In this episode of The Design Tourist, host Karen LeBlanc travels to Regensburg, Germany, a UNESCO World Heritage to explore the link between the city’s culture and creativity through its architecture, art and handicrafts. We’ll shop the city’s many artisan stores and regional handicrafts at its famous Christmas Markets and learn about Regensburg’s Bavarian history and heritage.
Collectors bring curiosity to a week of Miami art fairs making emotional connections and purchases.
The Design Tourist, aka Karen LeBlanc, at PULSE Art Fair in Miami Beach during Miami Art Week.
Miami Art Week takes place Dec. 3-8, 2019 with more than 80,000 collectors, curators and art enthusiasts attending art fairs anchored around Art Basel Miami Beach. The defining trend of this art fair frenzy is the concept of emotional collecting, art purchases propelled by personal connections with works.
Kazuyuki Takishita, an artist from Tokyo, Japan brings his works to PULSE Art Fair with Gallery Art Composition. His art was a PULSE Prize Nominee.
With more than two dozen satellite art fairs throughout Miami Beach and Miami, fair fatigue can set in from sensory overload. PULSE Art Fair in Miami Beach aimed to be the antidote by creating a sensory soothing backdrop for contemporary art on exhibit. “Our theme is Calm in the Palms. We want to be a destination, not an event on the checklist. PULSE is not just an art fair. It’s an experience. I want people to come here, relax, feel the PULSE environment so that they can absorb the artists here to their fullest extent,” says PULSE Art Fair Director, Cristina Salmastrelli.
PULSE Art Fair, one of the first satellite fairs to join Art Basel Miami, celebrated its 15th year with a curatorial theme that stimulates the five senses. The fair’s signature scent by Aroma 360 permeated through the aisles as an invigorating infusion for fairgoers, who were invited to touch the artwork in many of the gallery booths. A soundscape of cicadas created by PULSE Project Artist, Sandra Mohs soothed and focused attention.
Many of the works piqued curiosity and started conversations creating connections between the art and collector. “Emotional collecting is emerging as a strong trend in the art world. The tendency is to think of traditional collections as governed by strict rules that focus art in a certain genre or style, whether it’s emerging artists, print or photography works. In the last five years, more people are coming to our fairs with a curiosity and no rules for collecting. That has led to emotional buying where someone walks in; they are struck in some way by a piece and they buy it. That to me is very exciting,” explains Salmastrelli.
Meguru Yamaguchi, Out of Bound No. 77, 2018 is acrylic, plastic, epoxy, and UV paint on shaped wood board, presented by GR Gallery at PULSE Art Fair
“We must reflect the population that lives here year-round and we need to offer an international experience. We have artists from five continents here, which I’m very proud of because we need to see how creativity in all corners of the globe. When I vet the galleries and artists that apply to exhibit at PULSE, I want to make sure I’m not giving you just one point of view but all,” Salmastrelli says.
Hyperrealistic charcoal drawings presented by Galerie ALB, Paris at PULSE Art Fair during Miami Art Week
Works with emotional resonance include the hyperrealistic charcoal drawings of Galerie ALB by French artist Nicolas Pegon. “It looks like a photo but it’s charcoal drawings from a French artist. We came here to present Nicolas who works in hyperrealism drawings for 10 years now. He takes people’s surroundings, people of his family and he does these mise-en-scene works,” says Anouk Le Bourdiec, gallerist, Galerie ALB.
The Rendon Gallery presented the Casspir Project by South African artist Ralph Zim including this outdoor installation, the SPOEK 1 covered in colorful beads at PULSE Art Fair during Miami Art Week
South African artist Ralph Ziman makes a powerful statement about social justice and violence with The Casspir Project presented by The Rendon Gallery. Ziman covered in beads a Casspir, an armored, all-terrain vehicle developed in South Africa in the 1970s. The Casspirs were used extensively by the South African Police, as well as the South African Defense Force, against civilians in urban township areas from the late ‘70s through early ‘90s during apartheid. Developers of these vehicles named them Casspirs, an anagram combining the name of the designer (the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, CSIR) and the end-user (the South African Police, SAP).
The Casspir Project is a multidisciplinary fine art exhibition that encompasses a variety of media including installation, photography, oral history, and documentary film in response to Apartheid’s effects on South Africa’s culture and community.
Sophie Derrick self-portrait on view during PULSE Art Fair. For more go to www.degreeart.com
Artist Sophie Derrick plays with painting and portraiture using the body as both an object and subject.
Sophie Derrick self-portrait on view during PULSE Art Fair. For more go to www.degreeart.com
She photographs the act of painting onto her skin then paints on top of the photographs, creating a layering of the image of paint and painted image, blurring the boundaries between the two.
Port-O-Potty by Zeke Moores presented by Art Mur on view at PULSE Art Fair during Miami Art Week.
Port-O-Potty by Zeke Moores presented by Art Mur takes a disposable, dejected object taken from the street and places it into the artistic context of a gallery space. The artist uses metalsmith techniques to create his Port-O-Potty, usurping the traditional modes of mass production and the disposable materiality that we associate with these objects. Moores uses mechanized assembly line production and objects made to be thrown out and transforms them into a craftsman’s labor of love.
PULSE Art Fair is my antidote to fair fatigue during the art-saturated week of shows and fairs because of its original programming, cutting-edge installations and sensory-rich experiences. I highly recommend this annual art fair during Miami Art Week.
The Design Tourist aka Karen LeBlanc in the Wynwood District, Miami
During the week of Art Basel Miami Beach, the city is electric with creative energy. All around the Wynwood district, street artists are at work painting buildings with new murals for Wynwood Mural Fest.
Street artists drawing the attention of TV cameras as they paint fresh murals in the Wynwood District of Miami for Mural Fest.
Wynwood Walls is like a street art museum, free and open to anyone who wants to walk around and admire the murals. The concept began as a vision for outdoor art space by developer Tony Goldman, founder of Goldman Properties.
Street artist painting a fresh mural at The Wynwood Walls
His concept started with six painted buildings that he commissioned artists to paint in the area which eventually became the core.
Mural at the Wynwood Walls in Miami
Over the next decade, the painted walls proliferated. Each year during Art Basel Miami Beach, new murals are unveiled creating a destination of urban art.
The Design Tourist videographer filming a street artist painting a fresh mural for mural fest in the Wynwood District, Miami
I met up with Zack Lawrence, production manager for Wynwood Mural Festival on opening day as vendors were setting up tents and food trucks in anticipation of huge crowds later that evening.
Street artists painting a new mural at the entrance to mural fest in the Wynwood District, Miami
A team of street artists were at work painting a mural at the entrance to the festival grounds, one of many fresh murals coloring the buildings of the Wynwood District.
The Wynwood District in Miami
“The Wynwood arts district is an area of Miami that was founded originally by artists. They are bringing this graffiti and mirrorless culture into the city in a major way. They’ve purchased a lot of the properties in the area. They own a lot of the warehouses and they collaborate with a lot of the businesses around this area to create this ethos that exists in this neighborhood. It attracts people from all around the world every single year to paint large murals. A lot of these people are world-famous painters and muralists,” Lawerence says.
Mural in the Wynwood District in Miami
“We’re here for the art and we’re trying to plant a flag in the neighborhood that really makes us a mainstay. We want to continue to put this event on, as well as other events to represent the entire collective of artists and businesses in the neighborhood,” Lawerence says.
Mural in the Wynwood District in Miami
During Art Basel Miami, some of the biggest names in graffiti and street art come to the Wynwood District to paint walls that are divided into zones curated by art experts. I met up with one of the curators, Gleason LeRoy, who selected street artists to paint walls in his zones. “So, the zones are actually different collectives that actually have been painting their own zones every year. We came together as one for the Mural Fest to kind of take back the neighborhood from everybody else. It’s not about competing with each other, but to unify and really give it that artists feel,” LeRoy says.
