headline.browser-titleDesigning rooms with textiles

Whether in the hospitality sector, modern offices or health-care facilities, more and more architects and interior designers are recognising the positive spatial effect of textiles. The range is enormous, with application possibilities ranging from integrated LEDs, through holistic spatial concepts to functional solutions that influence the acoustics or room atmosphere. 'Textiles are a wonderful way of brightening and enrichting otherwise minimalist architecture', says Olaf Schmidt, Vice President Textiles & Textile Technologies at Messe Frankfurt. 'If as an architect or interior designer you have corresponding experience with textiles, this is of significant value when advising the client.' For those wanting to acquire or increase their expertise, a visit to Heimtextil is ideal. Especially for the commercial sector, the fair offers a large portfolio of exhibitors, which are summarised in a separate guide. 'When compiling the guide, we not only ensure that the exhibitors have correspon

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3 Ways to Remove Bathroom Mold

Content originally published and Shared from http://perfectbath.com

Knowing how to get rid of mold in showers, and keep it from returning, can save you both time and money. Here are 3 simple ways to remove bathroom mold.  Read on!

Image Source: Flickr

Scrub Away
To properly care for your bathroom and remove the mold from tile grout, you will need a good scrub brush and baking soda. To effectively scrub the mold away, treat the grout between tiles and the caulking with a paste made of water and baking soda. Leave on for as long as you need to—for example, very dirty grout can use an hour or two. Spray the tiles with water and use a scrub brush to clean the grout with a brisk back and forth motion. Rinse well and buff dry. Once you have scrubbed the grout, you can prolong your mold-removing efforts so that you do not have to use as much elbow grease next time! If your bathroom is not properly maintained between cleanings, it does not take long for mold to come back. In fact, think of mold prevention like oral care—we have to maintain our teeth to keep plaque away. Source: NaturallySavvy

Vinegar
Put mild white vinegar in a spray bottle without diluting it. Vinegar has a mild acidity, making anywhere you spray it very inhospitable for mold. Do not dilute the vinegar when placing it into the spray bottle; you want to use it at full-strength, not watered-down.
Spray the vinegar onto moldy surfaces and wait for an hour. If possible, let the bathroom air out during this time.
After an hour, wipe the area clean with hot water and dry the surface with a towel. Damp surfaces encourage mold growth, so be sure to wipe the area clean fully. After you have wiped the vinegar away, it should not smell anymore.
Use vinegar to prevent outbreaks of mold before they happen. Vinegar is reported to kill 82% of mold species, making it an exceptionally effective solution for preventing mold from inhabiting your bathroom like it owns the place. Plus, vinegar does not have any toxic fumes (like bleach) and is all-natural.

• Simply spray a bit of vinegar onto a mold-prone surface and leave it. If you do this regularly, mold will have a tough time growing, and you will not have to remove it in the first place. Source: wikiHow

Hot Water and Baking Soda
You’ll need one teaspoon of washing up liquid, one cup of baking soda, and a few drops of something fragrant (we recommend lavender or citrus oil). Then add water and mix until the solution becomes a viscous paste and you’re done – a natural black mould remover. Source: Cleanipedia

Contact:
Perfect Bath
Phone: Toll Free 1-866-843-1641
Calgary, Alberta
Email: info@perfectbath.com

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headline.browser-titlePoetic Shopping: Aesop designs the retail experience

Against a backdrop of the indomitable rise of e-commerce and eschewing the received wisdom that a successful brand identity is one that adheres uncompromisingly to the tenets of sameness and consistency, skincare label Aesop has taken a confident creative and commercial stand by creating, worldwide, a portfolio of unique and poetic physical retail spaces – each the result of an open-brief collaboration with some of the leading lights in architecture and design. From Snøhetta and Paulo Mendes da Rocha to Ilse Crawford and Ciguë, a raft of original-thinking creatives have been commissioned to produce one-off store experiences that marry bold concepts with strong material consideration and quality craftsmanship. The result are stores, which, more akin to stage-sets than shops, make purchasing an event rather than an everyday activity. Architonic talks to Marsha Meredith, Aesop’s Creative Director, about the company’s brand-building through creative building... …. <b>How do you choose w

