How do you cover something as impossibly broad as the Olympics? NBCUniversal is pulling it off inside a former shampoo factory in Stamford, Connecticut, some 3,600 miles from Paris.

The ex-Clairol factory has been transformed into the 115,000-square-foot NBC International Broadcast Center, which is churning out roughly 7,000 hours of programming spread across streaming platforms and 17 days in a row of primetime TV.

The massive facility has multiple “war-room”-style setups that make NASA’s control centers look tiny. One of them is a “Highlights Factory,” staffed by a small army of video editors. There’s an “Off-Tube Factory,” containing banks of soundproof booths where commentators remotely call the games and events happening in Paris. Their Editorial and Research team has 175 members, including a badminton expert and someone whose job is to keep track of all the medals. (If that last job sounds easy, consider that there are 329 medal events to watch.)

This video—by NBC, of course—provides a look inside their Olympics nerve center:

Fun Fact #1: NBCU paid $7.65 billion for the U.S. media rights to the Olympics through 2032.

Fun Fact #2: They have once again hired Snoop Dogg to provide Olympics commentary. To get an idea of what that entails, here’s Snoop and Kevin Hart commenting on the dressage events at the last Olympics:

As teenagers progress from childhood to adolescence, their bedroom preferences, interests, and the functionality of the space change. Also, a commitment to educational pursuits, the thoughtful making of decisions, and the uninhibited expression of individual personalities set the teenage years apart. When designing a teenager’s bedroom, the initial step involves understanding the temperament, taste, interests, and personal style of your teen, gathering their input on color preferences, themes, and specific elements they would like to include in their room.

Note that transitioning a bedroom from a child to a teen can be achieved without a complete overhaul as you can opt for a simpler approach by adjusting bed linens, updating curtains, and adding stylish lighting based on your teen’s preferences. However, if you are looking for a comprehensive makeover, consider these practical tips to get you started.

Designer: Kafedra Mebeli

1. Create a Functional Layout

Image courtesy of: bialasiewicz

During this crucial period that shapes their future, to instill a regular study routine for your teenager amidst increasing homework it’s essential to provide a comfortable study area so that they are not distracted. Make provision for sufficient storage for keeping laptops and their study materials. Assess the size and shape of the room and incorporate built-in storage with shelves, drawers and bins for keeping clothes, books, shoes, and accessories as it will camouflage clutter and impart a clean look. Consider investing in a cozy mattress and pillow, as quality sleep is vital at every stage of life, with particular emphasis on the teenage years. Create a dark and serene sleep environment as a fundamental aspect of bedroom design. The most effective way to regulate light levels and eliminate disturbances from street lamps or early morning sunshine is using blackout blinds or lined curtains.

When designing a teenage girl’s room, incorporate a grooming area with a large mirror and easy access to daily items like accessories, combs, hairbrushes, makeup, and jewelry.

2. Use Bold Colors

Image courtesy of: srijaroen

Vibrant hues are ideal for teenage bedrooms, as teenagers often enjoy expressing themselves boldly. Consider incorporating bold colors on an accent wall, or if you’re hesitant about using them on the walls, opt for bold shades in the soft furnishing instead. These colors maintain a lively atmosphere in the space even on cloudy days.

3. Practical Storage

Image courtesy of: pro_creator

Given that teenagers are typically busy, having plenty of shelves available is essential to help keep their lives organized and on track. Additionally, it’s advisable to ensure that items are handy, within reach, and eyesight for added convenience. When furnishing a teen’s room, prioritize storage solutions that accommodate the clutter of books, clothes, sports equipment, and trinkets. Opt for functional storage that complements the room’s style.

4. Play with Geometric Prints

Image courtesy of: bialasiewicz

Vibrant geometric prints infuse a teenager’s room with distinctive character, serving as a focal point that enhances the overall aesthetic. Note that bold prints can be incorporated through decals, wallpaper, or even an art gallery, expressing individuality without occupying valuable floor space.

