The Beautifully Colourful Facades of Turkey, by Yener Torun

I'm rather disappointed to say that I have not been to Turkey as yet. Although it is definitely high up there on the list, it has to date eluded me. And while I know that I'll surely make my way there, sooner rather than later, the Turkey I imagine I would visit, and the one that stares back at me from tourist photos, is one of oriental opulence and decadently rich architecture, not withholding on layers of finite details.

So when I came across these fabulously colourful photos of Turkey, on dezeen.com, I absolutely had to share them. What an incredible capture of colour and geometry!! As much as I have a huge appreciation for many different styles, the simple and sophisticated depiction of primary colours and shapes just melts my heart. There is something so poetic in repetition and patterns... it's like beautiful maths... Ok, but I digress.

These crazily inspiring photos were taken by photographer Yeren Tonur, who has spent the last year documenting Turkish architecture on Instagram. His photos feature bold shapes, vibrant hues, and patterned facades, taken both in Istanbul and across other cities in Turkey. His objective is to reveal that there is more to Turkey than the expected opulent mosques and century-old streets.

After coming across Yeren Tonur's 'Photo Essay' on dezeen.com, I immediately went to check out his Instagram page and, I must say, it's nothing short of breathtaking. What I've posted here is merely a small selection of the amazing work to be found on his Instagram page.

 

Source - dezeen.com

Images via - dezeen.com
Photography by - Yeren Tonur

Old Converted Blacksmith's Workshop in Lesbos, Greece

I often associate Greece with amazing holidays, great weather, incredible ferry hopping between the islands, delicious food and that beautiful white architecture that speckles the islands against the magnificent backdrop of the blue sea. So, hidden away on one of the islands, I wouldn't have expected to find this very cool and rugged revamp of what used to be a blacksmith's workshop.

This little gem of a conversion is located on the island of Lesbos, in a building dating all the way back to the 1930's. The former workshop had been abandoned until a group of Danish architects embarked on turning it into a modern holiday house. Now, while I unfortunately don't know more precisely who the architects are, I do know that these excellent pics were taken by Wichmann + Bendtsen.

It's quite incredible that, once you know this was an ancient blacksmith's workshop, the signs are everywhere. The architects have accented the interior with piping and raw metal finishes where relevant. And despite the ruggedness and masculinity of the metal, it works remarkable well with the softness and fragility of the light wood surfaces. The two materials rely on simple juxtaposition to create an amazing union. 

And in between the two extremes of metal and light wood, more character is added to this converted interior through the use of beautifully finished concrete floors and the original wood beams that span the ceiling... which I imagine create a mesmerising labyrinth of light and shade throughout the space.

Source - leclubdesdouze.com

Images - emmas.blogg.se via leclubdesdouze.com

Barcelona Concept Store & Cafe, by Jaime Beriestain

Unlike your usual cafe, this incredible Barcelona interior is an inspiring world where concept store and restaurant live together. Created and opened by interior designer Jaime Beriestain, the space houses all the things that the designer loves, and has carefully and adoringly chosen himself. The colourful wonderland hasn't been deprived of any splendour in execution, and houses vintage furniture and objects, a selection of international books and fragrances, as well as fresh flowers. Moreover, guests can admire selected works of art from the designer's private collection. 

With a large section of the concept store dedicated to a restaurant seating 80 people, guests are welcomed as friends, in what is a warm, homey and humble atmosphere... One where traditional, deep flavours create delicious meals that are enjoyed in the middle of the space that is engulfed with style, colour and aesthetic richness. This interior truly plays on all five senses of our curious minds.

Source - retaildesignblog.net

Images - retaildesignblog.net

The pop-up store dream, by The Playing Circle

I've been seeing pictures of this amazing interior on Pinterest, and I have finally delved a little further to find out what it is. It is called 'The Loft', an annual pop-up store in Amsterdam, brought to you by The Playing Circle. The Playing Circle, a design company from Amsterdam, each year base the curation of the pop-up interior on the character of a fictive and eccentric persona that they create.

The pop-up store houses an unbelievable selection of hand-picked furniture, books, art pieces, and lighting accessories to name a few... all immaculately styled to absolute design perfection. The mix of textures and colours is exquisite to look at in these photos, I can only imagine how inspiring it would be to engage with this interior in real-life. Through this incredibly created world, I can also imagine how much fun it would be to try and guess what the character that inspired this interior would be like...

The Playing Circle's idea behind such a concept is to let people see and feel how the different elements of an interior come together. In the words of the design team behind 'The Loft'; "If you’ve ever been to a lamp store, you know it sells lamps. But if you’re looking to add some serious character to your interior, say, by hanging a seven foot plane from your ceiling, it might be a good idea to first see if things fit together.".

Being a pop-up store, naturally everything is for sale... everything!!... from the carpets on the floor, the furniture pieces, to each and every book that lines the shelves. Just by going by these photos I can imagine that it would be near impossible to leave empty handed.

Source - amsterdamnext.com

Images - amsterdamnext.com, fardau.nl & thedenimdaily.com

Captivating Paris Reflections by Joanna Lemanska

Joanna Lemanska uses puddles as a tool of art. Unlike the more typical tourist photos of Paris, that all seem to have been taken from the same vantage points, Lemanska's photography captivates the viewer and presents them with a Paris we haven't quite seen before.

Using a central, horizontal line in her photography, Lemanska takes us into what appears to be an abstract world of the city that we know. There is quite a distinct play on our perception of what we see to be reality within the shot, and what we see to be a test on our senses. In the original article where I initially came across this story, there was a phrase that I really loved; 'Her mirrored images create serene moments of time, so her images look more like futuristic dreamscapes than a bustling tourist hub'. I feel this is quite a good observation, as some of the shots that I've included in this post I find are not too dissimilar from scenes out of Kubrick's 2001: Space Odyssey.

Personally, I easily lose myself in these photos... In addition to seeing photography of a city that I love, I also enjoy delving into the world of the reflection, analysing how things are the same but not quite the same, finding the gentle blur that the reflection gives to both colour and light... but most of all I get a real kick out of finding the geometric shapes that live on that fine line where reality meets reflection...

Source - huffingtonpost.com

Images - huffingtonpost.com & tuxboard.com