Head over Nails

It has been about a year since I started getting full exposure to the interior design world, and many things have changed on the way I see furniture, accessories and spaces. I must say, one of the most dramatic ones is my view of nailheads. I am going crazy about them.

Little I knew about the beauty and versatility  of nailheads, and I am still learning. Here a quick introduction to Nailheads 101 … to go head over nails.

Nailheads have been used as a traditional upholstery detail for hundreds of years. Nowadays they are having a come back in all sorts of places.

They give style and spice to simple pieces of furniture ... and you can add them yourself.

• First of all choose the piece of furniture that you would want to revamp
• Choose your favorite nailheads, and make sure they match your piece and your style
• Define the distance that you want them to be from one another and where on the piece you would like to see them
• Start nailing them and seeing how they look
• Enjoy the project and the final piece
• More detailed instructions at: Isabella & Max rooms

Use them on lamps such as this Mitchell Gold Leather Lamp

On mirrors such as this exotic Safari Mirror from Ralph Lauren Home

Play with designs on cabinets such as this pristine Visconti Large Cabinet from The Bungalow 5 collection

Or why not beautifying your waste basket like the peeps at DRANSFIELD & ROSS have done it

Giving style to simple pieces such as this Happiness Round Ottoman from Tomlinson/Erwin-Lambeth

And even adding them to that one room in need of a unique touch

There are rustic iron nails such as these from Mexico

And many other materials, sizes

patterns, finishes, light and dark, shiny and matte

Even artists such as Korean Sculptor Jae-Hyo Lee use them on their furniture!

Happy nails everyone!

Noche de Los Muertos – San Francisco

According to Wikipedia the Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos) is a Mexican holiday that brings together family and friends to pray for those ones who have died. The holiday has spread throughout the world: In Brasil’s Dia de …

Love doesn’t know age

Today’s post is not Design related, yet it was inspired by the design of love.

Last week, I began the Design workshops at a new house called Albachiara which is also an emergency center where street kids are taken to be put into rehabilitation programs. When I started the workshop one of the kids caught my attention as his face’s left side was all bitten up. To be honest, I felt intimidated by him no only because of his face’s wounds, but also because he didn’t speak to the other kids and felt disconnected.

On the second day, he came to me and asked me if he could tell me something. I said yes. He told me that he was worried about his “woman” as he had been taken into the emergency center and his family probably didn’t know he was there. I asked, why are you worried about your “woman”? He told me she was pregnant and he didn’t want her to think that he had disappeared of her life just because she was pregnant. I asked him to give me what he wanted to tell her that I would do something to make sure his “woman” knew he was living now at the emergency center.

He wrote this letter to his “woman”

Love letter from sixteen year old boy to his "woman"

(Translation)

Hi:

My love, I only write to let you know that “I haven’t left you” and to tell you that I love you specially because of that little person that you have in your belly. I will never leave you!. My little princess I am in Albachiara in the neighborhood xx xx. I will be here for about fifteen days. I only ask you to wait for me to raise the baby that is on its way. I only ask you to wait for me that as soon as I can, I will go to your side because I love you and I am not an inept to raise our baby. Try to survive these days that as soon as I get there, believe me, you won’t have necessities. I love you.

A big kiss to you and the baby.

Soon to be father ... here his facial wounds are almost healed.

I was no able to get the letter to the girl, but I was able to make sure his family and specially his aunt (which lived in the same neighborhood as the pregnant girl) knew he was now in a rehabilitation center. Today, he wasn’t part of the Albachiara house anymore, as he had been taken to a stable home where he can be in touch with his “woman” and his baby.

With this letter, he taught me that Love has no age, social status, nor education. This boy will do what it takes to be a responsible father even if he has to be so at the age of sixteen.

Much love,

~Isa

Prototype development at Fundacion Niños de Los Andes

Hi all. I wanted to share with you the latest images of prototypes that the teenagers at Fundacion Niños de Los Andes and I have been working on for the last couple of weeks. These are musical instruments made with reclaimed plastic lids and inspired in the teenagers’ personal experiences.

Hope you enjoy them …

iDo Colombia: Week 1 at Fundación Niños de Los Andes

Did you know that your body is capable of getting used to many environments? including highly polluted ones? Yes! Finally my throat doesn’t hurt and my eyes don’t cry any more. I have assimilated Bogota’s pollution.

On Tuesday June 13th, I began to apply my design curriculum with the teenagers from the Children of the Andes Foundation. Although the first day was overwhelming and challenging, as of today, I have learned so much from the kids and am more than happy to have the opportunity of working with them.

