May Lust List
I thought I'd do a small post on a couple of designs and products that I am totally lusting after right now. I've been on a self-imposed homewares embargo (mainly so I can have some fun once we are in the new house, and also, like I said, no paid work = no spare mula!) so here are a few things that would be added-to-cart asap in any other circumstance… well, maybe with a lotto win, but one can dream. Or I can just live vicariously through any of you lucky people who happen to purchase up after seeing this.
{A Cutipol Mezzo cutlery set}
{An Elise Raspanti Art Series Kip & Co beanbag!}
{Blue Heaven LED Neon artwork (or any of their ice creams) by Electric Confetti}
{Sierra weave Armadillo & Co rug in Pumice has been on my list since I felt it at a trade fair a few years ago. Sooo soft and luxurious!}
{Love this Sketch Inc for Lucie Kaas Thief Wall Hook by Urbaani, available at Top3. Becky Kemp's Kokeshi Dolls are also fantastic - check out her insta @sketchinc to see some of her amazing work}
{The impressively multi-functional Woodieful chair/table/storage/bucket from new start-up Woodieful in Slovenia. I love adaptable 'slashie' furniture! It is available through their Kickstarter campaign here, although you better hurry - only 9 days to go. And yes, they do ship to Australia!}
{These Dita stools from Grazia & Co, seen here in the stunning Port Phillip Bay penthouse apartment by We Are Huntly. Photo by Brooke Holm}
{A matte black Anthracite finish Smeg fridge, because why not}
What are you lusting after?
xo Romona
Put A Cork In It
{Clork by Puik Art in collaboration with Ilias Ernst. Simple forms combined with the natural material gives the ‘Clork’ a great look and feel. Its left corner stable in the present, while the circular right side allows time to roll by, Clork comes in natural coloured cork or graphic black}
{The Smed bar stool by Great Dane Furniture and OX DENMARQ, showcases simple design with simple materials. The Smed Bar Stool consists of a blacksmith crafted, powder coated steel frame with cork seat in either fresh mint, brass or white}
{Muuto's sexy little Corky carafe checks me out every time I walk in to a store stocking Muuto. “The shape of the Corky carafe is inspired by the archetypical bottle. It is a straightforward combination of glass and cork that functions equally well as a wine carafe, a water jug or even a milk bottle. Corky has a simple and familiar form but with a characteristic and oversized detail. The Corky drinking glasses are small and light companions for the Corky carafe. With a low-key and light expression, they are suited for both everyday use and special occasions with friends and family.” says creator Andreas Engesvik. Available at Living Edge}
{Cork Family stools/side tables, Vitra by Jasper Morrison available from Space Furniture are a quirky addition to your home or office interior. Nothing like a giant pushpin in the corner}
{Tembo is a stool made of stacked pieces of wood, metal, and cork by La Chance and Note Design Studio, available from Living Edge. This ‘modern totem’ has a playful and bulky aspect recalling children’s toys and African tomtoms (Tembo means elephant foot in Swahili)}
{Corker pendant lights by Max Harper, are inspired by the iconic cork hats that, for better or worse, are linked to Australiana. Corker playfully mocks this cultural iconography in a modern design context. Australian designed and made, each piece is hand turned by local craftsmen in Sydney from agglomerated cork. Cork is a hardy yet renewable, bio-degradable and recyclable resource, designed for disassembly, ensuring parts end up reclaimed, recycled or disposed of appropriately}
Realising that this post has ended up a lot more Scandi than Aussie (except for the last one), but they just do so many great things. All available here in Australia though, so enjoy enjoy.
xo Romona
Kid-size creations
{Tables Four Two in the classic grey colour set by Sheree B Product Design. She also does other colour schemes, but this was the best. She is incredibly friendly and helpful too!}
{Treehorn Designs Oh Buoy small lamp in blue. Not sure if I would put this in the boys room or steal it for myself}
Quick distraction
Having said that, sometimes we all need a bit of aesthetic joy in our lives to remind us of people's potential to create beautiful things.
With all the above going on, I haven't yet sorted out my reams of notes, brochures and cards from the D+D conference yet, so I will leave you with just a taste of beautiful things from the conference. My iPhone pics seemed to have turned out a bit dull, so I will dedicate a couple of larger future posts to the amazing designers that I met and discovered (or rediscovered) at Decor + Design Melbourne once I have some quality images from the designers themselves. For now, enjoy this brief sample.
{The Reykjavik Cabinet by Amy Perejuan-Capone of Horse on Toast, just one of the many talented sandgropers on display at D+D}
Spotlight on Australian Designers | Lab De Stu
Made up of Melburnians Adam Lynch, Dale Hardiman and André Hnatojko, these guys have kicked arse on the national and international design award scene since 2011. DQ calls them 'Industry Giants', and being in their very early 20's that is saying something!
Although I could have added every image from the website, I'll leave this pretty little teaser for you and let you explore their simple but beautiful website yourself. I'm sure I will have more to add later, once I've seen their wares at D+D this week.
