DESIGNRO

Glimpt – exotic crafts and Scandinavian design

Iulia Constantin — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 11:36:44 +0000

Do you want to step into a dimension full of fresh colors, merging exotic crafts and Scandinavian design? If you are searching for it, then look no further than up-and-coming Swedish design studio Glimpt. Situating themselves at the inception of a designers’ career, Mattias Rask and Tor Palm can boast about two wonderful collections of furniture and lightning: Forbidden Fruit and Superheroes.
Let me tell you briefly the story behind them. First of all, Forbidden Fruit was born because of the final exam the two designers had to pass. As they are both very fond of handmade and woodwork, it felt natural for them to make handicraft the point of departure for this first project. Moreover, they felt fed up of mass consumption items, and so, they involved themselves “at a deeper level”.

“This led us on to the idea of co-operating with craftsmen in poorer parts of the world, thus highlighting their handicraft and their cultural tradition and perhaps, in the long run, contribute to creating more work for the local craftsmen. When design and craftsmanship meet, we hope to create more attractive products for which you can charge more reasonable prices so that the local craftsmen get a fairer share than what is often the case.”

Without lingering anymore, they managed to get in contact with Furntech, South Africa’s Centre of excellence for the furniture industry, and their project, Forbidden Fruit, was accepted. To have a better knowledge and image of what they would have encountered in South Africa, they studied the wealth of traditional handicraft. Furthermore, they established contact to a ceramics studio called The Potter’s Workshop, whose work they found highly inspiring, and met different metal workers who really enjoyed the idea of working with them.

You can see the final outcome in the picture below, really fresh from head to toe…

As for the Superheroes – not an action movie, nor a Marvel comic book – the things flew much easier. Desiring to continue exploring the culture and craftsmanship of other countries, this time, Mattias and Tor headed to Vietnam. With the support of a Vietnamese furniture company called UMA, they were able to visit various artisans. 

Observing the craftsman method to create small bowls by fixing paper thread around rolls of seagrass,  the designers decided to personalize and scale-up the dimensions of this craft technique into furniture pieces.

And so, with the help from seagrass and plastic weavers in Ho Chi Minh city in Southern Vietnam, they have produced the collection Superheroes.

Presented for the first time at DMY Berlin 2011, the shade and the stool series are in production and available at UMA in Vietnam.

While most of the world is still wondering whether the design is all about conceptualizing and creating products for a consumer society without involvement at a deeper level, the Swedish duo is getting on with mixing up traditional craft techniques with contemporary design. Mattias Rask and Tor Palm strive to work with exotic artisans, this way creating objects with a story behind them, objects to remember and fall in love with. And now, all we have to do is wait and see what is their next check-point on the world’s map.

Forbidden Fruit, South Africa

The pendant lights feature ceramic shades that have been painted with tiny details representing strawberry pips. Above them, the cords are fitted with layers of colorful discs made out of lacquered wood.

Last Fruit Standing is the name of the adjustable floor lamp, which presents the same hand-decorated ceramic shade and a massive wooden rear. Its foot is also made out of wood and the cord is stitched to its length.

The Forbidden Fruit sideboard presents a yellow-painted drawer with massive wooden front.The legs are fixed in some grooves underneath the drawer, which make the mounting easier and the sideboard stable

The stool is made out of the same materials as the sideboard, and it has four metal legs that slot into grooves on the bottom side of the seat. Therefore, there is no need for screws and fittings.

Superheroes, Vietnam

The stools have an internal metal frame in which rolls of dried seagrass are wrapped to create the structural form.

The pendant lamp, a vibrant design that merges Vietnamese crafts with Scandinavian design.

Glimpt
Furntech
The Potter’s Workshop
UMA

Oak. Simple as that, surprising as it is…

Iulia Constantin — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 11:10:51 +0000

Modest, rectangular, traditional… at least that’s the initial impression the Oak. collection gives you at first sight. But step over the threshold of your reality’s margins and you will discover an emotional and well-considered series of furniture that both surprises and amuses.
Oak. represents the result of an extracurricular, collaborative activity between 18 students from Lund University, School of Industrial Design, Sweden. The whole idea began with a workshop held by Jonas Lindvall, one of Sweden’s most acclaimed designers, which intended to explore archetypes and stereotypes in the world of furniture.

