Tory Burch's Southampton Estate

In 2012, designer Tory Burch opened her Southampton home to the pages of Vogue magazine.

All photos by Francois Halard (via vogue.com).

Home Recording Studio Essentials

Since I just wrote about Kara Paslay's home recording studio project, how about we take a look at some more, from small-scale home studios to grand, professional ones.

Aside from proper equipment, what are the essentials of decent home recording studio? Above all, you should have good acoustics because it can either make or break your recording. Many people are fooled into thinking that egg crates will help with your sound, but this is actually just a myth. 

Number two is lighting. It's not just for aesthetics but also for your overall sound quality. Did you know that using fluorescent lights can affect your recording output by adding noise?

Also take into consideration the proper furniture and storage that you will need. Studio technicians sit for hours while recording, so it's obvious that one should pick out a comfortable chair. Usually tables for mixing boards and computers are customized, especially if you have the professional kind because it can vary from big to enormous. Of course, you can always use an ordinary desk if the studio is just for personal use.

(via toddmillet.com)

The studio looks like a space station. I like the wood walls. (via buildthestudio.com)

(via toddmillet.com)

Peter Elyakim Taussig at the famous Abbey Road Studios (via novalynx.ca)

(via blog.mixonline.com)

(via mastering.soundops.com)

The tips I mentioned above are just the basics. If you are planning to set up a recording studio, the Internet has so much information that you can make use of, like this one or this one or this one. 

Happy music making!

Closet Turned Recording Studio by Designer Kara Paslay

I used to be in a band, but that didn't work out for me. Let's just say life got in the way of my rockstar dreams. But a part of me still haven't given up on making music, and I plan to have a home recording studio one of these days. 

I bookmarked Kara Paslay's website more than a year ago and completely forgot about it until now. I saw that she has added new photos to her gallery, and I got all excited when I saw this project. 

(All images from Kara Paslay)

The padded wall is inspired by a graphic equalizer. 

This space is convenient for digital recording artists.

Although I like the frame and the small lamp, I'm not sure why you would need all that pencils and pens. I would rather make use of the space for something more useful. Maybe sound monitors?

She found this fixture at a Habitat for Humanity ReStore for $20!

What do you guys think? I think it's a smart way to make of use of extra closet space!

Designer Edward Lam Dies at Age 54 by Lauren DeBellis

Edward Lam. Photo by Naomi Finlay

(via designwire.interiordesign.net/)

Designer Edward Lam of Moss & Lam died on Monday, April 29 from a brain aneurism at the age of 54. Together with his wife, Deborah Moss, the Toronto-based firm’s co-founder, Lam was known for blurring the lines between fine art, illustration, applied arts, and furniture design. Lam worked in any and all media and ignored the limits of categorization.

Moss and Lam launched their firm in 1989 and swiftly cornered a market for dramatic, custom art pieces for a bevy of clients including international hotels, restaurants, retail and residential projects. The “Wave Wall” for the W Hotel’s Blue Fin Restaurant in New York is perhaps their most famous work. Inspired by the restaurant’s seafood theme, a double-height wall of hand-carved, Gobi plaster waves intrinsically merges with the restaurant’s interiors by Yabu Pushelberg, one of Lam’s most frequent collaborators.

Lam met Moss while attending the Ontario College of Art and Design, where he originally studied painting but graduated in performance art and video. He began his career as a conceptual artist when that media was at a high in the late 1970s.

At the time of his passing, Lam was working on several large-scale commissions including an installation for Nuit Blanche that will also be on display in the Joe Fresh store on Toronto’s Queen Street, and a mobile for the Kitchener Public Library by Levitt Goodman Architects.

Deborah Moss, along with the dedicated employees of Moss & Lam, will continue to carry the firm and all of its projects forward. Lam is survived by his wife, Deborah, and his daughters, Charlotte and Poppy.

Moss & Lam's installation at New York's W Hotel. (via Moss & Lam)

Couch Surfing

There so many things that I want to change in our home that I cannot even imagine where to start. One of the things on my list is to replace our very old sofa set. It's very outdated. We have a three-seater with two matching one-seaters. The thing is I don't want to throw it out because it's still in very good condition. Reupholstery perhaps?

I'm checking out Pinterest for some pinteresting inspirations (pardon the pun).

Simple and classic. I would change the fabric color though to something darker. (via chintz.com)

I would like to own a leather sofa, but it doesn't work well with warm climates. (via Beautiful Spaces and  Things That Belong)

Cute print and perfect for small spaces. (via bazaarofserendipity.blogspot.com)

Wouldn't you love to just lie around in this sectional the whole day? (via aparmenttherapy.com)

Love the color, the size, and the style! (via abbysharp.tumblr.com)

I know this is not a couch; I just find it awesome. (via Have a Seat)

Books, Books, Books

When I saw Disney's Beauty and the Beast when I was young, I dreamed of owning a library like that of Beast's, and now more than twenty years later, I still dream about it. But of course, twenty years later means I also am more realistic about things, and consequently, I have accepted the fact that I will never be living in a castle. Living in a midsize home is all right by me, but I will still get that library someday.

Check these out:

I like the idea of having a table in the middle, but I would prefer a room with comfy seats.
(via goannatree.com)

That painting reminds me of the Brahma Kumaris symbol. Other than that, I would love to have this room in our home! (via shelterness.com)

I love how the bookshelf is built around the fireplace! (via freshome.com)

This is probably how I would design our living room. (via beautiful-libraries.com)

Overhead shelving is a good idea, but I'm not so sure about the uneven cuts of the shelves. Plus, the ladder might be an obstruction and doesn't look too sturdy! (via collarcitybrownstone.com)

(via shelterness.com)

Maximizing wall space is definitely a plus for the above two pictures! (via verticallaunch.com)

Kitchen Inspirations, Part 1

Our house is almost thirty years old, and our kitchen badly needs a renovation. It's has taken a beating through the years, and if I could describe it to you in a few words, I would say it's run-down, too yellow, and has a lot of potential.

I say "too yellow" because my mother's favorite color is yellow, and when my grandpa, who was an architect, built our house, my parents were overseas and so were unable to supervise the construction. I think he went a little overboard with the yellow part and it's been haunting me for all the years I've lived in this house.

Now it's finally time to make some changes, so I am searching the web for some inspirations. 

Via House Beautiful

If only we can have all-white cabinets and counters, but alas, it's too dusty in my part of the world.

I want the showcase of collectibles! I would place my collection of cookie jars in it!

This simplicity and clean lines will probably work for ours since it's difficult to maintain an area that is too ornate when you live in a tropical setting. Plus, the size of this kitchen is probably closer to what we have.

If flooding was not a worry, I definitely would want wooden floors for our kitchen. I also love the navy blue color amid the white drawers and cabinets.

I love the distressed finish of the countertops and that long table in front of the island.

Again, I'm loving the island and the sitting area.