#Japanese traditional building

[marzipanandminutiae]

“glorification of an imagined unified Western Traditional Culture as the single objective best culture is a fascist red flag” and “a lot of modern vernacular architecture is boring, actively harmful to the mental health of people who live around it, destroying older buildings that had more personality, and shoddily built + as bland as possible for the ever profit-focused needs of capitalism” are concepts that can coexist

like. yes, be wary of Roman Statue Profile Pics decrying “modernity” on Twitter, but the idea that IKEAfying the world is somehow Progressive and if you don’t like it you MUST be far-right is just. bizarre

[athenaismdb]

[hi-technique]

[destinationnowheredesigns]

Three wise men

[spookyxdee]

Been away for a while but here’s a picture I drew of the child version of a main character that I have in my book, Tears and Crystals.

[maideninorange]

What do the Len'ens dress as for Halloween (if they even dress up)?

(After doing a bit of research on Halloween, I decided that Mugenri probably isn't going to have a Halloween equivalent. Or at least, one where people dress up. As a result, I'll only be doing the Outside World Len'ens here. But you are free to theorize for those others!)

Yabusame, I feel, would really like dressing up for Halloween! Their costumes are never consistent though. One year they're cosplaying as a character from their favorite anime, the next they dress up as some kind of monster. If there's any consistency to it though, it is that their costumes tend to have weird, dimensional effects added to them that unnerve people they don't know. Because they think it's fun.

Tsubakura doesn't normally dress up for Halloween. Not because they dislike the season or anything, but because they're too lazy to put in the effort of organizing their own costume. But when they do dress up, they usually play up the mad scientist look in both costume and behavior. It's just easier that way.

Kurohebi and Haru don't dress up. Kurohebi doesn't even really know what Halloween even is, whereas Haru mostly just thinks of herself as too old for such a thing.

Aoji and Hooaka both like to dress up for Halloween! Aoji typically goes as various D&D archetype characters, or as some kind of deep sea explorer, whereas Hooaka favors either typical monster costumes or embracing the classic magician costume. They also dressed up as a clown one year, scaring many children.

Kuroji and Hoojiro both have a...complex, relationship with Halloween. They used to dress up when they were younger, but in recent years found themselves preferring not to. Hoojiro from being overworked, and Kuroji from disillusionment. But when they did dress up, Kuroji typically went as something simple but also stylish (honorable mention to that time they went as a witch/warlock one year, an omen of things to come), and Hoojiro went dressed in mostly accurate period costumes (she didn't quite get it, but people liked her costumes) .

Clause is that one person who takes Halloween as an excuse to flaunt themself. I'm talking highly detailed stuff that wouldn't look out of place at a ball here. They're very pretentious like that, and naturally annoy everyone else with all their flaunting.

Suzumi... Suzumi dresses up. What they dress up as depends entirely on which personality is in control when they do. If it's Hamee, they go in very cutesy magical girl outfits to express their maidenly heart, as they'd probably call it. If it's Ardey, they go dressed up like the villain in a slasher movie. Yes, Halloween is a nightmare for them. (Even if Benny were super active, I don't think they'd really be eager to dress up. So they let the other two fight about it.)

[m1radei]

[ryuden2]

https://www.ac-illust.com/main/detail.php?id=23456583

Original illustration from Japan

Onsen

Traditional

Yukawa

Moon right

[dlyarchitecture]

[splashesdarling]

Louis and Armand's Dubai Penthouse - blending the traditional and modern, mixing materials and textures, an array of cultures and art across time, with accenting pops of colour

'So, I was like, "Okay, if I was a vampire that had lived through a century and I was well-traveled and was searching for mankind's humanity, what are the things that I would pull to the surface?" So, I wanted to capture different international styles, whether it was Moorish architecture or Japanese minimalism, but these different things that had a lot to do with contemplation, reflection, but also security.' [...] 'What else did we have? We had a few artists from New Orleans, some contemporary. I wanted there to be his connection to New Orleans, to home, his connection to his race, his connection to international travel, to psychology. There's also a textile piece that's hanging that's a kimono by a Korean artist. I think that knowing Louis's character, there's different paintings in the background that relate to women — whether that's an allusion to Claudia or his sister or his mother — but these devastating relationships, so there's imagery of women that we wanted to capture.'- Production Designer Mara LePere-Schloop. [X]

A few additional details about Louis and Armand's Dubai penthouse that should be of note:

Throughout the penthouse we see numerous and varied pieces of art, furniture, sculptures, and many other types of decór - all rich in colour and tone, lending a general warmth and personality to the otherwise bland, grey building.

