A design consultancy and trendspotting - design solutions, furniture and interior design projects, kitchen design, bathroom design, news, events, trends, analysis, hot names and products, links; re-design
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The Kitchen of the Future May Look Like This One
I am definitely thinking this can become the new trend - kitchens that are warm and cosy, not glamourous and glossy, but still modern and highly technological.
Alfredo Häberli's concept for ‘The kitchen as the soul of the home’ that he created for Schiffini as he says is ‘ the opposite to the perfect kitchen,’ ‘it should be much more like a workstation – I am thinking about how it functions and the tools that are needed.’
What I am thinking looking at the pictures is that we are now redescovering the warmth of copper and natural wood in the modern kitchen.
For those of you still hesitating about what exactly DESIGN isDesignCouncilUK has created a comparataively short, but very interesting visual journey to take you through a number of design disciplines from graphics to services, ending with the shortest definition of design I have met.
Felt - one of the odest textiles - is again very fashionable, and not only as hats. Home furnishings and decor (look at this beautiful wall tapestry right made by Studio Lawrence), jewelry, even lamp shades are made of this warm and cosy material.
I like this elegant Felt Shade Floor Lamp and Felt Shade Pendant by Tom Dixon. The Felt Shade provides warmth to any space in both lightness and texture. The shade is molded into an organic form to reflect the material's unique properties. Made from double layered heat pressed felt inside and outside. Grey outside with white interior. Floor standing light with a tripod base.
But I am mostly impressed by felt jewelry and scarfs - what can be more suitable for the cold winter days that are coming than warm wool felt around your neck?
Have you noticed - bathrooms are attracting more and more attention and, as a result, bathroom design seems to have made the greatest improvement in comparison to the other elements of interior design. It does relate to art, but - opposite to many new furniture designs - it stays within the requirements for practical and comfortable everyday use.
Sophie Dream by Calyx - this new bath is made of a material soft and flexible and its shape follows that of the body in addition to the elegant frame. (via DonnaModerna)
I like very much the latest solution of Kohler: the unique design of Clearflo overflow drain allow you to fill the bath higher than traditional overflow drains for a truly deep soak, and looks great!
Muse is a collection with soft lines brimming with history,
which console the body (and spirit) by drawing on a form of classicism in tune with the present. Rome's fountains provide the initial input for a new concept of larger and deeper washbasins
Those searching for pure glittering luxury can have it with the tap Playone Plus Tonic by Fir (http://www.fir-italia.it/) produced with golden finish and gems crystal Strass Swarovski ®.
Elemental beauty, inherent strength and delicate artistry find an exquisite balance in KOHLER® glass lavatories.
right - Pallene™K-14016-B11 glass lavatory in Ice and Symbol™ Tall K-19774-4-CP single-control lavatory faucet in Polished Chrome
It consists of three big design events: Tokyo Designer’s Week, 100% Design Tokyo and DesignTide
Tokyo Designer’s Week 2008 will present various types of exhibition categories for designers. It is a design event held at the centre of Tokyo, starring various designers - from young to well known designers.
At 100%Design Tokyo visitors will be able to buy design souvenirs and limited edition pieces directly from the designers themselves. As part of the cultural program of 100%design Tokyo, Designboom Mart will feature work from over 35 international design professionals. The exhibition will see designers personally presenting their wares (prototypes and/or limited edition pieces), providing an unprecedented opportunity to meet the young avant-garde and become familiar with their work.
Graduation Galleries - или как се 'отглежда' добрия дизайн
Tineke Beunders Design, especially young design, needs stimulation. Design Academy Eindhoven knows not only how to teach design, obviously, but also how to stimulate its students inspiration. That is probably one of the main reasons why we can all see nowadays the impressing results of Dutch design.
Each year, Design Academy Eindhoven organises an exhibition to present the graduation projects of its graduates to the audience. Graduation Galleries 2008 is an overview of the graduation projects of the Bachelor’s and the Master’s programmes. Around eighty works are on view on the fourth and fifth floor. The students themselves will be present the whole week to explain their work to interested visitors. The audience can vote for their favourite design; the winner of the Eindhovens Dagblad Publieksprijs will be announced at the end of the exhibition week. The exhibition is designed by Piet Hein Eek, a former student of Design Academy Eindhoven, and compiled by Li Edelkoort, chairwoman Design Academy Eindhoven.
