December 1, 2011

I Found It!

Hey all! So I did a little research on where the piece of crown molding came from. I spoke with my boss and he told me the whole story and I find it really interesting. For those of you don't know what piece Im talking about here it is.
www.cfredrickdesignstudio.blogspot.com
From what I was told, and with a little research I found that this is a piece of crown molding from the Exeter Street Theater in Boston Massachusetts. Our office acquired it in 1995 when a fire from the restaurant on the first floor set fire to a bookstore above. He was sent there to measure as built plans to try and recover the bookstore. Sadly the theater above was damaged badly and could not be saved. He took this piece of molding and it was left in a closet since then. I found it when we were moving offices and decided to make something of it.
esteyorgan.com
The Exeter Street Theatre is located on the corner of Exeter St. and Newbury Street. It was originally opened in 1914 and was a 1,376 seat theatre used by the First Spiritual Temple.
worldofspirit.blogspot.com
It was designed by Henry Hobson Richardson in and built in 1885 in a Romanesque Revival style. Richardson also designed Trinity Church in Boston and oversaw and contributed the the New York State capital.
asergeev.com
Trinity Church Boston Interior
newyorktobacconist.org
New York State Capital, Albany New York

I can't wait to start working on this piece this weekend and share it with everyone. I hope you enjoyed the little history lesson tonight. Night All!

November 30, 2011

Future Projects

Hello hello hello. Its been a while since I last posted but tonight I have something very special for you. The past couple of days I have been very busy working on some projects of my own. I am very excited about them and if all goes to plan I will have them finished by this weekend.

The first project I have been working on is a chair that I found. So far I removed the existing fabric and am going to modify the back and arms.
www.cfredrickdesignstudio.blogspot.com
  The back of the chair will be a wooden grid with upholstered squares while the seat of the chair will have a cushion upholstered the same as the back.
www.cfredrickdesignstudio.blogspot.com
As for the arms, there will be a cushion on top upholster in a solid fabric with contrasting piping while the wood of the arms and sides will be stained dark.
www.cfredrickdesignstudio.blogspot.com
I want to leave as much of the wood exposed on this chair as possible. As I was removing the upholstery, hundreds of small nail holes where left in the wood giving it an incredible aged look. After the wood gets sanded and stained, I hope to accomplish a rustic look to the wood while having a touch of sophistication from the fabric and piping.

The second piece I am working on I am really excited about. I came across a very large piece of crown molding at work that came from a theater in Boston. It is hand carved solid wood and is about 18" wide, 15" tall, and 14" deep.
www.cfredrickdesignstudio.blogspot.com
 My plan for this piece is to sand it down to bare wood and put a large top on it. It will be wall mounted and can be used as a shelf or bedside table. As you can see I already started sanding and the wood has so much character.
www.cfredrickdesignstudio.blogspot.com
I am asking around the office to find out more about the history of where it came from and as soon as I find out more I will pass it along to you.
www.cfredrickdesignstudio.blogspot.com
I hope everyone enjoyed this post and please leave comments on your thoughts of my work. Stay tuned for the finished products!

November 21, 2011

This Weeks What the...

Its that time of the week that I post a "What the #!@#". For those of you who don't know about this, I will post a strange item I find be a designer and you guess what it is in the comment section. So without further ado, there it is and good luck!
Thanks everyone for your support and keep an eye out for my future design projects to be posted sometime this week!

November 20, 2011

As I Lay My Head to Sleep

So Im laying in bed thinking about what to post and I thought why not beds. Your bed is the most intimate piece of furniture you own and also so easy to change styles as you change styles. Just by changing linens you can change the look of your bed. Lets take a look at some cool beds I found.
http://www.busyboo.com/
This first bed is Float by Okooko based out of New Zealand. I am a sucker for anything nautical and how could you not have sweet dreams in this outdoor bed.
momist.blogspot.com
 This next bed is by Richard Clarkson. The simplistic design and oversized scale is what makes this piece special.
http://www.furnituredesignidea.com
neamhouse.com
http://theluxhome.com/
The final bed tonight is a whimsical bed from Furniture Designer Joseph Walsh. For some reason when I see this bed I can't help but imagine it in The Lord of The Rings.
housevira.com
bornrich.com
divhouse.com
I hope everyone enjoyed tonights post! The past couple of days my numbers have gone down so I have to ask if you like what you see please share it with your friends and click the StumbleUpon link to your right. Also I would like to update everyone on my own projects. I am currently working on a chair that is almost done and I am designing a "Baby Grand Coffee Table" that I will post shortly. Also I am meeting with a good friend at www.creationthing.com to design a logo. I am really excited about whats coming up in the future and I hope everyone else is too!

November 17, 2011

Eggcilent

Hey all! Today I have been thinking a lot about patterns. It is one of the most basic design principles but can be extremely complex. I believe that all great design starts with a great pattern and is a way a designer can organize a design. The thing that I like most about patters in design is that the possibilities are endless and symmetry isn't as important as repetition. Today I found a designer, Franc Grom's, who creates incredible patters on eggs.
hemmy.net
cloudery.typepad.com
sun-sentinel.com
picdit.wordpress.com
 I hope everyone enjoys todays post and remember that just because life is full of patterns, it doesn't mean they have to make sense

November 16, 2011

Time for a new post

Before I get started with a new topic today, I found a video that I thought was interesting and relates to yesterdays topic of space saving design. Check it out and I hope you all enjoy. Now on with the show! So today I have been thinking a lot about time. Aside from your email and Facebook, the clock is something that everyone checks numerous times a day (I made a funny!). This got me thinking, if the clock is something that people look at more times per day then they say a piece of art or a picture hanging on their wall, why can't a clock become a piece of art. Or at the very least something interesting. So today I have a collection of wall clocks that I find interesting and I hope this inspires you to take some time to look at your clock today.

