Hasta La Ideas

The faceted forms of these 3D-printed wireframe bowls and vessels by French designer Michaël Malapert are inspired by the Japanese art of origami.

The bowl, plate, vase, candle holder and desktop container are based on archetypal forms, which are subjected to a digital process that turns the surfaces into faceted shapes.

Malapert said the folded paper forms produced by experts in origami influenced the angular geometry of the designs, which are reduced to a structural outline.

“[The] Dark Side creations are inspired by numerical modelling softwares reinterpreting and focusing on origami know how,” explained Malapert. “Only the graphic skeleton of the object is maintained, while the material is reduced to the minimum.”

The products can be used as containers, lanterns or ornamental centrepieces.

They are printed by laser sintering, where a polyamide powder is scattered then fixed with a laser one layer at a time. They can be ordered in red, yellow, green, blue, black and white.

Dark Side is the second collection to be launched by Michaël Malapert through his M Family website, where customers can either order the objects to be printed or download a file to print them themselves.

Here’s some more info about the Dark Side collection and the M Family label:

Dark Side collection

Michaël Malapert launches a second collection based on the shape of the object and explore a new functional vocabulary. 3D printing is now part of our everyday life. In opposition with the first collection, DARK SIDE creations are inspired by numerical modelling softwares reinterpreting and focusing on Origami know how (a traditional Chinese art of paper folding). Only the graphics skeleton of the object is maintained while the material is reduced to maximum.

This collection revisits various typologies of the basketry activity showing the dark side profile of these objects. By proposing DARK SIDE, Michaël Malapert shows that 3D printing allows to produce wired solid structures with delicate curved lines.

The M Family

The M Family is a brand in the form of an Ecommerce website, launched on September 2013 by the French designer Michaël Malapert. This website was announcing a first 3D Printed objects collection called Nature Plugs. Thanks to SCULPTEO’s know how, these objects are proposed with two acquisition options: by purchasing the print file itself or by ordering and receipting of the object already achieved.

This revolution allows everyone to choose colour, material, size of the object and hence its price. Democratic and ecological, this technical production by addition of layers opens a new repertoire of forms to use and produces no waste. As the recent explosion of manufacturers and the rapid development of relay spaces FabLab, communautarian websites offering online download print templates are still missing to this equation. Therein lies the approach of The M Family.

Michaël Malapert

Fell into the pot of design when he was young, Michaël Malapert then turned to interior design and waited patiently for a technological leap justifying the add of objects in the landscape already really saturated of material production. He launches this year The M Family and decided to create a brand of arty objects based on 3D printing and the start of a revolution that overturns and renews the approach to the world of design.

The M Family offers objects between decoration and contemporary art that define interior landscape. These objects interact with their environment. Michaël Malapert does not provide objects with a mechanical function but with an aura that tells a story and offers to our eyes a break to escape. In the coming months, The M Family will open a community aspect on new collections, inviting artists, designers, musicians, cooks, to create or propose one or more objects that have meaning for them, available for download on the website.

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Launched in 2013, Tibro, Sweden-based Offecct Lab released its inaugural piece, the Cape chair by Nendo, garnering many an admirer. This year, it steps up its intentions with a brace…

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British designer Tom Dixon will show his latest range of brass home accessories based on cogs at the Maison&Objet trade fair later this month.

Tom Dixon has designed two collections of brass items for the home. His Cog collection references industrial machine parts and tools.

“As we scour factories worldwide, we find ourselves constantly referring to great British engineering,” said Dixon. “Creating a sense of the tooled and the machined, these pieces are formed in brass-plated solid aluminium.”

The range features candle holders in two sizes, cone and cylinder-shaped tea light holders, different sized trinket boxes, a candelabra and a desk tidy.

Sections of each item have been turned on a lathe to create a diamond-shaped pattern, a process known as knurling, to create a better surface for gripping.

The Arc collection contains a two-piece trivet, a bottle opener and a corkscrew, all created in solid brass using a sand-casting process. Dixon called them “science fiction-inspired futuristic simplicity combined with practical shapes that are easy to use.”

A four-point star can be removed from the centre of the circular trivet so the elements can be used to protect table surfaces from hot or wet cooking utensils.

