For those seeking less plastic in their luggage: This carry-on, from Denmark-based sustainable travel goods brand Kin, features a flax-based hard shell. Designed by veteran industrial designer Boris Berlin, the suitcase is water- (and heat-) resistant, despite its fabric-like looks.
The interior is also lined with a flax-based material, in this case linen.
One thing that might give you pause is the word “most” in the description:
“The Kin Carry-on is a hardcase suitcase designed to fit into the overhead bin of most major airlines and is also well-suited for train and car trips. The suitcase is made out of a sustainable natural fiber shell.”
“Its closure is made with a highly durable zipper with a leather trim and it features 360 degree spinner wheels made in Japan.”
“It is the first and most sustainable luggage available in an industry that continues to use environmentally harmful plastics.”
It also comes in a darker tone:
Here’s Berlin himself describing the project and materials choice:
The more-attractive (to my eye) beige model is currently sold out, though the darker one is in stock. Both run $452.
Promotion: for its first solo show, Dutch material brand SolidNature is hosting an immersive exhibition at Milan design week, created by OMA architects Ellen Van Loon and Giulio Margheri.
Named Beyond The Surface, the installation includes a series of rooms clad and decorated with stone materials, which aim to represent the process of realising dreams.
Taking place from 17 to 23 April in the Brera Design District, Beyond The Surface marks the second time SolidNature has exhibited during Milan design week and the first time the brand has had a solo exhibition.
The installation showcases different processes of stone. Image by visualisation studio..,Staat. Above image: Beyond the Surface. Photo by Arthur Wong, courtesy OMA
Loon and Margheri designed the installation as an “immersive dreamscape”, featuring formations of quarried stone that are arranged to inspire visitors to “dream and push the limits of creativity”.
“This year’s exhibition is about nature’s power; it gives an impression of the processes of compression and solidification that led to the formation of natural stone as we know it today,” said Van Loon.
Time was a central narrative when creating the installation, according to CEO of SolidNature, David Mahyari. Parallels were drawn between the time it takes to form stone and the time it takes for people to realise their dreams.
The installation also includes a sculptural stone table and bar by Sabine Marcelis
“We live in a fast-consuming world that demands instant gratification, but when it comes to achieving our goals and dreams, this takes time – it is a matter of discipline, patience, lots of failures and lessons,” said Mahyari.
“The same can be said about working with stone,” he continued. “It takes thousands of years to create a piece of stone, where sand, trees, mud and other matter go through processes like pressure or even earthquakes to eventually become an outstanding piece of art.”
Beyond The Surface was designed by SolidNature and OMA architects. Photo by Arthur Wong, courtesy of OMA.
The installation includes seven rooms that outline the progression of stone from its geological earth formation to the high-tech finishing techniques and machinery used today.
The experience starts at a large staircase that leads visitors to the underground level. At the bottom of the staircase is a corridor lined with slabs of translucent onyx, which intend to symbolise the compression stone and “the narrowed focus of our day-to-day lives”.
The corridor is followed by a room filled with cubic monoliths made from marble, granite, onyx and travertine suspended from the ceiling.
The exhibition takes place during Milan design week. Image by …,Staat
A room covered from floor to ceiling in pink onyx showcases the material in different finishing stages, including untreated stone, scored, hammered and polished finishes.
Named the revelation room, the space was designed to represent the inception of dreams and encourage visitors to contemplate the possibilities of their imagination.
The exhibition includes a narrow corridor lined with onyx. Image by …,Staat
Beyond two pivoting onyx walls is a room enveloped in green marble with vignettes lining the walls, intending to represent dreams becoming reality.
The final point of Beyond The Surface is the garden, which is decorated with a sculptural stone table and bar by Sabine Marcelis, a tribune and stage designed by Italian/Dutch duo Studio Ossidiana and functional sculptures by Iranian artist Bita Fayaazi.
Iranian artist Bita Fayaazi has created a number of sculptures made from stone
“The installation gives a taste of different potential treatments, applications and approaches of designing with natural stone,” said Margheri.
To learn more about the installation, visit SolidNature’s website.
The images are by Arthur Wong unless stated.
Beyond The Space takes place from 17 to 23 March 2023 at Spazio Cernaia, Via Cernaia 1, 20121 Milano, Italy.See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.
Partnership content
This article was written by Dezeen for SolidNature as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.
I’m not sure what to call BMW’s current design approach: Statement-based automotive design? Their new XM, a plug-in hybrid SUV, seems like a collection of discrete design statements that look interesting individually–but do not relate to one another to create a cohesive vehicle design.
