Dezeen Showroom: a wooden stool characterised by its triangular seat and distinctively split crossbar is among eight new products featured on Dezeen Showroom.
French designer Inga Sempé and Swedish furniture brand Fogia have released a three-legged stool that has a diverging curved crossbar.
Tripot comes in three heights and is available in black lacquered and natural ash finishes suitable for a range of interiors, from residential spaces to hospitality contexts.
Tripot was recently featured on Dezeen Showroom alongside a kitchen countertop extractor fan that doubles as storage and a collection of wooden dining and lounge chairs with designs that reference the way sunlight filters through trees.
Kaya is a range of chairs with precision-cut solid wood frames and deep cushioned seats, designed by British furniture brand Morgan.
Available in a range of sizes and heights, the Kaya collection includes dining and lounge chairs with frames made from a choice of beech, ash, walnut or oak wood.
In collaboration with designer Joris Peutz, Belgian flooring brand Modulyss released a range of carpet tiles named Artcore, which was informed by transitions in nature.
Made from recycled yarn, the Artcore collection comes in four pattern designs with gradient effects that can be mixed and matched.
Bathroom fixtures brand Varied Forms has released a collection of taps with customisable handles made up of half-cylindrical shapes available in stone, metal and different colour finishes.
The handles in the collection can be used in conjunction with Varied Form’s sink faucets and shower heads that come in a range of metallic finishes, including chrome, silver steel, soft black, warm brass and dark bronze.
Textile manufacturer Carnegie Fabrics has expanded its Biobased Xorel range of plant-based textiles by adding the Craft Collection, which includes metallic, floral and woven designs.
The Craft Collection of fabrics can be used for wall coverings, furniture upholstery and acoustic tiling.
Dezeen Showroom offers an affordable space for brands to launch new products and showcase their designers and projects to Dezeen’s huge global audience. For more details email showroom@dezeen.com.
Dezeen Showroom is an example of partnership content on Dezeen. Find out more about partnership content here.
Part of HowlGo’s ocean series (which also includes sea urchins, coral, oysters and more), this shrimp toy provides plenty of entertainment for your pooch. Made from cotton and polyester, the crustacean makes a rustling sound to pique dogs’ curiosity for extended play and to help relieve stress.
There is no shortage of productivity tools, systems, and apps to the point that they can be both overwhelming and even costly. That’s why many advocate going back to the basics of handwritten notes on paper or even sticky notes, but those carry the risk of being lost or forgotten. Smartphones can easily become their digital equivalent, at least until you run out of battery. These two systems don’t need to be mutually exclusive, especially when you’re at your desk and have a rather large space available to get your things together. This device concept does exactly that, combining the world of analog and digital together to produce something that lets you be fast and efficient while throwing in a bit of fun for good measure.
Paper can be simple, and apps can be quick, but not everyone needs all the commitment that these two different note-taking methods sometimes require. There are those that just need to jot down quick notes or even draw a diagram that can be discarded before the day is over. Note, which is the most generic name ever, is pretty much a small desk whiteboard that lets you do that with efficiency, but it has a few tricks up its sleeve that a bit of spice and fun to your work.
For one, the “whiteboard” twists or rather flips over, giving you twice the space to write your notes down. One side can have a dotted grid surface to help with diagrams, while the other can be plain, or they can have the same design on both sides. As with any vertical slate, you can also place sticky notes on it, in case scribbling notes down on paper is quicker for you. The notes you write on the board are, of course, temporary, and a simple cloth can erase the contents to make room for the next notes.
What makes Note unique is the addition of a multi-purpose vertical screen to its left side. This allows you to also have a view of the time, the calendar, and your appointments which are synced from your phone. This could be a more efficient way to stay on top of your schedule compared to writing it down by hand and looking at your notebook every now and then. The screen also provides other functions, like a timer, a world clock, or a music player. But now, it doesn’t let you watch videos, which would be counterproductive.
