Freshome.com - Interior Design & Architecture Inspiration Newsletter

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• Interview: In Search for Genuine Design with Frederic Gooris
• Colorful Tetris Bookcase for a Cheerful Room
• Sleek, Sexy and Natural : Bamboo iPhone 4 Case from Grove Made
• Modern Black&White Home in Australia
• 5 Tips to Remove the Musty Smell from Wood Furniture
• Cool Genuine Fake Bookshelf Wallpaper

Interview: In Search for Genuine Design with Frederic Gooris Posted: 30 Sep 2010 05:13 AM PDT Frederic Gooris is a talented designer from Belgium, currently working in Milan, after establishing his own studio here, in 2004. In 2009 he co-founded Bombol, a brand for baby articles, some of which you will see in the projects below. Frederic gained experience by working for Philippe Starck and Stefano Giovannoni on a very wide range of projects for internationally renowned companies. There is a lot to learn from his answers, especially if you are a young designer looking for inspiration: Freshome: What determined your passion for design? Tell us about the moment when you decided this is the way to go. Frederic Gooris: During my architecture studies, I got in contact with product design. At that point I realized how interwoven we are with the objects that surround us, how they determine who we are and how we behave. This realization made me switch from architecture to product design. BAMBOO Baby Rocker Freshome: Can you remember your first design project? Describe it a bit, whether it is a gizmo you worked at as a little kid or something that was sold at a large scale. Frederic Gooris: My first real design project was the bathroom for Alessi when I entered the studio of Giovannoni. We started from a blank piece of paper, developing the concepts, working with engineers to translate the concepts into products, al the way through to the renders for the catalogue. It was the first time I had a complete picture of what it means to design objects. Freshome: What field of design are you most interested in? Do your works have anything to do with it ? (We are asking this because not many designers do what they actually want) Frederic Gooris: Mass produced items particularly interest me as they touch the lives of so many people. Bringing some magic to everyday life through these objects can make this world a more pleasant place. CUBE Chair Freshome: Chronologically describe what you are going through (feeling and thoughts) on your way to work. Frederic Gooris: I love to work at night when the phones are quiet and the kids in bed, that is – creatively speaking – my most productive period of the day. As a consequence I only have one thought in the morning: "Coffee, coffee, coffee…" Freshome: What is your favorite book/magazine on design? How about your favorite site? Frederic Gooris: Honestly, I don't really have any favorites. As for the website I love www.TED.com, as such a wide variety of subjects and people bring their views. Freshome: What inspires you? Frederic Gooris: Achille Castiglioni, one of the greatest masters in Italian design ever, because of the lightness and playfulness he was able to put in his designs. YASMINE Chair Freshome: What is the most frustrating aspect of your job as a designer? And the most rewarding one? Frederic Gooris: The most frustrating aspect is when a project is stopped or cancelled for reasons that are out of your control. Every idea feels like your baby, and nobody likes to say goodbye to his/her babies. The most rewarding part is when a project is well received by people, in the hope that your idea brought a little more happiness to the world. Freshome: From your point of view, is design an art or a science? Frederic Gooris: A designer needs to know many sciences: anthropology, sociology, production techniques and the costs they imply, the distribution and sales mechanisms just to name a few. On the other side design is an art in the sense in the sense it is all about creation. But above all design is the art to find the solutions that fulfill all parameters. Freshome: Tell us something unusual that happened in your career. Frederic Gooris: Being picked by Philippe Starck for my first job after school, that was a very unique experience. Freshome: Let’s say you entered a contest. You have to come up with a design for the first house on the Moon built for extra-terrestrial living. How would your project look like? Frederic Gooris: Imagine if you were to live on the moon, however romantic it may sound, truth is that you live under a black sky surrounded by rocks and dust. So to make you feel at home, it would look pretty much like a house. Freshome: If you had no limits (money, resources), what would you create? Frederic Gooris: A light bulb, one that combines the romanticism of the old incandescent bulbs with the energy efficiency of the new LED or fluorescent bulbs. BELLEVILLE coat hanger and magazine holder Freshome: Share something you would like the world to know about you or your ideas. Frederic Gooris: The red line through my work is trying to design objects that are genuine, communicative and accessible. Genuine Artificially created needs result in obsolete design. A “genuine” design translates the evolving needs of society into solutions and thus allows society to progress. Just like between people, beauty without substance is no base for a lasting relationship; only the products that give a satisfying answer on both fronts – emotionally and rationally – will create a strong relation with the user. Communication Good design does not need convincing or rationalization. Just like children are attracted to things on a purely emotive basis, good design contains the codes -  within its cultural context – that strike “the right notes” with people. The object or concept transmits its message by itself without the need of additional explanations. The larger the group of people that understands the codes incorporated in the object, the larger your market will be and the more successful a product will be. Accessible I like design that is accessible, as well conceptually as economically. “Design” is all too often talked about as a style, a purely aesthetical language, often a gimmick to justify the high sales prices that turn it into a status symbol. Design must be at the service of people, and not vice versa. Design is about improving objects compared to their predecessors and at affordable prices, so that its improvements can be enjoyed by as many people as possible. FREEZY Lighting Cushion Freshome: What do you think of our site? Frederic Gooris: Very nice! Freshome: What advice do you have for young designers or architects reading this interview? Frederic Gooris: Most of us enjoy a quite high standard of living. But this comfort comes at a steep environmental cost. We are all aware that fundamental changes in our behavior are needed, but how to overcome the inertia of a whole society? More than ever, designers and architects bear a huge responsibility as we are at the source of consumerism. But being at the source gives designers and architects the power to influence. We can influence how people interact with objects. By designing the interaction with the object, we can steer behavior in a more sustainable direction, without asking people to give up comfort or pleasure. Design as a Trojan horse, if you please, where the design of the object becomes the mean, not the goal. Think about it! Ready for more amazing design ideas? Check below ! Cool Genuine Fake Bookshelf Wallpaper Search Tool Added on Freshome Playful Pouffes from A Serious Collections Space Saving : Combine a Shelving Unit with a Desk Zanotta 884 Evolution By Ora Ito 35H Lounger by Frédéric Sofia Click here to connect with Freshome on or on

