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Wednesday, January 23, 2013

BlogTour Cologne- Two Brands, One Vision: Steam



The buzzword on BlogTour Cologne was Steam, oh glorious steam.... Why so catchy in the middle of snowy Cologne, Germany? Well, two of our sponsors, Miele and Mr. Steam both use steam to promote living a happier and healthier lifestyle. Miele advocates its new steam oven, the perfect product for healthy cooking at home and Mr. Steam avails its therapy system to relax your muscles, clear your sinuses and hydrates your skin. Who knew that steamed salmon and a steam room could have so much in common?

 


Miele’s MultiSteam oven offers some amazing features:


    *Uses “fresh steam” to cook. Steam is heated outside the oven delivering a superior balance of heat and moisture

-   *Fits four stainless steel trays where an entire meal can be prepared all at once. You can cook meat, vegetables and desert simultaneously. Yes! Pressurized convection steam separates flavors. Talk about efficiency!  

*Besides cooking a whole meal at once, the Multisteam technology cuts down on heating time by 30%! Great for a family with hungy kiddies!



At imm cologne, we were able to watch all the chefs work and taste first hand all the wonderful dishes from the steam ovens. Below are some images from one of Miele's Better Living event in San Franscisco.




The Steamy Result: 

* Miele's SteamOven maintains foods mositure, freshness, and valuable nutrients, in turn promoting wellness and healthy living!

(I had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Miele and ask him some questions. Stay-tuned for the interview)


Mr. Steam : “Wellness is a way of life”


* Miele's SteamOven maintains foods mositure, freshness, and valuable nutrients, in turn promoting wellness and healthy living!(I had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Miele and ask him some questions. Stay-tuned for the interview)  Mr. Steam hosted us to an evening at Claudis-Therme spa, truly believing in the power of steam to improve and maintain good health and beauty. What a wonderful evening! We experienced steam in their steam room, weightlessness in their floating pool, enriched with salt from the Dead Sea and fed an amazing 4 course meal in bathrobes! 

 

I was in pure heaven in that outdoor pool that whips around the whirlpool tub. The smell of snowy air embraces your head while you float within a forced circular current. You have no control but all I could do is smile and appreciate the experience! It was pure ahhh!

If you ever spent time at a spa or in a steam room, you know how awesome you feel afterwards. Your pores open up and your skin feels smoother; your muscles loosen up and you unwind; your sinuses clear and you breathe easier.The release of toxins in your body from steam also helps headaches, and joint inflammation... The potential of Steam is tremendous. 


Mr. Steam’s steam shower offers some cool features to enhance the experience:

*AromaSteam with aromatic oils system

*ChromaSteam with mood lighting system

*Music therapy speakers

*Integrate seating

*Towel warmers are key. Embrace yourself in a comfy cozy warm towel! 
Click HERE for more info. 

*No space is too small! Mr. Steam offers a virtual tool. In 5 clicks you can budget the steam shower of your dreams! Click HERE.


Thank you Miele and Mr. Steam for sponsoring our incredible trip to Cologne and Germany! 

Steam is certainly our future!










                                       

(all pics courtesy of Miele, Mr. Steam & Claudius Therme)


Tuesday, January 22, 2013

A Patterned Language in Cologne and Amsterdam

Hello ‘mod’sters! I'm back from BlogTour Cologne and am so incredibly inspired by all the amazing architecture and design I saw over in Cologne and Amsterdam! 

My time over there reminded me of something my professor in architecture once said to our class... "the #1 cause of accidents in the United States are architects." We all looked baffled... Why? He said, "because architects are always looking up." Its so true.... I am always looking up. I not only see; I look, process and dissect buildings and city-scapes down to their colors, materials, textures and patterns. While on BlogTour Cologne, I discovered that both cities, Cologne and Amsterdam are so rich in rhythmic pattern. 

Through my eyes, I invite you to see a 
patterned language
in COLOGNE

curves and verticality



pure geometry



proportion



lines


rippling edges



Through my eyes, I invite you to see a 
patterned language
in AMSTERDAM



its a bicyclist's world and I was only visiting...

repeat dimension


 playful grids 


sensuous curves


duplicate textures



~M

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Blog Tour Cologne 2013 itinerary




BlogTour Cologne is days away! 
Off to the airport tomorrow!




I am so pumped to have been chosen by Veronika of Modenus to go on BlogTour Cologne 2013. What an honor! Pinch me...what an amazing opportunity! I'm a ball of energy and nerves! I have so much to do but I got my i phone, i pad, and my 800s coolpix camera which has the ability to share! 

We have such a rich itinerary ahead of us. We will be immersed first at the imm furnishing show - a cornucopia of ideas from the most important players from Germany and abroad! The halls will be filled with over 1000 exhibitors showing an enormous array of furnishing products and concurrently the Living Kitchen, showing everything to do with kitchens! Perhaps I can bring back some cooking tips too! 

So many awesome events in Cologne and Amsterdam to look foward to: meeting our esteemed sponsors Blanco, Du Verre Hardware Company, Miele, Mr. Steam, Axor-Hansgrohe, and NKBA; going to the "We are social,"an International Bloggers summit with Holly Becker, founder of the awesome decor8 blog;a delicious dinner at the German Musuem of Olympic Sport sponsored by Blanco; Spa night at Claudius Therme sponsored by Mr. Steam; group tour of Cologne's magnifiecnt church Koelner-dom; Walking tour of Amsterdam curated by Eigen Huis & Interieur and the opportunity to meet Amsterdam's brightest bloggers and designers! 

There better be some time for German beer in there somewhere! I hope to share many with my fellow Blog Tour pals! You can catch some of their great postings on the Modenus Blog.