It’s as if one designer did the grille, another the taillights, yet another the door handle, etc., then they all connected the elements in a game of Exquisite Corpse, where no one could see what the other person was drawing.
The overall gesture of the vehicle, too, seems oddly disconnected; in the shot below it looks like these are the front half and rear half of two different vehicles.
We should talk for a moment about market placement: The XM is not aimed at soccer parents. It’s the company’s flagship SUV and an insanely powerful M-series to boot, pairing a twin-turbo V8 with an electric motor, providing 644hp and 590 lb-ft of torque. And it starts at $160,000. An even more powerful and exclusive version, the XM Label Red (shown below), was announced this month, and that one starts at $185,000.
In other words, the price tags say the person who will buy this car can pretty much have any car they want. What is it about this disjointed design that speaks to them? Apparently the XM’s target market is “people who don’t care about the establishment,” according to BMW design chief Domagoj Dukec, in an interview with Sharp. “That doesn’t mean they don’t care. They have maybe even higher values, but they also have tattoos…. It’s not about tradition. These people, they are looking for something different.”
“Some people are convinced that if you just make something beautiful, everybody is going to love it, but that’s not how it works,” Dukec says. Good design, he explains, must tell a story. “It’s much deeper than a superficial look. Other cars, which just take a superficial approach, will work in the beginning but will fade, you will forget it,” he says.
In the same interview, Dukec revealed this interesting tidbit:
“We have someone on my team who is a design psychologist, to really understand what drives people. What is a customer’s background, and what will make him think, ‘This is what I need.'”
I am dying to know what the psychologist’s report said!
Something else that might explain why the design seems so strange to me, is that I’m an American of a certain age, who grew up in an era when European design sensibilities dominated the luxury automotive market. But the XM was not designed for that era nor the European market. “The key sales markets [for the XM] will be the USA, China and the Middle East,” BMW writes in the XM press release.
The wording is slightly altered for the XM Label Red’s press release: “China is one of the most important sales regions for the BMW XM Label Red, alongside the USA and the Middle East.” I think if I’m going to stay in this game, I’m going to have to learn some new design languages.
Turkish company Edelkrone makes innovative camera motion control systems: Sliders, dollies, jibs, camera stands, et cetera.
Depending on what you’re looking for, an Edelkrone setup can run into the hundreds or thousands of dollars, as they’re aimed at professionals with professional budgets. But this little $29 gizmo of theirs also caught my eye:
That’s their aluminum PhoneClip. It will attach any phone, with or without a case, to any tripod via the 1/4″ mounting port. Rubber pads on the inside prevent it from marring your phone.
The collection by Kristiina Lassus Rugs features a number of different styles, all with natural colours and combinations of organic textures created using traditional Nepalese handicraft techniques.
The rug collection by Kristiina Lassus Rugs features traditional Nepalese handicraft techniques
A Finnish-born designer now based in Italy, Lassus says she has travelled extensively through India and Nepal since 2004, slowly getting to know their rug-making traditions and eventually beginning to manufacture there, always guided by principles of ethical and ecological sustainability.
Certified by fair trade organisation Label STEP, the current collection is made using Tibetan wool, linen, silk, bamboo silk and hemp, often with textures juxtaposed to create a memorable effect.
The designer combines natural colours and textures
“Every small step in the production stage leads to a precious outcome rich in nuances, steeped in history and customs handed down from generation to generation,” said Lassus. “Every piece is unique and original.”
Lassus will present the rugs under the theme of “responsible luxury” during Milan design week from 18 to 22 April, at the Kristiina Lassus Studio Showroom, Via Soperga 18.
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.
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Dezeen Showroom: German sanitaryware brand Grohe has listed products on Dezeen Showroom from its Atrio Private Collection, characterised by extensive customisation options.
The Atrio Private Collection – a range which is tied to Grohe’s high-end sub-brand Grohe Spa – contains a myriad of tapware, including a floor-mounted mixer tap.
Handles can be finished with marble and other types of stone
The tap’s swan-like neck cranes over the edge of bath tubs while being separately installed into the floor beside them, instead of attached to the rim.
The long stem can be affixed with a holder for a shower wand and can be finished in a number of metallic hues and custom valve head add-ons, like the rest of the collection.
Rainforest shower heads are included in the collection
The showers in the collection include both wall mounted, fixed rainforest heads as well as slimline shower wands that come with flexible tubes to facilitate movement.
They can be used both together and in isolation depending on the needs of the user, and come in metallic shades from standard finishes like silver and gold to less conventional shades, including two rose gold tones.
