Luna outdoor furniture by Ramón Esteve for Vondom

Luna outdoor furniture by Ramón Esteve for Vondom

Dezeen Showroom: Spanish brand Vondom has launched a collection of outdoor furniture pieces called Luna, designed by architect Ramón Esteve with chunky, curving forms.

Luna comprises a sofa, armchair, coffee table and a daybed, united by their exaggerated, rounded forms that Esteve has crafted from a mix of plastic and fibreglass.

Set of Luna outdoor furniture by Ramón Esteve for Vondom
Vondom has launched the Luna collection by Ramón Esteve

According to Vondom, Esteve’s design takes visual cues from the aesthetic of iconic designers such as Verner Panton and Joe Colombo.

Meanwhile, the choice of materials was the result of striving to create forms “that are both functional and aesthetically stunning”, the brand said.

Luna outdoor chair by Ramón Esteve for Vondom
The pieces have exaggerated, rounded forms

“With soft lines and organic curves, the Luna collection evokes serenity and harmony, while its robust structure ensures durability and strength in any environment,” said Vondom.

“These elements combine to offer a unique and elegant experience that elevates any space to new heights of sophistication and beauty.”


Product details:

Product: Luna
Designer: Ramón Esteve
Brand: Vondom
Contact: marketing@vondom.com

Material: Polyethylene, high-density polyurethane foam and synthetic fibre

Dezeen Showroom

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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The post Luna outdoor furniture by Ramón Esteve for Vondom appeared first on Dezeen.

Delia basin by Acquabella

Delia basin by Acquabella

Dezeen Showroom: a semi-totem design, a pleated relief pattern and a wide choice of colours meet in the Delia Zero washbasin by Spanish bathroom brand Acquabella.

The Delia sink features a deep basin with a wave-like relief on the lower half of its outer structure, creating a contemporary statement in bathroom design schemes.

Delia basin by Acquabella
The Delia basin is a semi-totem with a pleated feature along its lower half

Acquabella describes the relief as adding movement “without weighing down the shape” and says the smooth finish created by its Zero texture makes it pleasant to touch.

The Delia basin is available in more than 2,000 colours and a choice of three styles: either wall-mounted, countertop or a freestanding design, which has slender legs and a low shelf for storing towels and other bathroom products.

Delia basin by Acquabella
It is also available in a wall-mounted design

Both the shelf and basin are made of Akron, Acquabella’s signature high-performance material, which is made of polyurethane with silica-free mineral fillers, and promises enhanced hygienic properties and resistance to impact.

“Delia is the perfect choice for those who prefer a contemporary and trendy bathroom ambience,” said Acquabella.


Product details:

Product: Delia
Brand: Acquabella
Contact: comunicaciones@construplas.com

Dezeen Showroom

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 post Delia basin by Acquabella appeared first on Dezeen.

Demand for "evolving aesthetic" behind Areen Group's Sonet brand

London restaurant interior by Sonet

Promotion: design studio Areen has launched a brand called Sonet, which will provide interiors and product design among other design-led services.

Sonet said it would be a lifestyle brand with an emphasis on “emotive experiences, urbanity and wellbeing”.

It builds upon Areen‘s 35 years of experience of delivering design projects for large organisations, spanning hospitals, airports, offices and hotels.

According to the company, the idea behind Sonet is to cater to an emerging appetite for meaningful environments and products.

Although Sonet will have a global audience, it is aiming to gain a strong foothold in Areen’s core market of Saudi Arabia and the wider Gulf region.

Hotel lobby interior by Sonet
Sonet will focus on craftsmanship, community and locality

Sonet’s creative director Michaela Salt, who joined in October 2022, said: “There’s an evolving aesthetic and a new kind of luxury developing globally, especially in the Gulf region.

“We want to examine what luxury means. Surely emotive design should enhance our environment and play much more of a role in our everyday health and wellbeing,” Salt added.

