Designing: white on white

The pure bluish white glacier is an amazing sight in the midst of Kilimanjaro dry, drab rocky summit. Precious moments of beauty and rest in thin air, minutes away from the summit. I could not take my eyes away from such a marvelous sight.

My dear friend Linda O' Keeffe recently published a beautiful book "Brilliant": White in Design. In her words, "White always makes a statement. It is distinct, versatile and unparalleled; it is brilliant".


This led me to analyze my work and its reliance on the various shades of white.
The spectrum of white is so vast and offers limitless creative choices to the designer. White conjures a nostalgic, romantic ,soft charm but white is equally embraced by modern avant garde architects and  designers. A pure white space will reflects and emphasizes the architecture to perfection.
In my work, I look at white  with the eyes of a minimalist and inject my personal dose of eclectic elements, soft textiles, distressed antiques, ethnic objects, contemporary artworks to create a warm, welcoming environment.
I love both the pure brilliance of minimalist architecture as well as the coziness of a well lived white bedroom or living room for instance.

Jean Nouvel extraordinary architecture for the Louvre Museum in Abbu Dabbi

pue minimalist white Kitchen:

A white glass tiles bathroom I designed for a client's New York loft. The Master bath was so small, that following a complete gut job, I recaptured every inch of space. White gave the illusion of space, airiness  and light.

Jean Nouvel bed design

Paola Navone bed, when modern meets traditional craft of crochet

I gravitate towards imperfect spaces and white is a great way to blend materials, textures, forms and furnishings

Mark Adams vis The Ranch Malibu

image via conspicuousstyle.com

As seen in Linda O 'Keeffe  "Brilliant"

My dog Clancy enjoying a late afternoon rest.

AD spanish issue No.2011

In Linda O'Keeffe "Brilliant"

Elle Decor

Hotel Alpaca, Italy

Chandelier by Paola Navone

Interieurs chandelier by Jose Esteves

My own festive winter white table

Elle Deco festive white table

Love the simplicity of this kitchen :Image www.houzz.com

Rustic meets modern  kitchen image:www.katyelliott.com

 And Finally, the Full Moon on December 8, 2011

Photo: Luke Gardner

All I am missing is snow for a perfect winter white mood.

A bientot,

Francine

Current design project....Architecture by Jean Nouvel

image: designcrack.com

Jean Nouvel building next to Frank Gehry's designed IAC headquarters

This past summer, I was invited by a client to look at their newly purchased apartment in New York and to come up with design inspirations. As our cab drove closer to the space, my heart started to palpitate faster and faster as I realized the space was in the 100 11Th Avenue building designed by Jean Nouvel.

image: Flickr

The 23 story tower is described by Jean Nouvel as a "vision machine" which features the most technologically advanced curtain wall ever designed and constructed in New York City. The walls are a curved mosaic of nearly 1700 windows, all different size, color,depth, set at unique angles. The light and color change constantly as it is a direct mirror and reflection of the outdoor and its ever changing chromatic light variations. Looking at this magnificent building, one feels immersed in a gigantic Mondrian landscape.

image: Flickr 

Each window require a specific shade, size and color

photo by Tod Eberle

Terraces and balcony are part of the intricate facade mosaic

Stepping into the space is mind blowing. I felt as if I were floating over New York. You become immersed in the three dimensional landscape of the city. Each window was designed and placed with a specific purpose, to frame a chosen piece of new York.

photo by Tod Eberle

The kitchen floats in the open space

Photo Tod Eberle

Magical sunsets on the Hudson River

I greatly admire Jean Nouvel, who, in my humble opinion, is one  of the world's most brilliant architect. He received  architecture's most honorific Pritzker Prize.

Jean Nouvel is by far the boldest French Architect, who over the past 30 has developed one of the largest french architectural firm, pushing contemporary architecture to its limits.

Jean Nouvel was born in the small town of Fumel, a few miles away from my village of Clermont Dessous in Lot et Garonne. One has to have travelled through the South West of France to appreciate the intellect, vision, creativity required to have achieved such an extraordinary carrier, coming from such a rather remote and back country part of France. It took New York for our paths to indirectly cross.

Town of Fumel

I could write a dissertation on his work but instead will just share,via images, the works that I am most sensitive to.

The highly controversial Musee du Quai Branly, so criticized by the French is one of my favorite Jean Nouvel commission. The museum houses indigenous art, cultures and civilizations from Africa, Asia, Oceania.

archipensees.blogspot.com

Jean Nouvel  designed  the Louvre Museum in Abu Dhabi which is scheduled for completion in 2012-2013. The controversy over "selling" the Louvre name to the United Arab Emirate has led to intense criticisms.

The museum will house art from all periods and regions and will include Islamic art.

Ateliers Jean Nouvel

Ateliers Jean Nouvel

Jean Nouvel Atelier won the competition for restructuring the port of Vigo  in South Western Spain. The building is to emulate a granite monolith. Read the story here

Ateliers Jean Nouvel, via eikonpraphia

Jean Nouvel's concept for his New Museum in Qatar is influenced by the bedouin culture. The desert rose, a crystalized formation that is found buried in the desert sand is an inspiration for this extraordinary building

image via designboom.com

Jean Nouvel winning design for La Philarmonie de Paris to open in 2012in Parc de La Villette.

http://kwc.org/architecture/2007/04/la_philharmonie_de_paris_desig.html

Breathraking scale model of jean Nouvel concept and design for La Philarmonie de Paris

While working on this post, I kept reading numerous articles and essays on Abu Dhabi being transformed in the hand of the world's most brilliant architects into the largest artistic center in the world.

I will be going to Africa this fall and just have a add a stop over in Abu Dhabi...it might be a rather long stop over.

Meanwhile, need to attend on last details and deliveries to have the apartment ready for our clients to enjoy

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