{The Up Up pendant is a collaboration between Dale Hardiman from Lab De Stu and artist / jewellery designer Emily Green. Emily's signature polymer clay beads combine with Dale's lighting design prowess to present a beautiful collection of pendants. Picking this image from the colour range was quite difficult. I changed my mind several times}
Black and White
{Harbour House by uber-talented Arent&Pyke. How yum is that Christian Liaigre console table?!}
Nautical dreams
{ 1. Compass cushion, 2. Côte d'Azur Ice bucket, 3. Ahoy Door Mat, 4. Skull & Crossbones Cushion, 5. Hold Tight wall flag, 6. Pier Rope Table lamp, 7. World Map Sticker }
Melbourne Decoration + Design 2013
{Paul Townsin’s Me + Me Too Lamps, made of moulded concrete and so, so beautiful in person}
DesignEX 13
The Hives exhibition was the stand-out for me with its gorgeous collaborative pieces. “When designers, interdisciplinary practitioners and leading industrial enterprises put their heads together, the results can be exciting, unexpected and intriguing. Curator Anne Maree-Sargeant returns the popular Hives exhibit to designEX 2013 with a highly considered display of products that bring together covetable objects from visionaries and brands under the themes of Innovation and Collaboration”.
My favourite for years has been the WebLight by Design By Them (along with everything else they do!). I fell in love with the gentle image of the aptly-named wispy-looking light set amongst a bright green forrest on their webpage years ago. “WebLight is the result of an exploration into the potential possibilities of reusing plastic bags. Made from recycled content, each WebLight is individually hand made and features an intricate pattern of texture and holes that are the direct result of its unique forming process.”
{Weblight by Design By Them}
Another creation I was looking forward to seeing in person was the precise Hoshigame by Artemide. Developed with Japanese fashion designer, Issey Miyake, the sustainably designed, foldable lampshade explores the intersection of creativity and mathematics. Made from fabric derived from recycled PET bottles, “Miyake's unique folding technology allows a single piece of fabric in a flat 2D shape to be unfolded into a 3D shade of statuesque form. The structure of the recycled material, together with an additional surface treatment allows 'Hoshigame' to perfectly keep its shape without the need for an internal frame, and to be stored flat when not in use and then re-shaped when needed.” Although smaller than I expected, it was still a thing of beauty.
{Hoshigame by Artemide + Issey Miyake}
Here are a few other highlights from the Hives exhibition and lots more from the show.
Orange Brights
{For a bright statement piece, The Martini side table in Persimmon from West Elm}
When highlighting orange, I couldn’t go past Greg Natale’s stunning Chevron wallpaper in Burnt Mandarin. I know I harp on about his products, but why not when they are just so special. Read on for more beautiful, bright orange delights!
{Greg Natale’s stunning Chevron wallpaper in Burnt Mandarin through Porter’s Paints}
Spotlight on Australian Designers | Helen Kontouris
Her design ethos is perhaps best described in her own words. “We live & breathe a culture of dreams, process & creativity. Our approach to each project is an opportunity to discover, learn, evolve, simplify, interpret, innovate and create. Strong creative partnerships are formed through our commitment, value, contribution & growth of our clients businesses. Our role as designer is not to give you the safe or predictable result. We sometimes challenge & redefine the project to enable us to explore the possibilities we strongly believe in, whilst always respecting the client’s decision.”
“We believe ecology in design today, rests on the role of the designer as cultural architect, creating products with clear purpose, intelligent material appropriateness & function that arrest you with their beauty & promote a movement ‘against throwawayism’. You are emotionally attached enough not to discard it. When you no longer need it, give it to someone whom you know admires it or to charity for those who need it more now, than you."
I love that responsibility is taken as the designer to promote, encourage and even demand a holistic lifecycle approach to both the purchase and the retirement of their products. There is no reason that a product should not continue its life-after-you in one form or another, whether it is in perfect condition (go ebay or lucky friends), restorable (gumtree or second hand store), or completely decrepit (recycle those bits into something else or see what can be picked up for recycling by your council). Oh, how I miss the mass hard rubbish display around the neighbourhood at council collection time - it hurts to see people’s unwanted treasures now get picked up quickly and efficiently on individual basis, crushed into nothingness, when those poor items could easily have had another life or two. I digress.
She has a fun and informative website and blog, in which you get to read about her design processes and the happenings in the life of a talented designer, as well as peruse her many fabulous designs in detail, including the ones below. All images are from her website, which you can check out here.
Here are a few of my favourite pieces of hers.
The Penelope is a simple and classic steel and timber beauty, that was on display at Stylecraft during Saturday InDesign 2012. The masculine, honest structure of the legs complements the smooth streamlined timber top, allowing the polished woodgrain to feature.
{Penelope Table and side table/stool - available at Stylecraft}
Her Scoop Egg Cup & Spoon collaboration with Alessi is a stand-out. What can I say - I am sure you have all seen this lovely, sculptural piece before. Beautiful but functional is epitomised in this lustrous and decadent egg cup. What a glamourous Sunday breakfast would be had with this baby. Puts my cheapo wire one to shame! It is now on the Christmas list.
{Scoop Egg cup & Spoon for Alessi - Available at most department stores or online}
The La La Lamp is a floor lamp made of two conic, internally opaline coated fabric shades with a noiseless IGBT technology dimmer. Classic geometry combined with quirky lines create a real feature for any space. Unfortunately, I can’t find exact stockists in Australia, but it was featured at a Schiavello event and since they also stock her La La Stool, I am sure they could help you out.
{La La Lamp for Kundalini Italy}
{La La Stool, Available at Schiavello}
The graceful lines and soft appearance of the Panier stool belies the fact that it is made from 100% recyclable Polyethylene and suitable for indoors or outdoors. Shortlisted for the best 'Object – furniture and lighting' in the IDEA Awards 2012 (to be announced November), this design highlights yet another triumph for Helen.
{Panier Stool, Available at Space}
I hope you enjoyed the first of what I hope will be many posts shining the spotlight on Australian Design.
Who is your favourite Australian Designer?
xo Romona