Of all the rooms we see in the show, their bedroom is by far the most colourful and warm toned. Meaning that the room in which they are (presumably) the most private, unguarded, and comfortable is where we see the most personality and warmth in the décor.

In their bedroom, we can also observe several other clues as to their current dynamic. If you look closely at their bedframe, you can see it's made of a rich, carved wood, designed to have various shapes and sizes, with holes present across the width of the frame. These shapes and holes could be used to anchor restraints, like rope for bdsm play. This suggestion that their bdsm dynamic is still going strong in Dubai is further supported by the presence of several floggers and paddles on Armand's side of the room.

Another detail of note is that Louis' side of the bed features several books, undermining the suggestion his reading is restricted or controlled by Armand. Further proof of this is given when we see Louis has kept the floating book shelves after kicking Armand out of the penthouse (given that they were damaged, with some glass breaking, during their break-up - Louis would have needed to choose to keep them by repairing the damage/replacing them with like-for-like). Suggesting that it was purely an aesthetic choice made by both of them, not an attempt by Armand to control what Louis was reading (an argument first made because Armand can fly whereas Louis cannot).

A clue which demonstrates and supports the idea that Louis and Armand are both involved in decorating the penthouse is two key art pieces - The Kiss of Judas by Jakob Smits (1908) on Louis' side of the bedroom, and a painting in their dining room by Marius de Romanus, Armand's groomer and maker. Given that The Kiss of Judas references a grave betrayal, just as Armand betrayed Louis, it's highly unlikely that if Armand was in control of every design choice within the penthouse that Louis would be allowed to hang such a painting, especially within their bedroom. Likewise, it's highly unlikely, given what Marius did to Armand (which he told Louis about in detail), that Louis would allow Armand to hang such an art piece if he was the one choosing how to decorate the space. Meaning it's very likely they are both making choices together about how to adorn the penthouse.

The idea that they're deciding together how to decorate the penthouse is reinforced during episode six of season two, when the pair are discussing what to hang on their newly empty living room wall. They discuss changing their living room couches to fit with a proposed art piece, with Armand's "I assumed we would" and Louis' answering response that they'll end up replacing everything else in the room to match too, suggesting this is not the first time they've done somthing like this. Likewise, that Armand suggests a wallpaper by Ai WeiWei (an intensely political artist, who's art often draws attention to power dynamics, corruption, and personal freedom, and who is known for using bold patterns and saturated colours) should lead us to assume he is not actively attempting to make the penthouse devoid of colour or unprovoking in style to avoid Louis acting up. And when Armand asks Louis what they should do with the empty space, it is obviously coming from a place of being frustrated that Louis is shooting down all of his suggestions while offering none of his own, rather than the idea that he is irritated that Louis isn't just going along with what he wants, because again - They are both obviously decorating their home together.

The final sign that the penthouse's style is ultimately a compromise between Louis and Armand's style and tastes, and that Louis is an equal decider in all decorating choices, is the presence of his meditation rock garden. Using stones eerily similar to the ones he was buried alive in, Louis is effectively using the stones to represent Claudia's mantra of "We leave the damage so we never forget the damage". This is reinforced by Louis' choice to retain the stones after forcing Armand out of the penthouse, meaning that they were placed there by Louis, just as he keeps the rocks embedded in his skin. This is noteworthy, given that many have suggested that Armand created the rock garden to keep Louis in a state of fear, which would then enable Armand to better control him. This assumption was made largely due to the presence of Armand's magnolia tree and the season one, episode five quote: "Well, the interior designer hired was a sentimentalist. Some notion of hers, he was missing the natural world".

