If you ever get a chance to visit New York,  I highly recommend visiting the Metropolitan.  But make sure you leave plenty of time for it as you will not be able to see everything it has to offer in one, two, even three days!  We visited the museum three times and still haven’t seen everything.

I experienced so many different things during my short vacation in NYC that deciding where to start my series of blogs on it was a task in itself.  I somewhat regret not having blogged during the trip.  However, that, too, would’ve been an impossible task.  The organizer inside kept telling me that I needed to just inhale it all at once, then structure my blog later on.  Smart thinking!  But it literally took days to review all the pictures, recall where certain photos were taken, and decide how they fit into each other.  It was a lot of fun to reminisce but on with it…

When you think of New York, you instantly think of skyscrapers like the Empire State, Rockefeller, and former Twin Towers.  I love standing at street level, throwing my head as far back as it could go and still not be able to see the very top of some of these buildings.  These are all wonders in themselves but what really stole my attention were all the architectural details sprinkled all over the city.

Ornate details decorated doors and windows.  Sculptures flanked doorways to invoke the grandest of entrances.  All the details seemed to want to say, someone important inhabits this space.  Classical details scattered throughout provided a balance for the modern sky-high buildings.

Walking the streets of NYC felt whimsical.  Perhaps because the New York image is so international, bracing magazines, television, advertisements, movies, and music, it felt familiar yet I wanted to explore every corner for surprises.  I felt like a kid.  Perhaps there’s something to be said about the effects of advertising.  But we’ll leave that for another type of blog.

I am in love with brownstone and bricks.  It made the streets of New York feel warm and inviting.  Vancouver needs to replace some of its grey concrete with brownstone if only for a bit of interest.

Although it was exhausting, I loved walking around the city.  I have never felt so insignificant and it was humbling to say the least.

There’s much more to talk about so stay tuned.

Image courtesy of point-tokyo.jp

Image courtesy of Inhabitots.com

]]> http://abodesignco.com/architect/the-perfect-home-for-book-lovers/feed/ 0 http://abodesignco.com/architecture/innovative-wine-cellar/ http://abodesignco.com/architecture/innovative-wine-cellar/#comments Tue, 09 Jun 2009 22:25:31 +0000 admin http://abodesignco.wordpress.com/?p=365 I received these pictures of a wine cellar, unfortunately without any information.  Can’t seem to find any info on it, so would be pleased if you know anything about it!  Great concept AND it looks good.  Let me know if you know who the designer is.

Vietnam’s cities carry the architectural traces of the many phases of its history. The city of Hue, capital of the Nguyen dynasty, features the Citadel and other imperial structures, such as the mausolea of former emperors. In 1993 UNESCO designated the Citadel and other imperial sites as a part of their World Heritage List and have subsequently begun renovations to repair the extensive damage they received in the 1968 Tet Offensive.

Halong Bay, Unesco World Heritage Site

The French left behind an impressive legacy of colonial architecture, particularly in Hanoi, Hue, and Saigon.

Colonial architecture, Modern Art Museum, HCMC

Colonial authorities meticulously planned these cities, creating wide, tree-covered avenues that were lined with impressive public buildings and private homes. Many of these structures still serve as government offices and private residences. Following the division of the country in 1954, South Vietnam saw an increase in functional American-style buildings, while North Vietnam’s Eastern Bloc allies contributed to the construction of massive concrete dormitory housing. The 1990s brought an array of new architectural styles in the cities as people tore down houses that had for years been neglected and constructed new ones, normally of brick and mortar. New construction has removed some of the colonial flavor of the major cities.

Promenade, Bien Hoa

District 1, Ho Chi Minh City

City residents often congregate to sit and relax at all hours of the day in parks, cafes, or on the street side. The busiest locations during the day are the markets where people buy fresh meat, produce, and other essentials. Religious structures such as Christian churches, Buddhist temples, and spirit shrines are often crowded to capacity on worship days. Almost all lowland communities have structures dedicated to the war and revolution. These range in size from a large monument for war dead in Hanoi to the numerous cemeteries and cenotaphs for the war dead in towns and villages across the nation. These sites only commemorate those who fought for the victorious north, leaving those who served the south officially uncommemorated.