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headline.browser-titleUtilitarian Rigour: David Irwin’s Narin Chair for Case

"I set out to design a folding chair that didn't comprise on aesthetics or comfort in order for it to fold. In a way I wanted to change our preconceptions of what a folding chair is – a piece of furniture you would be proud to have on display at any time and not the emergency chair that only comes out of the cupboard on occasions” explains David Irwin. Folding chairs have typically been inexpensive objects used temporarily when those extra guests arrive, or design classics commanding a premium price tag. David Irwin wanted to create an object that was both beautiful folded, or in use so it can delicately lean in the corner of a room. As house sizes are getting smaller in many countries, customers are focused on having less in their homes and create room for more important things. Graham Hill wrote for the New York Times in 2013 “we live in a world of surfeit stuff, of big-box stores and 24-hour online shopping opportunities. Members of every socioeconomic bracket can and do delu

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headline.browser-titleWhy Tschumi Matters

...Maybe this change in direction was the product of the engagement with the then-nascent virtual explorations of space that took place twenty years ago. Maybe this retreat from engaging with obtuse ideas outside of architecture’s purview is endemic of the “blissful” 1990s where some proclaimed that “history” was finished and that dialogues with social life no longer had political consequences. However, the bliss of the Third Way of the 1990s is long over. With political, economic and social conditions rapidly changing, one has to wonder how architecture – arguably the most public of the arts – will adapt. We should ask ourselves how far the formalism manifested by computers can take us in terms of the discipline’s reconciliation with our current historical situation. Architecture may find itself at a juncture where theory – dense and prosaic as it may be – could help establish disciplinary relevance amongst a diverse populace in uncertain times. The works of Bernard Tschumi matter

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headline.browser-titleSpradling: Deep fabrics

For over 50 years the name Spradling® has stood for the highest quality in the manufacture and sale of coated fabrics. Using various patented processes and technologies, the fabrics have special properties to render them particularly suitable for use in hightraffic areas or in the healthcare sector. Thus the Permablok® coatings and Silverguard® bacterial protection, based on the antimicrobial properties of silver, on ranges such as Hitch™, winner of the 2015 i-NOVO award, provide unique protection against abrasion, dirt and bacteria. HitchTM is the highlight of the current Surfaces Collection. As well as the technical properties mentioned above, the material also impresses with its fine texture and modern, metallic look. The entire Surfaces Collection encompasses 200 colours and more than 20 refined surface textures that will whet your appetite for creative design and spark your imagination for the unusual. The focus of the collection is just as much on technically sophisticated soluti

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headline.browser-titleSpradling: Gar nicht oberflächlich

For over 50 years the name Spradling® has stood for the highest quality in the manufacture and sale of coated fabrics. Using various patented processes and technologies, the fabrics have special properties to render them particularly suitable for use in hightraffic areas or in the healthcare sector. Thus the Permablok® coatings and Silverguard® bacterial protection, based on the antimicrobial properties of silver, on ranges such as Hitch™, winner of the 2015 i-NOVO award, provide unique protection against abrasion, dirt and bacteria. HitchTM is the highlight of the current Surfaces Collection. As well as the technical properties mentioned above, the material also impresses with its fine texture and modern, metallic look. The entire Surfaces Collection encompasses 200 colours and more than 20 refined surface textures that will whet your appetite for creative design and spark your imagination for the unusual. The focus of the collection is just as much on technically sophisticated soluti

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headline.browser-titleMoOD & Indigo Brussels 2016

