Hasta La Ideas

Matt W. Moore’s Op Art takes on new forms in his most functional venture yet

From what we’ve seen from Matt W. Moore, the Portland, Maine-based artist behind MWM Graphics, he leaves no question that he’s rabidly productive. And now, he’s taking his signature “Vectorfunk” optical artwork one step further into a new dimension (literally) with the debut of a four-piece collection of design objects called Core Deco. Created with the help of friends skilled in different disciplines—from manufacturing to silkscreening—the inventive ceramic tile coaster set, shelves and jacquard afghans are all made in the U.S with function as their goal. We talked to Moore about the story behind his designs and the unusual approach he took to the brand’s site.

How long did it take to develop the collection?

Core Deco has been years in the making. I’ve always had a desire to design and produce functional design, furniture and home goods. This past winter I decided to go full speed ahead with it.

What challenges did you encounter when transforming your designs into three dimensions?

I am pretty good at imagining how a graphic or mural will look in an environment before it is created. But for the three-dimensional products I have been making cardboard mockups… Learning the benefits and limitations of a manufacturing process is the best way to push it as far as it can go.

The presentation of your products on the site, especially the videos, is refreshing.

Doing the videos is a great way to show the dimensionality of the 3D items. Seeing how products exist in their environment is crucial and photos simply cannot tell the whole story. Especially the Diamond Corner Shelf. The shadows and geometry of it are awesome as you walk past it. With the Ceramic Tile video we are hinting at how awesome a bathroom or kitchen backsplash would look with a full-on mosaic of the tiles.

What influenced your designs?

My travels have really informed my design sensibility and the aesthetics that I gravitate toward. The tile mosaics of Spain and Brazil. The modern architecture of Moscow and Seattle. The beauty of nature and the juxtaposition of organic forms with man-made geometry. Coming into this realm of product design as an outsider has proven to be exponentially educational and exciting.

What are your plans with the range?

I plan to launch a new collection of goods each quarter, always focused on unique functional design.

In 2012, we’re planning some pop-up shop experiences around the Northeast. That will be a lot of fun, to go into an empty environment and trick it out with Core Deco goods — to really show how it all works together. We’re definitely open to building retail relationships with boutiques that share our vision.

Ceramics, candles, hand printed agendas and more from one of our favorite Parisian brands

It took a recent visit to one of our favorite Paris shops to realize that despite using their products all the time we’ve never written about them. Astier de Villatte is a 15 year old lifestyle powerhouse founded by Benoît Astier de Villatte and Ivan Pericoli. Their unique take on ceramics, paper goods, perfumes, candles, furniture, silverware, glassware and more are created in a Bastille workshop that used to house Napolean’s silversmith.

They are perhaps best known for their 18th- and 19th-century inspired handmade ceramics, many of which are designed with the equally multi-talented French artist Nathalie Lété. Their team of twenty ceramicists (perhaps the biggest in Paris) makes pottery the way Benoît’s father taught him and his siblings. Starting with black Terracotta, each piece is finished with a milky glaze that amplifies the unique character of the clay, celebrating its imperfections and ensuring that no two pieces are exactly alike.

A similar nod to the past styles and methods can be found in many of their other products, from scented erasers to the only hand-typeset agenda in the world. The two-page week layout also includes an important 8th day that changes each week, named after some of their favorite foods (Cassouletday anyone?). Created with a vintage printing press, the new 2012 agendas feature the same signature mosaic pattern and bright colors but now include the Astier team’s insider tips on their favorite venues in New York as well as Paris. Studiohomme has a great video visiting Astier de Villate’s print and ceramic workshops:

The candle market is certainly a saturated one, but quality shines through in these glass or ceramic votives with vegetable wax candles, often named for places that inspire olfactory overload: Alcatraz, Algiers, Honolulu and Naples among them. Recent additions include a series made in conjunction with Françoise Caron and the Japan-based fragrance company, Takasago: Cabourg, Quebec, Broadway, Zermatt and Yakushima. We’ve had the soda-inspired “Broadway” scent burning in the office for the last week—a nice way to rid the office from the smell of its new lunchtime infatuation with the Schnipper’s Chicken Club sandwich.

Also new this fall is a collaboration with New York-based designer John Derian. The artist worked mostly on small plates, painting them with his signature menagerie of birds and insects, as well as sweetheart symbols and everyday household items. The John Derian collection for Astier de Villatte, as well as many other of their products, are available at his NYC boutique.

