:: THANK YOU :: I'm still alive

:: THANK YOU :: I'm still alive

It's been a long time since I have posted new articles.  I apologize for the delay in updating my readers.  With a busy schedule of operating  / re-building a design business and then also updating all my computer systems, I am finally going to start again and share with readers the modern inspiration that fuels the projects we are working on.  In attempt to bring back blogging into my daily schedule, I thought instead of trying to come up with an article and getting stuck with the formatting ... I will start by including you all in my daily sourcing and share with you the various processes we work through.  It will also open up opportunities of having my current clients participate in the exchange of design ideas and as well colleagues share each of of their critical reviews on the topics published.

@pinterest
Images are worth a thousand words, see what takes my breath away or keeps me inspired on my daily reads.

@modern604
A place to document the local creative talent we are so fortunate to be inspired by right here in our own Beautiful Vancouver British Columbia Canada.

@photography.gaileguevara
When not an interior designer or creative by day, then a photographer in practice learning to capture the beautiful people I am so fortunate to have in my life.

Thank you all for your emails, comments and support over the past years.  I look forward to starting up the dialogue on modern design with all of you again.  

MODERN VANCOUVER - Gastown - Part 3

The talent that surrounds me in our Gastown neighborhood is inspiring. I live in a work live loft building that is full of creative talents. With our love for New York city, we decided that Gastown neighbourhood was the closest fit to one of our favourite cities. Living in this neighbourhood has transformed our perception of Vancouver making us excited to live here again.

To name a few of the talents that inspire me:

Small world to hear another lovely neighbor has joined our gastown community and an even more pleasant surprise to hear that the lovely couple on Abbott street has chosen the talent of our local architect Nigel Parish of SPLYCE ARCHITECTURE.

My neighbors at Koret Lofts are all super talented. To name a few of the uber talent that surrounds me ... here are some the Koret talent that inspire me:

Stu Waddell and Paul Conder amazing energy. Waddell and Conder create destination environments for clients who believe today’s leading edge sales and marketing is done by communicating a brand story through a multidisciplinary, multi-sensory experience. These “Spaces that Communicate” include presentation centers for resort real estate and master planned communities, interpretive centers, concept retail, themed interiors and food and beverage.

MODERN VANCOUVER - part 2 (Life in Gastown)

Photography by Evan Haveman

Interior of one of our favorite fashion designers 

I am inspired by Hajnalka's energy, a fashion model now designer sharing her dream of design in this beautiful shop off Abbott Street. "Fashion with soul and clothing that speaks one of a kind" - are my first thoughts walking into Mandula.  A beautiful boutique that reminded me of the sophisticated subtly of natural materials layered with unconventional detailing. It is the detailing of these clothes that caught my attention.  Love the creative and the beautiful fashionista behind these unique pieces.  From designer to clothing and presented in one of my favorite boutiques here in Gastown.

Living in Historic Gastown has been a wonderful experience; it reminds us a bit of living in our favorite city, New York.  This community contains a mix of cool boutiques, great restaurants and a collection of creative studios which form some of my favorite sources of inspiration.

I think many have a false perception of Gastown and may consider it a somewhat undesirable less polished neighborhood.  The series of articles to follow, I plan to share with you this gem of a community. I live in a work live building called Koret Lofts - open concept suites where the only enclosed rooms are the storage room and the toilet room.  A modular white galley kitchen with a glass surround Duravit tub and open shower ... best of all, I feel lucky to have one of few suites with exposed concrete walls.  For those who in contrast live in small sub-divided boxes, there is something to be said to live in an open plan ... I am grateful to live in 1,000 sq.ft of open space.  

Once again - thank you to all the readers who send me their heart filled emails and to online networks who have asked me to join their team of writers. I plan to start writing again in collaboration with the people who value the sharing of resources and inspire individuals like myself to be an active part of making Vancouver a leader in modern design. Cheers to the days ahead of sharing what we love most - a passion for pushing the boundaries and believing we are an integral part to making a difference.

