designstudio ltd

designstudio ltd, is a multi-disciplinary, full service design company located in Portland, Oregon, specializing in hotel, spa, restaurant, bar/club and retail design.

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Agnes Martin / Aspiration, 1960

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Always Reblog Agnes

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Always

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I just saw this at Tate Modern, London

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IN THE STUDIO: designstudio 2013 Happenings

We closed 2012 in a most inspiring way, with a piece in Hospitality Design Magazine, a rush of concepts and planning for various spa locations and with the creation of our very own spa portfolio. The piece in Hospitality Design Magazine highlighted our work on O Skin Care + Spa, which just opened this month. Focusing on our vision for the spa, the article does an excellent job of conveying designstudio ltd’s commitment to marrying the beauty of tropical Philippines with the glamor of Hollywood throughout the entire spa. See for yourself:

As for that spa planning we mentioned, it’s keeping us busy. Our spa collaborator, Blu Spas has asked designstudio ltd to weigh in on some noteworthy spots including Cabot Links in Nova Scotia, SLS Resort Haikou, China, Four Seasons Boston and various Fairmont Hotels & Resorts locations. And finally, our spa portfolio is available. We are so thrilled to release this collection of our spa projects, past and present. Since spa design is such a big part of designstudio ltd’s oeuvre and our designs have been so well-received, there was no better way to celebrate that than with a portfolio dedicated to our work in this area. Here are some early pictures of the book:

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WANDERLUST: Flora Farm

While traveling in Los Cabos this week, we were treated to an amazing experience at Flora Farm. Nestled in the foothills of the Sierra de Laguna Mountains of San Jose del Cabo, it is a small working farm serving all organic produce and feed for the restaurant and bar. The route is via a long winding unlit dirt road, arriving at a small decomposed granite parking area where you are drawn past modern hay bale galleries and outbuildings to the tivoli lights of the festive gathering place that is the restaurant and bar. From the open air structures made of reclaimed wood and steel windows lit by vintage bulbs and hanging jar votives, the mason jar glassware and vases full of local flora to the and the exquisite graphics and branding, we thought this was simply good design. Oh, and the food was good too!

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WANDERLUST: Venice

One of our favorite places in LA is Venice. The beachside town has long been celebrated for it’s eclectic nature--one that heavily differs from neighboring locales like Santa Monica or Malibu--it’s graffiti art, surfing, beachside shops and these days, it’s noteworthy cuisine (we're fans of Gjelina).  We spent some time in Venice last month and in between meetings and O Skin Care + Spa visits, we strolled the streets of Venice only to find true inspiration. The coastal spot offered us up close encounters with beach life peppered with an artsy laid back quality of life. No matter where you look in Venice, there’s an opportunity to be inspired including the ombre effect created by the sunny California sky, the water and the sand; the lone yellow vintage car set against a cobalt colored building; worn doors sharing the spotlight with bamboo and other lush shrubberies; Jim Morrison painted onto the side of a building, commanding your attention; even the morning light that flows into a local yoga studio offers up a design interlude.

Venice delivers new finds each time we visit and we leave with new ideas on how to approach our projects. It’s a place best explored by foot and with an open mind.

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DESIGNER LENS: Patterns at Alexander McQueen (Paris Fashion Week Spring 2013)

Photo Credit: The Cut 

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DESIGNER LENS: Peter Zumthor's Serpentine Gallery Pavilion

Watch the video to learn more. Click here.

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SIMPLY GOOD DESIGN: Paris Design Week

It happens every year. And every year Paris Design Week becomes a more monumental event. A recent New York Times article, Design Tasting in Paris, noted that in September Paris is the place to be. As we looked on at the work, we couldn't have agreed more.  

This year’s design event showcased a host of styles and what we enjoyed most was the mix of modern concepts through traditional mediums. Examples? A unique take on the chandelier by Carpenter’s Workshop Gallery, where a dazzling light fixture spilled from above, pin-tucked modular chaise lounges and ottomans, modular furnishings, cascading fixtures at Galerie Slottlab, almost bare vignette outfitted with statement furnishings or fixtures and bold artwork. 

Here’s a snapshot: Stylish French men and women sipping wine and eyeing American designer, Rafael de Cárdenas’ creation--200-square-foot room room decked out in faux marbles walls, jewel toned rugs and a suggestive daybed; accented with bold art, velvet and Baccarat crystals. In true Parisian fashion, the entire week exuded cutting edge creativity and an element of sexiness.

Images courtesy of Paris Design Week

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DESIGNER LENS: The Froissé Mirror by Mathias Kiss

The Froissé mirror by Paris-based, Hungarian artist Mathias Kiss

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DESIGNER LENS: Silver Scene

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IN THE STUDIO: The Sketch

A recent New York Times article devoted to architecture and drawing sparked our interest, causing to think about our own design process and how crucial sketching is to that process and just what it means to sketch.

Everything we do begins with a sketch. As the project moves in different directions the sketch becomes a record of the process and a vivid reminder of the the design’s evolution. Naturally, sketching offers us a visual marker, but it’s also an extremely visceral experience, one that allows the mind to wander through the developing idea or space and even the design’s destination by way of a fixed relationship between hand and pen to paper. What’s more is the drawing process communicates the emotional and tactile intent of the design.

