Repurposed Cement Factory

My design eye leans towards objects and architectural spaces that have been given a new life in unexpected ways…re-invented. Last blog post, I introduced this notion as Boudustrial, the collision of Boutique and Industry. HeyMdesign is interested in promoting the ideas of creative reuse and repurposing of existing buildings and home design and will track innovative design that uses sustainable materials and technology that considers the user and the experience.  

FAVE of the week:

My Boudustrial series kicks off with the most impressive adaptive reuse project I have ever heard of in Barcelona, Spain called the Cement Factory. Architect Ricardo Bofill imagined the conversion of an abandoned turn of the century cement factory into his architectural offices, exhibition space and personal apartment with guest rooms and extensive gardens. I wish I could have been one of the arquitectos on this project or atleast a guest. Can I, Mr. Bofill? The two year renovation ingeniously sculpted out extensives spaces by demolishing parts of the industrial silos, gigantic engine rooms and by exposing other hidden elements within its thick concrete walls. For example, see how his offices exposed and retained the industrial silo accents. Framed in such a way that they are art unto themselves. See pics below:

I love the the lofty interiors with its high ceilings, sleek contemporary furniture and moderate decorative elements. See pics below:

How magnificent the curve of the vertical silos form a sculptural backdrop to this concert and cultural activity hall! I can hear the resounding sound of music! See pic below:

Thru the interiors you can glimpse into the luscious gardens of eucalyptus,olive and cypress trees. See pics below:

I would love to sit in that garden and sip some sangria with Mr.Bofill. He is my hero! This is an inspiring transformation!

Are you a Boudustrialist?

Marcel Duchamp's Bicycle Wheel

I am passionate about Architecture and have respect for design that can be experienced, and bring global awareness. See past FAVEs of the week. (Green concrete, Floating homes, and Waste Landscape blogs)

Relative to interior design, furniture and lighting, I am inspired by all things crafted with an attention to detail.. I get excited when traditional materials such as wood and metals are merged and used in unexpected ways...re-invented.

Like Marcel Duchamp's 20th century Bicycle Wheel, he challenged assumptions about what constitues a work of art. By simply taking a prefabricated bicycle wheel and attaching it to a pedestal, he subverts the established notion of the artist's craft and the viewers experience.

Can we apply this notion into 21st century interior and architectural design?   Yes, and I call this movement Boudustrial: the collision of boutique and industry.  In future weeks, I plan to investigate how traditional materials such as wood and metal can be used in a refreshing, whimsical and unique ways.

 SUBMISSIONS for The Boudustrial Series:

Calling all furniture, lighting, industrial, interior and architectural designers: would you like to submit your products and/or projects that are contemporary with an industrial and whimsical edge? I plan to share your designs on my blog as part of my Boudustrial series.

Send Hey M design:

-Your image (s) as high resolution JPEG files
-Description of your product or project with a link to your blog or website
-Send your images to heymdesign@aol.com . ( Upload them to a drop box if the file is large)

Look foward!
M

Waste Landscape

FAVE of the week:

It's no surprise that digital music, led by iTunes is believed to take over sales of CD's. Its sad in the near future that we will lose the tangibility of the CD product.

An art installation called "Waste Landscape" by Elise Morin and Clémence Eliard at the CENTQUATRE in Paris France exhibited how CD's will ultimately disappear from our daily life. Dunes of 60,000 hand sewn metallic CD's create a 600 meter undulating landscape. 

What a powerful installation to experience the awareness that CD's will ultimately transform into toxic waste! This is a moving installation, I hope it comes to New York City!

Fantastico Museo in Galicia,Spain

My FAVE of the week:

I really love the postmodernist artist Richard Serra who takes into account the viewers reaction as they approach and move through his structures. I remember walking thru his massive Corten Torqued ellipses feeling off kilter by the asymmetry and awe inspired!! So, I was extremely excited when I came across a new project in Galicia, Spain that seems so Serra-esque. But what is it? Is this a park or a musuem or both?

Nieto Sobejano Arquiectos envisioned it to be both, a musuem-park. Built outside the city of Galicia, these beautiful looking Corten steel silos engage the landscape and form Spain's Museo Interactivo de la Historia de Lugo.