Note is admittedly not a revolutionary new device, but it does creatively combine multiple ideas into a coherent whole. It isn’t a solution that will fit all needs, but because it is focused on a particular use case, it can optimize for that instead of spreading itself thin and overwhelming people with features. It’s simple and gets the job done without getting in the way of you getting your job done as well.
Promotion: water regulatory body Ofwat has launched an international competition inviting creatives to submit proposals that intend to revolutionise current water and wastewater systems in England and Wales.
The Water Services Regulation Authority – commonly known as Ofwat – has launched the Water Discovery Challenge, a competition seeking solutions to common challenges within the water industry, from climate change and pollution prevention to increasing demand.
“The Water Discovery Challenge aims to accelerate the discovery, development and adoption of promising innovations by the water sector,” Ofwat said. “Design and urban planning teams could help revolutionise the future of the water sector through sharing ideas based on cross-sector insights.”
While the competition is open to all, Ofwat is especially keen to see those working in related fields such as urban and city planning, transport, energy, construction, agriculture and digital apply.
Participants are tasked with submitting a proposal that addresses a significant need or gap within the water sector as well as highlighting what impact it could have.
Previous winners of the Ofwat Innovation Fund include water-smart urban design projects. Credit: Eddington Sustainability Development
Entries to the Water Discovery Challenge should be able to showcase how their innovation will benefit customers, society and the environment in England and Wales, however, innovators can enter from anywhere in the world.
Prizes will be awarded to those submissions that provide a new alternative to current solutions in the water sector and those ideas that could be feasible in the real world.
Up to 10 winning entrants will be awarded £450,000 to turn their ideas into pilots while a further 20 teams will be awarded up to £50,000 to develop their ideas and benefit from mentoring from water companies.
Those who wish to take part must submit their entry online via the competition website by 5 April 2023.
Proposals should address a significant need within the water sector
The fund was originally set up to help the water sector better meet the evolving needs of customers, society and the environment and tackle water-related issues that range from preventing pollution to boosting flood and drought resilience.
Winning entrants will be awarded up to £450,000 to develop their ideas
“Our £200 million Innovation Fund has already supported projects that detect and fix leaks, capture carbon emissions from water processing plants to convert them into fuel, and remove fertilisers from waterways to be re-used in our food system,” said Ofwat senior director John Russell.
“Now, we’re broadening the opportunity to innovators in any industry that can make a difference to improving the water system for all of us,” Russell added.
Although the successful innovations should be applicable for use in England and Wales, Ofwat envisions that in the future, the idea could go on to be used in other countries too.
Dezeen Showroom: French designer Samy Rio has created a “nomadic lamp” for Petite Friture that users can carry around and hang using a multicoloured strap reminiscent of climbing rope.
The cordless Quasar lamp is made from durable anodized aluminium and a battery lasts up to 12 hours between charges.
Quasar is a portable lamp by Petite Friture
A five-metre-long woven rope attached to the top makes the lamp portable while a dimmer allows the light to be set to three different brightnesses and three different colour temperatures from warm to cool white.
The result is “a nomadic lamp with several light intensities”, available in five colours inclusing emerald and olive green.
The design is available in five colours
The design was named after Quasars – extremely bright, distant astronomical objects visible to radio telescopes.
“A Quasar is a star-like body that is considered to be the brightest of all,” Petite Friture said. “Its circular appearance and its light properties inspired Samy Rio and Petite Friture as they worked on their first wireless lamp.”
Dezeen Showroom offers an affordable space for brands to launch new products and showcase their designers and projects to Dezeen’s huge global audience. For more details email showroom@dezeen.com.
Dezeen Showroom is an example of partnership content on Dezeen. Find out more about partnership content here.
The Apple Watch is probably one of the most popular smartwatches globally, and it’s not much of a shocker when you consider the number of people you see walking or jogging on the street with their Apple Watch wrapped around their wrists. Apple is constantly innovating on the go, and its Apple Watch Ultra is the latest addition to its arsenal of techy goodies. And, we’ve curated a collection of innovative and nifty accessories to perfectly complement your Apple Watch Ultra, and its predecessors as well. From the Elago W3 Stand that will teleport users onto a nostalgic journey of time and functionality, to the smallest Apple Watch fast charger – these innovative accessories are a must-have for Apple Watch fanatics!
