Hasta La Ideas

Product news: industrial designer Konstantin Grcic’s Traffic seating collection for Italian design brand Magis has gone into production.

First shown as a prototype in Milan earlier this year, this range designed by Konstantin Grcic is the first collection of upholstered furniture by Magis. It includes an armchair, a two-seater sofa, two benches and a chaise longue.

Simple rectangular cushions slot into grid-like tubular metal frames. The collection comes in seven colours and the cushions are available in leather and a number of fabrics by textile company Kvadrat.

“The correlation between the three-dimensional line drawing of the metal rod and the geometric volumes of the cushions marks a significant shift from the common connotation of wire furniture,” Grcic said.

Magis president and founder Eugenio Perazza described the collection as “a set of various elements conceived as simple rod cages in which the cushions for the seat, backrest and armrests are easily accommodated”.

This is Konstantin Grcic’s fifth collaboration with Magis – others include Magis 360 family, a range of office furniture including a chair that’s designed to be straddled rather than sat on.

See more designs by Magis »
See more designs by Konstantin Grcic »
See more furniture designs »

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for Magis appeared first on Dezeen.

Product news: Californian company Soma has launched an hourglass-shaped carafe and a biodegradable filter to fit in the top.

Soma claims to have designed the “world’s first completely biodegradable filter”, which is made of coconut shell carbon and a layer of natural silk encased in a plant-based composite.

The cone-shaped filter aims to removes impurities and improve taste. It slots into the top of a glass carafe, which is formed to fit comfortably in the hand and incorporates a bevelled edge around the base to prevent it from falling over.

Founder of Soma Mike del Ponte worked with water filtration expert, David Beeman, Joe Tan and Markus Diebel on the design of the products. Soma in 2012 as a crowd-funded project to create an alternative to domestic plastic water purifiers.

The company has partnered with Water, a non-profit organisation working to provide safe drinking water globally, so every filter purchased contributes to the charity.

At the Global Design Forum this year, a water-filtration system that uses plants to extract arsenic from water supplies was voted the “idea that will change the world”. Formafantasma also designed charcoal inserts for blown-glass containers that purify tap water.

Other recent glassware designs include a set of bubble-shaped lanterns by Kristine Five Melvaer and a glass with a stem that holds exactly one measure of alcohol. See more glassware design »

See more information from the designer:

Soma, the smart, beautiful and sustainable water filter, officially launches into the marketplace today with a modern design that will redefine the way you drink and serve water in your home. Unlike anything else in the market, Soma is the pinnacle of clean, industrial design that looks gorgeous on any table and for any occasion. An elegant glass carafe holds Soma’s unique filter composed of coconut shell carbon, four layers of fine silk and a plant based casing, is the world’s first completely biodegradable filter.

With the goal of going above and beyond the unremarkable products in the current market, Soma enlisted a dream team of designers, including the world’s leading filtration expert, David Beeman (Starbucks, Peet’s, Keurig) and the renowned industrial design duo Joe Tan and Markus Diebel (IDEO, Incase). Their collaborative expertise helped to build an award-winning water filter that is innovative, eco-conscious and convenient. With its unique hourglass-shaped glass carafe, Soma is the first water filter designed with the consumer in mind, constructed to fit perfectly into the pourer’s hand.

Soma’s modern, sustainable design is only the beginning of its positive impact. From day one, Founder Mike Del Ponte envisioned Soma as not only aesthetically pleasing, but also ethically sound. Knowing that a staggering number of filters end up in landfills annually, the Soma team was determined to create a product that also had a low-impact on the environment. Soma’s biodegradable filter is designed to remove water impurities and improve taste for less than 25 cents a day. Expired filters can be tossed in green bins and will biodegrade completely in commercial composting facilities without negative environmental impacts.

To simplify your life, Soma makes filter replacement easy with its subscription service, ensuring timely delivery of a fresh filter every two months. Partnering with charity: water, Soma is also focused on giving back. With every Soma filter purchased, you are helping bring clean, safe drinking water to those in need.

