London shoot locations

Shootfactory

Found at Ideas to Steal

Love the iNdustrial gLam

Wanderlust. Design by Asylum (Singapore).

Found at Below The Clouds

The Story of Electronics

More products by TAF (Sweden)

Images borrowed from www.tafarkitektkontor.se

Art work by Iain Mcarthur / Camilla do Rosário

Found at SWORSK

Raul Perdomo

Found at SWORSK

Wooden Lighting

Found at Apartment Therapy

Package furniture

By the Swedish architecture firm TAF. Found at Below The Clouds.

D´Espresso

Book illusion ♥

New York: Designed by Nema Workshop. Found at We Heart.

Photo by: David Joseph

mode:lina

Office interior by and for architecture firm mode:lina.

I love the seemless meeting between floor and furniture. Found at desiretoinspire.net.

LitTle blaCk cLoud @ Epla

I´ve opened up a new store at Epla: LitTle blaCk cLoud

Currently it offers photographs in the size of 20 x 30 cm, mainly motifs of architecture and city scenes. Later I will add some graphic mixed media work.

Deer & Ugly Owl

Coat racks made from laminate flooring residues.

Found at Wilma & Friends.

Image borrowed from Wilma & Friends

Ashes to Ashes

This chair is made of ash wood and inspired by the ash tree. It is designed by johanna Mattsson as her graduation project at the Danish Design School in Copenhagen. Her aim was to create outdoor furniture which does not use exotic wood types and which are suited for the Scandinavian climate. I don´t know how it feels to sit in this chair, but the shape is beautiful.

Images borrowed from Contemporist

Renreklame

Renreklame is the only Norwegian provider of green outdoor advertising. The concept is based on communicating a message, without doing it on the expense of the environment. The company is creating advertising through using what is already at hand in nature. They make what they call green graffiti or reverse graffiti, moss and ice advertising.

Images borrowed from Renreklame

Green grafitti is also made as artistic wall murals, such as the one by Anna Garforth shown on the image below, found at GreenUpgrader. Anna Garforth has done many interesting and beautiful artworks using what is at hand in nature and combining it with a graphic expression. The artworks are shown on her homepage.

Image borrowed from GreenUpgrader

A quick browse revealed two other European companies offering green ads: Advantage Advertising (UK) , Green Grafitti (NL)

Repurposed jute

Image borrowed from 2modern

This ottoman from 2modern is upholstered using repurposed fair trade coffee bags.

KOMA for angels and cowboys

KOMA: Yet another of my favorite stores in Oslo. The store was opened by former violinist Marte Krogh and is selling well established brands such as See by Chloe, Whyred and Replay as well as more up an coming brands and hand picked vintage items. Marte Krogh travels around the world to find the best vintage pieces. She has also does her own design. There are three KOMA stores, the one in Hegdehaugsveien 34 is certainly worth a visit interiorwise. Rough concrete walls and a nice display gives the store a really cool look.

Image borrowed from KOMA

Antonello Fusé – Coat hangers

Found at Designboom, an inventive way to use old chairs for coat hangers inspired by the tradition to hang ones coat on the chairs back.  I am a bit worried about the rest of the chair though, it might have done a better job with its first intended purpose. However, I like the look of it.  The coat hangers are a part of a collection made by resign in Italy who work with re-use of materials and objects in what they call a meta project. More about the details here.

Images borrowed from Designboom

Rachel Austin

I found these nice works of art on Etsy. I love the naive simplicity of them. Rachel Austin lives in Portland Oregon, uses mixed medias and has an obsession with circles. These artworks are made on maps.

Images borrowed from Etsy/Rachel Austin

Plaster Letter Project DIY tutorial

I like letters (!) as I have already mentioned in a previous post. A few days ago I found this cool tutorial at poppytalk. I guess it is a bit of a mess to make these letters, but the result sure looks nice!

Images borrowed from poppytalk

Pur Norsk

Pur Norsk is a store specializing in Norwegian design. It is located in Theresesgate in Oslo. Here are some of my favorites:

Blenda by Christian Sæther

Hangman by & Sons

Dots by Tveit og Tornøe

Images borrowed from Pur Norsk

Exhibit: Graphic Design at DogA (Hausmannsgate 16, Oslo)

Freudian Kicks

Freudian Kicks      Prinsensgate 10 B      0152 Oslo    Norway

http://www.freudiankicks.com

Freudian Kicks is located in the airy and modern shop premises in the old Posthallen in Kvadraturen. Sells brands like Cheap Monday, American Apparel, Henrik Vibskov and Best Behavior. Changes the selection frequently, and arranges parties, exhibitions and events in the evenings.

http://www.nattogdag.no/mote/artikler/freudian-kicks-by-freudian-kicks

Mathieu Lehanneur: le laboratoire

Quoted from designboom.com:

“Paris-based designer Mathieu Lehanneur created a unique actuated display system for the paris shop le laboratoire. The store is a bookshop by day and a restaurant by night, and thus required a unique design to fit its flexible nature. lehanneur borrowed from coal miner’s dressing rooms to create a series of shelving unit which descend from the ceiling. When closed the unit provides light for the space and display space when open. This allows the bookshop to display items during the day and floor space for guests sampling food from foodlab in the basement at night. The design makes the most of the shop’s small footprint and gives it a unique identity at the same time.”

http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/9/view/6702/mathieu-lehanneur-le-laboratoire.html

http://www.mathieulehanneur.com

David Grass

Quoted from designboom.com:

“Dutch designer David Graas’s work is best characterized by its combination of humour and material experimentation. His works often reinvents common materials like cardboard as evident in his series of cardboard furniture. The cardboard series includes a lounge, coffee table and dining table that simple slide together like a puzzle. the designs come flat packed allowing them to be shipped more easily and keep cost low by having the user assemble them. Graas also developed a children’s version, that gives children the ability to assemble their own furniture, learning in the process. graas also has a sense of humour, transforming a typical dutch house into a ceramic vase for that nation’s flower, the tulip. He is also adept at taking found objects and reinvigorating them with a new purpose, as in his ‘lamp formerly known as trombone’.”

http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/8/view/6703/david-graas.html

http://www.davidgraas.com

moment design: ‘and a’, clothing store japan

Quoted from designboom.com:

“and a’ is a clothing store which recently opened in japan. the interiors by moment design use the color scheme of red and black which were one of the most important elements in their design. the shop is divided into the three zones with the theme, ‘future,’ ‘past,’ and ‘present’, where each zone is color coded relating to the themes. this concept leads to ‘the mixed culture,’ which is one of the features of ‘and a’.”

http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/9/view/6722/moment-design-and-a-clothing-store-japan.html 

Lokalet i svingen

I svingen nederst i Hegdehaugsveien i Oslo der Max Mara lå, har vinduene i lang tid på mystisk vis vært tildekket med gråpapir som har bokstavene X Y Z skåret ut som kikkehull…

Lurer på hva som åpner i dette kremlokalet? Venter i spenning…

wesc

Small store made of plywood cubes!

Hegdehaugsveien, Oslo

’400 years later – cite goes dutch’ exhibition

Quoted from designboom.com:

“’400 years later – cite goes dutch’ exhibition presented a variety of objects including furniture, homewares, carpets and jewelry by 23 emerging dutch designers, 6 manufacturers
and 1 photographer. curated by jan habraken and alissia melka-teichroew
in collaboration with wabnitz editions ltd and josée lepage, the exhibition aimed to draw
an outline of the contemporary design coming out of the netherlands– from cities to landscape.
the show was an off site exhibit held during the ICFF new york 09.”

http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/8/view/6732/400-years-later-cite-goes-dutch-exhibition.html
 

6 Amazing Techniques to Staying Happy During a Stressful Project

Quoted from zenhabits.com:

A guest post from Karl Staib.

http://zenhabits.net/2009/06/6-amazing-techniques-to-staying-happy-during-a-stressful-project/

Design methods

Quoted from designcouncil.org.uk:

This section offers a selection of design methods to use within the design process ranging from brainstorming to physical prototyping.

http://www.designcouncil.org.uk/en/About-Design/Design-Methods/?PageNum=1

Linn Olofsdotter

Quoted from thecoolhunter.co.uk:

“She was born in Sweden, worked in Brazil and is now settled in the Portland area. The prolific illustrator and mixed-media artist Linn Olofsdotter is a global citizen of the most interesting kind. Her own life in different locales gives her many sources of inspiration and most likely helps her flex her illustration muscle to meet the needs of a vast variety of clients. Her work has appeared in Computer Arts  and Bon Magazine; she’s created T-shirt graphics for Levi’s, wall murals for a hotel in Los Angeles, CD covers for artists and illustrations for Oilily and La Perla. Nearly all of her work has a collage-like feel, with many layers, nuances and media. The somewhat surreal and psychedelic look of some of her pieces attests to her ability and willingness to trot not just the globe but regions beyond. - Tuija Seipell”

http://www.thecoolhunter.co.uk/article/detail/1448/linn-olofsdotter

Tara Donovan – From Paper Cups To Genius

Quoted from thecoolhunter.co.uk:

“New York artist Tara Donovan is a master of seeing. Not just looking, but actually seeing. Her sculptural, one-of-a-kind art is based on her ability to see, imagine and create forms, shapes and textures from ordinary objects that most of us don’t even notice. She creates art from rolls of tape, pieces of pencil, Styrofoam cups, paper plates, napkins. Her sculptural works evoke thoughts of nature. A perfect example is the ‘Untitled’ cloud formation she created in 2003 from Styrofoam cups and glue.