Colorful Tetris Bookcase for a Cheerful Room Posted: 30 Sep 2010 03:56 AM PDT You’ve seen a lot of design ideas on Freshome inspired by the fun and highly popular game of Tetris. Well here’s another one that fits the profile. This playful Tetris bookshelf is an explosion of colors and shapes, perfect for brightening up a dull interior. Extremely practical, this shelving system can host books, DVDs, decorating elements and so on. After all, it is an uncommon bookcase with the same functionality as a regular one. The shelf is said to be 2 meters tall and 2,2 meters wide, which makes it perfect for a living room with a fresh feel. It goes great in a simple interior, complemented by a few other colorful elements, but be sure to not overdo it. And we bet you did not observe an important detail. The product is modular, which means all the pieces are independent and can be placed on the wall according to the user’s needs. Charming, wouldn’t you agree?-via Apartment Therapy Ready for more amazing design ideas? Check below ! Tetris Apartments Tetris Furniture by Diego Silverio and Helder Filipov Square Bookcase Ellipse Bookcase Dedalo Bookcase Interesting Bookcase Click here to connect with Freshome on or on

Sleek, Sexy and Natural : Bamboo iPhone 4 Case from Grove Made Posted: 30 Sep 2010 02:00 AM PDT Grove Made has exceptional taste when it comes to framing the iPhone 4 with a bamboo cover. Although it is not our usual cup of tea here at Freshome, this amazing case got our attention with its natural curves and magnificent colours and designs. The best part is that the guys from Grove Made offer the possibility to customize your own case with a laser etched design. Before you think of any graphics you would like to put on your case, take a look at the artist series here. For the people that love the classic look, the case is also available in plain, with no design at all. This bamboo case is made out of two halves, with a protective layer of suede on the inside. The light bamboo offers this case an extremely fresh look and although it might feel like it is made from hard wood, the material is very light and soft. There are a number of cut-outs for the camera, volume buttons, microphone etc.  Extremely practical when it comes to protecting your phone from scratches, the Grove Made Bamboo iPhone 4 Case is a nice addition to your lifestyle and to your home. Displaying such a sophisticated gadget will attract a lot of curious eyes.  I think that Grove Made has explicitly made their point: "Passion… we do whatever it takes to make the most badass products!" Ready for more amazing design ideas? Check below ! Bamboo Bed Bamboo Chair Jun Zi by Jeff Dah-Yue Shi for Dragon Fly Gallery Innovative Bookshelf, Boldness Pinned on Your Wall Sweet Dreams with Reality Bedding Sexy Sheets The Brace Case “Pile Isle”, an Artistic Bamboo Urban Bench Click here to connect with Freshome on or on

Modern Black&White Home in Australia Posted: 30 Sep 2010 12:45 AM PDT The Lily Street House is a very original looking building in Melbourne, Australia, designed by ODR Architects together with Life Space Journey. Although its compact shape, the simple iron fence and the overall sober exterior may give away the feeling that this residence is serious and cold, we challenge you to give it a second glance. When inside, the perspective changes dramatically. Floor to ceiling windows and large open areas filled with light make for a fresh living space. The central living room is particularly charming and features a modern sofa, a comfortable armchair, a fireplace and a transparent sliding door which connects it to the exterior. This is the perfect spot for “observing” what takes place in this residence, as this particular room has unobstructed views over the hallway, stairs, kitchen and upper floor. There are plenty of contemporary elements that stand out, such as the dining table, the stairs, abstract paintings and so on. In our opinion, elegance is the most striking feature of this place, given by the tasteful arrangements and the black and white design theme.- via Contemporist Ready for more amazing design ideas? Check below ! Modern Barrow House in Melbourne, Australia Ultra Modern House on Australia Gold Coast The Walker House For Sale in Sydney Residential House for S & P Fiery on the outside: Modern home from Bates Masi Architects Inspiring Modern Home Architecture Click here to connect with Freshome on or on