Sonet will focus on craftsmanship, community and locality, according to Salt. The company will provide services around interior design, product design, decorative arts and communication.

She said the studio wants to make a name for itself by “escaping the mundane and simply making people feel better through design”.

“Wellbeing is a big driver for most of our clients across retail, hospitality and public spaces,” Salt added.

“People want to feel a level of engagement and fulfillment in their lives. Our angle is we want to go beyond spas and plants. Curated experiences incorporating the arts, human expression can illuminate the senses and make us feel alive”.

London restaurant interior by Sonet
Sonet says it will bring an “emotive approach and nimble energy to every project”

Taking its name from the Italian word “sonetto”, meaning “little song”, Salt said the idea behind Sonet is to “blend functional design expertise with culture and art and a little poetry”.

“Bringing an emotive approach and nimble energy to every project, the brand’s exclusive portfolio spans interior design, bespoke furniture, lighting, product collections and brand partnerships,” Sonet said.

The brand is launching with bespoke furniture, lighting and interior design projects based in Europe and the Middle East.

Chair against wall by Sonet studio
Sonet will develop interiors aimed at Areen’s core market of Saudi Arabia and the wider Gulf region

Among the launch products is a series of seating designs, including the wooden Humble Chair and a low-slung day bed.

Sonet’s sculptural Services Chair is made from black-stained wood and features arched shapes in the backrest and cutouts at the base.

The brand said it wants to foster a collaborative approach to luxury lifestyle design, encouraging open communication between clients, artists and craftspeople to celebrate the diversity of skills.

“At Sonet, we believe in the power of design to evoke emotions, inspire connections and enhance our everyday lives,” said Salt.

Michaela Salt
Sonet director Michaela Salt says the studio will have an emphasis on emotive experiences

The studio is expected to serve a different segment of the market in contrast to Areen’s core business.

For more information about Sonet, visit its website here.

Partnership content

This article was written by Dezeen for Areen as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

The post Demand for “evolving aesthetic” behind Areen Group’s Sonet brand appeared first on Dezeen.

An Actually Good-Looking CNC-Cut Flatpack Chair

This Space-Frame series of furniture, by Berlin-based architect Gustav Düsing, was designed over a decade ago as an experiment. It’s a pity it wasn’t pursued further. Made of Baltic Birch plywood, the pieces could conceivably be cut on a less-than-full-size CNC mill and would obviously ship flatpack.

“The Space-Frame series…are based on space-consuming structural elements (space-frame). The aim was to test architectural principles of scale, structure and production on a real object. Digital and manual techniques have been researched and developed in a series of prototypes. The resulting furniture was produced in small series with a network of workshops.”

I found the Chair23D the most visually arresting of the bunch:

“The Chair23D is based on the typology of a lobby chair, similar to the Barcelona Chair by Mies van der Rohe. The complex three-dimensional structure can be assembled without adhesive or screws to form a stable, self-contained system. The construction is an extension of the human skeleton, with a spine connected to a series of ribs and a kind of pelvis from which the rear legs are held.”

The form has fantastic splay and gesture. Moreover, while I’ve seen plenty of CNC-cut, slot-together furniture, Düsing’s intelligent design conceals all of the unsightly dogbones and half-rounds while still celebrating the joint, turning it into its own visual element. I think if pursued, this could’ve found its place.

10 Best Fun & Useful Products You Need To Keep Your Pets Entertained & Well Taken Care Of

Any time I’ve spent with my beloved cats is a core memory for me, and I absolutely love cuddling up with them, or playing random games with them! But in all honesty, I’m running out of ways to keep them busy, amused, and entertained. And you know, if your kitties are bored and restless for too long, they end up knocking down objects out of sheer spite and boredom. And if by any chance you’re pretty much in the same precarious situation as me and are always looking for new ways to keep your pet entertained, productive, and happy, then this collection of pet products promises to come to your rescue! From a modular pet-friendly sofa to a pet-friendly console – these product designs will take good care of your pet, and keep them active and content.

