Some of us, no names mentioned, love to luxuriate in a well appointed bathroom. It helps when it is a bright, pleasing and well designed space rather than a utilitarian room full of sinks, tubs and showers. Ideally a spa-like space for relaxing and catering to our body’s well being. Laura Mannes of Laura Mannes Design is responsible for this transformation. She tells us she set about creating a clean and modern aesthetic that was also natural, warm and inviting.
The tub you are currently admiring is Napoli by Victoria + Albert with a Hansgrohe tub filler from the Axor Massaud collection. Victoria + Albert’s Englishcast bathtubs are made from natural volcanic limestone which has exceptional strength and heat insulating properties. We love Victoria + Albert, and not just because they are sponsoring Blogtour. Laura’s choice just shows that she is a designer with impeccable taste.
A quick word about what Laura has done with the windows. She has used a woven wood top down-bottom up shade which is transparent enough to allow light to filter through while still providing privacy. Inexpensive, works well and provides a good counter balance to the tub and tile .
And the tile? The large format wall tiles are from Laura’s favourite Porcelanosa. The floor tiles may look like concrete but are, in fact, porcelain. We agree with Laura who has a taste for fully tiled walls, much more common in Europe than the USA.
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Dwell on Design opened on June 24. In amongst the 200 exhibitors are a good many old friends and some new faces we feel the need to introduce you to. Here’s our top picks all in one place!
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Modwalls
Booth Number: 1030
www.modwalls.com
On Modenus
‘Making tile modern’, they say. Well they certainly make modern tiles. When you see their range, including their gorgeous glass tiles, a personal favourite, you can see why this is the name that springs to mind when so many designers look to source tile for client’s projects. We’ve heard rumours that they are bringing a couple of new lines with them to Dwell. Always good people to seek out. Say ‘hi’ from Modenus.
Native Trails
Booth Number: 220
www.nativetrails.net
A good tub is a guarantee of a place on any Modenus preview list. And this, my friends, is a very good tub from what appears to be a very good company. The tub is called Aspen and, like other Native Trails products, it is handcrafted using recycled material. I know I should be writing a little more about Native Trails here but, if it’s ok with you, lets just look at their lovely tub for a while instead. Ahhhhhhhhhh. Thank you.
Peter Francis
Booth Number: 715
peterfrancisdesign.com
According to the Dwell on Design website ‘Peter Francis furniture is designed by Peter Saloom’. So why isn’t it Peter Saloom furniture? If you go to the show you’ll have to ask. His, let’s just say Peter’s, furniture is made from solid Maple, it is uncompromisingly modern but has a simplicity and confidence about it which is appealing. Unmistakably American, there are traditional woodworking techniques deployed here.
This is the second of our Dwell On Design previews. Our top picks from the show out West. More soon.
In honor of the upcoming nuptials (and I think we all know of whom we speak), our gift to the soon-to-be royal couple might be something with as much historical relevance as Buckingham Palace (okay almost as much.) But really – since 1898, the Barber brothers have been crafting brass works – or plumbing fixtures as they are now known, with an eye towards longevity – literally crafting history. Continue Reading…
Modenus Tim is packing his new Gresham Blake suit, counting his Euros, and heading off to Milan. He is as excited as we are jealous but looking forward to some entertaining interior design blogs. But what is he expecting to see? We’ve been highlighting our picks from the main show but there is a lot more to Milan than the Salone. We had a sneaky look at Tim’s diary – here are some of the places he hopes to be.
First stop will be Molteni the French maker of luxury stoves which are veritable altars of the art of cooking and entertaining. Many of them are roughly the size of Tim’s kitchen so we can expect plans for buying next door and knocking through when he has seen a few of these. When he saw the pictures he was completely speechless. Expect to see him fondly stroking some spectacular kitchen equipment in Pavilion 20.
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Drop ceilings were the love child of the 70′s and 80′s when style clearly was not an issue. What better way to deal with wiring and venting but simply drop the ceiling to 7′ or even lower and just throw all the unsightly stuff into the little crawl space, genius idea and a never ending source of remodeling dilemmas for those having to deal with it today. Trouble is that, especially in condo construction some of the drop ceiling has to be left for just this purpose since relocating unsightly wires and recessed can lights is often not an option since the ceiling is often solid or simply too costly.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t raise at least a portion of it either by creating a soffit around the room’s perimeter in larger spaces or as In Detail have created here, a raised area to accomodate a rain head and recessed lighting. We love the tile accent which ties this small but impressive feature into the bath design.
Clever huh? More pictures follow.
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This is clearly a master bathroom in need of help. Whoever thought that dividing an already small space into vanity and shower areas was sorely mistaken. The client wanted something sleek and modern. He also needed more storage space for every day items. In Detail worked their magic by removing the dividing wall as well as the alcove tub to create a walk-in shower. The design team introduced very masculine, Asian inspired colors and elements to create a modern yet warm and organic space. We love the effect of the Stone Forest vessel sink picking up on the slate used in the shower. More pictures follow.
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Maybe you can imagine the brief – “lose the table tennis table, replace it with a drum sett and, I’d rather like this giant ornamental horse in the corner.” Now we don’t know if that was what the client actually said, but we do know he asked Spaces Designed to turn an ordinary house, with a traditional aesthetic, into a cool yet eccentric lounge that compliments his art collection and serves as the perfect backdrop for a soiree. As ever, with Spaces Designed, there are many more excellent pictures to follow. Continue Reading…
When we received these pictures from Spaces Designed we all stopped work and passed them around Modenus Towers. We’ve got more really great before and after pics of this project so keep reading!
Spaces Designed transformed a fifteen year-old traditional tract home into a sleek and modern retreat. The project exemplifies the age-old design adage “less is more”. Continue Reading…
Here’s what we love about mid-century modern. We love the timelessness of the style, the fact that many of it’s elements are rooted in the once necessary post war simplicity and yet, harmonize perfectly with today’s design and architecture. Never offending or appearing out of style, always fresh, inspired and inviting. And yes, mid-century has enough of an edge to make us smile and hold our attention and that isn’t always easy. Going another step further in this philosophy is a Modenus favorite, Modwalls, who’s fun and very modern tile collection is an intricate part of a newly renovated 1950′s lodge in Big Sur, CA and not just any old lodge, but the Glen Oaks motor lodge, recently featured in Travel & Leisure magazine as one of the most romantic hotels in the world. Continue Reading…