However, given that the rock garden was clearly Louis' choice (as they are still there, whereas Armand's tree is not), therefore the quote should be taken as a sign that the rock garden was entirely Louis choice - he was in a self-imposed isolation from the natural, outside world. The rocks therefore are likely meant as a physical manifestation of sorts for Louis' internalised guilt and shame over his perceived failures in life and how they have hurt the ones he loved - hence his inclusion of Paul's portrait and Claudia's dress in the space once he's began to truly deal with and take accountability over his emtions, memory, and choices - again, "We leave the damage so we never forget the damage".

TLDR: The penthouse was Louis and Armand's home, they jointly created it's look and feel equally, and pretending like it was all-Armand not only ignores what the show presented us with, but it also robs Louis of his agency and unfairly reduces him to a passive non-factor in his own story.

[patchworkghost]

:3 <---- Is Daydreaming about how fucked up my and my BFs dream house could look do to our differing aesthetics and both of us being crafters

[chaoticsorceressztc]

Inkling Serafina Takes Form

[athenaismdb]

[hi-technique]

[doyoulikethissong-poll]

Chthonic - Takao 2011

Chthonic is a Taiwanese heavy metal band, formed in 1995 in Taipei. The group incorporates influences from traditional Taiwanese music, including adaptations of folk songs and the use of traditional instruments, most notably the erhu (often called the hiân-á in the band's native Taiwanese Hokkien). Their stated goal is to use their music to bring ancient history and mythology into the modern era especially to build awareness of the myths of Taiwan and tragic events in that country's history. Since 2011 their trademark erhu has been complemented with stringed instruments including the koto and shamisen, as well as Tibetan Bells and shakuhachi and Seediq hunting flutes, the last of which are traditionally used by the indigenous people of Taiwan.

Takasago Army is Chthonic's sixth studio album, released in 2011. The title is a reference to the Takasago Volunteers in the Imperial Japanese Army, recruited from the Taiwanese aboriginal tribes during World War II. Takasago is an ancient Japanese name for Taiwan. This album serves as the final record in Chthonic's "Souls Reposed" Trilogy. Takasago Army reached number 109 on Japan's Oricon music chart, and the video for the song "Takao" was nominated for the 2012 Golden Melody Award in Taiwan for best music video. The album was named the year's best melodic black metal album by the critics' webzine Metal Storm, and French music critics' site Boulevard Brutal selected Takasago Army as the best black metal album of the year. The Japanese rock magazine Burrn!! awarded the band a number 7 rank for best album of the year and number 23 for best heavy metal band.

"Takao" received a total of 54,3% yes votes.

[felixandresims]

Hello Everyone:),

As the Chateau Set ended, I want to take you to a new destination. I have been thinking about the following subject for quite some time and my recent trip to the US made my decision final, we are going to New York City, precisely to SOHO.

It was an unusual beginning for me to start with the bathroom, but I wanted to have enough research time for a future exterior set. Seeing SOHO in real life was such a great experience and I feel very inspired :). After working on a traditional collection for quite some time it's refreshing to dive back into a modern aesthetic.

The bathroom consists of 23 items, you will get various sink options, double, single, monolithic, and basin-only versions, that either rest on a vanity or can have a shelf for 'Clutteration' underneath. I love a good bathtub, so you will get one of those. This Set includes a rainfall shower, plenty of mirror options, a sideboard, a stool, two rugs, and a lid-up Japanese toilet with a remote control. I also created Travertine/ stone walls and floors. 

Harrie has started working on her new Minimalist Set called KLEAN and I couldn't resist using her new windows and doors in My Promo shot. If you would like to know more about what she created you can check it out HERE 

SOHO Part 1 is on Early Access and you can find it here

In the coming months I will focus on the cast iron buildings and by the end of the SOHO I hope that you will be able to create the New York Loft of your dreams ;)

I hope you will like this collection, once again thank you so much for everything!!!

Lots of Love,

Felix xxx