[Life] Hinterlands Teaser



Director, Cinematographer, and all around Master of Epic Cinematic Composition Sean Stiegemeier has released a teaser for the post apocalyptic short film we shot in Iceland, Scotland & Chernobyl earlier this year, staring yours truly. The full release is anticipated for later this summer, heres a little taste for now.




Cush Design Studio Online Store



I just launched an Etsy store to sell some of my furniture and shelving online. I also added a STORE link to the top of this page, so check back from time to time because I'll be adding new things as I make them. Click the picture below to check out the new store! Be one of the first to own a custom piece from Cush Design Studio.





[Interior] Swedish students have it made



This is a student apartment for sale in Gothenburg, Sweden. White on light grey with good lighting kills it every time. Kills it in a good way.





Bed nook is a smart solution to not having room for an actual bedroom. I'd sleep there. Even though it's right next to the bathroom.







All you need really, packed into a tiny bundle. Even a nice view.




[Architecture] Dutch Mountain House, with Car Shelving




Dutch architects, Denieuwegeneratie Architecten (translated: The New Generation), completed this Dutch Mountain house in December 2011. The house is built into the side of a mountain (hill?) with half of the house hidden below the rock surface. It is obvious that the architects had fun with this one!


Making asymmetry look good.


Jaguar shelving unit. Well thats new! The engine and roof were removed to lighten the load a bit and create room for shelving. And on the right, skateboard stairs! Hell yeah.




Portals of light are strategically placed around the underground parts of the home.



Design with the kids in mind, always a bonus.






[Interior] Sneak Preview




Sneak preview of an new loft project in the works in downtown LA.



[Furniture] The 26hr Bookshelf



The other day I got a spontaneous tweet, asking if I was up for a bookshelf challenge. Jimmy, of Silverlake, CA had seen my pipe shelving and wanted to get in on some of that. He was in a bit of a time crunch and wanted to know if I could build him something in 26 hours. Doubtful but intrigued, I prodded for more information. Normally I would give a project like this more time, but Jimmy's needs were simple and after seeing pictures of the space and discussing the details, I accepted Jimmy's challenge. 25-1/2 hours later... Jimmy got his bookshelf.


A utilitarian design using plumbing pipe and poplar, we maximized Jimmy's shelf space and gave him a new industrial conversation piece for his home.



Jimmy is happy, his books are happy, and I'm happy to have been able to help. If you have a furniture challenge, get in touch with me; I just might be available for a spontaneous house call.

Chris



[Lighting] Surveillance Chandelier by Humans Since 1982




The Surveillance chandelier is another lighting project by the guys at Humans Since 1982.






[Lighting] Collection of Light by Humans Since 1982




This lighting project, called "Collection of Light" by the Stockholm based designers Humans Since 1982, displays a collection of 300 light emitting diodes (LED's) labelled by name, size, and color temperature. It is meant to resemble an insect display case, and also functions as a lamp itself.


I can't stop staring at it. It's so beautiful.




Adding this to the top of my once-I'm-rich-must-have-wishlist.



[Inspiration Examination] Triangle Skylight





This reminds me of a project we worked on last year, we made some great models playing with light and shape. Somewhat James Turrell-ish. It's powerful because of its simplicity. The color, or lack of it, is peaceful and calming, nice for an office space. I am curious as to the view. Super old mac. Pleasing composition of the photo and the artwork, and the room itself. Successful architectural detail highlight.



[Life] Hinterlands Film




Posting may be slow this month, I've taken a short hiatus from my design projects to play a roll in a new Sean Stiegemeier short film called 'Hinterlands'. Right now I'm posting from the small stormy town of Vík on the southern coast of Iceland where there is a crazy wind/ice storm raging outside our hotel. We will be shooting in some unbelievable locations from Iceland to Scotland to Chernobyl over the next month, so check back for updates on our journey.

You can find some more background info about the film on the Kickstarter website here: Hinterlands Kickstarter Page.

Also, we set up a Facebook page where we will post updates, photos, and behind the scenes footage as shooting progresses. You can find/like that page here, to follow our adventures: Hinterlands Facebook Page.

Life is an adventure.



[Portfolio] Cargo Portfolio




I created a new site to host my portfolio on Cargo Collective. Click on the cush logo above to check it.