1. Serafino Luxury’s Apple Watch Cases
Designed by Serafino Luxury, this Apple Watch case transforms your favorite Apple Watch into a true watch wrapped in steel, amped with a beautifully-sculpted body, and a steel or leather strap. It changes your techy Apple Watch into an Haute Horlogerie. It is available in various styles – metallic and anodized black, blue, and gold finishes. You are even provided with a complimentary strap to match your case, depending on the type of style you choose for yourself!
2. The RSTR Case
Designed by the Golden Concept, the RSTR Case features a transparent crystalline design that is made to be shown off. It transforms your Apple Watch Ultra into a shimmering jewel that you can wear on your wrist and boast. It is available in four stunning colors, and has been crafted using 50 meticulously engineered parts. The home and action buttons are made from stainless steel and are designed to be slightly larger, making them more accessible through the otherwise chunky case.
3. The PZOZ Converter Case
The PZOZ Converter Case is really an ingenious product. You can snap the nifty product right onto your Apple Watch, and it fools people into thinking you actually own an Apple Watch Ultra. The body has been built using polycarbonate, and not titanium. The watch strap remains unchanged, and that Action Button on the side is clearly just a dummy button, but it does manage to look incredibly real!
4. Elago W3 Stand
Designed by Elago, the W3 stand is designed to wirelessly charge your Apple Watch under the guise of a classic Macintosh. Elago transformed and revamped the design to hold the Apple Watch’s latest version. It is designed to be placed on your nightstand and consecutively charges the Apple Watch Ultra that has been docked into it. It features a Nightstand Mode which allows it to function as an alarm clock, and display the time and messages.
5. The Anker 3-in-1 Cube
The Anker 3-in-1 Cube has MagSafe, allowing it to hold three devices all at once. Don’t be fooled by its simple appearance, because it’s been amped with a ton of functionality. The charging section for your Apple devices can be accessed by lifting the lid like a little treasure box, except that the opening is facing in the direction opposite you. This ensures that your phone can be tilted to face you. It’s trivial to set any of the three charging spots up and still fold the box down in a flash, making it ideal for people who need to pack up and go at a moment’s notice.
6. The Zens 4-in-1 Modular Wireless Charger
Designed to provide you with an organized desk, the Zens 4-in-1 Modular Wireless Charger enables you to charge all your precious Apple Devices in one go, and in the exact same locations. It helps you maintain a neat and tidy desk or nightstand. The charger does come with a heavy price tag of $180, but despite that, it still functions as a convenient solution for quick and efficient charging for your Apple – for all your Apple devices!
7. The Maco Go 2
Say hello to the smallest Apple Watch fast charger! The Maco Go 2 is the kind of charger that you’ll carry everywhere with you. It eliminates the need for a charging cable completely. It features a simple square shape with the USB-C plug subtly poking out of a corner, rather than being placed in the middle. This allows you to plug your charger anywhere and ensures that it won’t have to fight for space with the other peripherals attached to your laptop’s USB-C ports.
8. The ActionBand
Twelve South has created the ActionBand, a sweatband designed to hold your Apple Watch. It can be difficult to maintain an eye on our workout progress while actually working out, so Twelve South developed this smart solution that allows you to work out with your Apple Watch. It features a carved-out frame to accommodate your Apple Watch so that you can sweat all day without losing your grip. Sold in pairs, Twelve South sends each customer one ActionBand with a secure Apple Watch frame and one normal sweatband to wrap around your watch-free wrist.
9. The Apple Magic Charger
Looking somewhat like the iPhone Lightning Dock, the Apple Magic Charger is based on a metal stand, which features a metallic puck integrated within its square rim. The device is likely made of anodized aluminum while the round charging area within is rubberized. Interestingly the aluminum stand allows the charger to be pushed into a vertical position to charge the connected iPhone. Reportedly, and as suggested by the available images, the Magic Charger was designed to keep the connected iPhone upright and in a horizontal position; perhaps this limitation of use could have been a reason the magic was never done outside of the Apple production lines!
