Pawel Grunert Still Finds Time To Design With A 'Re Purpose'

Toby — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 01:00:59 -0800

Just when you thought you'd seen the last soda bottle chandelier, table, or chair... Polish interior designer Pawel Grunert creates the bottle chair to end all bottle chairs: the Eco Chaise Lounge, a magnificent, dynamic sculptured work that's as organic in design as Grunert 's wood and steel masterpieces.

The First Cardboard Radio: Now That's Green Design

Toby — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 16:15:59 -0700

....The internal wiring is all set up in a simple card structure. There's not a lot to the Cardboard Radio; it's not a BOSE®, but it does have its own charm, as well as working parts.

Will Hipsters Can PBR For The 'New' Budweiser?

Toby — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 13:00:59 -0700

Bud has fallen 204 slots down to number 220 in consumer loyalty among America's top brands during the last quarter century. But a big new campaign - not a new taste, but some new marketing efforts and a newly designed can geared toward attracting young, but legal-age, drinkers - is underway for Budweiser beer.

The Fontessa, Gaetano Pesce's Innovative Customizable Shoe

Toby — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 01:00:59 -0700

If you're not too skittish to plop down $120 on a pair of shoes these days, then you have to have to plop it down on the Fontessa. These fashion firsts, designed by Brazilian architect/artist/designer Gaetano Pesce, are right in step with today's customizable products....

Chocolate's Answer To Silly Putty: Magic Choc

Toby — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 01:00:59 -0700

If you love experimenting with food and you love chocolate, Magic Choc is the most delicious way to satisfy both urges. It's a molding chocolate that is so forgiving, you can make dozens of models, like you used to do with Silly Putty, until you can't resist gobbling it up!

Design Your Last Appearance: Your Final Act Of Self Expression:

Toby — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 16:45:59 -0700

... a London mortuary, Leverton & Sons, has now teamed up with make-up company to the stars, Illamasqua, to give funeral goers a sight they will never forget: the deceased's 'Final Act of Self Expression," directed by the deceased herself.

Block Sticky Notes Look Awfully Like A Tetris Party!

Toby — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 09:30:59 -0700

If there's ever a game that sticks in your mind, it's the almost classic video game Tetris®. So, our friends at Suck UK, never too shy to honor a true classic, have commemorated the 10 year old game with a new design by Ben Ambrose: Block Notes. What cooler way to remind you of your 'to do's?'

Wooden Bulb Casts Some Spooky Shadows

Toby — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 03:00:59 -0700

Laser-cut wood creates some dazzling designs, especially when they're lit. The Wooden Bulb, created by Barend Hemmes, a South-African born, UK designer, is indeed dazzling. And when you switch it on, it creates a mood that might be eerie to some, but definitely suspenseful, especially if it's the only light in the room.

Can't Find The Right Chair? BYOC! (Build Your Own Chair)

Toby — Tue, 17 May 2011 12:30:59 -0700

Now that you've tried at least two dozen 'ergonomic' chairs and purchased about half of them, are you tired of finding out that none of them feel like they did when you tried them in the store? Well, by now, you should know which part of each chair actually felt good. And now is when the folks at BioFit have come up with the BYOC option - Build Your Own Chair.

A Portable Stereo Speaker That Actually Has Some Style: The Genelec 6000A - Tube

Toby — Thu, 12 May 2011 02:00:59 -0700

No boring boxes to broadcast sound from your computer, TV, or iPad. No, nothing so banal.

The First Multi-Tasking Book Light: Book Lamp By Groupa Studio

Toby — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 17:00:59 -0700

With everyone doing double or triple duty these days, it should not be a surprise that furniture and lighting design is being asked to do the same. For example, with this Book Lamp doing double duty, you don't need a table!

TRON Designs Corian: Dupont & Disney Team Up For Milan

Toby — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 17:30:59 -0700

The design world meets in Milan in a few weeks at the 2011 Salone Internazionale del Mobile, but how many will partner with Disney to bring such an imaginative group of stage sets to the show: TRON Designs Corian. a bathroom (aka wellness room), a living room, bedroom, outdoor space, home theatre, and kitchen and dining area will all be displayed in the futuristic Safe House.

Power Pod: An Elegant Solution To The Tacky Power Strip

Toby — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 13:00:59 -0700

Power strips and endless cords criss-crossing your floor have no place in a sophisticated setting and, whether your setting is a home office or the top floor suite overlooking Manhattan, your design 'ethic' requires more aesthetics.

Tom Dixon Creates Awesome Lighting Designs For 2011 Milan Design Week: Preview

Toby — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 14:00:59 -0700

....Two designs by ever-forward-looking British designer Tom Dixon will light up the Milan show in a new installation at Officine Stendhal, and the 400 square meter space will not be wasted. Dixon, known for his experimental use of new technologies, will not disappoint with his two new lighting designs, Etch and Bulb.

The Light's On In This Brain! 'Insight' By Solovdesign

Toby — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 12:15:59 -0700

Maria and Igor Solovyov, from Belarus, combine their superb design talents and energy into a family business: SolovyovDesign, a studio that shows brilliance in many spheres of product design. Today I must share the Insight energy efficient lamp, because it shines so brilliantly... and is so darn metaphoric.

