Good, Great, G Hotel

The g Hotel is a 5 star hotel located in Galway city centre, at the West of Irelands, along the majestic coastline of Galway Bay. The g Hotel combines modern design and comfort with thoughtful service. The designer of the hotel is Philip Treacy. He created the hotel to be ideal for luxury accommodations, fine dining conferences, celebrations, weddings, and relaxing spa breaks. The hotel is well known to be one of the most modern and sophisticated hotels in Ireland. Here are some photos of the g Hotel and its unique design:

This photo is of the spa area in the hotel. The lighting fixture creates a cool, fresh feeling in the somewhat dark area. The blue and green colored lighting along the wall and around the pool also provide a cool feeling to the space.

The above photo is of the dining area in the G Hotel. It is unique in that the colorful chairs and cove lighting provide a contemporary feeling. Another key factor in the dining area is comfort. The chairs and booths are designed to provide comfort to the customers.

The concierge desk at the front of the hotel is mainly composed of mirrors. This mirrored desk and the mirrors behind the desk are part of the very modern design. The same lighting as used in the dining area also create a contemporary feeling.

This is the photo of common seating area in the hotel. The majority of white in the space creates a modern feel. The white walls and furniture make the area look sophisticated and the silver ball lighting fixture create a sense of fun in the space.

This is the front entry into the hotel. When someone approaches the hotel they automatically know that the hotel's interior is going to be contemporary.

This picture is of one of the guest rooms located in the hotel. The feeling of this room is more about comfort and sophistication creating a cozy environment for the guest.

 This photo was in my previous post for valentine's day. I now know the location of the photo and it is the lobby of the G hotel. This space is very modern but also very whimsical. The space grabs your attention and you want to learn more about the hotel.

The G Hotel is one example of the flexibility of interior design. There are many different types of color and design elements throughout the hotel but, they all come together in creating a wonderful enticing place to stay at. Design is more than just creating what is necessary but making it out of the ordinary.

A little bit of LOVE never hurt anyone!

Happy Valentine's Day!... Even though it is a little late! When you think of Valentine's Day what do you think of?? Love? Flowers? Balloons? Pink? You may think of all of the above. With Valentine's Day being this past week, it inspired me to relate it to design. I found some unique designs that may look theme related, but some are just fun and cute and veryyyy PINK! 

The above photo (my guess) is either a themed lobby or a restaurant. The neon pink walls and the circular floor pattern create a whimsical feel to the space.

 

This room screams "Valentines and Love"!! Heart shaped furniture and accessories create this fun space.

Hello Kitty makes an appearance in this little girl's room. Hearts and different shades of pink create a fun and flirty girly room.

Pink, as shown previously may appear girly or fun. However, in this office, pink accents create a sophisticated upscale take on an ordinary office.

This last photo is of a homey living room. The bright couch and chairs are the focal point in the room. Also, the softness of everything else and the white walls make the room look vibrant and fun.

The occurring theme here is the color pink! Pink can be very versatile and used in many different instances. Those photos were just a few examples. Add a little hint of love in your next project and it will make that much of a difference! I hope everyone enjoyed their valentine's day as much as I did! 

A Whole New Level of Design

My inspiration for this week's blog came from an entry in the January 2011 edition of Interior Design. I was looking through the magazine and found a fantastic piece titled "Something to Sink Your Teeth Into." The article was a walk through of the GC Prostho research center and gallery located in Kasugai, Japan. The company manufactures dental prosthetics. The architecture firm, Kengo Kuma & Associates, needed to integrate both private and public function areas. They had to provide offices, laboratories and an exhibition space. The firm do not want big bulky columns but rather "a scale that is close to the human body's, that possesses the delicacy and strength of arms and legs." Here are some photos to help you understand the full impact of the space:

 The structure is made of cypress latticework and is delicately assembled in order to achieve the look they wanted. Kuma based his idea for this project on a traditional Japanese children's puzzle called cidori , which means one thousand birds. This idea of cidori took on a whole new meaning in this design and this magnificent structural system was created. I would say if I ever was into prosthetic research for teeth, I would definitely want to work in an environment that looked like this, wouldn't you?

SNOW!!

Well, I have been stuck at home for the past few days because of the blizzard going on outside. However, the snow has inspired me to research hotels that are made of ice or are located in cold environments. Here are some photos I found of some unique hotels that relate to winter weather:

I have always wanted to stay at one of these hotels, but not anytime soon! The snow outside has given me cabin fever and I would much rather be on the beach somewhere right now! Have you stayed at a hotel like this? If so, how was your experience? How did you stay warm?

Restaurant Designs

There are restaurants all around the world that are known for their unique designs. The way the restaurant is designed is a big part of getting people to come and eat at the restaurant. It is also a way of getting the guests to keep returning again and again. If the design is unique enough, the customers will want to come back not only for the food but also for the environment!

Last spring break I was in New York and I ate at a very unique restaurant. The design of the restaurant captivated me and I can still remember the design pretty well. The name of the restaurant is Rouge Tomate, it was recommended to us by the hotel concierge. The restaurant was fairly new and it was known for creating delicious meals while still remaining healthy. There was no butter or fat used to cook the food. Everything was organic and healthy. The restaurant was a complete shock from the food to the design. The food was delicious and the atmosphere was breath-taking!

Here is a photo so you can get an idea of how the design looked:

Here are some other photos of unique restaurant designs:

I thought these were extraordinary restaurants! What do you think of these eateries? What are the restaurants you eat at? Do they have a distinct design?

Welcome to my blog!

Hello everyone!


Welcome to my blog! My name is Stephanie Alley and I am an interior design student at the University of Arkansas. This blog should serve as a place to get design tips and ideas from articles and other sources. Hope you enjoy it!


This link is an article from the magazine "At Home" helping designers create fun, colorful spaces while being sustainable:


Helpful article with tips on how to be eco-friendly!

This article gives designers and those who want to create spaces an idea of how to put ideas together while also being eco-friendly. Sustainability is such a key factor in design these days, this article should give great ways of using sustainability while still creating functional design.


The article specifically transforms a local bedroom into something more. Danny Seo, the designer who was giving the readers tips, tells us that if you replace just a few items you can transform a normal room into an eco-friendly environment. A few of those items are light-bulbs, mattresses, and rugs. Using a rug made of recycled material or energy efficient light- bulbs are easy ways to help the environment. I hope you enjoy the article as much as I did, and use the tips in your next design project!