Remember old wooden clothes pegs? The reason you do is that they have been around for a while, and people still use them. All thanks to a simple and functional mechanism. So, when Brooklyn based designer Steffi Min took this innocent peg shape and turned it into a lamp, it felt like one of those ‘why didn’t I think of it’ moments. The piece consists of a cord (which you can wind around a ceiling or a wall mount, bookshelf or any other object), a wooden base and a bulb itself. Rather than a traditional light socket with a twist in motion, the Peg lamp introduces a new relationship between the socket and user by clamping right on to the bulb. Innovative and graceful.
In the world of design there is a specific order in which business takes place, ideas get selected and objects get produced. The order New York based online company StyleFactory attempted to change… Instead of leaving it for manufacturers to decide (or guess) what is the demand on the market, they manage to create the demand before the manufacturing process starts. This is achieved by the interactive nature of the website, where you can pre-buy an item or vote for designs you like. The site is also a democratic platform, where designers can introduce their concepts and, if the demand arrises, see them produced. Thus, their creativity is empowered by the ones it was directed at – consumers. A perfect circle.
Break Down: Design in Your Hands event, organized by StyleFactory, Design Milk and Bobby Berk Home as a part of New York Design Week, was a tangible manifestation of the virtual concept. Visitors could observe the design objects and vote for their favorites.
Jigsaw is a modular coffee table designed by Belgian designer Linde Hermans for Mooz. It is comprised of four independent angular pieces that can be arranged into different configurations or placed separately around your home. These L-shaped wedges can be used as handy companions to the furniture you already have, because they fit perfectly around corners. Manufactured from a single piece of steel, the Jigsaw table is minimalistic and adaptable. Smart stuff!
The only constant thing in our life is change. It dictates the way we look at the things that surround us. Milan-based designer Emanuele Magini created a piece of furniture for Italian brand Campeggi perfectly in tune with this desire for change and adaptability. The sofa, called Sosia, consists of two sits wrapped in a piece of fabric. By manipulating these three components we can achieve several looks and configurations. The sits can be pushed together to create a daybed, they can be pulled apart to make two separate chairs, the fabric can be zipped over the chairs for privacy or draped around them in various ways. You get the picture.
The City Coat Rack by Michael Rösing and the Radius studio team celebrates urban landscapes by bringing them to your doorway. The laser-etched silhouette of landmarks and architecture will make a sophisticated statement, and nineteen hooks will provide more than enough space for your jackets and scarves. The City Coat Rack is available in the skylines of Paris, London, Berlin, Stuttgart, and New York. You can purchase them here.
Small Kitchen is an innovative space-saving solution from German designers Kristin Laass and Norman Ebelt. It is intended to combine all kitchen essentials – stove, cooktop, refrigerator, sink, prep surface, storage, dinning table – into a 1m² structure. All this was possible thanks the clever layered design – different parts of the Small Kitchen are rolled out to reveal the rest. Efficient and very impressive! It is hard to believe that the piece was one of the student projects presented at the DMY International Design Festival’10 in Berlin.
This amazing thing is a computer powered art frame by Yugo Nakamura of interactive design agency tha and screen-based media gallery SCR. The Framed display is basically a perfected version of a digital picture frame that allows to feature interactive art, web applications, motion graphics and illustration. It is also integrated with an iPhone app to make purchasing, choosing and controlling the artwork even easier.
This thing of beauty is called Sullivan/Barnes Table and made by Con Form Lab. On an average night it can accomodate six people, but when a party is in plans – the table expands to sit as many as ten. The expanding mechanism is fully integrated, so all you need to do is pull the tabletop from both sides. Thanks to perfectly fitted slots – the table changes its size (and its density) with one fluid movement. All parts are made of plywood, so Sullivan/Barnes table is not only a looker and a wonder of practicality, it is also ecologically agreeable.
We love our pets to bits and share everything with them. So why, when it comes to rocking chairs, we should get all the fun? Rocking-2-gether by Paul Kweton fixes the injustice. The piece is a rocking chair and a pet bed combined. Here is how the designer describes it: ‘The “merge” & “morph” manipulation of the old school rocking chair and doghouse generates a hybrid “furniture” that combines the idea of shelter and body relaxation and pushes its functionality to a different, more personal level.’ So there you are – a dual function both you and your pet will love.
This retro-looking credenza from RAAD studio is not only an inspired piece of design, made to give your space that awesome mid-century vibe. There is a high-end stereo system incorporated into the piece — a solution to all of those hideous stereos and speakers. The cabinet itself is fitted with speakers and at the same time serves as a storage unit. So, no more unsightly music equipment miscellany, and no more wires and cords scattered on the floor. Everything is concealed inside this elegant, hand-crafted living room cabinet.