Take into consideration the fact that the oak is the only used material. No matter how traditional and reminiscent of the past this collection can look, the pieces’ design is the thing that stands-out of the crowd.
Every single item of the Oak. collection deals with the design of the furniture piece with a hint of humor while considering, the function, the form and the usage of each of them.
The whopping cookie drawer with the tall legs, and a small drawer for its size tries to restrain us from our sugar-tooth temptations.

The bench, on the other hand invites the lonely, with the linear back seat, yet supports the many which can sit and share the bench.

The wardrobe is designed in such manner so that it leaves the clothes exposed, it allows each user to create his/her style and be inspired. The versatile wardrobe will change as the seasons change: the density of the wardrobe, the materials will be different, and so will the colors. It truly reflects the personality of its ‘master’.

The sideboard is defined by space and the context which it will enclose. More precisely, it includes a drawer, far too deep to reach its back. A metaphor of the classic traditional sideboard, the length that it presents when opened greatly limits its placement within a room.

The grandfather clock is there, overlooking upon us to remind us that time flies as the clock ticks and that we should make wise usage of it!

Last but not least, the small chair and the frame encased desk acts as the ‘framework’ for our thoughts and ideas.

The project was presented at Designersblock Milano 2011, Ventura Lambrate. All seven items of the Oak. collection are shaped of American oak sponsored by WBP Trading AB, finished with Herdins AV wax oil and executed by cabinetmaker Ali Atie.

The participants are  Amanda Österlin La Mont, DeeDee Kim, Elin Stavenow, Filip von Hauswolff, Gregory Hayter, Hanna Johansson, Jesper Nord, Karl Jönsson, Karl-Otto Saarman, Matthijs Braakman, Moses Kang, Mirko Ihrig, Olli Hirvonen, Patrik Eriksson, Piotr Szpryngwald, Rami Santala, Sandra Lundberg, Wang Huilong. Good job, all 18 of you!

Lund University, School of Industrial Design

Music, a powerful inspiration source for interior design

Iulia Constantin — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 11:48:08 +0000

Breaking news, especially for music lovers: if you are wondering what would be an inspiring idea and an original place to hide away the best pieces of your vinyl collection, the Accordion Cabinet is definitely a great choice.

The “Accordion Cabinet” is the result of collaboration between designer Elisa Strozyk and artist Sebastian Neeb. The piece of storage furniture is composed of an exterior layer of wooden textile,  made from lamellas of various veneers that have been folded in a manner similar  to that of an accordion. Each of the laser cut pieces of wood are fixed to a textile base (such as lycra) by hand. The combination of materials presents the wood as having  a flexibility similar to that of a piece of fabric. The accordion wraps around a rectangular base and hides shelves within when pulled shut. Combining slim legs with a voluminous body the two designers created a piece of furniture with its very own character, something you can emotionally relate to. This way, they aim for a longer lasting relationship between object and user.

The product fits nicely whether in a minimalist or a traditional interior. Its dimensions (163 x 100 x 43 cm) are definitely to be considered when planning the decorating elements for your room. With its unique shape, it is surely a furniture piece that stands out. Furthermore, it has been awarded first place in the 2011 Premio Salone Satellite Awards as part of Milan Design week.

Elisa Strozyk
Sebastian Neeb

A collection with true Finnish blood

Iulia Constantin — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 16:08:35 +0000

When you think of furniture and design, there are some pieces of work that you cannot confound with other. Sami Kallio truly desired that the result of his work could reflect a simple, clean style, an image that could exhale beauty, personality and uniqueness. His collection is entitled “The Finnish Blood in Me” and it really emphasizes the Finnish blood that runs in the objects’ “veins”.
Inspired by his childhood memories, the collection includes stools with legs like lollipop sticks, two wooden chairs, one with a twisted steel backrest and one inspired by the classic Windsor chair, and, last but not least, a very cool table lamp.

