Anderson’s style – punctuated by perfectly symmetrical framing and over-the-top pastel palettes – has become so iconic these days that the folks over at home care platform Angi (formerly Angie’s List) recently wondered what the director’s work might look like on the small screen. They took up the challenge by enlisting interior designer Lau Wlasenkov to give the sets of several beloved TV shows the full Anderson treatment. Don’t forget to look for Easter eggs from each series as you peruse these fun, light-hearted re-imaginings:

Friends

While Monica Geller’s iconic living room from the hit 1990s sitcom was already slathered in pastel purple, Angi switched it up to Anderson’s more signature red and pink palette. They also decluttered the space and added a retro wood-encased TV console. By setting the furniture at right angles, they produced more symmetry, a move echoed by the giant swaths of fabric balanced on either side of the main window. Phoebe Buffay’s legendary guitar also gets a place of honor in this Wes-ified room.

Russian Doll

This critically acclaimed Netflix series features a main character (Nadia) who finds herself in trapped in time, continually “waking up” in her bathroom at the exact same moment after every loop. In the show, Nadia’s bathroom is dark with black tiles, brass accents, and minimal lighting. The Angi designers gave it a Wes Anderson makeover by lightening the mood considerably. Geometric blue tiles in contrasting patterns create a type of symmetry above and below the vanity, as do stacks of steamer trunks placed strategically on either side. Warm-colored wood breaks up the busy-ness of the colors and designs. Savvy fans can also spot Nadia’s cigarette pack left casually in one corner.

Bridgerton

While this Netflix show about 19th-century love and gossip in British high society has already spawned an entire “Regencycore” aesthetic on social media, main character Daphne’s bedroom really goes next level with some Wes Anderson tweaks. Wlasenkov recovered the walls in bright red zebra-pattern wallpaper and outfitted both the foot bench and headboard in the same lush velvet fabric for symmetry. A playful, modern table lamp on one side of the bed balances out Daphne’s fluffy fan on the other.

Mad Men

This Emmy and Golden Globe-winning period drama set in the 1960s was credited for sparking a renewed love affair with the fashion of the era when it first came out in the mid-2000s. To make main character Don Draper’s kitchen more Wes Anderson-like, Angi erased the soulless oak-and-plaid decor and added bright yellow striped wallpaper, a happy floral curtain, and gleaming white cupboards. Draper’s hat also sits much nicer on the new dark butcher block counters.

Angi and Wlasenkov also worked together to create Wes Anderson versions of the Succession and Sex Education sets, both of which can be viewed in all their kitschy glory on Angi’s official site.

If this collection of TV set makeovers has you craving Anderson’s signature style in your own home, there are a few key things to keep in mind to recreate his signature look. Start with an element of symmetry, but keep it whimsical. Use a bold palette of three to five colors, playing around with saturated hues that make a statement while still complimenting each other. Add texture to your walls by adding paneling, even if its just on the lower half, and fill it in with intriguing colors. Create a carefully curated collection of beloved belongings you can artfully display around the room. With a little effort, you’ll feel like you’re on the set of one of your favorite Wes Anderson movies every day.

The post Iconic TV Sets Get Reimagined in Wes Anderson’s Signature Style first appeared on Dornob.

Warhol’s famous painting recently sold for a record-breaking $195 million, but Barnes’ painting set a record of its own—selling at a staggering $15.2 million, approximately 76 times its high estimate, according to USA Today. This is the first time that Barnes’ 1976 work has ever been on display at an evening sale, but not the first time one of his works has sold at Christie’s for a price well above estimate—last November, Ballroom Soul, a similar piece, sold at Christie’s for $550,000, at the time a record-breaker of its own.

Many experts speculate that the high price tag garnered for The Sugar Shack could be due to a variety of factors, as Emily Kaplan, co-head of the 20th century evening sale at Christie’s, said in a statement, “[The Sugar Shack] was really part of the cultural consciousness in a way that no other Ernie Barnes painting was.” She notes that this is perhaps due to a new recognition and appreciation for the paintings, recently featured in an exhibition at the California African American Museum.

Additionally, the painting does have its own pop culture oeuvre, as it famously featured in the opening screenshots of the 1970s sitcom Good Times. Barnes himself also appeared in the show, and also has the distinction of painting all of the artwork that was used in the series. But that’s not all: the painting was also used as the cover of music legend Marvin Gaye’s 14th studio album I Want You, released in 1976. For their part, Christie’s acknowledged the upward trajectory and value of Barnes’ work, and the potential for widespread recognition due (in part) to its connection with the popular sitcom and iconic Motown superstar, “It’s definitely safe to say that [the album cover and show] added to the cultural recognition and resonance of the image,” Kaplan said.

However, there is, perhaps, an even more culturally significant reason for the painting’s record-breaking sale at Christie’s—an increasingly strong market for artists of color, which could signal, as Kaplan suggests, “a real validation” for these often woefully underrepresented creators, a way to “[shine] light on incredible and undervalued artists.”

The Sugar Shack was purchased by hedge fund manager and poker player Bill Perkins, who was delighted with the special painting, saying on Instagram that it was “a childhood dream come true.” The day after Perkins’ purchase, the run on Barnes’ work continued at Christie’s with yet another sale; this time, the piece, entitled “Storm Dance”, was purchased for $2.34 million, again rocketing past previous estimates of $100,000 to $150,000, a spokesperson for the auction house said.

The record-breaking sale of the Ernie Barnes painting The Sugar Shack placed the iconic painting in the spotlight, capitalizing on both its pop culture roots but also a desire by many to make the art world more inclusive and diverse; placing underrepresented groups like women and artists of color firmly into the collective cultural consciousness and promoting widespread (and much-deserved) recognition. And if The Sugar Shack and its fellow Barnes’ pieces are any indication, the market will only continue to grow—a sign of more good times ahead, and a welcome, long overdue shift in the art world.

