Friday 17 December 2010

Hotel Condesa interiors - Mexico City*




On a trip to Mexico City a few weeks back I went for a drink at Hotel Condesa. It's an uncompromisingly modern hotel in aesthetic - so maybe you would expect it to feel cold or 'designed'. It didn't and this is where it's success lies. It felt homely despite all the clean lines. I loved the warm wooden furniture against turquiose walls. The choice of bold painted coloured wall seemed fitting for Mexico City. I found out talking to the owner that the hotel was designed by India Mahdavi - an interior designer with the skill to design in strikingly contrasting styles and worthy of a blog entry all to herself.

Friday 10 December 2010

SIS Deli and Cafe, Helsinki*





On a recent frosty and snowy client trip to Helsinki I was lucky enough to have a coffee at SIS Deli and Cafe. Now I am generally not a sucker for branding but the graphic interiors of this place make you want to buy coffee from here. The interiors were designed by some clever people at Finnish firm Muotohiomo. The interiors and very cool [white glazed metro tiles, sans serif vinyl lettering on the windows] and warm, with beautiful wood detailing throughout. There are some cute retro touches too with weighing scales and other vintage pieces. I suppose the best thing though are the checks, carried through the interior and onto the takeaway cups. It's like wrapping a big warm Finnish blanket around you on a cold, snowy day.

Saturday 4 December 2010

Casa Luis Barragan*



This week has been a bit mad. Yesterday I was in Mexico City working on a project, basking in the sun. Today, I'm home, it's minus 5 and snowing in London. What I noticed on arrival in Mexico City was the light - everything looks technicolour compared to London. I was lucky enough to visit Casa Luis Barragan, a lifelong ambition. I admire him because he didn't just design his interiors in the International Style. He took modernism and used it to reflect his heritage - most notably combining vivid Mexican pinks, ochres, yellows and blues with clean architectural lines and vast glazing. I am very very happy I came here.