1. Quarter Sofa

Dubbed the Quarter Sofa, this modular and pet-friendly sofa is crafted from wood and fabrics. The sofa includes various modules in the shapes of squares and circles. The modules can be easily assembled and disassembled to build various intriguing and fun configurations.

Why is it noteworthy?

The configurations created can function as a fun and amusing playground for your cats. Your cats can easily move and jump around, and if you have multiple cats they can even play together.

What we like

  • You can rearrange the different modules to accommodate a variety of people
  • The hollow spaces can be used to hold and showcase items

What we dislike

  • If your cat pees or poops in the space, it can be tough to clean and access them

2. Waggin G1

Called the Waggin G1, and designed by Waggin – this unique product is a pet bike trailer and a backpack in one. The trailer is in fact attached to the backpack so it is quite easy to assemble and disassemble, and you can efficiently carry it around with you. The backpack also contains some storage space.

Why is it noteworthy?

The backpack can hold snacks and toys for your pet, or even your items. It can store your laptop, or even some books and notebooks if you need any on your outing.

What we like

  • You can easily and safely attach the trailer to your bike

What we dislike

  • It can only accommodate small to medium-sized pets, so you will need to look for another option for your bigger fur buddy

3. PAWaii Wireless Pet Water Fountain

Named the PAWaii Wireless Pet Water Fountain, this unique device keeps your pets hydrated at all times. It provides fresh water to your pets even if you’re home or not. It provides constant access to clean and filtered water, and it has a NSF-certified filter which reduces calcium and magnesium ions.

Why is it noteworthy?

The water fountain is equipped with UV sterilization and it kills any bacteria or microorganisms found in the water. It includes three modes that you can use, and you can use these modes at the same time as well. The modes are – regular mode, manual mode, and inductive mode.

What we like

  • Equipped with a water-electricity separation design and anti-slip silicone pad

What we dislike

  • It is a conceptual design, so we don’t know how well it will translate into a tangible product

4. UTSÅDD Collection

IKEA recently designed their UTSÅDD collection, which is designed to bring joy to felines and dogs, and to their parents as well. The collection includes 29 pieces, which were designed in consultation with veterinarians and pet product specialists. The products were also tested out on the actual users – the doggos and the cattos!

Why is it noteworthy?

The products are machine-washable, durable, dishwasher-safe, and water-repellant. They’re well-designed, and also pretty gentle and safe for pets. The collection includes soft toys for dogs, and a play tunnel for cats, as well as pet bowls, beds, and houses.

What we like

  • Features a clean and minimalist vibe
  • The products are not only fun but also useful

What we dislike

  • Some pieces are a bit expensive

5. Choo Choo Console

Named the Choo Choo console, this furniture design is much more than just a piece of decor, in fact, it can be used as a dedicated little spot for your pets. The design is made using natural materials like cane wedding and wood. It is created to enhance and elevate the connection between cats and humans.

Why is it noteworthy?

The console is a sleek and modern version of a bullet train. It has a hint of contemporary elegance and style to it, while also integrating a sense of efficiency and speed. The designer merged high-speed transportation with the arena of pet-friendly design.

What we like

  • Serves as a cozy and welcoming space for cats to rest, clean their paws and nails

What we dislike

  • Seems to be a bulky and space-consuming design that will occupy a lot of space

6. Sphericon Dog Chew Toy

Inspired by the intriguing world of geometry, this unique toy is called the Sphericon Dog Chew Toy. It is the perfect little toy to keep your doggo happy and distracted while adding an element of excitement and freshness to their daily playtime. It helps keep your pet entertained and happy!

Why is it noteworthy?

This chew toy is intended to be something new and novel in the field of canine entertainment. It is a solid object that features a continuous developable surface. And unlike most everyday toys, this sphericon has a distinctive shape that lets it roll around in a fascinating and captivating manner.

