My Urban Garden Deco Guide

David Rouyer and co have come up with a new clever product ( and sweet design).It is a planter  + a windscreen. Guess the product word needs to be invented. You can find it at www.sabz.fr
                     

Trendy backstreets of Jingumae in Tokyo provide www.TheCoolhunter.net with this wonderful piece of outdoor deco.

Read on www.theCoolhunter.net :

As you’ll no doubt have seen on the pages of the cool hunter over the past few weeks, we’ve been paying homage to wall-art from all over the world. From bars in Baghdad to clubs in Cairo, we’ve been trawling buildings looking for the finest illustrations the art-world has to offer. And for this next one, we had to scurry around the trendy backstreets of Jingumae in Tokyo to find it.

This small live in studio and salon has been decked in black paint with a beautifully elegant mural, depicted from the salon’s own brand to engulf its two exposed walls.  The hand-painted pattern is reminiscent of an inverted Rorschach inkblot drawing. Yet the symmetrical display blends perfectly with the centre piece - a woman overwhelmed by the surrounding plumage. And while the windows are large and severe, they don’t distort the image. Instead, they perforate the design with different levels of intensity, revealing larger and smaller details of what lies beneath.

Inside, the space has been deliberately simplified, so as to not compete with the eye-catching exterior. Blackened wood surfaces sit quietly against the enlarged windows, decorated with cream-coloured blinds. While the theme of masculine and feminine remains true throughout. The angular planes of the structure repeat in the harsh lines of the furniture and the effeminate fresco is imitated by the soft lighting inside. A smart yet simple piece that respects the duality of the building – somewhere to live and work – while playfully intertwining the two. By Matt Hussey

A few weeks back I wrote: 'Be warned : sofas and sets are now being challenged by the latest arrival in outdoor furniture: the high back bench. When you are out shopping for a new set, you might want to have  this new style in mind...'

Well I was confirmed in this impression when I discovered Xavier Loup's installation at trend setting Parisian outdoor show Maison et Objet. He chose to furnish his temporary garden with the lovely new Scoop seats by Gloster -available this winter ( more via local agents :link here)

Well yes, it is a bit of transition to go from DVD evenings, over-consumption, ...directly into this new trend. So I suggest the 'fake it til you make it' approach. Get the props first . Love this one by www.extremis.be
Qrater is a very attractive campfire dish that can be used in the garden and in open spaces. All you need is to light the wood logs and the result is pure magic. Singing a song or telling a story while looking at the constantly changing play of the flames and the fire sparks is a very special experience that has inspired people ever since fire was discovered. It is a very original and heartwarming form of togetherness that sometimes people even refer as “the television set of the jungle”. Obviously, options like individual grills, blankets, and yes, a sing along cd can also form part of this unique experience of being together around the fire.

MORE about the Urban Farm concept at http://www.myurbangardendecoguide.com/images/

B & B Italia and  Patricia Urquiola have developed the perfect in / out collection : «Canasta» , in a XXL weave of vinyl.

After her super sleek lined collection, P U brings a new flavor to the market - and I love it because I am hopeful the era of the ultra sleek ultra beige is finally giving way!

The motif sort of reminds of some M.Canovas wallpaper we had in the 70's ( though of course I was only tiny then ;-)) .

www.b&bitalia.com

Viteo have brought so much to the outdoor market and now the ultra cool water-bed designed by Danny Venlet More at Viteo ( link) . It seems they have now  set themselves a tricky challenge:  to continue to surprise the  market  with  even  more creative products! I am not too worried though!

As far as deco details go, this set up is not quite my style. But this is a brilliant example of an outdoor bar/ kitchen ... complete with outdoor TV . A sign of things to come...( Yes, the BBQ however design is now very dated).

Available in black or white , I love this fabulous fibre glass seat by Branex... more here

At the last edition of Maison et Objet, Kubric introduced a totally new concept for planters: a grid filled with stones ranging from lava, river stones, pebbles..

At this show, Kubric grows its offer introducing DinBar. This time the en-caged stones serve as the base of a table/ a bar.

Stone detailing is hot and growing. Be ready for more!

www.kubric.eu

After writing yesterday's post ( below) I went back to Casamania's site .... only to discover they have developed a design creative minds will be enchanted by : an oversized seat/ planter ... Fabio Novembre's +13 comes with a message on the back:

“You are breathing. Did you remember? It is the invisible umbilical cord that connects us to the earth. Everyone, without exception. At the geometric centre of your body there is a thing called the belly button and first you were nourished through it in a warm maternal bath. But now it’s a scar, a memory. Now you breathe. And if you run out of breath as you chop down a tree, don’t blame it on the tree.”

If you are lucky enough  to  read italian ( always sounds nicer):

“Stai respirando. Te lo ricordavi? E’ l’invisibile cordone ombelicale che ci lega alla terra. Tutti, indistintamente.
Al centro geometrico del tuo corpo c’è una cosa che si chiama ombelico e prima ti nutrivi attraverso di esso in un caldo bagno materno. Ma adesso è una cicatrice, un ricordo. Adesso tu respiri, e se mentre stai abbattendo un albero ti manca il fiato, non credere che la colpa sia sua.”
Vaso e seduta modulari in polietilene adatti per esterni e spazi pubblici.


Colours: white, black, red, brick red, anthracite
Dimensions: W 143,5 D 162 H 160cm