Hasta La Ideas

Los Angeles-based Cuff Studio is presenting a collection of furniture and lighting as part of the VDF x Sight Unseen collaboration, which balances angular, architectural shapes with playful, feminine touches.

The Common Ground series consists of two tables, a bench, an armchair and a light, each of which embodies the studio’s characteristic design language.

The pieces are being exhibited as part of Offsite Online, a virtual show curated by contemporary design showcase Sight Unseen.

“We’ve always identified with curves and edges, casual with formality, femininity with some testosterone,” explains Kristi Bender, one half of the duo behind Cuff Studio.

In line with this philosophy, the Arc bench, chair and console table are all based on the classic architectural feature of the arch.

But in the two seating designs, this masculine shape is contrasted with plush leather or pink velvet upholstery.

And the otherwise solid volume of the console is punctured with brass-filled channels to allow light to pass through, while hand-chiselled grooves on the exterior imbue the geometric shape with a more organic feel.

The studio has given a traditional material like solid oak a modern spin for its Paddle table, by bleaching it to a clean shade of white and rounding off its almost ten centimetre thick edges to create a playful, chubby silhouette.

Elsewhere in the collection, an otherwise flexible material like rope is wrapped onto a rigid, tubular frame to create the Five Track Surface Light, which can be mounted to the walls or ceiling.

By uniting these different design elements in one cohesive collection, the studio hopes to show that it is possible for contrasts to co-exist comfortably, both in design and in a wider social context.

“This collection really leans into the common elements that form a thread between not just our work but so much in art and design,” explains Wendy Schwartz – the second half of the Cuff Studio team.

“There is such political polarisation in the world. With Common Ground, we are examining how the creative process brings us together, unites us.”

The collection was first released in early 2020, in the duo’s newly opened studio in Hollywood.

“Rather than launching this small collection to the press or to buyers, we chose to celebrate the opening of our studio and these pieces with other makers – those who share our common ground of design, art, building, creating and hard work,” explained Bender.

“Little did we know then just how meaningful it is to make in-person connections with the artisans and brands we follow on social media, those who we respect and are inspired by here in Los Angeles.”

VDF x Sight Unseen
Exhibitor: Cuff Studio
Project title: Common Ground
Website: cuffstudio.com
Email: info@cuffhome.com

From 15 April to 30 June 2020 Dezeen is playing host to Virtual Design Festival, the world’s first online design festival.

Sight Unseen is a New York-based digital magazine that covers design and visual arts, as well as curating exhibitions such as the annual Sight Unseen Offsite event.

The VDF x Sight Unseen collaboration presents projects by 51 international designers as an extension of this year’s virtual Offsite Online exhibition.

The post Cuff Studio’s Common Ground furniture and lighting collection unites “femininity with some testosterone” appeared first on Dezeen.

As part of VDF x Sight Unseen, our second roundup of projects from this year’s Offsite Online: Selects exhibition features furniture, homeware and lighting that places the material front and centre.

Selects is an exhibition of singular works from independent designers, presented under the umbrella of the annual Offsite contemporary design showcase by New York design magazine Sight Unseen.

Our first roundup of projects from this year’s Selects included hand-blown glass scales and a light modelled on NASA footage.

Now, for part two, we’re sharing a selection of projects that features plenty of colourful resin, a lamp made from patinated palm leaves and a chair made from natural denim and compressed paper.

Exhibitor: Ordinal Indicator
Project title: Ridge Wall Mirror

The Ridge wall mirror is propped up by an angular, white alabaster off-cut.

It rests securely within a contoured groove, which creates the illusion of a flawless transition from stone to glass. This also serves to highlight the design’s inherent contradictions, as something that is both stable and fragile.

Ordinal Indicator is a design studio founded by Mike White and based in New York’s Hudson Valley. Its focus is on contemporary handcrafted furniture, lighting, and objects made from natural materials.

Website: ordinalindicator.com/furniture
Email: mike@ordinalindicator.com

Exhibitor: LikeMindedObjects
Project title: Roll Lounge Chair

The Roll Lounge Chair is an experiment in marrying joyful, luxury aesthetics and comfort with ethically sourced materials.

Its sling cushion is upholstered in natural denim and stuffed with shredded, recycled textiles instead of the petroleum-based foams more commonly used to pad out soft furnishings. The supporting frame is made of compressed paper and wood.