On The Lighter Side: 6 Clever New Gift Ideas From Atypyk

Toby — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 14:00:59 -0700

Today I found that when things look the most glum, there's a space within us that makes room for just a bit of levity. For me, I found it in one of the design spots I depend on for just such levity - Atypyk. These six new items from the fun pair of French creators are just enough to make you smile just when you or someone special needs it.

Of Booze & Cheddar Cheese: The 2011 BESTS Are Chosen

Toby — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 11:45:59 -0700

Is it a coincidence that the Ultimate Beverage Challenge (UBC) spirit winners were announced the day before St Patty's? Doesn't matter... You might as well take advantage of your new knowledge... The 'ultimate' judges of the best in booze have decided and here are the best of the bests, the Chairman's Trophy Awards in 27 Challenge categories. (It must be fun to be a judge, no?)

The Bombardier Project Eco Train, Completely Solar Powered

Toby — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 13:00:59 -0700

Francisco Lupin, an Argentinian industrial designer, created an ecological, ergonomic, and economically efficient design for the Bombardier train competition. Called the Inter Urban Eco Train, eco⁴, for short, it is designed to offer local transit services for business commuters and students who go back and forth to school or universities. Zero carbon emissions.

Plumen 001 Wins British Design Award For Energy Saving Sculptured Lighting

Toby — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 12:00:59 -0700

Whoever thought that light bulbs could be fun, both for the designer and the consumer? Fun and functional; that's the motto of Hulger design, the British design house that brought out the cool, crazy phones for Skype and other VoIP services. The new sculptured bulbs, Plumen 001, just won the top product category and the overall best British Insurance Design Award.

Just Your Basic Cell Phone With $10,000 Worth Of Design: The +YvesBehar Phone

Toby — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 10:15:59 -0700

Some writers diss Yves Behar's new +YvesBehar phone for lacking the functionality of today's smart phones. True, it doesn't access the Internet, send email, or incorporate touchscreen technology. But the +YvesBehar has something else...

Cardboard Safari Doesn't Have To Hunt For Design Ideas

Toby — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 18:00:59 -0700

The folks at Cardboard Safari sent out their March newsletter today, reminding me that I have not checked in with them for some time. I was wowed! They have added quite a few more clever Cardboard Trophies, as well as full-bodied animals, to their collection. Plus, Cardboard Safari has just introduced a human mask and a cardboard bowling game!

The $10,000 Cupcake: 'You Make Me Want To Stout!'

Toby — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 15:00:59 -0800

For the fourth straight year, Scharffen Berger chocolate and TuttiFoodie sponsored the Chocolate Adventure Contest, awarding $20,000 to the three best original recipes incorporating Scharffen Berger chocolate in the U.S. Well, there's one more catch...

Slim's Gift To Mexico: The New Museo Soumaya In Mexico City

Toby — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 15:00:59 -0800

It is unusual for one person to build an art museum and fund it all, especially when no future remuneration is expected in return. But when your name is Carlos Slim Helú and you are the richest person in the world, who happens to own roughly 66,000 coveted works of art, it might cross your mind.

Repurposing Can Mean Some Bad Hair Days For Lamps

Toby — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 08:00:59 -0800

Sergio Mendoza helps organize workshops at Domaine de Boibuchet in southwestern France, a lovely country estate where artists, architects, and designers congregate and offer classes in the summer. Mendoza got the design bug himself and one set of his works is this series of SMP Lamps made from the shavings of fruit containers delivered to the estate every day.

Through The Drapes, Darkly And Noiselessly

Toby — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 13:00:59 -0800

Windows are wonderful inventions. They let you see what's going on outside, brighten up your rooms with natural light, make your rooms warmer or colder depending upon the outdoor temperature, and even let you hear the street traffic or, sometimes, your next door neighbors' conversations. You don't want that?

Cork: Not Just For Bulletin Boards

Toby — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 19:00:59 -0800

Maybe it's because my budget confines me to 'less expensive' wines, but I notice bottles are no longer being corked and, instead, have metal screw top caps like cooking sauces. When I realized the evolution had already taken place, I wished I had saved my bottle corks for posterity, or for a cork top table...

Somthing's Fishy About This "Magic Carp-Pet" Rug

Toby — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 13:30:59 -0800

John Leung loves to incorporate optical illusion into his designs, and the "Magic Carp-Pet," for me, is his best. Created for Australian architects, ClarkeHopkinsClarke, This rug design actually employs two items to make its point...

Got Eggs? Their Perfect Shape Inspires Egg Designs For The Home

Toby — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 11:00:59 -0800

In case you missed the yearly unveiling of the eggs, the Le Uova de Leon collection is still getting its seasoning in the news. So, I thought I would give you a few fun moments with photos from the egg collection, a series of playful, colorful, exciting, and terribly creative interior design renditions from Italian architect Valentina Audrito.

Got Soaked? You Need AIR, The Universal Drying Machine

Toby — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 18:15:59 -0800

Russian industrial designer, Olga Kalugina, has a darned clever design for a portable multi-purpose dryer. It's the kind of dryer you need when you've come into your home after being swept up and soaked by a storm.

Comet Inspires Elegant Rim Of Light: The Halley Lamp By Vibia

Toby — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 18:00:59 -0800

What elegance comes to light when Spanish lighting designer Vibia is inspired! Known for clean lines and innovative technology, Vibia has now brought out perhaps the cleanest of lines in the rim of light called Halley Lamp.