10. The SANDMARC Titanium Edition Apple Watch Ultra Band
The SANDMARC Titanium Edition Apple Watch Ultra Band has been crafted from lightweight and durable titanium and is designed to perfectly complement your Apple Watch Ultra. Equipped with a glass coating, which makes your smartwatch scratch-resistant, the band has been designed for the Apple Watch Ultra. It provides protection during your outdoor adventures. It works perfectly for both formal events, and on-the-go adventures!
Pritzker Architecture Prize-winning architect Shigeru Ban has provided his Paper Partition System, made from cardboard tubes and fabric, to evacuation centres housing victims of the Turkey-Syria earthquake.
The Paper Partition System (PPS) is constructed using cardboard tubes, which function as a structure that holds up textile partitions.
Shigeru Ban has provided earthquake refugees with modular shelters
Ban provided the shelters, which take three people just five minutes to build, to evacuation centres “in response to the Turkey-Syria earthquake”.
The Paper Partition System is made from cardboard and fabric
The tubes used for the PPS shelters are longer versions of those used to roll up and store fabric or paper and come in two diameters – one for the posts and one for the beams.
Paper or fabrics was draped over the structure and fastened with a safety pin to create shelters that resemble shared hospital wards. They measure two by two metres or 2.3 by 2.3 metres depending on the size of beds they contain.
Today, the studio also announced that it is also working on a number of other solutions to help the Ukrainian refugees, including plans to produce Styrofoam Housing Systems (SHS), a panel-type housing system.
The SHS houses will be made from lightweight panels made from Fiber Reinforced Plastic (FRP) wrapped around Styrofoam, an extruded polystyrene foam insulation material.
The panels will be made by Ukrainian refugees at a local factory to also create employment opportunities.
Ban’s studio worked with Wroclaw Univesity of Technology to create an SHS prototype in September 2022 and is currently conducting structural tests on the panels to ensure they are safe.
The finished partitions resemble hospital wards
The studio is also working with Solidarity Fund PL in Poland and Ordinary People in Kharkiv, Ukraine, to distribute Japanese wood stoves to places affected by large-scale power outages.
So far, 190 stoves have been shipped to Kharkiv and Ivano-Frankivsk.
The shelters were previously used in Ukraine among other places
Ban designed PPS in 2011 and it has previously been used to house victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake (2011), Kumamoto Earthquake (2016), Hokkaido Earthquake (2018), and torrential rain in southern Kyushu (2020).
The system was also used to create Covid-19 vaccination booths during the coronavirus pandemic.
A set of giant wooden tables and chairs shelter the glass buildings of Sweets Bank, the headquarters of sweet company Shunkado in Hamamatsu City, Japan, designed by Nikken Sekkei.
Described by the practice as a “social media-friendly” building, the oversized furniture, which is thirteen times the regular scale, is modelled on furniture from Shunkado’s cafe.
The headquarters was designed by Nikken Sekkei
“The site’s outsized, but carefully designed tables and chairs are intended as an expression of the Shunkado corporate slogan: ‘we want people to spend family time at the table with sweets’,” explained Nikken Sekkei.
“In the modern age of social media, in which a single photo can instantly capture hearts and minds, the image of the building itself becomes the medium, attracts people to regional cities, and creates memorable experiences for posting to the world.”
The building is enveloped in tables and chairs that are thirteen times bigger than normal
A mixed-use facility, the building combines offices for Shunkado with a restaurant and cafe, as well as a branch of local bank Hamamatsu Iwata Shinkin, the combination of which gave the project its name: Sweets Bank.
“The building is composed of two major elements: furniture as shelter from the rain and sun, and glass boxes that ensure comfort,” explained the practice.
“The outsized table and chairs were designed to closely represent actual furniture, while overcoming challenges related to structure, finish, drainage and mechanical systems, creating a reality that enhances the city and attracts people,” it continued.
