The house in Chloe

I finally saw Chloe this week.  The storyline of the movie (which is based off the French film- Natalie) was disturbing in a good way and Julianne Moore and Amanda Seyfried were pretty amazing as an afflicted wife and as an irresistible temptress respectively.  However I was most attracted to the set design including a pretty unique home in Toronto which was a central part of the film.

Casa Sugar did the dirty work and found the home was designed by Drew Mandel.  It features very visible interiors from the outside and overall the design is quite minimal, clean, and natural.   There are lot of cavernous spaces and abundance of glass which make for some pretty unsettling shots of the characters.   The photo on top is of the home, but the movie actually used the facade of a different home for exterior shots, that of Architect Stephen Teeple, which is just down the street (on bottom). 

Here are other interior photos of the Ravine Home by Drew Mandel.  

Movie I want to see- Please Give

This is my kind of movie- a black comedy about a couple who owns a trendy furniture store (a lot of mid-century modern apparently) and their frustrations with old people.  In Please Give the couple basically buys furniture very cheaply at estate sales and then mark up the hell out of them in their store.  And they're also waiting for their neighbor to croak so they can take her apartment.

Okay I'm sure there's much more to the movie, but I'm already sold. 
Stars: Katherine Keener, Oliver Platt, Amanda Peet, and Rebecca Hall.
Comes out April 30th in NYC.

Eames inspired heels

Props to the big sis for finding this one. Now I can wear Eames on my feet thanks to United Nude's Eamz Shoes.  These designs have been around for awhile and take their inspiration from the classic Eames Chair.  Apparently they are actually quite comfortable.  I especially like the camel strappy ones below.   

What if the heel could instead incorporate the wire base that is also famous under Eames Chairs.  Here's my quick and dirty version using Microsoft Paint. 

Look what Urban Outfitters is selling...

The collection went on sale 2 days ago! The Pendleton blankets I posted earlier are now being sold at Urban Outfitters.  The selection isn't that big, but they've chosen many of the newer, trendier patterns.  They're also selling some similar patterns in towels.  I have a feeling this Navajo inspiration is going to become pretty popular, but who cares I'm definitely getting a few for my new apartment, they look so cozy!

Kinky Furniture

It's actually not that kinky, only in the literal sense, I love the "parti" behind this furniture.  The German designers, osko + deichmann, created this furniture by purposefully damaging steel tubes to in order to mold them to their design.  The minimal finishes of the wooden planks combined with the industrial tubes, make for an understated design.  They call it "functional damage" and it is part of  "Prophets and Penitents: Confessions of a Chair," a showcase of 25 furniture designers in Milan. It is being held at the Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio, one of my favorite sites from my travels in Milan.  I remember it had a beautiful enclosed courtyard at the entrance to the church grounds, a great place to show off some cool chairs.  

Images via designboom.com

As pretty as the furniture is, I wonder how functional it is.  Isn't the durability of the steel tubes compromised by forcing dents into them?  Wouldn't be too fun sitting in one of these chairs and suddenly falling to the ground as the steel tubes give way.  Nonetheless they sure are pretty to look at, and what do I know, these are German made after all.