Hasta La Ideas

Product News: clouds, umbrellas, flying machines and suits of armour are among the motifs in this collection by Italian design house Fornasetti for English wallpaper brand Cole & Son (+ slideshow).

The collection also includes architectural friezes and borders and is designed so that different papers and motifs can be combined.

“I was thinking of doing something a little more than a normal wallpaper, to give the opportunity to have something to stick on the wall with some more fantasy,” Barnaba Fornasetti told Dezeen.

“So I decided to do vertical rolls and horizontal rolls, and rolls that can be combined together. For example, we have the clouds that can be combined with balustrades and flying machines. You can choose to make only clouds with the balustrade or only a piece of the flying machine with clouds.”

The motifs are taken from the Fornasetti archive of drawings created by Barnaba’s father, Piero Fornasetti: “I chose things and I mixed them together, and I changed the colour, I changed the dimensions.”

This year is the 100th anniversary of the birth of Piero Fornasetti.

English hand-made wallpaper brand Cole & Son will launch the collection at Maison et Object in Paris later this month. It follows an earlier collection created by Fornasetti for the brand in 2008.

Here’s some info from Cole & Son:

Cole & Son presents the Fornasetti II Collection at Maison et Objet in Paris 18^th– 22^nd January 2013.

Comprising fifteen designs, Cole & Son’s new collection follows the success of the first Fornasetti range, launched in 2008, delivering a repertoire of magical themes within a collection of designs that are at once iconic and covetable.

Fornasetti II takes a bold step in wallpaper design, transcending the obvious and transforming eclectic and whimsical drawings into a truly stunning array of co-ordinating wallpapers in an exciting range of colours and styles. Eccentric motifs of fantastical flying machines, architectural details, playful monkeys, keys and owls all evoke a theatrical and magical space, while the use of wide width friezes, borders, digital panels and double width papers gives this collection an unparalleled diversity in the way in which it can be used.

Commenting on the new collection, Barnaba Fornasetti stated: “Pablo Neruda once described my father as the magician of precious and precise magic and I think that this decorative collection beautifully captures the magic essence of the Fornasetti world”.

Macchine Volanti

Floating on a new version of Nuvole, these wondrous flying machines hang amongst the clouds evoking the romantic New World of scientific exploration.

The three colourways are drawn in two shimmering versions of silver and bronze on pale blue and midnight skies and a third more playful colouring of red and yellow on a neutral sky.

This design has been devised so that it directly co-ordinates with both Nuvolette and Balaustra and is a total of 137cm wide, thereby being sold as a set comprising two wide width rolls of 68.5cm each.

Nuvolette

Nuvolette, a beautifully rendered cloudy sky effect has been designed as a smaller more manageable version of Cole & Son’s existing Nuvole design.

Presented in three tranquil colourways of neutral, pale blue and midnight to coordinate with Macchine Volanti and Balaustra, a fourth colouring of black and white creates a more striking and stormy effect.

This design has a total width of 137cm and as such is being sold as a set comprising two wide width rolls of 68.5cm each.

Balaustra

Balaustra creates a striking trompe-l’oeil effect of a marble or stone balustrade sitting against a backdrop of Nuvolette.

Designed to be hung horizontally along the bottom of a wall, this is the first of Cole & Son’s friezes and is an exciting and novel approach to using wallpaper.

Conceived as a direct coordinate with both Nuvolette and Macchine Volanti, in neutral, pale blue and midnight, this border offers intriguing opportunities for interior decoration. Balaustra is 68.5cm high and sold on a 10 metre roll.

Chiavi Segrete

Introducing two popular Fornasetti motifs, Chiavi Segrete combines mysterious gold and silver keys hanging within a dense privet hedge. At once lyrical and surreal Chiavi Segrete has been produced as a pattern easily useable on four walls. Three softer, more neutral colourways with gold, silver and ghostly white keys suspended within frosty white, grey-blue and pale neutral leaves create a cooler more elegant feel, whilst the more dramatic dark grey and forest green leaves with their gilver keys add a touch of theatre.