The post Good Times At Christie’s as Ernie Barnes’ “The Sugar Shack” Sells for Record-Breaking $15.2 Million first appeared on Dornob.

Daughter Khloe Kardashian, who’s currently in the process of building a similar mansion right next door, sums up Kris’s style in the clip above. “Living in Kris Jenner world is just fabulousness. Like being surrounded by opulence and a dirty martini in a crystal glass, covered in diamonds, and always made up and in these gowns and candlelight and dinner china and fabulous shit everywhere.”

That description might give you a mental image of a palace with hints of Liberace and 1980s Dallas-style glamour, but in reality, Jenner’s home is a tad more toned down⁠—albeit extremely luxurious and expensive. The 16,000-square-foot space feels surprisingly homey and relatable in some areas, and outrageous in others. The kitchen and adjoining living room are a far cry from Kim and Kanye’s infamous stripped-down white interiors, for instance, feeling quite comfortable and welcoming. But just wait.

Jenner shows off an entire room containing her collection of designer dinnerware. The “dish room” is a walk-in closet displaying all her fine china on illuminated shelving, including six sets from Hermés, one Gucci Herbarium set in green, a fleet of made-to-order Royal Copenhagen Flora Danica porcelain pieces, and even a custom set with the Kardashian-Jenners’ photos on them. The Flora Danica set alone likely cost over $50,000. A set of jade-green plates also hangs above Jenner’s dining table.

Then there’s an entire massive three-door refrigerator dedicated to nothing but green vegetables, packed with broccoli, artichokes, asparagus, avocados, and more. If you’re the type who buys healthy produce with good intentions only to watch it go to waste, the very sight of it all might make you anxious. But Jenner has a personal chef, not to mention millions of dollars to make all the avocado toast she could possibly desire.

The opulent bar includes shelves full of silver cocktail shakers and crystal glassware, as well as a mirrored cabinet full of Baccarat crystal. Two small drinks tables in the living room offer a place to socialize with a cocktail in your hand. The meticulously organized pantry is the stuff of Pinterest fantasies, and the home also features your standard rich-people items like an eight-car garage, movie theater, guest house, 9.5 bathrooms, and a private gym.

“My favorite thing in the world is to be with my family,” Jenner says. “As time goes by, I realize I really want to spend more time with my kids whenever I can. We’re all so busy, so crazy, and the days go by so fast, so this, to me, is heaven.”

Good thing for Jenner, almost all of her family members live in the neighborhood. Kris and Khloe built heir homes on a parcel of land that used to contain a single family home once rented by Britney Spears in 2011 and 2012 for $25,000 a month. Khloe and Kris purchased the 3.4-acre property for $37 million before breaking ground on their custom abodes.

The post The Kardashians Show Gives Us a Peek at Kris Jenner’s Luxurious New Home first appeared on Dornob.

The home improvement stars discussed their new collection in a recent interview with People, explaining that they to bring their iconic “perfectly imperfect” look to fans everywhere with products that are “built to last” and an extension of the couple’s distinctive aesthetic. As Jenny says, it’s very “authentic,” and gave the couple a chance to actually collaborate in its development.

“Modeled after things we have built,” according to Dave, the collection’s 30 outdoor decor items are both functional and stylish, pairing carefully curated design choices with well-made pieces that are meant to last.

Below are a few of our favorite pieces from the collection for those looking to spruce up their own outdoor space:

Ashbrook 3-Person Porch Swing — $897.00

Inspired by Dave’s carpentry expertise and Jenny’s eye for comfortable, trendy, and stylish decor, this cool swing is made for summer lounging.

Ashbrook Dining Table — $997.00

There’s nothing better than eating outside in the summer, and with this trendy teak table, anyone can be the host with the most. Weather-resistant and built to last, the table’s clean lines and simple construction are a welcome addition to any outdoor space. And don’t forget the chairs!

Natural & White Woven Lantern — Prices Vary

Sporting a classic, woven look that’s effortlessly natural, these fabulous fixtures are the best way to light up those summer nights and keep the party going long after the sun goes down. They’re available in small ($19.97), medium ($29.97), and large ($39.97) sizes.

Green Ceramic Planter — $11.97

Liven up your outdoor space with a pop of plant life placed perfectly in this charming planter.

Ivory Natural Round Pouf Ottoman — $67.00

Make a statement with this stylish pouf. This signature seating has a natural palette that complements any decor, but it’s also stylishly chic with its durable fabric and impeccable taste that echoes the HGTV stars’ aesthetic perfectly.

With their new outdoor collection from Walmart, HGTV stars Dave and Jenny Marrs are the latest in a series of tastemakers to add their names to distinctive decor items. Affordable, stylish, and chic, the collection is built to last and arrives just in time to spice up your summer gatherings.

The Dave and Jenny Marrs Collection For Better Homes & Gardens is available exclusively at Walmart.

The post Get Your Yard Ready for Summer with Dave and Jenny Marrs’ New Walmart Collection first appeared on Dornob.

The size isn’t the only thing that changed in the 2022 update to The Wall. Samsung’s new MicroLED technology also supports 20-bit grayscale depth, which means it can express the tiniest details in a scene, offering unprecedented control with over one million degrees of brightness and color levels. It also expresses 100 percent of DCI and Adobe RGB color gamut for a spectrum of incredibly lifelike colors that’s rare in any display.

“Art mode” is another update, which lets customers turn what could be a massive eyesore on their wall into a giant piece of art when it’s not in use. “Multi view” lets users view content from four different sources simultaneously in 4K resolution at up to 120 frames per second, and Dolby Atmos delivers an immersive audio experience with top, side, and bottom channel speakers for multidimensional sound. Ultra-low reflection black technology keeps the colors true.