The 38-year-old Donovan has recently accomplished several things many artists never achieve. This September, the first monograph of her work was published by visual book press, Monacelli Press (now owned by Random House). A couple of weeks later, on October 10, a traveling retrospective of her work opened at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston.

But perhaps the biggest deal is the extra half-a-million dollars that she will have to work with in the next few years. In late September, she received a phone call from the John D. and Catherine T MacArthur Foundation. She was informed that she had been made a Fellow of the Foundation and that she will receive a $500,000 MacArthur Foundation ‘genius’ grant. It is a no-strings-attached support of her work over five years. She was selected as one of 25 recipients in 2008. Others include a physician, an astrophysicist, a violinist, a computer scientist and representatives of many other endeavours who were selected for their creativity, originality and potential to make important contributions in the future. - Tuija Seipell” 

http://www.thecoolhunter.co.uk/article/detail/1399/tara-donovan–from-paper-cups-to-genius

What? A Bank?

Quoted from thecoolhunter.co.uk:

“In most cities, strategic downtown street corners are flanked by enormous, old banks, the ornate cathedrals of capital designed to impress and intimidate. With the massive changes in real estate values and consumer banking habits, such monuments to Mammon are no longer smart or necessary. But what amazing opportunities such massive commissions must have been for the architects of the day! And what depressing alternatives we’ve experienced since! Luckily, online banking has made a bank visit almost obsolete, but when you must visit, most of the time you’ll find a boring, convenience-store-type standardized box – retail banking in the worst meaning of both words. But we are starting to see a change. Several new bank design concepts are in the works, and some have been launched recently, including CheBanca! in Milan by Crea International. The concept for CheBanca! (translation: What a bank!) reflects the brand’s simplicity, transparency and innovation. When Crea International co-founder Massimo Fabbro will speak at POPAI Italia in November on the power of physical brand design to bring to life a brand’s language, spirit and values, he will no doubt mention CheBanca! And now that we have seen a few examples of fabulous bank design, we want more! If you’ve seen, designed or commissioned one, let us know. — Tuija Seipell “

http://www.thecoolhunter.co.uk/article/detail/1388/what-a-bank

Worthless Is a Shop and a Concept

Quoted from treehugger.com:

“ Worthless was a pop-up shop that examined consumerism and art and the value of material objects. It’s a take-off on the much-missed Woolworth’s stores except everything is free. “Customers” are invited to bring something to the store and it will be transformed into a work of art.

People have brought in everything from an EasyJet plane ticket to a broken clock to an odd shoe. The not-so-precious objects have been carefully worked over by the shop’s resident gnomes and returned to their owners as something priceless. The customer will be asked to pay however much they feel the new item is worth. A display of some of the items was kept on the shelves all week. They ranged from the sublime to the ridiculous, including a couch, records and a cigarette box. This was covered with jewels and transformed into an encrusted treasure box. A picture of a bird was decorated and embellished. There was an auction of some donated items on the last day, with all funds going to an MS charity. Nike contributed a beautiful blue and white painted running shoe. It was all dreamed up by Pollocks, a group of young artists whose “objective is to empower, inspire, and promote the creativity of the freethinking individual. The evolution of youth has resulted in a coup d’etat on stereotypical revolts against the establishment, breeding a brand of youth that are ready to take over the reins of the creative, social and political. By Bonnie Alter “

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/06/worthless-is-a-store-and-concept.php

Take a look at several great store interior concepts!

http://www.thecoolhunter.co.uk/stores

Bodybì

Quoted from designspotter.com:

” Bodybì is a multifunction modular object. It is manufactured in polyethylene using rotational moulding and is suitable both for indoor and outdoor use.Single module can be used as a stool and at the same time it can store objects in the internal compartments. When several modules are combined together they can create different, and more complex, structures to store books and other objects. ” 

Designer: Scarpellini, Marchianò, Tasca (Italy)
Manufacturer: (Italy)
Inspired By: Bodybuilding and Bidybibodybibu!
Material: Polietilene
Dimension: 400 x400x800 mm

http://www.designspotter.com/product/2009/06/Bodyb.html

ramei keum: gorge table

Quoted from designboom.com:

“Korean designer ramei keum has sent us these images of his most recent project ‘gorge’. The coffee table is made from a single piece of powder coated steel – folded so that the table top, magazine rack and legs are all combined. Ramei Keum participated in designboom’s 2008 exhibition ‘seoul design essence‘.”
http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/8/view/6759/ramei-keum-gorge-table.html

William McDonough on cradle to cradle design

Listen to the architect and designer William McDonough, give a talk on how green design can prevent environmental disasters and create economic growth. The importance of thinking about the whole life cycle of a product from “cradle to cradle”.

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/william_mcdonough_on_cradle_to_cradle_design.html

Vintage pop up store – The Garment Room (New York)

http://www.thegarmentroom.com/

Stumbled upon thru the blog of Hanneli Mustaparta: http://hanneli.lola.no/?p=1998 

Nytt Euklides showroom – Drammensveien 130, Oslo

Euklides flytter fra Pilestredet 75 til Drammensveien 130 og samlokaliserer med Hole Design!

Euklides delievers furniture and lighting to the project market.

18.06.-23.08.2009 5X70M2 – Studentenes sommerutstilling

http://doga.no/?nid=22151&lcid=1044

Fra doga.no:

“Norsk design får stadig økt oppmerksomhet internasjonalt, og det snakkes om en ny designbølge fra nord. Ved å vende blikket mot studentene ønsker DogA å vise tendenser fra morgendagens designere. Utstillingen 5x70m2 viser prosjekter fra fem ledende læringsinstitusjoner innen møbel-, industri- og produktdesign.Deltagende skoler er: AHO / Arkitektur- og designhøgskolen i Oslo, KHiO / Kunsthøgskolen i Oslo, KHiB / Kunsthøgskolen i Bergen, HiAK / Høgskolen i Akershus og NTNU / Norges teknisk naturvitenskaplige universitet i Trondheim.

Utstillingsarkitektur ved Fantastic Norway Architects.

Utstillingen arrangeres av DogA ved kurator Benedicte Sunde.“

Fra dn.no:

Hjellegjerde-permitterte kan jobbe igjen: http://www.dn.no/forsiden/naringsliv/article1685798.ece

Ny sjef i Ekornes: http://www.dn.no/forsiden/naringsliv/article1693119.ece

Smell for Varnerbrødrene: http://www.dn.no/forsiden/naringsliv/article1690309.ece

På Christiania Glasmagasin sitter kundene i kø: http://www.dn.no/forsiden/naringsliv/article1678895.ecehttp://www.dn.no/forsiden/naringsliv/article1678895.ece

Voss of Norway kriserammet: http://www.dn.no/vinguiden/article1676736.ece

Ikea-gale nordmenn: http://www.dn.no/privatokonomi/article1692400.ece

Take a look at Statoil´s new logo

http://www.dn.no/energi/article1660404.ece

“A leading star for a company wich wants to be a pathfinder within the oil, gas and other energy sources”, say the employees at StatoilHydro who have seen the logo before it was shown to the public.