Stool represents a stackable stool made in turned metal and ash legs.

Layer is a stackable chair made from solid wood and lasercut aluminum sheets in different warm colours.

Sliced, an easy chair inspired by a classic Windsor Chair.It is made out of bended wood and solid ash.

Workshop, a beautiful table lamp made of untreated ash, where the cord is hidden inside the steam bended arm. The base is in metal and shade in aluminum. With the brass screw you can adjust the height on the arm. The shade is easy to be moved along the arm with the leatherband.

The Finnish Blood in Me represents “a collection where material and detail are in focus. Nothing strange or conceptual, just memories and function…” claims the designer.

Sami grew up in Finland and, now, he works as a freelance designer in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Sami Kallio Studio

Trap the light and let it glow

Iulia Constantin — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 11:52:53 +0000

Remember the times when you were little, you thought and wish you could capture light in the palms of your hands. Well, Gionata Gatto and Mike Thompson, two young designers graduates from Eindhoven Design Academy, grew up and made their wish come true. They came up with an ingenious idea, and so they invented a distinct energy saving lamp: the Trap Light.

Trap Light proposes a radical new approach to lighting design. The lamp makes use of the high-quality Murano glass and it utilizes photoluminescent pigments to capture escaping light, this way converting waste energy back into visible light.

“It becomes both shade and light source, emitting, absorbing, and re-emitting light. 30 minutes ‘charge’ of recycled light from a traditional incandescent or LED light bulb provides up to 8 hours of ambient lighting.”

The designers want to illustrate the fact that, by combining traditional production methods with some fresh modern ideas and a drop of creativity, they can create “a new lightning experience whilst making the most of energy”.

Finally, when the lights are off and ambient darkness occurs, let Trap do its magic and freely glow.

Trap Light Save Energy
Gionata Gatto
Mike Thompson

Turn on the light: it’s Magika!

Iulia Constantin — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 10:25:54 +0000

Sometimes, people may prejudge the worth or value of someone’s work. Don’t judge a book by its cover. It would be the best phrase applied for Kirsti Taiviola’s fascinating lamps.
During this year’s Milan design week, Kirsti exposed a new series of wall lamps entitled Magika, which combine steel and hand-blown glass. At a glimpse, the lamp turned off presents a simple glass ball which rests on a steel frame that can be turned freely in all directions. But the real magic reveals when you push the ON button: amazing kaleidoscopic floral patterns project on the wall.

The designs by Kirsti Taiviola have a detailed and sophisticated touch. The optics and the liquid nature of glass are the main sources of inspiration in her designs.

“Transparency and optics are the most inspiring qualities of glass material. I enjoy working with clear glass because it has a fascinating illusion of immateriality in it. When working with glass I merely work with light as the shape of an object forms out of reflections and refractions on the object’s surface. The biggest challenge was trying not to repeat the reflection patterns.”

“Although there is a pre-mould used in the manufacturing process, it’s hard to control the exact texture on the glass surface. When the texture changes a little, the projection changes more. I had to study which type of mold to use and how to control the glass blowing process so that it’s possible to create exactly the right texture on the glass surface every time.”

Taiviola always wants to develop a selection of different textures that would add variety to the projected patterns. When talking about previous projects based on the same technique, Aarre and Illusia are two other masterpieces of the Swedish designer.

Kirsti Taiviola graduated from The University of Art and Design Helsinki in 2001. Before starting her company SULA design in 2004 she has worked with glass as a freelance designer, craftsman and a research assistant. Currently, she is also a lecturer, teaching at The University of Art and Design in Helsinki.

