazine featuring accessories from the SS14 runway shows, and someone asked me how fashion inspires me. I looked down at the page at a featured pump. It was pieced of patent leather and suede with spikes attached to the back. I looked to the shoe as an example and said, "Take this shoe as a dining room chair. You could upholster the seat and seat back in the patent leather, so that it's easy to clean. Cover the back of the chair in the suede and apply the spikes as a decorative touch to give it an edge."
Electric Light Orchestra! Or, according to their US audience in the nineteen seventies, "the English guys with big fiddles". ELO were a British rock group from Birmingham, England from 1971-1986 with a brief reunion in 2001.
Another birthday has come and gone, and another theme has gone down in the history book of Dallas Amante. You may remember previous birthday themes - La Grande Revue 31 and XXX: Dirty Thirty. This time, the theme was Sweet SixteenX2 to celebrate turning 32 (you get the math, right?).
Wow! A random search for "Leather Nightstand" on 1st Dibs provided me with about a dozen options and my jaw dropped when these beauty's showed up.
Simon Hassan designed these nightstands (more like sculptures) in 2010. They are constructed of polished brass drawers enveloped in boiled leather. How amazing would these be for a contemporary ranch house? Think Ralph Lauren meets Alexander Wang.
How about a little runway fashion for some home goods inspiration? Dsquared² always delivers high fashion, high energy, high glamour looks that I covet each season. I've taken some looks from the women's Spring Summer 2013 show and created some pillows to toughen up every glamour girl's bedroom.
For the Central Coast home I've been working on, there is one room that I am particularly excited about - the Kid's Room! It's planned to be a "bunk house" with multiple beds and a small media center to keep them entertained when the beach is closed.
The easiest solution for a seaside Kid's Room is pirate ships and sea shells. But, I'm hoping to accomplish a more versatile design that can easily grow with the children.
Since we are on the subject of the seventies, and I haven't done a fashion feature in a while, let's get sexy for some Boogie Nights!
I'm in love with this Gucci Aristographic Glittered Plexiglass Clutch! It wreaks of excess which is what disco was all about. The application of glitter on the plexiglass reminds me of some piece of delightfully tacky seventies furniture or art.
I've always been a huge fan of the seventies. Disco, roller skates, sequins, Studio 54 and scruffy guys in tiny shorts. Not so much seventies movies, but love movies about the seventies (i.e. Boogie Nights and American Hustle).
Most people would associate an Interior Designer with only the furniture selection for a residence. The common misconception is that we just pick out pillows and chairs and sometimes paint colors. That's why we stress the difference between a "decorator" and a "designer". On a ground up construction the Interior Designer is often consulted on the smallest design aesthetics like door knobs and base boards, and usually continuously works with the architect revising the floor plan.
It's that time of year again! The Autumn-Winter 2014 Fashion Shows are invading the runways. I always check out my favorite shows first (DSquared!). But, I was pleasantly surprised to find a new brand to covet - Andrea Pompilio.
The above photo is from the offices of Dallas Amante. An inspiration board for a residential project by the sea! I'm sharing this with you to allow you to see how fashion, color and texture inspire me as a designer.
