Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Fashion is fast living, but it gives an indication of what is possible if you dedicate a certain amount of time and development, said Belinda Gnther, Mercedess head of color and trim. Furniture needs to survive for a number of years, so from a durability perspective, its interesting to see what is possible there.

Both of these industries are exploring greener fabrics and procedures. Sustainability is definitely a growing trend in the fashion industry, said Rachel Cernansky, the sustainability editor for Vogue Business. Whether its growing at the scale it needs to is another question.

Ms. Cernansky pointed to the increasing use of upcycled polyester and nylon in high-end clothing, though she questioned whether these products were doing enough to stem our insatiable appetite for new objects.

Its problematic because it cant be recycled again, she said.

Ms. Cernansky is more compelled by companies like Tyton BioSciences and Natural Fiber Welding because theyve created the capacity to turn fibers into fibers. This, she said, allows new fabric to be made from the huge amount of clothing in the world that is not being worn, so we dont need to harvest new resources. But for now these companies are small, and scaling their tech will be costly.

Sustainable materials are also finding their way into high-end housewares and dcor. Clients, especially families, really like a lot of these recycled products because they wear well theyre extremely durable, said Young Huh, an interior designer in New York. A lot of these solution-dyed recycled fabrics, because the dye is in the fiber, the colors dont change, so you can bleach them.

These characteristics are also useful in health and hospitality situations, like a Ronald McDonald House that Ms. Huh designed. Ronald McDonald Houses provide apartments for families near hospitals where their children are being treated, and the rooms previously had to be superheated after each stay to sterilize them. That cant be done effectively with some natural fibers, but is possible with Xorel fabrics made from sugar cane by Carnegie Fabrics.

This quality could become even more relevant in the coronavirus pandemic. You can wipe down vegan leather with sanitizer, Ms. Huh said. You cant do that with leather.

See the original post here:
Luxury Cars Go Sustainable From the Inside Out - The New York Times

The Global Interior Design Software Market report consists of the latest discoveries and technological advancements recorded in the industry, along with an analysis of the factors and their effect on the markets future development. The report focuses on the current businesses and the present-day headways, and the future growth prospects for the Interior Design Software market.

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The Global Interior Design Software market size will reach XX Million USD by 2027, from XX Million USD in 2019, at a CAGR of XX% during the forecast period.

Get FREE Sample Copy with TOC of the Report to understand the structure of the complete [emailprotected] https://www.marketexpertz.com/sample-enquiry-form/15473

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The study also delivers accurate insights into the market in the forecast duration and other key facts and figures pertaining to the global Interior Design Software market.

Leading Interior Design Software manufacturers/companies operating at both regional and global levels:

AutodeskDassault SystemesTrimbleSmartDrawDecolabsRoomtodoSpace Designer 3DPlanner 5DHome Hardware StoresRoomSketcher

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Interior Design Software Market has maintained a steady growth rate in the past decade and is predicted to grow at a higher growth rate during the forecast period. The analysis offers an industry-wide evaluation of the market by looking at vital aspects like growth trends, drivers, constraints, opinions of industry experts, facts and figures, historical information, and statistically-backed and trade valid market information to predict the future market growth.

The Global Interior Design Software Market is segmented:

In market segmentation by types of Interior Design Software, the report covers-

Residential SectorNon-Residential Sector

In market segmentation by applications of the Interior Design Software, the report covers the following uses-

ArchitectsEngineersContractors

This Interior Design Software report umbrellas vital elements such as market trends, share, size, and aspects that facilitate the growth of the companies operating in the market to help readers implement profitable strategies to boost the growth of their business. This report also analyses the expansion, market size, key segments, market share, application, key drivers, and restraints.

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Geographically, the Interior Design Software market is segmented across the following regions: North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa.

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In conclusion, the Global Interior Design Software Market report provides a detailed study of the market by taking into account leading companies, present market status, and historical data to for accurate market estimations, which will serve as an industry-wide database for both the established players and the new entrants in the market.

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Interior Design Software Market (2020-2027) Report Offers Detailed Insights about Different Players Operating Within The Interior Design Software...

Alexandra Champalimauds career as an interior designer had a dramatic beginning. In 1975, she, her husband and their young son fled Portugal in the wake of the countrys Carnation Revolution. They arrived in Montreal, knowing no one, without jobs or connections. But Champalimaud, who spoke French, began looking for work as a designer. She found it, eventually starting her own small firm, an endeavor that brought her to New York in 1994 to reimagine the Drake Hotel. In the States, a promising career received an injection of rocket fuel.

