Studio TOTA

pillow fun {bonjour mon coussin}

2009-07-14T08:01:00.002-04:00

Found these cute made-in-france pillows by Bonjour mon coussin. Love the non-traditional interior decor prints - my picks seen here {from top left clockwise} are Lettre C, Airmail, Pliages and Cafe. Maybe not to put all together in 1 place but would be fun to mix some in with other simple, solid-colored items. Claire Eglizeaud and Paul Moreau, a designer and a graphic artist from Bordeaux, France, makes these bold graphic pillow cases being inspired by vintage letters, old marriage certificates, flea market finds, and more. And to keep it $-conscious, they are designed to fit standard pillows found at IKEA...

{Images from Bonjour mon coussin website}

i lounge ny {times square}

2009-07-13T09:32:00.002-04:00

This weekend was sun sun sun! And on my way to see West Side Story on Broadway {which is really well done!} I walked through the Times Square area that has turned into a lounge-fest park. Instead of the bumper to bumper traffic in a prime area of Broadway Times Square, there is a spread of 375+ fuschia, green, blue lawn chairs {above is the green section} for a pedestrian plaza project called "I lounge NY" {get it? instead of "I heart NY"}. Blocked off by large orange barrels {photographed above} people can just "relax" and people-watch/tourist-watch as they please. As a non-fan of the congestion of Times Square, I thought this change was kind of refreshing and fun. And to the skeptics, no worries, this is just a short run thing for this summer...

On a separate note, I found this mosaic wall {below} of an aerial view of NYC {and NJ} right near the subway entrance. An ode to subway tile art, I loved this!

lights...at the met opera house

2009-07-09T09:37:00.004-04:00

When one visits the Met Opera House at Lincoln Center, no matter how many times you go, you cannot help but be awed by their chandeliers. They adorn the center of the lobby space {11 of them of many sizes}, as well as inside the theater {21 of them}. When you are in your seat and the lights dim and the chandeliers rise up passing your eye-level, you cannot help but follow the lights with your eyes up to the top of the theater ceiling. That excitement and drama never gets old. Last night, I visited the Opera House to see a nice performance of Pamela Herrera and Marcelo Gomes in ABT's Romeo + Juliet. And I think because it was SUCH a beautiful evening and since this is the last production of this year's ABT season {in the back of my head I knew I would not be visiting again for a bit}, the lights particularly stood out.
The chandeliers at the Metropolitan Opera - created by chandelier-manufacturing company J.&L. Lobmeyr - have been hanging since opening night in September 1966. Apparently there are 49,000 pieces of Swarovski crystals that are on the 'sputnik'-like pieces. Amazing. See photo below that show the transformation of the chandeliers with a backdrop of the Opera House facade, changing the mood dependent on the light coming into the building. Pretty, isn't it?

rosenberg housing group {website}

2009-07-08T10:02:00.006-04:00

Please welcome the new website for Rosenberg Housing Group that just launched this week. Rosenberg Housing Group Inc. is involved in the successful development, operation and management of many affordable housing communities that result in thriving, sustainable environments for all of its residents. The organization is led by Robert C. Rosenberg, who has crossed all paths of real estate + development as a former NYC Housing Commissioner, policy maker, lawyer and professor at Hunter College.
Studio TOTA designed a website that is rich in information - sourced from RHG's vast experience in the affordable housing realm - and that promotes the use of current web design/development capabilities to enhance a site visitor's experience while learning about RHG, their services, their experience, and information about affordable housing. Above is the Home page that has entry points to all of the major sections of the site, as well as features a video that shows RHG's work within the Chester Housing Authority in Chester, PA. The video embodies the human spirit of RHG and communicates the impact that this organization has had and can potentially offer to housing communities. Below are some screenshots of the Experience section of the website that shows project profiles and case studies related to their work.
I felt as though I captured a rare opportunity to learn so much about affordable housing and development {as someone who is not directly connected to this service} from a true veteran. Studio TOTA hopes to make RHG and those professionally involved with affordable housing proud. For a full view, check out the RHG website here~

nature side of new york

2009-07-06T16:44:00.002-04:00

Exited the city this past weekend and entered Mongaup Pond in the Catskills. Was immersed in the various shades of green of the trees and the tranquil sound of flowing water. Above are some snapshots to capture a view of what I got to see {forests, lake, waterfall, and creeks} and below is some of the outdoor cooking that was done {preparation of whole red snapper and roasting marshmallows in the fire}. <-- mmm~ Hope you all had a nice weekend too! Now back to business :)...