People will certainly use these enormous TVs in their multi-million dollar mansions, but Samsung envisions them appearing much more commonly in places like automotive showrooms and corporate boardrooms as well as government, hospitality, retail, and healthcare settings. The Wall can also be custom-ordered in all kinds of shapes to fit existing environments.

Here’s a breakdown of what makes MicroLED TVs so pricey, other than the sheer size. All modern televisions are lit by light-emitting diodes in some form, usually a series of hundreds or thousands of LED lights behind or on the edges of an LCD screen. The LCD actually creates the image using color filters of quantum dots on some TVs. OLEDs work a little differently with pixels made of a material that glows when powered up with electricity; these electroluminescent materials are the organic compounds that give the “O” to OLED. The amount of energy sent to each pixel changes its intensity. MicroLEDs, on the other hand, eliminate the need for an LCD layer all together, creating the color and light with all those tiny, expensive LEDs instead.

Someday soon, MicroLED will likely eclipse OLED as the standard display technology on higher-end televisions and become more affordable. In the meantime, we’ll be seeing absolutely wild price tags over $100K for offerings like The Wall and other MicroLED TVs by brands like LG and Sony. If a television that costs almost as much as a starter home in a small city sounds crazy to you, you probably haven’t heard of LG’s DVLED wall-sized TVs measuring up to 325 inches wide, some of which will set you back a whopping $1 million dollars.

The post Samsung’s The Wall: Here’s What a $150,000 TV Looks Like first appeared on Dornob.

The good news is, today’s TVs are finding the ideal balance between size and picture clarity, upping the ante with OLED technology that makes for the ultimate viewing experience every time.

What Makes OLED the Cream of the Crop?

OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) technology is at the top of its class in the television world because it quite simply offers the best color and display imaginable. Because OLED requires no backlight, each individual pixel is maximized for the optimum colors, angles, response times (aka reduced blurring), and overall viewing experience out there. Most experts agree that OLED is the new gold standard, and some bigger brands like Samsung and Sony have even taken it a step further with QD-OLED technology that promises even better color and viewing angles.

The New Kid on the Block

While Samsung may be the top-selling TV brand overall, its OLED TVs have never been quite as popular as those by other brands like LG. But all that may be about to change after the mega brand introduced their new QD Display TV into the mix during this year’s CES event in Las Vegas.

Making a splash as a 2022 Best of Innovation award winner at one of the most influential tech conferences in the world is a pretty good way to make a statement, and Samsung’s new 65-inch QD-Display TV definitely delivers. According an official awards statement, the company’s new offering is “the world’s first true RGB [red, green, blue] self-emitting Quantum Dot OLED display…combining the contrast levels of RGB OLED with the color and brightness of quantum dots.” In plain English, the color is next-level. Unlike anything we’ve seen before in the world of OLED TV technology, it’s guaranteed to shake things up among its competitors. While further details about the QD-Display TV (including its name) remain shrouded in mystery, it was confirmed at CES that new Samsung models will also boast four HDMI 2.1 inputs; a 144Hz refresh rate; a “Neo Quantum Processor,” and immersive audio experiences.

But what does this announcement mean for the consumer, besides the obvious better picture, brighter colors, faster processing, and more epic sound quality?

According to a recent article on CNET, it could, in fact, spell lower prices overall for those looking to upgrade but have thus far been unable to afford the sometimes hefty price tag associated with OLED models. The reason? The availability of more OLED TVs equals increased competition among brands fighting for attention of consumers, inevitably leading to lower prices. And while other brands like Sony plan to introduce their own QD-OLED TVs later this year, Samsung definitely beat them to the punch with their CES award-winner.

The post Samsung’s Next-Gen QD OLED TV Shines at CES 2022 first appeared on Dornob.

Virgil Abloh’s Architectural Vision for Louis Vuitton

The late designer Virgil Abloh gifted us with a lot of creativity before his untimely death this year, including a fun collection of architecture-meets-menswear for Louis Vuitton. Taking inspiration from James Baldwin’s 1953 essay “Stranger in the Village,” the Fall-Winter 2021 collection introduces wearable buildings modeled on such recognizable structures as Mies Van Der Rohe’s 1929 Barcelona Pavilion.

Selgascano’s Experimental Outdoor Office in Los Angeles

Office environments don’t have to be sad, stuffy, and boring. Selgascano’s Second Home Hollywood staggers lemon-yellow office pods and communal spaces through a lush landscape for a co-working environment that fosters connection, concentration, and good mental health. It’s the kind of work environment you might not actually mind returning to when the pandemic danger is over.

GROW, A Light Show for Plants

Bringing the same LED technology that benefits plants in greenhouses into open fields, Studio Roosegaard explores how artificial sunshine can benefit both plants and people with GROW. Part art installation, part agricultural innovation, the project turns farm fields into a setting for spectacular light shows while boosting crop growth.

The Chapel of Sound Concert Hall by OPEN Architecture

Strikingly sculptural in appearance, The Chapel of Sound is an open-air concert hall by OPEN Architecture set near the Great Wall of China outside Beijing. It’s organically shaped enough to seem almost like a natural growth, but its concrete striations produce an ideal acoustic space for performances, and it even has a rooftop observation deck.

The Symbolic Architecture of Squid Game

Somewhat depressing story aside, Netflix’s Squid Game stood out for its striking sets, each one symbolizing a contrast between childhood innocence and the harsh reality of adulthood in the modern world. Exaggerated and oversized playgrounds, eerie combat arenas, models of traditional Korean villages, and beds stacked like stadium bleachers come together to produce a nightmarish spectacle of life-or-death competition.