This design repeats on a single roll at 68.5cm wide.

Nottambule

Featuring a family of wide-eyed owls, (a favourite theme of Piero Fornasetti,) Nottambule is a charming and humorous frieze, which can be hung either at the top of a room, or above a dado rail. Offered in 5 colourings of ink engraved owls with backdrops of lively red and yellow, as well as two sophisticated neutrals and a more secretive midnight.

The border measures 40cm high and is sold on a standard 10m roll.

Promenade

Featuring a variety of umbrellas, riding whips and walking sticks collected by Piero Fornasetti over the years and depicted on umbrella stands and various other decorative products, Promenade is the second of Cole & Son’s wide width friezes, designed to be hung around the bottom of a room, or beneath the dado rail.

Sold as a single 10 metre roll at 68.5cm wide.

Uccelli

Originally created as a decorative folding screen, Uccelli was first devised as a wallpaper for a luxury hotel on the on the Argentario Peninsula in Tuscany. Due to popular demand we have reproduced it here in two seasonal colourways of bright summer colour and cooler wintery tones.

Designed as a repeating panel at 1.04 metres wide by 2.8 metres high, the wallpaper is sold as a 52 cm wide paper that joins to create the full width and height.

Procuratie

The first of two architectural designs, Procuratie, which takes its name from the well known building facades of St Marks Square in Venice, is composed of two rows of classical arches drawn in a simple intaglio style. Produced in four neutral shades Procuratie repeats at 68.5cm wide and is sold on 10 metre roll.

Procuratie e Scimmie

The amusing companion to Procuratie features two monkeys wandering amongst pillars and arches.

Offered in the four directly co-ordinating colours of Procuratie, the monkeys are picked out in shades of pale blue, soft gold, regal purple and black and white.

This design also repeats at 68.5cm wide and is sold on a 10 metre roll.

Acquario

The fish theme appears in some of the earliest Fornasetti work, and this design adopts some of the motifs used on decorative trays. Picked for their whimsical and naive appearance, Acquario’s clownish fish set on soft washed backgrounds of pale cobalt, neutral, charcoal and deep-sea blue, repeat at 68.5cm wide and are sold on a 10 metre roll.

 Teatro

Comprising three colourways – black, white and neutral, turquoise and neutral and the original colouring of red and yellow, Teatro originally designed for umbrella stands in the mid 1950s, features boxes occupied by elegant theatre-goers in evening dress. This wonderfully conversational wallpaper creates a witty and flamboyant faux interior, perfectly in keeping with the Fornasetti spirit and ethos. It repeats at 68.5cm wide and is sold on a 10 metre roll.

Pennini

Featuring an assortment of old fashioned pen nibs in an array of burnished metallics, Pennini has been designed as a frieze, to be hung horizontally around a room. At 52cm high Pennini is offered in a sophisticated palette of parchment with iridescent aquas and blues, charcoal with bronze and pewter, linen with golds and coppers and powder blue with silvers, golds and gilvers.

Nicchie

Comprising a number of well proportioned trompe l’oeil niches, Nicchie was originally conceived as a decorative screen in the 1950’s. Re-structured to work as a wallpaper, this unmistakeably Fornasetti crosshatched design features a surreal assortment of mandolins, fruit, keys and hourglasses in graphic tones of black on white, charcoal and parchment with highlights of red, gold and bronze.

This design repeats at 68.5cm wide on a 10 metre roll.

Magia Domestica

The most whimsical and magical design within this collection, Magia Domestica, with its suit of armour, invitingly open door, bookcases and drawn curtains creates a world within a world. Produced as ten panels all at 52cm wide, the entire design is modular, repeatable and can be put together in any configuration.

Sold as either a complete set of 10 panels, or as a choice of two 5 panel sets.

