Monday, 31 March 2008 |
Screens and scrolls have been part of Asian interiors for thousands of
years. When Quing Dynasty (1644-1911) furniture and textiles found
their way to Europe, a new movement — Chinoiserie — was born in the
17th century. Ornate and delicate Chinese hand painted wallpapers
became hugely popular. Fast-forward to 2003, when Milanese architect Chiara Enrico moved to Beijing and Shanghai to explore opportunities there. One of the results of this exploration is MISHA handmade wallpapers,
a Milan-based company that selects, produces and distributes
hand-painted silk wallpapers. Ancient tradition meets current Western
sensitivities exquisitely in the China Classic collection. The China
Graphic collection will be launched at the Rosanna Samaritani Interni showroom in Milan during the Fuorisalone, April 16-21, 2008. By Tuija Seipell
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Friday, 28 March 2008 |
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Royal College of Art graduate (UK) Cristian Zuzunaga has
devised a fabric based on a 'pixel' concept, which is being produced by
Danish manufacturer Kvadrat and sold through Moroso.
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Wednesday, 12 March 2008 |
Zig is a modular shelving system designed by Ryan Frank. It was commissioned by and will be displayed at the Post Design galleryin Milan this April. Zig modular units are on castors, which makes iteasy to create and endless number of customized combinations. Zig ismade of solid bamboo and it will eventually be available in severalnatural stains. Frank is a South African-born product designer livingand working in East London. He is known for his use of recycled,recyclable and salvaged materials in his furnishings. Perhaps his bestknown and most photographed “sustainable” pieces are the Inkuku chairmade of plastic shopping bags and the woolly Ishongololo foot stool. By Tuija Seipell
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Wednesday, 20 February 2008 |
If you are lucky enough to have a home theatre, most of us would be
happy with a projector, surround sound and perhaps a comfy sofa or two.
Not so for these homeowners.
Pentagram Architects
partner James Biber has designed this home theatre in Montauk New York,
taking inspiration from Radio City Music Hall and 2001: A Space
Odyssey. The theatre has a series of round arches, which house 600
five-watt dimmer-controlled light bulbs that provide a soft ambient
light for when you need to find that elusive remote control. And as in
the Music Hall, the lights are positioned to glow away from the viewers
– because we all hate to have lights in our eyes when watching the big
screen.
Biber has designed the theatre to function like a TV room, in that it
is comfortable and intimate enough for a romantic night in with a
bottle of red and a Hugh Grant movie, but can also easily accommodate
up to ten people to watch the big game, or perhaps a slumber party with
the girls.
All of the surfaces in the room are covered in orange felt to help with
the acoustics, and seating on the floor has been taken care of by
Edelman Leather who custom made the beanbags.
This house, which also boasts a large private outdoor space looking
onto the Atlantic Ocean, recently won an American Architecture Award
for distinguished buildings and a Citation for Design in the AIA New
York State Design Awards. By Brendan McKnight
See also - A Home with the coolest outdoor home theatre
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Wednesday, 09 January 2008 |
Paris based designer, Yahïa Ouled-Moussa,
has a way with reinventing old clothing or fabrics into funky and
functional design objects. He studied interior architecture in Paris,
but it was through a job with a French cabinet-maker who specialized in
restoring period furniture where he developed his passion for furniture
and design. Ouled-Moussa transforms sturdy, vintage French linens, army
sacks or antique porcelain tea sets into stylish smocks, small sitting
stools, and bound sculpture.
His “strap bands chair” uses old canvas belts that you may have worn in
the 1980s, (and those born in the 1980s may be wearing today), and
weaves them onto discarded, wooden chairs to create the seat and back.
The unwoven part of the belts hang under the seat or along the back,
giving the piece an added, looser dimension in contrast to the tight
weave of the front. The “strap bands chair” has been made in shades of
pinks, as well as in a mix of bright yellow, red, blue and orange.
There is also a military version, which incorporates old canvas
military belts in green, brown and beige.
Chairs can be commissioned by the piece or bought directly from his boutique on rue Nollet, in Paris’s 17th arrondissement. By Blaire Dessent
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Thursday, 25 October 2007 |
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As a kid, you may recall being woken by the test sound of this symbol, after falling asleep in front of the television.
Well now, you can watch this test pattern
in a whole new way. As a great wall clock! With it's traditional title
"One Moment Please' this clock is brilliantly replicated, on glass and
is coupled by metallic hands. With T.V being 24/7 these days, this is
the only way you will get to see this old friend again! By Andy G
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Thursday, 20 September 2007 |
Computers could have been the biggest tree-saving invention of all
time, yet here we are, “paperless office” still just a dream and trees
being cut down faster than ever. Award-winning creative architect duo
Stephanie Forsythe and Todd MacAllen at molo design
in Vancouver, Canada, are not discouraged by this. They have decided to
ensure that paper does some serious work at the office.
Their
amazing corrugated paper furniture and white “soft” walls are not only
fun to assemble, alter and move around, but good for the environment,
too. Molo is the product arm of their bigger-scheme practice forsythe-macallen.com.