Stokkan Lys og partneren Ehs har med bakgrunn i enkel bruk og ”Pirate Bay” lovfellingen utviklet en løsning for bakgrunnsmusikk i butikker. Stokkan Lys/Ehs leverer mp3 basert bakgrunnsmusikk løsninger til butikkjeder med høyt fokus på en salgsfremmende musikkprofil. Rett musikk til rett tid samt riktig fordeling av lyd og volum utgjør en viktig del av butikkers totalkonsept. Pelika Easy er et produkt for butikker og kjedevirksomheter, og er en spesialutviklet løsning for å møte kravene fra kjedevirksomheter for sentralstyrt og synkronisert avspilling av musikkprofil.

lawn chaise by deger cengiz

Quoted from designboom.com:

” this lawn chaise is perfect for city-dwellers who want the fresh cut grass feeling 
without the hassle of a full lawn. designed by new york-based designer deger cengiz, 
the chaise can be used as a human transporter.”

http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/8/view/6787/lawn-chaise-by-deger-cengiz.html

A map of the Creative Process done by Dubberly Design office in collaboration with Jack Chung, Shelley Evenson, and Paul Pangaro.

http://visualthinkmap.ning.com

Visual Think Map sources examples of mind maps, notebook, sketches, info graphics, concept maps, diagrams, topographic maps, spatial cognitive visualisations.

samare at DMY berlin design festival 09

Quoted from designboom.com:

“Canadian design collective samare presented  objects influenced by their country’s heritage. Their works was on display as part of the DMY allstars exhibit at the DMY berlin design festival 09.” http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/8/view/6796/samare-at-dmy-berlin-design-festival-09.html

BIG architects: new town hall of tallin, estonia

Quoted from designboom.com:

“BIG architects have won the international competition to design the new Town Hall of Tallin, Estonia.”
http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/9/view/6798/big-architects-new-town-hall-of-tallin-estonia.html

Marca Carcel: Cool Design Produced by Prisoner Women with Recycled Materials

Lamp made with recycled PET straps. Designed by Sarmiento.

Quoted from trehugger.com:

“The never stopping Argentine project Satori Lab has come up with a new initiative: Marca Carcel, a brand of products handmade by women who are prisoners in jails in Buenos Aires with recycled materials and low technology.”

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/06/marca-carcel-cool-design-produced-by-prisoner-women-with-recycled-materials.php

Pej trend seminar

  http://www.pejgruppen.dk/documents/00794.pdf

Autumn/Winter 2010/2011

Herning: 27.08.09

Copenhagen: 31.08.09

Oslo: 07.09.09

Jotun is painting the Eiffel Tower in Paris

The Eiffel Tower is going to be painted for the 19th time, and Jotun has once again won the competition for delievering their customized paint product.

http://www.ifi.no/main.jsp?content=/doc/Nyheter/2007/2007_07/LaTourEiffel.htm

New interior design for Tate Modern

Take a look at London-based Ab Rogers Design´s (ARD) recent interior design for Tate Modern:

http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/8/view/6827/ab-rogers-recent-work.html

Interesting illustrations by Zouh Fan

http://www.booooooom.com/2009/05/21/zhou-fan-illustrations/

Ottoman by Mathieu Lehanneur

Quoted from designboom.com:

“The leather ottoman is filled with a reconfigurable foam that alters form depending on the use. the triangular sewn leather allows the design 
to shift form, acting like a blob while retaining its geometric structure. Lehanneur designed the ottoman in
90cm and  150 cm versions.”

http://www.mathieulehanneur.com

http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/8/view/6807/mathieu-lehanneur-buckys-nightmare.html

Nice

http://highfunctioning.tumblr.com/post/87553841/via-elif-karakoc-music-via-1988

Just love this expression.

Some stores to see in Stockholm

GRANDPA: Fridhemsgatan 43 and Södermannagatan 21

A store mixing vintage and high fashion with a passion for eco awareness, music and art. Events are frequently arranged at the store. www.grandpa.se

+46: PUB Department Store 3rd floor, Hötorget

The latest in scandinavian high fashion. www.plus46store.com

MONKI: Souk/Drotningbatan 55, Götgatan 19 and 78 and Sergelgatan 16-18.

Concept owned by H&M. Young affordable fashion. www.monkigirl.se

ACNE: The flagship store is on Norrmalmstorg square in downtown Stockholm. http://www.acnestudios.com/

URBAN OUTFITTERS: Biblioteksg 5

Must see, crazy amazing interior. www.urbanoufitters.com

jeonghwa choi: ‘ok’ exhibition at towada art center, japan

Quoted from designboom.com:

“Korean artist jeonghwa choi, is currently exhibiting at the towada art center, Japan. Curated by nanjo and associates, the exhibition is entitled ‘ok!’. Jeonghwa Choi is one of the most well-known korean contemporary artists’, who creates works with the philosophy of ‘art for everyone’. He has recycled everyday goods, such as rice bowls and plastic housewares transforming them into sculptural pieces. As part of the exhibition, works are currently installed in various locations around the city including high-street shops and public places. The exhibition will be on view until august 23th, 2009.”

http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/10/view/6840/jeonghwa-choi-ok-exhibition-at-towada-art-center-japan.html

The Future Consumer,Employee and Citizen

http://www.iff.dk/creativeman/CreativeMan.pdf

Photoshop in real life!

Quoted from designboom.com:

“Korean designer Jinsu Park designed a concept pen that adopts the eyedropper tool of Photoshop for real life. The color picker pen enables colors in the environment to be scanned and instantly used for drawing. The sensor detects the color and matches it to the color display. Then the RGB cartridge located within the pen mixes the inks together to create the color that has been scanned. “
http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/8/view/6853/color-picker-pen-by-jinsu-park.html

Consumers care about the carbon footprint of a product

Carbon Trust has done a survey on peoples attitude towards carbon footprint.

http://www.carbontrust.co.uk/News/presscentre/carbon-footprint-research.htm

blup – a lamp

http://www.designspotter.com/product/2009/07/blup-a-lamp.html

‘piegato one’ shelf by Matthias Ries

http://www.matthiasries.com/

Designers Saturday 5-6 sept.´09

Under Designers Saturday får du se de siste og beste designproduktene fra mer enn 140 norske og internasjonale produsenter innen møbler, tekstiler, gulv, belysning og andre innredningsprodukter. Utstillingen er fordelt på omlag 30 showrom i og rundt Oslo sentrum. De besøkende kan gå av og på de 25 innleide gratisbussene som kontinuerlig trafikkerer ruten mellom utstillerstedene. Lørdag er lukket fagdag, søndag er alle velkommen.

http://www.designerssaturday.no

Nice entrance!

Found by Monica

5 Ways to Spend Less Time at Work

Found on zenhabits.net:

http://zenhabits.net/2009/07/5-ways-to-spend-less-time-at-work/

Floating display of glasses!

http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/8/view/6911/trustindesign-alyson-magee-show.html

How pure…

A penny for your floor

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/07/creative-recycling-pennies.php?dcitc=th_rss

Floor made of 50 000 pennies!

Charlie Davidson (Sweden)

Replay Store designed for resource efficiency

Quoted from trehugger.com:

“Replay recruited architects Roberto Baccioni and Simona Bianchi and designer Nicola Pecchioli of Studio 10 to helm the ambitious project, which was designed to increase resource efficiency while recreating the dynamic between elements found in the natural world.”

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/07/replay-store.php

zaha hadid architects: JS bach chamber music hall

http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/9/view/6943/zaha-hadid-architects-js-bach-chamber-music-hall.html

Design as Meaningful User Interaction

Quoted from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ralfbeuker/3044313700/in/set-72157613231417309

“This has been our approach in order to frame Design with its different layers and dimensions into contexts people are experiencing design. One of the insight (hopefully) to be achieved is to make people/users aware that Design, both as process and output means different things in different contexts. One example of such a scenario could for example that talking about design with an engineer will touch completely different issues than talking to a Brand Manager instead as they ‘see’ Design as ‘Process’ opposed to ‘Expression’.”

Design Strategy at a Glance

Quoted from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ralfbeuker/3324788163/

Art

Bloody…

miran nudell: ‘apogee chair’

Quoted from designboom.com:

“‘apogee chair’ by israeli designer miran nudell is made with pine wood, polyurethane rubber and fiber glass rods. nudell came up with the flexible design after observing people sitting on chairs on a daily basis, noticing how they tend to move alot and would look for the next ’temporary’ comfortable position.
‘searching for the balance between comfort, flexibility and support gave me the apogee chair, a chair that suits the sitter.’”

http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/8/view/6970/miran-nudell-apogee-chair.html

My favourites from the student summer exhibition at Doga

Split Chair by Håkon Vold, Akershus University College (HiAK)

 

A table cloth that gets more interesting when you spill on it.