What we like

  • Brings a whole new dimension and element to your dog’s daily playtime
  • Can adapt to various play environments

What we dislike

  • It is small in size, so you need to make sure your doggo doesn’t misplace or lose it

7. Triangle Toy

Named the Triangle Toy, this innovative toy is designed to provide entertainment to your furry friends, while also functioning as a work of art. It is a one-of-a-kind pet toy that isn’t simply for playing with, but it can also offer an exciting visual experience which is inspired by nature.

Why is it noteworthy?

The Triangle Toy is designed to be creative and interesting. It is a canvas for the motifs of clouds, the sun, and the mountains. The mountains are represented by the triangular structure, while the rolling ball signifies the gentle flow of the clouds.

What we like

  • Besides being a creative pet toy, it also looks like a work of art that can enhance any space it is placed in

What we dislike

  • The toy is currently a concept, so we are unsure how well it will translate into an actual product

8. Dog Hut Desk

If you’re a pet owner, then the best kind of furniture for your home is furniture design that can be used by people and your pet! This creates a living situation that is enjoyable and engaging for pet owners and their pets, instilling and growing an emotional connected between the two. And the Dog Hut Desk is an excellent example of such a furniture design!

Why is it noteworthy?

The Dog Hut Desk is created to be a new nap spot for your doggo. It is a wooden desk design with a metallic U-leg on one end, and a small D-shaped bed for your doggo on the other end. You can work peacefully, while your doggo naps comfortably right beside you, allowing you both to spend some quality time together.

What we like

  • You can fit in a cushiony mattress on which your dog can lie down and relax

What we dislike

  • If your doggo is a bit rowdy and naughty, he may distract you while you’re working

9. ORo

Revealed at CES 2024 by Ogmen Robotics, this intelligent and super cool home robot is designed to be the ultimate playmate, guardian, and caretaker for your doggo. It looks like a robot on wheels dedicated to human use, but it in fact takes care of your beloved pet!

Why is it noteworthy?

It offers physical, mental, and emotional stimulation through various playful activities. Called ORo, this neat robot keeps an eye on your dog’s health, and can even discover when they are anxious or uneasy. ORo can also play some calming music to help them relax and destress.

What we like

  • You can train your dog using ORo through virtual training services and obedience games

What we dislike

  • We are unsure about how comfy dogs would feel with a robot, they could get aggressive or feel threatened by the presence

10. Clink Clicker

Called the Clink Clicker, this little device is ideal for your doggo’s training regime. It merges the clicking and the treats in one efficient device, so you only need to hold and use one device while conducting your dog’s training. Although it looks like your conventional clicker, it features a sliding mechanism for storing treats to utilize as a reward.

Why is it noteworthy?

Once your doggo’s training is done, you simply need to click the clicker, and your dog will come to you, and you can feed him the treat at once. The little space for the treats is a desiccant compartment keeping the snacks fresh even if you’re outdoors, and it gets kinda hot.

What we like

  • Makes your training session with your doggo easier and simpler
  • Saves time on the training process

What we dislike

  • The clicker is quite small and compact, so you need to make sure you don’t lose it

The post 10 Best Fun & Useful Products You Need To Keep Your Pets Entertained & Well Taken Care Of first appeared on Yanko Design.

Screw-shaped table lamp offers a unique and tactile way to control your light

There are some designs and interfaces that seem to be so intuitive that there’s almost no question about how to use them. Babies have an inborn knowledge on how to breast feed (even if they have no clue why or when), lever-type switches leave no doubt about what to do to turn something on or off, and the grooves on a screw’s body, a.k.a. its “threads,” hint that it’s something that needs to be rotated or twisted. These intuitive interfaces often have a fixed purpose and use, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be applied to something totally unrelated. This industrial-style table lamp, for example, uses not just the metaphor of a screw but even its mechanism to offer a more personal and direct way to dim or brighten your surroundings.