5. Accentuate With Furnishing

Image courtesy of: bialasiewicz

Introducing lively and vibrant elements into the bedroom imparts a youthful and positive energy, instantly elevating the atmosphere with a cheerful vibe. Ensure your teen’s personal space radiates happiness by incorporating colorful touches in the bed linen, cushions, accent walls, or artful wall accessories.

6. Install Wallpaper

Image courtesy of: Agalokos

Image courtesy of: pro_creator

Opt for wallpaper to effortlessly infuse fun colors and patterns into your teen’s bedroom, allowing for a quick room transformation every few years without the need for a complete redecoration. Instead of painting all the walls, use wallpaper to create a stylish focal point. Explore wallpaper options with a variety of colors, patterns, prints, and images to add character to your space, enhancing the aesthetic appeal of bare walls.

7. Extra Lighting

Image courtesy of: bialasiewicz

A mix of lighting is crucial in any space, especially in a teenage bedroom where it must accommodate diverse moods throughout the day. Your teenager will require additional lighting, such as a task lamp on their desk and a bedside lamp, particularly if they enjoy reading before bedtime. Soft lighting will turn the bedroom into a cozy retreat where your teenager can unwind. So, make sure to bring in a variety of lighting options like understated or extravagant pendant lights and ambient lighting for a cozy and relaxing atmosphere.

8. Biophilia

Image courtesy of: Johnstocker

Integrate plants and a touch of nature through prints to establish a tranquil atmosphere that contributes to a calm and soothing ambiance. This is essential for stabilizing the fluctuating moods of teenagers.

9. Personalize the Space

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Encourage your teenager to showcase their individuality by selecting a distinctive element that reflects their hobbies and interests, distinguishing their room from others. A personal touch can be introduced with posters, artwork, photographs, and mementos to make the space uniquely theirs.

10. Introduce Stripes

Image courtesy of: bialasiewicz

Image courtesy of: pro_creator

Horizontal, vertical, or diagonal stripes can add a dynamic touch to the décor. It’s worth noting that horizontal stripes can create a sense of length in the room, while vertical stripes can make the room appear taller. Opting for black and white stripes gives a bold look, and you can also choose stripes in various colors for a vibrant effect.

11. Integrate Technology

Image courtesy of: adpephoto

Recognize the importance of technology in a teenager’s life. Include charging stations, outlets, and tech-friendly furniture to accommodate devices. Although USB charging points are vital for gadgets, but to limit screen time, consider creating a designated ‘digital zone’ away from the bed for devices to be left overnight instead of having a charging station near the bed.

12. Go With Cool Colors

Image courtesy of: bialasiewicz

Being cool is considered beneficial for the psychological well-being of teenagers, and the calming and positive ambiance created by blue-green tones adds to this without being dull.

13. Scandinavian Décor

Image courtesy of: bialasiewicz

The longevity of Scandinavian-style decor remains as a teenager evolves into adulthood, achieved through a neutral color palette, a layered aesthetic with various textures, and subtle elements of sophistication.

14. Add a Seating

Image courtesy of: Studio

Image courtesy of: romashkacom

For a teenage bedroom, prioritize creating a space with privacy for your teenager and their friends to hang out. Consider including beanbags, soft rugs, and ample cushions to provide comfortable floor seating, incorporating plenty of soft textiles. You can also go for a corner swing or consider incorporating a small window seat in the corner of your teen’s spacious bedroom, providing a cozy spot for relaxation or socializing, with teenage girls particularly valuing a bench seat offering the outdoor views.

15. Compact Bedroom

Image courtesy of: Photology75

Avoid overcrowding a small room by keeping it simple and opt for a bold color on one accent wall and neutral tones on the others. Introduce a small area rug with a playful print, and limit accessories to a select few to maintain a clean and uncluttered look. In smaller bedrooms, explore the option of versatile furniture, like a loft bed with an underneath desk, which can serve as a multifunctional unit accommodating both study and sleep.