Mural in the Wynwood District in Miami
Art Basel Miami, as the anchor of Miami Art Week, serves as the marketing season for street artists who travel from around the world to paint murals for Mural Fest and capture the attention of more than 200,000 visitors filling the streets.
The Wynwood Walls in Miami
“A lot of these people come with different stylistic choices in different ways that they communicate their message of art,” Lawerence adds.
The Wynwood District in Miami
Art Basel Miami brings together art in all its iterations and the Wynwood District offers that unique opportunity to experience creativity outside the bounds of traditional art fairs and galleries. It’s an outdoor art museum that is free and always open to the public.
Miami Art Week 2019 Meet the Artist: Experience the Art Series
The Artist: Ralph Ziman
The Idea: Humanitarian Art That Reconciles South’s Africa’s Apartheid Past
The Art: The Casspir Project
The Design Tourist, aka Karen LeBlanc, standing in front of an 11-ton Casspir military vehicle covered in glass beads by South African artisans at PULSE Art Fair during Miami Art Week.
An overarching theme to the creative works that intrigued me during Miami Art Week was about a hyperawareness of social issues. Artwork with a confessional quality that offered insight into the artist’s personal politics resonated deeply.
At the entrance to PULSE Art Fair, I encountered an armored all-terrain vehicle covered in colorful beads by South African artist Ralph Ziman. It was both disturbing and oddly beautiful—an emotionally jarring juxtaposition. The beaded tank is called a Casspir, used by the South African Police and Defense Force against civilians during apartheid. Ziman named it SPOEK 1 and it weighs 11-tons and is covered in 70 million glass beads, arrayed in panels of traditional patterns by African artisans from Zimbabwe and the Mpumalanga province of South Africa, including women of the Ndebele tribe, known for their craftsmanship.
SPOEK 1 and The Casspir Project was presented by The Rendon Gallery at Miami Art Week, December 5-8, 2019 as part of the special projects section at PULSE Art Fair.
SPOEK 1 anchors Ziman’s traveling series, The Casspir Project, presented by The Rendon Gallery. Ralph Ziman’s multidisciplinary fine art exhibition encompasses installations, photography, oral history, and documentary film, examining the human rights issues of apartheid, the over-militarization of police, and state violence.
His art is about making amends with South Africa’s apartheid history by reframing emblems of violence and oppression into art objects. “In Africa, there’s a belief that when you touch something, you take away its power. By covering the Casspir with beads, it became non-threatening. People could come up, put their hands on the tank and by doing so, take away its power to oppress,” Ziman explains.
The Casspir has been transformed into a work of art for SPOEK 1, its surfaces covered in 70 million, elaborate and brightly-colored glass beads, arrayed in panels of traditional patterns.
The name “Casspir,” is an anagram combining the name of the designer (the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, CSIR) and the end-user (the South African Police, SAP). Ralph, working with African artists.
Glass beads cover AK-47s as part of The Casspir Project by South African Artist Ralph Ziman. His works were on view at PULSE Art Fair during Miami Art Week.
Ziman also embellishes weapons with colorful glass beads as social and geopolitical commentary. “We originally started with the AK 47 as a response to the arms trade coming into Africa. I was constantly seeing photographs in the press of Somali rebels and pirates. There were AK 47’s everywhere. I thought that it would be great to do this reversal of the arms trade where we make non-lethal, beautiful weapons in South Africa and ship them to the rest of the world. The root of the project is its humanitarian mission to support the families of South African artisans. With every work that sold, the proceeds would amount to a month of living expenses for an entire family,” Ziman says.
The Casspir Project by South African Artist Ralph Ziman also comprises installation, photography and film.
He employs 10 artisans full time working out of his studio in Johannesburg. He discovered these artists selling beads and wire sculptures to tourists on the streets of the city. “They were hustling to make a living. We wanted to create an environment where we could pay everybody a living wage and pay for their kids to go to school,” Ziman explains.
The Casspir was built during the apartheid as a vehicle for the South African police force to patrol and control neighborhoods. “When I left South Africa in the early eighties, it was the height of apartheid, policing involved a bunch of Casspirs with white cops sitting on top with automatic weapons. The Casspir was developed by like the white African military, so while it’s South African, it was very much a white invention,” Ziman remembers.
Photography that is part of The Casspir Project by South African Artist Ralph Ziman. This image shows two Casspirs covered in glass beads.
He bought the 1981 police Casspir from a scrap yard and rebuilt it to factory standards. It took more than 100 artisans three years to cover the tank in colorful beads. “This project is about owning up to our history of apartheid and the Casspir and transforming that,” Ziman adds.
Ralph Ziman was selected for the special project section of the 2019 edition of PULSE Art Fair where he will present SPOEK 1, an 11-ton decommissioned, apartheid-era Casspir vehicle that has been restored and reclaimed
The South African government decommissioned Casspirs after the apartheid leaving their hulls in scrap yards as a relic of their tumultuous past. The United States bought several to use during the Iraq war years, rebranded as the MRAP (Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected). After the war, these Casspirs were given free of charge to local United States police departments under the Pentagon’s 1033 Program.
“I felt an urgency to do this project because I started seeing these Casspir vehicles showing up on the streets of America, in the news, in protests such as Black Lives Matter. I wanted to tell our joint history with the Casspir,” Ziman says.
Ziman says The Casspir Project aims to subvert the narratives of violence and oppression by celebrating South Africa’s creativity and community.
The Casspir Project was presented by The Rendon Gallery at Miami Art Week
Ralph Ziman was born in 1963 in Johannesburg, South Africa, and currently lives and works in Los Angeles, California.
Learn more about Ralph Ziman’s work and highlights from Art Basel Miami Beach, in new episodes of The Design Tourist filmed during Miami Art Week, airing soon.
Miami Art Week 2019 Meet the Artist: Experience the Art Series
The Artist: Michael Seri
The Idea: Social Commentary on Our Addiction to Smart Devices and Social Media
The Art: iPorn Dress
Miami Art Week blurs the lines between art, design and fashion for new creative expressions that start conversations, precisely the point of provocative art. Perhaps nowhere was it more evident than in the works of artist Michael Seri and his iPorn dress on view at Art Basel Miami Beach that raises questions about our addiction to technology and social media. Michael designed and fabricated the art installation out of clear plastic embellished with broken iPhone screens and Sim cards with iPorn written in LED lights across the chest. I found Michael in an aisle at Art Basel where he was drawing a crowd with America’s Next Top Model contestant Keenyah Hill who was posing for pictures in the iPorn dress. In this marquee fair known for its blue-chip and high brow art, Michael Seri’s iPorn dress was a refreshing dose of originality and creative edge. I asked him about the big idea behind his art.
Artist Michael Seri and America’s Next Top Model Cycle 4 Keenyah Hill and The Design Tourist, aka Karen LeBlanc at Art Basel Miami
“Artists hold a mirror up to society. I’m commenting on what I see around me. This dress is not about pornography at all. It’s about being addicted to our iPhone, Michael says. He wants the iPorn dress to be a conversation starter about how we are addicted to social media and manipulate it for our own self-serving purposes. The shattered iPhone screens that embellish the dress are emblematic of our self-absorbed culture.
“Society is too wrapped up in social media and this need to become famous. People are willing to do anything, no matter how cheesy it is, to sell their soul for the attention, the likes, the followers. That not art. It’s not creative,” Michael says. His gallery, Detritus Designs LLC, based in Brooklyn (Dumbo), New York features idiosyncratic objects that reflect his life experiences and Dada philosophy merging art, design, and fashion in an ironic platform that is both vernacular and open to interpretation.
He deconstructs and re-interprets found objects to represent the cycle of death and re-birth. His art reveals the history of the original object yet places it in a cultural context that is both vernacular and 21st century. “My art creates a distinct but unresolved dialogue that is ironic and open to interpretation,” Michael says.
