Trend of the Week: Cindy Says… Get Zen!
Feeling a bit stressed? Editor in chief Cindy Allen uses fives design inspirations (and a quote) to renew her spirit and move into 2018 with a fresh new perspective. You should try it, too! For more… head to her Instagram (@thecindygram) and go forth and DESIGN!
1. ZEN RETREAT: An East-meets-West weekend retreat for fashion designer Josie Natori in upstate New York designed by Tsao & McKown. It’s a single-story, 3,000-square-foot structure modeled after a quiet and spiritual tea house. They combined open and flowing indoor and outdoor spaces, a palette of earth tones peppered with purple and chartreuse—a mix that only Calvin and Zack have mastered—and a veranda looking over a Japanese style garden. Certainly, a home to lift your spirits. A Best of Year Winner for Suburban House. Photography by Simon Upton.
2. STAIRWAY TO HEAVENLY THINGS: Artist David Moreno of Barcelona worked with hundreds of pieces of steel rods and piano wire to create architectural sculpture: The Conexión de Catedral 001 (2017) at N2 Galería.
3. SPIRITUAL CLEANSING: Hall of Famer Patrick Jouin of Jouin Manku designed the Spa des Saules, in Illhaeusern, France. Patrick used wood, stone, and concrete to design a sauna, steam bath, two plunge pools, and four treatment rooms that make you go aaaahhhhh (and never want to leave). A 2017 Best of Year Award winner for Spa. Photography by Nicolas Mathéus.
4. GO WITH THE FLOW: Archstudio turned Zen tradition on its head with the Twisting Courtyard in Beijing. Based on what was existing, the undulated floor is used to connect indoor and outdoor spaces of different heights, extending inside of the house, twisting into walls and the roof, and creating a splendid and unforgettable connection between inside and out. A 2017 Best of Year Award Winner for Coffee/Tea. Photography by Wang Ning/Jin Weiqi.
5. TREE OF REFLECTION: For an uplifting take on the blues, enjoy the CODAaward–winning installation “Blue Trees,” in Texas by Konstantin Dimopoulos, comprised of branches and trunks painted with water-based mineral pigment. Photography by David Brown.
6. QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.”—
Albert Einstein
Upper East Side Townhouse by Gabellini Sheppard Associates. Photography by Paul Warchol.