Cabana, A Tiny House That Can Be Built By Two

Tiny houses have a reputation for feeling a bit too cramped and utilitarian for most people, but the Cabana offers middle ground on both fronts. What’s remarkable about this 355-square-foot off-grid abode is that not only is it two full stories with an attractive modern design, it’s also made up of modules that are light enough for just two people to transport and put together.

Wutopia Lab’s Meditative Urban Bookstore

Wutopia Lab deftly demonstrates how to make urban locations feel zen with its Duoyun Bookstore, a cloud-themed commercial space that takes visitors on a journey of tranquility and discovery. Located in the Huangyang district of Taizhou in China, the nearly all-white bookstore features a series of connected outdoor rooftop spaces for reading and discussion in between interior spaces that show off the books to their best advantage.

Imaginative Furniture by Bethan Laura Wood

Sculpture, self-expression, a rebuke of sexist design standards: Bethan Laura Wood’s ornate and imaginative furniture reflects a daring approach and a uniquely brilliant vision. The English designer put together a collection of both new and old works for “Ornate,” a solo show at Nilafur Gallery in Milan, and it was a buffet of beautiful and strange objects that are also functional pieces for the home.

NCaved: A House Built Into a Greek Hillside

Sure, Mold Architects’ NCaved house in Greece looks a bit like a Bond villain’s lair. But it’s also smart in various ways: passively cooled and heated by the earth, blended into its hilly environment for a lower visual and environment impact, and designed to perfectly frame views of the water.

K-Thengono’s Adaptable Design for an Impossibly Narrow Apartment

Designs for ultra-tiny apartments that rely on robotic and electronic elements are certainly impressive, but out of reach for the average person who actually lives in a small space. Design firm K-Thengono took a more practical approach for this ultra-narrow apartment in Jakarta using drawers, cabinets, and fold-down tables. It’s a great example of what’s possible when you think creatively.

The post Our Favorite Designs of 2021, from Squid Game to Virgil Abloh first appeared on Dornob.

Sennheiser HD 450SE Bluetooth Wireless Headphones

Listen to your favorite tunes in style with these wireless headphones from Sennheiser. Boasting Bluetooth connectivity, noise cancellation features, and an impressive 30-hour battery life, you can snatch these up for 53 percent off this Cyber Monday for just $94.95.

Shark IQ Robot Vacuum with XL Self-Empty Base

Why waste your precious downtime cleaning when you could have a handy robot helper do it for you? This robo-vacuum from Shark cleans up dirt and debris from all kinds of surfaces, can be controlled from your phone or through voice commands, and even maps out your home’s layout so you can choose which rooms you want it to clean first. Grab it now for just $299, 50 percent off the original price.

Tineco Pure ONE S11 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner

If you’re not totally sold on the idea of a robot doing all your cleaning for you, here’s a super-smart manual alternative. The cordless Pure ONE S11 is super lightweight and easily converts to a handheld vacuum with versatile attachments to clean stairs, furniture, the inside of your car, and pretty much anything else you can think of. Grab one today at 39 percent off for just $244.99.

ASUS Chromebook CX1

When else can you get a great laptop for less than $100? This notebook from ASUS features 32 GB eMMC (embedded MultiMediaCard) memory, 4 GB of RAM, and an 11.6-inch NanoEdge display. Grab one now for $84.99 before they’re all gone!

Amazon Fire TV 65″ Omni Series 4K UHD Smart TV with Dolby Vision

Amazon’s newest TV series offers 4K Ultra HD like you’ve never seen it before. This particular model offers 3 HDMI inputs, built-in microphones for voice command capabilities, and uses smart tech skills to constantly integrate new Alexa skills, features, smart home capabilities, and voice functionality. Talk about a “fire” deal! Save 28 percent off the original $829.99 by ordering today.

Percussion Massage Gun Deep Tissue Massager

After a long day sitting slouched in an office chair – or after a long, intense gym session – nothing beats a good massage. Darkiron’s Percussion Massage Gun boasts four adjustable speeds to give you exactly the rubdown you’re looking for each and every time. Grab one for just $79.98 (20 percent off the original price) this Cyber Monday.

Outdoor Bluetooth Speaker with Flame Torch Lights

Looking to turn your yard into a super-chill gathering place for your friends and family? These outdoor Bluetooth speakers from ANERIMST double as retro stake torches, hanging lanterns, camping accessories, night lights, and any other LED fixture you’re looking for! And don’t worry about them getting wet, because these bad boys are totally waterproof. For today only, Amazon’s offering them for just $29.99 each.

FoodSaver Vacuum Sealer Machine System

Make your leftovers last longer with Foodsaver’s Vacuum Sealer and start saving some serious money on groceries. You’ll save even more if you grab one on Amazon today for $76.99 (31 percent off the original price!).

SAMSUNG Q Series Soundbar

Nothing says “Merry Christmas” like a state-of-the-art sound system, but this Dolby Atmos-equipped model from Samsung is going for such a great price today, you’ll need to act fast to get one under your tree. It offers an immersive audio experience complete with 3 channels, 1 subwoofer, and 2 up-firing channels, and it can even be controlled with your voice via Alexa. Best of all, it’s available for just $397.99 this Cyber Monday – a whopping 43 percent off the original $799 price tag.

Instant 2-in-1 Multi-Function Coffee Maker

Are you team Keurig or team Nespresso? With this ingenious 2-in-1 coffee maker from Instant, you can be both! Brew coffee and espresso in one machine (compatible with K-Cup pods + Nespresso capsules) and give yourself the gift of a café-quality beverage each and every morning. If you’re more into sustainable coffee brewing, you’ll be pleased to hear that this coffee maker also comes with a reusable pod for you to fill with your own grounds.

