Photo essay of post-war Yugoslavian monuments and architecture by Belgian artist Jan Kempenaers, from the Crown Gallery site. “Spomenik” means monument, and all of these structures were meant to commemorate WWII losses and point to progress and a generally utopian future. Thanks to the turmoil of subsequent wars in the former Yugoslavia, these brutalist monuments have fallen into disrepair. More information on Kempenaers here.

Via OWI – Office for Word and Image. Photo: Vercruysse Frederik

Here are three converted churches which seem much more successful than most of the examples in the last post. Above is a 19th century chapel in the Flemish village of Bazel which has been converted into 2 loft-type houses. Thanks to the amazing Office for Word and Image OWI for permission to reprint this photo here – Verne is the photographer. When a church is divided into separate storeys, the space seems to become automatically easier to live in. This seems obvious now but when I set out it seemed a shame to alter the building so radically. As it turns out, though, a 30-40′ cathedral ceiling is not exactly cosy. 

Above, a converted church in Kensal Green, London, via casa sugar and lightlocations. 

A conversion in Brisbane, from desire to inspire. Very, very shiny! The solution to the problem of churchiness here has been to make everything a uniform white, and I can sympathize with that solution. My experience with hanging art in a church space is that it can look a little odd when it flanks arched windows, and that’s why in my little church, the art is still on the floor, stacked against the walls. The more photos of church conversions I look at, the more challenging the whole project seems. If anyone has a favourite church conversion can you send it on?

Why can’t more civilian bags be like this – free of bling, glitz, chacha, weird anatomical looking folds, pointless, slouchy, ruched wrinkledness, and dopey hardware? We don’t understand the bags being churned out by the big couture houses at the moment. So many of the bags we like are either military or close to military, probably because they’re beautiful by virtue of their pure functionality, simplicity and complete lack of pointless, purely decorative features and general fussiness. This ridiculously beautiful bag is the No. 95 Shoulder Satchel by Billykirk and it’s a fairly faithful copy of a WWII Belgian military map case. It’s entirely handmade and the company casts its own white brass hardware.  This Billykirk bag is quite transcendent, too, and click below or here for an interesting interview with the designers.

(more…)

Ingenious furniture by Belgian designer Marina Bautier, who runs design studio lamaisondemarina. 

The “Bureau” desk has a magnetic steel top that can be raised to reveal a laptop surface plus bulletin board, and the nesting chair and stool are classic.

The “Fold” chair is solid oak, wool, foam and steel, and collapses thinly for storage. 

Via Apartment Therapy.