Alexandra ChampalimaudCourtesy of Champalimaud

Theres nothing like the United States in terms of opportunities, she says. Its extraordinary, the momentum that one can have.

Indeed. Champalimauds eponymous company has designed some of the worlds most iconic hotels, from The Plaza in New York and the Bel-Air in Los Angeles to the recently completed Raffles in Singapore. On the latest episode of the Business of Home podcast, Champalimaud shares the story of her meteoric rise and she and her firms CEO, Ed Bakos, discuss how theyre addressing the challenges of the COVID-19 era.

This episode was sponsored by Buildlane and Industry West. Below, listen to the episode and check out a few takeaways from the conversation. If you like what you heard, subscribe to the podcast (free of charge!) to get a new episode every week.

ReinventionWhen Bakos joined the firm seven years ago, he reimagined the companys internal structure. Rather than a collection of siloed teams, he implemented a flat management system, where everyone worked on everything. Rather than see ourselves as a small group thats subdivided, [we came] together around something we called one studio, says Bakos. It was the idea of this creative collective, a workshop mentality. Wed all be involved with making things at all levels.

Champalimaud CEO Ed BakosCourtesy of Champalimaud

The change isnt without its challengesit can be difficult to find the right team members and coordinate the efforts of a large group. But the benefits are many: Champalimaud is more nimble than ever, says Bakos, and able to capitalize on a diverse group of talents (the 50-person staff speaks 14 languages among them).

Zoom is good?Like all other New Yorkbased design firms, Champalimaud has been working from home for months now. There are difficulties, and both Bakos and Champalimaud expressed enthusiasm for a return to in-person design meetings. But the socially distanced era, they say, has changed the dynamic of the firm in positive ways. There is a freedom of expression. There might be others who, in my presence normally in a conference room, they might not want to be quite as involved, says Champalimaud. But when their job is to talk about X, Y and Z of this project, they do so. People feel they have been set free in some ways. They have to be more expressive to get their ideas across. Bakos agrees, adding that theres a benefit to client meetings where the entire staff is able to sit in on Zoom and pick up on nuances that would normally go unheard behind conference room doors.

React, dont overreact In contemplating the effect of the pandemic on her own firm and the industry at large, Champalimaud cautions against overcorrecting. [Its essential] that we take into consideration this incredible point of view, of complete health and wellness for the guest, she says. But its something to be taken in carefully measured steps. Buildings have lobbies and restaurants, and I believe versions of all of that are going to remain forever. Attitudes are changing every day. What we are not lacking is creativity. Common sense will prevail.

Link:
Alexandra Champalimaud on what will (and won't) change in hospitality design - Business of Home

Gale Taylor had never seen a cross on the side of the road.

She never had to place a roadside memorial in her front yard even after her 5-year-old daughter, Penny Jo, was struck by a vehicle on Memorial Day in 1979.

I can see her right now with those long, skinny legs running up the driveway and across the road, Taylor said. I saw the car coming and I knew it was going to happen. When the car hit her, she went up in the air a good 20 feet, and she looked like a rag doll. I thought she was dead.

I never thought about a cross then because I had never seen one on a road, but I thank God every day that she was alive.

Penny Jo Noble Strain, 45, died at 10:02 a.m. Wednesday, March 4, of this year after she crossed the center line on Cunningham Road, hitting an ABF Freight System Inc. tractor trailer head on, according to the accident report. A white cross mysteriously appeared on the same day in the curve where Penny died.

And after her mother searched for the person who placed it there through asking family members and joining a social media group, she finally discovered who put the little white cross at the site of her daughters fatal crash.

Sandra Buck was merely driving down Cunningham Road on the day Penny died to visit friends when she saw a cleaning crew sweeping debris from the wreck.

Knowing her Facebook friend, Penny, had died there, Sandra turned her car around and headed to Roses Discount Store on Herritage Street.

I went to buy a cross. I found one with Christmas flowers on it, and I replaced the flowers with roses, Sandra said. The ground was so hard, but the cleaning crew helped me place it in the ground.

Sandra sent Penny a friend request on Facebook a little over a year ago after she saw pictures of Pennys pug posted on her page and both shared a love for pets.

I found out she died and I was in shock, Sandra said. I didnt know her personally, but I wish I had met her because we would have been close friends.

Sandra read the Free Press article on June 3 regarding Taylors search for the person responsible for the cross and quickly messaged Taylor.

I had to do something, Sandra said. I didnt do it to be a hero. Im just that type of person. I try to do acts of kindness all the the time.

Sandras act of kindness touched Taylor.

