Can a hanger become a decorative element? Vilnius based designer Julius Bucelis argues that it can. His sleek and beautiful Hook hanger can serve this purpose aside from holding clothes. Thanks to its curvy shape, each piece can also be used as three hooks (hence the name). And when utilitarian duties are over, several Hook hangers can form a pendant. Triple function done right.
If you cook in a tiny kitchen – you know too well that an open oven door makes the place non-navigable. It is also unkind to a human body. But what choice do we have other than performing our daily acrobatic etudes with hot dishes, and getting on with our lives… Well, this clever invention from Neff puts the end to this nonsense. A slide-away door, fitted on the new models, is a godsend for small spaces. By sliding neatly under the oven as you fully open the door, it provides easy access to the appliance. And if you look closer, you will notice that the handle rotates towards you in a smooth, circular motion. And once the door is fully open, it stays visible and easily accessible at the top of the door. Smart stuff!
(HT KBculture)
This multitasking object, called Scalo and designed by Benedetto Quaquaro for Cerruti Baleri, is not on a cheap side ($2,016.00). But it can do so many things! You can use it as a side or ocasional table, stool, shelving unit or a stepladder. Thanks to the hidden hinges, the transition is easy and seamless. Made from bent plywood, the piece features different colors on the inside. A durable stainless steal stop locks Scalo in both open and closed positions.
When it comes to air purification, house plants still remain the safest and the most visually attractive option. That is why French designer Mathieu Lehanneur and Harvard professor David Edwards employed the power of plants to create Andrea, the eco-friendly air purifier. The idea is simple – air is sucked into the device, where it gets filtered through the plant, soil and water. After that it gets recirculated back into the room. No filters to change, no components to clean. Just a beautiful, quiet machine that takes as much space as an average planter. Andrea is low on energy consumption and works with any plant.
(HT Dornob)
We, urban folks, love our bikes. And because the space is scarce in city apartments, we try to store them vertically, which means making holes in our walls. Well, not anymore. This brilliant bike stand from Public allows vertical storage without the nasty wall mutilation part. It has the easiest installation process imaginable. Just lean the stand against the wall, and gravity does the rest. The piece provides convenient storage for one or two bikes and works with the most bike shapes and sizes. Genius!
Flat-pack designs are very popular today, and there is a reason for it. They minimize the manufacturing efforts, reduce shipping costs and allow us to save space. And they also promote creativity. Just look at this collection by Ufuk Keskin! Called Flatobjects, the line consists of three pieces: Typeshelf – a type nerd’s delight and my personal favorite; Timewarp – a wall clock with laser cut numbers on the face that are ready to be bent; and Highrise – a dual function object which can be used as a vase or wall accessory. The collection is currently on display at the New York International Gift Fair until August 18.
The geeky charm of these pillows made me smile. Any scrabble letter with its corresponding point value can be now owned in a form of a pillow from Counter Couture Design. Each 14″x14″ case is made of 100% cotton and emulates the typography and layout of the classic word game tile. The values are the same as the ones in real life, so no scrabble nerdiness will be offended. You can spell words, create monograms, counts points and celebrate the game and the language any way you please with these pillows. Available at Etsy.
This lovely playroom item was designed by Eric Pfeiffer for Offi. The table has a durable chalkboard top, which allows kids to express their artistic spirit. And when our little artists are done with their masterpieces – their supplies can be stored in a bowl in the center. Thus, the piece promotes creativity, sharing and working together, and also being tidy after the playtime is over. The table can be purchased at designstory.com.
(HT Lilsnob)
This mirror with the girly name Precious was indeed designed by two women – Céline Merhand and Anaïs Morel, the creative duo behind the studio Les M. In spite of its minimal form, the object contains a lot of functional details. Its wooden frame houses cleverly hidden drawers and hooks for jewelry, cosmetics and other small items we, girls, like to have close to a mirror. The drawers come in a variety of colors, adding a playful touch to the piece.
Graphic designer Jack Curry made these brilliant (and orange!) bookends, called Biblio, for his own bookshelves. He also gained an instant fan the minute I saw them. As a typographically inclined individual, Jack initially searched for ready-made type-centric bookends. But after series of unexciting woodblock letters or “A & Z” bookend sets, he decided to make his own. ‘Using some off-the-shelf black bookends as a reference, I began figuring out how each letter would begin to look if used in the given framework, – says the designer. – After several different directions I came to the conclusion that the best solution would be to simply have the foundation of these forms contain both sides of the base, which would swing out in opposite directions; not unlike a gymnast doing forward splits.’ The first batch of letters (spelling out “READ”) were then produced from 16 gauge stainless steel and powder-coated in classic library orange. Beautiful!
(HT Typetoken)
