Vienna (Wein)- It's Art, Design and Architecture (Last)

Beautiful Dresser

Items to be Auctioned

More Items to be Auctioned

Palais Dorotheum Exterior and Interior

Dorotheum Catalogue  showing Palais Dorotheum Interiors

 Frans Franken's Masterpiece "Man Choosing between Virtue and Vice"
auctioned for world record 7,022,300 British Pounds

Gustav Klimdt Memorabilia

Gustav Klimdt's The Kiss by Wikepedia

Gustav Klimdt's Judith and the Holofernas by Wikepidia

Interior Designers should have very good "resources".  Resources could be allies like engineers, architects, handyman, contractors, project managers and gardeners who could help you deliver the best results.  Resources also means sellers that could be auctioneer like Dorotheum, specialized places with different sellers that only cater to design professionals like Laguna Design Center, Pacific Design Center and  individuals like a friend of mine who accumulated great Lladro pieces, antiques, art and sculptures that she has acquired through the years.  I plan to help her dispose some of one of a kind pieces so her home will not look like a store and be elegant and classy.  It is very important to know what and where to place in your home to make your home classy, elegant and your very own that suits the function and your style Watching shows and reading books can be very limited knowledge and not exactly attain what you want and hope for!  


My goal as an interior designer is to find resources that will match your budget.  Inexpensive Ikea products can be used and will make your home or office stand out from the rest if proper placement and selection are made.  And that is where a good Interior Designer can help you!  To set definition right, an Interior Designer can be likened to a "baker" who knows the ingredients of a cake and what makes the cake desirable while an Interior Decorator is the person who put the "icing" on the cake to make it palatable and beautiful. 


Traveling is a good exposure to see beautiful items and resources whether in an exhibit, eating places like we met a Marketing Manager from Milan, Italy at Greenwich, England, who goes to Las Vegas Market, another good resource to find beautiful items. In the past, when the real estate market is booming, I have seen lots of model homes in Las Vegas, Nevada and vicinity.  


Artwork and Decor items can also be found at places like Laguna Beach where good and upcoming artists display their beautiful work and I have also found "Luna" a small place at Belmont Shores that carries unique items that you can not usually find in other places.  Luna sells home decor, gift and jewelry items you normally won't find in department stores.  I have also gotten items from craft shows and of course the internet where I found and bought items online for some clients.


I have always enjoyed looking at beautiful things, not only on art, furniture, sculptures but jewelry that Palais Dorotheum offers. Dorotheum is like Christies which has an office in New York.  


One of Vienna's famous painter is Gustav Klimdt. The dominant figure in his paintings is that of a woman, the female fatale and used "gold leaf " in most of his paintings.  Vienna is currently celebrating his 150th birthday - 1862 to 2012.  Gustav Klimdt is very well respected and celebrated by Viennese people as one of their own and his paintings can be seen in different landmarks like the Bugtheather and University of Vienna. But even the memorabilia, like a scarf with Judith and Holofernas print, that I bought do not come cheap.  His paintings (reproductions) would look great though in a home for an owner who loves the gold color and a figure of a woman and yes,  who wouldn't!


Knowledge and constant exposure is a "must" to be a good Interior Designer is what I learned and try to practice.


Next post will be historic and beautiful Rome and Perugia, Italy! 

Vienna (Wein)- It's Art, Design and Architecture Continued

Vienna International Center- UN Office, Vienna, Austria before construction of M Building by Wikepedia

Facts and Figures of UN Building, Vienna, Austria
Built 1973 to 1979

Close up view of Vienna International Center after M Building - United Nations Office, Vienna, Austria

UN Architectural Model -Architect was Johann Staber

Countries represented in the UN (5000 employees work in UN Buildings

Thanksgiving by Manuel Baldermor given during the term of
 Fidel Ramos,President of the Philippines

La Piogga-Stadt Unter Dem Regen
Freidenshreich Hundertwasser

Aktionsmalerie 1962 (Medium used to paint was pig's blood)
Hermann Nitsch

Vulkanische Landschaft
Peter Pongratz

Children's Artwork Displayed in the UN Building

Our visit to Vienna will not be complete without visiting the UN Building in Vienna, Austria.  We were lucky enough that our hosts- Himmet and Mayenne Cayir both work for the UN for so many years and we had the privilege to tour the facility as their guests.   I was amazed to see how modern the buildings were and even more impressed with the design of the buildings that gives everyone working in those facilities an awesome view. There are six Y shaped office towers which give everyone a nice view including the beautiful Danube River.  Had the chance to shop in their shopping facilities, ate at one of their catering facilities and saw their post office and banks and credit union offices. It is indeed a "city" on its own complete with their own security check up like an airport.  The "M" Building was the most impressive, interiors-wise, and how the facility including their bathrooms were always clean and shiny.  The room where the UN delegates meet is like being in the movie where languages are translated using high tech equipment. Also, being an architecture and art enthusiast, I was able to see on a close up range the details of walls using wood and steel very aesthetically.  There were some art donated by different countries that can only evoke emotions and at the same time make you think profoundly on the meaning the artists want to convey.  For us, there is no better place to spend our day to be educated and at the same time enjoy the day... it can only be at Vienna International Center!

