Forget Barbie and her Pepto-Bismol pink Dreamhouse, Jen Furman (better known as Jen Spectacular) creates stories by making and modifying dollhouses. Growing up in Romeo, MI (about an hour north of Detroit) she hung…
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Royal College of Art graduate David Steiner has turned his house into a factory by adapting household appliances to create a range of tableware and lighting (+ slideshow).
“The project began as an experiment in self-sufficiency, to some extent a reaction against the growing prevalence of desktop digital manufacture,” said David Steiner, adding that he wanted to show what can be achieved using his existing possessions.
Simple interventions transformed everyday objects that can be found in most homes into tools that replicate industrial manufacturing processes, such as rotational moulding and steam bending.
A lampshade made from a baking tray was cut with scissors before being pressed into shape in the edge of a door frame.
An embroidery hoop and sections of a notice board frame were used to make a framework for a polypropylene mould that was put in a washing machine to create a device for rotation casting tableware.
Cutlery was cast from pewter in a mould made from a cereal box cut into shape and fixed to a chopping board.
Cork from notice boards was layered and turned on a lathe surface attached to the top of a blender.
A mixer was transformed into a pottery wheel used to throw a cup made from sugar paste.
Wooden rulers dunked in water were heated in a microwave and bent to form a tray in a process replicating steam bending.
Other graduation projects presented at Show RCA 2013 included a range of copper, maple and glass tools for making cosmetics at home, bicycle helmets made from paper pulp and a bioplastic made from crab shells.
See all our stories from Show RCA 2013 »
See more homeware »
Photography is by Lynton Pepper.
This movie shows how the machines were made and the products were manufactured:
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David Steiner appeared first on Dezeen.
Royal College of Art graduate Lauren Davies has designed a range of copper, maple and glass tools to make scented oils, creams and cosmetics at home (+ slideshow).
The Alchemist’s Dressing Table project by Lauren Davies features a three-tier distiller for making scented oils, a scent infuser for creating creams and balms, and a double-sided copper bat for mixing eyeliner.
“The tools I’ve designed will enable women to forge a stronger connection to their personal beauty rituals and a more magical relationship with nature’s intricate mysteries,” said Davies.
The three-tier distiller features a glass globe and a stainless steel stand with a cork rim. Water can be boiled in the spun-copper bowl on the base, which is heated by an oil burner positioned underneath.
Steam passes up through scented plants that are placed on the first copper sieve and again through a second sieve. The top compartment is filled with ice and the spun copper funnel acts as a condenser, turning the rising steam underneath into a scented liquid that trickles into a glass, positioned in the centre.
Davies has also created a pan for melting oils and waxes, and for mixing scents and pigments. The pan is made from borosilicate glass and has a maple wood handle. It sits on copper hot plate that is positioned on a stainless steel stand.
For creating creams and balms from scented plants, Davies has designed a scent infuser. “The scent is built up over time as unscented fat traps the airborne scent molecules from the plant material above,” she explained.
The final tool is a copper plate with a wooden handle for making kohl eyeliner. A single disc of copper is place over an oil burner. Carbon collects on the underside and then the disk is flipped over for making the eye makeup.
“The black carbon deposit can then be mixed with almond oil for a smudged finish or aloe vera and witch hazel to allow a brush drawn line and used as eyeliner,” Davies explained.
Davies’ collection also includes a pair of copper tongs for picking up plant material, a maple wood stirrer, a mixing tool and four copper measuring spoons.
All the products are made from five materials. “The palette of copper and maple wood are chosen for their traditional and folkloric symbolism respectively,” said Davies. “Cork is used for its insulating properties, borosilicate glass for its heat resistance and stainless steel for strength,” she added.
Here’s a short movie featuring the alchemist’s table:
Other Royal College of Art projects we’ve featured recently include a field that was digitally printed with patterns and a collapsible paper dress that expands and changes shape with body movements. See all our stories from Show RCA 2013 »
Here’s further information from Lauren Davies:
The Alchemist’s Dressing Table
The Alchemist’s Dressing Table is a collection of analog tools for the production of natural cosmetics at home, inspired by beautiful ancient rituals and the transformative powers of alchemy.
The palette of copper and maple wood are chosen for their traditional and folkloric symbolism respectively. Cork is used for its insulating properties, borosilicate glass for its heat resistance and stainless steel for strength. All components are fabricated in collaboration with London-based craftsmen.
Together, the tools form a statement piece; reigniting a dialogue about our relationship with nature and the materials we use. I believe this could be the future of cosmetics for the modern woman who has a desire to be more in control of what she uses on her skin and the impact they have on the environment.
The tools I’ve designed will enable women to forge a stronger connection to their personal beauty rituals and a more magical relationship with nature’s intricate mysteries.
The distiller can be used to make hydrosols and essential oils. Water is boiled in the spun copper bowl using an oil burner. Steam then passes up through the scented plant material sitting on the handcrafted sieve above. The top compartment is filled with ice allowing its spun copper base to act as a condenser. The steam carries the scent particles up through the second sieve and hits the condenser where it cools, turns into liquid and drips down into the collection glass below.
