Hasta La Ideas

A modular cabinet from the budding Italian furniture-maker Homecode

The young Treviso, Italy-based company Homecode puts a twist on traditional design with its latest project, Hollo. The basic solid cabinets feature removable modular front doors that come in a wide variety of designs. Simply pop them off their hinges with a handful of screws, and use the piece of furniture as a blank canvas to change the mood of a room.

The customizable patterns come from an elite roster of international artists and designers including Gruppo 407, Julie Joliat, Matteo Cibic and more, all coordinated by art director Andrea Magnani. Their contributions elevate the level of design in a functional cabinet without the added price. Calling itself “the T-shirt of furnishings,” Hollo blends irony and style with easy-to-change convenience and affordability, not to mention the work of an actual T-shirt designer. In addition to graphic artists and illustrators, Hollo has worked with Abiscuit Accident on graphics applied to both furniture and shirts.

Made entirely in Italy, Hollo ships flat-packed to reduce waste during transit. Choose from the ever-growing range of designs at Hollo’s e-shop, where cabinets are available for €389 and sets of replacement doors for €199.

Our video on one of Spain’s premiere design giants

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Producing indoor and outdoor products since the 1980s, iconic Spanish furniture brand Santa & Cole is one of the lesser-known but more innovative design firms in existence. The forward-thinking company continues to expand into a full-service operation, opening a nursery to supply architects and designers with the trees to go along with their projects. We visited Santa & Cole to learn about their process, scope out the new nursery and get the scoop on their cutting-edge streetlamp technology.

From space-saving storage to upcycled plastic buckets, fresh design spotted at Spain’s biggest design fair

A slightly more sober follow-up to last week’s report on anthropomorphic design spied at Habitat Valencia, here we’ve surveyed the best in clever furniture solutions from Spain. The following spans ideas for minimalists who don’t even want to own candleholders to those who never want to buy another bedframe, all tied together by their inventive take on common household needs.

Mentira Cadira’s Doce, simple nesting cubes, incorporates elastic bands that make stashing magazines and remotes easy. By skipping the complications of a drawer or pocket, the concept saves space too.

The modular design of “Veinte” allows for expansive storage in an unconventional shape. The round cylinders group together or stand alone as needed, providing bright pops of yellow, green and blue.

The all-in-one design of design collective Un4verde’s Candelara turns a simple taper “into a decorative, singular object” in and of itself. The built-in base catches drips and eliminates the melting and whittling that it sometimes takes to fit a candle into a holder. It’s available now from Un4Verde for €20.

Vandidoo’s elegant v-shaped rack is a shelf that’s anything but boring. Available in several colors, it holds objects at an angle, incorporating a simple dowel for even more usefulness.

Sometimes a simple hook is all that’s needed to transform an unused space into a clutter-organizing center. Adding contemporary looks to the age-old concept, Nachacht’s oak Pauli rack comes in two different asymmetrical versions.

Luis Eslava’s Cap light for Almerich features a symmetrical design, using the same A-line shape for the light shade as well as for a cup at the base. The added storage—for plants, pens or any other clutter—adds to the visual harmony.

The aptly-named Infinite bed by
Bm not only expands for growing families, but doubles as a built-in bedside table if you so desire.

Seen among Mexico’s standout student work from the Tecnológico de Moterrey, Cristina Diaz’ prototypes play on the adapted use of a common plastic bucket as a stool. Reimagining them as thrones and gilded stools, she calls the collection simply Sátira.

Six innovative and sustainable designs sighted at Paris’ renowned interiors expo

Following up to part one of our 2011 Maison & Objet coverage, which focused on the transitional modes of design that cater to indoor and outdoor use, part two aims to showcase the recent innovations in sustainable design. Seen in the general recycling of traditional fibers as well as environmental breakthroughs in classic lighting systems, the eco-friendly theme was thriving at the biannual housewares expo.

One of the show’s most striking illustrations of sustainable design is the audacious “Phoenix” bamboo and rattan car conceived by Philippine designer Kenneth Cobonpue, which originally debuted at Milan’s Via Tortona show last April. The prototype demonstrates that a biodegradable car can still be attractive, while also asking consumers to change the way they think about traditional modes of transportation. A shell that can be reused again and again, the super light Phoenix was hand-built in ten days as an opposition to typical assembly line production.

Paper lamps were among the most abundant items throughout the show this year, playing to the medium’s light and airy feeling and typically low production cost. Philippino designer Luisa de los Santos Robinson impress the crowd with Dragon’s Tail, a series of beautiful origami-inspired lamps created for the design collective Hive.

Vancouver-based furniture and lighting company Molo gave their enchanting paper creations even greater function with Softshelter, a continuation of their modular Softblock line. The system is made of a paper honeycomb that expands to form a completely freestanding partition that can extend to up 15 feet long and 6 feet tall. Assembly takes just a matter of minutes and doesn’t require any tools, making the simple design a great asset in disaster relief. Concealed magnets are used as the structure’s only fastening system, further exemplifying Molo’s dedication to straightforward design.

A huge potential for innovation in LED lighting, French studio Blackbody showed off their one-year-old organic LED technology. A thin layer of carbon enlightens when stressed with electricity, making the best of nano-technologies. The carbon layer is put on ultra-flat, two-millimeter-thin panes and provides a soft surrounding light that is even safe to touch. When turned off, the surface looks like a mirror. The material adapts to whatever kind of form or colors a designer can imagine, including screens, clever packaging and numerous types of luminous displays. Soon it will be possible to put the layer on a flexible surface, increasing its potential in the industrial or residential realms.

The most creative smartphone technology came from the Native Union, a Hong-Kong based company launched only two years ago. Their sleek Moshi Moshi retro handsets reduce radio wave radiation by 90%, and many of their charging bases allow you to connect two devices simultaneously—perfect for the smartphone and tablet user.

The brainchild of South African designer Ryan Frank and East London indie music company Tape, Tapegear hand makes flexible but sturdy cork sleeves for laptops, tablets and smartphones. The cork is cultivated in a Portuguese forest, and the edgy sleeves are manufactured in Spain.

Ross Lovegrove explores elegant furniture design through fluid sculptural form in a new show in Milan

A design novice might be quick to throw the work of Ross Lovegrove in with the grandiose designs so highly sought after a decade ago, but the legendary Welsh designer’s glossy aesthetic isn’t without purpose. His new solo show in Milan, called “Endless,” demonstrates Lovegrove’s continual exploration of new materials and his elegant approach to functional design.

Endless picks up where his 2007 show “Endurance” left off, with Lovegrove adding two new pieces of polished aluminum to his Liquid Collection. The Long Liquid Bench and Liquid Shelving seem to spontaneously adapt to invisible lines, defining a sinuous silhouette that Lovegrove derived from the natural world. The limited edition pieces are not only sculpturally beautiful, but they also speak to a strong interest in efficiency, consuming little energy while maximizing space.

Part of the installation includes a video piece, amplifying the essence of his robust but nimble designs through colorful projections that bounce off the forms. Endless will run from 8 September through 1 October 2011 at Cardi Black Box Gallery.