These tips will surely help you revamp your teen’s space while maintaining an organized space. Where the bedroom was once solely for sleeping and playing, it now serves as a place for relaxation, socializing with friends, and completing homework. This bedroom will also create beautiful memories as teens transition into adulthood.

The post 15 Essential Décor Tips For Designing a Teenager’s Bedroom first appeared on Yanko Design.

We only have a very finite desk space, constrained by the available area in our rooms or offices. We can always stack up desk organizers or have drawers beneath to make up for it, but those can only go so far. One underutilized area of our desks is often the sides, and there will always be at least two free edges even if you have a corner table. Taking advantage of that unused space, this rather unusual desk organizer hangs a saddlebag on the side of your table, providing not only a place to put pens and notebooks inside, but even a spot for your phone or drink on top. Best of all, it’s made of a sustainable material that looks more like luxurious leather than paper.

Designer: Tilla Goldberg for Richard Lampert

You’d normally hear of saddlebags only in relation to horses or even camels, but our work desks are just as much beasts of burden as these animals. And just like on those, the SALTO dangles off to the side to provide more storage than our overcrowded desks can already accommodate. It’s deep and spacious enough for notebooks, pens, cables, or even headphones, just about anything you want to keep out of sight but still within easy reach.

It even has enough room for a power strip, which is probably the last thing you’d think of putting inside. The bag’s design actually creates a simple loop at the bottom for the strip’s cable to pass through, becoming the only location where it snakes its way to a power outlet. It’s an unusual but effective cable management system, letting those wires all drop off to the side and disappear into the abyss that is the SALTO bag.

There is one odd and potentially problematic part of the saddlebag’s design, at least in the way it’s being advertised. The half-circle tray that sits on top becomes a place for more important items you’ll always want to have access to, like your phone or a glass of water. The latter, however, might be a cause for concern, considering how the weight of the bag’s contents could very well be heavy enough to pull that tray off the table. You can probably imagine the disaster if that drink spills inside, especially if there’s a power strip there as well.

The SALTO is also a very sustainable design that’s surprisingly made of paper. Technically, it’s a type of washable vegan paper that’s being used as a leather alternative, which explains its fabric-like texture and composition. It definitely looks elegant and stylish, especially when hanging from a minimalist desk that has all its clutter cleared and dumped into this bag.

The post Paper saddlebag hangs over the edge to keep your desk organized first appeared on Yanko Design.

e-tron EVs enable new activities for guests of the legendary restaurant and inn

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Food + Drink

Experiencing the Depth of SingleThread with Audi

e-tron EVs enable new activities for guests of the legendary restaurant and inn

Josh Rubin, Julie Wolfson

29 July 2024

Experiencing tomato season in Healdsburg at SingleThread paints an enticing picture of their mission to build a more thoughtful and sustainable future that doesn’t compromise on the little details; details that aren’t always noticed, yet always felt. This culinary destination sews together the story of a biodynamic farm, luxurious five-room inn and award-winning restaurant to create a delicious, seasonally driven tapestry in Northern California. Now with Audi as the official automotive partner, the fully electric e-tron vehicles are a complimentary amenity for guests of the inn to explore the wine country of Sonoma County and experience the SingleThread mission connecting the land to their kitchen and dining room. 

Behind the wheel of a 2024 Audi Q8 e-tron Sportback, our first stop was the 24-acre SingleThread Farm. Touring with the founding couple, executive chef Kyle Connaughton and head farmer Katina Connaughton offer a glimpse into their ethos. “Right now we are living in tomatoes and thinking about broccoli,” says Katina. “But we are never not thinking about tomatoes.” In summer tomatoes play a starring role. At the farm visitors can taste tiny champagne-bubble-sized tomatoes from the vine and buy baskets of cherry tomatoes to take home from the farm shop. 