<b>Brussels Airport, Brussels and Tour & Taxis are going full steam ahead</b> The airport is fully operational again and taking a plane from Brussels is running as smooth as ever. There are no longer any full systematic checks and the time between arrival at the airport and the gates is less than one hour. Various huge events like the ‘Zinneke Parade’ and the ‘20 km through Brussels’-run have witnessed the arrival of over 35.000 people in the city centre. In the first weekend of June Tour & Taxis will also be used as the festival location for Couleur Café, a music festival with over 60.000 party-goers. <b>Tour & Taxis, a prime location with eye-catching architecture at walking distance of the city centre</b> Tour & Taxis is the new venue for MoOD/Indigo Brussels. The halls of the magnificent industrial site are filled with natural light and are home to, amongst others, ArtBrussels, the most exclusive art fair in Belgium. The centre of Brussels is not far away. After a 30 minute

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headline.browser-titleMAISON&OBJET PARIS: EVOLUTIONS

MAISON&OBJET PARIS, the leading event for lifestyle professionals around the world, returns in September. Come and discover the major event for lifestyle that attracts over 3,000 global brands. The show is inspirational and showcases a comprehensive overview of excellence and innovation. MAISON&OBJET PARIS evolves further and grows stronger to provide an increasingly enriching and resourceful experience, while giving exhibitors a greater outlook on the industry. <b>MAISON&OBJET l PROJETS I is just once a year</b> The creation of a new hub called INFLUENCES presents a high-end offering of products by industry specifiers in Halls 7 and 8. Premium solutions from lighting to Outdoors or Materials and know how set apart architectural projects due to the quality of propositions from exhibitors like Maiori, Tekcna, Artemide, Ethimo, Prostor, Meystle or Esthec. There is much to discover in Hall 8! <b>Conferences, workshops and more!</b> This year the ESPACE RETAIL has moved into the heart of

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headline.browser-titleCoasting It: beach-house architecture

On 27 August, 1965, architectural legend Le Corbusier went for a swim. He never came back. His death by drowning off the beach at Roquebrune-Cap-Martin on France’s Côte d’Azur, just below E-1027 – the iconic modernist villa designed and built by Eileen Gray in the late 1920s – was, of course, an accident. Yet, some might call it divine retribution. Or, at the very least, ironic. For Corb, perhaps threatened, as has been suggested by a number of commentators, by the ability of a woman to produce such a fine example of architectural modernism, had taken up intermittent residence at the villa in an attempt to make it his own and, in doing so, displace the profile of its creator. First, while sojourning there in the 1930s, he adorned (or defaced – you decide) its pristine interior walls with his decorative, painted murals, and later, having failed in his attempt to purchase the property (think hostile takeover bid), he decided to build his Cabanon des vacances right next to the villa.

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headline.browser-titleMaterial Tendencies: Werner Aisslinger

<b>Architonic spoke to the German designer about his broad spectrum of interests and got his thoughts on the future of design.</b> <b>Which material would you choose if you had to restrict yourself to working with just one for the next three years?</b> Plastics and carbon aren’t of great interest to me at the moment. I prefer natural materials – things that lead back into the natural cycle, but not necessarily recycled materials. As a designer, you don’t want to create anything that you can’t justify in terms of energy consumption, that doesn’t decompose, or that requires a high energy input. I think that, for example, clay is underestimated and hasn’t been used often enough in the history of design. <b> Could you say a few words about your spout creation for the Axor WaterDream project 2016. What material have you used?</b> Since Roman times, water was stored in clay amphoras, so it is a material that is super connected to water. The message of this spout design – a clay basin

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headline.browser-titleRuedi Baur: Swiss Graphic Design – Past, Present and Future

Of course, the country we are talking about is Switzerland. To this day, throughout the world, the term graphic design immediately brings Switzerland to mind. This is true as well when people think about the field’s past and present. Understanding the reasons behind the country’s astounding success may help us to better understand graphic design itself. It might also hold the keys to envisioning how artists, architects and designers worldwide will take on the major challenge of the urban and virtual public space by reinventing graphic design. More than anyone else, Ruedi Baur understands the role of currentday graphic design. The famous designer created the visual identities of the Centre Pompidou and the New School. In several cases, Baur has even created the visual identities of cities such as Lyon, Nancy and Metz. Dessau may join the list some time soon. TLmag spoke with Baur at his Paris studio, Intégral. <b>TLmag: Swiss graphic designers make up the lion’s share of the “historic”

