My Urban Garden Deco Guide

Paint Or Die But Love Me

Brilliant find by Trends now : a great idea best suited for a sheltered - transitional spaces: gravity defying table by John Nouanesing

  

  

The little wild garden of love

Tord Boontje explains: "Rainwater is the lifeblood of our garden, you then catch a glimpse of a wild and lush vegetation and enter a landscape which is larger, more airy, throbbing and bright. " www.moroso.it, www.tordboontje.com

I love the designs in the little film and specially the psychadelic egg chair at the end...
Enjoy!

Private spas in your garden: it's only the beginning

Gardens and outdoor spaces are adopting new roles : relaxing and escaping the city stress, sharing new 'moments' with friends and family are all getting top of people's agenda as the Economy starts diving, as Eco issues dominate travel temptations. Enjoying the day in the city is seen as key.

This outdoor spa is a good way to achieve that : a lovely cedar Spa Tub  developed for the Ritz Carlton five star hotel in Germany. The spa tub has a set of tubs which offer options for both hot and cold water.Made to order you are looking at $19,750.

Aquacycling: The 800 calorie pool work out now for private homes

Ok Ok I realize all the magazines have recently turned into  bikini bullies encouraging diets sports etc before we appear on the beach... But this is more about regular cardio training from home. I have meant to open an outdoor gym section for a while but there are surprisingly few products available.

I was happy to discover the underwater bikes and treadmills byHydrorider.com who sell such odd inventions from 800 pounds.

Mega exercise in tiny pools: the swimmill

Born Rich - the blog for the fabulously rich- has spotted a great device :

..' a few of us only can afford Olympic-sized swimming pools for the beneficial lap-swimming. We have a solution here. Swimmill is the aquatic version of the treadmill as it lets you swim without changing your position. The water current produced by Swimmill is the one that moves. Swimmill allows you to adjust the speed of the water current to satisfy all kinds of swimmers, from beginners to the most advanced. It makes the length of your pool infinite and allows you to enjoy swimming for any time or distance you choose in your own home. Moreover, it makes possible to avoid those frequent and annoying turns and allows you to focus entirely on your swimming exercise. The Swimmill Standard System comes for a cool $5,900 and the figure escalates as you go for optional features, but that will compensate for the fact that you never have to turn around at the edge of your pool again. '

DOTS fire and sit by Werner Aisslinger

Lovely casual chic and friendly : this new design available at Conmoto .  The cylindrical elements create the perfect atmosphere for hours of conversation and relaxing.  The cushions are weather resistant and comes in two sizes. For more information on the Dotsfireplace visit Conmoto.

Bold colors even in the most tiny space

I do not know about you, but I find the news rather sad and any deco therapy is welcome!

I have been looking at cheerful options for a tiny balcony and my winner is Arne Quinze set !

They come in a variety of materials including leather to play an in/out deco scheme.

RADIUS DESIGN : BBQ and camp fire 'romanticism'

 The German brand Radius have designed this sleek BBQ/grill/ fire pit . Yet I am not entirely sure the text used to promote it does not lack a bit of romantic umpff!:

 »fireplate« is a practical, atmospheric fireplace for outdoor use  , used in conjunction with the optional barbecue grill it allows food to be prepared directly over an open fire in the traditional manner.The grill with a diameter of 50 cm is made of stainless steel and is available for both large versions of the »fireplate«.

 

Inspiration : Avant Gardeners - 50 Visionaries of the Contemporary Landscape

I highly recommend this book as it is a collection of truly inspiring and daring creations form around the world. It is like Haute Couture, you may never go that far but pinching a few ideas can make such a difference:

And as described byRIBA

Contemporary garden design has embraced the latest thinking in science and materials, architecture and product design, redefining the border between nature and the man-made. One indication of the rise in popularity – and controversy – of such 'experimental' gardens has been the growing number of conceptual garden festivals, which have become the premier international showcases for new ideas.Avant Gardeners presents the most exciting and innovative contemporary garden and landscape-design practices from around the world, profiling the work of each designer through informative texts, photographs and plans. Topical essays explore the underlying principles, and show how a rising generation has largely rejected traditional Western garden design, favouring instead influences such as Modernism, Postmodernism, Pop Art and Land Art.From playful conceptual art to elegant public space, radical and joyful urban landscapes to idiosyncratic private gardens, this book shows off diverse and innovative work from 50 firms, including West 8, Gustafson Porter, Atelier Big City and Janet Rosenberg. Fresh and green.