Wood In All Its Natural Beauty

Even though my blog is a pretty small fish in the huge blogosphere-pond, I still find myself receiving many emails from businesses and artists that want to be mentioned on the site. (Thank you all) As other bloggers know, a lot of the submissions will have nothing to do with content on our blogs or the products just aren't up to snuff.

However, sometimes gems like this get through:

A few weeks ago, I received an email from Greg and Alison Gallegos of Haslett, MI that was right down my alley. Greg, a self-taught artisan, believes in using found or reclaimed wood for his work and the resulting pieces are beautiful, tactile, sensuous, and yet still quite affordable. Please see for yourself by checking out their Etsy shop, Natural Selection Studio.

Ballistic Burl Vase, Natural Edge Red Cedar Vase

Black is the New Red Cherry Bowl, Yin Yang Black Walnut Bowl

A Space Created In Nature And of Nature

Note: Originally published at the 2Modern Design Talk blog. When I think Spa I usually think of cedar wood steam rooms, neutral colors, and stacks of white towels. You can imagine how surprised I was to see this spa-like hotel in Austria. Known as Rogner's Bad Blumau, this wellness spa and hotel is an architectural fantasy with colorful and amorphous shapes forming it's city-like landscape. 

Designed by the late Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser, his vision was to create "life in harmony and in harmony with nature." All I know is that he created a delicious box of treats for the eyes and other senses. More examples of his beautiful work can be found here. Two of their thermal spa offerings. The Augenschlitzhäuser or "slit-eye" apartments and the Arcades. A detail of Stammhaus or the main part of the hotel, which includes Reception and the administrative offices. All images shown are from the Hotel's own website.