LikeMindedObjects is the creative studio of artist and designer Elise McMahon, who believes that good design is found at the intersection of art, industry, and environmental justice.

Website: likemindedobjects.com
Email: likemindedobjects@gmail.com

Exhibitor: Winston Cuevas
Project title: Palm Row

Palm Row is designer Winston Cuevas’ first lighting project, which straddles the line between an abstract palm tree sculpture and an ambient floor lamp. It features rows of dimmable lightbulbs arranged symmetrically with patinated brass palm fronds over a marbled concrete base.

The piece is part of the Natural Allusions collection, in which the designer recasts natural items commonly associated with paradise in high-craft objects.

Cuevas is a New York-based designer focused on creating exceptional, limited edition objects, furniture, and lighting.

Instagram: @winston.cuevas

Email: studio@winstoncuevas.com

Exhibitor: Upstate
Project title: Traipse Pitcher

The Traipse pitcher was designed by Kalen Kaminski of New York brand Upstate and produced by Grace Whiteside in her Urban Glass studio.

Starting on a paper canvas, Kaminski painted emotive watercolours of the piece, which Whiteside translated into glass.

It is part of the Cuesta collection of handblown, sculptural pitchers. Their design pays homage to the colour field paintings of American artist Helen Frankenthaler, and her experimental technique of soaking and staining the canvas while pouring, dripping, and heavily sponging colour.

Instagram: @upstate___
Email: kalen@youreupstate.com

Exhibitor: Another Human
Project title: Psychedelic Shells

The Magical Evolution Collection is the first exploration of glass in the work of multidisciplinary designer Leah Ring.

The first of two sconces from the series, which are featured here, is designed to emulate a pair of technicolour turtle shells discovered in a fantasy rainforest.

Each design the collection is one of a kind and was born from Ring’s desire to work with a material that is unpredictable and freeform in nature.

Website: anotherhuman.la
Email: info@anotherhuman.la

Exhibitor: Another Human
Project title: Morning Dew

The Morning Dew sconces evoke an enormous, flower petal collecting multi-coloured dew drops from neighbouring plants.

Like the rest of the Magical Evolution Collection from Ring’s Los Angeles studio Another Human, the design are based on imagined environments in nature featuring fantastical flora and fauna.

Website: anotherhuman.la
Email: info@anotherhuman.la

Exhibitor: Martina Guandalini
Project title: Soulmate Vase

Like yin and yang, the Soulmate Vase is made of two contrasting yet complementary halves.

One side of the vertical disk is made of Scagliola, an imitation marble created by mixing plaster with pigments and glue. The ancient material was invented in designer Martina Guandalini’s hometown in Italy and is balanced here with a modern, translucent resin.

Martina Guandalini, is an architect, designer, and creative director based in New York City. Soulmate her first collection of collectible design and also includes a series of tables.

Website: martinaguandalini.com
Email: ladymartybegooddesign@gmail.com

Exhibitor: Hayden Richer
Project title: Spackle Table

Each item in artist Hayden Richter’s Spackle collection is slab built from clay and coated in a mixture of hydrocal plaster and sand.

This freezes the organic material into something reminiscent of a calcified land marker or a historic monument.

In her work, Richer bridges the gap between the sculptural and functional. By mimicking the natural growth and weathering of materials, her work suggests a gradual, almost tectonically slow production process.

Website: hayden-richer.com
Email: haydenricher@gmail.com

Exhibitor: Hannah Bigeleisen

Project title: Pilar and Domo Lamps

Hannah Bigeleisen is an artist and designer living and working in Brooklyn.

Her most recent collection of made-to-order lamps makes use of architectural shapes and elements.

Hand-painted, highly textured surfaces pair with hand-dyed and knotted fringe shades to highlight the ephemeral and playful qualities of each composition.

Instagram: @goddammithannah
Email: hbigelei@risd.edu

Exhibitor: Soft Geometry
Project title: Elio Lamp #8

Soft Geometry’s Elio series (pictured top) sees frosted, translucent resin tubes stacked on top of each other to form the basis of a range of different lamps.

The resin tubes softly hold and emanate light during the day when the lamp is switched off and acts as an opaque solid when the lamp is switched on.

