Archive for category Objects
Color Picker by Jinsu Park
Posted by Brian in Designers We Love, Objects on August 31st, 2009
Korean designer Jinsu Park brings the power of Photoshop to your finger tips! The Color Picker Pen acts as the eyedropper tool for real life by enabling colors in the environment to be scanned and instantly used for drawing.
The pen has a sensor that detects the color and matches it to the color display. Inside, the RGB cartridge mixes the inks together to create the color that has been scanned. Read the rest of this entry »
Sky Planter by Boskke
Posted by Brian in Designers We Love, Interior Design, Objects on August 19th, 2009
Pottery designer Patrick Morris transforms the way people enjoy their plants in their living environments with the upside-down Sky Planter. Morris isn’t satisfied with having plants relegated to the remote corners of a room so he’s elevated them into upside-down interior features.
Pantone Series by W2
Posted by Brian in Designers We Love, Interior Design, Objects on August 18th, 2009
The Pantone Series from London duo Whitbread Wilkinson is the first officially licensed collection under the Pantone brand. The giftware includes coffee mugs, tea mugs, espresso sets, messenger bags, key chains, coin purses, and passport holders. For over 45 years Pantone has been inspiring design professionals and they are the authority on color!
The Mug Collecton is inspired by the Pantone Color charts and are glazed with a pattern resembling the iconic Pantone Color Chip. The mugs are sold individually and in a set of 10 Pantone primary colors. Espresso mugs are available in warm and cool series and are sure to make any kitchen or office sparkle with color! Read the rest of this entry »
Ink Calendar by Oscar Diaz
Posted by Brian in Designers We Love, Objects on August 6th, 2009
For his latest installation Spanish designer Oscar Diaz designed the Ink Calendar that uses capillary action of spreading ink across paper to display the date. Each month uses a different vial of temperature controlled ink that travels across embossed paper and colors in the date.
The ink colors were designed to relate to our perception of the actual weather on that particular month. The colors range from dark blue in December to shades of green in the spring and oranges and reds in the summer months. The projects’ focus is to address our senses and our perception of time passing by.
Design Within A Kid’s Reach
Posted by Brian in Designers We Love, Interior Design, Objects on July 29th, 2009
The design world has not overlooked our favorite little ones! Now more than ever designers are offering licensed classics on a slightly smaller scale. Design savvy parents can now look to Eames, Saarinen, Van der Rohe, or others to transform children’s spaces. The Surface Blog has rounded up some favorites that will inspire even the smallest of minds.
Knoll Kids has a nine piece collection of spirited classics for a younger generation. Each piece reflects belief in the utility of modern design and commitment to quality. The collection creates a design friendly environment for kids and parents alike and is available at Design Within Reach.
The Cardboard Craze: Being Green at Home is Easy!
Posted by Brian in Designers We Love, Objects on June 2nd, 2009
From lighting to furniture, sculptures, room dividers, children’s toys, and everywhere in-between – designers are turning to cardboard to create great green decor and sustainable design. Most are using recycled cardboard or repurposed cardboard boxes to create modern sustainable furniture and accessories. The Milan Furniture Fair and ICFF both featured many incredible cardboard designs.
There is nothing more that we love at The Surface Blog than great sustainable design! The cardboard craze started back when one of societies most relevant architects Frank Gehry designed a cardboard furniture collection in 1972 for Vitra. The cardboard Wiggle Chair and Wiggle Ottoman are made from 60 intricate layers of cardboard. He was way ahead of the trend of sustainable design with this collection. The Wiggle chair is surprisingly sturdy and hugely popular. It is now available in new colors with modern accented lacquered edges.
Cardboard design is so popular that retailer West Elm recently collaborated with top tier event designer David Stark to create cardboard designed furniture and accessories for their latest Manhattan store opening. The limited edition products were made from left over store catalogs and waste from packaging material.
Caged In – High Fashion Meets Home Decor
With fashion arbiters the likes of Maison Martin Margiela, Fendi, and Missoni branching out into interior design, it’s no secret that haute couture often finds itself homeward bound. But that’s not to say the interior design world doesn’t find itself looking towards ready-to-wear for inspiration. Taking a page from the fashion set whose spring runways have been overrun this season with all things caged, design heavy-hitters are starting to show their affinity for wire work.
When it comes to fine crisscross design, the much gabbed about Yves Saint Laurent cage heel boot and the supermarket-inspired red Miu Miu basket bag seem to find a kindred spirit in a few similarly inspired lattice outdoorsy items.
Dwell Design Innovate It! 2009
Calling all designers out there for Dwell Magazine Innovate It! 2009. Phase II of the Design Contest has officially begun. The magazine editors chose three excellent suggestions for everyday objects that need an innovative update. The three products are the traditional Pants Hanger, a Coffee Mug that doesn’t leave rings and an Ironing Board that doesn’t look like your mothers! Read the rest of this entry »
Modern Resin Masterpieces
Posted by Brian in Interior Design, Objects on April 5th, 2009
Vancouver based artist and sculptor Martha Sturdy is most well known for her cast resin housewares and sculpture collection. The resin pieces are sandblasted to be reminiscent of a honed stone ranging in 20 colorsfrom earth tones to shimmering brights.
Double Duty Decor
Uni-tasking home design is getting the boot this spring in favor of 2-for-1 goods that combine good looks with functional and flexible design. Take for instance Nauris Kalinauskas who takes a standard shelving unit and turns it on its side to create his angled Quad shelf ($1,999).