The Three Hole Basin Mixer is designed to be mounted to walls
The collection’s Three Hole Basin Mixer is similarly customisable, with handles available in either lever or dial formats that can be specified with stone inlays for added detail.
Keeping the spout and controls attached to the wall allows for more space on bathroom surfaces and streamlines the appearance of the sink area.
The metallic finish options include the gold-coloured Cool Sunrise
The thermostatic shower mixer has a slim, simplistic profile that integrates seamlessly into bathroom schemes.
Circular elements seen throughout the collection are distilled into this control panel, which features two cylindrical dials set into a round baseplate.
Basin mixer is freestanding
Another type of tap in the range, the basin mixer attaches to counter tops behind the sink, providing a freestanding focal point to the sink area.
It comes in single and double-lever variations that can be affixed with dials or longer handles, both of which can be inlayed with a range of materials.
It comes in colourways including gold, rose gold and silver
Grohe is a German bathroom company that designs and manufactures state-of-the-art sanitaryware and plumbing fixtures.
The brand was founded in 1936 and is headquartered in Düsseldorf, Germany.
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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.
This modern ryokan-style hotel encourages comfort and serenity
Capturing the feeling of stepping into the lobby of Azumi Setoda, a modern ryokan-style hotel on Ikuchi (known as “lemon island”), can feel elusive. Open the front door and a wall with a calming wash of indigo comes into view. After being seated by the reception desk, small cups of freshly squeezed orange juice are served, a first taste of the sensorial experiences to come. In a country known for omotenashi (gracious hospitality), the greeting at Azumi Setoda transports guests into an environment that feels both comfortably relaxing and full of energy.
Courtesy of Azumi Setoda
In the Setouchi region, along Japan’s largest inland sea, Azumi Setoda was dreamed up by hotelier Adrian Zecha (who also founded Aman Resorts). The area has become a bucket-list destination for many people—including cyclists who seek out the Shimanami Kaido route and its views of the Seto Inland Sea. With an optimal waterfront location, Azumi inhabits a 140-year-old estate originally built by artisans from Kyoto for the Horichi family, who were in the salt trade. To update the building, Zecha worked with Kyoto-based Shiro Miura, an architect trained in the sukiya style, who brought a focus on rustic simplicity existing in harmony with its surroundings. The restoration and expansion—with elements in wood, stone, granite, glass and soil—evoke a sense of calm and balance.
by Julie Wolfson
Two interior gardens, surrounded by contemporary kakine-fence-style walls, set the tone for the connection between nature and architecture. The plantings were chosen to exist harmoniously in the space as well as the damp climate. A garden with four trees representing the changing seasons was planted with the goal that at least one will be especially verdant and blooming at various times throughout the year. The other central garden surrounds a teahouse structure that can be reserved for private meals, meetings and yoga classes.
Courtesy of Azumi Setoda
Guest rooms, minimalist in décor, inspire relaxation. The large, low-set beds are dressed with carefully tucked white sheets. Bedding for the two-story Niwa-suzumi suites can also be added for the tatami rooms. Lounging sofas at the foot of the bed offer a comfortable place to recline and act as a contemporary interpretation of the engawa wooden platform area in a traditional ryokan. Windows are covered with moveable yukimi shoji screens. Each style of suite prioritizes proximity to the natural environment—and private gardens surround dreamy bathrooms with hinoki cypress bathtubs.
Some guests relax in this oasis all day while others enjoy the many recreational activities in the area—from cycling along the waterfront and connecting bridges, to boating, fishing and stand-up paddle boarding. A short walk from Azumi, the Kojyo-ji Temple offers Zen meditation classes; visitors can also sign up for a coffee brewing workshop at Soil, a café in the neighborhood. Guests are invited to experience the Yubune public bath directly across from the Azumi, as well. Miura designed this modern bathhouse for the hotel—and the greater community. Inside, vibrant tile murals by Mai Miyake depict scenery and ocean life in the region.
Courtesy of Azumi Setoda
At night the warm and serene dining room sets the stage for a menu of vegetables, locally caught fish and a variety of citrus grown nearby. Most ingredients have been sourced within a 30-mile radius. Though the presentations are modern and inventive, they also reflect the kaiseki dining principal of shun, which highlights seasonal ingredients at the peak of their flavor. Each plate is served with an explanation of components presented with hushed tones to maintain an intoxicating flow of the evening.
For their culinary offerings, chef Akita often visits the local farms, and pairs vegetables with local fish, meat and citrus. He accents a cauliflower and calamari dish with anseikan (pummelo). Dark greens are carefully propped up along sea bream and yuzu. Potatoes and kumquat complement a rich Taosha beef course. In the morning, a leafy green salad with tangy dressing and juicy citrus slices are served with a breakfast set of miso soup, fish, a simmered chicken dish, rice and pickles.
