Designer Box

Designer Box has launched a new way to promote international design talents.
The concept is simple : Each month an international star designer imagines a new product made only for 1 month delivered at home in a nice numbered wooden box.
People know the list of the designers involved before subscribing but they don't know what they are going to receive : That is the main point of the concept.

So each month, people discover a new product, its designer with its universe, its story and material used (wood, blowned glass, porcelain, ceramics etc,..)….
The first shortlist includes designers like Arik levy, Ron Gilad, Harri Koskinen, Matali Crasset, Kazuhiro Yamanaka, 5.5 designers, Aldo Bakker etc,….
Starting at €29 per month, you can acquire a collector’s item to keep for the future in its numbered wooden box.

 

 

For Designer Box N°0, Sam Baron has come up with a creative table mirror shaped like a diamond in the rough. A little gem inspired by the renowned 1953 film 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes', starring Marilyn Monroe in her quintessential role, a lover of gentlemen and diamonds. Sam Baron experimented with various gem cuts and settled on the “emerald” cut, which he stretched to an astonishing effect.

tags: accessories, project, new products
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Baker Cookstove

Swedish design Studio Claesson Koivisto Rune has designed the Baker Cookstove - an energy efficient cookstove for the developing world - for Top Third Ventures Ltd, a social impact company operating in Nairobi, Kenya.

The majority of women in the developing world prepare food on a technology called a three-stone fire. It is basically three rocks that support a pot with an open fire in the middle. This cooking method is very inefficient and leads to many environmental and health problems. One very real side effect being that children are denied education and future because they are sent to collect firewood. Wood that every day is found at further distances. The walk takes all day and leaves no time for school.

However, since the three-stone method is a tradition since thousand of years a new stove must allow the user to keep their way of life intact to be successful. The solution is to make a stove that burns wood, but as efficient as possible.
You can still cook over burning wood, but with the Baker stove you need only one third of the wood than before. Based on tests at the University of Nairobi the Baker Cookstove achieve a 56% reduction in CO and 38% reduction in particulate matter.

Local methods of cooking, tools and containers were studied as inspiration and to gain cultural insight. As a result the final shape of the Baker Cookstove as well as its strong colours are reminiscent of traditional African cookware.

"The Baker stove project has inspired us not for the prospect of making money, not for the design itself, but for the extraordinary satisfaction of actually making a tangible, positive difference in many people's lives and for the environment. And eventually, if the end users will come to tell us that they are proud to own this stove, our day is made."

tags: sustainable, outdoor, project, new products
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Ascent light

Ascent is a table light designed for Luceplan by Norwegian designer Daniel Rybakken.
By moving the head along the stem, the light intensity goes from being turned off at the bottom position, to gradually ascending to the full light at the top. This gives the user control over not only the light intensity, but also the spread of the light.

0% light intensity                                                           10% light intensity

100% light intensity

Ascent comes in two versions, with an anchor bolt for tables, or with a base.
The anchor bolt is made impact resistant by having a co-molding of steel and rubber in the base, allowing up to 15 degree of tilt of the stem.

Ascent with base

Photographs by Luceplan

tags: lighting, new products
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Medici by Grcic

'Medici' designed by Konstantin Grcic and launched in 2012 by Mattiazzi is a low chair with a comfortably reclined posture.
"Designing for Mattiazzi was like a personal time travel. It took me all the way back to my professional roots. At the very beginning of my career, I was trained a cabinet-maker. Working with wood is what I learnt from scratch. It is where it all started for me."

"Mattiazzi make furniture in wood, using both traditional means of production and the newest digital production technologies. 'Medici' was born on Mattiazzi’s factory floor. The chair was inspired by the material, the machinery and, of course, the skill and craftsmanship of the people we worked with."

"Right from the beginning, I was looking for a distinct grammar for my design, a language that would express the characteristics of wood. I liked the idea of working with planks. They signify the very beginning of the production process – a tree trunk that is cut into slices. I like the way in which a carpenter joins wood. It is immediate and direct. The construction remains visible and easy to read. Structure turns into form."

Since 2013, the 'Medici' chair is accompanied by a round side table and (foot) stool.

Project assistant: Sami Ayadi (KGID)

All photos: Gerhardt Kellermann

tags: furniture, Konstantin Grcic, new products, wood
designers: Konstantin Grcic
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Rolha side table

 

 

“Rolha”, (Portuguese for the cork stopper used in wine bottles), is a side table, inspired by the uncorking of a fine wine, designed by Gonçalo Campos.

This table is composed by very simple elements. A solid, turned cork top and 3 turned wood legs, fitted with a screw, similar to the ones used to uncork traditional wine bottles.

