Showing posts with label Industrial Design. Show all posts
Multi-tasking
24 June 2008
I'm a total sucker for design that can multi-task... whether its architecture, interiors, furniture or some combination of the lot... This OPtafel table by [in Tussen] is really fantastic. The simple form and clean lines are really appealing... and I love the way it can be treated as a desk, table, or both!
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Rounded Corners
21 June 2008
Alexander Lotersztain's work (both furniture and interiors) all have a really nice sculptural quality... And all seem to have soft rounded corners... It really makes the materials seem approachable and comfortable. Who would have thought that concrete and coral could look so soft?.
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Branch Shelf / Coat Hook
14 June 2008
This isn't totally my style, but I like the combination of shelf and coat rack by Wok.
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Via the style files
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Hiding Cables
10 June 2008
Its a reality in the modern design world that we have to deal with an ever increasing amount of cables and wires... that is, until they come up with wireless electricity! The big problem with a lot of new technological advances, is that they are changing so fast, that we don't really know exactly what we'll need in the future. For this reason, it can be difficult to plan ahead with wire placement... if you locate all the wiring behind the finishes, you'll have to cut it out if you ever need to change it. But, on the other hand, if you leave them exposed, you've got a big mess. C and I are having this exact problem right now with our remodel. We've got a projector whose cables we'd like to hide... but not knowing if we'll have the projector forever, or if the next version will need the same cables, we're hesitant to put the cables in the wall. British architects Quinn provided a design for digital agency Poke, that celebrates the cables and makes them a central design feature, rather than try and hide them. I kind of like it... I'm not sure if it would work on a smaller scale, but I like the thought.
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Howeler + Yoon
08 June 2008
Even though I grew up not far from Boston, I really don't know that much about the city's architecture... having studied and work entirely outside the Boston area... Most of what I know about the local vernacular, has to do with the historic architecture, rather than modern. So, its always exciting to me to learn about young and modern firms in the area....
I quite like all of these projects by Howeler + Yoon. Above is a landscape design - Switch - in which new and old techonologies, and soft and hard textures are braided together to created an integrated and interactive landscape. I really like the lit pavers... reminds me of the glass cobblestone project by 2b Architectes... mostly I like the attention paid to the bricks. Much of my memories of Boston are colored by the bricks of the city, so its nice to see a design that integrates this historic feature, with a thouroughly modern design.
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Architects are a bit obsessed by the mobius strip... this dress, the mobius dress, is just another example of using the strip as a design solution. The series of photographs makes the dress interesting, probably more interesting than it would be on its own...
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This design for the Davol Loft in Chinatown combines two lofts into one, with a pretty spectacular coutyard in the center. The simple forms and materials of the skylights, courtyard, and bathroom modules allow light to penetrate entire space. In my opinion, the courtyard is a particularly great feature. Courtyards are a fairly common feature in Chinatown - I remember a school field trip to Chinatown in middle school, where we visited a school with their playground on the roof - but, this courtyard offers privacy while still allowing the owners to enjoy the outdoors. Oh.. and just as a sidenote - I'd like to point out that once again, a Corbu chaise lounge is in the background of the top photo....
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Prefab Plus
02 June 2008
I really like Swedish design firm Claesson Koivisto Rune's body of work... Every product and piece of architecture they work on has a clear, yet delicate direction... nothing is too heavy handed..
The pre-fab house they designed for Arkitekthus is particularly nice. The simple 'Plus House' manages something that most pre-fab projects don't... it has roots. The proportion of the house is based on a traditional Swedish barn house, and the materials are consistent with both new and old building in the region. Its actually quite hard to imagine this house in any setting other than the one photographed... To me, this is particularly impressive for a pre-fab designs. In my opinion, many pre-fab modern projects are lovely aesthetically, but they seem like they could be plunked down in the middle of a field anywhere. And while I guess that's the point... I miss the locale specific design. This project on the other hand, really seems indigenous to the region, and I really love that about it.
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Studio 80: Shigeru Uchida
27 May 2008
Since we are working on the house, we've got all of my architecture books packed away... I just stumbled across Studio 80's website, and I realized that I actually have one of Shigeru Uchida's books in my collection. All of his work is nice, but the tea houses and furniture are particularly spectacular..
