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Design City: 5 Hot Spots
BY Hot Spots
BY Hot Spots
Design City:5 Hot Spots in Bangkok
Reflections Rooms
Describing itself as “an art project at heart”, bright pink hotel Reflections Rooms situated in Soi Ari is a zany bazaar of hip, young and trendy rooms customised to appeal to its hip, young and trendy clientele. 17 rooms have been given the extreme makeover by accomplished and up-and-coming designers alike, resulting in a melange of different landscapes ranging from psychedelic to monochromatic, whimsical to surreal, environmentally-friendly to one inspired by pop art culture. Set to expand real soon with another 28 unique rooms in the pipeline, the in-house restaurant serves some pretty funky food as well, and prices are well affordable. Pick up a collectible from the lobby store, which features lots of cool knickknacks culled from the owner’s own design line.
Design City:5 Hot Spots in Bangkok
Thai Designer Gallery
Situated at Zen World in the heart of glitzy Chitlom with its gleaming malls, the Thai Designer Gallery is a fashion haven of home-grown brands made good in the local and global fashion scene. Take your pick from internationally acclaimed labels like Fly Now, Issue and Sretsis as well as other popular local brands which are hot sellers at the moment. Apart from clothes, accessories such as bags, shoes and even jewellery are on sale in the open-concept, brightly-lit space. You’ll probably have to return for seconds.
Design City:5 Hot Spots in Bangkok
Vanilla Home
Home to a cutely-chic Japanese-themed bistro swathed in lots of whites and beiges, a two-storey bookstore retailing music, cookbooks and design literature, aptly named “Sauce”, a dim sum restaurant, all nestled snugly in it’s very own leafy garden compound on a side street off posh Thonglor, Vanilla Home is a delightful sanctuary for creative types who like to nurse their daily cuppa in relative tranquillity. It’s easy to spend hours in this cosy little haven, exploring their surprisingly adequate menu which features an eclectic but well-executed combination of Japanese-inspired pasta dishes, as well as local and Western staples. Round off your meal with a selection of sweets, and then spend another next few delightful hours browsing the collection over at “Sauce”.
Design City:5 Hot Spots in Bangkok
Bed Supperclub
A spinoff of the famous B.E.D. in Miami, Bed Supperclub is an icon in its own right in Bangkok. Even from the outside, the standalone, fastidiously white structure that screams “Intergalactic spaceship” grabs your attention from a distance. If you’re one of the lucky people who can get dinner reservations, good for you, as their menu of Mediterrenean-inspired cuisine is really yummy and surprisingly affordable. Recline on long daybeds while you bask in the psychedelic glow of the cool lighting while you enjoy your meal. If you can’t get in for dinner, try the other side which is the club proper – always great for watching beautiful people, and for nursing that all-important drink.
Design City:5 Hot Spots in Bangkok
Suvarnabhumi Airport
The building at the center of so much controversy has finally come into its own right, with the locals and travellers alike finally overcoming their prejudices to embrace the wonderful piece of architecture this place really is. Bright, airy and immense, it makes the increasingly unpleasant experience of air travel actually bearable, and there’s plenty to do if you decide to mill about killing time before your next flight. Shoppers would be plenty happy with the wide selection of luxury labels on display, and the seemingly neverending lineup of duty free commodities such as makeup, fragrances, cigars and alcohol would put any first world country’s final port of call to shame. In case you’re ever in doubt of which country you’re in, a mammoth display of traditional Thai culture is mounted right by the entrance when you check in – set against a backdrop of brands like Gucci, Prada and Burberrys, the effect is way cool.
Special Mention: Playground
Playground! would have made it to our list, but it has unfortunately closed down in March. Prior to the closure, there had been a “closing down bargain sale” going on for quite some time, so by the time we visited only vestiges of its previous glamour was evident. In its heyday, Playground! was Thailand’s first “concept store”, occupying a massive amount of space across a two-storey building. Its official mascot is a gargantuan mouse statue standing in front of the building, and its “clothes” changed regularly based on the whim of its owners. The store had on sale an array of designer labels, housewares, CDs, design and art books, exclusive jewellery by cult label Kit-Ti, Mandarin Duck luggage, Pantone notebooks and highly sought-after jeans label Medium Rare. It also had a doghouse tagged by some of the coolest graffiti artists around, and another branch of Vanilla – this time a classy restaurant version.
We hear it’s due to open soon at another location, and eagerly await with bated breath.
...................................................................................
Photos courtesy of Duangsuda Kitivattananon
TRAVEL ALBUM: DESIGN CITY publishes the essential photography subjects of a city. As they say, architecture landmarks denote the progressing development of a city. Design in each and every city speaks in different languages and dances to different cultures. A lot of cities are growing in the design realm but no one would know about this development but the travelers and the locals themselves. Only. The exciting quirks and electrifying eccentricity of Everyday Product, Design Schools, Designers, Resources, Hotels/Buildings, Design Studios/Personalities, Local Galleries, Museums, etc, are found in both secret and obvious places of the city.
We miss out on these simple things during travel or simply during our busy lifestyle in our own city. So the next time you travel, think of TRAVEL ALBUM: DESIGN CITY.
Design in Progress: Bangkok. How Design a City is Bangkok? We find out...
We talk to 4 talents to watch out for in Bangkok. Who are they? Design City: Talent Spotlight -Read more on these rising design stars.
...................................................................................