Maarten de Ceulaer Дизайнът не само се изучава, той трябва да бъде стимулиран. И студентите, изучаващи дизайн, трябва да имат увереността, че техните идеи ще бъдат забелязани и оценени, и най-важното - реализирани. В Design Academy Eindhoven очевидно добре знаят това и резултатите са налице - целият свят говори за холандския дизайн и за постиженията на техните студенти. Всяка година те организират изложба за представяне на дипломните проекти на завършващите студенти. Graduation Galleries 2008 показва дипломните работи на студентите от бакалавърската и магисртърска програма за тази година. Самите студенти обясняват проектите си пред заинтересованите посетители на изложбата. Публиката може да гласува и да избере най-добрия според нея проект и победителят получава наградата на публиката. Една добра традиция, която едва ли е трудно да се реализира и в България. Защото по време на първото Биенале на българския дизайн се установи, че етажът на Шипка 6 със студентските работи беше най-оживен, а и най-весел, разбира се.
LAST SUPPER TABLE project - presented at 100% Design London 2008 - is an interesting artistic way of seeing the famous Leonardo painting - from a craftsmen's point of view:)
It was created by Studio Lawrence established with the aim to offer quality furniture made by hand. Its founders, Dutch designers Patrick O. de Louwere and Bart Eijking, strive to create beauty combining craftsmanship with the arts.
The Last Supper table-top elements are based on the Fibonacci Numbers. The legs form an integral part of the table top thanks to a hidden steel construction, which allows for the table top elements to be combined, creating unique Fibonacci-based sequences of all different sizes and compositions. With the use of a third leg, it’s possible to create tables up to 5 meters in length. All elements can be made in different colours, enabling mono- to multi-coloured tables. Here is their story:
The Last Supper Table takes its name from Leonardo’s 1498 Last Supper mural, in the convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan. In Leonardo's masterpiece, the table is the single unifying element in the scene when the apostles individually react to Christ’s announcement that one of them would betray him. The table itself is hidden beneath a cloth; all you can see are the prominent legs. Imagine what the rest of the table would have looked like!
Another clever use of well known material - at 100% Design London - is what Molo created some years ago and developed into different series: under a paper cloud you were invited to touch, move and experience molo’s softwalls, softblocks and softseating made from flexible honeycomb papers and textiles
Продуктите на www.molodesign.com бяха част от първото Биенале на Българския дизайн. Това беше тяхното първо представяне на нашия пазар и те вече могат да се закупят в София.
I do not want to be rude, but isn't this REMNANT CHAIR an abuse for the elegant lines of Mies van der Rohe's famous chair? Although the author Bo Reudler says that
"The Remnant Chair pays homage to its predecessors, the Barcelona Chair and the PK22 but has its own distinct personality.",
I can see only some very depressing form of similarity.
"The cushions are upholstered with remnant fabrics salvaged from local furniture upholsterers."
- didn't we depreciate sustainability and eco-awareness into a flag for gaining popularuty? Couldn't we design and produce furniture without the feeling of going backwards? I do not accept this trend in contemporary design - it has nothing to do with the role of design to make our lives better.
Just compare:
Can the chair at the beginning of my post be a homage to this one?
Finally it is a fact - the first Bulgarian Design Biennialwas open last week with a large exhibition of projects from all fields of design and will continue until October 29th. A three-day conference followed with a Night of Design packed with young design-lovers. (right - something I liked: a speaker by „Everything-but-the-box”)
A project from each field was awarded, but the design I liked most did not get any award. Still I consider it a very good example of the talent of contemporary Bulgarian designers. It is the HUG armchair by Ilian Milinov. I would like to have one, What do you think?