Art that goes beyond an aesthetic appeal to make a statement, provoke a thought or pose a question is what captures my imagination and challenges my intellect. It’s that type of art that I’m most drawn to at a time when I believe introspection is urgent and necessary. Art forces the question, the thought, the self-examination. Michael’s iPorn dress is both social commentary and ironically Instagrammable porn, drawing countless selfies and smart device videos at Art Basel. At some point the crowds were so thick around the model, Michael commented that he might get thrown out of Art Basel for creating such a disruption. But then again, isn’t that a fundamental purpose of art? Disruption—calling attention and creating a buzz to challenge the status quo.
For more on the artist and highlights from Art Basel Miami Beach, stay tuned for new episodes of The Design Tourist filmed during Miami Art Week.
Miami Art Week 2019 Meet the Artist: Experience the Art Series
The Artist: Andrea Mancuso
The Idea: Stimulate Curiosity by Juxtaposing the Familiar with the Unexpected
The Art: Metamorphosis
In my Meet the Artist: Experience the Art Series from my visit to Miami Art Week, I introduce you to the work of Italian Designer Andrea Mancuso.
The Design Tourist, aka Karen LeBlanc, and the artist Andrea Mancuso who created the art installation Metamorphosis at Design/Miami
One of my favorite shows during Miami Art Week is Design/Miami for its immersive experiences, booths that are each a mise-en-scène, placing art objects and furniture into context. Design/Miami is the only satellite show that is laser-focused on design. There, you will find art, sculpture and themed environments such as the immersive scenography, Metamorphosis presented by Perrier-Jouët.
Metamorphosis presented by Perrier-Jouët and designed by Andrea Mancuso on view at Design/Miami
I’ve never seen anything like it—part sculpture, part art installation. The room is covered with ceramic flower blooms painted in the golden tones of the French champagne house’s vineyards. Milan-based Italian designer Andrea Mancuso created the art installation and tells me that I’m actually looking at 11,000 mounted ceramic pieces evoking the concave shape of the champagne bottles he saw maturing in the cellars of Perrier-Jouët.
Artist Andrea Mancuso, co-founder of the Analogia Project, working on his art installation Metamorphosis for Design/Miami at the Alessio Sarri Ceramic workshop.
“So of course, Champagne ages in bottles instead of barrels and they’re stacked on top of each other in the cellars, creating a beautiful pattern. I use that pattern making irregular shapes and I use the color palette of the vineyards during the harvest,” says Mancuso. He is the co-founder of the Analogia Project, a multidisciplinary practice that uses design as a means to distort reality and to provoke emotional connections with the viewer.
“I used ceramic for the possibilities of colors that I could achieve here. There are 11,000 pieces of ceramics in 15 different shades,” Mancuso says.
concave ceramic circles that mimic the bottoms of champagne bottles readied to be painted and installed in a landscape that evokes the Maison Perrier-Jouët vineyards at harvest time.
Metamorphosis is Maison Perrier-Jouët’s eighth collaboration with the fair and draws inspiration from the Art Nouveau movement’s unconventional observations of nature. “Loyal to the ethos of Art Nouveau, Mancuso’s work for the House unites traditional craftsmanship with modern technology and is infused with Maison Perrier-Jouët’s vision of reinvented nature”, explains Axelle de Buffévent, Style Director at Maison Perrier-Jouët.
Metamorphosis, interprets the Art Nouveau heritage of the Maison Perrier-Jouët merging art, history and design.
Mancuso created the space to evokes the Japanese concept of Engawa -a similar concept to a sunroom – that serves as a communal gathering space. His aim for all who entered the art installation was to stimulate curiosity and interaction by intercepting the familiar with the unexpected.
Andrea Mancuso designed a collection of champagne glasses created with the Berengo Foundation in Murano – each inspired by the six characteristic Cuvée’s of Maison Perrier-Jouët and showcased at Design Miami/.
Based on conversations with Maison Perrier-Jouët Cellar Master Hervé Deschamps, Mancuso also designed six glasses, one for each cuvee that describes the notes and the characteristics of each champagne.
Andrea Mancuso designed a collection of champagne glasses created with the Berengo Foundation in Murano – each inspired by the six characteristic Cuvée’s of Maison Perrier-Jouët and showcased at Design Miami/.
The glasses were crafted by Murano-based glassblowers Fondazione Berengo using the demanding practice of lost-wax casting, an ancient technique of Art Nouveau artists. The same meticulous method was used for the champagne bowl that recalls the iconic anemone flower designed for the House in 1902 by Emile Gallé, a Master of Art Nouveau.
Italian ceramicists Alessio Sarri and Nuevoforme helped create the installation of glasses displayed in six alcoves on stands made using lost-wax casting.
The collection of glasses is displayed across six alcoves, presented on stands made using lost-wax casting. Italian ceramicists Alessio Sarri and Nuevoforme also worked on the alcove display and glasses.
“The Perrier-Jouët non-vintage cuvees are captured with the unbridled growth of blooming nature, with roots and leaves climbing up the stem to embrace the bowl of the glass. Whereas developed nature is interpreted with elegant, structured lines to evoke the Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque cuvees,” observes Hervé Deschamps.
Italian designer Andrea Mancuso, of Analogia Project, created Metamorphosis in the spirit of Art Nouveau. Mancuso’s work for the House unites traditional craftsmanship with modern technology.
Metamorphosis is one of several collaborations with designers and design institutions featured at Design/Miami, a global forum bringing together collectors, gallerists, designers, curators, and critics. The show features the world’s top galleries presenting museum-quality exhibitions of the twentieth and twenty-first century furniture, lighting, and objets d’art. Design/Miami is held alongside the Art Basel fairs in Miami, Florida, each December and Basel, Switzerland, each June.
Learn more about the artists and art objects featured at Design/Miami in new episodes of The Design Tourist filmed at Miami Art Week.
With dozens of art fairs and shows Miami Art Week competing for my attention, it’s impossible to attend and experience every art, fashion and entertainment event. Shows extend from Miami Beach, anchored around Art Basel Miami, the mothership of all art fairs, and spread throughout downtown Miami and Wynwood District. My strategy is to experience a cross-section of art fairs that represent everything from blue-chip art to urban art which brings me to Red Dot Miami and Spectrum Miami, held inside Mana Wynwood convention center, December 4—8, 2019.
The Design Tourist, aka Karen LeBlanc, at Spectrum Miami and Red Dot Miami, filming and reporting on innovative works and trends in the art world during Miami Art Week.
I attended the Opening Night Preview Party sponsored in association with Jadot and Bulleit Bourbon where I sipped on a , inspired by the iconic Bulleit Bourbon label and whiskey.
3D printed cocktail at the Bulleit 3D Printed Frontier bar
Nearby, I admired the debut of the Bulleit Art in a Bottle Collection.
Bulleit Frontier Whiskey partnered with Red Dot Miami and Spectrum Miami to create an art project of 12 original works of Bulleit Art in a Bottle
Bulleit Frontier Whiskey partnered with Red Dot Miami and Spectrum Miami to create an art project of 12 original works of Bulleit Art in a Bottle in collaboration with south Florida artists Jason Skeldon “SKEL” and Elidea. Both artists are known for their unique visions and use of multiple mediums to create something new.
Jason’s art depicts human-animal hybrids who are taking their vocation to new heights, such as mixologists, scientists, architects and tattoo artists. Each character is shown raising a glass of whiskey to toast achievements and their commitments to innovating in new and inspiring ways.
Jason and Elidea’s art pieces are visual representations of what the cultural frontier means to them. Elidea’s Bulleit Art in A Bottle pieces depict the Cuban influence in Miami’s culture.The Bulleit Art in A Bottle Collection is available now at Saatchi Art
What I like about Red Dot Miami and Spectrum Miami is their commitment to showcasing Florida artists.
An Italian native and Miami resident, Elidea with The Design Tourist, aka Karen LeBlanc filming her series The Design Tourist, along with videographer and co-producer Chris Fletcher at Spectrum Miami.