Cork is a very special material with qualities that make it perfect for a wide range of technical applications, while being environmentally sustainable, reason why it has seen a great appreciation in the last few years.

By simply twisting the legs in the cork top (in a very familiar motion), this table can easily be assembled without any tools. Thanks to the amazing mechanical properties of cork, this elementary action is enough to keep the table sturdy and stable.

Most of its harvesting and production is also based in Portugal, because of the particularly favourable climate to it's growth, and the deep tradition in using cork in the most incredible applications; inspiring rituals and tools that have been kept through generations.

tags: furniture, sustainable, new products, wood
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Lasso slippers

Made in Paris by a social enterprise providing work opportunities for people with special needs, the Lasso slippers, designed by Gaspard Tiné-Berès and Ruben Valensi, has now launched on Kickstarter.

Lasso is made from a single piece of wool-felt, a leather sole and a cotton lace. All materials are 100 % natural.

 

Simple to make, the pair of slippers comes flat-pack, with laces in five different colours. The slipper shape is created by lacing the edges of the felt together through pre-cut holes.

The Lasso campaign has been launched on Kickstarter on January 31 and almost 50% of its objective has already been raised. Help the Lasso team reach their funding goal and receive your own pair.

tags: shoes, fabric, project, fashion, textile, new products
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Adream 2012 Ideas Competition winners

The Ideas competition 'Adream 2012 – Architecture and design using renewable and ecological materials' – is a European project under the joint auspices of the Regional Council of Picardie (France) and the Free State of Thuringia (Germany) aimed at giving impetus to new developments.

The potential of renewable and ecologically sound materials is still substantially under-exploited. Through this competition, the partner regions have therefore invited and promoted innovative proposals for developing a sustainable economy by means of contemporary designs which make well-considered use of such resources.

Entrants from all over Europe submitted a range of creative and innovative projects. Here are some of the winning projects.

Coffee ground pots - Sanam Viseux - France
1st prize Design/Student

Modular thatch panels - Ratia Rabemananoro - France
1st prize Architecture/Professional
Modular thatch panels for insulation and exterior wall

Eco Bell - Camille Courlivant - France
2nd prize Design/Student
Storage bells

Read More...

tags: sustainable, outdoor, fabric, awards, project, textile, new technologies, ceramic, competitions, new products, wood
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Mine Kafon

In february 2013 Gallery Slott in Paris will present the designer Massoud Hassani for his first solo exhibition with his project Mine Kafon.



Born in 1983 in Kaboul, Afghanistan, Massoud Hassani recently graduated from Design Academy Eindhoven in Holland.
As a child Massoud made his own toys playing in the windy desert. Like for many kids in his hometown, the playground run alongside the horrors of explosives and landmines. In Afghanistan there are more landmines in the ground than there are people walking on it.

The project now in the making grew out of Massoud’s child experience in a country of war. Mine Kafon is a two-metre high deminer engine that rolls on the ground, made of metal, bamboo and biodegradable plastics. Its goal is to eliminate mines and non-exploded ammunitions hidden in the ground so that the population can walk safely. This sculptural beast moves with the only power of the wind rolling on its ‘feet’ mounted on spring suspensions. In contact with a mine in the ground Mine Kafon explodes, looses some ‘legs’ but continues to roll. Equipped with a GPS system in its metallic centre, the genius apparatus permits to locate the contaminated regions.

Mine Kafon is currently being tested by the Dutch Army. The project has won much attention, like its nomination to Design of the Year 2012 in London and the recent acquisition of the object by MOMA in New York.

Part of the proceeds from the sales of the object Mine Kafon and the catalogue will be donated to an NGO invested in assisting and helping victims of land mines in Afghanistan.

Exhibition: Mine Kafon
From January 30 2013 to February 23 2013
Exquise Design * Galerie Slott, Paris, France

tags: outdoor, exhibitions, new products
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'Clopen' Shelf

Koichi Suzuno and Shinya Kamuro from Torafu Architects designed the 'Clopen' shelf, manufactured by Tanseisha. When pulled, a secret drawer appears, to store your valuables such as jewelry, stamps and passbooks.

The shelf panel is constructed from elaborate aluminum parts, and at 34mm thick, it looks as if it's made of natural wood.

Attaching sliced veneer to a thin structure, they made space between two boards which can be opened using magnetic keys.

The impression of the shelf completely changes when its hidden aluminum space is revealed from within the sliced veneer surface.

tags: furniture, new products, wood
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Silent Revolutions / Contemporary Design in Slovenia

 

 

 

 

The Museum of Architecture and Design presents the exhibition 'Silent Revolutions', a selection of design that marks the first two decades of this young European country.