By Kristine Bjaadal, Oslo Academy of the Arts (KHiO).

http://kristinebjaadal.wordpress.com/duk/

 

Cad Shelving System

By Bjørn Jørund Blikstad, Oslo Academy of the Arts (KHiO).

 

Urteriket by Vibeke Skar, The Oslo School of Architecture and Design (AHO).

“Urteriket is a new Norwegian brand that focuses on herbs. In former times herbs were regularly used, Urteriket is a modernization of an old tradition. The brand consists of a packaging with herbs and a tea strainer, and six separate and different glasses for herbs.”

http://www.urteriket.no/index%20english.html

Kurokawa’s Capsule Tower demolition

    

Quoted from The New York Times:

“Yet for many of us who believe that the way we treat our cultural patrimony is a fair measure of how enlightened we are as a society, the building’s demolition would be a bitter loss. The Capsule Tower is not only gorgeous architecture; like all great buildings, it is the crystallization of a far-reaching cultural ideal. Its existence also stands as a powerful reminder of paths not taken, of the possibility of worlds shaped by different sets of values.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/07/arts/design/07capsule.html

Designboom and Treehugger also wrote articles on this:

http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/9/view/6972/new-york-times-on-the-demolition-of-kurokawas-capsule-tower.html

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/07/nagakin-capsule-tower.php?dcitc=th_rss

thomas meyerhoffer: changing the shape of modern surfing

http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/8/view/6987/thomas-meyerhoffer-changing-the-shape-of-modern-surfing.html

Sculpture by Tomas Saraceno

Take a look at this cool artwork by Tomas Saraceno. It is called “I am under no disguise”.

http://butdoesitfloat.com/35428

Molo Design

www.molodesign.com

A design and manufacturing company in Vancouver, Canada. Take a look at their website. They make genius objects out of something as simple as paper.

5 in 1: A New Kind of Boutique for a Slow-Fashion Nation

Quoted from trehugger.com:

“A new fashion revolution is brewing in Williamsburg, fueled by a faltering economy, a desire to rein in the frenetic pace of senseless spending, and the spirit of reinvention. Brooklyn design collective/boutique 5 in 1 recently relaunched with a decidedly innovative twist: a weekend shopping experience with the designers themselves.”

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/07/5in1-brooklyn.php?dcitc=th_rss

Wal-Mart’s Sustainability Index: The Greenest Thing Ever to Happen to Retail?

Quoted from treehugger.com:

“The giant retailer ($406 billion in revenues in 2008) is developing an ambitious, comprehensive, and fiendishly complex plan to measure the sustainability of every product it sells. Wal-Mart has been working quietly on what it calls a “sustainability index” for more than a year, and it will take another year or two for labels to appear on products. But the company’s grand plan-”audacious beyond words” is how one insider describes it-has the potential to transform retailing by requiring manufacturers of consumer products to dig deep into their supply chains, measure their environmental impact, and compete on those terms for favorable treatment from the world’s most powerful retailer.”

More : http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/07/wal-mart-sustainability-index.php?dcitc=th_rss

IDEO’s guide to designing for social impact

Quoted from TED blog:

“The recent collaboration of IDEO with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, IDE, Heifer International and ICRW has inspired a new application of Human-Centered Design (HCD) — a system used by multi-national corporations to develop design solutions at the intersection of desirability, feasibility and viability. IDEO’s new open-source toolkit is a methodical approach for NGOs and social enterprises to design and implement innovative, customer-centric solutions to specific design challenges for global communities in need via three simple steps: Hear, Create, Deliver.”

http://blog.ted.com/2009/07/ideos_guide_to.php

Packaging

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/07/packaging-design-at-its-best-slideshow.php?dcitc=th_rss

The design genius of Charles + Ray Eames: Eames Demetrios on TED.com

Kirei Board

Quoted from trehugger.com:

“Kirei (pronounced “key’-ray”) is a company which produces modern, innovative, eco-friendly materials. The word represents the Japanese character meaning “beautiful” or “clean.” Although this material has been covered on TreeHugger before, it’s environmental benefits have never been truly explored. It really is a remarkable material. Kirei Board was the companies first product, developed for architects and interior designers as a low-impact, nontoxic material. It’s made of Sorghum Straw, KR Bond adhesive, and Poplar wood. Kirei Board has been in use for wall coverings, cabinetry, furniture, flooring, and other decorative and finished products.”

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/07/kirei-board-radical-material-big-impact.php?dcitc=th_rss

Biggest-Ever Bauhaus Exhibition in Berlin

Quoted from nytimes.com (The New York Times):

“The Bauhaus has now returned to Berlin in very different circumstances. Some 1,000 examples of the work of its students and teachers are exhibited in “Bauhaus: A Conceptual Model,” which opened last week in the Martin-Gropius-Bau exhibition hall as the biggest-ever Bauhaus retrospective.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/27/fashion/27iht-design27.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

aka alexandre farto

Quoted from designboom.com:

“The first UK solo show from vhils, aka alexandre farto, features a series of new works influenced by his native city of lisbon at a time of revolution. Entitled ‘scratching the surface’, the exhibition reflects on revolution as a time when walls turn into instruments of communication and hope for the masses, and the remnants of which become a decaying playground for this young artist as he searches for his place and identity. “

http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/10/view/7067/lazarides-shows-vhils-aka-alexandre-farto.html

Janine Benyus shares nature’s designs

Quoted from ted.com:

“As a champion of biomimicry, Benyus has become one of the most important voices in a new wave of designers and engineers inspired by nature. Her most recent project, AskNature, explores what happens if we think of nature by function and looks at what organisms can teach us about design.”

http://www.ted.com/speakers/janine_benyus.html

Masdar City – Abu Dhabi

Quoted from treehugger.com:

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/01/masdar-dubious-no-more.php

“We have shown so many awful projects in Dubai and Abu Dhabi that it was hard to take projects like Masdar seriously; are they real or greenwashing? Now it appears that Lord Foster’s Masdar is under construction and they are getting serious. When people think about sustainability, they think about devices,” said Gerard Evenden, a partner at Foster and Partners, the British architectural firm that is designing the site. “But here you’re taking it to a city scale, which has much more of an impact — connecting the devices to the structure to the transportation to the people. The city will have no cars; people will move around using driverless electric vehicles that move on a subterranean level. The air-conditioning will be solar powered.”

Masdar City Chosen as World Headquarters for New International Renewable Energy Agency:

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/07/masdar-city-chosen-irena-headquarters.php?dcitc=th_rss

“UAE to Pay All IRENA’s Operating Costs
As part of its commitment, the United Arab Emirates has agreed to grant $136 million over a six year period the IRENA, as well as covering all operations costs for the organization for perpetuity. Additionally, the Abu Dhabi Fund has been set up as an endowment that will give out up to $50 million annually to renewable energy projects in the developing world.”

Jason Thielke

http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/10/view/7112/jason-thielke.html

Matthias Pliessnig

http://designage.wordpress.com/2009/07/28/matthias-pliessnig/

Bethany Howson: photography

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dreamincolour/3636035405/

Her photos are just amazingly beautiful.

Interview with Bethany Howson

Her blog

Bicycles for fashionistas

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/07/8-designer-bicycles.php?dcitc=th_rss

Quoted from treehugger.com:

“Maybe it’s a case of Fairy Godmother Syndrome gone amuck, but the task of elevating the humble bicycle from carbon-neutral mode of transport to chic status symbol is all the rage these days, with a slew of two-wheeled offerings trundling from the runway to the bikeway.

But when you start tossing around names like Fendi, Gucci, and Chanel, you bet your bottom dollar you’ll need pockets deeper than the Marianas trench—most of these rides come at an über-hefty premium. Impractical? Yes. A bastardization of lo-fi mobility? Perhaps. Fabulous eye candy? Without a doubt. In the following slideshow, we present eight of the hautest rides in town, including one that clocks in at a staggering $17,000.”

SLIDESHOW OF 8 BICYCLES

Cool way to do a staircase

From apartmenttherapy.com:

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/chicago/inspiration/8-ways-to-decorate-a-staircase-075693

The Story of Stuff

Watch this movie on: http://www.storyofstuff.org/

“What is the Story of Stuff?

