I am curious about this upscale folding camper that comes with luxury beds and an enclosed teak veranda. I perceived it as an extension of the glam camping (also known as glamping) trend that grows over the last couple of years. But Opera has the advantage of delivering comfortable camping wherever you wish to camp. It is called Opera because the Sydney Opera House was the design inspiration.

Opera is scheduled to launch this December. I will be looking for more details. For now, you can watch a promotional slideshow on Your Suite in Nature.

+ photo: Your Suite in Nature

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If you never went to Amsterdam, you are missing something. The gorgeous has its share of cool modern design shops, you eat well and it is an urban area where you will feel in vacation. It has been a while since my last visit. Looking at these beautiful pictures taken by Pia Jane Bijkerk, show me how much I miss the European city vibe.

Pia is a known interior and food stylist who currently divides her time working and living between Sydney, Paris and a houseboat in Amsterdam. What a good lifestyle! Naturally, Pia talked about these 3 cities in her blog. I guess it will become one of your favorite blog. I added Pia’s blog to my daily fab read blogroll.

Taking about blogroll, I discovered Pia’s blog while commenting about stylish lampshades on Design Hole.

+ photo by Pia Jane Bijkerk

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I introduced the Missoni Hotel a couple months ago for their bold use of colors in a bedroom. Missoni is one of many designer brands who joined the hospitality market.

These days, the fashionista can do more than decorate her home with designer’s bedding and cushions, or entertain with tableware from the same fashion maven than the clothes she wears at her dinner party. The next frontier is to fully experience a designer style by staying in an hotel room. Seriously, I am all for stylish, well-designed hotel rooms. I am tired to see the generic hotel rooms. When I travel, I want a better experience that will inspire me. That is the main appeal of the boutique hotels.

Elle Canada listed 9 designer hotels from established fashion houses and hip designers. If you wish to stay in an interior designed by Christian Lacroix head to Hotel Du Petit Moulin. You could enjoy a night in a Bulgari Hotel when you visit Milan or or the remodeled Mondrian designed by Benjamin Noriega-Ortiz when you go to Los Angeles.

+ more at Elle Canada
+ photo via Bulgari Hotels

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This is an annual must-see in Montreal. Until November 1st, 2009, head to Montreal Botanical Garden at night to see the Magic of Lanterns exhibit. Make sure to bring a good camera.

+ photos by Michel Tremblay for the Montreal Botanical Garden

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Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth was one of the sponsors of PodCamp Montreal 2009. After the Saturday sessions, a selected group were invited for a cocktail in the John Lennon and Yoko Ono Suite.

Fairmont put the bed as the place it was for the bed-in. One thing that you may not know is that the suite was rearranged for the bed-in. We all appreciated that Fairmont was kind enough to change the place of the bed for us.

The story goes that John and Yoko wanted the bed in front of the window with the best view. The lounge area became the bedroom. Everything has changed since then. Except for the pictures on the wall and the floor plan, nothing from that area is still in the room. Still, it was a great feeling.

Everyone had his or her picture taken in the bed. Michelle Sullivan did a live interview with me to talk about my top blogging tips and trends. It was a lot of fun. I included more pictures of the small suite to give you an idea of the space.

Here, Laurent Maisonnave set up his video camera to capture a live interview with Scarborough Dude, Bob Goyetche, Julien Smith and Laurent Lasalle. Observing is my husband, Jérôme Paradis.

Until December 31, 2009, you can book the Bed-In for Peace package at the Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth hotel.

PHOTO CREDITS:
+ Bob Goyetche
+ Jerome Paradis

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Haus Maus

As you may know, Holly  of Decor8 writes a second blog where she talks about her new life in Hanover. In Haus Maus, she chronicles little differences like this communal bookcase. People donate the books. If you take one, you need to replace it by another book. I like this idea.

On another post, Holly talked about the fact that people often travel in bicycle instead of taking the car. Sure that the narrow streets of Europe make driving cumbersome, but it is more than that. I envy them.

Design*Sponge

In fact, the idea of this post starts when I saw the Arbour Wall picture in Brisbane earlier today. You will find 72 city guides on Design*Sponge. The pictures are from the:

• Brisbane guide
• Manhattan guide part 2: the meatpacking district

If you plan a visit to one of the covered cities, they are a must to read since each guide is written by a resident.

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If you ever go to Grenada, do not miss this incredible exhibit. British sculptor Jason de Caires Taylor wanted to do something to help the endangered reefs along the coast of Grenada. He came up with a solution that uses his skills. He created artificial reefs made of sculptures fashioned out of materials suitable for marine life.

Jason de Caires Taylor did it with humor. He sculpted modern art pieces in the ocean. It is a fantastic sight. His 79 art pieces continually evolve as nature dwells the park. People can dive to admire this surrealist art exhibit.  I would like to go. You can start to understand the magnitude of his creations by watch this video. It is a treat!

Limited edition prints and posters are sold at UnderwaterSculpture.com. Limited edition prints are £260 each and posters are £20 each.

Where Is It?