“Over the past year we have worked tirelessly to create a beautiful product paired with an unprecedented experience,” said Mike Del Ponte, Co-founder and CEO of Soma. “First, we focused on product development-creating a decanter-quality glass carafe and innovative filter that provided the best tasting water, while also having the lowest impact on the environment.” Del Ponte adds, “Once we felt we had created an incredible product that was unlike any other, we focused on finding the right group of investors and advisors to help guide the process, from an idea to launching the product, in just over one year. I am proud of what we have created and am thrilled to finally share Soma with the world.”

The Soma carafe and two filters retails for $49, with each replacement filter priced at $12.99 (including shipping). For a limited time, new customers will receive two free filters with each purchase.

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by Soma appeared first on Dezeen.

Product news: Japanese studio Nendo has made this range of drinking vessels and wine bottle holders in the same way as pails and barrels (+ slideshow).

Nendo worked with traditional Japanese barrel maker Nakagawa Mokkougei, using wooden bucket-making techniques to create smaller versions for the Oke collection.

The range includes a tumbler, drinking cup, shot glass, sake cup and sake pitcher.

Nendo altered the silhouette of the buckets, which normally have straight edges. “We added a slight curve at the base to create a soft feel both visually and in the hand,” the studio said.

The lighter-coloured pieces are crafted from Japanese cypress and darker items are made out of Jindai cedar, a rare wood removed from the ground after being buried for 2000 years.

Both woods are treated with urethane to prevent warping caused by sunlight, dirt and moisture.

One metal hoop rather than the usual two is used to bind the wooden slats. The hoop is sandblasted for a matte finish.

The slats forming the larger Uneven-Oke Bucket are different heights so a bottle neck can rest against them. It has two hoops instead of one so it looks distinctly barrel-like.

All designs will be available from Seibu department stores in Japan from 22 October.

Nendo has also designed a collection of office furniture that is screwed together with a coin rather than tools and a chair inspired by the spike heels on a pair of stilettos. See more design by Nendo »

Photos are by Akihiro Yoshida.

Here are some more details from Nendo:

Oke Cup, Oke Carafe, Uneven-Oke Bucket

Nakagawa Mokkougei is a traditional Japanese cooper whose pails, buckets and other wooden items have long been beloved of exclusive Kyoto inns and restaurants. We designed a collection of drinking items – a tumbler, guinomi drinking cup, shot glass, sake cup and sake pitcher – that utilise the same barrel-making skills and techniques. Somewhat unconventionally, we decided to bind the wooden slats with one hoop, rather than the usual two. We made the walls thicker than usual and created nearly imperceptible spaces between the slats, a new construction that disperses the stress around the structure.

Using only one hoop makes for a clean look, and the thicker wood has a strong, comforting feel against the lips when lifted to the mouth. We also played with the cups’ silhouette. The walls of Japanese wooden buckets ordinarily lie straight. We added a slight curve at the base to create a soft feel both visually and in the hand.

To soften the hoop’s metallic gleam, we sandblasted it to a matte texture then coloured it with a powdered paint, developing another new technique. The pieces are made from a combination of Japanese cypress (hinoki), the traditional material for buckets, and Jindai Cedar, a rare, darker wood uncovered from having been buried in the earth for more than 2000 years.

We treated both woods with urethane to keep warping from ultraviolet rays, dirt and moisture to a minimum. A collection that combines old and new techniques to bring out the best in its materials. All the items will be sold at Seibu department stores in Japan exclusively from 22 October.

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by Nendo appeared first on Dezeen.

Product news: London designer Roger Arquer has created a salt and pepper mill with removable silicone lids for mixing and serving seasoning (+ slideshow).

Arquer‘s Pinch&Grind product range, designed for Dutch brand Royal VKB, also includes mixing jars with the same square silicone lids for blending and storing herbs and spices.

“Taking salt or herbs between your fingers and adding them to your food has become common practice,” said Arquer. “The silicone lids of the mill and jars allow users to open them easily, and pinch directly from them. Also, by turning the lid upside down it can be used as a pinch dish.”