Black Cherry Lamp
by Nika Zupanc - for La Femme et la Maison by Nika Zupanc, 2010

Rather than showing a sweeping overall view the show focuses on outstanding individual cases. The selected design exhibits embody the passion and obsession of individual artists, the drive, innovative development and high-quality production, ranging from the filigree turn-tables by Franc Kuzma and the seductive Black Cherry Lamps by designer Nika Zupanc to Seaway’s Greenline 33 Hybrid, the world’s first large hybrid boat, and Trimo’s Qbiss One with ArtMe modular façade systems.

Lajt Chair
by Janez Suhadolc, 1991

The exhibition also presents certain key productions from the country’s largest actors in the industry, including Elan's revolutionary series of WaveFlex skis designed in cooperation with Gigodesign studio, Alpina's Racing Elite cross-country ski boots developed in cooperation with Jure Miklavc studio, and Gorenje's Simplicity home appliance line by Gorenje Design Studio.

Waveflex Skis Series
by Gigodesign and Elan Development Department - for Elan, 2007/2011

Stabi S Turntable and Stabi XL Turntable
by Franc Kuzma; for Kuzma, 1998, 1999

Sitty Folding Chair
by Gigodesign, 2009

Kawasaki ZX-10R Evolution Exhaust System
by Igor Akrapovič and team; for Akrapovič, 2008

Krpan Postman’s Bicycle
by Matevž Fortuna; for Vizija Sport, 2002


Exhibition
Silent Revolutions / Contemporary Design in Slovenia

From June 16 to July 15 2012

Maribor Art Gallery
Strossmayerjeva ulica 6, Maribor
Slovenia

tags: furniture, exhibitions, new products, wood
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OUT NOW at Scuola Politecnica di Design

As part of the Milan design week 2012 in April, SPD Scuola Politecnica di Design presented the exhibition 'OUT NOW. Stories of Ideas and Matter'.

The exhibition brought together different ideas and views on the subject of design and production, and intersected these with the work of eleven international designers trained in the school in recent years.
How can we interpret the role of designers? The exhibition allowed us to follow the paths of a young generation of designers who have left the classroom and experienced the possibilities of the field as creative apprentices.

'Voi' design by Kostantia Manthou and Manuel Torres, modular storage container, prototype Poliform, 2011
A small architecture that grows in space as it transforms. Voi reinterprets a classic Poliform piece of the late eighties, the IO wardrobe by Paolo Piva.

'Tab' design by Isaac Piñeiro, Nadadora Studio, collection of stools and coffee tables, production Sancal, 2011
Family of stools and low tables inspired by the beehives made from hollow logs, called trobos, very typical of northern Spain. All the pieces are hand made from a bent sheet of natural chestnut veneer.

'Mariù' design by Luis Arrivillaga, suspension lamp, production Made a Mano, 2012
Ceramic lamp with cold enamel coating. It creates an interplay between positive and negative surfaces which is more evident when illuminated. Mariù interprets the space according to a principle of creative disorder generated by the disk of the diffuser.

'Wired' design by Alessandro Stabile with Alessandro Gnocchi, stackable chair with tubular metal frame, production Belca, 2012  
The product doesn’t require any investment in industrial equipment and uses accessible technologies.

'Lateira' design by Rui Pereira, decorated clayware, production Show Me, 2011
An homage to the nearly extinct canned fish industry via another traditional Portuguese handicraft: decorated pottery. The sardine can is transformed into a proud, ready for serving delicacy: a manifesto of the craftsman/designer dichotomy.

'Scooby Doo' design by Giorgio Bonaguro, table lamp, production La Lampe, 2012
The piece chooses a classic language and a minimalistic architecture in tubular metal that supports the glass diffuser. A study in contrasts between the rich material palette and the simplicity of its lightweight structure.
'Tweety' design by Giorgio Bonaguro, table lamp, self production, 2011
A simple and intuitive design made up of two parts, the lampholder and an ecofriendly polycarbonate sheet bent into a loop. Without using screws or joints for easy assembly, the bulb is suspended, like a bird in a cage.

tags: furniture, project, lighting, glass, exhibitions, ceramic, plastic, new products, wood
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biltereyst olivier
Self Book Pub. Blog, on June 1:
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Daphne, on May 2:
"Love it..such a stunning pieces! want to have one"

Andy Grey, on April 26:
"Mainly hardened polyvinyl carbonate type materials are used to make inflatable furniture,so that the..."

David, on April 26:
"What a beautiful creation it is. I really would love to have this master pieces in my home. How can ..."

Joe, on March 20:
"Simple yet elegant. Great design."

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