Innovation in Home Decor and Design

Rocking New Ideas and Designs

NPR says innovation is in trouble in the US. With the economy, companies and investors are risk adverse and are not investing in new ideas. Really bad idea, since innovation is the rocket fuel for the economy, for the generation of new jobs and opportunities, for growth in sales and profits, for the competitive advantage the US has over other countries.

I am an Innovator and I love innovation! As an inventor, I get really excited about the new – new design, new problem solving ideas, new materials, new challenges. I enjoy brainstorming to come up with solutions to problems - like the new mobile classroom desk designed above (Rocks!).

Now, I am not a rocket scientist or a physicist, but like most of us, I can put stuff together in new combinations that solves a problem. I lot of my ideas have made it to market, unfortunately for me, others eventually come up with the same ideas, and so, with better funding or contacts or just more focused energy, those ideas, if they are good, make it to the marketplace.

A few examples of some of my innovations ideas include mailbox covers for ugly mailboxes, auto flags (think those obnoxious college team flags people put on their cars), Tantoos (temporary tattoos using the tanning by the sun), and the solution to the blind spot problem when you drive a car. All sketched and archived in my notebooks years before they made it to the marketplace – none of which I made a dime on. So sad, too bad : ).

OK, maybe these ideas didn’t cure cancer or anything, but they did solve a need in the marketplace, solved a problem, represented a marketable product to sell.

I thought I would pull some innovative ideas from my archives for home décor. None of these are mine, but they are cool and provide grist for the creative mill.

Hope you enjoy.

Shine On! Braxton

Accordion fold out table

Lego-like snap in components

Configurable bench with flipping units

Hidden storage space

Shock absorbing bed - YeeHa!

Folding crib

Adjustable height table

Combo ottoman and chair

Pullout surface

Knockout design for translucent material cocktail table

Fun

Pivoting bookcase

Storage under translucent top

Office Pod

Stylish hat rack/magazine/storage rack

Sandy Skoglund – Photographer, Sculptor, Installation Artist

Surrealistic Room Décor that Rocks Monochrome and Contrast

I bumped into Sandy the other day as I was trolling the Googlesphere for humor in Décor. I found and featured a few of her works, not knowing at the time who had created such wondrous masterpieces of saturated color! My dear daughter clued me in on her name and I researched her more fully and was hooked!

Sandy Skoglund began working as a conceptual artist in 1972 in NYC. She taught herself photography and experimented with themes of repetition, according to Wikipedia. Her elaborate work can take months to complete and use an abundance of an object, and often of monochrome or contrasting color. She also uses live models as part of her work. She studied studio art and art history at Smith College, later art history at the Sorbonne and Ecole du Louve in Paris, France, and got her MFA at University of Iowa in 1969.

I’m not an art historian by any stretch, so I’ll not attempt to critique or explain her work. I’m just a bloke who loves art, and I know what I like. Not that I’m opinionated about it or anything, as my Darling Yancey can attest : ). Right. Anyway, my diabolical plan is to design and invent home fashion that merges art and décor. I would love to create work of our own design – roomscapes, furniture, home décor that is elevated to the art you live in. In Sandy Skoglud’s work I find inspiration for such a fusion of art and home décor.

What I love about her work is the saturated color and bold use of contrast, the surrealism, the humor, and the snapshot of life frozen in time. I would like to think her work, from a home décor perspective, can help free us from the tyranny of the boring, the mundane, the mindnumbing PotteryBarnesque grey’s and beiges in home décor, and gives us permission to rock some truly amazing color in our rooms.

Viva la Extreme Design!

Hope you enjoy.
Shine On! Braxton

You are what you eat :)

G W Bush's wetdream :)

Cocktail Party

Radioactive Cats

Revenge of the Rose Zombies :)

Wow! Fantastic Work Sandy!

CY TWOMBLY 1928-2011

I was saddened to learn of the death last week of one of my favorite visual artists, Cy Twombly.  Please note that I am in no way a art historian, and therefore will not attempt to speak with any kind of academic authority,  but I am a great lover of painting, and a great admirer of Mr. Twombly's work. 

 I have purposely avoided the analytical chatter that has been all over the Internet this week;  his work is important because.....the historical relevance of his work is......what he's trying to say is.....blah, blah, and more blah.
What I know is that Cy Twombly's paintings illicit a deep emotional response in me - it's almost a Alice in Wonderland effect, I fall in and just keep falling.  I love his frequent use of pink, a favorite of mine, and his child(ish) like squiggles.

 I've been to enough museums and galleries in my life to know that seeing a painting in person can be quite a different experience from seeing it in a book or magazine.  I've stood before paintings while holding back tears (Renoir) because I was so moved by how much more beautiful it was in person. I've also stood before works ((O'keeffe) and thought I really liked it better as poster art in a dorm room.  Oops!

 I've not had the good fortune to see Twombly's work in person, yet.  Yet, I have been moved, very moved.  It's almost too cliche to say, but here goes:  he speaks to me.

 My personal life tends to be very quiet and small - and I like it like that - and it's rare when something from the outside world reaches out and draws me in.  I usually resist, but Cy Twombly's work to me is....irresistible.

 When I do get a chance to see it in person, if I change my mind, I'll let you know.

 Until then.....Thank you Mr. Cy Twombly for making the world a more beautiful place.

Have a BEAUTIFUL day.
YANCEY