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The post Take Advantage of These Amazon Tech Deals This Cyber Monday first appeared on Dornob.

Monica, type A personality and chef, generally kept her eclectically decorated Greenwich Village apartment immaculate and ready to host a gathering at a moment’s notice. But, as revealed in “The One with Frank Jr.,” there’s one room that Monica neglected: her bathroom. As Joey Tribbiani points out, “You know, if you move your hamper you can see the color the tile used to be!”

If Monica were a real person, we’d imagine she would have given her bathroom at least a small update by 2021. Now, the folks over at QS Supplies have taken the liberty of giving her bathroom a digital makeover in a range of styles they imagine she might choose, from industrial to Moroccan.

Farmhouse Style

Monica’s real bathroom, like much of the rest of her apartment, was painted a very 90s shade of purple. That loud vibe is pretty much the opposite of contemporary farmhouse style, where predominately black and white palettes are typically accented with beige and gray. Perhaps the most realistic (and likely) makeover on this list, it’s pretty easy to pull off, from the plastered paint and wainscoting to the classic tub filler and checkerboard floor.

Tropical Style

Marrying tropical style with modern sensibilities, this fantasy renovation wows with a lush wall of living vegetation alongside the tub, so you can take a mini-vacation in your very own mini-resort whenever you want. Stone, elaborately carved reliefs on the wooden door and a ceiling fan bring the look together.

Art Deco Style

Everything about this Art Deco style bathroom makeover says “sophistication,” from the gorgeous tray ceiling and bold patterned floor to the capiz sconces and gold accents. Of course, if your bathroom looks like this, one would hope that the rest of your apartment is on the same level.

Moroccan Style

Drama, saturated color, and to-die-for patterns characterize this vibrant conversion, turning Monica’s bathroom from blah to unforgettable. Naturally water-resistant stone flags and mosaic tiling are a great choice for both function and looks. Using a piece of wooden furniture in place of a standard vanity is one designer’s trick more of us should keep in mind for our own renovations, and the arch shapes of the door and bath entry take this look over the top.

Japanese Style

For a personality type that could use a little zen, a Japanese-style bathroom might be a good idea. This redesign feels spacious, open, and relaxing, with an absolutely epic wooden bathtub. Timber slats on the walls bring in some warmth, and who wouldn’t love a gorgeous bonsai growing in their shower?

“Are you familiar with the Japanese concept of unagi?” writes QS Supplies. “According to Ross Geller, it’s a Japanese concept meaning ‘state of total awareness.’ According to the Japanese, unagi means ‘freshwater eel.’ It’s a good lesson in Japanese design style: if you want it for your bathroom, make sure you understand the principles, not just the surface appearance!”

Industrial Style

Perhaps the style that most announces “I’m a successful chef in New York City,” this look reimagines Monica’s apartment as a warehouse conversion with raw concrete walls and flooring, a decorative metal grille ceiling, a sliding door, lots of hard angular shapes, and what looks like a slightly smaller, less comfortable tub than her original clawfoot.

The post How Monica Geller Might Redecorate Her “Friends” Bathroom Today first appeared on Dornob.

Pastel Shaker Cabinets

Creamy pastels are the name of the game in all The Great British Baking Show decor, starting with the workstation cabinets. You can find this classic shaker cabinet style every season in mint greens and baby blues. You could certainly have a whole new set of cabinets installed like these from Seconds and Surplus that ship nationwide and range in price from $99 to $407 per piece, but if you’re not looking to completely gut your kitchen or if you already have shaker-style cupboards, a fresh coat of paint in one of the show’s iconic colors will do just fine.

Pink KitchenAid Stand Mixer

The hues might vary from season to season, but a KitchenAid stand mixer is a definite staple of the GBBS kitchen. This one in pale pink has a 5-quart capacity and 10 different speeds. Plus, if pink isn’t your jam, it comes in 20 different shades. It retails for $429.99 on the KitchenAid website, but you can often find sales on other sites.

SWAN Retro Digital Microwave

The old-school look of these microwaves is so chic, but unfortunately they’re pretty hard to find in the U.S. Alternatively, you could try this similar model for $149.99 from Lowe’s. It’s a 900-Watt, 0.9-cubic feet machine in seafoam green that’s so cute, you’ll want to cook everything in it, even bread like granny Nancy from season 5.

SMEG Fridge/Freezer

No GBBS kitchen would be complete without one of those adorable retro Smeg refrigerators. The on-set model is the Smeg FAB30 series, and while it’s not currently listed on the company website, the FAB32 version is similar and available from retailers like Williams Sonoma, West Elm, and Crate & Barrel. They come in 8 colors, too, including the muted blue and green hues highlighted on the show.

Magimix Food Processor

These powerhouse machines work hard and fast to help the contestants prep their amazing culinary creations. Available from places like Wayfair, Houzz, and Zola, this 12-quart model at Williams Sonoma retails for $299.95 and comes with a host of attachments and bowl sizes for any baking project.

GreenPan Ceramic Cookware

The show has used several different brands of cookware over the years, but the GreenPan ceramic collection has definitely been in the mix a lot. These aluminum pots and pans are non-stick and scratch resistant. You can buy an 11-piece set on the company website with all the must-haves for $499.99.

Proving Drawer

We all salivate over the Neff slide-and-hide ovens on the show, but so far, they’ve not made it across the pond. Contestants also frequently use the handy Neff proving drawer to help their dough rise perfectly. While the Neff brand is not available in the States, many other companies have comparable products, like this slow cook warming drawer from KitchenAid. Selling for $1,699, it can warm dough, act as a chafing dish, and even take the place of a countertop slow cooker.

Creating culinary wonders like the folks on The Great British Baking Show can indeed be a reality in your home with a few of these fun additions, so that all your biscuits and sponges are worthy of being called “nice bakes.”

