Observation, utility and honest use of materials

I love the values that Alex Hellum uses to direct design.

Summer Sunrise

by Sanna Annukka

Pretty Close to Perfect

Truck Furniture

Swede Shopping Pleasure

New online find - Design Torget

They list their commitment to functionality on their site under 'business concept'
Here's a snippet:
"Beyond our high demands for quality and that the product meets our requirements for functionality, we also look for those products that encourage or reflect new thinking, as well as being laced with some humour. Among our great selection of designer products, some are available for months or even years, while others stay in our shops for just 8 to 10 weeks, depending on customer demand."

About Time

It's often the simplest things that are overlooked by design innovation. Katrina Allen and her team in Australia have concepted a discreet line of femme hygiene products that successfully addresses the monthly challenge of clean and secure tamponage transport. Products are available in a practical mix pack and they also offer a liner that is black - as opposed to the ubiquitous bleached white. I thought, why is it that they are white anyway? How clever indeed. Thank you smart people from De jour.

Play All Day

gestalten has a brand new book out called Play All Day. It features loads of imaginative designs inspired by the notion of play. die Baupiloten have a fantastic video about their contribution to the book (I can't embed....) Also featured is my design crush de jour, Marije Vogelsang.

Breathing Harmonia

São Paulo architecture firm Tryiptyque (French/Brasilian) designed Harmonia House as a building that breathes. Its walls are caged within water pipes that feed the thirst of the building's vegetal ecosystem.

Magazine Splurge

Visionaire: 55 Surprise from PressWhore on Vimeo.
Earlier today I put up a post for my Hermes wishes.
Here's a video of the latest Visionaire issue - one giant popup book.
The magazine is glitteringly expensive, but what a spectacular spread!

I want to cheat at jacks....

Eartha Kitt - I Want To Be Evil (Live Kaskad 1962)
by mrfnk

It's almost crazy how buttery her voice is.

Double Dutch

Dutch designer Bauke Knottnerus creates furniture out of maxi materials.

Splurge

Hermes watercolor box & orange 'skipper' necklace. Birthdayvalentinesanniversarychristmas all oh-so far away!

Warm Light Knit

Ray Light from llot llov.

GOOD article - Family Farming for the Future

Hooray! My article in GOOD is out today!

MMM

Maison Martin Margiela 20th anniversary exhibit at Haus der Kunst in Munich.
Extremely well curated and inspiring.

In the Genes

salt cellar

Aldo Bakker (son of Gijs Bakker, founder of Droog Design) has designed a nice new line of simple and ergonomic kitchen goods. Served up in basic black and white porcelain with comfy curved edges. Available through Thomas Eyck or Wannekes.

Bated Breath

For your design radar: Atelier NL

Doo-Nanny Tomorrow

see butch anthony's site for updates and photos.

Dip Dye

New ceramic collection from Heath. 

Via design*sponge

Tables

Wood tables by Donald Judd. Photos by Krista & Adam at Food Shark Marfa.

Metal & wood tables by Atelier 154. 

Summer Blues

Jump Style

Best Girl

Austrian firm Mühlbauer is in its fourth generation of producing fine headwear. I love the thought of a touch of summer sophistication with a fun hat from a premier milliner. 

1940s Mühlbauer Advert

Irresistible Linen

Society Limonta produces high-quality linens from the perspective of touch and colour. Their palettes are soothing and simple and the products invite you to enjoy your skin and surroundings.

These beach towel sets are perfect for hotels; the gauze sheets for the feel of summer holiday in your own home.

Green Rows

Sunny Days here in Heidelberg. On a walk today, I took a peek inside a greenhouse and saw these perfect green lines. Can't wait to gobble up those fresh, crisp salad leaves.

Also saw this team of three planting kohlrabi. They were on the back of this tractor putting new seedlings into a wheel and then riding down their field allowing them to be pressed into the freshly tilled soil. You can't see it here very well, but they are all sitting on cushions/pillows with very charming patterns.

Outdoors

Starting to cruise for new outdoor seating. Normann's new camping seat is predictably terrific (albeit spendy). Also good is the HAY lounge chair at Midsommar. The nostalgic Frédéric Sofia Luxembourg chair is my favorite though with a stunning selection of colors and great height - perfect for people watching, book reading and margarita sipping. Found at Made in Design.

Brain Furnishings

Dutch design firm PROFF designs products that have the creative process at the fore. Their products are designed to make work spaces more inspiring to those working in them. They look at the specific needs of a space as a design challenge and create furishings that solve those problems.

Via mocoloco

Skatepark Hotness

Crafted with a magnificent hand. Skateboard designs by Mattias Norströms of Moustache Ape. 

Via below the clouds.

Food Design Crush: Frédérick e. Grasser-Hermé

French food consultant, Frédérick e. Grasser-Hermé (or Fegh to pals) worked on the Cuis.in Nature project (previous post). She has forged a lively professional path and works on such enviable projects as menu design for Colette and cookbook consultant for people like Alain Ducasse. She is the author of over 20 books. Her website is super cute and worth a good spin round the way. She was featured last year in the NYT Magazine. Take a peek

Le Cusine Vert

I spied these at Maison et Object in January. They had a eco-cafe and these garden exhibits set up. Design is by Matali Crasset in collaboration with Teracrea, food consultant Frédérick e. Grasser-Hermé and Hi Hotel of Hi Life Concepts in Nice. The garden installations come in a number of different iterations: kitchen, vegetable, display, etc. They are designed to incorporate the functionality of a kitchen with the mechanics of a garden. Plus, they are colorful and playful. Visit the entire photo set here.

This Song is a Blues

Vidéo pédagogique
by gbi

These gents make lovely music and this video is pretty hilarious and motivational (accidental perhaps..)
Band 1973 from France

Der Lenz ist da!

Endlich! Ready to run around on my bike sporting my finest in Swedish go-wear. Tretorn designs for both of us!

In preparation for Summer

Salon Tsé Tsé always has fun things that are playful, beautiful and inspirational. This is called 'winter coat' and is meant to hold icecream or something cold. The top can be frozen to keep your cool summer treats fresh. Their website is intensely creative and romantic. Read their 'about' page - it is a very sweet story.