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Hanoi

Vietnamese rural villages feature a variety of architectural styles. Village residents in lowland river deltas usually live in family compounds that feature one or more rectangular-shaped houses made of brick and mortar. Compounds often have large open areas on the ground for drying rice. Village homes are normally built extremely close to each other, creating nuclear or semi-nuclear settlements surrounded by agricultural fields. Historically, villages planted dense stands of bamboo around their communities to define their boundaries and protect them from trespassers, though these are disappearing. In poor areas, such as in the central provinces of Nghe An and Quang Binh, many families still live in thatched houses.

Hoi An - Homes with a View

Rice Patties, Sapa

Halong Bay

Regardless of their type, the main entrance to most homes is in the center of the long side, directly before the family ancestral altar. Kitchens, regarded as women’s spaces, are on the side. Lowland villages have a variety of sacred spaces, such as Buddhist temples, spirit shrines, lineage halls, and the communal house (a sacred structure that houses the village guardian spirit’s altar). These spaces normally have behavioral restrictions such as prohibitions against entry while in a polluted state to protect their sacredness. Ladies, remember to bring your sweater if you are wearing a sleeveless top as you will be denied entry if you cannot cover up. Highland minority groups often live in either thatched houses or in houses raised on stilts. Many of these houses maintain discrete spaces defined by age or gender.

Seeing all the different cities and villages in Vietnam was quite an education. In the west we some time take for granted the division between the rich and poor because we often don’t see them.  In Vietnam it is very apparent who is rich and who is poor and depending on where you visit, you may just see it in neighbours who live side by side.

Me walking down a mountain, Sapa

Halong Bay

All photos courtesy of Gwen Nguyen Photography.

All photos courtesy of Gwen Nguyen Photography.  Contact me if you wish to purchase.

Beautiful ceiling, Dai Nam

Notre Dame Cathedral, Ho Chi Minh City

French Architecture, Art Museum, Ho Chi Minh City

Dai Nam

One Pillar Pagoda, Hanoi

Bien Hoa

Bien Hoa market

Pagoda, Hanoi

Like paint, choose a colour/pattern that is in harmony with the neighboring rooms.  However, if you want to make a bold statement, make sure the design is timeless and most importantly you love it: unlike paint, it is costly so choose a pattern you will not grow tired of in a year.

Good wallpaper ranges from $60-$150 per single roll.  At those prices, it is recommended that you hire a professional paper hanger & choose a pattern you can live with.  A good installer makes a huge difference.  It is not as easy as the experts make it look.  If it’s off just a smidge you will know and your eyes will zero in on it every time.

Consider lighting.  If you are contemplating a textured/metallic pattern, use indirect lighting or you will quickly learn to hate it.

Considering the room you’re installing it in.  I don’t recommend using wallpaper in your bathrooms due to the moisture but in a powder room where you’re not dealing with steam it can be stunning and adds a point of interest to what would be an ordinary room.

Powder Room, Brown Design Inc

Don’t substitute your crown moulding for wallpaper borders.  Don’t use borders around your windows or doors.  Don’t use it to make your painted wall interesting.  In fact, don’t use borders period.  It is tacky and just doesn’t work.

Consider the furniture in the room.  Pairing modern furniture with traditional patterns results in a spectacular space.  Your guests will be in awe and wonder who your designer is even though you told them you designed it yourself

Charles Rupert Designs, Victoria BC

Mix patterns but keep your colour scheme simple.  Adhering to this rule will balance the space and keep it habitable.

Wallpaper your bedroom!  With the right furniture pieces it is very glamourous, intimate and romantic.

House to Home, UK

Mixed Patterns, House to Home, UK

So have fun & know when you need help (before you swipe your credit card hopefully).  Here are a few more of my favourite rooms:

Tuxedo ready

Coop Residence, San Francisco

Fit for a Princess