From its extraction through sale, use and disposal, all the stuff in our lives affects communities at home and abroad, yet most of this is hidden from view. The Story of Stuff is a 20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns. The Story of Stuffexposes the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues, and calls us together to create a more sustainable and just world. It’ll teach you something, it’ll make you laugh, and it just may change the way you look at all the stuff in your life forever.”

Sam Winston: Romeo & Juliet

http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/10/view/7152/sam-winston-romeo-and-juliet.html

Quoted from designboom.com:

“For one of his most recent artworks Sam Winston cut every word from a copy of Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’ and separated them into three categories: passion, rage, and indifference. he then cut each letter individually and worked them into the patterns you can see here.”

Snapshots of modern architecture in Paris

From my trip to Paris in July:

Shops in Paris

I found the 3rd district and Montmartre to the best places for nice independent stores. On Champs Elysee you have all the big chains and luxury stores of course, but everyone knows that…

These are my favorites:

3rd district:

Montmartre:

ROXAN

Knut Hamsun Center, Hammarøy, Norway.

Read about it here:

http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/9/view/7170/steven-holl-architects-knut-hamsun-center-opens.html

Solar Forest

Quoted from treehugger.com:

“Designer Neville Mars has designed a charging station that keeps your car both cool and charged.”

Read more:

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/08/solar-forest-charging-station-keeps-cars-cool-and-juiced.php?dcitc=th_rss

Paraplegic’s kite board

Read about it here:

http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/8/view/7160/paraplegics-kite-board-soul-by-etay-amir.html

Disposable technology

Quoted from designboom.com:

“UK graphic designer kyle bean created ‘disposable technology’, a series of cardboard sculptures as a response to our consumer relationship with technology and obsolescence. Each item in the series is scaled off real life objects.”

Read more here:

http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/8/view/7204/kyle-bean-disposable-technology.html

Summerhouse in Skåne with great colors and angles

Found on www.designboom.com!

More: http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/9/view/7302/lasc-studio-summer-house-skane.html

Svalbard Science Centre – facets!

Found on www.designboom.com!

More: http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/9/view/7255/jarmundvigsnaes-architecture-svalbard-science-centre.html

Copenhagen: Designboom designers mart August 27-30!

Quoted from www.designboom.com:

“the mart is a sales exhibition, where the international participants partially
cover the travel costs through the sales that they make.
for 4 days, visitors are able to buy design souvenirs™ (prototypes and/or limited
edition pieces) directly from the designers themselves
- all priced from (EUR) € 10 – €100 / DKK 70 – DKK 700″

Staircase covering only one square meter!

From Eestairs!

http://www.eestairs.com/web/en/16_Album:%20mijn%20trappen.htm#TSS-067

Stair Porn

Need ideas for a staircase? Take a look at www.stairporn.org!

Beautiful display

by photographer Lee Clower

Found here: http://ohjoy.blogs.com/my_weblog/2009/08/all-in-a-row.html

Tangle-proof headphones

Centre Pompidou, Paris

From my trip to Paris this July:

On the first day in Paris we went to the Centre Georges Pompidou which accommodates the leading collection of modern and contemporary art in Europe. It also holds  a large public reference library, performance spaces and cinemas as well as an institute for musical research and creation. The architecture of the place is quite interesting with most of the technical installations out in the open marked with different colors. It stands out though quite harshly in comparison to the surrounding historic architecture. In front of the building is a big square which is eagerly used by people sitting on the ground reading, talking, playing music and so on. From the upper floors you can observe the activity on the ground from a birds perspective. Here are some photos from the collection and the museum, and a few artworks by two of my favorite artists Mark Rothko and Gerhard Richter, that I got on post cards.

More photos: http://caramelbubble.wordpress.com/centre-pompidou/

Ida Lorentzen

More paintings: http://caramelbubble.wordpress.com/ida-lorentzen/

About Ida Lorentzen and Vilhelm Hammershøi: http://caramelbubble.wordpress.com/2009/08/03/rooms-of-silence/

Plof lamp

tom tom & tam tam tables by Konstantin Grcic

Found on www.designboom.com:

http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/8/view/7393/konstantin-grcic-tom-tom-tam-tam-tables.html

LAVA wins first prize for Masdar

Quoted from www.designboom.com:

“Giant umbrellas, with a design based on the principles of sunflowers, will provide moveable shade in the day, store heat, then close and release the heat at night in the plaza of a new eco-city in the united arab emirates.
the ‘sunflower umbrellas’ are one aspect of the winning design by the international practice laboratory for visionary architecture (LAVA) for the city centre for masdar in the UAE – the world’s first zero carbon, zero waste city powered entirely by renewable energy sources.”

More: http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/9/view/7394/lava-wins-first-prize-for-masdar-worlds-first-sustainable-city-in-uae.html

MDF experiments

Quoted from www.designboom.com:

“Israeli designer Oron Ohayon has sent in images of his project ‘MDFO’, experimenting with MDF and hot water. He produced 3 pieces of furniture that are made from MDF, wrapped with a flexible coating that swells with the board. The table legs were inserted into the table board corners then dipped in hot water. Both the chest and shelves were produced using the same technique.”

More: http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/8/view/7390/mdfo-mdf-experiments-by-oron-ohayon.html

Sunny Flower

Quoted from www.designboom.com:

“‘Sunny Flower’ by Chinese designer fandi meng is a personal solar charging device. It works by spreading the petals onto glass to absorb sunshine. Once charged you can harvest the power for your iphone or mp3 player.

More: http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/16/view/7388/fandi-meng-sunny-flower.html

‘sofa-dress’ and ‘table-dish-cover’ by Maezm

Quoted from designboom.com:

“Made from urethane foam, the ‘sofa-dress’ explores the suggestion of furniture. the act of putting the ’clothes of a sofa’ on an existing chair, makes the previous object become a more comfortable piece of seating.”

Quoted from designboom.com:

“Maezm will also be exhibiting their ‘table-dish-cover’. the flexible table cloth substitutes dishes and other serveware making it possible to prepare food anywhere just by spreading it over a table. when the meal is over, the ‘table-dish cover’ is removed and washed. made from infected molded silicon, the flexible cloth of dishes can be folded, rolled or crushed, bringing a new way of life that is not affected by space or time limitations.”

More: http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/8/view/7387/maezm-sofa-dress-and-table-dish-cover.html

Sort of Coal

Quoted from http://sortofcoal.com :

“The charcoal itself is produced through a rich burning process where the wood is exposed to extremely high temperatures with restricted oxygen. The wood is transformed into pure carbon (more than 90 percent) with a structure of countless pores.

It is this unique surface that gives White Charcoal its amazing purifying quality. The structure and pore size vary with each type of wood, which in turn make its purifying qualities beneficial for different uses. These uses range from purifying air and water, to absorbing humidity and odor, to cleansing the skin and inner organs.”

Shadylace parasol – green

By Chris Kabel for Droog.

http://www.droog.com/products/accessories/shadylace-parasol—green/

LEGO house – real life size!

Three million bricks!

More: http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/9/view/7414/life-size-lego-house.html

Ink in water

Quoted from www.designboom.com:

“In Barbara Horiuchi films she documents sumi ink behavior in water. The young artist creates videos to observe the ink interacting with the water in a controlled setting and at a decelerated speed. This is to examine the materiality of the ink she utilizes before she uses it in her pictorial work. The changing nature of the ink in the water provides a contemplative environment.
see the short video here“

More: http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/10/view/7480/barbara-horiuchi-at-the-monarch-studio-seattle.html

Bookhou

Founded by a couple in Toronto in 2002, making pieces of handmade natural materials. They run a store in Toronto, and have  many retailers across the World. In Europe there are retailers in France, Belgium, England, Ireland and the Netherlands.

More: http://www.bookhou.com/

Hay – New store in Oslo!

The Danish interior company Hay has opened a new store in Hegdehaugsveien in Oslo! Hay is owned by clothes group Bestseller and Rolf Hay, and was launched in 2003 at the IMM Cologne. The store interior is quite simple, but with some features worth having a look at.

New store By Malene Birger in Hegdehaugsveien, Oslo!

The store is opening soon, no specific date is given on the poster that I spotted covering the store window today.

