Satoyama Jujo

Hush conversations overheard through washi paper sliding doors, modest splashes of neighboring bather’s bucket water and faint simmering of freshly cooked rice as it reaches ‘niebana (flavourful al dente)’… all perfectly in tune with the rolling hills of Niigata landscape, disciplined attention to service and gentle yet confident design at Satoyama Jujo describe my twoContinue reading “Satoyama Jujo”

Castiglioni Studio, Milano

Can design whose chief objective is to solve everyday problems be beautiful? Particularly in today’s world where our aesthetics change rapidly as anything, from anywhere can be sought out anytime, can an object designed to function at one point in time be enduring?  Glitzy shop displays and industrial-strength banner adverts force feeding us elaborately beautiful, ornate and glamorous images remind us that utility-based design can hardly be enduringly beautiful.  Tour ofContinue reading “Castiglioni Studio, Milano”

Pirouette 

Just down the street from my apartment towards Toranomon on the street level of Toranomon Hills Mori Tower is glass encased, airy and hanging Edison bulbs lit Pirouette.  Pirouette is one of those cozy, elegant neighbourhood über-canteens, if there ever was one.  Cass and I looked at each other and exclaimed ‘this is it’ asContinue reading “Pirouette “

Cathay Pacific Business Class

Few business classes do minimalist travel better than Cathay Pacific. Their lounges are in transition from being kitted by Forster+Partners to Ilse Crawford replacing bright, airy and efficient spaces with more warm and comfortable elegance.  Professionally economical is their service and aesthetically adult are the fittings, you are distracted little from concentrating on things that matterContinue reading “Cathay Pacific Business Class”