Scraps of Paper

Sailing Away…​

This past weekend I was fortunate enough to be invited to take a cruise up and down the East River here in NYC with the BlogTourNYC crew. The cruise was provided by Mr. Steam and it provided truly amazing views of the city and a terrific time with a group of amazing people. Not only did I have a terrific time catching up with old friends and meeting new ones. But there were two key observations that struck me when it comes to lighting.

The Light that we find beautiful breaks all the rules for what we think is functional. 

If you look at this photo what you see is the light receding beyond the horizon line. Yet it’s this balance the darkness of the water in the foreground with the impending darkness of the sky above that makes this sunset so beautiful. This is traditionally functional light, but I think the problem there is that we’ve for far too long defined functional light as absurdly bright and shadowless. That’s not the light we respond to as human beings. 

We Admire Objects That Emanate Light

I know this isn’t a stunning finding, but I think it’s important to remember it. We marvel at objects that emanate light. Whether it’s a fine lamp or an entire skyscraper. There’s something deeply captivating about a man-made object that glows. It’s a focal point - a visual center. ​When you fill an entire island with them, it becomes magic. 

Many thanks to Mr. Steam for letting me aboard for this trip. Not only did I love the boat ride, Martha, Susan, Tim and Veronika are really some of my favorite people and any excuse to get together is welcome. Incidentally if you haven’t checked out what BlogTour is all about, you really should and moreover, if you’ve yet to see some of the amazing experiences Mr. Steam can create in your home, give them a few minutes too. ​

I wanted this project to be amazing, but I actually think it’s kind of an architectural mess. Take a classic old New York skyscraper and turn the top 4 floors into an all-white architectural exercise. 

It seems like a very expensive play thing for a very wealthy client.