My house is my castle


Thanks to dezeen and/or Designboom for the note …
November 15, 2010, 1:53 pm
Filed under: Uncategorized

Just received the most wonderful comment:

This house castle website is pathetic. it’s written with the arrogance of a spoilt teenager but with the knowledge of a ten year old. Your comments on a world of which you clearly know little are just sad little bleats.   For god’s sake leave this to a proffessional site like dezeen or design boom and get a real job.

We especially like the ironic typo … nice touch.

We’d just love to ask the bot that generated it where exactly they found the arrogance – apart from the fact we don’t like flash…..

But of course such bots can’t actually read.

Re-launch coming soon.



SuperSputnik by Sisman

In these pages we have often bemoaned the number of designers who against all logic insist on building flash websites.

PDF websites are just as daft.

It’s not that we don’t like the good folks at Adobe, it’s just that their technology is good where it belongs – and less good where it doesn’t.

However we can forgive Ahmet Sismanoglu his flirt with pdf because he has promised a proper website from August 2010

And because his SuperSputnik stool is such a wonderfuly simple piece of design.

Sitting somewhere between Isamu Noguchi’s Rocking stool and Charles and Ray Eames’ “R” frame series, SuperSputnik is a delightfully fresh interpretation on the classic three-legged stool.

And neatly constructed to boot.

SuperSputnik by Sisman

Cosmic!

Supersputnik by Sisman

Supersputnik by Sisman

Supersputnik by Sisman

Supersputnik by Sisman - nice, simple, good



Heimlicht by Leoni Werle

Heimlicht by Leoni Werle is not just a lamp.

It is a lamp that thinks it is an old-fashioned bureau – and as such “closes”

Through the “closure” one can not only neatly hide an unkempt corner but also find “closure” on a days work.

Out of sight out of mind as it were.

And when you are working the large, positional diffuser allows for the perfect atmosphere.

Heimlicht by Leoni Werle

Fantastic

Heimlicht by leoni werle

Heimlicht by Leoni Werle : open

Heimlicht by leoni werle

Heimlicht by Leoni Werle : Closed (photo © annika feuß)



Ceramic light shades by Ji-Hyun Chung

As a general rule we don’t believe in love at first sight… but sometimes we could be convinced otherwise.

As in the case of these ceramic light shades from Camberwell College Of Art graduate Ji-Hyun Chung.

A very simple concept, but as ever an idea that one has to first of all have before the product can be developed.

If ceramic is thin enough, light passes through it.
Mould and colour the ceramic and you have a delicate yet improbably stable light shade.

And that appeals to us.

Ceramic light shades by Ji-Hyun Chung.

Gorgeous!

ceramic light shades Ji-Hyun Chung

Ceramic Light Shades by Ji-Hyun Chung

ceramic light shades Ji-Hyun Chung

detail

ceramic light sahdes Ji-Hyun Chung

wonderful



Table & Lamp by Florian Kallus

The first time Table & Lamp by Florian Kallus appeared in our RSS inbox we ignored it.

Which proves that even we can make mistakes.

For it is a joyous product.

It’s a table

And a lamp

Sounds easy.

Isn’t

Sounds unspectacular.

Isn’t.

The lamp can be placed on either the left or the right hand side of the table  and rotates through 360 degrees allowing the user to determine light direction and so atmosphere.

Combined with its wonderful, simple aesthetic we were very glad to get a second chance with Table & Lamp.

Table & Lamp by Florian Kallus.
Genius!

Table and Lamp by Florian Kallus

Table and Lamp by Florian Kallus

table and lamp florian kallus

nice form

table and lamp florian kallus

lamp. detail.



Spiral(e) shelf by Argue Design

Spotted this wonderful shelf/storage/coat rack solution at DMY Berlin.

Spiral(e) shelf by Swedish design studio Argue Design is a part hanging part stuffing.
Which appeals top our sense of the correct manner on how to store one possessions.
Hang your jackets and such items responsibly – and stuff the rest inside the tube.