Kirsti Taiviola
SULA

Materia – lovely home accessories made of cork

Iulia Constantin — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 11:38:43 +0000

Imagine an ordinary day. You wake up, go to work, get bored, leave the office, go to the supermarket, buy wine, go home to watch a movie and relax. You open the bottle of wine and throw the cork into the garbage bin. Wait… Rewind your last move and think of another way of using this material. You can’t? Well, Amorim and Experimenta Design could…
Cork + Amorim + ExperimentaDesign = Materia
Materia is a collection of objects that integrate perfectly in our contemporary living environments and lifestyles. Combining cork with various materials, designers like Big-Game, Daniel Caramelo, Inga Sempé and others created these accessories to brighten our everyday life and bring a drop of humour and naivety in our houses.
Cork, one nature’s unique material that cannot be replicated by anything man-made, but definitely can be used in so many forms that we can’t imagine. Reusable and completely biodegradable, versatile and totally sustainable, cork’s potential as a leading material for the 21st century is only now being realized, with cutting edge R&D (Research & Development) pushing the boundaries of invention.
Amorim, one Portuguese company and world leader in the cork industry that felt so inspired and started using this state-of-the-art raw material for everyday usage, more precisely in the design of home accessories. And so, Amorim, in collaboration with ExperimentaDesign, a key player in the sphere of creative industries, gave birth to Materia.

Aro is a centerpiece as well as a statement, designed by Miguel Vieira Baptista

Bote is a water floater designed by Big- Game for bathtub fun time

Created by Fernando Brízio, Furo is not fulfilled being just a bowl. It also becomes a drawing device once you slide it over a sheet of paper

The Gelo ice bucket was designed by Filipe Alarcão and its materials, cork and plastic, are totally sustainable and recyclable

Lasca, a collection of cork and laquered MDF tables designed by Marco Sousa Santos

Par, the salt & pepper shakers with a design signed by Nendo

Impermeable to liquids, these two bowls are named Parte and are another creation of Nendo

Pinha, a lamp designed by Raw Edges, which consists of a cork outer shell to which one or more ultra resistant Tyvek paper shades are fastened

Designed by Daniel Caramelo, Pino is a freestanding, dual-purpose object: memo board and voodoo doll, to strike back at those on your hit list

Rufo, a collection of silent drums, was designed by Studio Pedrita especially for young percussionists to entertain them, but in the mean time keeping the peace with parents and neighbours

Senta, by Fernando Brízio, is a pack and carry stool you can assemble and use anywhere

With a fixation system thats is both straightforward and flexible, Torno is a detachable shelf created by Inga Sempé

Materia, a collection to fall in love with!

Materia
Amorim
Cork Composites
Experimenta Design

Loved, liked or questioned!

Iulia Constantin — Tue, 24 May 2011 14:55:50 +0000

Like every single year, the Designro team created a specific event after their week spent in Milan at Salone. It happened at Intro, where we set up an installation displaying 200 images of novelties and prototypes. This way, we offered our visitors the opportunity to vote their favourite pieces by sticking three different kinds of appreciation dots: I like it, I question it and Wow, I love it!

Ten days passed, you visited us and we managed to bring together the most voted objects, whether they were loved, liked or questioned…

Created by A+A Cooren, ‘Tourbillon‘ is a glass vase whose shape evokes the cycle and water movement. It was the most loved and appreciated item, gaining 4 Wow, I love it! and 4 I like it! dots.
A+A Cooren

On the second place, with 7 dots of positive appreciation, is the ‘Cellular Chair’ by Mathias Bengtsson.
“The chair relies on the same principle as bone tissue, which consists of an airy cellular structure providing a construction which is both strong and light. Cellular Chair has a pre-programmed exterior shape, but the interior geometric cell structure is unique”, the designer explains.
Mathias Bengtsson

‘Biknit‘ represents Patricia Urquiola’s latest design for the contemporary brand, Moroso. Available in a chair and chaise lounge version, the collection features an enlarged stocking-stitch design which acts as both the primary surface and the structure. Takes the second place also with 4 Wow, I love it! and 3 I like it! red dots.
Moroso

The whopping ‘Cookie Drawer‘ with the tall legs, and the small drawer for its size tries to restrain us from our sugar-tooth temptation, while its design includes the nostalgic element of a traditional cookie drawer. This piece is part of the Oak collection, a collaborative activity between 18 students from Lund University, Sweden. Our visitors really enjoyed the idea, and so it gained 6 red dots of appreciation.
Industrial Design

Created by Benjamin Hubbert for Casamania, ‘Maritime‘ was inspired by the maritime world. An elegant and refined chair carefully constructed from solid timber, which picked up 3 loves and 2 likes.
Casamania