The bottle opener and corkscrew both have curved tops and embossed edges.

These new products will be exhibited at the Maison&Objet trade fair outside Paris from 24-28 January.

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at Maison&Objet appeared first on Dezeen.

Graduate designer Aaron Dunkerton has developed an expandable clothing airer that unfolds into a star shape to create more space for hanging wet garments (+ slideshow).

Aaron Dunkerton‘s Clothes Horse has 36 arms, 10 more than a conventional airer, and when in use it takes the form of a 12-pointed star.

“The shape of my clothes horse when erect allows for good air circulation around the clothes, which will help them to dry faster,” said the designer.

The piece is made from narrow strips of beach plywood, connected by brushed aluminium rods. Small openings create hooks that allow the structure to be locked into position, or collapsed when not it use.

“When it’s collapsed it is a lot smaller than conventional airers, but when expanded it has more drying arms, as well as having a more interesting form,” Dunkerton told Dezeen.

Dunkerton designed the Clothes Horse as part of a product and furniture design degree at Kingston University. His other projects include a cavity brick fitting that allows endangered birds to nest in new buildings and garden walls.

Here’s a project description from the designer:

Clothes Horse

The dimensions of my clothes horse are 56cm long, 32 wide and 23cm high when it is collapsed so it is much easier to store than a conventional clothes airer which are normally awkward sizes and hard to hide when not in use. When in use its dimensions are 56cm deep, 112cm wide and 112cm tall. The shape of my clothes horse when erect allows for good air circulation around the clothes, which will help them to dry faster.

The design comprises a locking arm which keeps the clothes horse in it collapsed form so that when it is being moved and stored between uses it is easier to carry.

Whilst my design does have a bigger footprint when it is being used, it is much more interesting to look at than normal airers.

It has 36 drying arms which is around 10 more than normal airers. It is made from brushed aluminium rod and beach plywood. The wood is cut using a CNC router. The aluminium rod is threaded at the end and then fastened with domed nuts and washers.

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This clothes hanger by Irish studio Gazel can slide out of the top of a shirt without stretching the neck thanks to its offset handle (+ slideshow).

Gazel designed the Z-shaped Gazelle hanger to make the process of removing clothes from storage quicker and more convenient.

Instead of rising from the centre of the hanger like in traditional models, the handle is shifted to one side as continuation of one of the arms, then folded back on itself to form the hook.

When the garment needs to be taken off, the handle is slid to the other side of the shirt until one corner becomes free from the garment’s shoulder and pokes out of the neck.

The rest of the hanger can then be lifted out through the head hole without stretching the material.

“With this design we’ve tried to bring a flicker of joy to an interaction often seen as mundane or awkward,” Gazel founders Ronan Murphy and Kevin Doherty. “We think that this flicker of joy is actually quite important: it can be the spark for a happier and more fulfilling day in general.”

Hung on a rail, the hanger balances level when loaded with a garment and gently tilts when not is use. The design retains the horizontal bar for storing trousers.

The product will be exhibited at the Home homeware and accessories buying event, taking place at the Earls Court 2 in London from 12 to 14 January 2014.

Read on for more text from the designers:

Gazelle Clothes Hanger by Gazel

The Gazelle Clothes Hanger derives its inspiration from the grace, speed and elegance of the gazelle on the African plains. Designers Ronan and Kevin wanted to turn the cumbersome act of hanging clothes into a one of one simple and enjoyable interaction.

“With this design, we’ve tried to bring a flicker of joy to an interaction often seen as mundane or awkward. We think that this flicker of joy is actually quite important: it can be the spark for a happier and more fulfilling day in general.”

Focusing on the user, they have developed a stunning design with a beautifully integrated handle. This not only makes hanging clothes a simple pleasure, but cares for garments by avoiding stretching at the neck. The hanger balances perfectly on the rail when clothes are on it, and tilts gently to tell you when it’s free.

The result is a beautiful and striking silhouette that glides effortlessly in and out of tops, dresses and buttoned shirts. “Gazelle is our interpretation of style and function in perfect harmony.”

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fits through the neck hole appeared first on Dezeen.