TREND: Vi er følelsesmessige opplevelsesjegere

“Trendforsker Anne Lise Kjaer beskrev morgensdagens forbrukere som følelsesmessige opplevelsesjegere på jakt etter meningen med livet på dagens Motion-konferanse.”

Les mer her: http://www.fvn.no/lokalt/kristiansand/article699371.ece

Hun lister 8 trender som gjeldende idag. Se trendanalysen her: http://www.bledcom.si/uploads/papers08/BLED_07_08_FINAL%20-%20ALK.PDF

John Thackara

John Thackara gives a very interesting talk at Doga during the conference on New Architectur Politics in Norway.

View the talk here: http://underskog.no/samtale/78969

Quoted from his website http://www.thackara.com/:

“Project bazaars and festivals
On a larger scale, as Director of Doors of Perception, John also organises larger scale events and festivals in which citizens, designers, and grassroots innovators explore two questions: “what might life in a sustainable world be like?”; and, “what design steps are needed to get us from here, to there?”. In recent times, John was programme programme director of Designs of the time (Dott 07) in England, and in 2008 he was commissioner of City Eco Lab at the St Etienne Design Biennial in France. Doors events bring real-world sustainability projects together so they may cross-fertilise, and grow. ”

Bas van der Veer – A Drop of Water

Quoted from: http://www.basvanderveer.nl/index.php?id=2

“A Drop of Water’ is a rain barrel that makes saving water really easy by providing a watering can that is automatically filled when it rains. This way, the user doesn’t have to fill the can with our precious tap water, but uses ‘free’ rainwater instead to water the garden.”

Reality TV by Philippe Starck – Design for Life

Quoted from www.bbc.co.uk:

“Design For Life follows the fortunes of the 12 students – seven men and five women – who must battle it out to impress Starck. Ably assisted by top designer Eugeni and his agency’s head of communications, Jasmine, Starck will send the weakest home as and when he feels it necessary. At the end of the series, one lucky British designer will be rewarded with a six-month placement at his design agency.”

MORE: http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/proginfo/tv/2009/wk37/design_for_life_feature.shtml

Stortingsmelding nr 7. – Et nyskapende og bærekraftig Norge

Interessant avsnitt om designdrevet innovasjon i næringslivet: 5.1.8 Design som innovasjonsutløsende verktøy (side 64)

http://www.regjeringen.no/pages/2133768/PDFS/STM200820090007000DDDPDFS.pdf

Did you know?

Visual Voltage

Quoted from www.designboom.com:

http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/8/view/7501/visual-voltage-exhibition-at-design-vlaanderen-brussels.html

“visual voltage is an exhibition which explores the use of energy through smart design. the show is meant to give insight into electricity, energy consumption and environmental issues. the projects on show are all developed by swedish designers and artists, expressing their  creative roles as a means to generate awareness and debates on essential issues such as  sustainability and energy consumption, shedding new light on how we use electricity.  the exhibition is one of the expos which is part of design september brussels 2009 which runs from september 10th to october 2nd, 2009.”

Urban Outfitters

Quoted from designboom.com:

“new york-based design studio rich brilliant willing has collaborated with urban outfitters to develop an exclusive series of store fixtures. the firm creates environments, furniture and product design where the work draws primarily from the reinvention of materials. pieces consist of industrial finishes and readymade components which are later customized to suit each environment.”

http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/9/view/7670/rich-brilliant-willing-urban-outfitters-store.html

Wood carving

MORE: http://www.designspotter.com/product/2009/10/DK-Carved-Dining-Table.html

Cows and sheep -Vanilla Farm

MORE: http://www.designspotter.com/product/2009/10/Vanilla-Farm-Animals.html

New Boston – Single Speed, Full Size Folding Bike

MORE:http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/10/montagues-new-boston-single-speed-full-size-folding-bike.php?dcitc=th_rss

Camper – London

MORE:http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/11/view/7746/tokujin-yoshioka-camper-store-in-london-now-open.html

Macoto Murayama

Quoted from designboom.com:

“based on his research of botanical drawings and photography the japanese artist macoto murayama created the collection ‘inorganic flora’: a new form of plant depiction that transcends accepted (common, usual) horizons of botanical illustration’.”

MORE:http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/10/view/7860/macoto-murayama-inorganic-flora.html

Yas Hotel by Asymptote – Abu Dhabi

MORE:http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/9/view/7864/asymptote-the-yas-hotel-nears-completion.html

Pop-up Shop by Giles Miller – London

MORE:http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/8/view/7851/giles-miller-pop-up-shop.html

Ferrari F1 – Puma clothing – London

MORE:http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/8/view/7684/ferrari-f1-car-made-from-puma-clothing.html

Pinakothek der Moderne – Munich

From my trip to Munich in September:

Light installation by Dan Flavin

MORE PHOTOS OF THE MUSEUM (Architecture, interior and art works): http://caramelbubble.wordpress.com/pinakothek-der-moderne/

PHOTOS FROM MUNICH:http://caramelbubble.wordpress.com/munich/

Norsk Designråd: Designpilot

“Design Pilot 09 er et nasjonalt program i regi av Norsk Designråd som skal introdusere og evaluere nye metoder for innovasjon i private og offentlige virksomheter. Gjennom økonomisk støtte til idéutarbeidelse skal helt nye produkter, løsninger og tjenester skapes.”

http://www.norskdesign.no/design-pilot/category8260.html

Videopresentasjon av programmet:

http://www.norskdesign.no/video/hva-er-designdrevet-innovasjon-article10732-636.html

Hva er designdrevet innovasjon?

Butikken på hjørnet Hegdehaugsveien/Parkveien

Come as You Are overtar Max Mara´s tidligere lokaler på hjørnet Hegdehaugsveien/Parkveien i Oslo. Come as You are fører merker som bl.a Nolita og American Vintage.

Hjemmeside: http://www.comeasyouare.no/

Lokalet er fortsatt under oppussing.

Come as you are + Malene Birger

Butikkene har åpnet!

Quote

“The problem is never to get new, innovative thoughts into your mind, but how to get the old ones out.”

Dee Hock (Founder of VISA International)

Without Thought – workshop, exhibit, box

Quoted from designboom.com:

“during tokyo design week 09 designboom visited the DMN design workshop exhibition (vol.10). together with in-house designers of several companies, the japanese designer naoto fukasawa  is currently organising a series of workshops and exhibitions bearing the name ‘without thought’. the ‘BOX’ exhibition is the 10th of its kind.”

“without thought is a workshop directed by naoto fukasawa and participated in by in-house designers from DMN’s member companies. the process, in terms of time, begins with a winter camp before christmas; after seeing in the new year, meetings are held and the trial and error of ideas gets under way; finally, an exhibition showcasing the results is held; this time in the fall. something of a marathon, right? while following company routines and being up to their ears in important projects, designers participating in the workshop nevertheless put their heart and soul into it!”

MORE: http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/8/view/8034/naoto-fukasawa-box-without-thought.html

Resopal stand – Cologne

http://www.designspotter.com/product/2009/11/honeycomb-stand-lars-contzen-resopal.html

United Nude Flagship Store – Amsterdam

MORE: http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/9/view/8035/rem-d-koolhaas-united-nude-flagship-store-opens-in-amsterdam.html

Ozono Lamp

http://www.designspotter.com/product/2009/10/ozono-lamp.html

Eco Storage

http://www.designspotter.com/product/2009/10/Eco-Storage.html

Transform – exhibit space

http://www.designspotter.com/product/2009/10/Transform2.html

H&M Home ‘Interaction’

http://www.designspotter.com/product/2009/10/Interactions-uxus.html

Nedre Karl Johans gt

For de av dere som ikke har vært i Oslo sentrum på en stund: Nedre del av Karl Johans gt har blitt mye penere med mange nye butikker. Ny H&M, Message, Neste Stopp og Helly Hansen! Sistnevnte ser ut til å absolutt være verdt et besøk!! Var dessverre stengt da jeg gikk forbi…

Pencil Jewelry by Maria Cristina Bellucci

MORE: http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/10/view/8246/maria-cristina-bellucci-pencil-crayon-jewelry.html

‘Urbanbuds’ Portable Garden by Gionata Gatto

MORE: http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/8/view/8207/gionata-gatto-urbanbuds-portable-garden.html

Villa Nurbs, Empuriabrava by Enric Ruiz Geli

MORE: http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/9/view/8210/enric-ruiz-geli-villa-nurbs-empuriabrava.html