Right this minute, when there is so much unrest in America, Sandras act of kindness gives me hope in mankind, Taylor said. That cross means something to me. It represents my childs life and death.

Penny was born on July 28, 1974, on a Sunday morning as Taylor felt a little guilty she wasnt in church but was excited to see her firstborn.

The young mother and her husband, Larry Noble, tried to have a baby for almost a year and Larry had already picked out the name Penny and Taylor added Jo.

She was my first child. I came home, jumping up and down. I was 21 and I was so thrilled, Taylor said. I remember the first time I felt her flutter in my tummy and I laid down on the floor so I could feel it better so I could get all the little flutter feeling that I could because I was so excited.

Taylor eventually gave birth to two more daughters, Amber and Julie.

She held her baby Julie while nearly 3-year-old Amber played in her room as Taylor called 911 on Memorial Day 41 years ago.

Penny was searching for a ball that had rolled across Neuse Road in a curve when she was struck by the vehicle.

I was playing with my Little People house and I knew something had happened, Amber Hoyt said. I got about halfway in the driveway when my mom told me to go back into the house.

The rotary phone cord stretched until it lost its spiral as Taylor spoke to the 911 operator outside her house and watched her daughter lying in the middle of Neuse Road. After speaking to the operator, Taylor ran to the road to see her daughter.

Taylor watched her daughters legs swell, causing her shorts to tighten. Penny broke her pelvis, suffered a concussion, and had internal bleeding.

It seemed like it took forever for the ambulance to get there though. I thought she was going to die before the ambulance ever got there, Taylor said. But when they got there and loaded her up, they didnt turn the siren on. I was in the ambulance with her and I was like, Why dont we have the siren on? My child is dying. I really thought that they knew she was going to die and didnt bother to turn the siren on.

She didnt die.

Penny stayed in the hospital for one month.

I still have flashbacks, Taylor said. It took a long time to recover from that.

Penny graduated from South Lenoir High School in 1992 and took general business classes at Lenoir Community College. Afraid of immunization shots, Penny avoided four-year colleges and chose to take night classes at North Carolina Wesleyan College. She received her masters degree in business at East Carolina University.

She worked at Moen and MasterBrand Cabinets as either a supervisor or a materials manager and went on to become a self-employed interior designer before her death.

She was great with interior design, Taylor said. She could make something out of nothing.

Taylor retired from education after teaching at Kinston High School and Woodington Middle School. She moved to Raleigh seven years ago with her husband, Keith Taylor, to be near her two granddaughters.

She received the call of her daughters death around 11:30 a.m. on March 4.

Her dad called me that morning, and he hasnt called me in 25 years, Taylor said. I knew something terrible was wrong because I dont ever remember him calling me.

Amber was working in Raleigh when her father called her. She walked to her office and began crying.

I fell apart, Amber said. I asked him if he had called my mom and Julie. He had, so I went to see my mom.

Its hard to believe that somebody you love and that was inside of you is dead. And Im never going to see her again on this earth, Taylor said. That part is hard because anything can remind you of her.

Penny was buried in a plot beside her great grandmother at the Deep Run Original Free Will Baptist Church.

Taylor contacted Rice Monuments, Inc. in Kinston for a headstone and spoke with sales manager Lisa Casteen, who worked with Penny at MasterBrand.

I didnt know her but I remembered working with Penny at MasterBrand, Casteen said. I told her I go by the cross every day on my way to work.

Taylor asked her family if they had placed the cross on Cunningham Road but no one had. She then joined the Word of Mouth Kinston Facebook group on May 15 and asked if anyone knew who put the cross there. No one knew.

I got emotional because thats where my baby died and someone cares, Taylor said. I texted Pennys dad and asked my daughters and no one put the cross there. I then joined that group thinking someone on there might know but no one said anything.

Lisa said it could have been the truck driver.

ABF sent a white orchid to Taylor after her daughters death, and she wondered if the truck driver, 50-year-old Mark Shane Donathan, placed the cross on the side of the road.

Taylor now knows who placed the cross in the curve on Cunningham Road.

She now has some peace.

I miss my precious Penny more than there are words in the unabridged dictionary, Taylor said. But, somehow, now my burden has been lightened.