The building contains offices, a restaurant, a cafe and a bank
The project is split into a pair of two-storey glass blocks. A smaller block to the south contains offices for the bank, while the larger block to the north houses a cafe and shop on the ground floor and offices for Shunkado above.
At the entrance to both blocks, the oversized tables and chairs create sheltered terraces, dotted with sculptures including an oversized gift bag, sake bottle, stool and a red pig.
The terrace appears to peel upwards at the site’s southwestern corner, creating a vertical surface on which the name of the project is displayed in metal lettering.
Inside the cafe, giant cups and teapots have been used to create tables and sculptures, continuing the playful character of the exterior.
The interior is contained within glass volumes
The offices themselves are more minimal and understated, with simple interiors framing views of the surrounding furniture through the large windows.
“The glass boxes were designed abstractly and simply detailed to serve as a furniture backdrop,” said the practice.
The interior includes large teapots and teacups. Photo is by Taichi Misonoo
On the roof, the tables are finished with imitation table settings, with mechanical services concealed by patterned covers designed to look like gift boxes.
The Japanese automaker’s electrification story begins with an unexpected blend of classic qualities and a totally new driving experience.
Toyota Motor Corporation’s introduction of the Lexus brand in 1989 shook the automotive landscape, marking the first time a mass-market Japanese manufacturer attempted to move into the high-end luxury segment outside of its national borders. Now 30+ years later, Lexus has debuted what might be its most important vehicle since the original LS 400, which commanded international attention: the all electric RZ 450e. Far more reflective of the modern world’s obsession with crossover SUVs than the brand’s inaugural low-slung sedan flagship, it brings Lexus into the electrified era with gusto and refinement.
“There is no leather or wood in the RZ’s interior,” Katelyn Salzman, the RZ’s US product marketing manager, says at our test drive in California. It’s just one surprising fact about the electric crossover (on sale now at Lexus retailers, with prices beginning at $59,950) which is meant to attract buyers from both inside and outside of the brand.
Lexus’s signature wood and leather steering wheels, Kiriko glass door trim and other intricate panel-work are nowhere to be found. The interior isn’t devoid of the brand’s flair for Japanese craftsmanship, but it’s done in a brand new, very welcome way. Most surfaces provide pleasant tactility, from the knurled aluminum shift dial to the buttery steering wheel upholstery. With choices of synthetic NuLuxe leather or Ultrasuede® depending on trim level, RZ owners can pick from a simplified yet future-forward palette of two-tone interior colors: smoky Dapple Gray, black and caramel-tan Palomino or creamy and aqua-blue Thunderstorm and Macadamia.
In Luxury trim level models, the center console trim is a sustainable “tsuyasumi” film material that’s engraved with a wood-like pattern. In place of multifaceted trim pieces on the doors, ambient lighting with varying designs is projected onto a clean swath of upholstery and the overall sensation is zen-like, giving the interior a sense of occasion as day transitions to night. Radiant heating from the underside of the steering column and passenger dashboard areas provides warmth in a more luxurious—and energy-efficient—manner.
Next to the brand’s latest-generation RX crossover, the RZ’s exterior represents something different. It has an all-new version of the recognizable Lexus grille that the company dubs the “spindle body,” more of a uniform part of the car’s frame since grilles aren’t needed for airflow in electric vehicles—but toward the rear, its crossover shape creases sharply upward to form four-door coupe style lines met by a raked-back roof. On top of the rear pillars rest two tailfin-looking spearheads, which Lexus refers to as “vortex generators,” which have a purpose beyond aesthetics: through clever aerodynamics, they help the vehicle’s range by reducing drag and negate the need for a rear windshield wiper in rainy conditions because the air naturally blows downward. It’s rounded out by a continuous, high-riding rear tail light with LEXUS spelled out in the middle. An optional two-tone paint job makes it even more evident.
