The New World Trade Center

Irwin Weiner ASID - The new World Trade Center complex of a memorial plaza and museum and multiple soaring office towers and a transportation hub is a construction project that many feared would never take place. But the new Trade Center is modern, bold, and fills a gap in Manhattan's skyline caused by the tragic loss of the original Twin Towers. At this time we remember what was, pray for peace, and look to the future with hope. The Memorial Plaza officially opens on September 11, 2011, with construction progressing on the other buildings and features.

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Fireworks for Grand Opening of World's Tallest Building

Irwin Weiner ASID - With the sad tenth anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center Towers in NYC, the Pentagon in Washington DC, and the crashed flight in Pennsylvania, I wanted to look for anything to do with skyscraper design and construction. I found this silent time-lapse video footage of the grand opening two years ago of the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (a last-minute change from its original Burj Dubai name). Wrapping the building in fireworks, smoke, and lights was an exciting way to capture the soaring, graceful structure. While our hearts are heavy with the loss our Twin Towers and the many lives suffered in the 9/11 attacks, it still amazes me that we build taller buildings and push our engineering and architectural skills to new plateaus of achievement. The human spirit can't be vanquished.

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Update on September 8, 2011 by Design2Share

Super King Size Leather Beds: We just found a great collection of sleek leather bed designs. They add sophistication, whether your bedroom decor is traditional or modern. 

Featured Project: DIY Painted Headboard

Now is the perfect time to think about freshening up your interior space. With a splash of color here and a new piece of furniture there, it's easy to redecorate. Here's a quick, budget-conscious DIY design idea to help get you started.

Paint Your Own Headboard

Chances are if you if you purchased your bed frame as part of a bedroom set, the headboard is already included. If you don't want to put forth the extra cash, especially after paying for a pricey mattress, no problem! Painted headboards are a great way to add a pop of color to your bedroom.

Step 1: Measure the width of the head of your bed and mark it with blue painter's tape from floor to ceiling. Now, choose your color based on your desired color scheme. You obviously don't want it to be the same shade as your walls, but it should complement that color.

Step 2: Once you have your color, paint the wall, staying within the blue painters tape. Once the paint dries, if you choose to do so, you can detail with paint or with some removable wall decals from a company like Blik. For as little as $40, Blik makes easily removable wall decals in fun shapes like bookshelves, chandeliers, birds, etc. If this sounds like too much work, don't worry and leave your wall a solid color.

Step 3: Simply position your bed up against the painted wall, prop up some decorative Euro pillows in coordinating colors and patterns, and you have yourself a headboard. You might want to take this opportunity to invest in a new comforter or duvet in fun, light, spring colors. You'd be surprised at what a little bit of paint and some new bedding can do for your space!

Contemporary vanities and more at Decor Planet for your bathroom needs.

Don't Design Boxes Cutting People Off From Nature

Tony Cenicola / The New York Times

Irwin Weiner ASID - Look at the beautifully designed apartment in the photo above. They live in the country, right? Well, not really. They're on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, and the principles of biophilic design are hot at work here (click on this link for a scholarly explanation, but click on the photo above for a less academic take on the subject). This school of design tells us (here I paraphrase) that when humans are cut off from nature, we start to feel sensory deprivation. How many of you stuck indoors during the recent Hurricane Irene blow felt extreme "cabin fever" and couldn't wait to get outdoors. That is exactly what we're talking about with biophilic design. Watch this video to learn more about how incorporating nature into residential and commercial architecture is imperative to bringing us back to a more natural, humane, enjoyable living and work experience. The goal is to create spaces where we want to stay, work, play, and live - and it will be healthier for everyone. Even though I can't keep a single houseplant alive for more than a week, I second that motion.

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Today's Classic Design: Timeless Elements with a Twist

Irwin Weiner ASID - Every creative person needs to recharge batteries now and then. The following video completely plugged me in and inspired me ... and I wanted to share it with all our Design2Share readers. Roman & Williams is a NYC architectural and interiors firm, and they're the geniuses behind one of my favorite city spaces, the Ace Hotel (see photos above and below). Their video interview underscores the need for interiors to be timeless, incorporating classical design elements - travel around the world to get a sense of older design elements than we're used to seeing in the States - into something that evokes memory. But add a twist so the work doesn't become a copy.
 

When my clients compliment me on how well their interiors are "aging," I know that the timeless, classical elements we've incorporated into their project help keep their work from dating. Soon, all those granite countertops and no-wires-showing interiors are going to look like relics, while those interiors that have been artfully distressed and classically designed keep on wowing. Watch Robin Standefer and Stephen Alesch of Roman & Williams and see what I mean.
 

 
 
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Update on September 1, 2011 by Design2Share

Super King Size Leather Beds: We just found a great collection of sleek leather bed designs. They add sophistication, whether your bedroom decor is traditional or modern. 

Featured Project: DIY Painted Headboard

Now is the perfect time to think about freshening up your interior space. With a splash of color here and a new piece of furniture there, it's easy to redecorate. Here's a quick, budget-conscious DIY design idea to help get you started.

Paint Your Own Headboard

Chances are if you if you purchased your bed frame as part of a bedroom set, the headboard is already included. If you don't want to put forth the extra cash, especially after paying for a pricey mattress, no problem! Painted headboards are a great way to add a pop of color to your bedroom.

Step 1: Measure the width of the head of your bed and mark it with blue painter's tape from floor to ceiling. Now, choose your color based on your desired color scheme. You obviously don't want it to be the same shade as your walls, but it should complement that color.

Step 2: Once you have your color, paint the wall, staying within the blue painters tape. Once the paint dries, if you choose to do so, you can detail with paint or with some removable wall decals from a company like Blik. For as little as $40, Blik makes easily removable wall decals in fun shapes like bookshelves, chandeliers, birds, etc. If this sounds like too much work, don't worry and leave your wall a solid color.

Step 3: Simply position your bed up against the painted wall, prop up some decorative Euro pillows in coordinating colors and patterns, and you have yourself a headboard. You might want to take this opportunity to invest in a new comforter or duvet in fun, light, spring colors. You'd be surprised at what a little bit of paint and some new bedding can do for your space!

Contemporary vanities and more at Decor Planet for your bathroom needs.