The post How to Turn Your Kitchen into the Great British Baking Show Cooking Tent first appeared on Dornob.

A new twist on the “battle royale” genre (named for the Japanese film of the same name), Squid Game uses a collection of candy-colored sets to illustrate an essential contrast between childhood innocence and disillusioned depravity. Architecture plays a key role in setting an oppressive, dread-inducing mood, and each set introduces a new emotion or psychological trigger for the contestants to grapple with in the midst of all the chaotic violence.

Six classic kids’ games, including tug-of-war and a version of “red light, green light” featuring a terrifying oversized animatronic doll, take place in eerie combat arenas seemingly symbolizing stages of human life. The first looks like the sort of outdoor setting you might play in as a child, with a cheerful blue sky overhead. The second is a cartoonish playground, and the third features giant yellow platforms suspended high up in the air with a dark backdrop. The fourth features a set modeled on a traditional Korean village with alleys and houses, and the fifth places each contestant in a circus-like environment with a glass bridge and flashing lights. Step on the wrong section, and the glass will break, plummeting the contestants into an abyss.

In a Netflix interview, director Hwang explained that he tried to simulate the atmosphere of real playgrounds for some of those sets, sand and all, featuring oversized equipment that reduces the adult competitors back to their childhood size. “Death games commonly take place in terrifying, horrible places,” Hwang says, so instead, he and art director Chae Kyoung-Sun tried to make the sets “look cute and sweet, as a place to trigger nostalgia.”

Most dramatic of all are the disorienting labyrinthine staircases the contestants must climb to access each game arena. Hwang notes that he took inspiration from Dutch artist M.C. Escher’s lithograph print called “Relativity,” but if you’re an architecture buff, you’ll likely note an even more striking similarity. The bright colors, staircases, and stepped walls look almost exactly like a real-world building by Spanish architect Ricardo Bofill called La Muralla Roja. Located in Calpe, Spain, the housing estate completed in 1973 is painted red outside with internal areas in bold shapes of blue and violet, all set against views of the ocean. Bofill’s creation, which features swimming pools and solariums as well as 50 apartments (some of which you can rent on Airbnb), is a far cry from the Brutalist architecture that usually inspires dystopian films and series.

The contestants sleep in a giant gymnasium where bunk beds are stacked against the wall in terraced configurations, calling to mind the design of a Roman Colosseum, especially when viewed from the contestants’ perspective, making them both viewers and participants in the spectacle. But the stacked beds also reference goods in a warehouse, depersonalizing the contestants, and the figurative ladder-climbing we all must do to succeed in modern society. Another set, a stark white waiting lounge, evokes the curving, utterly colorless and spaceship-like works of Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid, like the Heydar Aliyev Center in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Viewers have all sorts of personal interpretations of exactly what Squid Game is critiquing: capitalism, communism, the stereotypical competitiveness of contemporary Asian society, and the fact that most of us struggle through the challenges of everyday life and get left behind while a handful of winners “level up.” Whatever your takeaway, this is one series you won’t forget anytime soon.

The post The Architecture of Squid Game Symbolizes the Loss of Childhood Innocence first appeared on Dornob.

The point, the architects explain, is to appeal to young people. Whether they understand the reference to Twin Peaks or not, visitors will get the sense that the space is hipper than the average dental office. Eschewing the typical bland but professional vibe, Raúl Sánchez wanted the space to feel interesting and engaging – not just an aseptic clinical setting for dental procedures, but a destination. They even built a stage area into the clinic for events, concerts, or demonstrations of Impress treatments.

The layout and design of the clinic is a response to the site’s irregular shape, which is long and narrow and only briefly makes contact with the street. A large central area acts as a waiting room while functional spaces like exam rooms, restrooms, and offices are enclosed within curving volumes. These shapes allow light to filter into the interiors and subtly reference the Impress corporate logo. Some of the walls are covered in pale blue carpeting matching the color of desks and built-in benches, with glowing lines of LED lights cutting across the ceilings.

The blood red room in the back is the focal point of the entire space. Set atop an awkward area where the top of an underground car park juts up into the clinic, the stage features four tube-shaped seats facing each other. Moody promotional images depict an employee in a white robe standing in the room like Laura Palmer waiting to whisper something bizarre into Agent Cooper’s ear. Thematically, it’s an odd choice. Many people are already creeped out by regular dentist offices, let alone those that might resemble the fever dreams of David Lynch. But visually, it’s incredibly striking, and the red shade is part of Impress’s branding, so it fits. Sort of.

“The curves dominate the space, and the existing elements (pillars) that remain in between are treated with mirrors to erase the spatial barriers and add spatial complexity through reflections,” say the architects. “The curves are lacquered in white, and the access doors to the cabinets are pine wood boxes embedded in the curves. Inside the cabinets, blue and white play in diagonal designs, which are a benchmark for the brand, and which signifies Impress’s commitment to new-generation dental clinics.”

“On the ceiling the diagonal direction is reproduced in the position of lighting and grilles. The sales spaces are resolved in blue tones, covering the walls with carpets, and executing the furniture in situ with mass-colored fiberboards. The red tones in the background are precisely a claim to convert what a priori was the most residual and dark area into the most special area of the clinic.”

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Now, the friendly folks at Household Quotes UK have interpreted the personal style of seven of those fabulous drag queens in a whole new way: through interior design. These fantasy drag queen bedrooms capture the essence of each performer’s special personality.

Sharon Needles (Season 4)

From the moment she walked into the Season 4 Werk Room with white contacts and a witch hat, it was clear that Sharon Needles was one of a kind. As the Household Quotes designers mention, Sharon truly “single-handedly redefined what it meant to be a drag queen” with her edgy interpretations of each challenge on the show. She brought a gritty punk authenticity to her season, but also high gothic glamor.