In the  Times article Michael Graves described drawing as akin to a riff in jazz and how it would “be understood subliminally and put a smile on your face.” He’s right. We find that although the final outcome might be a mystery at the time, the connections (hand, mind, pen and paper) offer us an unmatched sense of pleasure in designing everything from plans to furniture and it speaks to a greater connection, that of “making” something. We “make” the space, we “make” the feature, we “make” the fixture--all with our hands.

Graves also says, “Our physical and mental interactions with drawings are formative acts.” So what seems like another part of the design process is really a lasting element and an outflow of artistic emotion. 

See more designstudio ltd sketches on Facebook. 

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DESIGNER LENS: New York Fashion Week

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SIMPLY GOOD DESIGN: The Getty Museum and The Getty Villa

LA is laced with impressive architecture and innovative building design. And amongst the structures weaved into the city’s fabric, we’ve gravitated towards the Getty Villa and the Getty Museum since our early design days.

These two buildings have offered up a portrait of design evolution that has managed to maintain its mystique and integrity over time.

An integration of landscape, art and architecture, lush gardens, breathtaking views of the Pacific--that’s the Getty Villa. We find this not only an ideal getaway (especially the upper terrace, which is perfect for a glass of wine), but a design wonder, as you look on to a contrast of materials like alabaster and bronze, concrete and travertine all laid out to reveal a classical plan. The modern addition by Machado and Silvetti Associates provides added character to the Villa by balancing old and new, the gardens and architecture.

As for the Getty Museum we’ve watched this place evolve over the years. A mix of natural and opulent materials--the doing of Richard Meier and Partners--come together here. This place is inspiring no matter the time of day from the massive modern structures and the landscape to the central garden by Robert Irwin, which holds true to his intentions, “always changing, never the same.”  And ultimately that same intention captures our idea  of the museum--constantly changing, but always an influential force. 

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Deus v-twin custom motorbike

Deus Ex Machina ‘God is from the machine’ is famous for their postmodern world motorcycles. It’s the Temple of Enthusiasm for passionate motorbike enthusiasts. Deus promotes and celebrates a custom motorcycle culture that first appeared in Europe and America in the 1940s.

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Design Details: The Chandelier

There are some design elements that we can’t shy away from. In this case, it’s chandeliers. We’ve always had an affinity for them and successfully worked them into many of our design projects. We find that these fixtures are not only glamorous, but cast a romantic light onto our modern vision. And experimenting with size is just the beginning when it comes to the dazzling accent. With The Spa at Red Rock we took a distinct modern approach allowing light to filter through a luxurious chandelier made of circular pieces.

When it came to  Drai’s Hollywood  Lounge, we took a more vintage approach to illuminate the dark, sultry surroundings.

With O Skin Care + Spa we’ve interjected a collection of structured chandeliers with delicate crystals pendalogues hanging from the arms.

For Se Spa our chandelier choice was more exotic and we opted for a fire basket style fixture. 

And with W Hollywood we worked with a captivating chandelier with its prisms spilling down to the grand staircase. 

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Favorite Places: Outstanding in the Field

Along with an unwavering commitment to cutting edge design, designstudio ltd, Owner and Creative Director, Sharilyn Olson Rigdon has a penchant for noteworthy cuisine and unique dining experiences. And because of that, she’s a big fan of Outstanding in the Field, the “revolving culinary adventure.”

This mobile restaurant experience pulls you out of the indoor spaces, allowing you to dine at a long, simply outfitted table with dozens of gourmands, set in a garden, on a mountain, in a sea cave, or on a farm and feast on seasonal fare from local farmers and artisans. 

The scene: delicate. The food: astounding. The design: open, natural and mesmerizing. 

*Images courtesy of Outstanding in the Field

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Design Details: Why Good Linens Matter

From the elaborate and oversized hotel bed to the quaint and cozy treatment table, linens matter. Good sheets can make or break what should be a relaxing experience.

We keep finding ourselves inspired by Matteo. They're the LA based bed linen company with some of the most luxurious fabrics around (we used them for the guestrooms at W Hollywood). We’re drawn not only to their unique garment dyeing system, but to the soft washed vintage feeling that their linens have. Matteo sews slow, so you get quality linens that are always cozy and unmistakably modern.  

As hospitality designers we think the bed ought to be the focal point of the room. It should be beautiful, crisp, captivating and inviting. Good linens help us create that. As sleepers we think a bed ought to be a place like no other, one that you want to linger in all day long. Good linens will deliver that too. 

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Favorite Places: Amangiri

It’s obvious that we love a well-designed hotel. And if we had to choose a favorite it would most certainly be Amangiri, a stylish, peaceful locale tucked deep into the valley of Canyon Point in Southern Utah. We've spent time at Amangiri and everything from the clean lines, the neutral palette and the modern architecture to the luxurious suites and the captivating views of the Grand Staircase are worth raving about. Each detail here is thoughtful and the spa was a seamless extension of the hotel with a cave-shape steam room that mirrored the landscape. File this one under “simply good design.”