Multiplette

Both Piero (a member of Ciclisti Milanesi) and Barnaba a promoter of cycling, have been bicycle enthusiasts from an early age, the humble bicycle has re-appeared here as a witty 52cm high frieze. Multiplette features nine cyclists pedalling along on a single multi-saddled bicycle in ‘comic-strip’ striped jerseys and caps. Produced in nostalgic colourways of red and navy, and a more colourful primary red, blue and yellow, this border is sold on a 7.5metre roll, comprising 5 complete ‘bicycles’.

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for Cole & Son appeared first on Dezeen.

These jewel-like vases from German design duo snug.studio are assembled from flat sheets of cardboard.

The Snug Vases come as a flat-pack, ready to be folded into shape and placed over a glass or bottle of water.

The vases come in two sizes and three colours – white, grey and copper.

Hanover-based snug.studio was founded in 2010 by interior designer Kerstin Reilemann and architect Berit Lüdecke.

Other angular vases we’ve featured on Dezeen include richly coloured vases made by a 3D printer and faceted vases that emerge from a custom-made machine.

We’ve also featured lots of projects using cardboard, such as a bicycle with a cardboard frame and wheels and ceiling lights made from scraps of corrugated cardboard – see all our stories about cardboard.

See all our stories about vases »
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Here’s some more information from the designers:

The German design label snug.studio, based in Hannover, has designed this vase. It’s a folding sheet made of brightly coloured cardboard. you can fold the geometric shape on your own. In combination with a small glass of water or a small bottle you will have a beatiful faceted vase for your flowers. It comes in two forms and three colors (white, grey and copper). Flat packed with assembly and ready to fold.

Snug.studio are Kerstin Reilemann, interior designer, and Berit Lüdecke, architect. Since 2010 they create design-products in their studio in Hannover, Germany. Clear, minimalist and classic, this is the style of snug. By shape, paint scheme and processing from ordinary materials such as plywood or laminate they develop high quality interior-products and jewellery. Each design tells his own story. “We always follow our intention and we have high ambitions for what we do. Everything what will go into production we would like to have for ourselves.”

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by snug.studio appeared first on Dezeen.

I’m sure I’m not the only person who hides the Brita when company comes over and feels terribly guilty tossing those carbon-filled plastic filters every couple of months. In fact, it’s always been a bit of a mystery to me why there wasn’t a beautiful, more sustainable and affordable alternative on the market.

I clearly wasn’t the only one looking for a design solution for a consumer product I interact with on a day-to-day basis: Introducing Soma, a glass carafe and 100% compostable water filter. The filter, designed by David Beeman, is made from all-natural Malaysian coconut shells, vegan silk and food-based PLA plastic. Beeman, with over 30 years of experience creating water formulas for Starbucks, Peet’s and other global brands, talks a bit about the design process in the video below:

The glass decanter has a beveled edge which results in drip-free pouring. The product is manufactured in the United States and the subscription-service style of renewing the filter is as good as it gets. The founding team behind Soma comes with their own set of good as it gets credentials: Mike Del Ponte (founder/CEO of Sparkseed, an award-winning social innovation accelerator), Rohan Oza (brand genius behind vitaminwater, smartwater, vitacoco and popchips), Ido Leffler (co-founder of Yes To Carrots, the 2nd largest natural beauty brand in America), and Zach Allia (his apps hit #1 on Facebook, Apple store, and Chrome store). Advisors include Tim Ferriss, and founders and executives from Method, Incase, Warby Parker, Birchbox, TOMS and the UN Foundation.

And while they’re in full launch mode for for their product, early adopters can get the Soma carafe + 6-Months worth of filters for $50 (each filter delivered to your door every two months). As of press time, they’ve blown past their initial $100,000 goal—we’re waiting to hear what sort of reach goals they might have and what type of add-ons they might have for their early backers. Get in on the ground and support Soma!

(more…)

Product News: French brothers Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec have designed a collection of cutlery for Italian design brand Alessi.