Artist Elidea lives in Miami and creates collages of mixed media working with gold and bronze leafing in layers with different papers and textures to create landscapes.
The bronze and gold leaf layered collages of artist Elidea, the 2018 Spectrum Art show winner and the 2019 Spectrum Miami collaborator with Bulleit Frontier Whiskey’s Bottle Art Exhibition.
Artist Doug Powell based in Winter Park, Florida, works with recycled computer keys to create 3D sculpture and art.
Artist Doug Powell created a sculpture Gube Rubik’s crafted of 8,200 computer keys from a keyboard at ArtBlend , Spectrum
Doug creates the illusion of three-dimensional form through the use and arrangement of recycled, or up cycled, computer keyboard keys.
Florida artist Doug Powell placed his piece “Route 66,” for $16,000 at Spectrum Miami
Florida artist Paul Columbus showcased his Phantom Faces and Collaborations with Jennifer Friedland, at the Spectrum’s ArtBlend. Gator Skull, “Florida Boys” was the show stopper at his booth. The piece is a real Florida Alligator skull harvested from the waters of the Ochlockonee River in Northwest Florida and a limited release collaboration between the artist Paul Columbus and his lifelong friend and outdoorsman Justin Rock. Both are Florida natives with a deep appreciation for native flora and fauna that define Florida landscape.
Gator Skull, “Florida Boys” by Paul Columbus and Justin Rock at Spectrum Miami. The alligator skull is painted and coated in epoxy resin.
Columbus also presented his Phantom Faces collection, paintings of surrealistic faces blended with cubism.
The overarching theme at both shows was about creating awareness and connecting with humanity. At Spectrum Miami, I ran into two strange-looking characters clad in rags roaming the show as social sculptures. They were wearing Ghillie Suits, camouflage garb traditionally worn by snipers outdoors to blend in with their surroundings.
The Ghillie Suits by an anonymous artist in Boston who creates these suits to call attention to the opioid addiction crisis. The Design Tourist aka Karen LeBlanc with two models wearing the Ghillie Suits at Spectrum Miami.
“The Ghillie suit disrupts the silhouette and changes the figure making it invisible,” says Colin Beatty of the craft guild Unaffiliate exhibiting the Ghillie Suit Project. The Boston-based artist who designed the 10 Ghillie Suits featured at the art fair wishes to remain anonymous but says his art is a response to the opioid epidemic. He crafted each suit from the articles of clothing from people who died from opioid addiction. “The artist took their wardrobe, shredded it and made camouflage suits of the people who died of addition to symbolize how they were hidden in plain sight. The artist is calling out the stigma attached to the disease of addiction. The Ghillie Suit is a work of art that serves as a catharsis and recovery.”
Artist Eduardo Cabrer with The Design Tourist, aka Karen LeBlanc filming her series The Design Tourist, along with videographer and co-producer Chris Fletcher at Red Dot Miami
The work of artist Eduardo Cabrer calls attention to the single-use plastics problem polluting our waterways and beaches. Cabrer suspends found trash and objects in colored resin creating thought-provoking works that raise questions about consumerism and our throw-away culture.
Artist Eduardo Carber’s resin encased Plasticid collection on view at Red Dot Miami
“It’s about creating an awareness of the excess of plastic that is out there. I find most of the objects that I use in my art on the beaches of Puerto Rico. I found the plastic bags in the streets of New York. It’s a contrast between the process of buying something and the process of disposing of something. It’s just creating that awareness of the eternity of plastic,” Eduardo says.
New Jersey-based artist Zevi G, shared a message of kindness with his interactive art installation featuring the character sculpture Gesture, part of an imaginary world called 456 Land.
The Design Tourist, aka Karen LeBlanc posing for a photo op with the bronze sculpture “Gesture” by artist Zevi G at Red Dot Miami Art Fair
The bronze, bow-tie clad sculpture held a rose and stood in front of a wall of roses. As I approached the booth for a photo op with Gesture, someone handed me a real long stem rose and encouraged me to “share kindness.” Part performance art, guests were invited to fill out by postcard with the address of someone they wish to send kindness and Zevi G’s staff will mail the rose to the recipient on the postcard.
Crazy Sugar Montage by artist M VILLASIERRA (Mario Villarroel)
Crazy Sugar by artist Mario Villarroel is a critical reflection of society, in this case, its addiction to junk food. The work is part of Villarroel’s The Second Life collection that seeks to give a new beginning to everyday objects, that lost their value due to their usage. His paintings are collages that he decorates with disruptive memes.
Spectrum Miami featured the works of more than 200 exhibiting galleries and artists from the Florida region, the U.S. and around the globe, informed by the 2019 curatorial theme [IGNITE]. Known for its urban and upscale works of art, the five-day show attracted more than 40,000 visitors and high-net-worth collectors who interact with the specially curated programming, while celebrating the fine art experience with music, entertainment and other special events.
Red Dot Miami, a curated gallery-only contemporary art fair, presented for its 14th year, saw the highly anticipated annual presentation of leading galleries and their artists, informed by [PASSION] as the curatorial theme for 2019. Red Dot Miami featured more than 60 galleries representing over 500 leading contemporary artists from primary and secondary markets throughout the world.
Learn more about the artists featured at Red Dot Miami and Spectrum Miami in new episodes of The Design Tourist filmed at Miami Art Week.
Miami Art Week 2019 Meet the Artist: Experience the Art Series
The Artist: Ilan Neuwirth
The Idea: Spreading Joy by Illuminating the Beauty of Found Objects
The Art: Neon infused Pop Art
Miami pop artist Ilan Neuwirth and Karen LeBlanc, aka The Design Tourist. at Red Dot Miami during Miami Art Week.
At the Red Dot Miami Art Fair, the glowing, whimsical works of Miami based pop artist, Ilan Neuwirth caught my eye, piquing my curiosity. Ilan works with neon to playfully trace the silhouettes of objects, drawing the eye to key focal points that convey his sense of humor and ideas about life.
“Neon has been around since the 1930s and I think it’s a lost artform. Neon is a particle of stars and it enhances everything,” Ilan says. The artist conceptually plays with textures and neon often using found objects as the canvas.
The art objects and sculptures of Ilan Neuwirth showcased in his booth at Red Dot Miami 2019.
Neuwirth appreciates the beauty of found objects that he calls “simple, ordinary, common and immediately recognizable.” He uses a variety of techniques including powder coating or enhancing them with metal, fiberglass or epoxy to make his pop art out of those found objects. “My passion is finding unique objects. They can be antique, vintage, modern, repurposed … It doesn’t matter, because they are all so unique in their own way. Some of my objects found me, and some I found them …. Many of them are nostalgic and represent a slice from my life.”
Ilan Neuwirth’s pop art creations on exhibit at Red Dot Miami during Miami Art Week.
He taught himself how to bend glass to create his neon-infused art, often inspired by imagery from his home state of Florida. “Every piece has a story about my life. I love paddle boards and the ocean,” Ilan says. He comes from a background in water sports and decided to get serious about his neon art hobby over the past three years. Red Dot Miami marks the debut of Ilan Pop Art. The curated gallery-only contemporary art fair held during Miami Art Week inside Mana Wynwood convention center, presented works reflecting its 2019 curatorial theme: Passion.
The Sono Tree Root traced in neon lines by pop artist Ilan Neuwirth on view at Red Dot Miami. The Design Tourist aka Karen LeBlanc standing in front of it to show you the scale of the sculpture.
For me, the showstopper of Ilan’s art is a large, 200-year-old root traced in neon. The Root of Art is the winner of the 2019 Sculpture Award at Red Dot Miami and was an Instagram and selfie magnet. Red Dot Miami also featured Ilan Neuwirth Pop Art in the art fair’s 2019 Spotlight Program that showcases a select group of up and coming artists. Ilan won the 2019 Spotlight Award at Red Dot as well.