red white and blue 2009

2009-07-03T07:45:00.001-04:00

Happy July 4th holiday weekend all...with a mix of random color-unified Flickr photos created via the Multicolr Search Lab...

seven virtues goods

2009-07-01T07:25:00.004-04:00

Studio TOTA has been collaborating with PDX coffeeshop Seven Virtues since its creation and has had the fun opportunity to create their logo, branding, printed materials, etc. etc. T-shirts were designed for the staff and mugs were made for the shop...and due to popular requests, Seven Virtues is now selling these items as merchandise. How exciting! All of the items, including t-shirt {above}, thermos and mug {below} have the trademark logo and their 7 virtues {compassion, kindness, gratitude, honesty, humility, forgiveness and patience}, printed on it. E-shop is launching soon but in the mean time, you can find out more details via their blogsite~

roxy paine on the roof {met}

2009-06-30T12:53:00.001-04:00

Visited the special exhibit Roxy Paine on the Roof: Maelstrom on the Met rooftop. With silver intertwining metal "branches", this sculpture is a 130-foot-long by 45-foot-wide stainless-steel piece that was created specifically for this site location. It was REALLY bright up there {major squinting} but it was fun to walk in and out of the sculpture, as well as see it juxtaposed with the Central Park skyline.

On a separate note, took the 77th Street subway station and took a snapshot of the subway tile art. Really pretty flowers made of metallic and matte tile mosaic...

surreal sky {june nyc}

2009-06-27T10:28:00.002-04:00

This was the sky last night...strange color and unique clouds poofs...

swan lake with diana vishneva {abt}

2009-06-25T07:34:00.002-04:00

Right now the American Ballet Theater is in full force with all the classic performances. This week is Tchaikovsky's tragic classic Swan Lake and I got to see the critically-acclaimed Diana Vishneva {as Odette/Odile} and Marcelo Gomes {as the Prince}. I've seen Diana Vishneva before when she performed contemporary at the City Center. And from that point on, I knew I wanted to see her in a classic ABT performance. And last night was that night - she was everything I thought she would be and MORE. From the moment she fluttered onto the stage, she was a dancer transformed into a swan. And as she continued to move with amazing flexibility and fluid but strong dancing, you could feel the tragic emotion of her character. In Act 2, there is a duet of Odette and the Prince - where they meet in the forest - and I was completely floored and moved. And I wasn't the only one - they came out for 3 or 4 curtain bows in the midst of the performance. The MET was a full house and when the final curtain went down, it was a full standing ovation with flowers galore thrown onto the stage {blurry photograph above}. Another moment of feeling so lucky to live here in NYC and having the option to experience such things...

{Above photo of Diana Vishneva as Odette: Courtesy of ABT website}

scanwiches

2009-06-23T07:57:00.002-04:00

This is pretty funny. This individual {aka, owner of blog Scanwiches} posts cross-sections of the many sandwiches that s/he consumes "for education and delight." Above includes a hefty BLT, a smoke salmon sandwich, and a Vietnamese sandwich...and how do I know this? Because scanwich-er tells us in detail right under each posting. There should be takeout menus like this...
{I wonder what the lifespan for scanwich-er's scanner is...?}

{Image from Scanwiches blog}

storm king

2009-06-22T10:03:00.003-04:00

Someplace I have always wanted to go is Storm King Art Center, a sculpture park up the Hudson Valley area. And I got that opportunity this weekend! With 500 acres of landscape, the property is sprinkled with various kinds of sculpture and landscape art by renowned artists. I'm not sure where else you can see works by Maya Lin {new addition this year!}, Alexander Calder, Isamu Noguchi and Roy Lichtenstein {as photographed below in order} all in one place.

My overall favorite - taking into consideration the landscape - was Storm King Wall by Andy Goldsworthy {photographed below}. It is a stone wall that started from the edge of the park, down a big hill, into a lake, out the other side of the lake and curved around the trees of a wooded forest. The idea is simple but to me it seemed really thoughtful in location and use of natural materials - and was a piece that could be appreciated from many points-of-view.
Below are a series of photos taken to roughly show the experience of progression one gets as a visitor by seeing a sculpture from afar, then close, then appreciating the fine details/materials of the piece. Left is Mark Di Suvero's Pyramidian and right is Calder's Knobs.
It's really a beautiful experience to walk through the vast park and get to see large-scale art without walls or a ceiling - just the sky, trees, grass and clouds framing each piece. Despite a half-day spent out there, I can see myself wanting to go back and getting a chance to notice new things that I couldn't catch from this 1st time. Below are 2 more details I loved - carved signage for all the artwork + Calder's huge signature {and year of work} soldered on his sculptures.

will it ever stop?