Created to complement Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec‘s earlier Ovale range of tableware for Alessi, the set includes over twenty pieces in stainless steel.

“We had been trying to follow the logic of Ovale and decided at the beginning to apply the minimum shape that would be needed to make everything,” Erwan Bouroullec told Dezeen. “We tried to find something which is not forced, not only for special dinners and not only for everyday. Just to find the refined language that makes it stand for itself, while not trying to bring any kind of luxury or pretentious shapes.”

He compared the process to devising a new typeface: “On the one hand you’ve got certain geometries based on ergonomics and you have to respect them in order to make well-balanced cutlery that’s comfortable in your hand. On the other hand, like a typeface, we’ve been defining some rules about what happens between a line and a curve – where is the radius? Is it a straight join or is it slightly curved? And then you kind of apply these rules to every shape.”

Bouroullec also stressed the importance of creating rules that are appropriate to every piece. “I think, sometimes, in contemporary cutlery there is a kind of will to apply some shape or some design language that doesn’t fit every part of the cutlery. That really is a problem. You have to find a logic which is worth applying to many objects.”

“When you treat it seriously, exactly like a typeface, you need to do every piece: the very small spoon, the half spoon, the middle spoon, the big spoon, the big big spoon and so on. So you have to go through the full exercise,” he added.

The designs were evolved through many prototypes, first in the brothers’ Paris studio and then using stainless steel at the Alessi factory. “One really big issue is the weight: not to make it heavier or lighter overall but you must balance the weight of the handle and the front part of the cutlery really well to get a good movement in your hand,” said Bouroullec.

The original Ovale range of plates, dishes and tumblers was launched by Alessi in 2010 and features rounded corners with sides that aren’t parallel. Read more in our earlier story.

The Bouroullecs also recently designed all the furniture for the remodelled Faculty of Humanities at Københavns Universitet in Copenhagen and Dezeen interviewed Erwan at Clerkenwell Design Week this summer about their Pico tiles (shown in the background of these images) and their new monograph. See all our stories about design by the Bouroullec brothers.

Alessi was founded outside Milan as a metal tableware producer the 1920s, became synonymous with designer kettles in the 1980s and now works with a host of international designers including the Campana Brothers, Karim Rashid and David Chipperfield. A selection of Alessi watches is available from Dezeen Watch Store.

See all our stories about Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec »
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See all our stories about homeware »

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Bouroullec for Alessi appeared first on Dezeen.

Design Miami: a hanging cabinet covered in leather tassels and a hammock inspired by pasta ribbons are among the objects created by designers including Fernando and Humberto Campana and Atelier Oï for French fashion house Louis Vuitton (+ slideshow).

Above: Maracatu hanging travel cabinet by the Campana Brothers

The designers were asked to come up with portable objects inspired by Louis Vuitton’s signature luggage and travel accessories. Fernando and Humberto Campana created a hanging travel cabinet made from leather offcuts from Louis Vuitton’s workshops.

“Each one is different,” Fernando Campana told Dezeen at the launch in Miami. “We named them after the fruits of Brazil – each one has the name of a fruit, because the first idea was that it would be like a fruit hanging from a tree.”

“The name Maracatu comes from a dance, a ritual dance from Brazil,” added Humberto Campana. “They use wigs and clothes with stripes of cloth, and they twist to make this movement.” Inside the travel cabinet are shelves and a light, and it also comes in a more minimal brown leather version without the swinging tassels.

Above: hammock by Atelier Oï

Swiss design trio Atelier Oï used long strips of leather and gold rivets to create a hammock inspired by the pinched shape of pasta ribbons.

“When you are playing with the material you find these references, and you find also the solution,” designer Patrick Reymond told Dezeen. “We saw that it was interesting to squeeze the leather to create the three-dimensional structure, and to create the comfort and the volume of the object.”

Above: stool by Atelier Oï

They also created a folding stool with a thin sheet of aluminium between its leather exterior, allowing it to be packed flat and opened out into a sturdy seat.