Propel Ourselves by Ilan Neuwirth
Another of my favorite pieces is the neon outlined bicycle, Propel Ourselves. Ilan highlighted in neon the parts of the bicycle that do the work: the wheels that move us, the pedals that connect us to the ground closer to the cities that we live in. The piece invokes the power of the bicycle to propel ourselves.
Sunflowers Scooter by Ilan Neuwirth
The Sunflowers Scooter conjures up the 1960s iconography, flowers and peace signs as a nod to the cultural moment when revolutions around the world were powered by love.
Neon Music Box by pop artist Ilan Neuwirth
Ilan Neuwirth was one of more than 500 leading contemporary artists from primary and secondary markets throughout the world who showcased their works during the five-day show.
Learn more about the pop art of Ilan Neuwirth in new episodes of The Design Tourist filmed at Miami Art Week.
What I Wish I Knew About London Before Traveling:
Random Facts and Useful Travel Tips I Learned about London
Karen LeBlanc aka The Design Tourist in London
Traveling teaches me a lot about myself— the things that pique my curiosity and stir my soul and the way I handle discomfort. For many of us, being out of our comfort zone reveals much about our true selves. I get anxious and agitated with crowds and long lines, (I need to work on patience) but I power through it all to experience the history, architecture and culturally significant attractions of a destination. I can handle the trade-off but traveling can be exhausting when you do the typical tourist/guidebook attractions on the must-see list of every other traveler.
The London Eye is a popular attraction so expect long lines to take a ride for a birdseye view of the London skyline.
I recently returned from a five-day trip to London to show my teenage children the major sights as part of their on-going “Grand Tour” before they are off to college. We visited all the major attractions to check off our own must-see list. Along the way, I learned a few things that I wish I’d known prior to planning and traveling. So, I’ll share with you my list of random insights to help you make the most of your London trip.
On my visit to Stonehenge, there was a torrential downpour and my shoes were soaked. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a pair of flip flops or extra tennis shoes in my travel backpack so I spent the entire rest of the day in soggy shoes. What a rookie mistake! Always pack a spare pair of shoes when traveling.
Bring two pairs of comfortable shoes because it rains a lot in London and definitely pack a rain jacket. It’s inevitable that one pair of shoes will get wet. You will step in a puddle or get caught in a sudden downpour and return to your hotel with sloshing shoes that require a full day to air out even as you try to blow them dry with your in-room hairdryer.
Download the London Tube Map app, it’s like google maps for the underground transportation system. It maps out your route from point A to point B step by step. One thing I learned the hard way: When taking the tube, oftentimes the line name flashing on the train/subway car is listed as one of the route stops instead of the line’s actual name. Be mindful of the line’s entire route so you can identify the proper train/subway to take. For example, I took the District Line to Whitechapel but the train was labeled Tower Hill, one of the District Line’s stops.
You will be paying with the British Pound, not Euros, thanks to Brexit.
Oftentimes, I found Uber cheaper than a taxi ride around London.
Splurge for a centrally located hotel because the transportation costs to get you to the main attractions from far reaches of the city where accommodations may be cheaper isn’t worth it. In the end, the amount you spend on tube rides, taxis and uber rides will eat up any cost savings on your not-centrally located hotel.
On Sundays, eat dinner early. The kitchens at most restaurants close early so finding a place for a late-night dinner can be challenging. My advice is to dine before 9 pm.
Flat white coffee in London
When ordering coffee, the London version of a flat white tends to be much stronger than the American version of the cappuccino. That is fine by me because I love drinking rocket fuel strength coffee but the flate white didn’t go over well with my latte-drinking family members who prefer a softer, milky taste.
Many fast-casual restaurants can be a confusing hybrid of hospitality where a hostess seats you but then you are required to get up and go to the register to order. A waitress then delivers your meal to the table. We made the mistake of being seated and waiting for 45 minutes for a waitress to come take our order, much to our frustration.
In Bath, I suggest skipping the Roman Baths tour, it’s overcrowded and underwhelming. Instead spend time shopping, dining and roam the quaint town of Bath appreciating its architecture and character.
Skip the guided day tours on buses that take you outside the city for excursions to Bath, Stonehenge and Windsor Castle. You waste a lot of time in transport and have very little time to explore each destination and are herded around like cattle.
At Windsor Castle, expect long lines to get in. Once inside the gates, the crowds thin out so you can have an enjoyable self-guided tour of the property.
I found traveling in such a large group to be limiting. I prefer the freedom of touring on my own time. Take the train to these destinations to explore on your own timeline, plus these bus tours are crazy expensive.
The National Gallery, © National Gallery, London
Take advantage of London’s free attractions: Since 2001, the government has granted free entry to England’s national museums, which means many of Britain’s best museums such as the National History Museum, the National Gallery, and The Victoria and Albert Museum cost nothing to visit.
The Shard, one of London’s iconic buildings, juts into the skyline like a jagged piece of glass.
Take a walking tour of London’s financial district, the downtown area populated with architectural wonders, huge skyscrapers that are works of art easily admired from the ground below.
Twisting high above Floral Street in Covent Garden, the Bridge of Aspiration provides the dancers of the Royal Ballet School with a direct link to the Grade I listed Royal Opera House
There are guided architectural tours for a fee if you are serious about learning the backstory of each building.
Expect long lines at Buckingham Palace and plan to be there for an entire day if you intend to visit.
Most of London’s major attractions take most of the day to tour by the time you purchase tickets, stand in entrance lines and more lines to walk through.
The Tower of London is one of the city’s top attractions and very crowded. Expect to spend more than half a day touring the attraction and long lines to get in.
My advice— prioritize what you want to see. Each day pick one major attraction to tour and select a second activity or venue to visit should you end up with extra time before the 5 pm and 6 pm closing hours at most museums and attractions.
Some of Europe’s Most Expensive Cities are Surprisingly Cheap for Travelers
Paris, photo credit Omio
Omio, Europe’s leading booking platform for travel by train, bus, and flight, has released a ranking of Europe’s most budget friendly-cities to visit.
photo credit Omio
The cities were ranked according to the number of free attractions, tours, events, Wi-Fi hotspots, accommodation, and drinkable tap water. The top five budget-friendly destinations include London, Paris, Berlin, Madrid and Amsterdam for their free events and “couch-surfing” options.
London, photo credit Omio
In London, one of my favorite free things to do is stroll around as an architectural tourist, admiring all of the landmark buildings and skyscrapers sprinkled among historic structures. I’m fascinated at how these different architectural styles and epochs exist in harmony. One of my favorite architectural sightings is “The Gherkin” in London’s financial district.
The Gherkin is designed by Norman Foster of the Foster and Partners architectural firm. The 40 story building is located at 30 St. Mary Axe in the St. Mary Axe area of London. photo credit: Karen LeBlanc, aka The Design Tourist
The Gherkin is an office building that looks like a stretched glass egg with its elongated, curved structure topped by a dome that serves as a type of observation deck. Another favorite is the iconic Leadenhall Building, designed by architects Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners.
Leadenhall Building in London, designed by architects Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners. photo credit: Karen LeBlanc, aka The Design Tourist
The glass and steel structure spans 50 and is supported by a steel frame rather than the conventional concrete core found in most skyscrapers. The Leadenhall Building’s slender silhouette rises to 802 feet with a tapering profile to respect views of St Paul’s Cathedral and is nicknamed “The Cheesegrater.”
The Leadenhall Building in London is nicknamed “The Cheesegrater,” for its tapering profile. photo credit: Karen LeBlanc, aka The Design Tourist
The tower’s design ensures that from this key vantage point the cathedral’s dome is still framed by a clear expanse of sky.
Entrance to the Leadenhall Building located at 122 Leadenhall Street photo credit: Karen LeBlanc, aka The Design Tourist
Entrance to the Leadenhall Building located at 122 Leadenhall Street photo credit: Karen LeBlanc, aka The Design Tourist
Next to the Leadehall Building is another architectural wonder, The Lloyd’s Building, home of Lloyd’s of London Insurance, on Lime Street. Architect Richard Rogers designed the office building clad in stainless steel and glass which took eight years to build.