“The farmers are the first chefs,” says Kyle as we stroll among the carefully planted and thoughtfully maintained rows of fruits and vegetables. “Ultimately, we plan our menu and cook based on what’s coming in, so we make our requests and then ultimately it’s the farmers who say here’s what you have right now. We’re just cooking that day, and giving guests the best of whatever is coming from the farm at any moment.”

The farm experience sets the tone. “At SingleThread we tell the story of today, this moment, really through Katina’s eyes of what’s happening at the farm and the ingredients and what’s in season,” says Kyle. “And also all for her floral displays, and the way that we also incorporate flowers and things from the wild and the farm.”

“The kitchen starts here… it’s really a labor of love,” Katina says. “We are trying to build layers of habitat here and strengthen our fabric of biodiversity and ecology. We’ve been experiencing a lot of environmental shifts, and we have to learn how to adapt to an ever changing climate.”

In an area known for vineyards and wineries, SingleThread makes every effort to be mindful and sustainable. “We harvest every morning and we’re bringing it into the kitchen and serving it right there,” says Katina. “It’s just so beautiful. There’s so many thoughtful layers that go into it. Everything that we’re serving is so nutrient dense. So I want our guests to leave feeling invigorated, to feel alive and to feel nurtured. That all starts here.”

The single thread from the farm to the inn is as clear as it is to the restaurant itself. At the inn, which is one floor above the restaurant, meals can be enjoyed in-room or on the building rooftop. The gorgeous Japanese breakfast spread with grilled fish and California-grown Luna Koshihikari rice is one of the menu items only available to guests. Summer produce complements the dishes with cubes of delicate tofu topped with tiny tomatoes. Hot pot dinners pair a refreshing cool tomato salad with a donabe filled with seafood, chicken or wagyu beef. In the middle of summer, in the full fine-dining experience, a course charmingly named Tomato Picnic features small cups of gazpacho, bonito covered in tiny tomatoes and a bite sized fried green tomato. The flavors are local with global influences and a clear focus on the time the Connaughtons spent living and working in Japan. This along with a three Michelin key level pampering in one of their five guest rooms makes SingleThread one of most sought-after destinations in California. 

SingleThread Inn sits just steps from the historic central square of Healdsburg in this small, walkable town. Enabled by their partnership with Audi, guests can explore local wineries, a tour of Hog Island Oyster farm, olive oil tasting at McEvoy Ranch and hikes in the Redwoods among the growing list of experiences designed to further connect visitors to this destination. SingleThread will even make a temaki bento picnic lunch presented in boxes handmade by Joey Morlock, a chef at SingleThread, to take on the journey. At the farm they offer workshops from floral arranging to chopstick carving. Through these experiences we gained deep context for the stunning three-Michelin-star meal the restaurant has become famous for. And it’s that context that the Connaughtons feel so strongly about offering.

Luxury is in the details and often more felt than seen at SingleThread. The dining room, like the inn suites, has an understated chic Japan-meets-California aesthetic. The Japanese hospitality practice of anticipating a guest’s needs before they do, Omotenoshi, runs deep at SingleThread. In the dining room a table captain communicates using hidden hand signals that alert another server, whether a guest requested sparkling water and the placement at the table of their seat. In the kitchen with Kyle, we hear him call “left hand.” He later explains that once they notice a guest is left-handed they begin to orient the dishes toward their dominant hand and will even plate the dish to optimize their experience.

The “Early Summer in Sonoma” tasting begins with a dizzying array of small bites featuring vibrant chilled produce and premium seafood. Where another restaurant might offer a tiny opening amuse-bouche bite, Connaughton and his team fill the table with a dramatic, elegant display of small dishes to wake up the palate presented on a sprawl of moss and flowers that ground the experience in the nature that enabled it. It’s a light, refreshing and opulent way to begin the meal. 