2009-06-18T10:30:00.002-04:00

I think it's been a solid 2 weeks of rain - rain - drizzle - tiny bit of sun - rain - thunder - rain here in NYC. I'm getting a little sick of my Dashboard weather widget that is always showing the "downpour" graphic. Bit of a downer...so to brighten up the moment, here's a cute idea for an umbrella by London designer, Jasmine Raznahan. At least with the Tandem Umbrella, you can share the moment yes? Stay dry all...and fingers crossed for a sunny weekend~

{Image from Jasmine Raznahan's website}

south of france wedding {invitations}

2009-06-17T10:32:00.003-04:00

My dear friends, who live in France, are getting married in September! And I had the fortunate opportunity to design and hand-print the wedding invitation. They are getting married in the town of Guéthary in the Basque Country {a neighbor of Biarritz} - with a beach ceremony and a reception dinner at a local restaurant that overlooks the ocean. To celebrate the beautiful ocean of their wedding location, as well as his {and hers in progress} love for surfing, I created a motif of an ocean wave in a style that is hopefully reminiscent of the Japanese woodblock print process {Ukiyo-e}.
Otherwise, the design was kept very simple with the couple's wishes of wanting the invitation to look like "an old hand written letter." The invites are not hand-written but I did personally letterpress each invitation and matching RSVP postcard. It was such a nice feeling to run each 220 lb sheet into the Vandercook press, as it placed its impression in the thick paper. Here are some work-in-progress photos from the letterpress studio. {top to bottom: 1. soy ink mixture to create dark navy blue color; 2. custom plate of invitation design; 3. on the Vandercook press}
The final result is hopefully sophisticated {just like the happy couple}. More photos of the invitations that were sent out to guests who will be coming from the US, France, and Japan. {top to bottom: 1. invite package with a matching dark navy liner; 2. envelope, invitation, and RSVP postcard; 3. detail of invitation; 4. RSVP postcard - guests are given a blank postcard to write a personal message to the happy couple; 5. other side of RSVP with French postal stamps designed like pieces of chocolate; 6. sheet of French postal stamps that are designed to look like a chocolate bar - how cute~}
It was such a fun experience and I cherish the feeling that I had a small part in making their wedding come together. Now, on to more fun things like planning the trip in September!

dyed textile patterns

2009-06-15T16:37:00.003-04:00

I received a collection of beautiful postcards from my aunt in Japan, who found them at a store showcasing traditional Japanese crafts. I scanned in the front side of the postcards that all have amazing prints on various textile fabrics. The patterns are traditional motifs that were often used for kimonos, women's accessories, and more. Between the dye colors and pattern details, I love the artistry of these cards embodying the traditional craftsmanship. Just thought I would share~

bergdorf celebrating lincoln center

2009-06-12T07:16:00.001-04:00

Yesterday I had a meeting on 57th Street and so I couldn't leave the area without getting a glimpse of the latest Bergdorf Goodman window creations. And I was not disappointed. They are celebrating Lincoln Center's 50th Anniversary and so each window is adorned with items to show the history and beauty of their many resident organizations that include the Met Opera, NYC Ballet, ABT, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Julliard, The Film Society, NY Phil...and there's more! It's really amazing how much culture is packed into that space. My favorite window was the one for ballet {photographed above} with real costumes used in their ballet productions, used toe shoes, sketches for costume designs, costume fabric samples, and photographs of various productions through time. The window was SO full with intricate details - and still had room for mannequins wearing current couture wear. Another detail I loved was a single piece of white paper that was cut to make various orchestra instruments pop out of it {middle photograph below}. As a big fan of the culture and arts offered at Lincoln Center, my eyes feasted on the stylishly designed museum-like windows.

here and there nyc map

2009-06-10T07:47:00.001-04:00

Check out this unique map of NYC called Here and There by Schulze & Webb that's "exploring speculative projections of dense cities." From the viewpoint of 7th street on the East side, it looks up and UP into Midtown Manhattan. Interesting perspective - and the starting point is quite fitting for me since I am located just a few blocks east of this. {A nice ode to Cooper Union, I might add...} Not sure if it would work for other cities - are there other cities that are long and narrow like us? Pretty cool, nonetheless...