Designer: Jamie Wolfond

Even when it comes to appearances, the Set Table Lamp already sets itself apart from the crowd. Especially when its lampshade is at its lowest point, it looks nothing more than a gigantic screw standing on your table or shelf. Apart from the standard tall body and wide shade composition, it’s not exactly a design you’d expect from a lamp, even one with a striking industrial style. Unlike lamps that just let you look at it to appreciate its design, this one looks like it’s inviting you to interact with it, which is exactly the point of the design.

The lamp’s screw design isn’t just cosmetic but is actually a key part of its function. The light that comes from the lamp’s cylindrical body shines upward toward the lampshade and is bounced off to illuminate your surroundings. The shade’s shape isn’t typical either in that it’s a very flat cone with its tip facing downward instead of the umbrella-like shades of most lamps. This not only reflects light around the lamp rather than just downward, it also mimics the design of a screw head more closely as well.

Most lamps these days have a dimming feature that often requires turning the lamp on and off to cycle through different brightness levels. It’s an unintuitive and tiring method that leaves no room for finer adjustments. In contrast, the Set Table Lamp’s unique design works in its favor because you can simply turn the shade to lower or raise it, thereby dimming or brightening the light it gives off, respectively. And you do this not with a switch but with an easy motion of “screwing” the cap around the body’s grooves.

With today’s smart lighting products, such a design might seem impractical or even obsolete, but how many such smart lamps can boast of such a beautiful and “personal” lamp? The remote and indirect control of smart lamps takes out the human element in designs, somewhat ironic for products made for human living space. Set Table Lamp offers a more tactile experience that gives humans the feeling of agency and control that they are losing little by little to automation and AI.

The post Screw-shaped table lamp offers a unique and tactile way to control your light first appeared on Yanko Design.

Everything Is Illuminated

When The Other Collection creates an edition of a book you know you are getting one of the most considered, artistic and deeply design nerd experiences in print. For this edition of Jonathan Safran Foer’s multiple award winning  “Everything Is Illuminated,” first released in 2002 when he was 25 years old, TOC called upon Paul Smith to create the book’s jacket. A single drawing was turned into a pattern by Susanna Dulkinys, which looks amazing in letterpress. Type designer René Bieder’s “Vitruv” font was selected to complement Safron’s centuries-spanning story. Their editions are set digitally and their lasersetter then generates letterpress plates which are then run on their 1954 Original Heidelberg Cylinder press. Then there’s the 90 gsm paper by Schleipen Werkdruk & Gmund, a linen wrapped cover and the author’s signature on each of the 998 books in the edition. For you or anyone on your gift list who cares about great books printed in the most thoughtful manner, it’s a considered addition to any library.

Thematic Highlights from the 60th Venice Biennale

Entitled “Stranieri Ovunque — Foreigners Everywhere,” the spectacular occasion takes art lovers on a journey beyond expectation

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Thematic Highlights from the 60th Venice Biennale

Entitled “Stranieri Ovunque — Foreigners Everywhere,” the spectacular occasion takes art lovers on a journey beyond expectation

<img width="1024" height="764" src="https://150102931.v2.pressablecdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/IMG_2924-1024×764.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="" style="object-fit:cover" data-attachment-id="357122" data-permalink="https://coolhunting.com/culture/thematic-highlights-from-the-60th-venice-biennale/attachment/img_2924/" data-orig-file="https://150102931.v2.pressablecdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/IMG_2924-scaled.jpg" data-orig-size="2560,1911" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="IMG_2924" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="

By Paolo Ferrarini

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Questions of identity—strangers, outsiders, distances and societal differences—are all variables of “Stranieri Ovunque — Foreigners Everywhere,” the 60th International Art Exhibition, which recently opened in Venice to throngs of contemporary art lovers.  