“Just with a cut we can create a channel, so we don’t have any added elements,” said Reymond, explaining that it was inspired by the origami shapes of a Hussein Chalayan skirt. “You can fold it and go to the third dimension in one movement,” added designer Aurel Aebi.

Above: case for stool by Atelier Oï

Another item in the collection is a glass bell lamp by British designers Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby, which is held in a leather carry case.

Above: lamp by Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby

The lamp is solar-powered but can also be charged via a discreet USB port at its base.

Above: table by Christian Liaigre

French designer Christian Liaigre produced a portable travel desk in sycamore wood, leather and aluminium, which folds up into a small briefcase form.

Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola created a stool that unfurls from a handbag, inspired by Louis Vuitton’s Monogram flower pattern, while Japanese studio Nendo contributed a lamp made from a curled piece of perforated leather and backlit by LED bulbs.

The collection launched at Louis Vuitton in Miami’s Design District during Design Miami this week, and will be available from the New Bond Street branch in London this month.

Other projects at Design Miami we’ve featured so far this week include an Eiffel Tower-shaped lamp by Studio Job and Glithero’s photosensitive ceramic vases. Look out for more news from Miami on Dezeen in the coming days, and check out our photos from the event on Facebook.

See all our stories about Design Miami »
See all our stories about Louis Vuitton »

Here’s some more information from Louis Vuitton:

Objets Nomades

Louis Vuitton announces Objets Nomades, a limited edition collection of foldable furniture and travel accessories produced in collaboration with leading international designers. These contemporary pieces will be exhibited and available in the New Bond Street Maison in December 2012. The rest of the collection will debut at Art Basel/Design Miami also in December.

Encapsulating the spirit of travel synonymous with Louis Vuitton, the travel desk, stool, hammock and lamp are all made using beautiful nomade leather and have portability at the core of their design. The pieces reference Louis Vuitton and his son Georges’ original bespoke travel commissions from the 19th Century, such as a trunk replete with a folding horsehair mattress for a trip to the Congo, or a trunk with a pull-out desk and a typewriter station. This bespoke service has been reinterpreted for the 21st Century to create a selection of collectible design items that are both beautiful in their form yet also functional in their design.

To create the collection Louis Vuitton has tapped into a pool of design talent. Founded in 1991 in Switzerland by the Neuveville trio Aurel Aebi, Armand Louis and Patrick Reymond, Atelier Oï is an international player in architecture, design and set design. Inspired by the expertise behind Louis Vuitton’s canvas trunk, they have conceived the simple yet spectacular hammock, with its sophisticated ribbons of leather and rivets gilded with fine gold.

The folding stool, also by Atelier Oi, makes use of Louis Vuitton’s leather savoir faire, drawing inspiration from the aesthetics of origami whilst embodying all the label’s values of simplicity, elegance and functionality. A special membrane works as a hinge for the leather panels, allowing the stool to be unfolded into a seat in one single movement once unbuckled from the carry strap.

After graduating from the Ecole des Arts Decoratifs in Paris, Christian Liaigre became an artistic director then an interior designer. Since 1981 he has been designing collections of simple furniture with clean lines. Inspired by nature, the portable travel desk in sycamore wood, leather and aluminium was originally created for Louis Vuitton in 1990 after a chance encounter with a Tanzania based Brit who dreamed of a desk to observe his captive-bred lion cubs that could ‘be folded up in the back of a Jeep’. It is being reissued in 2012 as part of this limited collection.

Internationally acclaimed designers Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby founded their studio in 1996 after graduating with Master’s degrees in Architecture from The Royal College of Art in London. Most recently being responsible for the design for the Olympic torch, their work is held in permanent collections around the world including the V&A Museum, London; the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York and the Design Museum, London. Their beautiful glass bell lamp for the collection exhibits simple lines and shape, and when encased in the nomade leather carry case demonstrates how design can celebrate the traditional in a modern way.

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for Louis Vuitton appeared first on Dezeen.