Home Improvement

Friday, 2 September 2016

New Furnishings from Design Within Reach Bring Together Old and New Forms

The new Design Within Reach catalog just dropped into your mailbox – go check for it now! But if you didn’t get it, lucky for you the new products are available online right now.

We’ve long been fans of Matthew Hilton’s designs, and the Dulwich Table is no exception. Available in Walnut or Oak wood, the extension table comes with leaves that allow for three table lengths and seats up to 10 people. The leaves are stored inside the table so you don’t have to go hunting down the leaves when guests arrive!

The Noomi Swivel Chair designed by Susanne Grønlund, swivels at 360 degrees, perfect for those of you who want flexibility while you sit, whether for multi-tasking or fidgeting.

Handcrafted in Denmark, the Ring Chair designed by Nanna and Jørgen Ditzel, and produced by Getama, is a curvy chair that allows for maximum comfort with a minimal footprint.

Seal Chair designed by Ib Kofod-Larsen, produced by Brdr. Petersens – available in two leathers and as a high or low back. There’s also a complementary footstool.

Mikkel Throw designed by Kristine Five Melvær is a graphic design that merges Bauhaus-inspired design with traditional Norwegian weaving techniques.

DWR also has two new products that were developed by Nepal Projects, an organization from Bjarne Hansen of Menu, that was designed to bring education and employment opportunities to young Nepali women. The products that they design an make with this Nepali community has a Scandinavia spirit paired with the skills of the craftswomen:

Squares Throw designed by A Hint of Neon for Menu, produced by Nepal Projects

Cotton Bag designed by Norm Architects for Menu, produced by Nepal Projects

Gala LED Chandelier designed by Rich Brilliant Willing is a DWR exclusive: resembling hanging fruit. The chandelier contains LEDs and is a slim for, working well above almost any kind of table or surface.

The Pedrera Coffee Table was originally designed by Spanish architect Francisco Juan Barba Corsini for what is now one of Barcelona’s most celebrated structures: Casa Milà, popularly known as La Pedrera, by Antoni Gaudí. As the architect who transformed the attic of that same building into apartments, Corsini also payed homage to the building’s design of the twisting wrought iron balconies.

Fun accessories called Réaction Poétique by Jaime Hayon for Cassina: Jaime Hayon’s playful forms are always refreshing. This particular series of trays and tables commemorates the 50-year anniversary of Le Corbusier’s death, inspired by the organic shapes of his architecture and L’Esprit Nouveau artwork.

from Design Milk http://design-milk.com/new-furnishings-from-design-within-reach-bring-together-old-and-new-forms/

from Home Improvment http://notelocreesnitu.tumblr.com/post/149840689534

A Creative Collaboration: Bower x Studio Proba

In collaboration with Studio Proba, Bower developed three new products in their Zendo collection: The Pivot Fountain, Waterline Chair, and Nirvana Rug.

The Pivot Fountain is a giant cylinder that appears to have been sliced in the middle, where the mid-section pivots out, revealing a colorful inside. A flat stream of water gently flows from the top down through each section, continuously circulating back up.

The Waterline Chair is a geometric chair made from peach-tinted glass with an undulating “waterline” at its top edge, layering over and visually submersing the velvet upholstered top. I love the combination of shapes and colors here – it feels like a sculpture that you can also sit in!

The Nirvana Rug is a pretty unique piece: a “sculptural meditation rug becomes a metaphorical journey of transcendence as the pile’s length increases from bottom to top, becoming the ‘steps to nirvana’.”

from Design Milk http://design-milk.com/a-creative-collaboration-bower-x-studio-proba/

from Home Improvment http://notelocreesnitu.tumblr.com/post/149838735744

Friday Five with Young Huh

Young Huh is the founder and principal of Young Huh Interiors, a New York City based design firm that focuses on residential and commercial interiors. A career in law was to be expected after studying English at Smith College and then earning a law degree at Fordham Law School, but an interior design internship changed everything for the Detroit native. Her love of art and plenty of practical experience led to her setting up her eponymous office in 2007 where she works on various projects from around the globe. With her keen eye, diligence, and attention to detail, it’s no surprise that Huh was chosen to be a NKBA K+B Insider (National Kitchen & Bath Association Kitchen + Bath Insider). This week’s Friday Five explores some of Huh’s favorite things.