<img width="1024" height="768" data-attachment-id="357121" data-permalink="https://coolhunting.com/culture/thematic-highlights-from-the-60th-venice-biennale/attachment/img_2700/" data-orig-file="https://150102931.v2.pressablecdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/IMG_2700-scaled.jpg" data-orig-size="2560,1920" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="IMG_2700" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="

By Paolo Ferrarini

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By Paolo Ferrarini

For this year’s Biennale, Brazilian curator Adriano Pedrosa has chosen over 300 artists, many of whom were born in the southern hemisphere and tend to work far from their home countries. Browsing through the two sections, Arsenale and Giardini, visitors face art that—in accordance with the theme—quickly makes them feel estranged.

<img width="1024" height="768" data-attachment-id="357123" data-permalink="https://coolhunting.com/culture/thematic-highlights-from-the-60th-venice-biennale/attachment/dana-awartani-img_2625/" data-orig-file="https://150102931.v2.pressablecdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Dana-Awartani-IMG_2625-scaled.jpg" data-orig-size="2560,1920" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Dana-Awartani-IMG_2625" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="

By Paolo Ferrarini

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By Paolo Ferrarini

A praise of imperfection was observed throughout the biennale, binding many works. In an age where so much art is polished to perfection, this Biennale avoided artificial intelligence, filters and over-editing almost entirely. Given the strong presence of embroidery, weaving, collage, mosaic and patchwork, the surfaces were often uneven and rough. Not only was fabric the most recurrent material, but paintings were often rudimentary with added elements like recycled materials.

<img loading="lazy" width="1024" height="768" data-attachment-id="357124" data-permalink="https://coolhunting.com/culture/thematic-highlights-from-the-60th-venice-biennale/attachment/pacita-abad-img_2561/" data-orig-file="https://150102931.v2.pressablecdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Pacita-Abad-IMG_2561-scaled.jpg" data-orig-size="2560,1920" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Pacita-Abad-IMG_2561" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="

By Paolo Ferrarini

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By Paolo Ferrarini

Artist Pacita Abad was born in the Philippines and her work is a perfect example of such an approach. In “Filipinas in Hong Kong” (1995) she represents life in a modern city through a mixture of quilt, trapunto and painting. Textile is also the choice of Palestinian-Saudi artist Dana Awartani with “Come, Let Me Heal Your Wounds. Let Me Mend Your Broken Bones” (2024), an ongoing series of colorful fabric panels documenting the war in Gaza. Awartani cuts the fabric to mark deaths and bombings and then mends the holes. Historical amnesia and the role of women are at the center of Giulia Andreani’s “La scuola di taglio e cucito” (2023) paintings. The artist reproduces and reinterprets historical pictures of suffragettes, aiming to represent a fading memory on a monumental, monochromatic watercolor on paper.

<img loading="lazy" width="1024" height="768" data-attachment-id="357125" data-permalink="https://coolhunting.com/culture/thematic-highlights-from-the-60th-venice-biennale/attachment/lone-saldanha-img_2740/" data-orig-file="https://150102931.v2.pressablecdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/lone-Saldanha-IMG_2740-scaled.jpg" data-orig-size="2560,1920" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="lone-Saldanha-IMG_2740" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="

By Paolo Ferrarini

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By Paolo Ferrarini

The Modernism that Pedros centered as curator is not that of European or Western tradition but that of South America, Africa and Asia. The featured artists—well-known in their home nations, and only sometimes internationally—initiate the most exciting sense of discovery of this edition. One example is lone Saldanha and the installation featuring 35 of her signature “Bambus” from the ’60s and ’70s. Her process is almost like a performance, where she grows plants that are dried for over a year, then sanded, prepared with a white base five times and then painted.