Astier de Villatte has a few shops in Paris, is available on their site and at stores in many countries. Check their site for details.

See more of our favorite items in the gallery below.

The next-gen outdoor heater

An answer to the ubiquitous “mushroom” outdoor heaters, Lava recently introduced their pyramid-shaped heaters to the States. The big advantage, other than its striking European-designed looks, is ambient heat that radiates from the sides for better 360-degree warming. To achieve this safely, borosilicate glass tube contains the propane-powered flame while a wire screen on the outside remains safe to touch.

Made from powder-coated steel (available in five colors) , the heaters will endure rain, snow and other inclement weather and are easy to use and assemble. An electronic ignition makes it a cinch to fire up the propane tank enclosed in the base (it can also convert to natural gas), and you can even operate it by remote.

Prices start at $1,400 each—not so unreasonable for a wind-proof fire with a 10-year guarantee. Check Brookstone or Amazon to purchase.

Logitech’s new iPad-based universal remote offers total media control for home entertainment systems

Logitech‘s new Harmony Link promises to make the home media experience a breeze through its unique combination of hardware device and iPad app system. Designed to enhance how we interact with our entire entertainment center, Harmony Link is like the ultimate universal remote. The hockey puck-sized transmitter connects to the Harmony Link app on an iPad over wifi, giving users the ability to control up to eight devices with their iPad.

By converting iPad commands into infrared signals, the system allows wireless control of any IR-compatible device including TVs, DVD players, stereos and even VCRs. In addition to simulating classic universal remotes, the Harmony Link also gives the user access to a live TV guide with menu options for all the attached devices, which lets you toggle seamlessly between the different media.

The system is also intuitive enough to know what you want when tapping between choices, switching the correct devices off and on and changing inputs with the swipe of a finger. Standard iPad gestures adjust volume, playback and other controls.

The system is now available for $100 from Logitech, and the iPad app is a free download from iTunes. Mobile versions will also be available for the iPod Touch and iPhone from the Apple App store and an Android version from the Android Market are both coming soon.

From iPad mounts to grown-up captain’s beds, six new items to improve dorm life and beyond

Changing seasons are always a good time to refresh your space. With the coming school year in mind, we found the latest and best gear to make a small or any-size room more livable. From campus boxes to studio pads, we found six items to help maximize your home no matter the square footage.

To minimize desk clutter and optimize your iPad, we’re backing Modulr’s hardshell case and slim wall mount. Aptly named, the modular system comes in both iPad 1 and 2 sizes, and in black, white and clear (preferred for its subtle aperance). The mount holds iPads snugly against any surface in either landscape or portrait orientations for an alternate monitor, bedside computer or even an interactive grocery list. The iPad 2 case and wall mount sell for $40 and $20, respectively. Other Modulr add-ons, including a strap and car seat hanger, make the accessory all the more functional.

Gus Design Group’s magazine rack will do away with unkempt literary piles. The clever design of the stainless steel rack allows for easy organization. Head over to Gus to find a dealer or pick it up online from Bobby Berk Home for $295.

The classic small-space solution, the Captain’s Bed, gets an update with the Matera created exclusively for Design Within Reach. Keeping the storage drawers off the ground prevents the bed from dominating tight quarters, while also saving knuckles from rugburns. It’s available through DWR for $4,724.

Designed by Riki Watanabe in 1966, the Japanese cardboard folding stool still comes in handy for entertaining when room is tight, packing flat out of the way when you don’t need it. Sold in a variety of mod colorways, the DIY crowd will enjoy the white version, a blank canvas for making it uniquely yours. Spanning $30-60, grab it online from Tortoise General Store or Nova68.

A compact speaker system with robust room-filling sound, Hercules’ XPS 101 gets its power from 101 watts through two six-inch speakers and one subwoofer. The metal alloy speakers and wood-encased sub look great and fit neatly into modest-sized rooms without demanding attention. Look to Hercules for where to buy a set for yourself for $250.

A great part of small spaces is how much easier they are to clean, but keeping tidy is also imperative when you’re so intimately involved with every area of your home. One of our favorite cleaning product brands, Method recently released a new scent for their powerful all-purpose cleaners. The zesty clementine cleaner and dish soap swipe away grime without a greasy residue by harnessing the strength of its naturally-derived biodegradable agents. Check Method’s online shop where they both sell for just $4—affordable even for those on a college-size budget.

Contributions by Karen Day, Graham Hiemstra, Josh Rubin and Greg Stefano