Read the original post:
Mother finds person who placed cross at the site of her daughters fatal crash - Kinston Free Press

Drake, in a Kapital sweatshirt and 1017 ALYX 9SM pants, with Rafauli in the lounge

Remember the chintzy, pimped-out McMansions that were a staple of the long-running MTV series Cribs? The Toronto home of mega recording artist Aubrey Drake Graham is something else altogether. Measuring 50,000-square-feet, with amenities such as an NBA regulation-size indoor basketball court crowned by a 21-square-foot pyramidal skylight, Drakes astonishing domicile certainly qualifies as extravagant. But instead of vast expanses of cheap drywall and mountains of ungainly furniture upholstered with a hot glue gun, stately Drake Manor, as envisioned by Canadian architectural and interior designer Ferris Rafauli, is a marvel of old-world craftsmanship, constructed of limestone, bronze, exotic woods, and other noble materials. Every detail of the sprawling property has been meticulously conceived and executed. And there isnt a Scarface poster in sight.

Dubbed The Embassy, the house takes its cues from traditional Beaux Arts architecture, distilled and slightly abstracted to imbue the classic idiom with a more contemporary spirit. In form, materials, and execution, the structure is a proper 19th-century limestone mansion. But the exterior profiles are more minimal and the lines are a bit cleaner, says Rafauli, who heads his own namesake luxury design/build firm based in Ontario. This isnt stucco, paint, and fake gold. Thats not what Drake wanted, and thats not what I do.

Once youve chosen a certain style, you can dance within that style, the designer observes. Drake insists, Its overwhelming high luxury. That message is delivered through the size of the rooms and the materials and details of the floors and the ceilings. I wanted to make sure people can see the work Ive put in over the years reflected from every vantage point.

The scale of the rooms set the tone for the home experience from the moment one enters the vast entry hall. The epic great room, which soars to 44 feet high, pumps up the volume even further. At one end of the space, a bespoke concert grand piano by the venerable Austrian piano maker Bsendorfer designed in collaboration with Japanese artist Takashi Murakami and Rafauli sits nestled within a portal defined by floor-to-ceiling panels of macassar ebony set alongside bronze screens fronting more antique beveled mirror. Drakes world completely revolves around music, so he wasnt going to buy just any piano. This prized possession is an authentic marriage of artistry, craft, and quality, Rafauli notes.

In the great room is Lobmeyrs iconic Metropolitan chandelier, originally designed by Hans Harald Rath for the Viennese maker to decorate the Metropolitan Opera in New York City in 1963. With more than 20,000 pieces of hand-cut Swarovski crystal, the dazzling light sculpture is the second largest installation of its kind in the world. The furnishings, here as throughout the home, were all custom designed by Rafauli in materials that range from dyed ostrich skin and mohair to macassar and bronze.

The bedroom is where I come to decompress from the world at the end of the night and where I open my eyes to seize the day, he says. The bed lets you float, the shower lets you escape and gather your thoughts, and the closet makes you want to talk to yourself while youre getting dressed. As always, God is in the details. The bed and bed base, which weigh roughly one ton and cost more than many peoples entire homes, is from Rafaulis new line for Hstens, called Grand Vividus. The headboard, accented with antique mirror and channel-tufted leather, encompasses a whiskey-and-champagne bar on the reverse side. The nightstands feature mother-of-pearl inlays, and the bedding incorporates an Alexander McQueen hummingbird tapestry from The Rug Company.

10 photos of Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerbergs California Home

See original here:
15 photos of the Toronto mansion of superstar rapper, Drake - Architectural Digest India

Designer Adam Nathaniel Furman has picked out 10 projects that represent the New London Fabulous movement of "designers who resolutely seek out beauty, complexity and joy".

They include works by designers Yinka Ilori, Camille Walala and Morag Myerscough, architect Space Popular and artist Rana Begum, as well as Furman himself.

Other projects are by Lakwena Maciver, Edward Crooks, 2LG Studio and Katrina Russell-Adams.

Furman defined the movement in a live interview with Dezeen last week. He described the style as "design and architecture as a visual and cultural pursuit, which is highly aesthetic, sensual and celebratory of mixed cultures".

The movement is a backlash against the minimalist style that has dominated architectural discourse in the media and schools, Furman said in the interview.

Selecting 10 projects for Dezeen, Furman expanded on his definition of the movement, which has not been coordinated but has arisen out of the context of contemporary London.

"In an age of closing borders, simplistic narratives, and shrinking horizons, there is a new generation of designers who resolutely seek out beauty, complexity and joy in the face of an adverse political and economic climate, who embody the cultural melting pot of London," he said.

"At a time when liberalism, internationalism and multiculturalism values embodied by the city are under sustained attack and vilification they are defined by their total delight in the liberating power of a kind of no-holds-barred aesthetic expression that collectively looks like a huge and extremely colourful 'fuck you' to all those calling time on diversity and the celebration of difference."