A cluster of small and large cylinders define above and below ground spaces and illuminates at night thru an exoskeleton of Corten mesh.

Take a look at the color of the steel juxtaposed against the landscape. Its perfecto! I will have to go check out this musuem-visitor center on my next travels to Spain.

Cheers,
M

Trinity Root 9/11 Memorial

Trinity Root by artist Steve Tobin was dedicated to the people who died on September 11, 2001. This powerful sculpture in the churchyard of Trinity Church in New York City reminds us all of growth, the passage of time and our connection to all things.

This photo is licensed under a Creative Commons license.  Photo credit as Scott Beale / Laughing Squid laughingsquid.com.

Reface or Replace?

Hey MDG,
I really dislike my kitchen cabinets and cannot afford a new kitchen. How can I transform my kitchen without the expense?
Amy from Boston

Amy,

You are right! Building a new kitchen is costly and intrusive. Talk to anyone that has lived thru it and they will tell you that it is rough, and that's saying it mildly... Have you ever heard of Refacing cabinetry? This is a really good option for you to transform your kitchen without spending the big bucks. Ask yourself these questions first:

Are the bones of your cabinets in good condition? Are your cabinets built 20-30 years ago? If so, they may be unattractive but are solidly constructed and are good candidates for kitchen cabinet refacing. Are you happy with your kitchen layout and the way it functions? If you are nodding your head yes, then refacing is still a good option.  Is your existing kitchen floor level? If it is, you are good to go for refacing but if the floor is not level sometimes settling can cause cabinets to sag so you may find some obstacles ahead. Are your existing cabinets painted? If they are painted before 1978, the paint most likely has lead in it and refacing contractors are required to take special precautions when working and required to give you a brochure called "Protect your family from Lead in the home." I hope your cabinets are not painted because this is an added expense to your project.

Ebano

So how does refacing existing cabinetry work? Basically your contractor will remove your old doors and drawer fronts and then rough up the old face frame and side panel finish in preparation for the new veneer covering. Can you believe thats it? Finish options are plastic laminates and wood veneer. Plastic laminates will be the less expensive option. Check out Formica laminate for a wide range of solid color, wood grain and patterned laminates. Refacing with wood will cost 10 to 25 percent more than the laminates. Take a look at Tabu Veneer. Tabu offers natural beautiful wood veneer in a full range of colors. See the Ebano, Teak and the Noce Wood Veneer images. Don't you love it!! Contact the  New York Sales Rep at materialsinc for pricing assitance.

Once the veneer covering is wrapped over the existing wood, your contractor can re-install the 'new' cabinets and drawer fronts. Voila, you have brand new cabinets and you didnt have to wait months! You can then select some cool looking decorative hardware to finish off your project and personalize your cabinets. Take a look at focalpointhardware. They have a lot of brands to offer.

So, how much is refacing going to cost you? How much you pay for refacing depends on the size of your kitchen. Whatever you pay it will be significantly less than the cost of a new custom kitchen. People dont realize that there are a lot of other hidden costs to kitchen remodeling: moldings,installation, any required plumbing or electrical,refinishing your walls if cabinet locations change, sales tax, and delivery charges.

Noce

Teak

If you do not get your refacing contractor thru a recommendation, make sure you get references and go see their work. Check corners, edges, and where stiles and rails meet on cabinet doors. These intersections should be crisp!
Good luck with your renovation!
M

Floating homes?

I hope everyone remained safe and has dried out from the wrath of hurricane Irene last week. Certain areas got hit harder than others like North Carolina where homes were submerged underwater. So, wouldn't it be cool if homes were able to float? Well get this: Brad Pitt's Make it Right Foundation, responsible for rebuilding New Orleans after Katrina, has teamed up with Morphosis Architects to unveil eight green homes that float when flooded.

So no surprise here.... FAVE design of the week:

According to Thom Mayne of Morphosis, the house floats when floodwaters rise and glides up 12 foot guideposts. Its like a house boat, who knew? The house is made up of green materials and breaks away from electric lines and plumbing and has batteries to power up kitchen appliances and other devices inside up to three days.  Here are some images: conceptual to completion:

Talk about innovative green design! I would love to see this in action!