On the road, the two motors together produce a little over 300 horsepower, with the instant torque delivered through all-wheel-drive it feels more agile and responsive than most Lexus products before it. The brand has talked up its Lexus Driving Signature quite a bit, an overall re-dedication to good driving dynamics, and it shows here. The cabin is open and airy yet silent, and the brand’s reputation for build quality shines through after just a few minutes of driving. Absent are the synthesized motor sounds that other brands are betting on, just a barely audible whir of the electric motors under throttle.
The driving experience is also where one of the RZ’s most unique features debuts. Although it’s not available at launch, a second steering interface will be optional on the RZ in the United States. It’s a steer-by-wire system paired with a yoke-style steering wheel. Yokes have been thrust into the mainstream by Tesla, but there’s a key difference here—the yokes in the Model S and X do similar 2.5-turn lock-to-lock motions as conventional steering wheels, but the RZ’s yoke only requires half a turn to generate the full range of motion left or right; no hand-over-hand method needed here.
“The steer-by-wire set-up was under study in our Advanced Research department as long as seven or eight years ago,” explains Tatsuya Ishigaki, the RZ’s assistant chief engineer. “We chose this vehicle to pair it with because of the obvious synergies with its position of innovation… and the yoke shape actually came after the system itself because of its lack of need for hand-over-hand movement.” After driving it, that rings true.
The RZ 450e’s lack of competitive range (between 190 and 220 miles or so per charge, depending on wheel choice) is made up for by the fact that it’s both really good at being a Lexus and a truly different type of Lexus. It’s quiet, smooth and well made, but it’s also agile and involves the driver. It has all the infotainment and safety tech modern buyers want; it iterates on the brand’s existing design language in a unique manner, and comes with the promise of build quality that nascent independent EV makers can’t really yet claim. Its thoroughly more modern interior, active driving feel and unique details combine to deliver a surprisingly different experience than any of its brand stablemates.
Plenty of people love leather, from designers to fashionistas to connoisseurs and everyone in between. Leather looks great and also feels great in your hand or on your skin, and unlike most materials, it ages gracefully. In fact, the way leather ages is almost as unique as the person using it, developing different patina patterns depending on how it has been used, which can vary from person to person. As beautiful and biodegradable as it might be, its source and production are highly controversial. Synthetic leathers, on the other hand, just don’t cut it in terms of quality and sustainability. There are new kinds of more sustainable and more ethically-sourced leather being developed, but while we wait for them to become more commonplace, the least we can do is to make sure that not even a scrap of leather is wasted, which is exactly what these handsome leather wallets are doing.
While leather itself is more sustainable than materials that use synthetic fibers or chemicals, its creation is, unfortunately, a questionable process. Of course, it continues to be the material of choice for many premium products, many of which produce plenty of waste from scraps and cutoffs that are simply thrown out. While reusing these pieces won’t exactly eradicate the leather problem completely, it does mean that there could be less need for fresh leather every time a new product is made.
That’s the kind of smart reuse that Tanner Goods is proposing with its newest addition to its leather wallet collection. The wallets are made from 100% recycled leather that was ground from the cutoffs of their own leather gloves. These are then bound with natural latex, which means that the process and the materials are at least more sustainable than manufacturing leather wallets from scratch.
The results are wallets that are nearly identical to the non-recycled versions, except perhaps in the shades of brown that might have been a design choice to visually differentiate the two groups. In terms of the tactile qualities, Tanner Goods says that the wallets match those of the leather gloves they were sourced from, which might mean they’re also distinct from your conventional leather wallet. The “fresh” leather, for example, looks smoother and shinier, while the recycled leather has a more textured surface and less gloss. It’s not a perfect match, but it also gives the wallets their own distinct personalities.
It’s just a small drop in the sea that is the leather industry, and this strategy might not apply to larger leather products. A more substantial and long-term solution would be to produce more sustainable and ethical kinds of leather, such as those made from plants. Those still have kinks that need to be ironed out, but in the meantime, small efforts like this could still go a long way in making recycled leather more known and accepted, especially when it looks and feels like new leather anyway.
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