Perry Rise by2LG Studio, 2018

London interior-design duo 2LG Studio converted this south-London house into their own home and studio. The four-bedroom home in Forest Hill features a series of bright, pastel-hued rooms as well as areas with bolder colours, such as the sea-green sitting room.

2LG Studio was founded by Russell Whitehead and Jordan Cluroe. The duo describe their work as "simplicity, elegance, functionality and [a] signature use of colour."

How I Started Hanging out with Home by Space Popular, 2018

London duo Lara Lesmes and Fredrik Hellberg of Space Popular liberally reference historical forms in their riotously colourful projects, which often exist only in virtual reality.

This is done to ensure virtual environments are full of stylistic references that human users can relate to in cyberspace, which has no inherent form and would otherwise be alienating.

"In that world, style is almost everything," Hellberg told Dezeen in a live interview conducted as part of Virtual Design Festival last month. "Because if you don't have style in a virtual environment, if you don't allow yourself to speak any language that you might need to communicate something, then you'll be extremely limited."

How I Started Hanging Out with Home was an exhibition held at MAGAZIN in Vienna in 2018. In it, the London studio imagined a future where buildings the increasing agency of domestic appliances leads to buildings taking on human features.

Still I Rise by Lakwena Maciver, 2017

London artist Lakwena Maciver paints large-scale murals combining colour, pattern and type, often communicating messages of hope and faith.

Still I Rise is a 2017 mural at the Juvenile Detention Center in Fort Smith, Arkansas, USA, commissioned as part of citywide project that saw artists paired with local landmarks. Maciver's contribution is inspired by writer and civil rights activist Maya Angelou's poem of the same name.

Rosebank Arcade by Edward Crooks, 2019

Whitechapel-based Edward Crooks created a large-scale wall and floor installation to transform Waltham Forest's busiest pedestrian thoroughfare into a colourful artwork.

The piece is designed to appear like a fragment of a grand civic arcade, with arches pained on the walls and a 20-metre-long pattern on the floor.

Happy Street by Yinka Ilori, 2019

Yinka Ilori is a designer who combines colour and pattern based on his heritage. Located at Thessaly Road in Battersea, this was his first installation in the public realm. For the project, the British-Nigerian designerenveloped a railway bridge in his signature motifs.

Designed as part of the 2019 London Festival of Architecture, the permanent installation called Happy Street consists of 56 patterned-enamel panels that line both sides of the road under the bridge.

Temple of Agape by Morag Myerscough and Luke Morgan, 2014

DesignersMorag Myerscough and Luke Morgan created the colourful Temple of Agape for the Festival of Love, which took place at London's Southbank Centre.

The structure is adorned with neon signs displaying words relating to love, along with a quote by Martin Luther King Jr that reads, "I have decided to stick with love."

Furman described Myerscoughas "my hero" and said: "She shares her knowledge with younger designers and has really opened up the way for the type of work that we're doing now."

Salt of Palmar hotel by Camille Walala, 2018

French artistCamille Walalahas been based in London since she completed her studio at Brighton University in 2009 and is known for large-scale public installations.

For this project, completed at the boutique Salt of Palmar hotel in Mauritius, Walala combined the bold monochromatic stripes seen in much of her work with sea blues and sunny yellow to complement the island's landscape.

Gateways by Adam Nathaniel Furman, 2017

Furman designed a series of ceramic-clad gateways for this 2017 installation at London Design Festival to showcased the history of Turkish tiles.

The four four-metre-high structures were each clad in a different type of tile employing decorative hand-painted tiles, contemporary flooring tiles, colourful square tiles and bevelled metro tiles.

The tiles were decorated using a "500-year-old technique of hand painting," Furman told Dezeen in a live interview for Virtual Design Festival last month. tiles. "I think, at the time, this was the most photographed installation at the London Design Festival."

Haus by Katrina Russell-Adams, 2020

Southeast London printmaker and visual artist Katrina Russell-Adams abstracted symbols and shapes found on architectural plans to create a pattern pained across the facade of architecture firm BAT Studio.

The artist worked with the founders of BAT Studio to produce several black and yellow relief elements that are included in the installation, which was funded by community arts organisationWood Street Walls.

No. 700 Reflectors by Rana Begum, 2016

Artist Rana Begum creates artworks that incorporate geometric patterns, often inspired by Islamic art and architecture.

As part of the redevelopment of King's Cross she combined 30,000 white, red and orange reflectors to create the 50-metre-long No. 700 Reflectors artwork that stretched the length of Lewis Cubitt Square.