M

Green Concrete

 FAVE of the week:

As you know, Concrete is used to build bridges, roads, sidewalks, and foundations for homes. But did you know that the manufacturing of concrete is the third largest source of greenhouse gas from the emission of CO2?  Well, a start up company named Novacem has come to the rescue! Novacem has concoted a new cement that negates Co2 emmisions when it hardens! What an impact this will have on our planet if all future cement can do what Novacem's green concrete can do!

Kitchen Nana Wall remodel

Hey Gang,
Sporting some ideas to expand my kitchen without the expense of a house addition. You are probably wondering, how do you do that? Join me and I will share my design ideas for my home remodel #2.
M  

Now that we successfully completed house remodel #1 (see Zen Modern blog), we are planning to redesign our deck and create an outdoor livingroom that will step down to grade level. My husband has been asking me to start drawing up these plans for the deck. But what he doesn't realize is that I would also like to build the deck right behind the exterior wall of the kitchen (on second level) allowing us to create an outdoor livingroom off the kitchen. Surprise,are you reading this hubbie? This is a picture of the back wall of our 1986 kitchen soon to be renovated:

How do I rebuild our deck and transform our kitchen at the same time? By using the NanaWall Transition Kitchen system by Nana Wall, a leader in Opening Glass Walls. This system is a glass window-door combination that folds back to create a large wall opening up to 35 feet. The panels are hinged and connected together on a track allowing the glass wall to fold up and expand space. So, do you get me? I do not intend to add more square footage to my home. I only intend to structurally change the existing back wall by using the NanaWall Transition kitchen system and gain more space onto my 'new deck'.  I envision an entertaining space where friends and family can gather without the headache of bringing food, plates,etc in and out. Everything is open and easy. The pictures below are not my new kitchen but are images of how the Nanowall system works:  

This system would transform my home by enhancing our view to our wooded backyard, let natural light in and plenty of buggies in (ha ha) and expand our kitchen space for some awesome parties!! How cool and convenient would it be to add a bar right behind my kitchen counter? I can do this with the folded back window!

Technically, the wall system is weather tight, air tight and has been structurally tested for hurricane-resistant requirements. They are available in aluminum,wood or aluminum clad over wood frames in a wide variety of colors, finishes, panel widths and folding configurations. It works with the Nanowall SL45 Aluminum, WD65 and WD66 Wood systems. The 10 wood options include Lamboo (laminated bamboo), pine, spruce, beech, Douglas fir, oak and sapelli mahogany. Aluminum systems are available in durable powder coating in a choice of gloss or matte colors.

So my hubbie is now thinking, how much is this going to cost? Well, its not cheap. My NYC representative tells me the cost ranges between $500 and $1000 per running foot or $60 to $125 per square foot.

This is a revolutionary glass wall system that's as simple as flipping a latch and unfolding a door!
We all can dream!
M

Equator 'scape'

Hey MDG,
I saw your readymade 'Zebra bathroom scape' last Sunday and  I was hoping to get some advice for my powder room bath.  I would really like to incorporate black, gray and white into my room. Do you know of any stones to suggest with these colors and any design advice on how to use them?
Becca from NYC

Hi Becca,
I have a stone for you! It is called Equator White. It is a sleek and sophisticated marble featuring a white background with dramatic dark grey and black banding. It is available in both tile and slab and would compliment any modern home. You can find it at the Artistic Tile showroom in New York City.

Now how to use this gorgeous stone:

Put your money into the Equator stone flooring using 12"X24" tiles and create a chic focal wall by framing the Equator stone around a large mirror. On the frame, play with the vein direction of the marble. That's what will make it look so interesting! I am showing dark gray walls to accentuate the dark banding in the stone which is Benjamin Moore's  trout gray # 2124-20.