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headline.browser-titleARCHITONIC TOP 20 DESIGNERS + BRANDS IN FRANCE

As the world’s leading and most-trusted research tool for the specification of premium architectural and design products, Architonic is uniquely placed to offer its community relevant and valuable insights into developments in the architecture and design markets. As part of our ongoing Architonic Trend Analysis series, we have collected traffic information over the course of the past 12 months. Based on the number of relevant search queries entered into the text-search field on architonic.com, we're able to present you with a ranking of the Top 20 Brands and Designers based in France, as drawn from our curated database of 1,500 premium brands and 6,200 designers. Rationale Architonic is the world’s leading research tool for the specification of premium architectural and design products. Our curated database currently provides information about more than 200,000 products from 1,500 brands and 6,200 designers. 16 million architects, interior designers and design enthusiasts annually cho

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3 Ways to Unclog a Slow Running Bathroom Sink Drain

Content originally published and Shared from http://perfectbath.com

A sink that takes a little longer to drain can be a sign that you may soon be facing a clogged drain. Luckily, we’ll share 3 ways to unclog a slow running bathroom sink drain, including: using natural solvents, using a plunger and snaking the pipes.

Image Source: Flickr

Using Natural Solvents
A clogged or slow-draining bathroom sink is a common problem in most homes. It shouldn’t happen too often, but when it does, use this natural formula to remove all the gunk (believe me, you don’t want a list of what that “gunk” actually is!) and get that drain in tip top shape.

What You Need

Materials:

• 1/2 cup Baking soda
• 1/2 cup Vinegar
• Lemon juice (optional)
• Measuring cups

1. Remove the drain cover. Most drain covers thread into the drain, so try unscrewing it by turning it to the left.
2. Measure out a 1/2 cup of baking soda.
3. Dump as much of the baking soda as you can down the drain.
4. Measure out a 1/2 cup of distilled white vinegar and pour it down the drain over the baking soda.
5. The mixture will bubble and fizz (like the volcano experiment when you were in grade school!) and eat away anything that is clogging the drain. If you notice any unpleasant smells, squeeze a little lemon juice down after you’ve rinsed any remaining baking soda and vinegar away. Source: ApartmentTherapy

Using a Plunger

1. Make sure there is standing water – if there isn’t already standing water, fill the basin with two or three inches of water.
2. Create a vacuum – air vents and adjoining drains should be sealed. It is necessary to create a vacuum so the water in the drain can force the clog to move down the pipe.
3. Cover drain with the plunger suction cup– place the suction cup of the plunger directly over the drain making sure to cover it completely.
4. Push & Pull – use both hands to apply as much force as possible to the suctioning. Pulling is just as important as pushing. The key is to get the clog moving; the direction isn’t important. Source: About

Snaking the Pipes

1. Get your materials ready.This method is for those stubborn clogs and therefore requires more materials, including a bucket, screwdriver or wrench, and plumber’s snake (also called a drain snake).
2. Place the bucket underneath your sink.You want to position the bucket underneath the P-trap, that is, the curved part of pipe that leads directly from the drain.
3. Check to see what is holding your P-trap together.Some are held together with screws, in which case you need a screwdriver, while others have slip nuts on both ends of the pipe, in which case you will need a wrench.
4. Remove the P-trap. Do this step slowly and make sure the bucket is still positioned directly beneath you. Standing water as well as the small pipes inside of the P-trap may spill out and you want the bucket to catch them.
5. Find the clog.First check the P-trap. If you can see the blockage, use your fingers, coat hanger, or the plumber’s snake to force it out.
6. Reattach the P-trap. Use either the screwdriver or wrench and turn the screws or nuts clockwise to tighten them.
7. Turn on the sink.The water should drain at its normal speed if the clog has been effectively removed. Source:  wikiHow