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Form Us With Love
19 May 2008
I really like the interiors and product design by Swedish firm Form Us With Love. Shown above are the Kocksgaten Herrekipering, Origami Chair, and Prothes Hanger. I really like the bold and crisp lines of the designs... no need to paint everything a crazy color. White will do fine when you've got a clever design!.
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An Interesting Approach to a Website
04 May 2008
I generally don't like websites that are too heavy in Flash... mostly because they can be a pain to navigate, and especially hard to backtrack your steps. Industrial Design firm Boym Partners has an interesting approach with their website... It reads a bit like a child's computer learning game, where the players are trying to find the right clues to lead them to the next step. I think it would be an absolute annoyance if I wanted to find something particular, but its kind of fun if you just want to take a look at their products. So go ahead... check out Boym's website and their wide variety of work...
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Is Moooi Trying to Tell Us Something?
30 April 2008
This cabinet hardware and shelving unit detail by Moooi (as shown at the Milan Furniture Fair) are really cracking me up... Nothing subtle here....
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Via Core 77
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Nendo
24 April 2008
Seriously... there is not a single thing on Nendo's website that I don't absolutely love. The cabbage chair and the kisala restaurant shown above are two of my favorite projects... The cabbage chair is created by the unpeeling of the many layers of pleated resin impregnated paper. I really love the sophisticated form created by such a simple material... This subtle and intelligent attention to material is a constant theme in Nendo's products and projects. The Kisala restaurant is another example where the variated tones of the floorboards help delineate the separate spaces while still adding a cohesive element to the restaurant. The use of mirrored panels and lace curtains only add to the textural quality of the space..
If you don't know Nendo's work already... check out their website. Everything on it is working a look...
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Fair Trade and Climate Neutral
22 April 2008
I thought of Karen when I saw these rugs (she's been on the hunt)...That combined with today being earth day, and I couldn't pass on posting about this company. Bholu is a climate neutral and fair trade company based in Australia that designs these rugs using Australian wool, and then hand embroidered by women in Gujarat, India using traditional techniques. In addition to providing a modern rug you can be proud to have in your home, the women earn an independent income. Next time you're in the market for a rug, definitely check these guys out..
Via Bricks and Cartwheels
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Not for the Faint of Heart
20 April 2008
Most people would probably NOT be pumped to have these coat racks in the house... but I love them. How can you now get a chuckle when you see them?.
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Graypants
06 April 2008
These three objects by local architecture and design firm Graypants are really quite nice... and even green, too! The light fixture and scrap chairs (lowest picture) are made from leftover materials like cardboard and newspapers. The forms are pretty simple, but very successful... The corrugated cardboard gives off a very nice quality of light, and the chairs actually look comfortable! We should all keep an eye on this young design duo in the future!.
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Looks Good, but would probably be a pain
27 March 2008
When I first saw this coat rack, I thought, now this is the kind of design I can get excited about. I love the idea of multi-purpose design (is it art? a coat hook? a shoe rack?), and I always love design that is a good use of space. But then I started thinking a little more about the function... It would make perfect sense if hung near the door, but if you hung it above your couch like the photo... imagine the pain it would be! Who would want to lean over the sofa to get your jacket... or let your muddy shoes drip all over the couch. I realize that the image is really just a compositional exercise... but it still makes me wonder about the practicality..
By Mattias Pinkert via WooHome
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Thanks Colin!
21 March 2008
For those of you who don't click through on the comments... I thought it was worth posting this acoustic box for listening to music by Martti Kalliala and Esa Ruskeepää with Martin Lukasczyk of Mafoombey. Its a fantastic use of corrugated cardboard....
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Time for Bed
20 March 2008
I love this Lax platform bed by Mash Studios. It would be perfect in our tiny bedroom, where we don't really have room for side tables.
Via Bloesem
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Cute and Useful
17 March 2008
This Mr. and Mrs. coat rack available at Bodie and Fou is probably a little too cute for my taste... but its been a while since I posted a coat rack (and I know you've been anxiously waiting for a new hook!).
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The Motto is Pretty Accurate
09 March 2008
Hepper's motto is 'Modern Pet Furniture That Will Make You Jealous'. I'd have to say that they're right on... if you are looking for some interesting pet furniture, this stuff would be just as lovely as a sculptural element in the room, as it would be useful for your pet..
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