To make a statement, either sit the sculptural Vitraform Coppa glass pedestal (1) infront of the mirror or the Cogliati sink (3), oh my! These sinks are very special in that Cogliati encases stone or enamel sinks in transparent glass. Pair the sink with Dornbracht's Symetrics (2) single hole faucet. Water will project from the mirror, how cool! To echo the rectangular shape of the Cogliati glass sink, use the Duravit Vero toilet (4). Love those contemporary lines! To finish off the room, you need a spectacular chandilier. Switch collection has a beauty called mercury (5). The reflective mirrored pebbles can float from the squared off cove.

If you need further showroom information, contact me. Love to see some pics, Becca!
M

Zebra 'scape'

Digg this! Let me INTRODUCE a new segment to my blog: Readymade Design Scapes. My intention is to plan and artistically fashion 'scapes' which are conceptual rooms (bathroom, kitchen, etc ) that will be intimate, quirky, luxurious and offer products that you can find at your local plumbing, tile and lighting showrooms.

Series 1 will focus on edgy bathroom 'scapes'  highlighting tiles from Porcelanosa and fixtures and fittings from Alape and Duravit.

The Zebra 'scape' is a conceptual boutique powder room found in a contemporary residential home. The intention is to have a powerful feature wall as you walk into the room balanced with circular cove lighting above and modern fixtures, fittings and accessories.
Lets break it down:
1. The mosaiced focal wall is a powerful coordination of colors, textures and lost objects by artist Sophie Verrecchia. http://www.zebramosaic.com.au/
2. Wall & Floor tiles: Porcelanosa's Crystal dark 13" X 40" porcelain tile. It looks like black glass.
3. The 41" Subzero chandilier puncturing thru the circular cove is made up of Bohemian crystals, fabric and metal. Its a WOW piece! It  provides ambient illumination and also has a center halogen down light to provide task or accent illumination. You can purchase it thru http://www.y-lighting.com/.
4. Uttermost Kagemi 30" wide contemporary metal mirror combines the square and circle echoing the geometry of the space and circular cove in the ceiling. Can be purchased thru http://www.lampsplus.com/
5. Hansgrohe's Axor Stark X Faucet  is a wall mounted facuet, truly minimalistic in design.
6. Circa Alape white enameled vessel sink. It is a simple contemporary design.
7. Wall Hung Vanity called Mizu Bliss by Alape. It is made of timber veneer and polyurethaned a satin white or black finish. It features a contempoary design with an open storage area
8. Duravit's floating Second Floor toilet #220509.  How can you love a toilet? But I do! I have it in my Zen bathroom! (see Zen modern blog) The flushing system is hidden inside the wall. All you see is the toilet and a plate for flushing. Very cool!

Nook space becomes Home Mini-Bar

Hey MDG,
Inside my home there is a 7'-0" wide x 2'-4" deep x 7'-11" high nook where I want to build a low storage unit that houses an undercounter refrigerator, wine bottles, liquer and glasses. Any tips?
Thanks,Scott from Florida

Scott,
A Home Mini-Bar for your nook sounds like a great idea! I love the idea of having a space where you can entertain friends. But lets put an edgy spin on it. I took a look at your space and thought it would be nice to take advantage of the 7'-11" height instead of just building a low cabinet.

Frame the nook with 2" piece of paint grade wood all the way around. The lower section can be more functional with your undercounter refrigerator and storage. The upper portion can be more decorative by showcasing your liquer, wine and glasses inside a geometric pattern of niches.

To keep cost down, purchase paint grade wood and paint the large 2" wood frame a steel gray color. Then paint the inside of the niches, a dark blue. The rest of the wood can be painted a light gray. To get a more modern edge, incorporate frosted glass on the back of the niches and backlight them, baby! You will have to run electrical to (2) Bartco linear fluorescent tubes that will be hidden in the back of your storage unit. Make sure you leave room to access the lights for when they blow out.. If you want to add color to the lights, add a tube guard over the light fixture. They come in many colors and you can get a 'bar' effect right in your own home!!

Cheers to you!
M

Alternatives to Granite

Hey MDG,
I am going to renovate my kitchen and I would like to find a countertop alternative to granite. Any suggestions?
Jen

Hi Jen,
Oh goodie, I too am over Granite! If you are going with a clean contemporary look, then I recommend  White glassos or Soapstone.
Glassos Crystal white is a pure crystallized glass which looks like Thassos white marble, which by the way is a horrible stone since it stains if not sealed properly. Glassos is made from a sophisticated technique of sintering crystals and minerals under high temperature. I digg it because it has a beautiful modern looking luster, is non-porous, doesnt stain or scratch, and doesnt require sealing. It is my top choice for a kitchen countertop or vanity tops.

