Bare concrete, transparency, vibrant colours and curated artworks define the new EMI offices in Surry Hills, Sydney, as the record company makes its move across the Harbour Bridge to Australia’s creative epicentre. Designed by interior design firm, The World is Round, the Hutchinson St space makes an impact, as bold colours contrast with the industrialized shell.

The inclusion of gallery spaces and curated artworks from local artists is an important statement of intent, both in providing inspiration to its staff and in presenting a holistic approach to music and the creative industries. The office opens with an interesting juxtaposition between Stuart Hall’s portrait of Paul Dempsey, entered in this year’s Archibald Prize, and works by street artist Beastman.

SPONSOR

The Material Creative site is packed with their interior, illustrative, design and event projects. I am just utterly sold on their eclectic, creative vibe.

From the company that brought us Style Your Garage Door, comes Style Your Door, full-surface, high-quality photo films that will transform any the doors in any home into a teeming world of wild, wild fantasy.

Frontera 96 is a Mexico City retail and art space run by a design collective in the always hip Roma neighborhood. They sell t-shirts inspired by Mexico City indie rock bands, like Hello Seahorse! and Los Rebel Cats, with a revolving slate of groups coming in to sign autographs from time to time. The store is only open Friday through Sunday.

Most of their merchandise is sold through the Hupop brand (which runs an online store. You can order online and pick it up at the store). Women’s dresses, screen printed jackets and tees, paintings, jewelry, used vinyl, as well as some Ikea products (such as storage bins and bed sheets) fill out their interior design offerings. Books on urbanism and interior design are sometimes in English, but mostly in Spanish.

Designed by — and named after – the iconic architect Frank Gehry, Toronto’s FRANK is a tasty complement to the Art Gallery of Ontario, located, as it is, within the building’s beautiful surrounds. The interior design is stunning: modern, chic, and urbane, it’s a work of art in its own right, featuring modern Danish furnishings and an installation of Frank Stella’s work. And the restaurant itself benefits from the oversight of executive chef Anne Yarymowich, who has created a small but delightful menu, showcasing local wines and seasonal ingredients.

SPONSOR

There’s something to be said for staying in a hotel room that’s bigger than your Brooklyn apartment. Yup, it happens so rarely that when you come across it, you kinda want to hang inside, bask in the space, and imagine that this really is your life. 365 days a year. Ah ha, then you wake up. Anyway, I stayed recently at the beautifully designed Hotel Omm in the Eixample district of Barcelona, surrounded by the glitzy, sparkling shops that dot the landscape and by the disarmingly original Gaudi buildings that tower spectacularly above the skyline. It’s quite a sight. [photo by Alison Zavos]

The Omm is classified a luxury boutique hotel, and as such, comes loaded with all the extras you’d expect. But with a twist: it’s interior design is stunning. Much like Barcelona itself, the Hotel Omm, projects an image of refined chic, elegance and urban cool, the muted colours offsetting its vibrant location, where French designers share street space with edgy clothing and product stores and a small cafe across the road which serves the tastiest damn desserts in the city. Or so my taste-buds say, anyway.

Part of the Mr and Mrs Smith worldwide collection of boutique accommodations, the Hotel Omm features its own spa and rooftop terrace, which overlooks Barcelona’s trendy Passeig de Gracia, and has a rooftop swimming pool, a spa, a Michelin rated restaurant (Moo) and a nightclub which was packed with Barcelona’s ultra-fashionable types when we eventually staggered in there after a few hours wandering the city’s streets.

Hotel Omm
C/ Rosselló 265
08008 Barcelona, Spain
+34 934 454 000

Fancy a fern in the face? The Sky Planter will fulfill your greenest fantasies. It is designed to conserve water, save floor space and puzzle visitors. An internal reservoir system to feeds water directly to the roots, so no water evaporates or drips. And somehow the soil is ‘locked in’. Woo!

An elegant, generously-proportioned and original storage system, based on a juxtaposition of chests, the Ligne Roset Playtime makes it possible to create large-scale settings, or smaller pieces such as sideboards, chests and TV units. Playtime is fitted furniture, with the dimensions able to be adjusted to fit your living space.

Mark Mothersbough, jack of all trades, most famous as frontman of iconic 80s band Devo, has recently started designing wallpaper and rugs, which are available from Walteria Living. Mothersbough’s designs range from expectedly quirky and off-kilter to surprisingly understated and tasteful — after all, he does compose music for commercials and kids’ shows these days.

SPONSOR

You may already be aware of Marimekko, a leading Finnish textile and clothing design company responsible for interior decoration textiles, bags and other accessories. Chances are some of you have a throw cushion or two with their bold signature poppy print. What I never realized was the range and scale of their product collections: from collaborations with designers from all around the globe to strong and distinctive product design and high end fashion. [check out also the 2Modern interior design website]