So much innovative DESIGN to be seen and reported!!









I'm excited to share the newest products on the market with you! Follow and catch me on Facebook,Twitter, and Instagram while I am in Cologne and Amsterdam!



Thank you to all of the Blog Tour's sponsors!!!:













Monday, January 7, 2013

Design Trend: The Color Emerald




While On BlogTour Cologne, I will be looking for those trenders who incorporated emerald green in their home collections. Why you ask? Well, Pantone, known for its standard color matching system for designers and manufacturers, has crowned Pantone #17-5641 Emerald as the Color of the Year for 2013!

Pantone describes Emerald as "a lively, radiant, lush green." 







Emerald is "the color of growth, renewal and prosperity," so keep your eye out for emerald across fashion, accessories and home decor:




Get the Emerald eye......






NARS Misfit eyeshadow duo ($34) 




I am obsessed with this stunner....

Green Poured Glass Maison Gripoix Chanel Necklace, France 1981




I love the swirl of emerald in Ted Baker's Print dress:

Ted Baker's Fama Magical Print dress ($137)





Wow, how about an entry wall with this stunning wallpaper...

Barneby Gates wallpapers
 (source)




Emerald accessories are a great way to bring a pop color into your space. Do it with pillows, or curtains or even with a splash of paint on one wall in a bedroom. I just want to nuzzle into this feathered pillow....



In Style Decor 6" Emerald Hand Painted Exotic Feathers Pillow
&
Urban Outfitters' Emerald zigzag curtain ($34-$49)





Sunday, January 6, 2013

Meet our Sponsors for BlogTour Cologne 2013



The countdown to BlogTour Cologne 2013 is less than a week away so its time to shout out to our awesome sponsors who are sending me to Cologne and Amsterdam! I heart you!


Blanco Modex


Inspiration. Innovation. Ideas...illustrate the Blanco brand of kitchen products. Blanco is committed in their craft in making luxurious and sustainable sinks, faucets and decorative accessories for the kitchen. Don't you love the look of their new Modex sink? So sleek, so chic. Will look great in any modern kitchen. Look foward to learning more about its specifications in Cologne. Follow Blanco on Facebook.




Axor Starck Organic


Want a bathroom environment that suits your lifestyle? Axor is the designer brand for the Hansgrohe group where extraordinary collections are created for extraordinary diverse bathroom environments. Axor maintains an open dialogue with design visionaries across architecture, interior and product design to create collections as different as people themselves. Their new product Axor Starck Organic is designed by my hero, Phillipe Starck. This faucet is a looker and fuses beauty and technology seamlessly. Follow Axor on Facebook.



Miele Controlled steam oven


Want to impress your next dinner party? German based Miele, manufacturer of high end domestic appliances has recently developed a controlled steam oven for the kitchen. The steam creates the perfect cooking temperature so that your food cooks evenly to perfection. I look foward to learning more about its technology and getting a taste-test in Cologne! Follow Miele on Facebook.



Mr. Steam therapy system


When you are on vacation, don't you desire a spa experience? I know you are now imagining sitting on a bench soaking in the steam. Well, you can have your very own steam therapy system in your very own home by Mr. Steam, a maker of steam therapy systems and towel warmers..... Bath culture has never been so sophisticated and luxurious.... Mr. Steam truly believes in the benefits of this lifestyle and they are treating all of us on Blog Tour to a relaxing evening at a German spa - Claudius Therme. AAAhhhhh! We are all so lucky!! Follow them on Facebook.



POMEGRANATE By Heinz Pfleger



Hardware has never been so artful. Partnering with an outstanding roster of designers,like famed designer Clodagh, Du Verre hardware company showcases innovative and contemporary knob and pull collections. I got so excited by the catalog I received in the mail that I previously wrote about some of their collections HERE. Follow Du Verre on Facebook. 

Well that's our innovative group of sponsors! Thank you Sponsors! Thank You Modenus!! I can't believe I will soon be here....



Cologne, Germany



And here....

Amsterdam


I am bursting with excitement and cannot wait to start sharing all of my adventures and product discoveries!!! 
(All images from the sponsors websites)







Friday, January 4, 2013

Mod Must Haves for Snake lovers

MOD MUST HAVES
stylish, modern, unique
for snake lovers


SNAKE, this interesting creature is bringing 
its pattern to textiles, fashion and accessories


Kelly Wearstler Ombre Serpent rug combines glam and raw beauty:
(source and source) 

                                                                      



Jewelry designer Wendy Yue's designs are handcrafted works of art. 
Look at the intricate placement of each diamond and garnet:
(source)







Michael Kors python Berkley Clutch is gorgeous! Polyvore is selling it for $198:
(source)


Michael Kors clutch




Even snake nail art! 
The coating stretches over the shape of your nail
 and supposedly lasts up to 4 weeks:
(source)









BiTTT 2013 Lecture for Architects and Designers






Networking group for Women in Design called BiTTT. Bring it To The Table, developed by Lana Lawrence of Anthony Lawrence-Belfair, provides its members with a place to share resources, experience and make meaningful connections in the design industry. 

On Tuesday January 29th, BiTTT is hosting a lecture with guest speaker Lloyd Princeton of Design Management Company, an Agent/Expert for Architects and Designers. He will educate designers on "how to determine the best way to charge for their design services and incorporate it into a solid letter of agreement, with confidence."

As an architect/designer myself, this lecture sounds very rewarding! 

Location: ALB Design Center 53 West 23rd Street, 9th Floor
Date: Tuesday, January 29th, 6:00pm-8:00pm
Cost: $30.00
Register: click HERE.