Continue reading here:
Ten projects that represent the colourful New London Fabulous style - Dezeen

Can it really be thatQueerEye(Netflix) is on to its fifth season already? After a brief trip to Japan, the Fab Five have gone back to basics, although any notion that the whole-life-makeover experience they bring to deserving strangers is something basic really does their work a disservice. This is a deep dive into finding out who people are and what they need, and it is always as moving as it is entertaining.

By now, their brand of self-love, self-care, self-improvement and self-acceptance is laser-focused. There is nothing that can surprise the gang except maybe the mid-episode reveal that one participant is the brother of a famous pop star. The only real change here is that the headquarters have moved from Atlanta to Philadelphia. Jonathan Van Ness remains eternally watchable, even when hes simply shouting We love safety! and I love an alley! (That is alley, and not ally, though Im sure he loves both.) Food expert Antoni Porowski even shows up in a T-shirt emblazoned with Nothing irrational about my love for the National, a knowing nod to his seemingly endless supply of band T-shirts. This is a format so good that the five of them know it doesnt need a makeover.

In the opening episode, they meet Noah, a pastor who runs an evangelical church, who is struggling with his identity as a gay man. Through numerous heart-to-hearts, he learns to cook for himself, keep his appearance tidy and, crucially, he gets some major work done on his dilapidated parsonage. Most of the participants in this show need some new furniture and a lick of paint, but in this case, the walls are quite literally crumbling away.

Even though there is a reveal, they resist milking it with any hugely dramatic before-and-after moments, instead showing most of the tweaks as they go along. Still, its narrative of transformation gives it the irresistible appeal of Changing Rooms combined with What Not to Wear, with the added benefit of 20 years of social progression.

But its the life-coaching that ramps up the emotional intensity. Usually thats up to Karamo Brown, whose range of slogan T-shirts rivals Antonis collection of indie band merch (Cry today, smile tomorrow reads one). In the heavyweight opener, though, its mostly left to interior designer Bobby Berk to talk to Noah. When they meet, Berk makes his disdain for the church known. I was pre-warned, which is why I wore my fireproof suit, he jokes, dryly. Regular viewers will know his painful history with organised religion. The pair bond over their experiences of homophobia in the church, and both come to a new understanding about their place in the world. It would take a hard heart to deny the power of conversations as frank as this one. Its a reminder that for all of its positivity, the show is not afraid to ask difficult questions and offer difficult answers.

If this is an accurate portrait of the US, then it is a hopeful one. There is a mobile dog-groomer who is the tallest woman in her family at 6 3, a newly qualified paediatrician who gave birth six weeks before her final medical residency and an earnest teenager fully embracing politics and activism who is in danger of burning out. Ryan is a DJ on the Jersey Shore, at least by night, though by day he is a property manager for the family firm.

The nice thing aboutQueerEyeis that it pushes your feelgood buttons in the way you would largely expect the transformative power of a nice haircut, some carefully chosen and well-fitted clothes, a living space that suits the persons needs is clearly not to be underestimated but it also takes the occasional swerve into the surprising. You might be forgiven for thinking that the advice to Ryan would be to knuckle down, now that he is in his late 30s and wants to find a family, but instead, they encourage him to follow his heart, into the club.

This fifth season arrived with such haste that I checked my Netflix to see if I had finished the fourth. I still had three episodes to go. Five seasons of any show is a lot, in such a short period of time (the first run aired in 2018), but the beauty ofQueerEyeis that its adaptable and could run for years. Perhaps it will. It seems churlish to object to a show as wholesome as this on the grounds that there is too much of it. Its not as if there is an excess of love and understanding in the world. In its most poignant moments, and there are many, this show is compassionate, humanising and completely heartening.

Continued here:
Queer Eye season five review makeover show remains a thing of beauty - The Guardian

On Monday, Wizards of the Coast hit us with the banned and restricted announcement. Fires of Invention and Agent of Treachery have been banned in Standard, while the companions have been nerfed pretty heavily (you now have to pay 3 mana at sorcery speed to put one in your hand). So what do these changes mean? Well, for starters, the power level of the format will go down a lot. The undisputed best deck Lukka Fires has taken a big hit, basically becoming unplayable. Winota, possibly the second best deck, cant really function without Agent. Basically, things will come back to a pre-Ikoria state, which is pretty wild; its almost as if this set didnt exist for Standard purposes. Today, Im going to go over the 5 decks I believe will be at the top of the format moving forward. Ive ordered these from worst to best. Lets get started.