’24 Issey Miyake’ Concept Shop by Nendo

MORE: http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/8/view/8242/nendo-new-24-issey-miyake-concept-shops-now-open.html

Le Creative Sweatshop

MORE: http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/8/view/8213/le-creative-sweatshop-with-khuong-nguyen.html

By Winnie Lui for Innermost

MORE: http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/8/view/8184/white-light-fixture-by-winnie-lui-for-innermost.html

MAXXI by Zaha Hadid

MORE: http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/9/view/8164/zaha-hadid-maxxi-rome-complete.html

Chiharu Shiota

MORE: http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/10/view/8162/chiharu-shiota.html

By Nendo at Contemporary Art Museum Kanazawa

MORE: http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/8/view/8149/nendo-at-contemporary-art-museum-kanazawa-japan.html

Nendo exhibition at the Museum of Arts and Design, New York

MORE: http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/8/view/8136/nendo-exhibition-at-the-museum-of-arts-and-design-new-york.html

9 h Capsule Hotel in Kyoto

MORE: http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/9/view/8111/9-h-nine-hours-capsule-hotel-in-kyoto.html

Veja shoes: Great design – Green and social production chain

“The origin of the Veja project can be summed up in one question: is another world possible? With organic cotton from the Northeast of Brazil, wild Amazonian rubber and ecological leather, Veja is inventing new methods of work.Veja has been built on 3 main principles:

1. Using ecological inputs

2. Using fair trade cotton and latex

3. Respecting workers’ dignity

Veja has created a global chain that emphasizes solidarity and the environment, from the small producers in Brazil to the European concept stores at final ouput.”

On their web page you can read more, look at the collection and see video clips from the production: www.veja.fr

Cool window displays by Marc Atlan

MORE: http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/8/view/8409/marc-atlan-window-display-for-james-perse.html

Cardboard interior – Burnt Toast Design

MORE: http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/8/view/8378/burnt-toast-design-smithfield-menswear-cardboard-interior.html

Urban Forest by MAD architects

MORE: http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/9/view/8328/mad-architects-urban-forest.html

Colored epoxy gives new life to table tops

By the Japanese architecture studio Schemata.

MORE: http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/8/view/8284/schemata-architecture-office-flat-project.html

Weapon of mass construction

http://www.designspotter.com/product/2009/10/Weapon-of-Mass-Construction.html

Furniture – Japan

“karimoku japanese furniture manufacturer have teamed up with design studio isolation unit to produce a collection of products.”

MORE: http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/8/view/7961/karimoku-furniture-and-isolation-unitteruhiro-yanagihara.html

Hard maple and steel: Nendo for Maruni

MORE: http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/8/view/7948/nendo-cord-chair-for-maruni.html

Angel

MORE: http://www.designspotter.com/product/2009/10/Angel.html

Solar backpack

More on treehugger:

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/02/neon-greens-soular-backpacks-hope-to-be-everything-to-anyone.php?campaign=th_rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+treehuggersite+%28Treehugger%29

Ghost

http://www.designspotter.com/product/2010/02/Ghost.html

Solar lantern by d.light

MORE: http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/16/view/7928/kiran-by-dlight-is-worlds-most-affordable-solar-lantern.html

Hamster wheel

The Shakers

While doing some spring cleaning I came across my bachelor project which was inspired by The Shakers. I remember now why I was so inspired by the philosophy of these people concerning things. I am very drawn to their sense of simplicity, craftsmanship and space.

The Shakers originate form a group of persecuted Protestants in France, who fled to England in 1706. In 1774 they emigrated to New York, where they bought land, and called it “The New world “. Here they lived together in villages where each “unit” was responsible for the production of goods for personal use and for trade with other Shaker villages and eventually also with “the world”. Ann Lee was a leading figure in the Shaker group. She was also known as Mother Ann, or just Mother. Equality, pacifism, absolution and common property were qualities valued high in the community. The Shakers were very concerned with harmony between the spiritual and the physical environment with which they surrounded themselves. Simplicity, cleanliness, order, industry and perfection were the means to achieve the goal. Mother Ann emphasized that all assets should be functional and modest, not trendy and grandiose. She believed that the extravagance of an object caused the heart to open up to pride, vanity and lust, and that it destroyed the natural material and the practical purpose of the object itself. ”Anything with an precisely defined purpose, can be described as perfect because it answers perfectly to the purpose it was designed for.” When they built their houses, they were careful to plan for storage. This led to integrated storage in the walls. The storage was pre planned to fit their specific needs. Often there could be 3 to 6 people in one bedroom, and this created the need for separate storage. The storage was mostly made of drawers. Since there were so many people living together, it was important that all things had their permanent place, so that they would be easy to find for all residents. They had a great production of oval and round boxes for different things, which were color coded for content. They also made cleaning easier, by mounting pegs high on the wall in every room, where everything from chairs to hats and coats were hung. The beds had wheels, so they would be easy to move.

Henrik Vibskov in Oslo

http://www.henrikvibskov.com/

Cool pencil bowl!

MORE: http://www.designspotter.com/product/2010/04/36-pencil-bowl.html

Cut & Paste

More: http://www.designspotter.com/product/2010/05/Cut-Paste-kiki-van-eijk-collection.html

http://www.designws.com/news/a_cut_a_pastea_collection_by_kiki_van_eijk_secondome_rome/

Karl lamp

MORE: http://www.designspotter.com/product/2010/04/Karl-lamp.html

Great idea!

MORE: http://www.designspotter.com/product/2010/04/Newton-by-Francesco-Polare.html

Happylines @ RE:SIGNERT

One of my favorite bloggers Signe Schineller has posted a competition to win this fabulous wallsticker from Happylines. To win it she askes for the sources of inspiration. Thinking about it I must say that at the time my inspiration comes from history. The history of things. The book Waste and Want : A Social History of Trash by Susan Strasser has inspired me a lot to look at what I have, and to see value in everything. There was something beautiful in the way people handled the materialities in life before our culture of excessive consumerism. Possessions, like furniture, where objects of many hours of labour, expensive to attribute and important to maintain in good condition. I feel a new kind of responsibility now towards my possessions, and am currently making an effort to put everything in use or to sell it. I feel a strange sense of nausea by just having a lot of things I don´t even know I have. It sickens me. That´s why I love Signe´s blog RE:SIGNERT, she has so many great ideas on how to give old furniture a new and fresh life. I imagine her furniture just to be glowing of pride because she remade them so beautifully. As I am currently writing my master thesis on how things lose their value and become waste, specifically concerning furniture, I find this blog very fun and inspiring.

So, I find inspiration in seeing the potential in old, worn and seemingly useless objects, or just displaced objects who just need some attention to serve a function again. In general I find creative inspiration mostly in art, architecture, photography and nature. Additionally I often find industrial places like factories and building sites with all the different kinds of constructions, machines and vehicles quite fascinating and inspirational as well. There is something about the colors, lines and textures that intrigues me.

—

http://www.happylines.no/

Vintage Wallpaper Birds @ Briggs Lekehus

Another one of my favorite DIY bloggers Briggs Lekehus is giving out two vintage wallpaper birds tomorrow. I really love a lot of her ideas, like the branch lamp and the cool suitcase storage.

Images borrowed from Briggs Lekehus

DIY flag banners

I´m catching on to the DIY trend and made this cool banner out of colored cardboard. I think it´s a real fun way to decorate a room. I haven´t hung anything above my bed because I didn´t want to hang any more framed pictures in the bedroom. This banner makes the room much more interesting an playful. Banners can be a cool touch in any room I think!

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I browsed around for some more cool banners online and found these:

Image borrowed from Etsy/Monkeypuzzle: http://bit.ly/c34Fqu

Image borrowed from Etsy/BlueMoonStudios: http://bit.ly/agrO3C

Image borrowed from Etsy/ Heidiadnum: http://bit.ly/aqmqQP

Image borrowed from Etsy/redtruckdesigns: http://bit.ly/bKvHgE

MariLee on Epla

I love the online stores that are emerging were you can create your own store and sell stuff designed and made by yourself. It really creates a great market place for original handcrafted products and provides interesting alternatives to mass produced goods. I think this is a big wave coming. It has always been there of course, but now people are getting more and more environmentally aware, and people want things that are original, that have personality, that you can´t find everywhere. It is the reaction to the anonymity of massproduced goods. The global version of the online community is called Etsy and has hundreds of thousands of sellers in 150 countries. The Norwegian version is called Epla. I just created my own online store there called MariLee (my new online pseudonym). Some years ago I was making jewellery and sold most of it, but I still have some left. The pieces I still found to be nice I put up for sale in my store. I also lived in an old apartment down town some years ago. The kind with high ceilings and old wooden floors. The chandelier and the old beautiful lamp with shades made of  pearl were perfect for that apartment, but do not fit in were I live now. I´m curious to see if I can sell them on Epla!