With the same number of loves and likes, but in the mean time, being questioned twice, ‘RememberMe‘ is a chair that embodies the current focus on sustainability and recycling (‘RememberMe’ is entirely made from old jeans). The race towards the future and the desire to keep the past alive coexist in ‘RememberMe’.
Casamania

Another favourite piece was the ‘Workshop‘ lamp, designed by Sami Kallio. ‘A armature made of untreated ash, where the cord is hidden inside the steam bended arm. The base is in metal and shade in aluminum. With the skrew of brass you can adjust the hight on the arm. The shade is easy to moved along the arm with the leatherband’, says its creator.
Sami Kallio

The Bouroullec’s iconic ‘Quilt‘ series of feature seating is now available in a new colourway, taking inspiration from iconic comic book superheroes. It consists of an upholstered, honeycomb-like skin of hi-tech stretch fabric with individual foam inserts, which is fitted over a fibreglass shell. ‘Quilt’ is an antithesis to the formal, structured sofa and seating designs we have become familiar with and even though one person questioned it, the sofa was liked for 5 times.
Established & Sons

Considering them to be taken the forth place, the following eight pieces gained the same number of positive appreciation dots.

The collection, called ‘Klara‘, was designed by Patricia Urquiola for Moroso and it is manufactured using both industrial processes and local hand-craft techniques in the chair-manufacturing district of Manzano, Italy.
Moroso

‘Sliced’, created by Sami Kallio, is an easy chair inspired by the classic Windsor Chair. It’s made out of bended wood and solid ash.
Sami Kallio

‘Loop‘ is a hybrid chair / rug which is inspired by the designer’s interest in the technique of “tufting”, commonly used for making carpets. This modern chaise lounge, designed by Sophie De Vocht for CasaMania, is known for its meticulous craftsmanship.
Casamania

Designed by Japanese designer Tokujin Yoshioka for Moroso, ‘Moon‘ is a chair inspired by the beauty of the moon, its glowing light and shadows. The chairs express the full moon when seen from above, the half moon when seen profile, and the crescent when seen from an angle.
Moroso

Jaime Hayon’s ‘Candy Light‘ is designed for Baccarat and it juxtaposes the bright finish and solid form of ceramic with the clarity and cut of textured crystal. Yummy!
Baccarat

Benjamin Hurbert’s ‘Pod‘ is a large chair designed for breakout areas in offices or residential projects. It was designed for the Netherlands manufacturer, De Vorm. You can read an article about it, right here on our blog.
De Vorm

The ‘Aim ‘ lamps adapt to the style of different settings, because they make it possible to direct the light freely and adjust the height of the diffuser by sliding it up and down the suspension wire. They are designed by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec for Flos.
Flos

The ‘Extension chair‘ was designed by Sjoerd Vroonland for Moooi. A variety of 3 extensions each with a different function, coat-stand, handbag-hanger and a card-holder can be attached to the chair.
Moooi

Till this point you have seen the most loved or liked pieces, but now it’s time to present you also the most voted items as being questioned, strange and intriguing.

Being somewhere in between, ‘Marie Coquine‘ has been voted with 3 I like it! and 3 I question it! dots. Created by French designer Philippe Starck for Baccarat, the ‘Marie Coquine’ standing lamp sets a crystal chandelier into an umbrella suspended in mid-air, layering imagery and textures in a display both imaginative and functional.
Baccarat

Gaining the same number of I question it! dots, we will put the following two designs on the second place in the ‘most intriguing pieces’ top.

The ‘Mindstream‘ cabinet was designed by Diesel for Moroso. It’s only a matter of taste…
Moroso

This unique storage is designed by Fredrik Hansson of Brikolör and called the ‘Bågar‘. The Brikolör itself is a company that designs and manufactures furniture based in Göteborg, Sweden. The form of this furniture is very similar to the structure of old buildings in the Roman Empire.
Brikolor

The transparent sofa is part of the Poltrona Frau’s collection of upholstered sofas in clear, see-through plastic to illustrate the raw, hand-knotted strings and steel springs of the brand’s furniture. The highlight is this transparent Chesterfield which gained the highest number of I question it! dots, positioning it on the first place in the ‘most intriguing pieces’ top.
Poltrona Frau

Thank you for voting!