{Image from Here and There website}

agnes l'epicerie {tokyo}

2009-06-08T07:55:00.000-04:00

Today is the grand opening of Agnes L'Epicerie a gourmet shop located in Tokyo, Japan. Studio TOTA designed the logo {as seen above} as well as some materials - ie. promotional postcards - to help spread the word of this new shop. Focusing on gourmet foods and ingredients from around the world, the design is taking the simplicity a fork, knife and spoon to create a hopefully unique symbol for their business. If you are in the Tokyo area, please visit them~

Agnes L'Epicerie
〒162-0837 東京都新宿区納戸町１番地

fotolog backgrounds

2009-06-05T10:32:00.002-04:00

Studio TOTA had a really fun time designing backgrounds for photo blogging social network site, Fotolog. Before, users were only able to choose a HEX value for a custom background color - but this week, the ability to add graphics to customize member pages has been launched. Targeting all kinds of users - teens, photographers, music lovers, hipsters - a BUNCH of designs in bright and muted colors + minimalist and graphic crazy themes have been created {some samples above}. Graphic patterns were created with various transparency levels so that users could customize the overall page color to their liking. For example, if a user chooses the *cloud* pattern, if their custom color is blue or pink or yellow, that color would show through and the cloud pattern would be overlaid on top. Fotolog strongly believes in their users' ability to express their own self, so this has become just one more element to enrich the Fotolog experience. Some sample member pages below~

how nice...

2009-06-03T19:05:00.003-04:00

...is it to be surprised by pretty flowers? Yes, so nice. New pot of big white orchids brightening my window~

love story meets viva la vida

2009-06-02T07:51:00.003-04:00

Perhaps you've seen this already - it's apparently a big music hit on YouTube. Utah musician, Jon Schmidt, creates a meshing of 2 pop songs - Love Story by Taylor Swift {his 7-yr old daughter's favorite song} and Viva La Vida by Coldplay to make music magic. It's so pretty with the piano and cello arrangement. And how perfect is the thought of love meeting one's {crazy} life!

Read more about how it all came about here.

{Found thru the rockstar diaries - thank you~}

water taxi beach {lic}

2009-06-01T11:38:00.002-04:00

Summer weekends in NYC are great! And this weekend included a stop in LIC's Water Taxi Beach. With a free water taxi ride {photographed above} that took us across the East River on a beautiful night, we entered Water Taxi Beach's sandy-beachy venue filled with people, picnic tables, DJ and dancefloor {below photos~}. Took some skyline photos with my camera and had a fun, relaxing noche out!

wet nyc day

2009-05-29T09:05:00.001-04:00

It's gray, raining, and not very warm here on this Friday. But here is a stylish graphic by artist, Jesse Hora, that makes the rain not seem so bad. Check out his other work - here and here for example - and notice his skills and wit~
Let's hope it gets a little nicer over the weekend!

{Image from Jesse Hora's website}

townhouse green group

2009-05-28T13:13:00.005-04:00

Please welcome an informational microsite for The New York City Townhouse Green Group, a one-stop solution to renovating or building a high performance townhouse. After designing the logo, Studio TOTA designed and developed a microsite {basically, one-page mini website} to highlight introductory information of TGG's services. This group is a collective of amazing design and construction professionals who have joined forces to provide comprehensive high-performance, sustainable, green design/build services. Visitors are encouraged to jump to the individual company websites that make up the collective to learn more about them.

Microsites are a good way to launch your business and get web presence without investing too much time and money into creating a full fledged website project. Robust websites are not a bad thing {at all!}, but when your business is just starting or you are increasing traffic to your own site - such as TGG that is comprised of 3 established businesses that formed this group to offer a packaged solution/service - a microsite is something that may make sense for you and your company.

gamarjobat

2009-05-26T10:05:00.004-04:00

Despite the gloomy forecast, only with a passing of a few drops, it was such a nice holiday weekend wasn't it? On Friday night, I got to check out Gamarjobat, a Japanese pantomime + comedy duo, who was just here in NYC {I think I caught one of their last shows here}. They are these 2 super-talented performers who have mastered the ability of making people {of all ages} laugh. Their silent comedy and happy energy lends to anybody and everybody having fun with no language barrier whatsoever. If you ever get the opportunity {apparently they are regulars at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Japanese TV and more}, check them out~

{Photos from New Victory Theater website}