Comfort is also encouraged, including a reminder that pants, white T-shirts and Haori jackets can be provided while staying at Azumi. Altogether, the environment feels like visiting a friend with an elegant home—and the experience transports guests between traditional rituals of Japanese culture to a feeling that the future of hospitality lives in an environment where dreams take on the fragrant scent of lemons and sunsets glow pink across inland seas.
After hitting the right notes with its Instinct Crossover – an undeniable amalgamation of analog watch and smartwatch features – Garmin has tinkered with the solar panels on the Instinct 2X Solar to provide it with unlimited battery life in smartwatch mode.
With a boost of nearly 50 percent in energy production using the sun, the Garmin Instinct 2X Solar is designed for enthusiasts who prefer to spend time in the great outdoors. Since Garmin takes military and law enforcement professionals as serious clients, it has brought the extra charging capability for their liking in a Tactical Edition of the Instinct 2X Solar.
Garmin has introduced two – Instinct 2X Solar and Instinct 2X Solar Tactical Edition – models. Both are priced at a difference of $50: the standard option costs $450, while the Tactical Edition retails for $500.
The new edition Instinct 2X Solar comes in a relatively large, 50mm polymer case which is designed with military-grade shock, water, and thermal resistance. With U.S. military 810 standards certified protection and 100 meters of water resistance, the smartwatch is packed with the usual activity, fitness, and health tracking features.
Designed for military ops, the Instinct 2X Solar Tactical Edition does a little more: It features night vision compatibility and has Garmin’s Jumpmaster mode for calculating high-altitude points during skydiving or parachute jumps. It also has a Stealth Mode integrated, which disables connectivity and leaves the watch only showing GPS data that is not saved on the watch.
In addition to sleep, blood oxygen, and heart rate monitoring, the smartwatch comes with routine tracking features for cycling, swimming, running and other such fitness activities. Interestingly, the Instinct 2X Solar models are added with a new feature for tracking the wearer’s performance during obstacle course events. You can manually record the splits in the first loop, and then the watch will do it automatically as you focus solely on the activity.
Garmin has improved the GPS connectivity on the Instinct 2X Solar (as expected in a model revision). The watch supports multi-band GNSS for more precise accuracy and also gets the signature Tracback feature to guide you back to the starting point in the wilderness.
An exquisite highlight of the new Instinct 2X Solar models is the integration of a LED flashlight, which is the first for any of Garmin’s smartwatches. Located on the top of the watch, the flashlight boasts adjustable brightness levels and a choice between red or white light. For the street smart, the smartwatch comes in handy during on-the-fly payments over Garmin Pay and Garmin app connectivity for enhanced capability.
Flat-packed furniture and products have become popular these days because of their simplicity and their economy of space. If needed, you can easily disassemble some of these products and move them to another location without taking up too much space in transport. Of course, you won’t be moving a table or chair around that much, but smaller items are free game. Some furniture might even be designed to be portable from the get-go, easily folding or collapsing when it’s time to pack up and go. At first glance, this set of minimalist dish racks seems to be made exactly for that purpose, but its choice of material might make one wonder if it was really designed to hold wet tableware in the first place.
Dish racks are designed not just for holding plates, utensils, or drinkware, though there might be a few that are indeed made for that purpose only. In most cases, however, they’re also meant to help dry this tableware by letting water drip off them. This is the reason why most drying dish racks are made from stainless steel, coated metal, or even plastic, materials that don’t get easily ruined by water or moisture.
The Aurea collection of dryers and racks, however, is noted to be made from “stratify wood,” which might be a translation error for layered wood veneers. Whatever the correct translation might be, the choice of wood remains an odd one. Even with some coating, the wooden surface would still stain and be damaged over time, especially when repeatedly exposed to liquid.
It’s a shame, though, since the Aurea racks are quite visually and mechanically interesting. At first glance, they almost look like cardboard cutouts, except they’re made of wood, of course. That wouldn’t be far from the truth, though, as the pieces do seem to have been cut out in such a fashion to provide insets and gaps for putting plates in, holes for wine bottles, and protrusions for cups. There is also a variety of color options offered, including ones that try to emulate natural wood grains.
The racks also assemble like those wooden model toys, and their construction looks simple enough to assemble and disassemble repeatedly. This makes them ideal for use in outdoor trips or camping, except for the fact that they might not be able to weather the wear and tear of such use cases, not to mention constantly getting wet from holding wet plates and cutlery.
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