Enlighten outerwear with a coat rack-slash-lamp inspired by the Middle Ages
Tabard, an illuminated coat rack, makes retro-Middle Ages inspiration relevant with a completely new function and contemporary look. Conceived by veteran industrial designer Denis Santachiara for the experimental Italian lighting company Pallucco, Tabard (a short overcoat worn by knights) subtly recalls Europe’s days of monarchs and maidens with irony and light. The rigid shell covers a traditional coat rack, protecting the garments while emitting a substantial amount of light.
Tabard is available in two versions, a wall light or floor lamp, which consists of two shells joined together. To see more of how the Tabard works, check out the video.
As design’s savviest scour the streets of New York City this weekend in search of the best in global design, they may also spot white sticker silhouettes of iconic objects. Called Object Hunt, the city-wide initiative comes from a group of design sites (yours truly included) who teamed up to make and distribute the stickers, awarding one lucky person who twitters a picture with the hash tag #objecthunt with a two-night stay at The Standard L.A., a Dwell on Design home tour, and an Eero Aarnio toy puppy. Multiple entries are welcome but each entry must be for a different found sticker and the contest runs through 18 May 2010. And, for one more twitterer who finds and tweets one of our bugs, we’ll hook them up with a shiny new iPad enclosed in one of the custom cases we made with Speck.
As evident at the latest Salone del Mobile, Spanish design is becoming increasingly known for turning simple objects into playfully clean shapes suitable for any environment. Below, check out our favorites from the show.
With nearly 50 years of design under their belt, Expormim continues to explore multipurpose furniture with two new inspiring collections. Nieves Contreras‘ Out_line Collection and Javier Pastor’s black and white Nido line work beautifully both indoors and out with their metal framework and airy compositions.
Celebrating its 10th year on the market, Andreu World revisited the classics with the new padded Nanda Comfort Chair by Lievore Altherr Molina Studio, debuting in both leather and fabric versions in Milan.
Lievore, Altherr and Molina also designed the beautiful Woody chair, where new proportions come alive in oak wood.
Once again, the Spanish carpet industry is rich with beautiful surprises. Patricia Urquiola‘s all natural rugs for Gan by Gandia Blasco recently received the Red Dot Design Award for their outstanding quality and innovative design.
Nanimarquina confirmed its aptitude for innovation with the pixilated Digit rug by Cristian Zuzunaga. The vibrant designs add texture and color with their optical patterns, which change in appearance depending on the lighting or time of day.
At Sellex, Mario RuÍz designed the sleek Bildu, a seating system made of a steel structure with inserts of wood and padded fabric.
Jesús Gasca’s Laclásica prototype is remarkable since the concept of the stacking chair is rarely applied to a wooden piece. It’s slated to go into production this September at Stua.
Madrid’s DesigM presented young and experimental designs, like Embalando Lujo’s furniture for Dapefe. The concept takes different styles of old-fashioned furniture, transforming it into a game where the pieces interact with the user for virtually unlimited possiblities.
Love Story by Colectivo Empanadilla makes light of romance with its clever heart-shaped base that turns a candle into a table piece.
An exhibition of old and new projects reimagined as totally black icons, Kartell‘s “Welcome Black” exhibition at Fiera District in Milan stands out in contrast to their reputation for strong, shiny color palettes, but proves their mastery over every shade of the spectrum.
Among the new products, the Masters chair by Starck Design is an interesting exercise. The shape of the chair was created by mixing the profiles of three famous chairs from Jacobsen, Saarinen and Eames.
Starck also collaborated with Eugeni Quitllet on “The Magic Hole” (pictured above)—a seat built for the outdoors with a curious hole meant to hold newspapers or other objects.
Piero Lissoni‘s latest venture marks Kartell’s first metallic product. The Audrey is a chair with a wholly die-cast aluminum frame designed with several color and material options. The seat and back can be plastic, woven or upholstered, while the frame comes in aluminum with either a shiny, satin or colored (white or black) finish, and it’s available with or without arms.
With Milan Design Week 2010 barely underway, Mad Agency set the bar high with their celebration of Mark Newson‘s fourth collaboration with champagne house Dom Pérignon at their brand-new Mad House in the heart of Milan’s hip Isola neighborhood. A polycarbonate container, Black Box houses a bottle of Dom Pérignon Vintage 2000, while keeping it cold for hours, even on the move. The sleek design proves essential for any luxe traveler or serves as a beautifully futuristic sculpture for the home.