[Inspiration Examination] Less is More




Dieter Rams! The living pioneer of quality and innovation, designed these electronics and the shelving systems back in the 60's. He rules because he comes from the less-is-more school of thought, and a lot of his designs from the past are still relevant and awesome by today's design standards. There are some real nugs of wisdom in Dieter Rams' ten principles of good design:

Good design:
  • Is innovative - The possibilities for innovation are not, by any means, exhausted. Technological development is always offering new opportunities for innovative design. But innovative design always develops in tandem with innovative technology, and can never be an end in itself.

  • Makes a product useful - A product is bought to be used. It has to satisfy certain criteria, not only functional, but also psychological and aesthetic. Good design emphasizes the usefulness of a product whilst disregarding anything that could possibly detract from it.

  • Is aesthetic - The aesthetic quality of a product is integral to its usefulness because products are used every day and have an effect on people and their well-being. Only well-executed objects can be beautiful.

  • Makes a product understandable - It clarifies the product’s structure. Better still, it can make the product clearly express its function by making use of the user's intuition. At best, it is self-explanatory.

  • Is unobtrusive - Products fulfilling a purpose are like tools. They are neither decorative objects nor works of art. Their design should therefore be both neutral and restrained, to leave room for the user's self-expression.

  • Is honest - It does not make a product more innovative, powerful or valuable than it really is. It does not attempt to manipulate the consumer with promises that cannot be kept.

  • Is long-lasting - It avoids being fashionable and therefore never appears antiquated. Unlike fashionable design, it lasts many years – even in today's throwaway society.

  • Is thorough down to the last detail - Nothing must be arbitrary or left to chance. Care and accuracy in the design process show respect towards the consumer.

  • Is environmentally friendly - Design makes an important contribution to the preservation of the environment. It conserves resources and minimizes physical and visual pollution throughout the lifecycle of the product.

  • Is as little design as possible - Less, but better – because it concentrates on the essential aspects, and the products are not burdened with non-essentials. Back to purity, back to simplicity.



[Inspiration Examination] Whimsical Vine Tree




Make 2012 about natural quality and substance. Dig deeper then surface level aesthetic, create new forms of thoughtful expression. Like the feelings provoked from this room. The standard space becomes whimsical through an imaginative use of nature. Suddenly you're swimming through watery green light, looking up to the surface from the bottom of a pond.  (I really dislike those rocking chairs but whatev). We're still all looking up at that skylight and thinking ooo000ooohh!



[Video] Icelandic Rainbow Road in Denmark





"Your Rainbow Panorama" is a magic pedestrian race track inspired by Mario Kart's Rainbow Road and designed by Icelandic Artist Olafur Eliasson on top of the ARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum in Aarhus, Denmark.



[Architecture] From Warehouse to Warehome



Man, there are so many awesome old warehouses in this city. This "Inverted Warehouse Townhouse" in TriBeCa was the work of Dean / Wolf Architects. They took a 10,500sf warehouse and created a pretty sweet loft out of it. I don't love every design choice they made, but I do like the liberal use of glass and steel to bring light into the huge, otherwise dark space. Here is an excerpt from the architect's website about the project:

"The Inverted Warehouse Townhouse is an addition and renovation of a Tribeca loft building. Conceived as an excavation of dissipating energy, three double story volumes are voided from the center of the building. Into this space are hung self structuring corten steel panels which are layered, shingle-style. The layering of the shingles allows for frameless burgundy wall art glass to float down through the walls. The downward dissipation culuminates in the double story book shelves which hang into the children's playroom. Countering the downward hanging of spaces is a courtyard layer of silicone glazed glass which delicately lifts to the skyline.

The main entry is onto the fifth floor where two sequences separate public and private routes: the upward route joins the public spaces while the downward route travels to bedrooms, playrooms, and study."


The huge glass atrium allows daylight to penetrate deep into the living spaces of the warehome. (Dog!) (did I say penetrate?)


Skylights on the floor of the atrium allow light to travel still further, helping to lighten up the dark warehouse vibe.


Huge walls of glass open up and blur the boundaries of indoor and outdoor space.


That handrail is pretty ugly. Not feelin' it.


But I like the long vertical pieces of steel here.


One of the greatest accomplishments of this warehome project, in my opinion, is how the architect created visible distinguished spaces from floor to floor. Where before, this view from the stairs would be of a huge empty warehouse floor below, it now looks more like a home with rooms and partitioned spaces with visual interest that makes you want to explore and see more.