Tag: design

Good desks, great home offices

If you want ideas on desks and home offices, you’ve come to the right place. I’ve written about them a lot over the many years I’ve had my blog. To see what I mean, click here. What can I say: other than your bed, your desk is the piece of furniture you use the most. You might as well have a good one. I felt that way during the pandemic, but it is no less true even as people RTO (return to the office).

If you need more inspiration on good desks and good workstations, check out this piece in the New York Times on their favourite home offices. You’ll find plenty of inspiring places to work with great desks at the center of them.

(Images via links to the New York Times piece.)

New analog cameras in a digital world

It feels odd to write about analog cameras these days. They seem old fashioned and out of date to someone like me. Perhaps that’s why young people embrace them. If you too would like to embrace them (or at least know more about them), Yanko Design has two recent articles you might want to check out:

  1. a translucent analog camera (very 90s)
  2. a tiny retro camera from Kodak

Kodak even has a translucent one in their mix, because why not.

Do they take good photos? I guess “good” is in the eye of the beholder/photographer. Still, worth a look.

Souped up IKEA (or how to hack the Malm, Billy and more)

If you are a frustrated furniture maker like myself, you might want to see what you can make by hacking some IKEA furniture. It’s not the same as getting out the circular saw and cutting your own boards, but it is a good way to combine traditional IKEA pieces with additional material to make something unique for you. Case in point, the raised bed above: made from IKEA without looking like IKEA.

If you need some inspiration, here’s two pieces on the topic: the best IKEA hacks of 2021 and the 10 most hacked IKEA products. Need more inpiration? Check out IKEAhackers.net. Good luck!

 

 

Design that is neither digital nor minimal

In an age when the default design approach for devices tends towards minimal and digital, it’s great to see devices that go in a different direction. Take this device:

If it weren’t for the dial, you might have a hard time determining it is a very fun FM radio. I love it. It reminds me of Italian design from the 1980s.

Or take this analog device:

It’s a brilliant way to know the weather outside! I highly recommend you go here to really get a sense of well it is designed and all it can do.

Check out the link for the radio as well. It’s also innovative in it’s design.

The Withings smart watches, for people who want their watch to look like one

While I am a big fan of the Apple Watch, I know some people are put off by the look of it. If you are one of those people, then consider the Withings ScanWatch 2. It’s a good alternative for those of you who want a smart watch that has a more traditional look to it.

Even though it looks traditional, it seem it can do all the health monitoring of an Apple Watch as well. Plus, it has a long battery life and it comes in different materials and colors and has a variety of bands. Nice.

If you need a less expensive version, Withings has a variety of watches at different price points. Lots of  other smart products, too. Check it all out, here, on their online Store.

P.S. It’s interesting how closely the product page for the watch resembles an Apple Product page. I’m sure that’s no accident.

 

Three fantastic chairs

I love each of these chairs: one all metal, one all wood, and one a composite of both. All very stylish and elegant.

First up, is the PolarisGo Limited-Edition Chair:

Next up is this plywood chair from Nathan Martell Studio (same chair, but three different colours):

Finally, one from my favourite designer, Philippe Starck:

Each of them is as sculptural as it is practical.

For more on the chairs, go here, here, and here.

Art Deco turns 100


Art Deco turns 100 this year, and Wallpaper celebrates it by highlighting some art deco buildings around the world in this piece.

All those art deco buildings are great, but for me, the Chrysler Building in New York is still the greatest. CNN has a fine feature on it, here. (More material on this New York City masterpiece, here.)

I highly recommend you check out both the Wallpaper and the CNN piece not just for the excellent photos, but for the in depth histories of the art deco era and the buildings that era produced.

(Image of the Dellit theatre in Australia is from the Wallpaper piece.)

Can you live in a 74 square foot apartment?

Well if you are these two architects who designed a tiny apartment in Rotterdam that’s only 74 square feet, then…maybe?

I dunno. It is impressive how the whole room expands and stores away depending on how you configure it. And as an experiment, I think it is impressive. Is it practical? Of course not. But it is well worth checking out, especially if you are a fan of small spaces like I am.

In praise of teenage engineering

How great is Teenage Engineering? Let me count the ways. Or devices. In this case, three very special devices designed by them.

Device #1: the play.date

First up is the Playdate, a unique game playing device with a black and white screen and a crank. Is it any good? It is according to this: Playdate, all it’s cranked up to be (The Verge). You can read more about it, here:playdate – teenage engineering.


Device #2: Rabbit R1

For the second device, there is a chance you’ve heard of the rabbit, “ a pocket companion that moves AI from words to action”. I have one and I like it. Is it good AI? Yes. Is it brilliant design? Definitely.