Soapstone is also a very interesting material. It is a natural stone that is both durable and requires minimal maintenance. Get this, it is virtually heat proof. You can put a hot pot right on the stone. Did you know that soapstone is used to create pizza stones and is used insides of pots? How ideal is that for a kitchen countertop? Additionally, the only maintenance required for soapstone is mineral oil. The oil enhances the darkening process the stone goes thru. Overtime, the stone changes from a charcoal gray to black and sometimes a hint of green remains. How humorous, your friends will ask you if you keep changing the counter? Unlike Glassos, soapstone can scratch but you can sand it out or hide the scratches with an application of mineral oil.

Send me pictures of your installation! Cheers, M

Help, my Porcelain tile is cracking

Hey MDG,
I purchased discontinued porcelain tilees and used them on my kitchen floor. To my surprise some of the tiles have been cracking. Why would new tiles crack? Now I need to replace the cracked tiles and I am unable to purchase new ones since they were discontinued. What do I do? Sincerely, Sharon

Sharon,
It is unfortunate to hear that your newly renovated kitchen floor is cracking. Discontinued tiles doesn't mean that anything is wrong with the tiles. So, I wouldn't worry about that. The tile store was most likely bringing in new inventory. Porcelain is a very durable tile for floor applications since it is madeup of water, clay and quartz ferrous sand materials. It is common for a ceramic/porcelain tile to crack if the foundation of your house is settling or if it was improperly installed.

My thought is that your contractor did not properly prepare the subfloor. You want a level subfloor for ceramic /porcelain flooring. Otherwise it proves unreliable, thus the cracks you have been experiencing.

Professional tile contractors that warrant their work over long periods of time mud set their floors. "Mud setting" is the ideal substrate because the mud set provides a flat and level floor, a water resistant base and adds structural stability to new and especially existing old floors. When I renovated my downstairs space (see Zen Modern blog), the subfloor had a huge bow across the room and it required a mud set floor, especially since I purchased 12" X 24" porcelain tiles. (see pic below)

Unfortunatley your kitchen space is done and I really doubt you want to start over and rip up the entire new floor and fix the sub floor. Perhaps, your contractor can come back and rip up the problematic area and level it off so that future tiles do not crack.

The other problem you face is that you cannot purchase new tiles since you purchased discontinued tiles.Take a sneek peek under the refrigerator, cabinetry or island to see if any of the tiles were installed under there. Your tile contractor can use those tiles for the subfloor repair and solve your cracking issues!
Best of luck,
M

Visual Sizzle: Outdoor Firepit

Hey MDG,

I am going to renovate my outdoor space. Do you have any firepit suggestions?

Sandy

Hi Sandy,

A firepit is a wonderful way to create an outdoor living space for sharing, entertaining a group of friends and enjoying life! Some firepits require gas or propane and others burn just from good ol' wood. S'mores anyone?

Here are some of my firepit favorites:

The Big Bowl O' Zen Sculptural Firbowl is a custom work of art by John T Unger Studio. Love it! It can be used for clean burning propane/natural gas or wood fires.  Its hemispherical lines are perfectly constructed giving a serene, classical yet contemporary statement. It is made up of 100% recycled american steel and has a hidden base. (See pic below)

Clean lines, an organic shape showcases the Modfire! It can burn wood or has several burning fuel options (propane or natural gas). Crafted by hand in their Arizona steel studio, Modfire comes in many dazzling bright colors and can be a fun focal point to any backyard space! (See pic below)

The innovative italian based Ak47space.com has come out with some really cool outdoor contemporary woodburning fireplaces inspired by industrialized craftmanship. One is called Zen and the other is called Zero. Both firepits encourage relaxtion and a communal feel. Zen is a sculpted circular steel pit made of 1/4" thick carbon steel with a rusted finish. It is constructed out of bands and the moat in-between the bands can be filled with gravel, lava stones or sand. It can be above or sunken into the ground. (See pic below)