Contact:
Perfect Bath
Phone: Toll Free 1-866-843-1641
Calgary, Alberta
Email: info@perfectbath.com

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headline.browser-titleMaterial Tendencies: Jean-Marie Massaud

Architonic met up with the French architect and designer earlier in the year, whose work ranges from industrial and interior design, through major architectural projects, to one-off items and series production. <b>Which material would you choose if you had to restrict yourself to working with just one for the next three years?</b> This is very challenging. I don’t think I have a certain style or preference, so I am open to every kind of material. I like natural materials that are versatile and efficient. Usually it is the merging of high technology and natural material incarnation. I always like to explore the competence of industrial potential and then combine it with something more gentle and warm. I like for example the democratic and affordable aspect of a plastic chair, but then I want to have a soft touch on my bottom. So I add felt or some other natural material to the plastic shell. <b>… and within the architectural field? Any preferences?</b> My personal sensitivity is t

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3 Ways to Remove Bathroom Odours

Content originally published and Shared from http://perfectbath.com

Need help on how to remove bathroom odours at home? If so, you will want to consider these 3 ways to remove bathroom odours outlined below, including: ventilating your bathroom, looking into air purifiers and making a homemade air freshener.

Image Source: Flickr

Ventilating your Bathroom
Keep The Windows Open. This is definitely one of the effective home remedies to prevent bathroom smell. If you are out of your house for days, the windows and doors are kept close. Due to the lack of air circulation, your bathroom smells stinky. So, keep the windows open and let the air flow. Source: BoldSky

Looking Into Air Purifiers
If your bathroom has very poor air circulation, an odor eliminator alone may not cut it. Look into an air purifier, a plug-in device that helps increase air circulation and remove odor-causing bacteria from your bathroom’s air. You can buy an air purifier at a department store or order one online. Air purifiers range in price. Top-rate purifiers can cost as much as $250, but may be unnecessary if their intended use is for a small bathroom. You can buy a smaller, cheaper purifier for $25 to $50. Source: wikiHow

Making a Homemade Air Freshener
Step 1: Mix a paste of baking soda and lemon juice.  If you don’t have lemon juice you can use water but lemon juice is a great disinfectant and great for removing odors.  The consistency of the paste should be about that of pancake mix.
Step 2: Spread the paste all along the bottom of the toilet {where it meets the floor}, the toilet seat, and any other area that gets a lot of over spray.
Let it set for about 10-15 minutes.
Step 3: When the timer expires spray the dried paste with white vinegar and let it fizzle.  Once it is done fizzing wipe it up with a damp cloth. Source: AskAnnaMoseley

Contact:
Perfect Bath
Phone: Toll Free 1-866-843-1641
Calgary, Alberta
Email: info@perfectbath.com

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headline.browser-titleSefar: Refined lightness

The special fabrics for architectural applications are geared to the diverse requirements of indoor and outdoor spaces. Thanks to their high level of flexibility, they can be individually adapted to the respective circumstances. There are essentially three application 
areas: fabric&weather, fabric&light and -fabric&glass. Light-transmitting PTFE fabrics (fabric&weather) are suited for applications requiring maximum tensile strength values in outdoor environments, e.g. membrane and lamellar structures, sun blinds, screens, large and small foldable structures, awnings, etc. They are permanently UV-resistant and colourfast, phthalate-free, weather-resistant, water- and dirt-repellent. Wide-ranging fabric- and light-transmitting specifications mean that they offer both high functional and aesthetic value. The design freedom with them is virtually unlimited, as the example of the mosque of Medina al-Munawwarah impressively shows. Inside, translucent light-transmitting PVDF fabric (fabric&l

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headline.browser-titleRetail Detail: 10 outstanding store designs – Part II

optimist Eyewear <b>REDValentino Store, London, UK</b> Saint Laurent Flagship Store Tokyo © Architonic