<img loading="lazy" width="1024" height="768" data-attachment-id="357126" data-permalink="https://coolhunting.com/culture/thematic-highlights-from-the-60th-venice-biennale/attachment/omar-mismar-img_2620/" data-orig-file="https://150102931.v2.pressablecdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Omar-Mismar-IMG_2620-scaled.jpg" data-orig-size="2560,1920" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Omar-Mismar-IMG_2620" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="

By Paolo Ferrarini

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By Paolo Ferrarini

Pedros also curated a lot of queer-themed art, demonstrating that being a foreigner today does not only mean geographically but also socially. The artist Omar Mismar works at the crossroads between art, politics and the aesthetics of disaster. His mosaic “Two Unidentified Lovers in a Mirror” (2023) resembles an ancient relic from his native Lebanon and yet it’s a contemporary scene where the faces of the two male lovers are pixelated (done by scrambling the tiles). Paintings by Louis Fratino depict queer daily life, from private environments to gay clubs. In Fratino’s work, it’s easy to uncover references to painters such as Pablo Picasso and Paul Cézanne.

<img loading="lazy" width="1024" height="785" data-attachment-id="357127" data-permalink="https://coolhunting.com/culture/thematic-highlights-from-the-60th-venice-biennale/attachment/img_2693/" data-orig-file="https://150102931.v2.pressablecdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/IMG_2693-scaled.jpg" data-orig-size="2560,1962" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="IMG_2693" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="

By Paolo Ferrarini

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By Paolo Ferrarini

Technology did manifest through the Biennale but it was not central to Pedrosa’s vision. That’s why works like those of WangShui feel alien but, at the same time, mark important visual and conceptual passages. The American artist placed aluminum panels against the windows at Arsenale, next to a multichannel video sculpture that simulates the movement of a monstrous snake. Though this work is eye-catching, technology does not only appear as special effects; sometimes, it’s channeled through sometimes as simple as a neon sign and a powerful message. This is the case of the collective Claire Fontaine, whose work actually inspired the International Art Exhibition’s theme. Their installation “Foreigners Everywhere” (2004-2024) is at the entrance of the main pavilion at Giardini, in the first room at Arsenale, next to the Italian Pavilion. It features the same sentence in many languages—and is both the perfect opening for this year’s art Biennale and the perfect conclusion.

Dezeen's top five houses of April 2024

Unfinished House by Workshop Architecture

Including a skinny house in Japan, a home in Canada that is deliberately unfinished and a lonely cottage in the Outer Hebrides, here are Dezeen’s houses of the month for April.

Also featured are a villa in suburban London and a two-in-one holiday home on the Finnish coast.

Read on to find out more about the most-read houses on Dezeen this month:


Unfinished House by Workshop Architecture
Photo by Scott Norsworthy

Unfinished House, Canada, by Workshop Architecture Inc

The most popular house featured on Dezeen this month is a prefabricated home in Ontario by Toronto studio Workshop Architecture Inc.

Inside, the house has been left incomplete with an exposed structure – which the architects said was the result of “an aesthetic attitude, an approach to material reduction, and budget restraint”.

Find out more about Unfinished House ›


Caochan na Creige stone house in Scotland by Izat Arundell
Photo by Richard Gaston

Caochan na Creige, Scotland, by Izat Arundell

The modest Caochan na Creige sits on the eastern coast of Scotland‘s Outer Hebrides.

To help the home blend in with the dramatic landscape, architecture studio Izat Arundell used a timber-frame structure and thick blocks of local stone.

Find out more about Caochan na Creige ›


2700 by IGArchitects
Photo by Ooki Jingu

2700, Japan, by IGArchitects

Physically constrained Japanese houses are a perennial favourite on Dezeen, so it’s unsurprising that this home in Saitama, which is just 2.7 metres wide, made the top five most-read for April.

Local studio IGArchitects arranged a series of layered living spaces over two stories, with exposed concrete featuring prominently inside and out.

Find out more about 2700 ›


Kingston Villa by Fletcher Crane Architects
Photo by Lorenzo Zandri

Kingston Villa, UK, by Fletcher Crane Architects

Kingston Villa was conceived by UK studio Fletcher Crane Architects as a contemporary evolution of the typical suburban architecture in south-west London.

