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Magnetic Wallpaper Ignites the Imagination | Sian Zeng

I have a confession to make. I am a huge fan of stories. I think storytelling is a precious art form and that children should be taught from a very young age to tell them, to listen to them, and to always create them in their imaginations. Stories are what connect us with each other and with history. Stories connect us to deeper meaning and greater thought and higher inspiration.

It is my love of story that has caused me to fall head-over-heels for this product I’m sharing with you today. Yes, the illustrations are delightful. Yes, the magnetic concept is ingenious. But it is the power to ignite the imagination that holds the key to my heart with this one. Feast your eyes {and your imaginations} on this brilliant wallpaper collection. Aptly named “Magic and Fun,” this uniquely interactive wall covering by Sian Zeng invites visual narratives that evolve through interaction.

Can’t you just picture the hours upon hours of storytelling that would take place on these walls? Friends would always want to come and play at your house so as to continue writing their scripts and plays. And bedtime stories would take on an entirely grander dimension of creativity and interplay.

A lovely stage for the imagination, it is easy to see how every fairytale ever told might come to life on the walls of a room “dressed for the theatre” in Sian Zeng‘s paper.

All images via Sian Zeng

In my imagination, the dry-erase thought bubble {shown above} would create endless opportunities for hilarious photo shoots. Wouldn’t it be fun to wallpaper a dining room with a paper from the Magic and Fun collection? Just think of how much everyone’s ribs would hurt after the laughter that would ensue from telling stories with friends over dinner, creating “thought bubbles” for each other throughout the night? Your home and hospitality would no doubt be the talk of the town.

How do you keep your imagination alive? What materials or collections have encouraged you to think outside the box lately?

xo
s.

By Sarah Walker The Curated House|October 4th, 2012|0 Comments

Powder Room Perfection

Today I thought I’d share with you one of my favourite client powder rooms. Small but sophisticated, this powder room elicits a lot of conversation when guests come for dinner. I think it’s all in the details.

There’s just no substitute for gorgeous raw materials. In this case, I chose Macassar Ebony for the floating, 2-drawer vanity and beveled mirror frame {which wraps around the vanity from floor to ceiling}. I finished it with a simple but stunning polished black granite countertop with a 5″ mitred edge. Clean, substantial, modern and gorgeous.

To continue the floating effect established by the vanity, I chose a simple and elegant Hansgrohe wall-mounted faucet, mounted on top of the mirror so that it seemingly pours out of infinity into the shimmering hand-hammered, undermounted nickel sink.

As if mimicking the waterfall from the faucet, the crystal droplets of these two sconces {elegantly framed by their black pleated shades} add sophistication and glamour. Layered on top of the stunning metallic flocked wallpaper from Kravet, they tell the story of texture upon texture and detail upon detail.

I love the femininity and simplicity of the art we chose to mount above the toilet – a gorgeous ink on mylar piece by Madeleine Lamont {via Art Interiors}. Simply floating on the matting behind, Madeleine’s piece compliments the very graphic, henna-like pattern of the wallpaper without fighting it, carving out a place of its own with it’s gestural, organic image and crisp, dark wood frame. The baseboards, crown moulding and ceiling are all painted out a dark, chocolately-charcoal grey, acting as a dramatic frame for the entire room.

The floors are once again texture upon texture and detail upon detail. A gorgeous, striated mocha limestone is inset with a beautiful mosaic tile carpet which runs underneath of both the floating vanity and the toilet to truly anchor the room and connect the elements.

The border is created with 7 rows of 5/8″x5/8″ jointless dark chocolate Emperador mosaic.

The inset of the tile carpet is comprised of this timeless and spectacular Crema Marfil mosaic, the fan motif serving as a beautiful nod to the Art Deco period.

Overall I’d have to say this is one of my all-time favourite client powder rooms, a sophisticated space for a sophisticated family. A great deal of time and attention to detail were poured into the design of this powder room, a space that is far too often overlooked for the opportunity it offers to created a style statement in a little jewel box of a room. I hope this inspires you with some ideas for what you might do with yours!

By Sarah Walker The Curated House|October 3rd, 2012|4 Comments

The Ferry Building Marketplace | San Francisco

Image via www.cooltownstudios.com

Image via www.sftours.com

By now my love of markets should come as no surprise to you. I love the happy hum of shopkeepers and shoppers alike, greeting each other whilst being bathed in golden morning light, admiring beautiful produce and delectable baked goods, making warm and happy small talk amongst their careful selections. I love the variety, colour and artisinal goodness represented by each unique vendor. And I love the possibilities and creative opportunity their wares offer a humble shopper like me.

If you are in San Francisco and love all the sensory splendour to be beheld at a market, then you simply must make a trip to the Ferry Building Marketplace. Located right on the water at the foot of Market Street, this historic and beautiful building opened in 1898. The port for commuters crossing the San Francisco Bay, it is also a natural home to the delightful market. The Farmer’s Market {see the photos of produce above} rolls in to set up shop on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, taking up residence in temporary outdoor stalls. The permanent shops nestled in the Nave of the building are there 7 days a week.

Here are some of my favourites from the beautiful space inside:

HEATH CERAMICS

As you’ll know from yesterday’s post, I have a sincere fondness for ceramics. I think it’s something about the purity of the process that enchants me. It’s a real collaboration between human hands and machine to create something truly beautiful. There is a joy in making things by hand that is so clearly reflected in Heath’s product. I adore their colour palette – vibrant and fashion-forward – met with their subdued matte finish. Beautiful art for everyday living. Take a look at their beautiful process and beautiful product in this delightful video. If I didn’t already love them for their product, I’m head-over-heels knowing the integrity and community that stand behind it.

Heath Ceramics: An impressive view from within from Heath Ceramics on Vimeo.

MIETTE

Setting foot into Miette is a bit like taking a step back in time to a picture-perfect 1950’s pastry shop. There is something charmingly traditional and authentically American in each cake and confection they create, with a serious dollop vintage perfection on top. I think it is safe to say that the owner Meg is as much an architect as she is a pastry chef, very carefully crafting each concept into California-playful-meets-perfect. She even has a gorgeous, scalloped-edge cookbook, published by Chronicle Books {of course}!

Miette: A Video from San Francisco’s Most Charming Pastry Shop from 4SP Films on Vimeo.

McEVOY RANCH

Last but not least, the truly remarkable organic and sustainably farmed olive oil from McEvoy Ranch is award-winning for a reason. Crafted in the Tuscan tradition and capitalizing on the good earth of Norther California, their product is truly exceptional.