20 May
Interior Design

The Azabu Residence

Minimal Space

Azabu Residence is a minimal space located in Tokyo, Japan, designed by Keiji Ashizawa and Frederik Alexander Werner of Norm Architects for Karimoku Case Study. The latest additions to the collection of fine wooden furniture pieces are created as part of this complete renovation project and have its native setting in a luxury apartment built in 1988, tucked away in the quiet Nishi-Azabu residential district of Tokyo.u00a0

u201cRegardless of the dark tones used to unify the space, the beauty of this home stands out in the morning and early afternoon, with the contrast of direct sunlight peeking into the space, and at night, when the ambiance of the space is created by an elaborate artificial light scheme.u201d

Praise of Shadows

u201cAnother main narrative in the interior design is inspired by the well-known Japanese book by Junu2019ichiru014d Tanizaki, u201cIn Praise of Shadowsu201d, that was recommended to us by Keiji Ashizawa on one of our first field trips in Japan. In Scandinavia we often work with bright white walls to enhance daylight, but through the writings of Junu2019ichiru014d Tanizaki, we understood the value of dark, dim places and chose to celebrate and enhance the nature of the site, which resulted in a dark monochrome material palette.u201d

Similar to the previous Case Study projects, the Azabu apartment combines Japanese and Scandinavian design principles and aesthetics. A shared belief in the use of natural materials and a muted color palette lies as the foundation of the project, characterized by the focus on tactile, soft-minimal and timeless qualities.

20 May
Interior Design

Japanese minimalism in Denmark

Traditional Danish country house

The house is located in the idyllic landscape of Northern Zealand, Denmark. Surrounded by meadows and forests, the house sits intimately secluded in a nook of trees that open up to a park-like garden that brings light and air to the residence. The exterior of the house is a tribute to traditional Danish country houses, featuring a matte-rendered chalky taupe coloured fau00e7ade, paned windows, thatched roof and granite stone settings.

Everything inside out is made from the finest, largely locally sourced natural materials. Inside, the house comprises warm, balanced spaces with roughly textured surfaces, thoughtfully in-built and bespoke details. The overall mood and colour scheme of the exterior is translated into the interior with a raw, tactile material palette of wood, stone, natural fibre textiles and leathers dominating the open space plan of the house, combining farmhouse appeal, exclusive refinement and elegant, sculptural features.

Royal Nubuk Leather

Designed to meet the needs of an active family that often hosts and entertains guests, the property comprises pool, tennis court and connected greenhouse. All materials chosen for the interiors are durable and easily maintained, only gaining beauty with time, wear and tear. Inspired by the familyu2019s lifestyle and frequent traveling, the home also contains elements characteristic of hospitality interiors.

The bench designed for the main entrance of the house is made from sawn smoked oak and Royal Nubuk Leather from Su00f8rensen Leather. The elegant bar cabinet is designed in lamelled dark oak and blackened iron. The sculptural dining table stands as a magnificent centrepiece in the bright and stone-floored dining room with textured walls and paned, floor-to-ceiling windows.

15 Jan
Interior Design

Design Office Handmade Furniture

Traditional AthaPookolam

After welcoming the New Year, we are gearing up for the next big festival u2013 Pongal. This season of harvest is welcomed with three days of celebration. Pongal is also known as Bhogi Pongal, Mattu Pongal, and Surya Pongal and is dedicated to the Hindu Sun God u2013 Surya. Pookolam (rangoli made with flowers) is the most significant tradition that is followed while celebrating Pongal. Beautiful Pookolam designs are made with flowers to make the house festival ready.

Pookolam is an intricate and colourful arrangement of flowers laid on the floor. Pookolam is comprised of two words, u2018poovu2019 meaning flower and u2018kolamu2019 means colour sketches on the ground. It is considered auspicious to prepare Pookolam, also known as Aththa-Pookolam. Originally, Pookolamdesigns consist of ten small round steps. The ten steps or rings are believed to represent ten different deities in Hinduism.

Pookolam design ideas

Make the Makar Sankranti pot the centre of the design. Arrange the flower buds and the leaves around it and make beautiful patterns. You can also use periwinkles to enhance the look. This elaborate yet simple design is just perfect to make your home look beautiful. Make this design in front of your main door or at the centre of the hall to justify the beauty.

Pot kolam designs will always give your Pookolam the best look. The white designs drawn on your floor adds a charm to the festival. Use them in your corner space to enhance the festive vibe. You can also make this design in all the corners of your living room.

15 Jan
Interior Design

Sofa Collection Design For Living Room

Where to start?

Most of the ones who would have the option to work from home would be those with work focussed on software, consultation, design and digital marketing or promotion. While all of these share a common ground u2013 working on a PC or a Mac, the amount of sheer typing and focus varies. So, letu2019s break it down bit by bit and get to know how you can make the best use of your furniture.

Software development is an intensive process. Even with the myriads of environment and development platforms available with smart code suggestions, peering through lines of code and syntax to find a solution can be frustrating. Most laptops donu2019t come equipped with keyboards that can handle aggressive coding sessions.

Hackett Mayfair

If you have an external monitor at home or have a TV with mirroring capability, use it to make your coding much more relaxing. At times, a large block of code can become especially intriguing and interesting at the same time. To avoid backaches, make sure you have proper support for your buttocks and lower spine using a hardwood chair.

Bean bags are good, but unless you want to wake up with painful shoulders and back, avoid those. Remember, you still must work the next day from home and canu2019t take any long walks inside the office compound. Resist from the bed when you are just researching code blocks, thatu2019s going to give you a painful neck.