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About Alexander Calzadilla

Alexander Calzadilla is a Cuban male originally from Philadelphia, who has happily called Miami his home since moving here at the age of 15. He attended Southwest Sr. High School and Florida International University, ultimately receiving his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration. While in college, he began working as a paralegal for the Law Offices of Jeffrey E. Reichenbacher, a position he kept for seven years after graduation. He subsequently worked at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius Associates before landing at Costa Nursery. After distinguishing himself with many accomplishments, he was promoted to the position of Director of Specialty Products, which included the orchid, bonsai and lucky bamboo departments. When Alex was first put in charge of the three departments, they ranked near the bottom. By the time he left Costa after seven years, Alex had transformed the floundering departments into unqualified successes, posting record earnings, sales and profitability. In 2008 Alex was named the Costa Employee of the Year. Alex now puts his formidable prowess as a businessman into his newest venture, Avant-Garde Home Furnishings, LLC, serving as Managing Partner.

About Avant-Garde

We offer home furnishings and decor for every area of your home,both inside and out, always striving to bring you the most current design elements being used by today's top designers, at a fraction of their retail cost. Whether you are completely redecorating an area of your home, looking for the perfect accent piece to finish off an existing room, shopping for a unique gift, or simply "window shopping" to get design ideas, Avant-Garde is the place to go for everything modern & contemporary for your home.

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Monday, November 21, 2011

Modern Lighting and some really cool clocks


Modern Lighting...
In today's world we find so many drastic changes from one area of the modern contemporary style of design but none so drastic as we have seen with lighting. The field of lighting has taken a drastic turn from the post modern designs of the sixties, from the old fashioned designs of yesteryear to the more minimal simplistic style we see in so many places today. Lighting is now hidden, in the back-round, has faders or dimmers to create the perfect room mood, and simply is more peaceful, serene then in the past. Its now fully integrated into our room designs and doesn't create a flare unless used as an accent piece but many times it simply blends in and creates an atmosphere of peace and tranquility in our homes and even exterior lighting is now designed and all part of a bigger picture. Below you will find some very unique designs with regards to lighting.
Hope you enjoy the pics and post... 
Modern Halogen Lighting

It's easy to capture the energy of a room upon entering. Whether you are walking into a master bathroom decorated like a luxury spa or walk into your dimly lit living room after a long day, it's natural to feel calm and refreshed. A great way to control the energy of a room is through lighting - especially with Artemide's Mercury Suspension from designer Ross Lovegrove.


A collection of chrome plated reflective pebbles are suspended from an aluminum disc and reflect natural light off of each other throughout the day. The overall modern look is mesmerizing and will put anyone in a state of relaxation. As described by Lovegrove, 'this piece acts as a sculptural object reflecting the dynamics of natural light and movement of people around them.'

Modern Reflective Lighting



Modern Bathroom Makeover

Thank you to everyone that voted on my most recent poll which asked “Which room in your home are you most proud of?”. I appreciate your participation as each poll gives me an idea of which topics I need to currently focus on. For instance, we found that only 6% of visitors are most proud of their bathroom so I felt today would be the perfect opportunity to highlight some amazing products and design ideas that will get your bathroom high on your “favorite room” list. Over the next few posts, I will highlight key components to your modern bathroom makeover.


Bathroom LightingWhen upgrading your bathroom’s design, the most efficient way to achieve your desired look is to work with what you’ve got! If you simply can’t spare the money for updated plumbing fixtures, splurge on a few key lighting accessories that will have your bathroom looking stylish in no time. Replace any old or traditionally styled fixtures with simple, modern items for your bathroom vanity or bath/shower area. For large areas above the bathroom sink, invest in a sophisticated vanity strip or pair of wall sconces to mount on either side of your mirror. If décor is what’s lacking, use unique lighting that takes on more of an art deco approach or incorporates bold color to give your bathroom the style it needs. Here is a sampling of modern lighting that will steer you in the right design direction so that you can be more proud of your wash room! Stay tuned for more modern bathroom makeover tips.