It feels like Temur Adventures always finds a way to be relevant in Standard. This deck didnt improve much with the new set, with its only new cards being Ketria Triome and Adventurous Impulse. After the bans, this might be a sleeper pick because the power level of the format will go down significantly, while Temur Adventures has been basically the same since the deck came into existence. Adventures has always been very solid against Teferi decks, while being playable against aggro thanks to Bonecrusher Giant. The bad matchups have always been decks with Mayhem Devil and Temur Reclamation. Devil took a backseat to Lurrus but, with the companions nerfs, it might be back on the menu. Only time will tell if Temur will end up tier 1, but it might be a good choice for another weekend, if Bant becomes prevalent.

This deck came to existence with Ikorias release, with all the nonland cards in the maindeck belonging to that set. The Lurrus nerf will hit this deck hard; its unclear to me if its supposed to be in the deck. There might be a different variant of this deck, with 3 mana cost cards, where you would omit it completely. Right now, I think Id start with it in my companion slot to see how much worse its gotten. Still, the plan of playing turn 1 Fox, make it a 5/5 and kill your opponent with it hasnt gotten worse. This was the best aggro deck pre-ban and that will probably still be the case in the new world. One interesting card Id like to try out is Reptilian Reflection; this could be a very resilient threat against Shatter the Sky, and it can also finish your opponent out of nowhere, because it has haste.

Good old Bant. We basically go to the version we played before Ikoria hit. Only upgrade is Shark Typhoon over Dream Trawler. In a direct fight of the Sphinx vs the Shark, the latter usually wins so therefore it makes sense to play the powerful enchantment. Other than that, this deck has a great sideboard, which can be adjusted for ones expected metagame. This deck still benefits from the powerhouse of Teferi + Elspeth Conquers Death, and Nissa might become a bit better too, because you will no longer fear it being stolen by Agent of Treachery. This might not be the best deck for week one, because its a reactive one; it might be better to wait before the meta settles a little bit to have a better sense of how to build it. Bant struggles a bit in game one against aggro so you should play carefully and safely, and devote a lot of cards in your sideboard against it.

I already mentioned Mayhem Devil coming back, and this is the shell Id start with. Crokeyz has been championing a similar list for a while, and I like it too. The combination of Citadel + Mayhem Devil can lead to wins out of nowhere. This deck grinds well with Trail, Citadel and Castle Locthwain, while also being strong against aggro thanks to Claim and Devil.

Similar to Bant, this deck has a pretty flexible sideboard with a plethora of options to choose from. There are a reasonable mix of cards, some of them even very dedicated against certain strategies. For example Soul-Guide Lantern is great against the Cycling deck to stop Zenith Flare, and Cindervines shines against Reclamation because of the namesake card. However, Im still a bit worried about the Reclamation matchup. Historically Reclamation has come up ahead against this deck, because your clock isnt super fast, and they will kill you with Explosion before you can grind them down. This might be a big problem, because, well, you probably already guessed that Reclamation is number one on my list.

Fans of Ivan Floch rejoice! Ivan has dominated in the past couple months with this deck and we might well see that trend continue. With no nerfs to this archetype and a sweet addition in Shark Typhoon, this will be the deck to beat on the first week. Not much to talk about here in terms of card specifics. Ivan has already written about this deck, so I recommend checking out his piece (Ivan Flochs Temur Reclamation Deck Guide: Navigating Around Ikoria Standard). One new card Id like to try is Fire Prophecy. Scorching Dragonfire has been getting the nod over the Prophecy, but without Lurrus in the format and Anax no longer seeing much play, it might be better to improve your hand over exiling a creature. With Yorion decks being taken out of the format, I dont see a deck that beats Reclamation easily and Im honestly surprised that it wasnt hit by the banhammer as well. Maybe players can adapt to this deck, but its honestly super versatile with Shark Typhoon providing you an answer to the problematic planeswalkers.

Thats it from me today, do you think I missed anything? Are there any other decks you would deem to be tier 1 in the new format? Let me know in the comments.

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5 Decks to Beat in the New Post-Ban Standard MTG Arena Zone - MTG Arena Zone

What began as a source of transportation for Memphian Madison Harrison transformed into a passion project. Harrison launched MadAir Decks, a custom longboard and skateboard deck business that provides an avenue for Mid-South artists and skate culture to come together.

Anyone who is able to channel their vision and turn it into a reality, is a person to be admired. And thats just who Madison Harrison is. She is a hard-working, boss babe who has created a growing brand all while shes a full time student and worker.

Harrison saw a lack of community for skaters and wanted to change that. She launched MadAir Decks, and through designing decks and collaborating with local artists, she was able to provide an avenue for creatives and skaters alike. The mission now brings local creatives together through collaboration, individual expression, networking and profit.