1. Boredom
Boredom is one of the mothers of imagination and creativity. Anytime I manage to achieve this marvelous state, I have more ideas that I can use in the foreseeable future. Unfortunately, boredom is probably the hardest commodity on the planet to get in our highly scheduled and productive lives.

Photo by Doris Salcedo

2. The works of Doris Salcedo
Salcedo’s work feels particularly relevant at this moment in time. Her work is about mourning people whose lives were lost through mass atrocities and social violence. I recently saw the largest exhibition of her works at the Perez Art Museum of Miami. Her untitled sculptures representing the every day existences and deaths of victims of political violence brought me to tears. Fragments and memories of human lives such as pieces of toys, beautiful dresses and dishes are entombed within concrete and broken furniture along with human bone, hair and animal skin. These were haunting and beautifully-made sculptures—a profoundly sad elegy for those who have been struck down by hate and politics.

Photo by Steve Freihon

3. My New Office – Fuigo Library
I recently moved into a new communal concept office space for designers called Fuigo. I always felt a little like a fish out of water until I fell into the design community. Working in a space that caters only to our kind really makes me feel at home! We have a 1200-square-foot staffed-library that has rocked my world. It is stocked with the latest-and-greatest products and other objects that I might normally miss in my day-to-day craziness. The library is also a great place to congregate and chat with other designers, not only to work, but also to share thoughts and small moments in our lives.

Photo by Amie Siegel

4. “Provenance” by Amie Siegel
“Provenance” is cinematic artwork that everyone in design needs to see. The film is about the progress of furniture pieces designed by Pierre Jeanneret for Chandigarh, a utopian city in India conceived by Le Corbusier and Jeanneret. Unfortunately, the city does not appear to meet the needs of its residents and its contents are heaped into piles and discarded, only to be swooped up by enterprising antiques hunters. The furniture pieces are taken to the US and Europe where they are refurbished, sold in the 6 figures and placed in luxurious and beautiful homes. The film is stylish and thought-provoking, leaving one to reflect upon the value of context and culture.

5. Sunday Night Dinners
I love my kitchen and look forward to weekends when I can cook and hang out with my family. Kitchens have become the heartbeat of a home. This year I became a kitchen and bath trendspotter for the NKBA and was able to attend several kitchen and bath trade shows including KBIS, Eurocucina and ICFF and talk about kitchen trends. It’s truly become an obsession.

from Design Milk http://design-milk.com/friday-five-young-huh/

from Home Improvment http://notelocreesnitu.tumblr.com/post/149836784979

Thursday, 1 September 2016

’70s Townhouse Gets a Modern Transformation by Thomas Winwood Architecture

A 1970’s inner city townhouse in Melbourne, Australia received a bright, modern transformation from Thomas Linwood Architecture that resulted in a home inspired by Australian, mid-century modernism. Every aspect of the design was carefully considered to achieve exactly what the owner wanted in the compact space.

To help elongate the look of the residence, a wooden batten ceiling was installed guiding the eye right through to the other end. Slate was chosen for the floors to keep in the modernist theme of the design. The crisp white walls keep it bright and airy.

The open wooden staircase was given a sleek brass handrail.

The second floor is now home to a wooden lined roof deck that offers city views.

Photos by Fraser Marsden.

from Design Milk http://design-milk.com/terrace-thomas-winwood-architecture/

from Home Improvment http://notelocreesnitu.tumblr.com/post/149803400389

Fresh From The Dairy: Books

I’ve been thinking a lot about the printed word and how much I still enjoy reading a book: fingering the pages, turning them, dog-earing my spot, and smelling the paper… Are you still into books or have you converted to a device? How do you read? Have a look at this book-themed Society6 roundup, which might inspire you to pick up that book that’s been collecting dust on your nightstand…

Books metal print by Tea And Tiffin

Rain, Tea & Books mug by Medusa Dollmaker

Too Many Books print by The Bookish Dreams

Books iPhone case by Efty

Books and Coffee mug by Bookwormboutique

Books tote bag by Lone Star Lady Bird

Bookworm iPhone case by Cassia Beck

In an ongoing effort to support independent artists from around the world, Design Milk is proud to partner with Society6 to offer The Design Milk Dairy, a special collection of Society6 artists’ work curated by Design Milk and our readers. Proceeds from the The Design Milk Dairy help us bring Design Milk to you every day.

from Design Milk http://design-milk.com/fresh-from-the-dairy-books/

from Home Improvment http://notelocreesnitu.tumblr.com/post/149801176639