DESIGNRO » dutch

Heating advice

Cosmina Dinu — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:54:31 +0000

Recently, inspired by the expected wintertime, I wrote a short pill-article about the indoor optimal temperature on an environmental NGO’s website . While hoping for a snowy season, I forsaw the excesses of home heating and the habitual waste of resources to affect my resposable psychic well-being.

Following the medical prescriptions, the most suitable temperature for the living room is between 19 to 22°C, 16 to 18°C for the bedroom, 22 to 24°C for the bathroom and no more than 6°C for the cellar. A mostly common chamber termometer will keep you informed.

The lesson learnt, you need now a wise tool to control the situation. You need a thermostate to guide you. I suggest Honeywell proposed by Dutch designer Robin van Hontem that will confront you with the question: “Should I turn the heating up?” The decision is easy to take since Honeywell has to separate buttons where you can hang either a sweater or a blanket. The designer consider these items better for saving money with your heating and also protecting the environment. I do agree with him up to the moment you feel your extremities cold: this is not a very healthy sign.

And finishing in this talkative tone, I would like to remind you about ventilating the room. During winter, it is better to do it more often than longer to avoid unnecesary cooling of the space. Fresh, cool air will do very well to your hibernating mood.

Robin van Hontem

Alissia Melka-Teichroew

Cosmina Dinu — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 16:25:58 +0000

There’s always plenty of space for Design Academy Eindhoven graduates in my Subject list. Although you might suspect me of favoritism, I want to confess I really do not look for them, they come to me…through what they do. More, I was quite uninspired last week (due to autumnal piles of work) and it was the newsletter of Rezodesign friends that got me out of routine and I rediscovered Alissia Melka-Teichroew, a last winter crush.

Through her doubled wall glass Inside Out collection her CV magnifies honourly: She’s the founder and creative director of byAMT Inc (formerly known as AlissiaMT Design) and a Design Academy Eindhoven graduate, understood, “but” also holds a Master of Industrial Design from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), USA. Paris, San Francisco, Boston, IDEO or Puma International are just small facets of Alissia’s work.

Attuned to the latest design innovations, trends, and materials, she infuses her work with her own unique, charismatic personality and mischievous sensibility. Her products are savvy, sophisticated, and witty: the archetypical Acrylic Diamond Ring rendered in candy-colored acrylic, as well as Silver Diamond Ring, ceramic plates folded in easy-to-hold shapes, Handful of Plates, a mirror that transposes the viewers face over an iconic image of feminine beauty (ME-ror).This uncanny ability to tweak expectations has delighted design cognoscenti and consumers alike. ID Magazine, Nylon Magazine, New York Times and InView among many other publications, have featured byAMT products. Boutiques around the world carry them, including the MoMA store and Conran Shop. byAMT has exhibited work at the Salone del Mobile Milano, ICFFin New York, 100% Design Tokyo, and the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.
Need more? Better look.

InsideOut Collection
Photo by Lisa Klappe

Acrylic Diamond Ring and Silver Diamond Ring

Handful of Plates
ME-ror
Photo by Lisa Klappe

Ring A Day – One Ring for Every Week Day. Simply pop a pre-cut ring from a sterling silver or stainless sheet, polish rough edges with the included hand file, and voilá! The sheet itself makes great wall art once all the rings have been removed, or can be worn as a necklace. Just attach a chain to the piece.

The Lonely Hangers are derived from cup handles that were broken off from their cups. Now they can hand on the wall and be used in living rooms, bedrooms, lobbies, bathrooms, etc. Spread out over the wall you can create your own landscape of coat hangers, or hang a cloths hanger off of it.

AMT thinks you are a winner! Thanks to the Badge of Honor line of acrylic jewelry, you can award yourself a signet ring, star of honor, or first-prize ribbon. Choose from pink, black, clear or ivory. No expensive tuition, potential dangerous military service, or hard labor necessary.

Milk Series
Treehooked
Power House
Cle USB

Yes, this is just a selection. I think they’re more.

Alissia Melka-Teichroew
Rezodesign

Pivot cabinet from Arco, winner of the Dutch Design Awards

Cosmina Dinu — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 15:35:33 +0000

Wall cabinet Pivot, designed by Shay Alkalay won the award for best residential product 2008. In 2006 Arco received this prestigious award for the Slim table designed by Bertjan Pot.
The mission of the Dutch Design Awards is the appreciation of excellent Dutch design. The Dutch Design Awards intend to show and appreciate Dutch design in its widest sense. They wish to reflect the position of Dutch design in the world. The award undeniably represents the best works in The Netherlands at that particular moment.
Pivot is a surprising cabinet, which is ideally suited to storing small items and everyday necessities. The solid wood cabinet is built on tall legs and features two drawers. The innovative aspect of this cabinet is the fact that the drawers can hinge, making it possible to open both at the same time, which is impossible with a conventional set of drawers.
Shay Alkalay is a young Israeli designer. Having graduated from the Royal College of Art in London in 2006 (MA Design Products, Ron Arad’s Course) he is now designing in his own Raw-Edges Design Studio in London.

Arco
Dutch Design Awards
Raw Edges