Forsythe and MacAllen have been recognized around the world for their
innovative housing and living-space projects and events. The first
location for a molo design workshop will open in Milan, Italy by early
2008. It was previewed during this year’s Salone del Mobile in Milan. By Tuija Seipell
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Wednesday, 25 July 2007 |
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Better View is a roll-up black-out curtain by Finnish designer Elina Aalto of Fiasko Design. The perforated city views currently available are Shinjuku, Tokyo, and Kallio, Helsinki. Each piece is custom made by hand.
Better View is part of SAUMA
[Design as Cultural Interface], a travelling exhibition produced by the
Finnish Cultural Institute in New York. SAUMA (Finnish for "seam")
presents 20 works of innovative contemporary design from Finland. True
to the typically Finnish form-and-function tradition, SAUMA works
explore usability, user experience and the design process itself.
SAUMA
is at the Los Angeles Architecture and Design Museum till August 28,
2007, and will then move to Helsinki and Paris for 2008. By Tuija Seipell |
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Wednesday, 30 May 2007 |
If a piece of furniture is colourful, handy, knock-down and made of
wood, does it have to be from Sweden? Not at all, proves Tischmich
(could be translated as “Table me”), a table designed by Jakob Gebert
for the Germany-based Moormann.
Exhibited at the Salone del Mobile in Milan in April, Tischmich joins
the fun but practical line-up of Moormann furnishings that include
shelving units, tables, storage units, wardrobes, seating, lights and
few really wacky storage “walls.”
What makes Tischmich so very practical and fun, is the clever legs. The
legs fold for storage under the top and the table is easy to assemble
by inserting the legs into the grooves that go right through the table
top. Made of birch and covered with red, blue or black linoleum,
Tischmich has a huge range of uses – from boardroom to kids’ room, from
kitchen to office. We can just picture three or four of the black
178-centimeter-long Tischmichs arranged end-to-end, forming an
impressive boardroom table with airport-tarmac sensibilities.
Moormann’s founder Nils Holger Moormann quit law school to wander the
world of design and look for an application for his analytical but
nature-loving mind. He found his place in the furniture world and has
since the early 1980s produced and sold products by young, unknown
designers. All of Moormann’s products are characterized by simplicity,
functionality and fun.
The company is located right in the middle of the Alps, in the town of
Aschau in Chiemgau in upper Bavaria. Product materials are often
sourced locally and everything is also manufactured locally.
Tischmich designer Jakob Gebert was born in Freiburg, Germany, and
graduated in 1994 from the Basel College of Design. He has collaborated
with Moormann, Belux, and Vitra since 1998. His perhaps best-known
design is the Taino chair for Vitra in 2000. By Tuija Seipell
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Thursday, 09 November 2006 |
When it comes to thinking outside the square, Italian furniture design company, Lago,
is well outside the parameters of traditional thinking. With the
talents of its prized designers Daniele Lago and Massimo Bonnetti
virtually on tap, the boundless creativity and functionality is evident
in their current range.
The company takes a step back from the
design board and looks at the way in which people interact with
furniture on a daily basis and in a variety of environments.
Flexibility is the essence of these designs, and with it comes
functionality which is wonderfully executed in their floating 'Shelf
System' range, named Tangram.
This system can
be arranged in a generous number of varying designs. From expressive
geometric through to the letters of the alphabet, the floating shelves
open the boundaries of the way we look at storing and displaying items
in the home. The system invites the shelves themselves to interact with
their surroundings, and promotes them to the same footing as the
objects they house.
As many designers gravitate towards a
minimal look, Lago appropriates this concept by creating weightless or
floating aesthetics to their 'Flutta' bed range. The bed comes in
either a circular or traditional rectangular design, and evokes the
impression of weightlessness by its ingenious support system. With a
discrete wall mounted bracket and a metal streamline pillar placed in
the center of the bed's base, Futta literally appears to float.
These
designs not only impress consumers with the manner in which they
interact with an environment - they stun us with their shear simplistic
design, creating an overall stunning effect. In a market which demands
forward thinking from designers, Italian design company Lago is setting
benchmarks standards which will force others to follow suit. by Andy G see also COMPARTMENT-MAN and Storylines Bookcase
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Thursday, 02 November 2006 |
With suction cupped feet and a warm inner glow,
these rechargeable , stick on anywhere lights are not only cool but
rather handy. The lights are surrounded by a rubber outer shell which
houses and protects the inner bulb.
Three suction cups at the base act as feet, allowing the bulb to be placed just about anywhere.
As
they are battery operated and fully rechargeable, the bulbs are
cordless and can travel with you and take up new real estate in
the most unusual places. They will be available to purchase from online
store sometime in 2007. by Billy T
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Thursday, 28 September 2006 |
Who said art was just for hanging on the wall? Now you can take it to
bed and let it keep you warm at night with this hot new range of
designer bed linen by London based boutique design house, True Love Always.
The range utilizes the work of several different contemporary artists,
mostly graphic designers with background in fashion and pop culture.