The transparent mixing jars are available with a range of red, white, green and yellow coloured lids. The taller mills are available with black lids and have a transparent section to reveal the seasoning inside.

Arquer has also designed a triangular-shaped jug with a different sized pouring spout at each point. A large spout is designed for pouring thick batter, a medium one for vinaigrette, and a thin one for filtering fruits and ice or to drizzle salad dressing. “It is perfectly capable for pouring anything you mix, in any consistency,” said Arquer.

See all our coverage of Roger Arquer »
See more features on Royal VKB »
See more kitchenware »

Photographs are courtesy of Roger Arquer.

Here are two project descriptions from the designer:

Pinch&Grind

Pinch&Grind takes a new inside into spices. There is the traditional salt and pepper mill, with the addition of mixing jars for preparing your own blends.

Taking salt or herbs between your fingers and adding them to your food is nowadays a common practice known as “pinching”. We are often extracting some salt or peppercorns from the mill itself to add to a spice mix.

The silicon lid of the mill or jars, allows to open them easily, and pinch directly from them. Also by turning the lid upside down it can be used as a pinch dish.

The transparent jars with coloured lids (red-chilly based, white-salt based, green-herb based and yellow-curry based) so that you can easily identify a particular spice mix you have created. The contents of the jars can then be simply transferred into the mill followed by switching the coloured lid to the mill so then you know which spice mix is in the mill.

The main body and the top have a square profile for a better handling. The top lid is made of silicon, which gives an excellent grip, even if the hands are oily (when cooking).

Spouts

Spouts is a multifunctional jug with three different pouring ends. Its soft triangular shape holds a different spout on each corner. 

A wide and raised spout for pouring thick batter, a medium one for vinaigrette, and a thin one for filtering (fruit, mint, ice…) or drizzle salad dressing. It is perfectly capable for pouring anything you mix, in any consistency.

Spouts have a big enough base so it is ideal to use with a hand blender to prepare your favourite smoothies or shakes.

Spouts have the international measuring indicator (cups, ml and fl.oz) discreetly engraved one each of the three different sides walls. So it is possible to accurately measure the ingredients desired to create your mixes. As the indicators are so discrete, they can be used for preparing and serving directly onto the table.

Incase of any leftovers, then simply close the Jug with our airtight silicon lid to keep the ingredients fresh for longer, in or out of the fridge.

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for Royal VKB appeared first on Dezeen.

London Design Festival 2013: British design brand Noble & Wood is presenting its debut collection of crafted furniture and products at designjunction this week (+ slideshow).

London-based designer Paul Blease launched the collection under the Noble & Wood label at Maison & Objet in Paris earlier this month, and is showing it at designjunction this week as part of the London Design Festival.

“Crafted modernism is our design philosophy, which explores the qualities of traditional craft techniques and combines them with modern manufacturing technology,” Paul Blease told Dezeen.

The collection includes a console designed in collaboration with Gautier Pelegrin that leans against the wall and incorporates an additional smaller shelf to help organise everyday clutter.

The magazine holder is made from a solid wedge of Carrera marble, American walnut or ash, with leather pouches slung over the top.

The three legs of the Domino stool are fixed together by a horizontal brass bar and a removable felt pad adds extra comfort on the seat.

A solid turned-wood stool has a felt pad that can be switched for a metal surface to transform it into a side table.

Wall hooks in two diameters are available in copper or anodised aluminium finishes with a range of coloured leather fronts.

A leather strap used to suspend the Loop mirror from its wall-mounted hook fits snugly into a groove that runs around the wooden frame.

Noble & Wood collaborated with textile designer Sarah Pourcher on a wallpaper design featuring her hand-drawn patterns.

Noble & Wood’s collection is on show at designjunction until 22 September, alongside a debut furniture collection from Joined + Jointed and a range of wicker lamps by Claesson Koivisto Rune.

See all our stories about London Design Festival 2013 »
See Dezeen’s map and guide to London Design Festival 2013 »

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by Noble & Wood appeared first on Dezeen.