Inspiration Photo Friday: The Darkness

16 Friday Nov 2012

Posted by melissaoconnor in Inspiration Photo Friday

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age, Alcatraz, california, darkness, historic, history, island, jail, light, photography, travel, vacation, worn

When my friend Meg and I took a trip to California I set up sites for us to see and things for us to do while we where. One of them was to take a tour of Alcatraz. How could we not! I was very happy we did and must say the tour was really cool. We mostly got to walk around ourselves and take photos which is what I was hoping for. I had two cameras with me and was ready to shoot.

I captured a lot that day. Alcatraz surely has an interesting and haunting vibe. There was so much character to the place, the stories were gleaming off the walls. I particularly loved the rooms inside. Each step down the hallway was intimidating because you didn’t know what you would see next. The age of the furniture left behind and the patina on the walls added such a nice effect to the structure.

The room below seemed like a small storage space. I was drawn to it because of the way the light was gleaming through the window. You could see the cracks on the walls brilliantly among the shadows and the desperation of the empty air was strangely refreshing. I also loved the texture of the tiled floor. I felt this shot expressed what I felt while being in that room. To be in darkness and watch it slowly get swallowed by light was a really cool experience. It reminds you that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel.

Bringing in Light During Long Winter Nights

15 Thursday Nov 2012

Posted by melissaoconnor in Everyday Design, Guest Posts, Ross Donald, The Home

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Form, Function, home, interior design, light, lighting, LightingSale.com, night, Ross Donald, sun, track lighting, winter

It’s finally happened. Just as the reds and yellows of the leaves have fallen to the ground, the cups at Starbucks have turned that same unmistakable shade of red. Summer has come and gone, and now fall has fell. Time to break out the sweater, the scarves and the big, warm, living room blanket.

Worse than even the coldest of temperatures is the way your days seem to disappear. A 9 to 5 easily steals most if not all of the daylight hours and hanging out in the dark just doesn’t have the same appeal to you that it had when you were 16. But you don’t have to be left in the dark; you can bring the light to you.

Light for Function
First thing’s first. Make sure your house has enough light to do the things you need to do. Overhead illumination is usually enough to cover this, but sometimes a well-placed floor lamp or wall sconce is just what the doctor ordered.

Photo Credit: The Design Home

Photo Credit: Ashton Sebastian

Light for Form
Now it’s the fun stuff. Lighting shouldn’t be all work and no fun. In fact, lighting your house will not only serve as a great, cold weather activity, it leads to further indoor activities, no matter the weather. Start with the rooms you spend the most time in. For me, it’s my kitchen and living room. Both of those rooms, while they have drastically different lighting, are adequately lit for their purposes. For example, my kitchen has bright, powerful lights over my work stations. My living room on the other hand is pretty dim for the most part. I have a floor lamp above the comfy chair that I read in, a small track lighting set up for general lighting and a cleverly place desk lamp behind my TV to give soft illumination from behind the screen.

Photo Credit: Suburban Light

Light for Winter
Just as bears hibernate and birds fly south, many of us have our own winter traditions. Maybe yours is making hot cocoa on Saturday afternoons or cuddling up with a good book after work. Mine is adding an extra floor lamp in every room to combat the early evenings of winter. I do this because when it’s dark, I tend to get sleepy. And with the sun only shining for a few hours each day in my neck of the woods, I need all the help I can get.

Photo Credit: My Hunter Gatherer

Written by Ross Donald

Guest Post: Cafe & Coffee Bar Interior Design Tricks & Tips

13 Tuesday Nov 2012

Posted by melissaoconnor in Everyday Design, Guest Posts

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atmosphere, business, cafe, coffee bar, colors, customers, entrance, functional, interior design, light, materials, public, staff, textures

A commercial space like a coffee bar or café is obviously designed very differently to a living area. This is due to its features and that the interior is under the public eye and therefore must have an aesthetic sense and also a business mindset.

The huge variety in possibilities that an interior designer can provide to a café often depends on its location, size and clientele. After valuating all of these factors a combination of materials, textures, colors and lines can create an appropriate atmosphere which can enhance a space but also make it functional for both staff and customers.

The Use of Color
A trick used by interior designers to make a dark room lighter is the use of specific colors. Many people think that using light colors will improve this but actually it doesn’t. It is much better to choose bright colors, which reflect light and turn your café into a more vivid space.

Entryway Tips
The entrance design is crucial to the success of the café because that is where customers make the decision to visit. The trick here is to create a mix of ambiance that is welcoming, warm and informative. In some cases that would meant choosing the sizing guide for the perfect rug to place. Someone nearby the café needs to feel attracted by the entrance and this will persuade him or her to have a coffee. Your café will be judged by its so-called ‘cover’, the entrance. The lines, textures and materials in display will set a tone and if used correctly create warmth to the customer. You can see some examples in this cafè design web site.

Layout of the Space
The layout of the coffee bar is often personalized to the clientele. There is a vast range of seating options from benches providing a more communal atmosphere to divided tables that can provide more privacy. The layout is often based on the shop location and clientele. For example, the many city cafes that include single seating facing outwards towards the street or square. The reason behind this is because many of the coffee drinkers are alone with either books or laptops and therefore it makes more sense for them to be able to look out the window.

{Giulia Ricci is an italian designer. She’s working as free-lance design specialist for some design companies.}

Inspiration Photo Friday: Reflection

26 Friday Oct 2012

Posted by melissaoconnor in Inspiration Photo Friday

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art, building, city, creativity, dark, design, explore, inspiration photo friday, light, manhatten, mind, modern art, MOMA, museum, new york, new york city, perspective, photography, Reflection

This will always be one of my favorite photos I’ve taken. It was captured about 5 years ago while I was visiting the MOMA in the city. I turned around to look out the window and was fascinated by my reflection and how the light perfectly lit up a scene outside where people were gathered. The street seemed bare and quiet except for that one entrance area. And I just happened to be standing right above it.

The dichotomy of this photo will always amaze me. On one side, the dark city. On the other, a moment captured through my lens showing the lighter side. Here my reflection acts as a shadow allowing the darkness to come through while the light that surrounds me, brings attention to the subjects outside. Two worlds coming together. What do you think the main subject is here? Outside the window or in?

Sometimes if you step outside yourself for a moment, you can see a much different perspective than before. Reflections don’t always show you what everyone else sees. They can offer a glimpse into a new realm where the mind can wander and explore.