Zaneen Lighting Wall Sconce
George Kovacs Vanity Strip Lighting
W.A.C. Double Wall Sconce

Contemporary Chandeliers Shine

Let there be light!

Bring light into your home this winter with breathtaking modern lighting. Whether it’s for over your dining table or over a kitchen counter, acontemporary chandelier is an eye-catching conversation starter that is bound to be the focal point of any room.

Chrystal chandeliers are beautiful and elegant, but exude a traditional vibe. For a modern chandelier that is both stunning and fun, consider a chandelier by manufacturer LBL Lighting, such as the Batons 12-Light Chandelier. This modern chandelier features twelve Italian frosted glass bulb covers with a satin nickel finish. To add color and mood light to the room, the Baton 12-Light Chandelier also has optional teardrops available in amber, blue, frost, green, or red. Choose one color to accent your modern décor or combine red and green teardrops this holiday season for festive flavor.


For a modern chandelier that resembles the Christmas season, LBL Lighting designed the Flare 20 Light Halogen Suspension Chandelier. This funky chandelier is reminiscent of tangled vintage Christmas lights and can be playfully customized by bending the stainless steel arms in the position you desire. This is also beneficial to give light to a specific direction or object in the room. Like the Baton 12-Light Chandelier, this contemporary chandelier also has colored teardrops available for a dramatic burst of color.



If you’d rather keep your dining area elegant, but still would like a modern appearance, chandeliers by Sonneman, such as the Rio Right Light Chandelier, are classic yet contemporary. The circular Rio Eight Light Chandelier is made of beautiful art glass drizzled with black swirls. This glowing work of art is both sleek and stylish for the modern home.

New Modern Lighting: Bourgie Lamp by Laviani

A student of both architecture and design in Milan, Italian designer Feruccio Laviani has already had a significant impact on international design. With colorful, idiosyncratic designs, Laviani's esoteric and vibrant modern furniture and decor is inspiring and delightful.

His first foray into lighting design was the Orbital Lamp, designed for Foscarini in 1991. He used mirrors and colorful bimorphic shapes for the glass shades, and grounded the fixture with a tapered, angular base. The whimsical modern lamp has been a fixture of modern home decor every since.
Bourgie LampHis latest contribution to modern lighting is theBourgie Lamp, designed by Laviani for modern design label Kartell. Bourgie is a very unique combination of classic baroque lines and modern materials. Made entirely from transparent polycarbonate, the Bourgie Lamp looks like crystal. The plissé effect of the bourgie lamp's large shade emanates a glittering soft glow, perfect for sultry bedroom lighting, or for evocative living room ambience. The bourgie lamp is available in transparent black or clear, or for a different, metallic look, there are options for chromed steel in chrome or gold finish.
With his Orbital and Bourgie Lamps, Laviani has instigated the conversion of home lighting from mundane to inspirational.





Passing the Time with Modern Clocks

As much as we don’t like to admit it, time really does control our lives. Whether you choose to measure your life by the time spent with loved ones, by the number of vacations you take, or by a countless number of different standards, it’s safe to say that we all depend on time in some way. Now that that’s settled, why not measure our time in the way we choose with a stylish, modern clock on our wall or mantle? Dwell featured a fabulous slideshow of modern timepieces that are perfect for modernizing your home in the most classic way.


How do you measure your life?


Museum of Modern Art Online Store, $50
MoMATimesphere ClockAlessi Blow Up Clock, $220


Extra Normal Clock, $210
Extra Normal Clock by Ross McBride
Vitra Asterisk Clock by George Nelson, $299
Vitra Asterisk Clock by George Nelson

1 comment:

  1. Fabulous Modern Bath Lighting! Nice work! Thanks for doing this blog. I absolutely love it!

    ReplyDelete

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