Black Box will sell during Design Week at Dom Pérignon’s temporary shop as well as selected retailers around Milan, such as Antonia, Triennale Design Cafè, Wok, Spazio Santerasmo and The Special for a suggested price of €220.—Paolo Ferrarini
Dom Pérignon Black Box Temporary Shop
Via Lepontina, 8
9-15 April 2010
This year’s installations at the Salone promise to be highly interactive and engaging and the Foscarini event stands out as one of the peak examples. Visitors will enjoy two different experiences in two separate contexts.
The first, designed by Vicente Garcia Jimenez, features video installations by Massimo Gardone and Fabio Bressan and original music by Francesco Morosini. The second introduces the new elements of the Foscarini collection in a 3D setting. The experience, simultaneously immaterial and physical, drives guests to discover the accuracy and poetry of details, sounds, materials and designs. Check out the above video to get a sense of the immersive environment. At the end of the tunnel, the the new items in the 2010 collection–the Troag, Aplomb, Tua, Bahia and LumiereXXS—greet visitors.—PF
A consistent can’t miss, Designersblock is always one of the hottest hubs of activity away from the main exhibition site.
The brainchild of Piers Robers and Rory Dodd, Designersblock pioneered the off-schedule design shows, and continues to approach each exhibition afresh and encourages an ensemble approach. The results often inspire an active debate and dialogue surrounding the designs.
This year Designersblock joins Zona Isola, a new network of venues in Milan that will unite designers from all corners of the globe, including Sweden’s Johan Lindstèn and his nostalgic tapestry chairs, and the imaginative Paul Hendrikx who have vows never to make a dull item. Toby House will bring his playful work, while Sophie Hedderwick will undoubtedly display her bright neon pieces in a dark corner. A micro-trend looks set to emerge from the likes of Vesna Pejovic and Henry Ellis, with their tactile and durable metal treatments.
Also interested in processes, this year Designersblock invited a group of designers to explore traditional artisanal manufacturing techniques in a project called Bodging, the results of which will also be on display.—Richard Prime
Filling the rustically chic streets of Milan once again, design’s fervent crowd of aficionados will gather next week for the annual Salone Internazionale del Mobile—a showcase of 2010’s best in furniture and design wares.
Only a few days remain before the festivities begin, and to prepare we’ve highlighted a few of the shows we’re anticipating the most in two parts.
Dutch design always has something interesting to offer both visually and conceptually, and the innovative Weltevree is no exception. This year the product design company stretches its legs with a large-scale exhibition, bringing with it a range of stimulating and thoughtful designs. Combining carefree playfulness with high level intellect, look out for the cute Tilestove by Dick Van Hoff and the incredible Dutchtub from Floris Schoonderbeek. (pictured above) Via Cletto Arrighi 16, Milan
A collective show organized by Svensk Form, the Swedish society of craft and design, will once again represent Swedish design. Entitled “Swedish Love Stories,” this year visitors can soak up the work of Thomas Bernstrand, who lances his strong conceptual work with cheeky humor. (pictured above and top left) Contrasting with the relatively young Bernstrand, Gärsnäs, has been making top quality furniture since 1893. (See the green “Citi” chair by Ralf Lindberg, pictured top, and Nina Jobs’ quilted chair in the slide show below.) New talent juxtaposed with the heritage of Swedish design creates an interesting tension at this year’s Swedish exhibition. The show also examines the influence of the Dalarna region and the impact of its historical and natural heritage. Superstudiopiu, Via Tortona 54, Milan
After the successful launch last year, colorful French design company Moustache (pictured above) return to Milan for its “difficult second collection.” Hopefully, if last year’s efforts are anything to go by, it will be more of the same pop colors and more compelling pieces from this extroverted brand. Superstudiopiu, Via Tortona 54, Milan
Discouraged by the bulk and complex origami of the traditional street map, industrial designer Emanuele Pizzolorusso created the malleable Crumpled City Map. Printed on Tyvek® and designed to fit into a small bag, this clever reinvention rids travelers of awkward large-scale city maps.
The durable Dupont™ Tyvek® material leads to a waterproof map that easily crumples to fit into the palm of a hand and can be quickly referenced in any climate.
Currently in production, Pizzolorusso hopes to release the maps soon, which will include London, Paris, New York, Tokyo and Berlin. See his website for more information.
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