Spirale(e) by Argue Design.
Gorgeous!

spirale shelf argue design

Spiral(e) Shelf by Argue Design

spirale shelf argue design

Perfect for those who appreciate order, but not enough to maintain it on a daily basis



Anel by Grzegorz Cholewiak

We admit it was an idle moment.
A moment when we technically had other things to do – but our curiosity got the better of us.

Thankfully!

Krakow based designer Grzegorz Cholewiak recently won first prize in the 2009 Herforder Recycling Designpreis with his Patery glass bowls.

The Reycling Designpreis is awarded for especially innovative projects for turning “waste” into useful items. For his Patery series Grzegorz Cholewiak used old TV screens to wonderful effect.

And because we were so impressed by Patery we researched a little further and found some more interesting projects from Grzegorz Cholewiak.

Perhaps the most interesting being his Prouvé-esque Anel garden chair.

While we normally want a garden chair to have sufficient arm capacity to hold a cup/glass and potentially also a plate; we also know from experience that a cup/glass and potentially also a plate will, sooner or later, fall to the ground if left on the arm of a chair.

And so Anel’s curved arms are not only not a problem but present a more attractive option for resting your arms on while reading a book. And the curved form of the backrest promises comfortable support regardless of the seating position.

Obviously with all such chairs one must try them before committing; however from what we have seen  we see no reason to doubt the quality of the product.

Anel by Grzegorz Cholewiak

Gorgeous!

Anel by Grzegorz Cholewiak

Anel by Grzegorz Cholewiak



Design Classics: Papa Bear Armchair by Hans J Wegner

One of the most famous furniture design anecdotes is that of Charles Eames about his iconic Lounge Chair; namely, that it should resemble and be just as inviting as a well-worn baseball glove.

Similary Hans J. Wegner wanted his Papa Bear chair to be just as inviting as the arms of a ….

Obviously he didn’t.

But with his Papa Bear Chair, Hans J Wegner did create one of the best of examples of early modern Danish design.
In many ways a further development of Finn Juhl’s Pelican Chair, Papa Bear Armchair was created at a time when “plain” wood furniture dominated and was one of the first full upholstered post-war chairs.
A relatively brave decision at a time when resources and money were still relatively rare.

Also known as the Teddy Bear Armchair, Wegner’s Papa Bear Armchair was released in 1951 by AP Stolen; although from 1953 onwards the frames were produced by PP Møbler, who today produce the Papa Bear chair, albeit marketed as the Teddy Bear Chair.

hans wegner papa bear

Papa bear Armchair by Hans Wegner

hans wegner papa bear armchair

Papa Bear Armchair and Ottoman by Hans Wegner



Are they related?
May 18, 2010, 3:54 pm
Filed under: Miscellaneous
Papa Bear Hans Wegner

Papa Bear by Hans Wegner

Hug bear

Hug bear



FALL Tea Maker by Yuki Hirayama

Wilhelm Wagenfelds 1931 Teeservice is without doubt one of the most iconic examples of product design.

Whilst undeniably formally inspired by Wagenfelds aesthetic wonder, New York based designer Yuki Hirayama has bravely attempted to update the design.

She’s made it electric.
And we like the result.

A lot!

Through the addition of induction plates to a conical indentation in the base the user can boil water in the pot before lowering the tea leaves in.
Following infusion lift the tea leaves out and enjoy.

Thanks to the fact that the induction elements are inside the conical indentation – the tea pot stands flat on any surface.

We can’t comment on if the resulting tea actually tastes any good – but at the moment we’re far to busy being impressed by the design to care.

However, and as so often – it’s a student project.

And so not commercially available – yet…..

FALL Tea Maker by Yuki Hirayama

Great!

FALL Tea Maker Yuki Hirayama

FALL Tea Maker by Yuki Hirayama




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