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headline.browser-titleSahco: Visions become reality

Exclusive hotels, stately residences, luxury yachts or large corporate headquarters - SAHCO’s passion is to furnish them all with textiles. The Nuremberg-based textile editor offers expressive collections to all those involved in interior design who attach importance to sophisticated designs and premium quality. Alongside extravagant design, a strong emphasis is placed on fabrics suitable for the commercial sector. As a long-standing partner of Trevira CS, the experienced team offers fabric and processing qualities for every requirement, and develops individual solutions. The latest highlights include the EDIZIONE CLASSICA with traditional fabrics such as pure silk, suede and jacquard. It offers classic Italian chic, including in intensive and fashionable colours. The new PREMIUM BASICS upholstery fabrics stand out with a wide range of colours and a great deal of natural charm. The fabrics in the SLOW DESIGN collection are ideal for a particularly relaxed atmosphere that radiates warmt

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headline.browser-titleRetail Detail: 10 outstanding store designs – Part I

An effective retail-design concept turns a simple shopping experience into a total adventure that addresses the senses at different levels. Touching, smelling, tasting, and testing products in an environment designed to stimulate and inspire imbues the act of consumption with a greater emotional quality. The store also serves as a three-dimensional marketing channel that helps shape and establish a brand identity. Here, the customer is given an opportunity to enter into direct contact with the seller. With this in mind, we’ve compiled a list of 10 of the world’s most innovative retail projects, by virtue of their underlying concepts, materials, and technical as well as architectural quality. They not only illustrate the possibilities offered by retail design, but also demonstrate the added value of a brand concept, its impact on consumers, and, in turn, its impact on sales revenue. .... <b>Acne Studios Flagship Store, Seoul, South Korea</b> With her design for the Acne Flagship stor

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Is There A Real Estate Bubble In Vancouver?

 

 

 

The Media Has Talked About It For Months

Is There A Vancouver Real Estate Bubble?

What Are The Economic Factors Behind It?

Why Have The Prices Gone Up So Much?

 

There are a number of factors that speak to where the Vancouver Real Estate Market is going.  Some say it’s overpriced, some say it’s unsustainable, some say there’s a bubble.  

Here are a few key points I’d like to point out:

• Late 2014/Early 2015, Government CANCELLED the Immigration Investment Program which basically allowed foreigners to come to Canada, give the government $800,000 as an interest free loan, wait a few years, and then they’d get their Permanent Residency status along with the money back
  • The RESULT:  initial panic by those NOT in the real estate industry, but many experts in the real estate industry said that this wasn’t going to affect the market a whole lot as it targeted the extremely wealthy foreigners and that it may slow down the market for the extremely high end homes in the $5M plus range.  Currency was still good, in the end, it didn’t affect the market.
• My Understanding of the China Market:  when China’s economy is doing well, people go abroad and buy real estate property in Canada, US and Australia, when China’s economy IS NOT doing well, they do the same thing.  

The post Is There A Real Estate Bubble In Vancouver? appeared first on Gary Wong Realty Vancouver, BC.

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headline.browser-titleRohi: Naturally high-tech

For more than 80 years, rohi, a family-owned company, has been driven by the desire and expectation of its customers for high-quality products with great designs that initially may not even seem feasible. The rohi design team does not work behind closed doors. Instead it prefers to interact personally with its customers in the Air, Living and Public areas. Whether for well-known or renowned furniture companies, the designs are individual and specially tailored to the needs and quality requirements of customers, with rohi benefiting from the synergy effects of the technically-complex Air and homely Living areas. Using its specialist textile expertise, the company transforms designs into haptically-inspiring fabrics. The use of only the highest quality raw materials and own manufacturing facilities in Germany ensure that the products have the high quality-standard of a premium manufacturer. The favourite raw material remains wool, because as the company states: 'Wool is a naturally high-

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