Christmas at the Fells

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When I was asked to design a room for Christmas at the Fells in early September it was an exciting opportunity to create a Christmas space in the historic Fells home on Lake Sunapee.  This meant switching from my normal work day of drafting, client meetings and site visits to the production of modern sculptural elements to spark the imagination of visitors enjoying the spirit of the holidays.  Clients have looked to me to design interiors based around the original architectural concept of their home, but this was a bit different.

We went to see the room and to take photos and measurements.  The theme of this year's event was 'let it snow'.  Thus my concept was born.  A modern architectural take on the structure of a snow flake. 

The line drawings on the easel were the beginning of the process, laying out the geometry of each piece of the tree.  Each triangular component of the tree was cut from a piece of eastern white pine.  There are seven rungs, each graduating to create the tree's form.  16 obtuse triangles making an 8 pointed simple snowflake form.  The individual components in the room have been dipped in blue, red and white colors, and can be combined in pairs to display a variety of snowflake combinations.  The dried pomegranate ornaments were handmade with selected fabric ribbon.  

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The bedroom's holiday design highlights the magic of snow at Christmas. The structure of each snowflake is unique.  Through the use of natural woodland materials and modern sculptural elements these structures come alive.  Black & white, ice blue and deep vibrant red complement these elements to make this Christmas room a unique space.

Designing a Logo

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At the thought of beginning a new architectural practice what seemed like endless possibilities of design, from the logo to the website and maybe even a small cabin (dare I say tiny house for your in-laws just for fun) had me excited.  BUT... for me good design is about sketching, conceptualizing, editing (then editing again) and defining what best fits the 'problem' to be solved, thus the hard work of realizing a logo began.

The name had been brewing, and finally, with a definitive ease,  Eagle Pond Studio  was coming to life.  The graphics of the logo had to be strong and timeless.  An eagle feather would just not do! Taking inspiration from Honda and Volkswagen, whose logos grace millions of vehicles and must be relevant throughout many years, car styles coming and going, their clear and memorable designs stood out to me. 

 

After sketching, it was starting to fit...

Logo sketches

Logo sketches

Nights were spent getting the space between the 'e' and the 'p' to feel right, working on the angle of the 'e's' tail so that the white shape left would be precise, and the extension of the 'p' would have a comfortable dimension.  The Pantone colors had to have a visual interplay between calm blue and bold gray.  The font needed to have balance and modernity.

I hope that this logo will represent the practice well.  While it may be re-invented with different colors and graphic representations, at different times, the goal is that it stands the test of time.