Hasta La Ideas

L.A.-based industrial designer Igor Chak, who has one of the more fascinating bios I’ve read in a while, has a passion for vintage videogames. You probably remember 16bitghost’s custom furniture videogame shrines, but Chak went in a different direction, allowing the videogames to become the furniture themselves.

Chak’s leather-clad Space-Invader-inspired sofa, which he describes as “an old friend that kept trying to take over Earth but retired and became a couch,” is hand-built in L.A. and ships within two to four weeks of being ordered.

His Donkey Kong shelving might not be sturdy enough to hold an angry ape and rolling barrels of flaming pitch, but it’ll handle whatever you’ve got in your apartment.

The wall is made out of individual sections; each section is made out of durable but light carbon fiber, anodized aluminum pixels that are joined with strong stainless steel rods and toughened glass tops. The special mounts themselves are made out of steel and can support up to 60 lbs.

Check out more of Chak’s work here.

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More than any other room in the home, the kitchen has undergone the most dramatic changes in the last century. From the large basement battleships de cuisine of the early 20th century to Margarete Schutte-Lihotsky’s space saving 1920s Frankfurt Kitchen that embodied all the rigor of the Deutsche Werkbund, the kitchen has now evolved from a pure work space to a hub for socializing and entertaining. I spent half of my time at a recent party in the kitchen with my host and our friends, making drinks, prepping food and, when that was done, gathering around the countertop to chat.

Milanese designer Elia Mangia has anticipated the future of our ever evolving kitchen with Critter, a free-standing mobile unit with a cooktop, sink, garbage disposal and work space. Even if you keep Critter in your kitchen where you do most of your cooking, you can easily lift it like a wheel barrow and move it outdoors for a backyard cook out. Unlike a traditional barbecue (which you don’t need to buy now), you can position Critter anywhere you like—the patio, the edge of the yard or down wind from the outdoor seating. True, most readymade barbecues can be wheeled around, but even if your unit has more than the standard, plastic wheels that weather and crack, how many of us ever actually move it anywhere on a regular basis? With Critter, the mobile function is a central part of its design. In fact, the entire kitchen can be taken apart in just a few simple steps. Because Critter is fastened with only eight screws and the components are modular and freely interchangeable, it wouldn’t even be a pain to pack it up in the back of your car and take it camping. And its solid ash wood, stainless steel and cast iron construction make it practical for outdoor use and beautiful enough to bring inside.

Available soon from Skitsch.

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Coalesse has just announced a rather interesting pair of crossover furniture: The Hosu Lounge Collection, designed by Patricia Urquiola.

The Hosu line is based on the concept of doing work—but in a relaxed, non-typical-office environment. The Hosu is essentially a desk-free lounge chair that comes in two sizes (36” wide for one user, 64” wide for two) and is loaded up with storage pockets and cord management that disappears into the gap between cushion and frame.

In addition, the seat on the one-person version flips out for a lower, longer lounging position.

“Hosu is a habitat to relax, work, think, and read,” said Urquiola. “It’s a different approach to a work lounge that removes all formality and replaces it with comfort.”

The announcement is so new that at press time Coalesse’s site had not yet been updated with the Hosu line, but it should appear here shortly.

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Wallpaper‘s August 2012 issue, Wallpaper* Handmade, is arguably one of its most exciting editorial efforts of the year. Every year the magazine commissions designers to team up with craftsmen and manufacturers to produce “unique furniture, fittings, foodstuffs, fashion and more.” This year brands like Hermes, Kartell, Minotti, Alexander McQueen, Louis Vuitton and Guerlain have paired with designers like David Rockefeller, Madeline Weinrib and Aldo Bakker to create finely crafted, limited edition textiles, dishware, furniture, dog houses and objects that defy description (one might be described as an effervescent lighting element). Here are the best of the very best.

Dog retreat by Jarmund/Vigsnaes Arkitekter, Moderne Materiell and Kebony
Norwegian architects Jarmund/Vigsnaes worked with the timber experts at Kebony and architectural woodworkers Moderne Materiell to combine familiar canine imagery—the dog bone—with traditional Nordic log structures. Easily flat-packed, the house is made from naturally stained Kebony maple with a polycarbonate sheet roof to allow in light. Available from Mungo and Maud.

“Sliding Sue” by Rockwell Group and CA Atelier
We’ve been waiting a long time for someone to redesign the twirling Lazy Susan of our childhood, the engaging and oftentimes disastrous spinning wheel of dinner table condiments that our adolescent hands loved to “accidentally” send flying. But even though the core idea of the Lazy Susan really is a very convenient way to put salt, pepper and Sriracha within the reach of every diner, their unfortunate design has contributed to the kitsch factor that has relegated them to thrift store shelves, rendering many a Susan even lazier. So when we saw Rockwell Group‘s updated version, the linear “Sliding Sue,” which runs along the length of the table, our nostalgic hearts leapt. The only downside? The table is very much included, meaning you have to buy the entire unit.

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Unless your desk is equipped with a set of bulky built-in drawers or is flanked by a small army of file cabinets, there’s really no way to keep the work surface clear of clutter. Sure, some people say they work better in the small, cramped spaces in between towering stacks of books and piles of paper, but I, for one, beg to differ, and I’m sure many of you agree that there’s nothing less motivating than a messy desk. If you like a spare work station but use things like pens and notebooks and power cords on a daily basis like a normal person, furniture designer Bruno Serrao has the streamlined solution.

Manufactured by the small Portuguese joinery company, Wewood, Serrao’s BS 01 desk houses eight hidden drawers and compartments to organize all your papers, planners and Post-Its – even your laptop – and still retain a lean profile. More remarkable still is the fact that no nails or screws are used to build the desk – it’s one solid piece of beautiful French oak. Serrao admits that this choice “added some technical difficulties” in terms of manufacturing, which is probably why it costs $4,700, but whoever said elegant design solutions came cheap? Just think of all the money you’ll save on filing cabinets.

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