It has a simple, gabled form with a bronzed metal canopy above its entrance and pale textured brickwork on the facade, in a style that the architects described as “heavy, yet quiet”.

Find out more about Kingston Villa ›


Two Sisters by MNY Arkitekter
Photo by Multifoto Ab

Two Sisters, Finland, by MNY Arkitekter

Finnish studio MNY Arkitekter designed this timber holiday home in Salo to enable two sisters to live together but in separate units.

Two standalone blocks are joined by a central terrace and have large windows at the western end looking out towards the sea.

Find out more about Two Sisters ›

The post Dezeen’s top five houses of April 2024 appeared first on Dezeen.

Unknown Works revamps co-founder's "cramped" Victorian home in London

Oasis house by Unknown Works

Architecture studio Unknown Works has renovated a terraced London house called Oasis, adding a side and rear extension to create a flexible interior and maximise natural light.

The Victorian home in Kentish Town is owned by Unknown Works‘ co-founder Theo Games Petrophilos, who wanted to update its interior with a large open-plan living area suitable for cooking, working and entertaining guests.

Exterior of Oasis house by Unknown Works
Unknown Works has renovated a terraced London house called Oasis

Extensions to the side and rear mean that the home now occupies the site’s full width, with large sliding glass doors opening directly onto the rear courtyard garden.

This maximises light and space while establishing a better connection with the garden where large fig and bay trees have been retained.

Exterior of Oasis house by Unknown Works
It added a side and rear extension

“The old spaces were dark and didn’t make anything of the connection to the garden,” Petrophilos told Dezeen.

“I think the previous owners weren’t big cooks because they left the kitchen in a cramped setup as a galley with the dining table set to the end,” he explained.

“You couldn’t feed more than two or three in that space, while the main living space prioritised a big sofa and a TV, which seemed a little sad,” added Petrophilos. “I swapped it up with a massive dining table in the main space.”

Plywood kitchen interior
The home has been revamped for the studio’s co-founder

To the front of Oasis, the original bedroom and ensuite bathroom have been updated with bespoke birch-plywood furniture. This includes a bed with integrated storage and floor-to-ceiling wardrobes on wheels that double as adaptable partitions.

At the centre of the plan, Unknown Works has placed a small internal courtyard inspired by Japanese stone gardens to provide cross ventilation through the home and access to natural light for the reconfigured bedroom.

White-walled interior of Oasis house by Unknown Works
A small internal courtyard sits at the centre of the plan

The stainless steel and plywood kitchen is complemented by concrete flooring that runs into the garden, designed to “give a feeling of al fresco dining experience year-round”.

Bespoke timber joinery and custom-made furniture feature throughout Oasis, including a 16-seater, stainless-steel dining table set on castor wheels to maximise adaptability.

“I want to allow for the different possibilities in terms of the way we live,” said Petrophilos.

“In the kitchen, the flexibility in the space allows the big stainless steel table to be spun around, moved to each side of the room or rolled outside into the garden.”

Stainless steel and plywood kitchen
The kitchen is built with stainless steel and plywood

With the client for Oasis being the studio’s co-founder, the project was also used as an opportunity for Unknown Works to develop and test new ideas.

“This project seeks to maximise light, space and a connection to nature – we’ve done this with a materiality that expresses the way things are made,” concluded Petrophilos.

“For most architects, the opportunity to live in one of our own buildings is a real privilege, after the design and making process, every day you’re able to learn so much.”

Interior of Oasis house by Unknown Works
A steel dining table is set on castor wheels for adaptability

Unknown Works is a London studio founded by Ben Hayes, Kaowen Ho and Petrohilos in 2017.

Its other recent projects include CLT House, which also features modular furniture on wheels, and an “otherworldly” music studio in a garden.

The photography is by Lorenzo Zandri

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