Доста закъсняло, но безспорно много необходимо, първото Биенале на Българския Дизайн вече е факт. На откриването на 8 октомври в галерията на "Щипка" 6 залите бяха препълнени - главно от млади хора. Интересът продължава - гостите, поканени за участие и като членове на международното жури, отбелязаха този факт: и след откриването, през дните, когато течеше конференцията, залите продължаваха да се посещават много активно. За разлика от интереса, проявен от институциите, пряко свързани с дизайна в България. Очевидно те все още не са наясно за ролята на дизайна в съвременното общество. Не може да се каже и че показаните работи са предствителна извадка на българския дизайн, но това биенале все пак е първата значителна крачка към опит за позиционирането му на световния пазар. За съжаление, както отбеляза и журито, унас само графичният дизайн е на експортно ниво, за това и голямата награда беше дадена за книгата Visual Cut Bulgaria. Аз смятам, че имаше продукти, които не бяха оценени достатъчно. Два от тях, показани по-горе, са добър пример и за наличие на индустриален дизайн с качество, сравнимо с показвания по света.
Можете да видите някои снимки от Биеналето тук и тук
According to pointclickhome "Sometimes words speak louder than pattern (or so it seems this season)" - a confirmation of the typography trend I wrote about last month.
Forbidden Fruit Lamp by Dan Yeffet (above) for Materialise.MGX.is created through a prototyping technique: Stereolithography (SLA) made out of epoxy. Size: 395 x 271 x 50 mm
The reign of purple is supplemented by the Fabulous Fuchsia trend combined with the classically romantic rose motif, but in a modern translation - in this Elba sofa fabric by William Yeoward for Designers Guild.
Tokujin Yoshioka creates furniture through crystallisation
The young Japanese designer again tries to “engineer” a different way of creating objects -
"a mysterious crystallisation process that literally allows him to grow the shapes of some archetypical pieces of furniture in water, just like coral or madrepores. Chaise longue, armchair and even Venus de Milo, ironically deconstructed in thousands of small crystals agglomerated in a way that unmistakably resembles the all-time art legend, an involuntary icon of the same ornate beauty that nature loves so much."
This “design on the rocks” is to be the centrepiece of an exhibition in Tokyo at 21_21 Design Sight, 17 October – 18 January, 2009.
You can have a table that is like noone else's and at the same time feel well because you know that it helps reduce the waste materials. The product is 100% New launched at 100% Design show this month by Within4Walls Ltd
"Taly is entirely and lovingly handmade using waste industrial components. Like few other pieces, it shows an extraordinary design talent and great dedication to creating something utterly unique which is strongly industrial but nevertheless highly aesthetic. Taly's table top is built from large slices of aluminium profiles which are welded together, forming a frame in which the thinner profile slices are bonded together in various translucent layers of resin. No two Talies are the same; the overall dimensions are always consistent but each table's top surface design depends on which profiles are available at the time. "
Taly is available in two sizes and in a choice of three translucent colours
In addition to purpleas an accent colour now "gray as the new neutral" is the choice for the coming seasons. "Gray has taken a starring role in interior design lately, becoming the go-to shade for paint, upholstery, wall treatments and flooring. Now it's appearing on wood finishes". Right - grey stained oak by Gervasony
Houndstooth, tweed and tartan may be the prints typically favored in the fall, but look for a new pattern to emerge this year: text. Sentences, jumbled words, letters, numbers and symbols in classic fonts are being used to create edgy graphics and patterns for furnishings and accessories. Typography is becoming a new form of personalization, the modern way to monogram... retailers are using typography to decorate rugs, wallpaper, lighting, wall art, shower curtains, pillows and mirrors.
Viewpoint Kids Letter Lines Marker Modern Kids Rug - Inspired by children's drawings, the designs for these kids rugs are at once delightfully familiar to a child, yet sophisticated enough to appeal to adults.
Alphabet Throw PillowMaximo has brought designer Alexander Girard's designs back with this Alphabet pillow. This design first appeared in 1952 and was considered contemporary yet innovative, and still is so today. Comes in both Green and Black colored alphabets on white.
Florence Damask Silk Throw Pillow - add a luxurious feel to any living space with these throw pillows. They feature a classic and regal pattern in white against vibrant backgrounds that create an incredible contrast. Designed by Plush Living Kitchens - Back-painted glass is a big trend
This is one of my favourates -glass backsplash painted in a colour of choice is a great way to create a modern look kitchen - even in combination with wood, as you can see on the picture.