The Lloyd’s Building on Lime Street. photo credit: Karen LeBlanc, aka The Design Tourist
The Lloyd’s Building on Lime Street. photo credit: Lloyd’s of London
Interior view of The Lloyd’s Building on Lime Street. photo credit: Lloyd’s of London
Of course, a stroll over to The Shard is a must-see on any architecture tourism list. The 95 story skyscraper juts into the skyline like a jagged piece of glass, overlooking the Thames. The Shard holds the current distinction as being the tallest building in the UK and the 4th tallest in Europe. For a fee, you can go up to the observation deck for a birdseye view of The Tower of London, the Tower Bridge and cityscape.
The Shard in London. photo credit: Karen LeBlanc, aka The Design Tourist
London’s self-guided architectural tour is one of more than 980 complimentary events, including free admission to all national museums. (In 2001, the United Kingdom abolished admission fees to all national museums.) The Omio study also found that Amsterdam offers budget-friendly travel with more than 1,000 free attractions, tours and events.
Amsterdam, photo credit:Omio
Another popular pastime that doesn’t cost a dime is a tour of historic churches such as those in Paris including The Sacre-Coeur, a Roman Catholic Church adorned with the largest mosaic in France.
The Sacre-Coeur in Paris. Photo credit: Omio
Since accommodations tend to be the biggest expense when booking a holiday, Omio also explored the availability of places to spend the night such as couch surfing. The study looked at 38 cities and found almost two million hosts offering their hospitality for free on the CouchSurfing platform. For those committed to exploring Europe on a shoestring, this list of budget-friendly destinations gives savvy travelers an idea of where best to start.
In the latest episode of The Design Tourist, I travel to Healdsburg California, the Hospitality Heart of Sonoma County Wine Country. We’ll tour several Sonoma County vineyards as we sip and savor this epicurean Eden with its earth-friendly ethos and learn about the county’s efforts to have all its vineyards certified sustainable in just a few years
A Must See Museum for the Literary Tourist
While staying in Chicago on a two-day business trip, I had one free morning to sightsee. With so much to see and so little time to do so, I was faced with an anxiety-inducing decision. I wanted an experience off the beaten path of well-trodden tourist attractions so I did some googling to searching for “unusual museums” and “unique attractions.” My search led me to the American Writers Museum located on Chicago’s famed Magnificent Mile. Perfect! I can visit the museum and get my writer’s fix then walk to Millenium Park for selfies with the city’s popular attractions.
For this writer and bibliophile, I had planned the ideal morning. The American Writers Museum opened in 2017 “to celebrate the enduring influence of American writers on our history, our identity, our culture, and our daily lives.” It seemed a bold risk, investing in an attraction that showcases a profession lacking the visual drama of Chicago’s well-known landmarks, architecture and other museums.
Writers toil alone and words aren’t particularly selfie material. I wondered how the founders managed to fill an entire museum with something others want to see and experience sans the social media lure of competing attractions? The museum supersedes the visual limits of words by capturing the behind-the-scenes struggle— a writer’s daily summoning of the personal muse in hopes of entering that ethereal dimension of creative flow where all sense of time is lost as the words pour forth.
Bob Dylan: Electric Exhibit at American Writers Musem in Chicago
The ever-evolving exhibits feature the works and bios of authors, poets, and songwriters. During my visit, the museum featured a temporary exhibit celebrating Bob Dylan’s Pulitzer Prize in 2016 for literature. Open to the public through April 30, 2019, Bob Dylan: Electric spotlights Dylan’s writing – song, poetry, and prose – between his 1965 Newport Folk Festival performance and 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature.
For me, the main attraction is the Jack Kerouac digital scroll of his novel, On the Road. Kerouac wrote his famous novel in a stream of consciousness in just three weeks, on telegraph paper that he taped together and trimmed to fit into his typewriter. The digital scroll is the first draft of the novel published in 1957, a fictionalized account of the author’s cross country road trips.
Jack Kerouac was the son of French-Canadian immigrants and saw himself as a cultural outsider.
Kerouac drew inspiration from Jazz and its musical improvisations in his approach to writing his novel. Jim Irsay, owner and CEO of the Indianapolis Colts football team, purchased Kerouac’s 120-foot long original scroll which is cared for by James Canary, an expert in the preservation of paper from the Lilly Library in Bloomington, Indiana.
James Canary, an expert in the preservation of paper from the Lilly Library in Bloomington, Indiana
The Lilly Library is the main repository for rare books, manuscripts, and special collections of Indiana University
On the Road became a defining work of the Beat Generation, a loose collaborative of artists and writers who rejected the mainstream in favor of the experimental and spiritual.
My other favorite exhibit was Mind of a Writer. This walls of this inspirational gallery are filled with quotes from famous writers about their creative process and craft.
The gallery offers insights into how a writer thinks as well as the daily discipline and habits necessary to get the work done.
I was intrigued by the raw honesty in many of the quotes that capture a writer’s self-doubt and fear that they will never be published— that lurking dread that they have gambled away their time on a manuscript that no one reads.
Another highlight of my visit was the First Lines exhibit, a wall of handwritten first sentences of novels written by accomplished authors.
Many of these authors crafted their first lines for stories that have yet to be written.
Whether you consider yourself an author, a journalist, a creative writer or diarist, we all have a shared experience that is made tangible among the museum’s galleries and personified through the literary greats featured. I highly recommend a visit to the American Writers Museum to experience Chicago’s literary treasure.
The American Writers Museum located in the International Harvester Building at 180 N. Michigan Ave, Chicago.
The museum sits in the historic former International Harvester Building at 180 N. Michigan Ave, just a few blocks from Millennium Park.
The Jay Pritzker Pavilion, designed by famed architect Frank Gehry in Millennium Park, Chicago.
On the way back to my hotel, I stopped by to take my requisite selfies of the iconic attractions in this urban art park including the Jay Pritzker Pavilion, designed by famed architect Frank Gehry; the digital media Crown Fountain by Jaume Plensa; and Anish Kapoor’s Cloud Gate sculpture.
Karen LeBlanc, aka The Design Tourist, taking a selfie in front of Anish Kapoor’s Cloud Gate sculpture in Millennium Park, Chicago.
Crown Fountain by Jaume Plensa in Millennium Park, Chicago
Most of you know that I express my passion for design as both as Design Journalist and a Decorator. I’m always on the hunt for the latest looks and trends to keep you up to date on the ever-evolving world of style. When it comes to my personal home, I try to stay current and contemporary without being too trendy. Yes, we all know that home decor typically requires a refresh after 10 years because looks go in and out of the style. The Mediterranean/Tuscan inspired interiors of the 90s and early 2000s with their faux finishes and heavy-handed embellishments gave way to today’s lighter, streamlined styles. Not everyone is a fan of modern decor. I get it. For me, I want a clean, uncluttered space that feels like I can breathe. I like simple and serene. With this in mind, I invite you on a tour of my personal residence. A Florida modern home that reflects its regional vernacular: slightly pitched rooflines that appear flat from the facade with geometric angles and elevations embracing touches of wood and stone.
The Design Tourist’s personal residence, a Florida Modern Home. The exterior elevation has a linear roofline with a subtle pitch to facilitate drainage of the region’s ample rainfall. The home was designed by Orlando Custom Home Builder Jorge Ulibarri at www.ImYourBuilder.com
An aerial view of The Design Tourist’s personal residence, a Florida Modern home. Notice the subtle pitches in the roofline that are designed to appear planar from the facade and ground level. The home was designed and built by Orlando Custom Home Builder Jorge Ulibarri www.ImYourBuilder.com
Inside, I choose a color palette of white and grey with pops of blue to keep the spaces from swaying too monochromatic. Although my decor is decidedly modern, I didn’t want my rooms to feel cold and sterile like white-box museum space.