The new french domestic landscape: POOL

Georgia Klebleev — Sat, 14 May 2011 13:23:24 +0000

The Nouvelle Vague Exhibition, curated by Cedric Morisser was held at the French Cultural Institute in Milan during the 50th edition of Salone Internationale del mobile and presented the work of emerging young designers, “outlining the new contours of the french domestic landscape”.
Proudly representing the french new wave was the Paris based design duo POOL, a collaboration between Lea Padovani and Sebastien Kieffer.

Pool showcased five completely new creations, all within the same design spirit. The objects they create, they describe as being “off-beat, dreamlike, at times melancholic, while always remaining functional. In their world, the individual and all that surrounds him is constantly unsettled.”

Among this, the most popular, a chair entitled “Souviens toi que tu vas mourir” shows the emblematic monobloc chair reinterpreted as an expression of vanity… This memento mori represented by a skull acts as a leitmotiv for those who seek the comfort of a chair and the ceremonial act of being seated.

‘Souviens toi que tu vas mourir’

Louxor

Wryneck

Idéal du moi

W&W

Nouvelle Vague Exhibition – POOL corner

Photo credits go to Benjamin le Du
Nouvelle Vague
POOL

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De Vorm sustainable new items at Ventura Lambrate in Milan

Iulia Constantin — Fri, 06 May 2011 11:51:40 +0000

The Netherlands contemporary furniture company De Vorm had the opportunity to present its new collection of furniture during the Milan Salone and so, it invited young talents, such as Sebastian Herkner, Jorre van Ast and Benjamin Hubert, to design new products under the company’s name, this way allowing for a widening of the De Vorm family. Therefore, four pieces of brilliant work were exposed at the company’s stand, at Ventura Lambrate, holding up their standards of comfort, quality and sustainability.

First of them all is the Clip Chair, a chair designed environmentally friendly without wasting any material during its production process. The result is a classic, detail-oriented, solid chair made of selected, high-quality ash. In addition to different colors, the Clip Chair is also available in a cushioned version. The idea behind the ‘clip’ is the use of a different material of the attachment between the back and the legs of the chair, where the color stands in direct contrast to the wooden elements. The charm and the beauty of the clip lies hidden in its functional simplicity.

Another piece of work, this time signed by Jorre van Ast is the flat-pack “Clamp-a-Leg” Table, which consists of a wooden furniture leg threaded into a simple metal clamp allowing someone to quickly transform any flat surface into a functional work surface. Less material than for the trestle is used for the clamps, as they are easy to ship, store and assemble. The legs come as an individual set of four to match any surface.

Benjamin Hurbert’s ‘Pod‘ is a large chair designed for breakout areas in offices or residential projects and produced in Sweden. The chair’s ergonomics allow the sitter to work comfortable whilst feeling relaxed and separated from the hustle and bustle of daily life. It’s almost a little room in-room solution with the perimeter of the chair around the sitter’s head. The shell of the chair is one of the largest forms ever produced utilizing pressed PET felt technology. The felt allows a distinctive aesthetic as well as offering sound dampening properties to enhance the sensation of privacy.

Last but definitely not least are the Pebble chairs and stools. The forms of Hubert’s creations are based on the rounded stones found on beaches. They were designed to guarantee high comfort, a broad range of applications and minimal environmental impact. To achieve this goal, the pebble can even be completely disassembled. Allowing for all components to be more readily recycled and transported, their volume is reduced to a minimum scale.

Thanks to its strict lines, color design and hidden features, furniture by De Vorm is surprising, contemporary and timeless: ‘We are not developing and producing a chair or a table just to sit on or at. Designs by De Vorm are also made to enjoy their use and looks, to tell a story, live their own life and develop their own character.’ All the products yell the ‘Go Green’ slogan loudly. So get these novelties and become a nature lover instantly!

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