Lighting is one of the favourate playgrounds of designers - and that has a reason. Lighting is a special part of interior design - each product has at least a double function: as a source of light and as piece of decoration. But as such each light source can influence mood and style both - through its appearance and through the type of light it emmits. A single piece of lamp can make a difference in a room: Don't try looking for vermilion accents on the gold, black, or mirrorcan ed surface of Bruno Rainaldi's A Touch of Red for terzani.com (Hint: Check out the cord.)
(source: Interior Design Magazine)
Toobe Floor LampThe Kartell Toobe Table Lamp, designed by Ferruccio Laviani, was concieved from the idea that the use of an acrylic extruded tube could, according to length, become either a floor or table lamp. Thanks to innovative coloring technology, Toobe is the first Kartell product to be faded to permit a special light to be diffused within the cylinder. Toobe is simple and modern and the handle in the lamp body makes the pole shape functional and easy to move. Kartell, a design leader in originality, durablility and new technology, is the first design company to mass produce what has traditionally been hand made. The Kartell Toobe Table Lamp is available with the following: Polycarbonate diffuser. Transparent or Colored Acrylic frame.UL Listed. Designed by Ferruccio Laviani.Options: Color: Blue, Crystal, Green, Orange, or Red.
Design by Shawn Littrell. The world's most energy-efficient LED task light. Four high-powered LED's illuminate the task area as the asymmetrical light distribution ensures optimal ergonomic lighting. A spring-balanced arm, rotating base and sleek head give the Ninety excellent range of motion. Ninety supplies a great deal of light even though it consumes very little energy, 7.8 watts. The secret is an advanced system of lenses which guide the light effectively towards your workspace. This reduces the risk of glare. The LED's that are used produce a comfortable color of light that renders colors well. It is easy to adjust Ninety to make the light fall where you need it. A spring-balanced hinge in the base allows the arm to be moved back and forth. The shade is easy to turn and the specially developed base contains two separate bearings for easy adjustment. Electronic transformer located on plug.
2008 Winner of Contract magazine s Best of NeoCon Gold award and Buildings magazine s Innovations Grand Prize award for energy efficiency.
LOOKING AHEAD TO 2009… WITH SIMPLICITY - a brief about the trends that are expected to influence our lives - home furnishings, decoration, design in general and way of thinking - in the coming seasons, according to MAISON&OBJET Observatoire :
Faced with a complex and uncertain world, untidy and cluttered, future
scenarios focus on the essential. Land and local produce are becoming valued again. Urbanites, missing having roots, appreciate a new balance between the city and the countryside. Nature and technology are finally replacing people at the heart of the ecosystem. Making room for the elegance of humble and modest objects. Touch wood. That is a nice way to live in your home.
Elizabeth Leriche considers that "The simple pleasures of rural life are reviving a belief in local produce and setting down roots. In a period of galloping urbanization, a rustic style is becoming deeply rooted. People are discovering the animal and organic beauty of the agricultural world. Objects with roots cultivate the appealing authenticity of raw materials and craftsmanship."
"The NellyRodi style agency reveals the Metropuritans’ new acts of resistance. Camouflaged in an apparently elegant starkness, these ecological urbanites proclaim a desire for asceticism and an almost military rigor."
- that is a little far-fetched in my opinion, but who knows? We shall see:)
Less speed for better living. François Bernard suggests taking a break in a dematerialized world. Soft, fluid technologies revisit naturalness and a simplified life philosophy.
- a natural phenomenon, I think, but I doubt that "Style is also inspired by the industrial aesthetics of last century’s designer-engineers." This style has had its influence, has played its role and now the world is ready to go on.I think also that the 'Handmade' trend is most probably going to be a steady one. After the machine-produced and highly technological era now we are reassessing the value of 'natural' and 'unique'. That is also connected with expressing a personal point of view
Chaise en bambou Design : Konstantin Grcic in collaboration with the National Taïwan Craft Research Institute and the Taïwan Design Center
Cloud armchair - Design House Stockholm
More trends:
"the main statement of this season's Maison & Objet is abundantly clear: An ocean of gray awaits. Enough to drown in it. Too much of it", writes Hermine Mariaux in Home Textiles Today,
but also
Purples galore. A steady 3-seasons' trickle turning into a flood. All nuances included from palest lavender through hyacinth and violet to deepest saturation. True blues pairing with or replacing geen-cast aqua and teal. Bright sky through cobalt into deep indigo and ultramarine. Navy yielding to brighter hues. Classic blue-and-white revival. Blue-greens emerging -- not replacing yellow-greens but pairing with them or even blues in an overall trend toward analogous combinations.
