The Oceano trunk has been created by famed French designer Andrée Putman for Italian furniture brand Poltrona Frau. The naval theme, reflected in the name of the product, hints on the aesthetic of old-timey luxury cruises and elegant luggage, associated with them. The trunk, designed to hold clothing and accessories, is not strictly a luggage item, but its mobility and compactness can come handy in today’s nomad living. The frame of the piece is made of multilayer birch. The interior houses a rich mosaic of drawers in all sizes, made from MDF with textured, non-scratch paint in milk color. Hidden away inside the trunk there is also a folding mini-desk with a removable padded pouf. Everything a person needs to get dressed and beautified in style. And when on the move – simply close the trunk for easy transport and storage.
This collapsible table by Italian designer Lodovico Bernardi is a thing of beauty. Simple and pure design, combined with a clever folding action, make it a great contender for a small apartment. A very stylish small apartment. The piece folds completely flat, saving shipping and storage costs (points for eco-conscious thinking!). Thanks to the pivoting folding mechanism, it can be used on both sides.
Editor’s note: This is a guest post from Donald M. Rattner.
Unique, functional, modular and playful, the Palace tableware collection from Seletti was designed by Alessandro Zambelli. Among the pieces making up this miniature city are towers, palazzos, villas – even a baptistry. Setting a table has rarely been so much fun, or creative. Plates, bowls, glasses, soup and cheese containers disguised as architecture are all stackable, beautifully shaped and decorated in the classic style of the Italian Renaissance. There’s even a collection of cutlery in the shape of old keys to top it off.
The Palace Collection is especially suited for environments where space is at a premium, since sets can be placed on shelves or tabletops as attractive display pieces when not in use, rather than have to be stored inside cabinets. Decoration and function unite in a seamless whole.
Made in Italy from Dolomite Porcelain. Purchase here.
What desk doesn’t need more storage? The Drap shelf by Russian designer and craftsman Vladimir Soveng is a beautiful way to add useful storage to any workstation of any style and size. Its inventive shape allows you to accommodate various items – papers, books, magazines, writing paraphernalia. And by turning Drap on its side – you can change the look of the shelf and create more storage on top. A beautiful idea and fine execution.
– Amazing science – Harvard researchers grew gorgeous microscopic gardens using delicate chemical reactions.
– 15 most creative food packaging designs.
– Bike riders, for your enjoyage – this Japanese bike parking system is absolutely awesome.
– BBC made a thorough scientific documentary about the secret life of the cat (HT bookofjoe).
– Still searching the floor for my jaw after watching this – incredible gymnastic performance.
– Haunting and beautiful – mirage mirrors.
– A carpenter carves functioning watches entirely from wood.
– Fascinating – linguists identified 15,000-year-old “ultraconserved words” that sounded nearly the same during the Ace Age.
Have a relaxing weekend, everybody!
Russian design duo Anna and Maxim Maximov of Maximovich Design studio created this witty accessory – the Pointer Here. It separates and accentuates the area where all your important items are. An ideal entryway companion, Pointer Here acts as a physical highlighter for your keys, wallet, gizmos, ID cards and more. How cool is that? The piece comes in red, yellow and black. Watch the video after the break to see it in more detail.
Poke stool is a furniture debut of typography designer Kyuhyung Cho. The idea was to create a grownup piece with a childish charm and playfulness. The combination of four round legs and eight holes in each seat creates a stackable stool with a graphical approach. The added twist creates a rhythm as the stack grows higher. The combination of different colors allows to built an individual structure, almost scupturesque in its geometric beauty. The Poke stool is made of natural Finnish birch and oak.
This simple and beautiful house has been built by Daniel Martí i Pérez of DMP Arquitectura in collaboration with designers Jurgen Van Weereld and Karin Giesberts in the province of Alicante, Spain. The project was an attempt to perfect a concept of prefab housing and create an example of a stylish, affordable dwelling that is easy to build and replicate. There are two bedrooms, a confortable master bedroom along with a tiny second bedroom/study. A large walk-through closet behind the kitchen provides ample storage space. The open living/dining/kitchen area completes the layout. See the revealing assembly shots after the break.
(via small house bliss)
Since we’re on a subject of working from home – here is another interesting “workstation”, this time in a form of a couch. Famed Philippe Stark created the piece for the Italian brand Cassina. The couch, called My World, ergonomically designed to support the ideal posture for working and concentrating, while still being relaxed. The piece also features storage, work surfaces and ports for your various gizmos. It is so well-thought-out – you might never lift your bum…
The Worknest system by Polish designer Wiktoria Lenart is a real beauty. The sleek wooden desk has groves that allow to easily attach additional elements – shelves, boards, even flower pots. You can accessorize the piece as much or as little as you wish and make it fit your individual working style. In addition to the desk, the system includes a divider, compatible with the same accessories, used for the desk. This duo could be a great solution for a studio or any open floor plan apartment, for it creates a secluded and self-sufficient workspace on the spot.