Oils and waxes can be melted in the pan over the hot plate and mixed with scents and pigments. The scent infuser is for the cold maceration of volatile scented plants to make creams and balms. The scent is built us over time as unscented fat traps the airborne scent molecules from the plant material above.
The kohl plate is for the preparation of black kohl eyeliner. Carbon collects on the underside of the copper plate from the almond oil burning in the oil burner below for a period of time. This black carbon deposit can then be mixed with almond oil for a smudged finish or aloe vera and witch hazel to allow a brush drawn line and used as eyeliner.
The hand held tools comprise of a pair of copper tongs to be used with plant material in the distiller or scent infuser, a stirrer for the pan, a mixing tool for use with the kohl plate and a set of measuring spoons (TBSP, TSP, 1⁄2 TSP, 1⁄4 TSP) to be used where accuracy is needed.
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Table by Lauren Davies appeared first on Dezeen.
Product news: London designer Paul Crofts has put the series of lamps he designed for a crêperie in west London into production, in response to readers’ encouraging comments about them on our story.
The conical pendant lamps were designed specifically for La Petite Bretagne in west London, but Paul Crofts decided to start producing them separately after a reader called them “amazing”.
“It was actually from the comments made on Dezeen when the La Petite Bretagne was published that convinced me to invest personally and put the three lights into production,” Crofts told Dezeen.
The three Nonla lights are named after the Vietnamese word for traditional Asian hats of the same shape.
Each has a different angled profile and can be displayed individually or as a set.
They are made from powder-coated spun aluminium with a CNC turned and routed American white oak top.
The lamps also hang in another London cafe by Paul Crofts Studio that’s covered in chevron motifs.
See more lamp designs »
See more design by Paul Crofts Studio »
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Paul Crofts Studio appeared first on Dezeen.
A l’issue de la compétition organisée par les studios 3D Print UK et CG Trader, l’artiste néerlandais Sam Abbott a été choisi pour réaliser la première planche de skateboard twin-tip dont l’impression est 3D. Faite de trois parties collées ensemble, la planche est complètement utilisable. Plus d’images dans la suite.
Sometimes the most integral aspects of a craft receive the least attention. This rings especially true in surfboard design where the fin is often overlooked. But theFINproject, a new photo series and upcoming documentary by still-life…
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With a background in sculpture, drawing and design, any number of lines on NY-based artist Anne Fischer’s CV are worth a closer look. Her Cantos: The Rings of Hell…
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Audi recently invited CH out to Southampton, NY on Long Island to take their new R8 V10 Spyder for a spin around the block. We accepted, as we rarely refuse to test the proficiency of local law enforcement and, with a top speed…
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An elasticated egg cup, a fork that bends to pick up food and a glass tumbler with a cheeky bottom all feature in a collection of utensils by Royal College of Art graduate James Stoklund (+ slideshow).
Danish designer James Stoklund said he wanted to “challenge the traditional way we eat or pick up food but at the same time consider the food and its consistency in a playful way.”
Stoklund’s rubbery egg cup, named Fresh Eggs, has a white silicone surface that stretches to hold different sized eggs. They can be pushed into the holder from underneath through a hole in the elastic membrane.
Lick it Clean is a round plate that also features an elasticated surface and stretches when pressure is added, allowing the user to scoop up all the food.
Stoklund’s curved fork has a flat surface and features eight long prongs that bend when pressure is added to pick up food from a normal plate.
An extra-long stainless steel spoon, called Extend the Pleasure, offers users a longer and bigger spoonful.
A glass tumblr, named Shake that Booty, appears to sit at an angle and rest on two bum cheeks.
Pour Thing is a white silicone milk jug that looks like a tea cup and forms a spout when the liquid is poured in one direction.
Pass the Salt is a salt shaker that features an empty egg attached to a spoon. The egg is fixed in place via two tiny interlocking tubes. Salt is dispensed from the egg when the spoon is tipped downwards.
Stoklund, who graduated from London’s Royal College of Art this summer, said that he wanted to challenge traditional tableware design.
“Everyone knows the feeling of having a spoon in their mouth or the sound of a fork against the plate,” he said. “These are experiences we have known since we were born. However, most of us do not question the function of these everyday life utensils and what a simple change can do.”
Here’s a film featuring the utensils in use:
Other kitchen products featured recently include an angular flat-pack whisk and a tilting mixing bowl by Prianka Sisodiya, patterned rolling pins that make edible plates and a set of cutlery with slim handles like chopsticks.
See more kitchenware design »
See more homeware design »
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by James Stoklund appeared first on Dezeen.
La créative Maja Szczypek a imaginé un packaging simple et efficace pour rendre « heureux » les œufs présentés. Une création originale de cette étudiante polonaise nécessitant des matériaux simples et peu couteux tels que le foin. L’ensemble est à découvrir dans la suite de l’article en images.
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