It's sexy and original. We love it. by Lisa Evans
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Tuesday, 26 September 2006 |
Seeing that the mullet made such a famous come back in recent years, it
only makes sense that another retro favorite revisit us once again. The
bean bag is back but this time its flame retarded, virginal and funky.
This new, generously sized designer bean bag, aptly named SIT ON IT, is more than just a sack to chill out on.
The
bag is filled with EPR flame retarded beads which actually absorb your
body heat and disperse that same heat back into your body in
a therapeutic fashion. This is like a Swedish masseur without the
confusing accent. The extra virgin beads are the highest grade which
means the bag will hug your body like Madonna in a pink leotard. With a
great range of fresh colors available to choose from as well as funky
styles including donut action, the bag itself can be machine washed
(minus the beads of course) to have it looking and feeling new. by Andy G
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Tuesday, 11 July 2006 |
Lighting has become a key element of interior design. The humble
light bulb and lamp shade has morphed into all sorts of artistic
creations. This new collection by Italian design firm Artmide
is a case in point. The lines between art and lighting have been
fabulously blurred. Art installation or living room light? Who cares,
as long as we can buy one. by Lisa Evans
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Tuesday, 04 July 2006 |
It's sexy, its sleek, and it's smouldering.
Everyone wants to warm themselves up next to Ron. Inspired by the
dynamic design of 1950's aviation technology, this cool radiator
is design driven to the very last inch. Standing 2 meters tall, the
elliptical chimneys pour heat into the air at a stabilized and generous
flow. Finally a radiator that isn't ugly or noisy. Turn up the heat! by Andy G
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Tuesday, 06 June 2006 |
Personalization and regulation are two words
that work beautifully when referring to your own indulgence. This
brilliant shower system from Kohler DTV, is the worlds first fully digital unit that caters for your exact showering requirements.
Both
water temperature and water pressure can be inputted to the system and
set as a customer shower mode. The strength and type of water
spray is also open to your personal touch. Both the control pad and the
shower itself are smart, sleek and ultra modern looking, turning the
bathroom into a futuristic cleaning unit! At just $2000 the age old
custom of waiting for the right temperature and pressure have just
swept down the drain. by Billy T
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Monday, 08 May 2006 |
The Flying Carpet is the only carpet that gives
you the magic sensation of lying down between Teletubbie-like hills.
Flying Carpet redefines the concepts of "carpet" and "furniture": it
defines a new topography and functions at ground level. For the home or
for a public space, the Flying Carpet is made of 100% wool with wedges
made of 100% wool felt with a foam interior. The Spanish Emiliana Design Studio
encourages users to become creative participants while enriching their
daily experiences through the use of the objects and spaces which
surround them. by Yvan Rodic
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Friday, 05 May 2006 |
The trend for wallpaper has been taken to whole new level by Californian company B+N.
Their fabulous range of Iconic Panels come in a beautiful range of cut
designs and can be mounted on the wall. The panels are created by using
an innovative process of formed laminate over a carved wood core.
Incredibly durable, they can be sawn, nailed, screwed, glued, or simply
mounted on walls. Available in a variety of colors, finishes and 11
minimal bold patterns inspired by well-known symbols, people and
destinations, these wall pieces add dimension to any home or
environment. We love them. by Colleen Coghlan
Refresh your outlook. Put the Alps, the Caribbean, Tuscany, a model
railway, an aquarium or stuffed animals on your walls. Due to a new
production method, it is now possible to manufacture wallpapers in
small volumes. This enables the new Berlin-based company Extratapete
to produce new vivid alternatives to the large-volume mainstream. In
case you do not find suitable wallpapers for your demand in the
collection, you can supply Extratapete's team with a motif and they
will design a unique wallpaper that meets your request. by Yvan Rodic
Ah, wall design. Taking a dead space and bringing it to life. Enhancing
a room with strategic design elements on a wall or two or four. Blik Wall Graphics
are presently available with over two dozen design decals and many
dozen color choices. Inspiration from Eames and Haring to Space
Invaders and Flower Power, Blik has something for everyone. These
oversized, self-adhesive decals are conveniently removable and begging
for the chance to liven your space. by Isla Vedre
The wallpaper revival is about to become a serious phenomenon in the world of interiors with the launch of the world's first magnetic wallpaper.
And no, it's not just so you can hang your shopping list or little
Lilly's preschool drawing on the living room wall. The magnetic feature
of the paper is all about allowing you to customize the design of your
interior wall space. Basically, you get to make up your design using
the wallpaper as a background. Created by Pepper-Mint,
a London based design company, the concept has been dubbed Magnetic
Interior Landscapes. Now, all you need is the eye of an artist and your
home's walls can become one great big canvas. by Lisa Evans
The trend for using polished concrete in interiors has just taken on a
fantastic new twist. Now you can dress the humble gray building
material up with a wallpaper finish, thanks to design firm Concrete Blonde
from the UK. Available in different sizes, colors, bespoke patterns and
continuous lengths (if cast on site make) the application possibilities
for concrete wallpaper are vast. We predict a concrete wallpaper craze
- expect to see the sexy new trend in a bar near you soon. by Billy T
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