Mittwoch, 8. Dezember 2004

The Barge Lady. The word barge doesn[base ']t conjure up luxury cruising but The Barge Lady could change your mind. Ellen Sack was a travel agent from Chicago who became hooked on barge cruising as a unique way to travel the European countryside. She turned her passion into a business and now arranges cruises on luxury barges. The barges take cruisers along the canals of France, Germany and other countries with plenty of stops to enjoy local sights. Barges like the Savoir Faire shown here have elegant decor such as slate tiled floors and antique furniture as well as spacious rooms and amenities such as an on-deck hot tub. A six day excursion on the Savoir Faire costs $40,000 for eight passengers. [Luxist] 3:26:22 PM    comment []

Parent-friendly restaurant. Dutch designer Frank Tjepkema and interior designer Janneke Hooymans have designed, outside of Amsterdam, Praq a restaurent that appeals to both parents who like to eat in trendy places and to their kids. The custom-made furniture doubles as design objects and playthings. The wooden car tables double as eating surface and oversize toy; the restaurant[base ']s tunnel benches, when pushed back-to-back, form narrow spaces kids can crawl through. There's also a cup-and-dish table with legs made of stacked crockery, a puzzle wall, where kids can rearrange the restaurant[base ']s logo. And noticing that most restaurants had "boring, industrial" highchairs, Studio Tjepkema designed three playful models for Praq (they will go into production next month.) Via Metropolismag. [we make money not art] 3:21:20 PM    comment []