For Sharon’s bedroom, the designers chose a black and pink palette contrasting dark and light. An elegant contemporary chandelier, a baby pink satin bedspread, black painted wood walls, and furniture fit for a queen are accented by a little bit of cheeky ego in the form of a self-portrait from the cover of her album Taxidermy and her name emblazoned across the pillowcases.

Trixie Mattel (Season 7 and All Stars 3)

Trixie might look like a Barbie girl, but this queen’s got layers. Best known for the sharp lines of her dramatic doll-like makeup and her career as drag’s most successful folk music artist, Trixie embodies ultra feminine hippie-chic style. Fittingly enough, her fantasy bedroom looks like a combination of Barbie’s Dream House, 1960s retro-futurism, and Dolly Parton’s dressing room. “With wide-open spaces, we think there’s plenty of space for Trixie to compile yet another landmark folk hit,” the designers say. “You’ll also notice we’ve incorporated both her famous white guitar and autoharp.”

The best part? A photo of Trixie’s drag queen bestie Katya in a heart-shaped frame.

Kim Chi (Season 8)

A work of anime art brought to life, Kim Chi might have two left feet, but she can also turn a fierce look, and her makeup skills are second to none. On season 8 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, the Korean-American queen stole the hearts of fans with her impeccable ensembles and awkwardly sweet personality. Her fantasy bedroom decor captures her love of anime with a poster from the Death Note series, layered with pops of bright colors, unexpected shapes, vivid patterns, and a backdrop of quiet seriousness.

Violet Chachki (Season 7)

When Violet Chachki walks into a room, you can practically hear a va-va-voom burlesque soundtrack accompanying her. Appropriately enough, her bedroom is sultry, moody, and aloof, with nearly every surface from floor to ceiling rendered in striking violet hues. It’s a little dark and mysterious but also high fashion – check those Louboutin heels and Chanel shopping bags in the corner. “We’ve paid homage to the Corset Queen’s distinctive fashion sense with a mannequin opposite her Hollywood glam dressing table,” say the designers. “We see Violet’s bedroom as a mixture of a Disney vampire castle and the elegance of an aristocrat’s country home.”

Yvie Oddly (Season 11)

Raw, kooky, and rough around the edges, Yvie Oddly lives up to her name. Her drag is always resourceful, colorful, wacky, and unexpected, bringing a bit of Burning Man-style wildness to the franchise. Reminiscent of an artist’s New York City warehouse studio in the late 70s, her bedroom features rustic surfaces like wide plank wood and exposed brick accented by eclectic patterns. The Household Quotes team adds that they’ve “paid homage to the focal point in the room with an authentic Hollywood movie lighting camera in the corner. Just in case you forget who’s the star of the show!”

Jaida Essence Hall (Season 12)

One of Jaida’s most impressive qualities is how impeccably put-together she is at all times. There could be a tornado raging around her and somehow she’d still look perfect, without a hair out of place. She might just be one of the most poised and refined queens to ever appear on the show. The Household Quotes designers call her “the ultimate billionaire’s trophy wife,” a fitting compliment for this gorgeous and highly talented performer. Jaida’s bedroom is just as sophisticated and expensive as she is, full of gold and neutral accents.

Valentina (Season 9)

Few queens are quite as beloved by Drag Race fans as Valentina, an absolutely stunning Latina whose persona is somewhere between a Selena-style Spanish-language songstress and the star of a telenovela. Her charm, wit, and effortless grace are unparalleled. Valentina’s dream bedroom captures her fiery personality, with rich reds, an abundance of roses presumably gifted to her by legions of adoring fans, and a giant poster of Frida Kahlo wearing a red mask – itself a reference to one of the most famous moments in Drag Race herstory. “I’d like to keep it on, please!”

Household Quotes notes that “while designing the fan favorite’s bedroom, we spent a lot of time playing with the lighting to spotlight the heart of this room. Valentina bewitched millions across the world, and we decided to highlight that through a dark-to-light gradient from corner to center.”

The post 7 Fantasy Bedrooms Inspired by Iconic “RuPaul’s Drag Race” Queens first appeared on Dornob.

This Vrbo home in Huntington Beach was transformed in collaboration with Paramount. While it’s not immersed under the sea, it’s at least symbolic in the fact that it was once a Southern California water tower and it does “tower” over the ocean.

Even those who can’t plan a visit in person can at least enjoy a virtual tour of the three floors via Vrbo’s property listing online. The tour begins with an attention-grabbing exterior, adorned to resemble a pineapple.

“Families can book cabins, condos, castles, treehouses, and train cars on Vrbo, but this is the first time we’ve had a gigantic pineapple on our platform,” Lish Kennedy, Vice President of Global Brand Marketing at Vrbo said in a recent statement. “We’re glad people can tour the Pineapple Over the Sea virtually and enjoy the new movie at home together.”

The first floor of the home is expansive, colorful, and stuffed with identifiable SpongeBob goodies like the float couches. The atmosphere reflects life under the sea with seaweed and jellyfish hanging about. Walking into the kitchen is a lot like entering the Krusty Krab, as any fan can easily see. Red tractor-seat stools at the breakfast bar and a train track around the ceiling of the adjacent dining room add even more character to the already eclectic space.

A curving wooden staircase leads to a second floor and the comparatively subdued bedroom, which itself boasts traditionally coastal vertical shiplap walls, tongue-in-groove wooden ceilings, and wood plank flooring. Weathered shelves, a built-in desk, and a barn door round out the look.

The third floor returns to the undersea theme with a massive curved couch and copious windows for expansive views. There’s also a built-in bar that just screams “happy hour” in the gathering space.