The living room of The Design Tourist’s home features marble floors with grey veining, a 24-foot fireplace clad in white ledgestone and a custom crafted wood column with steel bands. The fireplace mantle has a cantilevered ledge of white quartz. The Design Tourist added a dose of cobalt blue with the shag rug and pillows mixing in textures of faux fur, leather, stone and wood.
I have a formula that I use to decorate my rooms: Texture + Color + Metallic+ Organic =Timeless Decor. Every room should speak to the senses with fabrics pleasing to the touch, plants that ground us in nature, metallic accents to bounce light and brighten the space and natural materials such as wood or stone for timeless appeal.
The Design Tourist’s personal home features a master bedroom that incorporates her design formula: Notice the doses of metallic with the hanging pendants on either side of the bed and the stainless steel fireplace. Texture comes from the grey shag rug, faux fur accent pillows and blanket that complement the natural wood floors.
The master bathroom in The Design Tourist’s personal residence draws inspiration from boutique hotels with a zen/spa-like ambiance created with natural elements including a bed of river rocks below the freestanding tub and porcelain shower tile that mimics the look of espresso wood used throughout the home.
I don’t think you should be beholden to trends but I do think you can use trends as a springboard to create your own style and draw inspiration. I weave in trendier elements with pillows, accessories and lamps.
The grey and white color palette in The Design Tourist’s kitchen plays with metallic accents including the silver glass tile backsplash that bounces light around the kitchen, chrome globe pendant lights, stainless steel appliances and chrome framed frosted glass upper cabinets. The quartz countertops around the perimeter of the kitchen and the quartzite double kitchen island give the space a contemporary feel that is grounded by espresso wood cabinets.
Light fixtures add a sculptural presence and are more cost effective to replace in tandem with the latest looks as opposed to entire suites of furniture.
The wine room in The Design Tourist’s personal residence draws the eye to an on-trend “Sputnik” light fixture. The wood floors and white ledgestone wall echo the home’s central design details.
The living room of The Design Tourist’s Florida Modern home features two large globe lighting fixtures that fill just enough space in two-story room without overwhelming. The white sofa sectional visually defines the perimeter of the living space.
My main living spaces are 24 feet high which presents a challenge with scale. Scale is a tricky concept in living spaces but makes the difference between a so-so and a stellar space. Scale is a subtle thing; it’s subjective yet essential to creating a space that is beautifully proportioned.
The glass and wood staircase in The Design Tourist’s personal home features espresso wood handrails with chrome supports and marble stairs with mitered wood cladding on the sides.
Glass and translucent materials such as acrylic allow spaces to visually breathe which is why I designed a glass-paneled staircase with espresso wood railings and added acrylic home decor accents.
The Design Tourist and the home’s builder Jorge Ulibarri on set filming a tour of the Florida Modern custom residence. For more, subscribe to the youtube.com/thedesigntourist
For more of my home’s design details, I invite you to check out this video tour of The Design Tourist’s residence filmed with the builder, Jorge Ulibarri, owner of Jorge Ulibarri Custom Homes.
For more on what’s new and next in design, subscribe to The Design Tourist Channel and sign up for the blog email.
The Design Tourist explores the latest looks & trends in kitchen and bath design from Wellborn Cabinet, Inc. Check out new design ideas and product launches revealed at KBIS from Wellborn Cabinet Inc. including coplanar doors, three-toned wood cabinets, glass face cabinets, frameless cabinets, the retro-mod look and much more.
The Treehouse available on Airbnb in Centre, France. A great choice for Design Travelers looking for authentic accommodations in unique locales. If you have a quirky place, consider listing it with Airbnb to earn extra income. Photo credit: Airbnb
You’ve no doubt seen the blissful treehouses, fairy-tale castles, and chic apartments available on Airbnb, and if you’re like me, you’ve probably bookmarked a few as travel inspiration. The home-sharing website is famous for inspiring fantasy vacations, but did you know it can also help you save for that dream trip?
The Gingerbread House available on Airbnb located in Geyersville, Ca. A great choice for Design Travelers looking for authentic accommodations in unique locales. If you have a quirky place, consider listing it with Airbnb to earn extra income. Photo credit: Airbnb
Getting started
Airbnb makes it simple to earn extra money by putting your extra space to work for you. You can share a spare room in your apartment, host your whole home the next time you’re out of town, or create a listing for a vacation house, if you have one. However you choose to host, Airbnb offers support that makes jumping into entrepreneurship unintimidating. The online process to create a listing is pretty quick and easy—you write descriptions of your space, upload photos, and mark dates your space is available to travelers. And it’s always free to create a listing.
The Tile House in Twentynine Palms CA hosts guests looking for unique accommodations on Airbnb. Full of quirky design inspiration, the home is an artist’s haven. Photo credit: Airbnb
Your earnings
So just how much could you make hosting on Airbnb? Find out what hosts in your area are making, and start imagining the possibilities. Besides saving for travel, Airbnb hosts use their extra income to pay off student loans, upgrade their home (kitchen remodel, anyone?), and pursue their passions. Airbnb makes the payment process simple, too. Guests are charged when a reservation is made, and funds are typically released to hosts 24 hours after check-in. How you’re paid is up to you: You can set up direct deposit, PayPal, or a number of other options.
The Mirror House in Pittsburgh, PA is designed by an artist who coaxes the reflectivity of glass into sculpture and decor throughout the home available on Airbnb. Photo credit: Airbnb
Host support
Once you’re a host, Airbnb has all kinds of cool tools to help you feel comfortable and confident welcoming guests. You can find hosting tips on the Airbnb blog and get your questions answered by experienced, successful hosts in the Community Center. Nervous about the safety of your home and belongings when you’re away? Airbnb’s got your back: In the rare event an accident happens, your property is covered up to a million dollars when you host—it’s peace of mind for you at no extra charge.
The living room of a celebrity home available on Airbnb owned by John Legend and Chrissy Teigen, located in Kansas City. Photo credit: Airbnb
Outdoor living space of a celebrity home available on Airbnb owned by John Legend and Chrissy Teigen, located in Kansas City. Photo credit: Airbnb
And as for the folks staying at your place, everyone who travels on Airbnb needs to submit a profile photo and confirmed phone number and email address. For extra assurance, you can also require your guests to submit a government-issued ID.
The Mirror House has quirky curb appeal making it an authentic choice for accommodations in Pittsburgh, PA. Available on Airbnb Photo credit: Airbnb
Hometown pride
Hosting can also help you show off what makes your city great. Nothing’s more frustrating than meeting a visitor on the last day of their trip and hearing that they only saw the tourist haunts. When you welcome travelers from around the world as a host on Airbnb, you get to introduce them to all that makes your neighborhood great—and drive more business to your favorite local mom-and-pop shops.
Cog Bark Inn located in Cottonwood, ID calls attention to this town with its attention-getting facade in the shape of a dog and its canine-inspired decor, available on Airbnb. Photo credit: Airbnb
Start hosting now, and you can start earning extra money toward your own adventure! Get started hosting on Airbnb
What’s new and next in luxury interiors. Cool products and design finds from the International Contemporary Furniture Fair in New York City.
Automotive Inspired Furniture:
Sleek, sexy yet masculine, the coveted Lamborghini sports car becomes the muse for a furniture collection by the lifestyle company Tonino Lamborghini. Arm chair drivers can immerse themselves in Lamborghini’s signature red and gray quilted leather patterned sofas and chairs.
Sofa and coffee tables by Tonino Lamborghini, inspired by the sleek styling of the Lamborghini sports car. Photo credit: The Design Tourist
Founded in Italy in 1981 by Tonino Lamborghini, heir of the Lamborghini family, the collection draws inspiration from his family heritage and experience in mechanical and automotive engineering that manifests in a range of luxury design products.