© 2003 - 2008 by TAXI Design Network. All rights reserved.
Reflections Rooms
Describing itself as “an art project at heart”, bright pink hotel Reflections Rooms situated in Soi Ari is a zany bazaar of hip, young and trendy rooms customised to appeal to its hip, young and trendy clientele. 17 rooms have been given the extreme makeover by accomplished and up-and-coming designers alike, resulting in a melange of different landscapes ranging from psychedelic to monochromatic, whimsical to surreal, environmentally-friendly to one inspired by pop art culture. Set to expand real soon with another 28 unique rooms in the pipeline, the in-house restaurant serves some pretty funky food as well, and prices are well affordable. Pick up a collectible from the lobby store, which features lots of cool knickknacks culled from the owner’s own design line.
Design City:5 Hot Spots in Bangkok
Thai Designer Gallery
Situated at Zen World in the heart of glitzy Chitlom with its gleaming malls, the Thai Designer Gallery is a fashion haven of home-grown brands made good in the local and global fashion scene. Take your pick from internationally acclaimed labels like Fly Now, Issue and Sretsis as well as other popular local brands which are hot sellers at the moment. Apart from clothes, accessories such as bags, shoes and even jewellery are on sale in the open-concept, brightly-lit space. You’ll probably have to return for seconds.
Design City:5 Hot Spots in Bangkok
Vanilla Home
Home to a cutely-chic Japanese-themed bistro swathed in lots of whites and beiges, a two-storey bookstore retailing music, cookbooks and design literature, aptly named “Sauce”, a dim sum restaurant, all nestled snugly in it’s very own leafy garden compound on a side street off posh Thonglor, Vanilla Home is a delightful sanctuary for creative types who like to nurse their daily cuppa in relative tranquillity. It’s easy to spend hours in this cosy little haven, exploring their surprisingly adequate menu which features an eclectic but well-executed combination of Japanese-inspired pasta dishes, as well as local and Western staples. Round off your meal with a selection of sweets, and then spend another next few delightful hours browsing the collection over at “Sauce”.
Design City:5 Hot Spots in Bangkok
Bed Supperclub
A spinoff of the famous B.E.D. in Miami, Bed Supperclub is an icon in its own right in Bangkok. Even from the outside, the standalone, fastidiously white structure that screams “Intergalactic spaceship” grabs your attention from a distance. If you’re one of the lucky people who can get dinner reservations, good for you, as their menu of Mediterrenean-inspired cuisine is really yummy and surprisingly affordable. Recline on long daybeds while you bask in the psychedelic glow of the cool lighting while you enjoy your meal. If you can’t get in for dinner, try the other side which is the club proper – always great for watching beautiful people, and for nursing that all-important drink.
Design City:5 Hot Spots in Bangkok
Suvarnabhumi Airport
The building at the center of so much controversy has finally come into its own right, with the locals and travellers alike finally overcoming their prejudices to embrace the wonderful piece of architecture this place really is. Bright, airy and immense, it makes the increasingly unpleasant experience of air travel actually bearable, and there’s plenty to do if you decide to mill about killing time before your next flight. Shoppers would be plenty happy with the wide selection of luxury labels on display, and the seemingly neverending lineup of duty free commodities such as makeup, fragrances, cigars and alcohol would put any first world country’s final port of call to shame. In case you’re ever in doubt of which country you’re in, a mammoth display of traditional Thai culture is mounted right by the entrance when you check in – set against a backdrop of brands like Gucci, Prada and Burberrys, the effect is way cool.
Special Mention: Playground
Playground! would have made it to our list, but it has unfortunately closed down in March. Prior to the closure, there had been a “closing down bargain sale” going on for quite some time, so by the time we visited only vestiges of its previous glamour was evident. In its heyday, Playground! was Thailand’s first “concept store”, occupying a massive amount of space across a two-storey building. Its official mascot is a gargantuan mouse statue standing in front of the building, and its “clothes” changed regularly based on the whim of its owners. The store had on sale an array of designer labels, housewares, CDs, design and art books, exclusive jewellery by cult label Kit-Ti, Mandarin Duck luggage, Pantone notebooks and highly sought-after jeans label Medium Rare. It also had a doghouse tagged by some of the coolest graffiti artists around, and another branch of Vanilla – this time a classy restaurant version.
We hear it’s due to open soon at another location, and eagerly await with bated breath.
...................................................................................
Photos courtesy of Duangsuda Kitivattananon
TRAVEL ALBUM: DESIGN CITY publishes the essential photography subjects of a city. As they say, architecture landmarks denote the progressing development of a city. Design in each and every city speaks in different languages and dances to different cultures. A lot of cities are growing in the design realm but no one would know about this development but the travelers and the locals themselves. Only. The exciting quirks and electrifying eccentricity of Everyday Product, Design Schools, Designers, Resources, Hotels/Buildings, Design Studios/Personalities, Local Galleries, Museums, etc, are found in both secret and obvious places of the city.
We miss out on these simple things during travel or simply during our busy lifestyle in our own city. So the next time you travel, think of TRAVEL ALBUM: DESIGN CITY.
Design in Progress: Bangkok. How Design a City is Bangkok? We find out...
We talk to 4 talents to watch out for in Bangkok. Who are they? Design City: Talent Spotlight -Read more on these rising design stars.
...................................................................................
© 2003 - 2008 by TAXI Design Network. All rights reserved.
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