Day 1: I introduced the kids to the world of design by presenting a visual gallery with designs made by Charles and Ray Eames, Eero Saarine, Le Corbusier, Carlos Montana, Custo Barcelona, Desigual and truly yours Isabel Perdomo. I also shared with them inspiring art by Van Gogh, Cezanne, Rodin, Botero and Guayasamin.

They thought about identification through art and design, as well as the different ways design affects their life and they affect design. At the end of the class they made road maps on how they identify themselves through design and exposed their ideas to the class.

Creating road maps in relation to Identification and Design

Day 2 & 3: I introduced them to the creative process by creating a visual gallery in which I showed my personal process to produce the Albero Lamp and the Gaudi Pen. They learned the words sketch and prototype.

After understanding the process of design, they began the sketching process in which they explored their inspirations and how they could transform them into musical instruments.

At the beginning of day 3, I showed them their constrains (exclusive materials they could use when making a musical instrument) that way they could start thinking as a designer (within constrains). In addition, I created a visual gallery with different instruments around the world that could serve as inspiration. On this day their sketches started taking a much more design oriented form. At the end of the day, we had a critique session in which each student exposed his inspiration and possible idea for his design.

Sketching and Critiquing work in order to design a musical instrument

Day 4: Today we began making the first prototype of what will be a musical instrument made with reclaimed plastic lids and leather. I showed them how to use the crop-a-dile, gave them materials to build their prototype and helped them to solve design problems.

We played music and enjoyed ourselves as we wandered around the world of design with our own hands. Today, was the most productive day and, to be honest, the most exciting. Indeed, they like to use their hands and their imagination. Some kids worked on their own, while others partnered with a close friend in order to explore and create.

Exploring, creating, working together, Designing!

Please feel free to comment and of course to follow this blog in order to receive updates of this exciting and inspiring project.

Warm regards,

Isabel

iDo Colombia – Segunda Parte

Done and done with classes . Now my main focus is to continue the development of my graduate creative work. That is: iDo Colombia, Industrial Design Outreach for at risk teenagers in Bogota, Colombia. In less than a month, I’ll …

Bags Across the Globe (BAG)

Last Monday, I went to UC Davis to meet with my graduate thesis external advisor Ann Savageau. She also invited me to speak at her sustainable design class which happened to be visiting the UCD Design Museum. While at the …

DIY Living Wall

Busy busy busy, that is all I have to say. I hope you enjoyed the bus shelter entry from last month. Here I am again with some fascinating design solutions. Along with Elsa Chen a peer Design and Industry student …

Rock-N-Roll sew that beer koozie

Wednesday night, I had the opportunity of taking a Rock-N-Roll Sewing for beginners class at Workshop SF and have to admit having a fabulous time learning how to use a sewing machine while listening to old Rock-N-Roll.

Caitlin our teacher is a rad fashion designer and entrepreneur graduated from CCA with a hard rock style and great sense of humor. In class, we learned the anatomy of a sewing machine, how to thread a bobbing and basically roll and rock our creativity with the sewing machine.

By the end of the three-hour class we had learned how to make a beer koozie and a secret pocket to place inside a pillowcase. “A pocket for what? Extra lighters, secret stash, late night “protection”, trapping the tooth fairy ” you name it.

Root Beer Koozie

Workshop SF is an eight-hundred square foot space on McAllister and Baker in San Francisco. It offers DIY classes taught by fabulous, creative folks from the Indie Mart, local designers, and, Kelly Malone (owner). “Classes range from the single class for the commitment-phobics, to the more detailed, multi-day classes for those truly desiring to learn their craft. Workshop is equipped with a complete silk screening facility, sewing machines, button machines,and lots of tools for cutting, printing, building, and making. Workshop also offers a library stocked with how-to books, design books, and old magazines to turn the light bulb over your head to ON”

My class was from 7:30 pm to 10:30 pm, and I must admit, those have been some of the most productive and fun hours of my summer. Indeed, I plan on coming back to take Sewing 102: Alterations And Reconstruction or How To Sew: Simple Denim Totes and Hobo Bags, and why not Indie Biz 101: Starting In The Design Business.

Visit their blog for other super creative activities.

Till next week,

Isabel

Margherita Marchioni (via WeWasteTime)

Some of these projects remind me so much of some the work done at Michelle Kaufmann Designs. Such as the eco bird feeder or the cork mud mat.

Creating objects from waste is challenging, and when the final product is both beautiful and functional, hope for a better planet comes back.

Artist Margherita Marchioni makes stunning handmade accessories from discarded materials, such as plastic shopping bags & bottles,  pencils and chopsticks. handbag made from pencils handbag made from chopsticks Both necklaces made from pencils bracelet made from shopping bags … Read More

via WeWasteTime