MadAir Decks Founder, Madison Harrison

I started long boarding as my main source of transportation a few years back. I was surrounded by friends who were artists and thats when the idea came to me. I was long boarding and working so closely with artists already, that I wanted to combine both of those worlds. I wanted to support local artists and tie it together with skate culture.

Photo: @savibelle

MadAir supplies the blank decks and artists get them for free. Usually, the artists are given creative freedom as long as the board remains rideable. Then, the MadAir logo is placed on top and covered by a clear cover rather than a traditional black grip tape. Once they are finished, they are featured at events for a set rate.

The decks are unique canvases that can serve the skating community as well, because not only can they be used for skateboarding and long boarding, they are also pieces of art that can be displayed with a wall mount.

MadAir Decks currently does not have a brick and mortar location, but rather hosts events to promote and sell their decks. Unfortunately, Covid-19 has affected the small business ability to host events, but the decks and merch are still available on their website.

Harrison encourages people of any age to pick up a board and try cruising on a longboard or skateboard. The longboarding girl boss herself says no one is too old to pick up this hobby!

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MadAir Decks Ties Together Local Art and Skate Culture - choose901.com

Andy Cohen revisited the biggest moments of Season 1 of Below Deck Sailing Yacht when the whole Parsifal III crew reunited on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen: @ Home on June 1. The yachties looked back on the most-talked-about moments of the season, from Paget Berry and Georgia Grobler's flirting to Parker McCown's resignation to Adam Glick and Jenna MacGillivray's relationship.

However, the conflict reached new heights when it came time to break down all the drama in the interior this season, especially Jenna and Madison Stalker's working relationship. We caught up with Jenna via video chat on June 2, the day after the Below Deck Sailing Yacht reunion aired, and asked how she felt things went with Madison during the virtual sit-down.

"The same as they always do," Jenna said in our new video seriesThe Final Word, which you can view, above. "I think it's very clear that her and I are just fire and ice, and we're just not gonna be on the same page, and that's OK."

During the reunion, Madison confronted Jenna about how much she hurt her this season, expressing that she felt "excluded" by the chief stew and that she made her "life a living hell." "Well, to be honest, I'm not responsible for that. Tell me exactly how I bullied you to the extent that you felt that you needed to cry every night or that I excluded you," Jenna responded to the claims Madison made during the reunion. "Like I said, we were all joking and laughing together all the time, and literally everyone but Madison and Parker were on board with that. We'll continue joking around, and we weren't joking about them. To be honest, I never excluded her. I didn't have anything in common with her."

As the Below Deck Sailing Yacht reunion came to a close, Jenna delivered a tearful apology to Madison for her behavior this season. But, as Jenna mentioned during the reunion, this wasn't the first time she had shown remorse for how things went down with the second stew. "With Adam, when we left the season, and we were doing our road trip, I would constantly talk about this feeling like, 'Oh, I'm really frustrated that Madison still thinks I'm this a--hole, and it's really bothersome to me.' He's like, 'Well, maybe you should contact her.' And I waslike, 'Yeah, I will,'" Jenna said. "So I sent her an apology, and it was like, again, nothing I ever did or said would just be resolved. [Madison] at first wrote, 'OK, yeah, there shouldn't be bad blood.' And then it was like, as soon as thathappened, 'Well, why did you want to fire me? Why did this happen?' I could never just have a conversation with Madison. I tried, I really did."

Madison said that she accepted Jenna's apology during the reunion and that she had moved on from their drama. The two even talked after the reunion, according to Jenna. "We had a phone call after the reunion, and she seemed to accept my apology, but now is still posting negative stuff about me on social media. She is liking the comments of trolls. She is reposting things that speak negatively about me," Jenna said. "I've never said anything about her on social media. She has done that from the start about me. So it's like, that's not a good person to me."

When asked if there was anything she could have done differently in orderto have a smoother time working with Madison this season, Jenna said that she "would've suggested firing Madison." "She should've been let go," Jenna said.

Jenna added that Madison "equally" didn't like her this season and that they would both probably agree that they would never want to work with each other again. The chief stew alsosaid she doesn't see them having much of a personal relationship in the future. "We go nowhere. I live my life, and she lives her life," Jenna shared. "Hopefully, she's happy. I wish nothing but happiness for anyone. I wouldn't have ill wishes for her. I hope that she does well in life, and that's all."

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Here's What Happened Between Jenna and Madison After the Below Deck Sailing Yacht Reunion - Bravo