The design was created in answer to a photo series studying how light is scattered through dust panes, jellies, and ice.

Instagram: @soft.geometry
Email: hellosoftgeometry@gmail.com

Exhibitor: Ian Cochran
Project Title: Plump Console

This console is the latest addition to Ian Cochran’s Plump series, in which slabs of clear, coloured resin are connected with only notched joints, like a large-scale puzzle or kids’ toy.

In this particular design, a bent curve acts as both the table top and leg of the console, to create a piece that is both playful and sculptural.

Cochran is a Brooklyn-based artist and designer, whose work is meant to both inspire and inform.

Website: iancochran.com
Email: i.alistair.c@gmail.com

Virtual Design Festival is the world’s first online design festival, taking place from 15 April to 30 June 2020 here on Dezeen.

Sight Unseen is a New York-based digital magazine that covers design and visual arts, as well as curating exhibitions such as the annual Sight Unseen Offsite event.

The VDF x Sight Unseen collaboration presents projects by 51 international designers as an extension of the magazine’s Offsite Online virtual exhibition.

The post Denim chair and palm-frond light are among 11 more designs from Offsite Online: Selects showcase appeared first on Dezeen.

Today’s VDF takeover comes courtesy of New York design magazine Sight Unseen, which is presenting new work from 51 designers featured in its Offsite Online event via a digital programme of exhibitions and shows for Virtual Design Festival.

Sight Unseen is presenting half of the more than 1oo designers, brands and students, which are currently showcasing their work as part of the publication’s Offsite Online exhibition.

The magazine’s Offsite exhibition usually takes place annually as part of New York design week. But this year, the show has migrated online and reinvented itself as a virtual exhibition under the name Offsite Online.

As part of Virtual Design Festival, we are featuring highlights from the Offsite Online show via two exhibition round-ups, two graduate shows and a virtual design fair showcasing work by six designers. Plus, Sight Unseen co-founders Monica Khemsurov and Jill Singer will speak to Dezeen’ editor-in-chief Marcus Fairs in a live talk at 4:00pm UK time.

Scroll down to find out more about the collaboration and start browsing the exhibitions, graduate shows and design fair.

Selects exhibition spotlights a diverse range of designers

Every year, the Selects section of Sight Unseen’s Offsite exhibition unites work from different designers within one group show.

Across two roundups, we’ve compiled 24 of these projects, including a chair made from denim and compressed paper as well as a lamp modelled after NASA footage.

The exhibitions include work from: Anahit Pagosian
, Joel Edmondson, Gaspard Graulich, Bronsin Ablon, Richard Clarkson, Garza Studio, Objects & Ideas, Vissio, Konekt, Daniel Nikolovski, Ian Cochran, Soft Geometry, Hannah Bigeleisen, Hayden Richer, Martina Guandalini, Another Human, Upstate, Winston Cuevas, LikeMindedObjects and Ordinal Indicator.

Explore the Selects exhibition round-ups ›

Graduate shows feature work from 27 students

With many of this year’s graduate shows cancelled, design schools are moving their events online. Sight Unseen is presenting two virtual graduate shows as part of its takeover of VDF.

Among them is the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), which is presenting a series of furniture that ranges from a fluorescent cabinet to an ottoman that pays homage to Finding Nemo.

Students from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), meanwhile, are using Offsite: Online as a platform to share a collection of objects called Eighteen Perspectives on Utopia, which explores what an ideal society can or should be.

Among the students featured are: Joy Zhuo, Emma Fague, Winslow Funaki, Erik DeGiorgi, Xiangyu Wang, Ayumi Kodama, Zihe Gong, Kainan Liu, Will Choui, Hans Hwang, Rachel Bergamini, Nadia Kiblinsky, Shengxun Lin, Lola Dement Myers, Rio Chen Sheldon Bess, Paula Moreno, Sam Link, Tim Karoleff, Nicolas John, Kazuki Guzmán, Jessie Stone and Grace Jeon.

Explore the graduate shows ›

Furniture and homewares fair pays homage to its surroundings

Sight Unseen is also showcasing six furniture and homewares collections as part of a virtual fair.

Many of these are imbued with a distinct sense of place, such as Simon Johns’ Outcrop collection which is designed to reflect the geology of the Appalachian mountains that surround his studio.