Chair by Tonino Lamborghini, inspired by the sleek styling of the Lamborghini sports car. Photo credit: The Design Tourist
Kiel Arto Design transforms old autobody steel into alluring patinas that adorn the tabletops of its debut collection. Opened less than a year ago, the company envisions its tables being used by people who appreciate functional art and are sensitive to the environment. “There is much art that is viewed from a distance, our tables are art that should be used, touched, and be part of your daily routine,” says artist Kristaps Gulbis, who teases out the hidden beauty of painted auto body steel in a collection of tables, wall tiles, wall panels and counter-tops.
Reclaimed autobody steel creates alluring patinas on the tabletops of pieces by Kiel Arto Design. Photo Credit: The Design Tourist
Using automobile rooftops and embracing the dents and scratches, he creates an urban patina by gradually removing the layers of paint, following the color patterns and combinations to create “a painting that becomes a functional, practical piece of art.”
Reclaimed autobody steel creates alluring patinas on the tabletops of pieces by Kiel Arto Design. Photo Credit: The Design Tourist
“Automotive body panels are not plastic pretending to be wood – this is factory painted steel that deserves a second life. Saving this material from the crusher is good for the environment,” says Kalnins.
Table made of reclaimed automotive steel by Kiel Arto Design.
Table made of reclaimed automotive steel by Kiel Arto Design.
Knitted Up:
Knitted, knotted and crocheted patterns nod to handmade craft rendered in contemporary silhouettes. The Cabaret collection of sofas and chairs reminds me of an oversized knit sweater with its knotted and weaving technique. Designed by Kenneth Cobonpue, the Philippines based, award-winning designer brings a new face to modern design using natural fibers and materials.
The Cabaret High Back Sofa and High Back Lounge Chair by Designer Kenneth Cobonpue. One of my favorite design finds at ICFF.
The Kabuki Floor Lamp by Kartell creates its lace patterning via an injection moulded process that produces a perforated surface dispersing light in a gorgeous grid.
Pod Chair crafted of woven sisal and other fibers on exhibit at ICFF. Photo Credit: The Design Tourist
Memphis Group Tributes:
Several collections caught my eye for their playful nod to the no rules approach to The Memphis Group design movement. Le Point D, a french furniture company, debuted the Couchino sofa by Margaux Keller, who “plays with everyday rules to surprise people.”
The Couchino sofa by Margaux Keller from Le Point D on exhibit at ICFF. One of my favorite design finds for its playful nod to The Memphis Group. Photo Credit: The Design Tourist.
Furniture designer Annie Evelyn appeals to my material fixation with a collection of chairs that invent new tactile experiences. At first glance, the orbs appear to be sculptures but upon closer inspection, they are soft seating that resemble bean bags. Evelyn crafted the Oshibana Chair out of handmade paper flowers, silk flowers, foam and wood.
The Oshibana Chair by Annie Evelyn plays with our concept of the chair and the typical materials used in construction of seating. Photo Credit: The Design Tourist
The Scale Lounge, also by Annie Evelyn, takes shape from foam, fabric and nickel scales.
The Scale Lounge by Annie Evelyn is both sculpture and seating. Photo Credit: The Design Tourist
On The Fringe:
Design na Pele (DNP) champions Brazilian leather internationally and brought to ICFF a swing chair made of leather fringe by designer Marta Manente who says , “With these projects, we aim to amaze by the audacity of updating traditional techniques and applications of leather in furniture.”
Leather fringe swing chair by Brazilian designer Marta Manente on exhibit with Design na Pele. Photo Credit: The Design Tourist
The Thing Stools from Konekt Furniture add a dash of fringe with horsehair and material mix of brass banding and velvet upholstered tops. Photo Credit: The Design Tourist
Warp Lounge by Walker Nosworthy renders a high-tech take on fringe with its dangling cables. Photo Credit: The Design Tourist
The Right Angles:
Luxury design has all the right angles on beauty with current looks celebrating the sharp, angular forms of triangles, diamonds, trapezoids and more. StickBulb’s X Collection of lighting fixtures create graphic and structurally closed shapes inspired by hexagonal and tetrahedral forms in nature.
Reclaimed wood light fixtures by StickBulb illuminate in triangular formations. Photo Credit: The Design Tourist
The Bolognese Stool or Table by Tino Valentinitsch for Spolia skillfully combines marquetry with modern angular shapes. Photo Credit: The Design Tourist
Ginger Brown is a French company that debuted a desk and table that was all angles. The table mimics the form of a gemstone and the asymmetrical desk defies the typical rectangular top.
Asymmetrical furniture that draws beauty from its angles by French furniture company, Ginger Brown. Photo Credit: The Design Tourist
Unusual Woodwork:
Wood takes on surprising forms such as bathtubs, bikes and light fixtures in some of the latest luxury products.
Wooden Bicycle and bathtub at the M Brace Interiors booth. Photo Credit: The Design Tourist
London based designer Donald Baugh, debuted his collection of wooden light pendants with each interior painted in a dense acrylic pigment for a visual surprise. Using a variety of wood species including walnut, oak and sapele, Baugh sculpts soft organic forms that glow within.
Omar Pendants made of wood by Donald Baugh. Photo Credit: The Design Tourist
Eclipse and Omar Light Pendants made of wood by Donald Baugh. Photo Credit: The Design Tourist.
For the latest design finds and trends, subscribe to The Design Tourist Channel so you don’t miss a single episode of my design travels and as always, subscribe to the blog for interviews with tastemakers and trendsetters in art, architecture and design.
The Design Tourist Karen LeBlanc takes us on a tour of three tiny homes at the Coverings Show in Orlando, Florida full of tile design ideas to live stylishly in small spaces. The three tiny homes are part of the installation design showcase during Coverings that brings together designers and tile installers to show how tile can make a big design statement.
Simpson Door Company debuts several new interior and exterior doors that elevate the curb appeal and interior style of any home including on-trend pivot doors, weather-resistant designer doors in fashion forward colors and updated flush doors. Join The Design Tourist Karen LeBlanc as she takes you inside The New American Home, the official show home of the International Builders Show to experience the design potential of custom Simpson Doors and check out the company’s latest launches for making a grand entrance.
Join The Design Tourist Karen LeBlanc as she explores the latest kitchen and bath trends with Wellborn Cabinet Inc., including the tri-tone kitchen and Wellborn’s new Aspire Cabinetry, a seamless, no handles collection of soft open and close storage that speaks to the latest looks in modern kitchens.
Armstrong Flooring launches its new Vivero Collection of Flooring made of cultured diamond particles in 33 True-to-Life Colors. Vivero with Diamond 10 Technology is 100 percent waterproof so no swelling or buckling with planks are exposed to water. Watch as The Design Tourist Karen LeBlanc puts Vivero with Diamond 10 technology to the test against other competitor products. Check out some of the latest looks in flooring from rustic vintage timbers to exotic wood species.
Rising Design Star & HGTV Personality Bobby Berk reveals his new collection of fashion-forward shower doors for Coastal Shower Doors. Berk talks with The Design Tourist Karen LeBlanc about his inspiration for these functional works of art that turn the shower door into the focal point in the bath. Coastal Shower Doors is a trendsetter in crafting design elements for the bath. The Insider Collection is a collaboration with Bobby Berk and the first in a series of future collaborations with designers for Coastal Shower Doors. Learn more at http://coastalshowerdoors.com
In this episode of The Design Tourist, host Karen LeBlanc travels to Deland, Florida for a tour of the historic Stetson Mansion, elaborately decorated for the holidays. Every year, owners Michael Solari and J.T. Thompson invite the public inside for a visual extravaganza of Christmas decor that J.T. single-handedly designs and creates to celebrate the season. Learn the fascinating history of Florida’s first luxury mansion built in the Gilded Age by the founder of the iconic Stetson Hat Company, John B. Stetson as his winter home. Next year, Stetson Mansion is calling on HGTV to stage a Designers’ Challenge bringing in high-end designers to adorn each room in a friendly holiday competition.