LG showcase Eco-Chic Living at Maison&Objet - LG Electronics (LG), a global
technology leader and pioneer in home appliance convergence, participates in Maison&Objet with exhibition booth, designed through collaboration with style and trend forecasting agency NellyRodi Trendlab, where it features a variety of themed mini-rooms all under the umbrella banner of “Eco-Chic Lifestyle” .
“LG, once just an electronics manufacturer, is evolving into a lifestyle brand based on a harmony of style and technological excellence. By offering creative solutions for consumers’ everyday lives, LG’s home appliances play a critical role in promoting the core values of our corporate brand,” says Dermot Boden, Chief Marketing Officer of LG Electronics. “To achieve the ultimate goal of enhancing our brand power by emotionally engaging consumers, LG is taking fresh – and even daring – approaches to marketing. LG’s participation in Maison&Objet signifies our new direction as well as LG’s ongoing status as an iconic lifestyle brand.” via Huliq News and TRENDER
This time of the year, when preparing for school we are all thinking of ways of renovating our children's rooms, or at least - making them more comfortable and enjoyable to live in. The possibilities to do this are endless - only a new area rug or a comfy pillow for reading can make difference. You can even make furniture for your children's room yourself!
Foldschool cardboard furniture is a collection of free cardboard furniture for kids, handmade by you. The downloadable patterns can be printed out with any printer. Follow the instructions on www.foldschool.com and assemble a stable piece of furniture.
Reading in bed gets mor comfy now- Pillow Light from KIDSMODERN - Designer Oh Sehwan - prevents stiff necks and keeps your hands free to turn the pages.
KoKo Company Puffy_Beetle_Pillow -This bright puffy beetle pillow is made of cotton and is decorated with hand appliqus. It is stuffed with polyester fill.
Light Constellation Pendant. Graze into your very own sky. Lightshow reflects colorful moons and stars onto your walls and ceiling. Projects soft star and planet shapes on the wall
Сега, когато наближава учебната година, идеите за обзавеждане на детската стая стават все по-търсени. По-горе са показани няколко красиви и функционални мебели и аксесоари за детската стая, част от които можете да изработите и сами. Особено интересни, според мен, са мебелите от картон, за изработването на които ще намерите подробни инструкции на сайта на Foldschool cardboard furniture.
Soft Folding Chair With Pillow - Light Purple - a unique seating solution. Perfect for reading, watching tv, or playing video games! This chair is ratcheted, so it can stay in different positions, as well as folding and unfolding.
Consider the Water Lily if you love the idea of a rain shower but worry the spray won't be strong enough to remove the shampoo from your hair.
Evolve's ShowerStart™ technology watches the shower's temperature and "triggers a trickle" as soon as the shower is 95 degrees and warm enough to jump in. This prevents your hot water from inadvertently running down the drain before you can hop in the shower. Not only have you eliminated the water and energy waste, but the sound of the trickle tells you that your shower's ready. The hot water for your shower is now warm and waiting instead of warm and wasted.
Evolve wanted great style and luxury features such as maximum flow rates, drenching spray patterns, anti-clog spray nozzles and solid brass fittings – and it had to be well priced too.
This charming polka-dotted Pony step stool now has another useful purpose attached to its long neck and thats a cute little coat rack for your little ones belongings. Friendly handpainted pony could be a good way to make sure your child hangs up their stuff-no more on the floor!
An elegant, artistic solution to wine storage, up to eight bottles can be stored and displayed on this Acrylic Wine Holder by Gus Modern .
The Gus Fruit Trough is a watertight, stainless steel trough for plants, fruit, candles or storage. The perfect finishing touch for your counter top or coffee table. Mirroring the great modernists of yesterday, they strive to combine great design with practical purpose.