Similarly, Studio POA’s woodwork pieces gives voice to its founder’s Guatemalan heritage and BZippy & Co.’s oversized ceramics mimic Brutalist architecture.

Beyond that, Lambert & Fils has expanded its “radical” family of Dorval lamps, Field Tiles has released monochromatic renders of its handmade tiles and Cuff Studio’s Common Ground series unites “femininity with some testosterone”.

Browse the furniture and homewares collections ›

Live interview about design fairs going digital

At 4:00pm, Dezeen’s Marcus Fairs hosts a live interview with Sight Unseen founders Monica Khemsurov and Jill Singer about the ins and outs of hosting a virtual design fair as part of our Screentime series of interviews.

Beyond the logistics of going digital and lessons the design world can learn from these extraordinary circumstances caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the trio will also discuss the importance of building community in a design world that is more physically separated than ever.

About Virtual Design Festival

Virtual Design Festival is the world’s first online design festival, curated and powered by Dezeen and taking place from 15 April to 30 June 2020.

About Sight Unseen

Sight Unseen is a New York-based digital magazine that covers design and visual arts, as well as curating exhibitions such as the annual Sight Unseen Offsite event.

The VDF x Sight Unseen collaboration presents projects by 51 international designers as an extension of this year’s virtual version of the exhibition, called Offsite Online.

The post Sight Unseen presents online design fair, exhibitions and graduate shows as part of VDF appeared first on Dezeen.

A fluorescent cabinet and an ottoman that homages Finding Nemo are featured in the final collection by graduate furniture design students from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), presented here as part of VDF x Sight Unseen.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, access to in-person lessons, studios and workshops was limited for RISD students for most of their final term – just like it was for the School of the Art Insititute of Chicago, which featured in an earlier student showcase as part of our VDF x Sight Unseen collaboration.

That’s why this year, nine furniture design graduates are sharing individual projects rather than fully realised portfolios, brought together as one “non-traditional” collection which is on show as part of the Offsite: Online virtual exhibition by New York design magazine Sight Unseen.

Among them, three students chose to work with reclaimed materials.

Joy Zhuo used a yoga ball and pipe insulation to create her Anemone Ottoman, which lets out an audible squeak when feet are rested upon it. This piece belongs to a three-part furniture series, which draws on imagery from the Pixar movie Finding Nemo.

Two wooden cabinets are connected by a vacuum hose in Emma Fague’s Dumbbell Purse Cabinet, to create a piece that is both sculptural and functional. The student, who creates assemblages from found objects, also fashioned a towering shelf from a series of paint rollers and a blob-like chair from collected sand which she cast in resin.

Winslow Funaki uses scraps, cast-offs and leftovers to create her “in-between objects”, which defy easy categorisation. Her Untitled (Shelf) resembles both a storage unit and a step ladder, collaged together from wood, upholstery foam, stones and epoxy putty.

Another cohort of students focused on utilising traditional production techniques within their pieces.

Erik DeGiorgi used his classic carpentry skills to create the Concordic Sideboard, but contrasted the dark, walnut wood with powder-coated aluminium inlays in purple and bright turquoise.

Similarly, the clean, minimalist woodwork of Xiangyu Wang’s Armoire is enhanced trough a semi-circular cut-out at its centre, which speaks to the designer’s view of the wardrobe as the beating heart of order and cleanliness within any household.

Student Ayumi Kodama used kozo fibres, which are traditionally used in Japanese and Korean paper-making, to create a waste basket, as well as casting glass within a sand mould to create a uniquely textured lamp.

A playful chair design comes courtesy of Zihe Gong, who offset a steel stool with an oversized, almost frame-like backrest intertwined with branches and leaves fashioned from the same material.

Almost diametrically opposed to this is the design for Kainan Liu’s Wingback Chair, which features a thick, curved black body reminiscent of a Keith Haring line drawing.

Although its frame also consists of steel tubes, these are entirely hidden underneath its cow-hide upholstery.

Finally, Will Choui designed a series of pieces made from acrylic or particleboard slabs, which can be assembled like a puzzle, without adhesives or hardware. This includes the aggressively fluorescent Fluo cabinet, which Choui says represents him finally taking up space and shedding of his social anxiety.

