"One could walk by this same door hundreds of times and never notice it. You have to make yourself more aware and force yourself to see things in a different light." -- Amanda Nisbet
The brass accents and interaction of the metal and glass are very reminiscent of Amanda's signature design aesthetic. As with the other pieces in her collection, the Carnegie becomes integral to the room and the jewelry of the space.
Photos by John Bessler. Stately Homes by the Sea. Lucas Studio, Inc. and Harbinger.
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The Truxton came from the desire to mash up the old and the new by combining a few undeveloped concepts that had been 'on the drawing board' for years. The quickly advancing LED technology helped bridge the gap and make it a reality. In the abstract, its design inspiration is a mastery of mixed references combining slim line Concord & Seiko watches from the 1970's (stay tuned for more in an upcoming fixture), a Cartier tank watch and a favorite over-the-mantle mirror frame blending Irish Georgian with the flair of Art Deco mirror in cobalt blue. Slightly more obvious was an intentional nod to the Thomas's (Chippendale & Jefferson) to top it all off.
If you ask the name? It was very simply inspired - the working title was George (for Georgian), but it never felt quite right. One afternoon on a walk around the former navy yard near the office and there it was on a street sign...Truxtun Avenue. X definitely marked the spot – literally and figuratively.
(Fun historical fact: a little research yields an interesting tidbit, Thomas Truxtun was one of the first navy commanders appointed by to the newly formed US Navy appointed by President Washington.)
-- Michael Amato, Creative Director, The Urban Electric Co.
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Photos by Brad Knipstein, courtesy of Martha Angus, Inc.
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Photo by Patricia Chang.
]]>We were thoroughly impressed with the premise behind responsive design and all that it offers for ensuring brand consistency in a digital web environment. For the last year and a half we've had two sites – our website in Flash with all the bells and whistles, and in addition, our Mobile site in HTML with basic product information, but little else in terms of installation galleries, videos or other information.
Now, everything is at your disposal, all in one place – regardless of how you choose to view. There were several key goals for the re-design which have been achieved, as well as a number of other improvements that will further enhance usability.
Below are a few highlights:
· Flash format – our site will no longer be based in Flash which will allow users the complete brand/website experience on computer or mobile device
· Adaptive/responsive design – the website will scale itself to properly fit the device being used so that all information is easily accessible and tailored to the screen size the user is working with. This will allow increased functionality and usability when mobile.
· Search function – our product collection will have a more thorough search functionality including search by sku# and multi-stack filtering to narrow results. Click here to find the product search and filter options.
· Improved usability – we've added direct links to many product resources from each individual product page as well as from a footer that lives on every page regardless of where you are in the site.
· Social involvement – users will now have the ability to post directly to Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter accounts from any product page or portfolio picture. Our Social channels will also be easily accessible through links provided at the bottom of every page.
Let's sync up!
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Of course I love all of the fixtures. Some are more transitional than others. I have a special affinity for the Shaw pendant. I consider it to be a very refined and atypical industrial fixture that suits a variety of settings. The only company it requires is a primitive table and a large canvas. Additionally, it is named after the Washington, DC neighborhood in which my new retail store resides.
Simple does it.
You could say that I’m an architect at heart, and I have a hypersensitivity to a very subliminal engagement with the interior space that begins with its infrastructure. A substantial foundation supersedes afterthoughts of frivolous embellishment.
Kitchens and baths - both in a similar vein because they each present such opportunities to avoid the obvious through the insinuation of found furniture pieces rather than regimented cabinetry - - and because these are both places of such respite.
Travel - - A large collections of interior and architectural books from all over the world - - A sensitivity to ALL things in passing.
Listen – Listen and Listen
Intaglios, watches and globes
A handful of favorites from my line Darryl Carter Colors by Benjamin Moore include: For wall and trim surfaces - Bancroft White / DC-01 - - Leland White / DC-25 - - - For accents/doors and furniture transformations - Pinecrest Gray / DC-21 and Bayard Blue / DC-24 and Phelps Black / DC-22
The Phaidon Atlas of Contemporary World Architecture - - The Bill Blass Estate Catalogue by Sotheby’s, and of course my books - The Collected Home and The New Traditional.
]]>Charleston is home to many things, but has recently become home to it's first TEDx conference to be held Wednesday, May 15, 2013.
And we're proud to be connected – Dave Dawson, President/Founder of The Urban Electric Co. was chosen from over 150 nominations to join a select group of 14 speakers who will share their individual ideas on Reinvention.
TEDx was created by the prestigious TED organization as way to satisfy its growing popularity and get its message of "ideas worth spreading" and TED–like experiences at the local level and to an even larger audience. Anyone, anywhere in the world is invited to host a TEDx event, but the application process to become approved and granted a TEDx license is no easy task.
For Charleston, Curator Edith Howle jumped at the opportunity and worked closely with Principal Ingredient owner Igor Jocic to brand and present "Charleston, the City of Reinvention" to it's eventual solidification as "TEDxCharleston Reinvent".
Our local favorite, Charlie magazine announced the full speaker list on March 12th, read more about each speaker in the article.
Beyond the very high quality of speakers, TEDxCharleston is much meant to be an opportunity for people to discover and uncover people who are unknown to the community at large. All of the 'talks' will be taped and streamed in the TED tradition with the hopes that TEDxCharleston talks will inspire continued conversations all over the world.
The TEDxCharleston "day", May 15th will be complete with exceptional and inspirational dicussions, live music performances, amazing culinary experiences and a few libations to close the day. Should you want to apply to attend, time is running out – deadline is April 1! Click here for more details.
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