In all, the house features four bedrooms and three bathrooms, with room to sleep eight people in true Bikini Bottom fashion. Throughout the space, interior touches highlight the focus on SpongeBob characters with wall art from both the movies and T.V. show. There’s even fishing nets and foliage dispersed around. Flower petals hang from the ceiling and decorate the windows. A closer look shows buoys mounted here and there, a few submarine-style hatches, and a curving countertop with built-in aquarium decor.

The space is also architecturally interesting, with the curved walls of the water tower constantly inviting guests to see what’s around the next corner. What’s more, the peak of the third floor ceiling in the tower offers a visually dynamic topper to the whole space. Of course, great design is as much function as it is fashion, which is why this vacation rental’s been equipped with flat screen TVs and other modern conveniences. But it still carries a cozy vibe, with an assortment of games and sitting spaces that invite guests to unplug, unwind, and enjoy the view.

Are you ready, kids?

The post Take a Virtual Tour of Vrbo’s SpongeBob SquarePants-Themed Pineapple House first appeared on Dornob.

In place of the plain plexiglass partitions many restaurants have installed as hygienic shields between customers and staff, LG envisions transparent OLED screens that offer additional functionality. Shown in use at a sushi bar at this year’s virtual CES, the 55-inch smart display offers a touchscreen menu. Guests can make their selections and then choose from entertainment like sporting events or TV shows to watch while their food is prepared. Instead of being kind of pointless, the transparency of the screen actually comes in handy, allowing them to maintain visual contact with their server or chef as they watch.

This use in a restaurant is notable for its novelty, and the fact that it’s uniquely well-suited to what will likely be our pandemic-induced “new normal” for the foreseeable future. It allows for virtually zero contact between diners and staff, especially with integrated card readers. Of course, one does have to wonder whether having multiple displays like this would make restaurants even noisier than they already are, and whether being bombarded with entertainment everywhere we go is all that good for us.

But this is far from the only way LG’s latest transparent screens can be used. The company already replaced subway train windows in Beijing and Shenzhen with its displays, showing commuters information about subway schedules, transfers, local weather, and news without cutting off access to daylight or views of the passing scenery. And in its virtual CES show, LG demonstrated how its transparent OLED products can be integrated into a smart bed that rises from the footboard, with cinematic sound embedded right into the frame. A video by Engadget shows all three uses in action, along with other tech from LG’s presentation.

As usual, these aren’t finished products ready to hit the market. LG is just showing off what its transparent display can do, and how other manufacturers could potentially incorporate it into their own products.

“With its superior transparency, Transparent OLED can be used in various fields such as smart homes, smart buildings, and mobility, including autonomous vehicles, aircraft, and subways,” the company said in a recent press release. “LG Display, the only transparent OLED manufacturer in the world, is seeing growing demand for Transparent OLED from these industries.”

The new version of the transparent OLED “realizes 40 percent transparency, providing clear image quality while being crystal clear like glass compared to the existing transparent LCD with only 10-percent transparency,” according to LG, so it’s a pretty considerable upgrade. Maybe it won’t be long before one shows up at a sushi restaurant near you. If you’re interested in seeing more, you can check out LG’s virtual CES 2021 showroom at VXLGDisplay.com.

The post LG’s Transparent OLED Display Doubles as a Pandemic-Safe Partition first appeared on Dornob.

Every year, Finland’s Lapland Hotels SnowVillage carves incredible sculptural scenes into the ice and snow that makes up the walls of its hotel, restaurant, and bar. They’ll be opening as normal for the 2020-2021 season on December 20th with the theme “Winter Illusions,” a celebration of optical illusions that looks like it’ll be pretty cool in its own right. But it’s hard to imagine anything topping the Game of Thrones theme the hotel chose two seasons in a row, 2018-2019 and 2019-2020.

In the corridor, guests found a recreation of Braavos’ Hall of Faces. Massive dragons overlooked the bar, glowing eyes and all. In one of the guest rooms, the Night King loomed menacingly over the bed, which must have been quite a sight to wake up to. Many of the spaces are carved to mimic the most stunning castles in all of Westeros, from Winterfell down to King’s Landing. And of course, there’s an all-ice Iron Throne guarded watchfully by Gregor Clegane.

The other guest rooms featured such notable characters and objects as white walkers, Drogon, Wun Wun the giant, the Weirwood Tree, and Ghost, Jon Snow’s white dire wolf. The ice restaurant, temporarily named “The Sept of Baelor,” offered such delicacies as hot berry juice and reindeer steaks.

Set in the village of Kittilä nearly 125 miles above the Arctic Circle, the hotel is rebuilt every year using about 44 million pounds of snow and 771,000 pounds of natural ice. Ice sculptors are flown in from around the world months in advance to complete the temporary architectural wonder, which features 24 total rooms including 10 guest rooms, a chapel, and a movie theater.

Unlike most hotels, the SnowVillage doesn’t encourage you to stay more than one night due to the extreme conditions. Obviously, there’s no indoor heating, since that would melt all the creations the sculptors worked so hard to build. Those hardy enough to sleep on a slab of ice in freezing temperatures get high-quality thermal sleeping bags and faux fur throws, and warming cabins are available if you need to take a break from feeling like you’ve ventured too far north of the Wall.

If you don’t think you can hack an overnight stay, day passes are available for $18. The SnowVillage also offers guests snowmobile tours to view the region’s stunning Northern Lights, reindeer sledding excursions, and ice sculpting classes.

Not everything can be Game of Thrones, but in the weeks to come, the SnowVillage will debut additional photos of this year’s sculptures. Most of us aren’t traveling this winter, but you can check them out virtually on the hotel’s Instagram, @SnowVillageFinland.

The post Venture North of the Wall to this “Game of Thrones” Themed Ice Hotel first appeared on Dornob.