MODERN VANCOUVER part I

FRESH and BACK ... (above is an image of our front entry.  Living in a loft, we're lucky to have exposed poured concrete walls as a back drop for a floral arrangement I change with each season - it's amazing how fresh flowers can bring a sense of calm each time I come home ... floating white orchids once submerged. These lovely buds last longer than most flowers, if you change the water once a week.  Note: to fill the vase using a wide spray faucet while filling the vase to make the water bubble, the more air bubbles you add the better - you get an amazing effect to a floral submerged in water.  The bubbles collect amongst the petals and with the buds slightly submerged the scale of the floral is magnified.  A collection of oversized glass vessels translate into more creative & artistic installations, where we combine submerged florals with floating or votive candles.  Adding a layering of single stem flowers combines into a simple yet sophisticated arrangement.  Repetition, scale, keeping it simple makes for bigger impact.) To most this arrangement is too simple but that's why I love it - less is more ... if I had more space I would have a collection of 12 vases ...

It's been a while since I've posted and I just wanted to drop a quick hello, yes I am still alive post. Thank you to all my readers who have been writing me with their support and kind comments.  I wanted to let you all know, I plan to start blogging again.  With recent meetings and working with amazing people, I am inspired to share with all of you what I have been up to and to why I decided to make Vancouver home base.  Stay tuned ... I plan to write on all the modern inspiration I have found in Vancouver in addition to sharing the happenings along the way from my last visit to ICFF this past May.   Till my next post, please stay tuned ... 

MODERN DESIGN: PROVIDE HOME

Where to start ... with my recent relocation to the gastown neighborhood, it is the community of creative individuals that have drawn me in and helped me find my new love for Vancouver. Immediately from street scape PROVIDE HOME caught my eye. A sophisticated white interior complimented with local fir paneling and a unique custom line of fir furniture. A modern interior that features unique home accessories from some of my favorites: beautiful modern pottery from Rina Menardi to hand blown glass light fixtures from Niche Modern, to glass candle holders from Laurence Brabant, Paris, or the glass collection from Anna Torfs or Lawrence. For those who appreciate the art of Pottery, each of the pieces produced by Rina Menardi are sculptural pieces, seeing them in context with modern furniture will give you a good sense of how they compliment modern interiors, even the family at Inform Interiors showcases them in their B&B Italia room settings. I first came across the beautiful hand blown light fixtures in New York when I attended ICFF (International Contemporary Furniture Fair) and was in awe of their modern translation of the traditional exposed bulb, what a pleasant surprise to see that Provide Home introduced this New York design company to Vancouver by providing a couple of my favorite restaurants Chambar & Medina Cafe with their accent lighting.

In contrast to a previous negative comment about this retail space being "pretentious?" - it does take a sophisticated eye to appreciate good design. There are no knock offs or cheap representations here, only fine investment pieces that are all about quality. What I love about this neighborhood boutique is that the Owners Robert Quinnell and David Keeler feature a number of local designers and artists as well. Too often our local talents are missed, Provide Home provides a platform to showcase the local creative community. Check out the jewelry designed by Shereen de Rousseau or the resin vases of Martha Sturdy or the stationary designs of The Pink Door Company.

As an interior designer constantly sourcing unique product for clients, what a pleasant surprise to see this lovely modern interior become my lifestyle specialty boutique right here in Vancouver.

Provide Home carries a selection of unique home accessories that exclusive to their showroom - some of my favorites to add to my list above ADONDE, TICHELARR ceramics, DAFF FELT, CALEB SIEMEN, MAISON ET OBJET to EX VETO, ENO, MUUTO to JUDY ROSS textiles.

To learn more about exciting new products from Provide Home, Robert  recently joins the blogging world through Provide's blog where he shares with readers his favorite modern design sources.