Blog Archives

Spiler Shanghai : Budapest

Shanghai in the 1930s: “lust, women, style, dimmed lights, sensual music, and erotica”. Sounds damn good to us, but with time travel still in the pipeline (someone chivvy that along please) why not swing by Spiler Shanghai in Budapest for an atmospheric facsimile? That alluring description of the Chinese city comes from Roy Zsidai, the Hungarian entrepreneur who wowed us with his first Spiler venue and has done the same with this Asian sequel.

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CMB56 : Antwerp Belgium

Back in the 1990s, Jambers rented this former hostel, squatting upstairs with friends while running a gallery downstairs with the performance artist Ludo Mich. It was only five years ago that he was able to buy the townhouse and renovate, fixing to the roof one of his more extraordinary finds: an old barge wheelhouse, which now provides views over the River Scheldt. Jambers named the new ground-floor gallery CMB58 or Compagnie Magnifek Belge. These days, Jambers lives on the second floor but rents out the first and third floors, which are outfitted in flamboyant saleable midcentury collectibles and local art that prompts the odd double take. A horse’s head mounted over the balustrade was once attached to a beloved champion racer, a silver-suited astronaut was an old prop of Ludo Mich’s, and a seven-foot-tall, fame-red figure is a 1997 work by Jambers’ brother, Mark Jambers.

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The Line Hotel : L.A

Conceived as a starting point for urban explorers and comfort zone for stressed out city dwellers, The Line Hotel, a full on luxury boutique hotel by the Sydell Group. Located alongside the area’s famous 1940-prebrick colonial revival buildings, it provides an oasis of raw luxury and design right in the middle of L.A.’s never ending urban sprawl. Displaying full sensitivity to its exciting location, designer Sean Knibb has achieved much much more than merely refurbishing and restyling this former middle range hotel dating from the 60s. 



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ACE HOTEL Downtown : LA

Hipsters and Business-folk alike, the Ace Hotel Downtown is open for business. The beautifully ornate United Artists building, originally built in 1927 as a film studio, theatre and tower, has been lovingly restored and is the newest addition to the Ace Hotel familia. A rooftop pool, restaurant, 3 bars and the retained theatre are all available to guests staying within their 166 rooms and 16 suites. Check out the pics, and I’m sure you’ll want to check in yourself. 

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Best of Tumblr :Things Organized Neatly

This Tumblr is a vacation for the eyes and the mind. Thank you to Austin Radcliffe over at Things Organized Neatly we can now enjoy a literal visual aversion to chaos. You see a neat vignette, where once was a random agglomeration. The use of colour, repetition and subject matter are impressive and striking to look at. Things Organized Neatly is the very definition of beauty in the everyday.

This one is for the OCD in all of us. 

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FELIX & FOAM

For the coming six months, Felix &Foam will be the place where art, culture and events come together. The building’s seven rooms, bar and foyer will be packed with exhibitions, film screenings, events, a restaurant and a new fashion and design concept store by Frame Magazine designed by Dutch interiors studio i29.

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AIDA : Installation Design

The Australian Interior Design Awards recognise and celebrate Interior Design excellence via a credible, industry-based program, which is backed by the Design Institute of Australia, the professional body representing Australian designers.

This post features nominees in the Public Design category. *all photos courtesy of the Australian Interior Design Awards.

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AIDA : Public Design

The Australian Interior Design Awards recognise and celebrate Interior Design excellence via a credible, industry-based program, which is backed by the Design Institute of Australia, the professional body representing Australian designers.

This post features nominees in the Public Design category. *all photos courtesy of the Australian Interior Design Awards.

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The Jane : Belgium

Dutch Designer Piet Boon has transformed the interior of a former military hospital chapel, into a bright, airy and contemporary restaurant.

Antwerp’s newest addition The Jane is a cohesive blend of old and new. The ‘piece de resistance’ of the latter category is an oversized starburst-like chandelier, hung from the preserved original ceiling. The sculptural chandelier weighing in at a considerable 800 kilograms, was created for the space by lighting designers .PSLAB. It is made entirely from steel and hand blown crystal glass.

Piet Boon’s Amsterdam studio also collaborated with Studio Job artists on The Janes impressive interior. Paying tribute to it’s chapel origins, 500 colourful glass window panels were created to replace the former stained-glass. Inspired by “stories of good and evil, rich and poor, life and death” the replacement panels feature imagery of flowers, devils and skulls. Combining bold decor elements with the chapel’s high ceiling and restored patterned tiled floor, the restaurant is described by it’s creators as “fine dining meets rock ‘n roll”. Brilliant.

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