Locally raised duck appears on the menu as duck liver with salad and later with morel mushrooms on rice. A wagyu beef course adds some richness. Dessert continues the thread of the Connaughtons’ experiences and influences in Japan with ume shiso, matcha wagashi. With or without the wine pairings it is an intoxicating experience. Especially with an idealized culinary approach to their non-alcoholic pairings where a team of four has conceived of thoughtful beverages to highlight the flavors in each course, using the seasonal ingredients available at the moment—arguably an even more appropriate beverage pairing than the wines sourced from the world’s finest wineries. 

At the end of the evening each guest is presented a hand-tied menu as a memento of the meal with a handwritten note from the Connaughtons and an origami paper flower that opens to reveal a pack of seeds as a soulful suggestion to bring the thread of growing a meal into your home—in our case komatsuna, a leafy Japanese vegetable. It’s tempting to want to plant the seeds right away. 

French designer Mathieu Lehanneur created the electric Olympic cauldron for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games to resemble a hot-air balloon and be “a beacon in the night and a sun within reach”.

The 30-metre-tall cauldron, which references traditional hot-air balloons, has a seven-diametre ring of fire at its base that was set ablaze by athletes Marie-José Pérec and Teddy Riner on Friday to launch the Paris 2024 Olympics.

But while traditional hot-air balloons are powered by burning fossil fuels, the cauldron’s ring of fire is not actually fire at all. Lehanneur instead designed the balloon cauldron with a non-combusting “electric flame”.

This is composed of 40 LED spotlights that illuminate a cloud created by 200 high-pressure misting nozzles.

“This absolutely unique cauldron represents all the spirit I wanted to give to the Olympic and Paralympic objects,” Lehanneur said.

“Light, magical and unifying, it will be a beacon in the night and a sun within reach during the day,” he added. “The fire that burns in it will be made of light and water, like a cool oasis in the heart of summer.”

Located in the Jardin des Tuileries, the Olympic cauldron nods to France’s history of flight and hot air balloons. In 1783, physicist Jacques Charles’ hydrogen-filled gas balloon took off from the area.

The 2024 Olympic cauldron will remain on the ground during the daytime throughout the Olympics, but at sunset, it will rise 60 metres into the sky and be visible from hundreds of metres away.

The electric balloon is the third piece of design that Lehanneur created for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, following the torch and the relay cauldron, with the designs all meant to complement each other.

Each has a metallic colour that was created by mixing the gold, silver and bronze medals.

“I created the torch, the relay cauldron and the Olympic cauldron as three chapters in the same story,” Lehanneur explained. “The cauldron is the epilogue and the ultimate symbol of that story.”

Each design was also intended to symbolise one part of France’s national motto – Liberty, Equality, Fraternity – with the flying cauldron meant to reference liberty.

“While the symmetry of the torch symbolises equality, the relay cauldron, with its pure, circular ring, symbolises fraternity,” the Paris 2024 organisers said.

“All that was missing was liberty to complete the national motto. Between earth and sky, the Paris 2024 Flying Cauldron is the perfect representation of this.”

The energy used to power the cauldron was supplied by energy company EDF and comes from 100 per cent renewable electricity.

“Thanks to an innovation by EDF, the Paris 2024 Cauldron will shine for the first time with a 100 per cent electric flame,” EDF CEO and chairman Luc Rémont said.

“This ‘electric revolution’ was made possible thanks to the monumental work carried out by our teams and designer Mathieu Lehanneur,” he added.

“Their creativity and innovative strength have made it possible to design a flame without fossil-fuel combustion, a flame made of water and light.”

Find out more about this year’s Olympic games in our Olympic Impact series, which examines the carbon-reduction measures taken by the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games and explores whether sustainable major sporting events are possible.

As part of the series, we explored the notable venues used for the games, including the Eiffel Tower Stadium.

The photography is courtesy of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The post Mathieu Lehanneur “flying cauldron” lit for Paris 2024 Olympics appeared first on Dezeen.