The Barbican in London has recently launched the Food Hall and Book Bank. Market stalls, a deli and sweet counter contained in this extensive arts centre, which has more than 18 different stores and nooks. There’s also a Book Bank – a bring-and-take-away bookstall stocked by Pan Macmillan. The formal restaurant upstairs boasts a macaroon mixologist – truly. It’s a man who matches macaroons to cocktails, of course.
.PSLAB collaborated with architects and designers SHH to create a site-specific treatment for the project. Light fixtures were conceived to suit the rough style of the building fabric and also to abide by the restrictions of the listed building. The ground floor is spatially divided into multiple seating areas via low ceiling levels; due to the duct system and various seating layouts. Floor-to -ceiling shelving structures hold multiple glass jars holding energy-saving light bulbs. The result if a twinkling gorgeous place, where a lacquered steel metal structure complements the rustic space.
The jar-shelving structures were then adapted into ceiling suspended modules to provide functional light. And then smaller modules of these shelves are repeated into wall-mounted fixtures over the seating booths. Pretty lovely.
Barbican Food Hall and Lounge; (barbican.org.uk).
Beautiful things by Arian Behzadi. Trying to figure out where I can buy these images to hang on bare walls. Love the newspaper clippy montage thing he has going on.
by Kate on March 21, 2011
Oh spare us the unrelenting, delicious cool. This gorgeous line of vintage products is designed for the rugged, yet sophisticated gentleman. “If Steve McQueen carried a beat-up leather duffle bag on the back of his motorcycle; what would be in it and how would the products look?” Well, like this.
1. Blahblah cushion: Maybe it appeals for its literary cool, but the graphic is also quite quaint. 2. Missoni Home cushion: scatter-worthy in the most pretty colours ever. Pick up at Missoni or from Selfridges, as with the other cushions, online. 3. Some days you just need a pillow that says it all for you. 4. Castle & Things, and things. 5. I’ve discovered this new thing, it’s called caviar. Have you heard of it? Awfully pricey to be sure but a lovely treat with the champagne. And when it’s all gone I shall keep the tins to keep other precious things. 6. Lights on please. All of them. Their cords are all so pretty I want them all sparkling.
by Kate on February 24, 2011
This completely gorgeous hotel is Sir Terence Conran’s first foray into hotel design. The English designer, oddly, has gone to Vienna to showcase his clear talent. There’s not standard issue room design, and instead a nod to individual modernity is made in each room.
The design reflects a dedication to modernity and high quality materials and workmanship. This is not some mass-produced furnishing found in franchised hotel chains, and instead the rooms and suites of the hotel Das Triest have each been designed to actually fit each room. The hotel is decked out in art and accessories by local and international artists. The lighting concept sets out to create an intimate atmosphere in every corner of the house. The hotel itself says it is going for an eye-candy look. Looking pretty delicious too.
by Kate on December 13, 2010
Love these things from creative design studio Ma + Chr, who have done restaurant and bar interior designs as well as their own happy little pictures you can buy. It’s based in Paris and was founded by Mathilde Aubier and Christine Delaquaize.
by Kate on November 16, 2010
Playing with paper… All from Etsy.
by Kate on September 30, 2010
Carl Kleiner’s amazing photographs of ingredients before they get turned into biscuits, dough, cakes… Styling by Evelina Bratell.
by Kate on August 25, 2010
This beautifully designed and heart-wrenching site, Donate-A-Meal, gets viewers to fill the plates of hungry children. Apparently 16,000 kids living in Dusseldorf, Germany, are hungry. They are growing up in welfare benefit households and their tummies are “rumbling and grumbling”. They wait in a queue as you fill their plates with schnitzel and potatoes. Click through and just try to resist their little faces looking back at you, waiting.
by Kate on August 11, 2010
1. Italian Easy: a fabulous cookbook filled with easy to handle pasta- and other recipes. 2. This “La Cruse” skirt is framed loveliness. Yellow and grey stripes with a little white T tucked in is planned summer wear. 3. Rent a Crowd: Wall art from Elly Nelly. 4. Eplica font from My Fonts. 5. Royal treatment of jelly using these moulds from Bompas & Parr. 6. Travel bag from Jack Spade: Tarpaulin Dry Dopp Kit $95.