5 Tips to Remove the Musty Smell from Wood Furniture Posted: 29 Sep 2010 10:22 AM PDT Depending on how old the furniture is and the type of wood, removing musty smells can be a challenge.  The source of how the furniture received the smell will also dictate what process will work or not.  You may have to try more than one method to ensure your remedy works.  Here are 5 tips to help you remove the musty smells from your wood furniture.  Be patient when working with your wood furniture, it has a history that you want to preserve and enjoy for years to come. 1.) Dehumidify: Wood is porous and therefore will take in moisture, air, and smells of its surroundings. If your piece of furniture has been housed in an old house, attic, basement or garage most likely it has taken in a musty order from one of these. Try moving the piece of furniture into a conditioned room in your home with relatively low moisture in the area.  Use a dehumidifier and close the door and leave the piece of furniture for a few hours daily.  After a few days, see if this process has helped. 2.) Sand & Refinish: Another way to remove musty smell odors is to sand down the original finish and allow the wood to breathe for a few days.  Once again, leave the furniture in a conditioned space so it doesn't absorb new odors and moisture.  Choose a stain and refinish the surface with 2-3 coats, allowing the stain to fully dry in between coats.  Apply a clear coat finish over the stained furniture to seal in color, and seal out moisture and air. 3.) Wood Soap: Often times the culprit of musty smelling wood is germs and bacteria inside the wood.  This is especially true if wood was left in a moisture rich environment for an extended amount of time.   Use a wood soap product that is meant for cleaning and killing bacteria inside wood. Read the manufacturer's directions on use and care for the wood before using. Use soap on all edges, corners, under handles and underside of furniture to ensure all wood has been well covered. Let furniture dry and see how successful this method was for you. 4.) Sit outside in the sun: The premise behind this is the same as the dehumidifying step. The sun rays will help dry out the wood and will remove the musty smells. If you live in a dry climate with very little relative humidity you can try keeping the wood outside.  Under a covered or screened porch would be ideal, and preferably not for days on end.  If the musty smell of your furniture isn't severe this tip may work well. 5.) Odor fighting substances: If you have a large armoire or dresser with drawers, it may be hard to reach all surfaces with some of the other tips.  Try placing coffee grounds or charcoal in an open container inside of the drawers and close.  Check back after a few days and replenish with new coffee or charcoal as needed. Similarly to charcoal filters, charcoal is a natural substance that may bring the musty smell out of your furniture. Once the smell has been removed you can paint furniture like new and no one will have a clue as to the history of your beautiful furniture! Don't avoid your favorite antique stores or yard sales because of the fear of musty wood furniture.  There are countless ways you can acquire an old piece of furniture, and you would hate for smell to be the culprit of getting rid of it.  Use any of the above 5 tips and see if the smell that repelled you before is now just a notion of the past! Freshome reader's have you ever been deterred from buying furniture because of its odor? Did you buy it anyway and find a way to get rid of it? We'd love to hear what method worked for you. Ready for more amazing design ideas? Check below ! The Fish Tail Chair by Asad Firdosy Furniture with Lots of Drawers and Unusual Shape “Easy Click” Panels for Bathroom Furniture Ikea Furniture Shopping Tips From A Former Employee 5 Useful Tips for Buying Used Furniture Wood Table/Stool by Albero Click here to connect with Freshome on or on

Cool Genuine Fake Bookshelf Wallpaper Posted: 29 Sep 2010 07:12 AM PDT Always dreamed of a large bookcase, but didn’t really have the time to build one? Here is the next best thing, at least design-wise. This cool wallpaper imitates books in such a realistic way, that guests will certainly be tempted to read some of the titles. This is why this design is probably referred to as the genuine fake bookshelf wallpaper. Whether you place two rolls together in order to form a large bookcase, or create two different units like in the first photo below, the overall addition looks very interesting and original. We really like how it comes in a room with a vintage feel and that chalkboard below is of great aesthetic effect. This product is being sold in 3 meter length rolls, having a width of 55cm. Available here, for £ 68.00. Would you consider this type of wallpaper for your own home? Ready for more amazing design ideas? Check below ! Fake Bookshelf Wallpaper “Fake Hills”, an Imposing Residential Project by Mad Architects Angled Bookshelf Wallpaper by Vincent Olm Fake Window – Bright Blind Innovative Bookshelf, Boldness Pinned on Your Wall Click here to connect with Freshome on or on

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