Vienna (Wein) - It's Art, Design and Architecture Continued

Hotel Sacher

Vienna's Famous Sacher Torte from Wikipedia

Rotary and Lions Clubs meet at Hotel Sacher

As a traveler, you also want to taste the best food a city/country can offer.  Not only did my eyes feast on the architecture of Hotel Sacher but also on their famous Sacher Torte, a chocolate cake that consists of two layers of dense but not too sweet chocolate cake with a hint of apricot jam in the middle of the dark chocolate and icing and whipped cream, no sugar, on the side. Hotel Sacher was established by Eduard Sacher, son of the creator of Sacher Torte.  Artists, Aristocrats like Queen Elizabeth II and Politicians like John F. Kennedy stayed to wine and dine in this 5 star modern hotel yet boasts of its historical roots. Businessmen and non profit organizations like the Rotary, where members like my Rotarian husband, also meet in this hotel. Hotel Sacher is strategically located opposite the Opera House, the Hopburg Imperial Palace and other Vienna's major sites, thanks to Himmet and Mayenne Banda Cayir and family who enjoyed taking us around Vienna. I was attracted to the exterior and the timeless balusters, dentil mouldings, the type of mouldings I personally used in my living room and took the picture not realizing it was Hotel Sacher which was built in 1876 and renovated in 2005-2006 by Sepp Frank. This building is dated, yet elegant and classy and updated with modern luxurious amenities.

Vienna (Wein) - It's Art, Design and Architecture (Selected Few)

Details of the Flying Buttresses

Cathedral of St. Stephens-Note Flying Buttresses

Interiors of Cathedral of St. Stephens

Floor plan per Wikipedia

Cathedral of St. Stephens, Vienna, Austria

People travel for specific reasons.  I am one of those travelers who want to see, touch and feel what I have studied and learned,  thanks to my very talented director, Al and professors- Medi, Blake, Jorge, Vicky, Carol and Bob from Westwood College who opened my eyes to appreciate art, design and architecture. Barbara Gordon, a CID, was also a very good mentor and certainly miss her.  The Cathedral of St. Stephen in Vienna, Austria consecrated in 1147,  is one of the finest Gothic architecture, which I have always admired. This Roman Catholic Church has multicolored very steep tile roof and built with limestone that required special restoration process. The interiors revealed the beauty and intricacies of work done like the pulpit which is a masterwork of Gothic sculpture. The distant focal point, the High Altar represents the Stoning of St. Stephen, which was the first painting of Rembrandt, who had produced 600 paintings, nearly 400 etchings and 2000 drawings. Engineering skills were already developed  and used at that period.  Lighter walls, larger windows and high pointed arched vaults  were typical of Gothic Architecture. The  distinct flying buttresses was necessary and developed as a means of support.  During our European trip, I have seen these flying buttresses at another famous Gothic Architecture, the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. The Cathedral of St. Stephen was Mozart's parish and a memorial tablet is shown near the SJC per above floor plan.  Beethoven discovered the totality of his deafness when he did not hear the bells but noticed the birds flying out as a result of the ringing of the bells of the Cathedral.


More to come...

Pro Bono Service for Non-Profit Organizations- Luau Decor Event

Last week I provided my probono (labor of love) services to an organization that is church oriented and members are devotees of the Blessed Virgin Mary praying the rosary. The luau event was held in a church in Buena Park, CA and there were approximately 250-300 people who attended the luau.

The event turned out to be a challenge since those days, when we were working, were hot and humid. My friend, Nenita and I had to go to Los Angeles, CA to buy some supplies and flowers and go to the different areas for crafts , party supplies and fresh flowers for better pricing since our budget is very limited considering the luau event is to raise funds for church related projects. I had also to go to several homes to get plants and flowers from generous homeowners who are passionate gardeners - from Anaheim to Huntington Beach then Fountain Valley. We used aqua blue and yellow as the the theme colors considering ocean and sunshine that are typical of the island like Hawaii where luaus are common. Getting enough help was also a challenge in order to deliver a good result. I had to request my daughter and my husband of which I am very grateful to them who helped me set up the centerpieces for 36 tables. And we did finish on time before the crowd came in! I was so exhausted and had to go home before the event was over. Luckily, my friend and her husband took care of bringing my supplies (after some members of the group gather them together) to my home later. Lessons learned are the thoughts that I brought home after the event.

Here are some pictures of the decor. As a designer, I tried to use tropical fruit- calamansi and wild plant, tropical flowers like hibiscus, birds of paradise, orchids and plumeria for the vases underneath banana leaves that are strategically placed on a bilao or fan on top of designer fabrics that had tropical prints to bring out the island (luau) effect. The vases turned out unique and beautiful which I thought and made them on the spot after assessing the flowers and plants I had. I also used Japanese umbrellas considering Hawaii plus umbrellas are used to protect yourself from too much sunshine on a tropical island.

I have also included some pictures of the attendees in action - registering the guests, showcasing their dance prowess, talking and just having fun. I also created a special booth where people can take pictures with the tropical island picture as a background, courtesy of my friend.

More to come! Be one of my follower if the blog is of benefit to you but the main thing is you enjoy reading them!

Pro Bono Service for Non-Profit Organizations

It is always fun, exhilirating and satisfying to volunteer your services to worthwhile causes.

I have volunteered to do the decor on fun events for my church and also for Rotary Club fund raising projects. Here are some samples of what I have done.

First seven pictures is a fund raising effort for three Rotarians who are birthday celebrants. They requested that instead of gifts given to them , their voluntary contribution to Rotary projects would be appreciated. Guests were more or less 100 people.

The last three pictures were taken during a Christmas celebration and the money collected goes to the church as a fund raising activity. Guests were more than 100 people.

This week, I have also volunteered to decor a luau for a federation of rosary group as one of their fund raising efforts and guests expected will be 250 to 300 people.

More to come. Thanks for reading my blog.