VDF x Sight Unseen
Exhibitor: Rhode Island Schoool of Design
Instagram: @risdmfa_furn

From 15 April to 30 June 2020 Dezeen is playing host to Virtual Design Festival, the world’s first online design festival.

Sight Unseen is a New York-based digital magazine that covers design and visual arts, as well as curating exhibitions such as the annual Sight Unseen Offsite event.

The VDF x Sight Unseen collaboration presents projects by 51 international designers as an extension of this year’s virtual Offsite Online exhibition.

The post RISD students incorporate found objects and craft techniques into “non-traditional” collection appeared first on Dezeen.

You know the bright future is here when we see design concepts like MÜV (pronounced “move”) – a purely electric, self-balancing, hands-free assistive mobility vehicle concept that grants you true omnidirectional maneuverability. To simplify it, think of it as a hoverboard with a seat but you don’t have to worry about balancing it! MÜV may have started as inclusive design but it quickly adapted itself to fall under the universal umbrella even though it will still benefit the disabled demographic more as was it’s original intention.

It has been designed with the latest robotics self-balancing technologies to give the rider intuitive navigational control so they can ride with ease. MÜV is fitted with a spherical drive system that gives it its distinctive omnidirectional maneuverable abilities that lets the rider lean, twist or tilt in any direction while the vehicle gently follows. It is similar to what my ski instructor taught me – just move your body in the direction you want to go and the skis will follow.

“To evolve the way people move by spreading joy and ease of movement” ​​​​​​is what the designer set as his motto when working on the vehicle. The primary goals were improved safety, comfort, aesthetics & maneuverability. Additional details such as range, affordability, and overall user-friendliness were also important factors that had to be considered. It is charged wirelessly, unlike traditional competitor products, which makes it portable and convenient. This is what an inclusively designed mobility vehicle would look like if Tony Stark ever made one. And for you DC fans, this is the batmobile of electric mobility vehicles. Let’s take a ride down the design process for MÜV.

Designer: Neutron Her

Safety was the number one priority followed by comfort. It has footrests for when the user is cruising with adequate clearance around the user’s legs for emergency stops. It is fitted with multiple sensors and advanced control algorithms that collect the physical rotation/translatory intention data to make sure MÜV adapts to your moves for an effortless experience.

Understanding where this vehicle fits in the market, alongside the typical engineering systems inside these vehicles gives us a strong starting point to develop accurate, honest industrial design solutions; forms that can be realistically achieved while satisfying the goals.

The high-tech mobility vehicle comes with a modern chair that blends in with the rest of its body. Ergonomics were a big part of MÜV given that it is an assistive mobility vehicle. The CMF was picked to give the user a sense of its sturdy, robust, and reliable form.

It’s built using two major housing casings; both made of polyamide (nylon) reinforced with fiber-glass and each injection-molded in one single operation. The metallic painting on the convex form reflects its surroundings, adding a sense of slenderness. The parting line where black and titanium meet simply flows along the neck, making the body look slimmer.

A two-tone color scheme creates a minimalist, yet striking design. The front panel is full depth colored semi-matte obsidian black to convey a sense of utilitarian ruggedness yet remaining sporty and modern. Complemented by a sleek titanium painted finish back panel.

MÜV gives the freedom of movement to the elderly and disabled demographic who can’t drive, won’t have to depend on someone to push the wheelchair, and wouldn’t require the strain of walking using walkers/canes. This allows for more fluid and safe movement giving them a chance to live independently.

To reduce bulkiness, the interior dead space is minimized by organizing printed circuit boards, fans, filters, and motors tightly together without compromising any functionality.

It uses a wireless charging method by tilting its wireless charging pad located below the battery onto a wireless charging station. This surface also doubles as a stable resting pad during stops/short breaks. At this angle, the electronics enter a sleep mode to conserve power. When tilted back for use, the system powers up and begins automatically stabilizing at full power preparing for the rider to safely mount.

The MÜV’s battery level is indicated by 7 white LED along the front neck of the vehicle.

The lithium-ion battery pack is placed at the front for optimized cooling, proximity to the charging pad, lowered center of gravity, and convenience. It can be easily swapped for a full battery or kept attached and recharged on-board by tilting the wireless charging pad on an MÜV charging dock.

The center of gravity remains low, providing great stability while improving control. Ground clearance is sufficient for tight turns and obstacle avoidance during daily joy rides.