LetTerS

My last paint job project. Painting this wooden dresser. Finally it´s nice and white! I love letters. I think they add a graphic cool something to the room. I have them all over. No words are spelled though to the surprise of my friends. I can´t seem to decide on words. They all seem silly in a way standing somewhere alone.

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I browsed Etsy for cool letters and found these:

Image borrowed from Etsy/Hindsvik

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Image borrowed from Etsy/EdiesLab

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Image borrowed from Etsy/compulsivecollection

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Image borrowed from Etsy/SimpleSweetDesign

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Epla finds ♥

Image borrowed from Epla/Renna Deluxe

Image borrowed from Epla/Heimlaga

Image borrowed from Epla/Henriflettes

Image borrowed from Epla/Staffasje i Møllergata

Image borrowed from Epla/Camilla Hounsell Design

Wall art

What a cool way to reuse toilet paper rolls!

Here is the way to do it.

Image borrowed from http://www.growingupcreative.com/

birds & cloudberries

Oh my… already tired of the MariLee name. It is really difficult to choose a good name for stuff. The new one for my Epla store is <<birds & cloudberries>>. There is no symbolism really. I just like the two words and I think they go good together. I guess the name could reflect the store to be selling different categories of things, jewelry and vintage items. I think I am quite happy with this name ♥

http://birds_and_cloudberries.epla.no

MARK + BRANDY

MARK + BRANDY is one of my favorite stores in Oslo both fashion and interior wise. It is located in the shopping mall Sandvika Storsenter. The store sells international brands and hand pick items to match their profile. The interior is airy and has nice clean lines. The entrance level has a rougher feel to it with concrete floors and hvite moulded shapes flowing through the space giving the clothes a nice surface to be presented on. The lower level called the boutique has a more exclusive luxurious but simplistic touch. Brands are Acne, See by Chloe, J. Lindeberg and Filippa K, just to mention a few.

The staff is very friendly, professional and helpful. Special items from the collections of the brands held by the store but which are not to be found in the store can be ordered specifically. Three years ago I bought some (very expensive)Buttero boots there. My credit card was smoking, but I just love them, and still do! I make a real effort to keep them in good shape, real quality just lasts longer.

Image borrowed from: http://www.markandbrandy.no

Clever

More:http://www.designspotter.com/product/2010/08/PLUS-clothes-hanger.html

Think new about the objects we rarely think about!

Have free wall space?

Have some free wall space and tired of hanging framed pictures? Hang your favorite pictures on a wire or thread using pinches. When you get bored of it just change the pictures!

Kemt

Another favorite store in Oslo. The clothing lines are simplistic with the right touch of originality, so is the shop interior.

Brands are: Isabel Marant / Acne / Vanessa Bruno / Le Praires de Paris / Stine Goya / A.P.C / Aymara / Isse by Fleur Tang / MM6 / Hope / Surface 2 Air / n.d.c / Yvonne Kone/ Julie Park / Forte Forte / Masscob / Lala Berlin / Helena Rohner

http://www.kemt.no/

Hegdehaugsveien 23, (entrance Parkveien) 0352 Oslo.

Photo from an Isabel Marant campaign.

Just love the illustrations made to feature the store by Esra Røise.

Can you believe it?!

Wow…

They are carved from pencil tips. In Connecticut. Dalton Ghetti´s miniature masterpieces found through accidental mysteries.

More about it at at accidental mysteries.

The perfect wedding

If I ever will, I might like it if it looked like this. Watch the movie here.

Images borrowed from Etsy

Eames classic

I just never get tired of these classic chairs designed by Charles and Ray Eames in 1948. They were made of fiberglass, plastic resin for Hermann Miller at that time. Now Vitra is manufacturing the Eames furnishings and the same design made of plastic has become very popular. These are at auction at Lauritz.com here.

Image borrowed from Wikipedia

Images borrowed from Lauritz.com

Upcycled gym floors

By Danish designer Søren Rose. Found at ohdeedoh.

Images borrowed from ohdeedoh.

Hand carved Ghost Stool

It is hand carved from solid wood! Found at Tally Locke on Etsy.

Images borrowed from Tally Locke / Etsy

Coconut fiber chairs

Moulded chairs from a mixture of coconut fibers and resin, an new material from Asia. The chairs are designed and produced by Singapore based Cilicon Faytory. A new natural material sounds nice, but I always find it difficult to determine the eco benefits of these new materials. How toxic is the resin? What can be done with the chair when it ends its life? Im´m curious.

Images borrowed from Materia.nl

Whisky Barrel Flooring

The Scotch industry has searched and found a way to bring a second life to their used barrels. McKay Flooring turnes them into, yes, floors. I like it! read more at Materia, or at the McKay Flooring Ltd homepage where it can be ordered.

Image borrowed from McKay Flooring Ltd

Ola Windsor

A Norwegian design classic designed by Alf Sture, now manufactured by Tonning Møbelfabrikk in new colors! I want one, in ORANGE!

Image borrowed from MadeinNorwayNow

Flashdance

A new vintage design store in Oslo specializing in 80´s/90´s clothing and accessories. Located in Posthallen. Seems to be worth a visit judging from the playful deco and references from the past, and the location Posthallen which probably adds to interesting contrasts.

Images borrowed from MadeinNorwayNow

John Deere – Permafrost

Image borrowed from Permafrost

Quoted from permafrost.no: “The John Deere rug offers a snapshot of life in rural Scandinavia. Heavy machinery has long since replaced the labor of farm animals, leaving its trademark tracks in the grass and mud. (On the outskirts of civilization, reading such tracks is a vital skill.)”

Sole Service by Permafrost 2005

Images borrowed from Permafrost

Quoted from permafrost.no: “The second Sole Service store was made exclusively for girls, featuring streetwear and sneakers only in women’s sizes. The main idea for the design was to create a diverse and exiting environment, inspiring customers to spend more time discovering the treasures to be found on the shelves.”

Vintage Tennis Racket Mirrors

There is a second life for most stuff ♡

Image borrowed from Apartment Therapy

Futura

Futura (previously known as Cirka Design) is a store in Oslo (Teresesgate 3) which specializes in design classics both second hand and new production. They have many of my beloved Eames chairs and that orange Panton pendant lamp Flowerpot is on my wish list for sure.

Images borrowed from Futura

The original glass fiber Eames chairs are reproduced by craftsmen in Los Angeles. They are produced with the old moulds from the factory of Herman Miller. The chairs can be ordered at Futura. Here is a video of how the chairs are made:

Dominos Table by Neue Tische

Through re-nest I discovered this Berlin based design company Neue Tische. I like their simplistic style and use of materials, and how cool isn´t this Dominos Table!? Playful and beautiful at the same time.

Images borrowed from Neue Tische

Second hand cool blue FINN finds ♡

FINN is a Norwegian site for buying and selling used items amongst other services. Similar to the Craigslist. Here are some finds from the furniture section:

Water & Wood by IDAG

I find the idea with the drop of water running down the legs of this stool very good. So simple and still it makes all the difference. The stools are also presented in a cool way on these playful images with the energetic red background.

More about Water HERE

More about Wood HERE

Images borrowed from Designspotter

Studio on Fire

Studio on Fire is a design/letterpress company in Minneapolis, USA. They combine production knowledge with a great sensitivity to design. I recently bought a poster (second image) at their online store. It is really tactile and very beautiful. I found them through a friend who ordered his business cards from them. This week I came across them again as I stumbled upon the Norwegian illustrator and graphic designer Cecilie Ellefsen who has contributed to a Studio on Fire calendar. They are also featured on Martha Stewart Weddings this month.

Images borrowed from Studio on Fire

reMade USA

reMade USA is upcycling old leather clothes and scrap into bags and purses. The company is founded by product designer Shannon South “out of the concern with creating yet another product to add to the gazillions already on this planet”. I admire her.

Images borrowed from reMade USA