 

Zero by Ak47space also has a contemporary round shape where wood can be visibly stored around the combustion chamber. It is functional and artful. (See pic below)

If you are looking for a custom firepit look, you can purchase your own kit and face it with any stone of your choice. Flame creation offers prefabricated stainless steel fire pit trough burners that outputs 100,000 Btu/hr. The burner assembly and frame pan requires a stainless steel flexible gas line and an electrician will have to supply a 110v power on and off switch.  There are various sizes ( 24",36",48" )and different fire accessories such as lava rock, fire glass, and boulders. (See pic below)

Solusdecor offers concrete outdoor firepits. Two of my favorites are the Halo fire pit and the Firebowl Hemi. The Halo firepit is a sculptural floating slab that invites warmth and gathering. It is powerd by an approved 40,000 Btu/hr natural gas or propane burner that is lit manually and key valve operated.  (See pic below)

The Firebowl Hemi by Solus decor is a 36" hemispherical firepit available with an outdoor natural gas or propane burner that produces a 75,000 Btu/hr flame. (See pic below)

There are lots of modern takes on the outdoor fireplace. Enjoy the warmth and relaxation!

M

Thinking Concrete Countertop...

Hey MDG,

 I am not sure whether concrete is the right material for me to use for my home. Can you share with me the advantages and disadvantages of concrete?

Thanks, Lily

Wow Lily, The average person thinks of concrete sidewalks and not concrete design! I am a big fan of concrete! It can be transformed into highly versatile and unique objects such as  bathroom sinks and countertops, kitchen countertops and backsplashes, fireplace surrounds, wall panels, and furniture.  I would definately consider concrete if you think granite or marble is too common or if you think solid surface material looks plastic. If you appreciate hand-crafted items and you want a one-of-a-kind custom piece, then concrete is the right material for you! A good source for concrete kitchen and bath countertops is trueformconcrete as shown in the kitchen pic below. To showcase personalization, you can integrate anything into concrete(glass,stone,metal) like the metal strips shown in the kitchen countertop below.

Let me be clear though, concrete does have imperfections!  But, I see those imperfections as an advantage and not a disadvantage. Yes, concrete has variations in color and texture and are susceptible to hairline cracks; however, these tiny cracks are not structural and are a result of natural shrinkage, stress and movement in the concrete.

Lets discuss everyday usage: it is easy to maintain concrete if a good penetrating sealer has been applied. Spot repairs can be made if necessary. Concrete is also easy to clean with mild cleaners or soaps. Just like any stone, you should not put anything hot directly on it. Highly acidic products and chemicals should also be avoided and cleaned up right away to prevent damage. As for the disadvantages, concrete's corners can chip and its surface can scratch. So don't hit the corners with anything hard and don't cut any food on it without a cutting board over it!

There is so much good concrete design out there: Take a look at these unique 'green' integral sinks from  fiddleheadconcrete. I say 'green' because fiddlehead concrete is an 80% blend of recycled glass, recycled concrete, fly ash and carpet tiles (to help resist cracking). I love their shapes (see above pic) ...their sinks have clean modern shapes and are like water sculptures. Water cascades down a geometric basin and ends into a narrow slot where the water disappears! So cool, I want one of those for my next renovation!

Lastly, cast stone fireplace mantels and surrounds by solusdecor are absolutely stunning! Their cast concrete transforms an ordinary fireplace into a sensational focal point for any room! See the above pic to the right. Clean modern lines with an earthy feel!

Solus also makes smooth and luminous concrete floor tiles that are cast and finished by hand. (See pic above to the left) They offer 12 colors in various sizes. What a statement, if you vary the colors and sizes!  I can even see using them as a backdrop on a large wall. Know these interior tiles are durable but susceptible to surface scratching and scuffing. They do tend to self-buff and get more polsihed with wear. Its amazing what a natural material can do!

Lily, I just scratched the surface (ha ha)  but I hope this has been helpful information for you to decide how to use concrete in your home!

Thanks for posting!

M