I know that most, if not all people get their time from their cell phone because its easy to read and convenient but what if a clock as hard to read. Something that makes you stop for a second, slow down, and think about the time. Maybe something that makes you appreciate the time they have. The idea of the wrist watch as a gift has a similar affect. When you look at the time for a brief moment you think of the person that gave it to you or the memory of where you got it.
mobit.info
    This first clock is by Carbon Design Group that is completely wireless so it can be placed on the floor or wall mounted. If this clock accomplishes anything, at least it will give you a second each day to do some mental math.
mobbit.info
This next clock is Biegert and Funks' QLOCKTWO. Although this isn't the most accurate clock, it will sure make people stop and take notice.
qlocktwo.com
Now usually I try and stick with furniture and home goods but I have been in love with this watch since a found it a few months about. It is under the Maximilian Busser and Friends design collective but was designed with the help of Chinese artist Huang Hankang. It is called HM4 Only and no matter who hard I try to describe it, no one believes it till they see it.
uxartasia.com
The watch is crazy enough as it is but the price tag on this is even more crazy, in the range of $295,000.00.  Jay-Z needs to throw away his big faced rolly and get one of these.
revo-online.com
luxuo.com
asiatatler.com
I hope everyone enjoyed tonights post and please if you like what you see share this with your friends on Facebook. Also a huge part of my hits come from the StumbleUpon site so if you are a Stumbler like myself, like my page so that it will be shared with more users. Thanks everyone and take some time today for yourself.

November 15, 2011

A Place for Things and Stuff

Hola everyone! If you are like me and live the apartment lifestyle, you will quickly learn that there is never anywhere to put anything. Most of the time stuff accumulates on any open surface in your place. For most the solution is simple, buy a bookcase and fill the shelves with all your stuff. The problem with that in an apartment is that floor space is usually limited and you don't want to clutter a room with big bulky furniture.  I have found the best way to solve this is by hanging wall shelves. Tonight I'm going to share with you some of my favorites and I hope you all enjoy.
http://freshome.com
  This hanging book storage unit is made from fabric and looks very organic. I really like this design because most book shelves are flat and symmetrical. Another key to this design is the fabric, because of the size you down have to worry about banging your head on it at night or around small children.
http://freshome.com
Another piece I really like is one by designer Olivia Bardateanu. This wall mounted unit not only acts as a shelf but also can be viewed as decoration. Its called Shelf in the Wind and the curves in the wood can double as a coat hanger.
http://www.inewidea.com
http://www.inewidea.com
Designer Nauris Kalinauskas has a line of Quad Shelving Units. Unlike traditional shelves, these are built on an angle and come in a few different sizes.
gnr8.biz
archiexpo.com
cimots.com
I hope everyone enjoyed tonights post and if you have an other cool shelving designs leave them blow in the comments. 

November 14, 2011

Because thats what friends are for

I have been receiving a lot of really good feed back from friends and family members. Everyone is really positive and I have been getting some really cool links. So today I want to showcase a followers submission (Thanks Adam!). I am not sure on who the designer is but it is a really interesting piece. I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I did and please if you find anything that you like share a link in the comment section and share it with the group!
http://iwastesomuchtime.com/

November 13, 2011

Mid-Century Modern Design

Hello everyone and happy Sunday. After my last post about the Wadsworth Mansion, I have been researching mid-century furniture. What I like most about it is that even though it is 50 years old, the designs are still relevant today. Most modern furniture has roots based in mid-century design. One designer that I have been really interested in is Paul Evans. Tonight I want to share with you some of my favorite pieces by him.
treadwaygallery.com
Paul Evans cityscape low table is one of my favorites by him. I love the complexity of the base and the simple clear top.
www.1stdibs.com
The Douglas Rosin table is similar to the Cityscape table. The table is well balanced but seems to to be floating.
www.1stdibs.com
Wright Now is a table from the Cityscape collection by Paul Evans.
www.1stdibs.com
Douglas Rosin Directional Console Table by Paul Evans.
www.1stdibs.com
Converso Prototype Chair by Paul Evans.

Well I hope everyone enjoyed the post tonight and I encourage you to research into the work of Paul Evans.

November 12, 2011

Wadsworth Wedding

Hellooooooooooo. Long time no post. The past couple of days I have been very lazy when it came to posting but for my faithful followers I have something special for you. Tonight I went to a very special wedding at an incredible location. The Wadsworth Mansion hosted the union of Sam and Ken that I was so graciously invited to. The location, combined with a classic New England autumn inspired this post. For those unfamiliar with the Wadsworth Mansion, but interested in early 20th Century architecture, I share with you this amazing estate.
richarsenault.com
Designed by the New York architecture firm Hoppin and Koen in 1900, this estate was built for Colonel Clarence S. Wadsworth and wife Katharine Fearing Hubbard as a summer retreat in Middletown, Connecticut. Its hard to believe that such an estate was intended to be a summer home.
nifiswedding.bigfolioblog.com
Along with the beautiful building, the landscape designed by renown architecture firm The Olmsted Brothers adds to the thoughtful design of this property.
camping.de
 Tonight I will leave you with a collection of pictures of this beautiful building in hopes that it inspires you and allows you to see the beauty of building and landscape working as one to create harmony.
weddingreports.com
weddingreports.com
mywedding.com
saltygrapesblog.blogspot.com