The underwater sculpture park is integrated into an artificial reef at Molinere Bay, north of St-George in Grenada. Do not expect a sign at the surface of the ocean. The sculptures are sited in clear shallow waters to be accessible to divers, snorkellers and those in glass-bottomed boats. Before you start your quest to explore this unique underwater sculpture park, read this detailed article in Maco. It explains everything you need to know to find the spot.

MORE:
+ Underwater Sculptures – copyrighted photos by Jason de Caires Taylor
+ Via WebUrbanist
+ Via my friends Nathalie Rivard and Renée Wathelet who shared the video on Facebook

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This is not the typical accommodation that you think you will get when you stay at a National Park. It is about time that we get other choices than the predictable log cabins.

Sustainable Modern Architecture Design

Each residence offers three en suite bedrooms for sleeping 6 guests. The open floor plan brings the indoors out so you can take full advantage of nature. The succession of the kitchen, the dining room and the living room favors being together. I would be delighted to stay at one of these modern luxury residences located in Yorkshire Dales, UK.

One of the reasons why it is more ecological to build minimal foundations in nature is to Minimal foundations maintain a living habitat beneath each residence. Natural Retreats’ Yorkshire Dales has attained Zero Carbon status. Sustainable design is reflected with rainforest harvesting, a living plant based roof, low energy consumption combined with solar energy, recycled materials used for insulation and more. See the Web site for the list of green initiatives.

With 5 Luxury Resorts in Ireland

In Ireland, Natural Retreats operates the 5-star Castlemartyr Resort, located in the South East of Ireland in Cork. The modern building was build on the estate of a castle first built in 1210 by knights under the leadership of Richard Earl de Clare. But the magnificent Manor House that we see from the glass wall of the indoor swimming pool was built in the 17th century.

Besides these two properties, Natural Retreats operated 4 more resorts in Ireland.

MORE:
+ Natural Retreats

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We stayed to the newly opened Fairmont hotel when we went to Boston at the beginning of August. We stayed there for almost a week. I now prefer the Fairmont Battery Wharf to the historic Copley Plaza hotel. The Battery Wharf won for its location and its modern design.

Little Italy

If you have ever been to Boston, you know that at night, it becomes a quiet city. I am always amazed to see how early everything close, even on week-ends. During our previous visit to Boston, we were going to Cambridge at night.

The Battery Wharf is located along the Waterfront, and is next to North End, which is Boston’s Little Italy neighborhood. North End is lively and you have accessed to many delightful restaurants at walking distance. What else can you ask for as a tourist?

Modern Design

We stayed in a standard King size bed room. The marble bathroom is spacious. I had no problem putting my makeup while I share the bathroom with my husband. I cannot stay that of many hotel bathroom.

The most clever design idea is definitely the closet. It has doors that open from both sides: from the bathroom and from the bedroom. This is an idea that you must remember if you are renovating your master bedroom with its ensuite bathroom.

Another detail that is worth mentioning is that the designer thought that we need to recharge our cell phones, digital cameras and much more. On the side of each night table, they placed electric outlets. Finally, the flexible arm lamp on the bed frame adds to our comfort of we wish to read in bed. These are small details that enhance your stay.

MORE:
+ Fairmont Battery Wharf in Boston

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Using bold colors and patterns requires more than an eye for design. One luxury company who is known for their bold use of colors is Missoni. The Italian brand opened their first hotel in Edinburgh, Scotland last June. Four more hotels is scheduled to open over the next few years.

As you would expect, the room decor is inspired by Missoni’s line of fabric. Although I do not like all their room decor, I find that some of are well-done. I wish to share my favorite ones with you. The secret is often to use solid colors taken from the bold pattern palette. You do not wish to add new colors. Then, you can oppose textures and finishes (ex: mat vs shiny).

The richness of the more subtle scheme rooms comes from a major element done in a metallic finish. If you like it, check out the Golden Age Silver collection by Missoni.

Although the entrance is a bright yellow, the main walls of the room have an almost plain beige wallpaper. This is what you need to not compete with a bedding.

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This is a beautiful organic shape art installation. With their I am so sorry. Goodbye double-domed pavilion, Heather and Ivan Morison explored the relationship between the built environment and nature. The interior has a few chairs and tables and a service bar where you can have a tea.

If you are passing by London, UK until October 18th, 2009, pass by the Barbican Waterside to see this amazing Balsa wood structure. Looking inside the doom is supposed to bring a futuristic feeling. Another reason to go in, they are serving hibiscus tea inside. The admission is free.

MORE:
+ Heather and Ivan Morison: I am so sorry. Goodbye at Barbican Art Gallery
+ Via Trendir

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I spotted a two-wheeled CAA patroller on my way home. This is the first year that CAA Quebec ran this program. It is only available during the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal, which is ending tonight. The bike patroller that I spoke to enjoys it very much.

Next experience will be in Quebec City

The two-wheeled patrollers will be active during the peak hours of the Quebec City’s Summer Festival. They will cover the area around the National Assembly and Battlefields Park July 16 to 19, 2009. This way the patrollers do not lose time in heavy traffic. The idea is born by noting that 60% of last year Emergency Road Service assistance calls during the 400th Anniversary of Quebec City could have been handled without a tow truck.

The bike patrol is equipped to repair flat tires, deliver fuel, provide battery boosts and unlock vehicles. I think it should be a service available all summer long.

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