If you’ve only ever read disparaging things about the device, then read this: Rabbit R1 Explained: What This Tiny AI Gadget Actually Does (CNET) and this:I just spent my first day with the Rabbit R1 — here’s what this AI gadget can do | Tom’s Guide.

Device #3: the EP–1320 medieval.

finally for the third device, you might exclaim, what is that?? Well let the folks from Wallpaper explain: Teenage Engineering EP-1320 Medieval: back to the Middle Ages.

What I love about the 3rd device is a) who knows what kind of market there is for this if any, and b) they don’t care, they made it anyway!

I love how different these devices are from most current handheld devices. The form factor is different, the colors are bold, the inputs are unique. They are small pieces of equipment, but they are not minimalistic pieces of equipment. I love them.

For more of teenage engineering’s great products, go here. For the longest time I wanted to have something from them, but most of their musical devices would be wasted on someone as non-musical as me. (Although if I ever get around to building my own computer, I am getting this:)

Ikea collaborates with gamers and more

Ikea often collaborates with others to come up with home furnishing a bit outside their usual stuff. For example, this collab in the area of  gaming furniture (seen above). Or this partnering between them and Japanese designer Hiroko Takahashi. They have worked with Marimekko too.

Not a collaboration, but if you into pet furniture and a fan of Ikea, you’ll want to check this out. And speaking of pet furniture, imagine combining a dog bed with a desk — that’s what you’ll find here.

Philippe Starck reaches for a new design tool: A.I.


According to the site, Design-Milk, Philippe Starck is working with Kartell to use A.I. in the design of furniture:

Known as a progressive Italian brand that doesn’t shy away from experimentation and innovation, Kartell is becoming increasingly daring as their endeavors expand. At the moment, that means stepping into the world of artificial intelligence. In collaboration with Philippe Starck, they’ve released environmentally friendly furniture designs that merge human creativity with AI, bolstered by advancements in materials and manufacturing.

In case you are worried about them replacing designers, the site goes on to say:

Rather than replace the designer – a huge fear amongst creatives – artificial intelligence helps streamline the prototyping and planning phases, sticking to Starck’s vision and ensuring Kartell’s high quality and production standards are met. In this case, AI also contributes to calculating optimal material usage, a reduction in waste, and ultimately environmental sustainability.

Good to see! Speaking of good to see, you can see more of the furniture on the Design-Milk site, as well as the Kartell site.

For fans of tiny homes….

We here at this blog have always been fans of tiny homes and have written about them often.

It turns out the New York Times are fans as well, and have a section of their web site devoted to them called living small.

Some of them are quite grand, like the one above. And others are simpler, like the one below. They’re all great in their smallness.

Check them out. Even if you prefer larger accommodations, I think you’ll like them.

IKEA is expanding (their product lines)

It seems like IKEA is making forays into things other than furniture these days. For example, here’s a story on their smart home monitoring products. Here’s another piece on the exercise equipment they have.They’re even repurposing their old uniforms into a new lifestyle collection (see photo above). That’s all great to see.

I knew how they were doing things like air purifiers and small speakers. I’m glad they continue to offer new things for the home besides furniture. Kudos to them.

P.S. These aren’t IKEA, but they are cool desks for people that like IKEA products. Worth a look.

 

 

Philippe Starck: industrial designer

While I do love Philippe Starck for his designs both personal and furniture,  I also admire his work with regards to industrial design. Take the Hydrogen refueling station he created above. Yanko Design has the details:

In the latest venture with HRS (leading European manufacturer of hydrogen stations), Starck has created one of the most striking hydrogen refueling stations you would come across. Dubbed HRS by Starck, the prototype of the refueling station is currently on show at the COP28 climate summit at Expo City Dubai. Being a part of the Green Zone hub (dedicated to decarbonization and energy transition) the creation leverages HRS’s high-capacity refueling prowess and Philippe’s innovation to make possible such a resourceful collaboration.

Amplifying the core idea of clean fuel transition, the fuelling station takes an almost invisible form, just like Hydrogen which is inherently a colorless, clean gas. The fuelling station is made out of polished reflective steel material, as Philippe envisioned it in his mind to have the essence of disappearance. From the very beginning, Starck was crystal clear about the form of the HRS by Starck hydrogen refueling station. This smart-looking device mimics the character of disappearance, dissolving from the viewers’ eyesight, only to reflect the surroundings.

Very cool. Now I underlined the word prototype because who knows if these will be rolled out. I’m hoping they will.

Here’s to better industrial design everywhere. Starting with these.

A magic table you can use for Thanksgiving and other holidays

Over at Yanko Design is a story on a table that can go from this:

to this:

If not magical then certainly amazing. Sure you need a space to expand into, but anyone who has to host larger gatherings on the regular and has the space should check it out.

And to all my American friends, happy Thanksgiving!

We need more eco-friendly design

In my mind, there is not enough eco-friendly design out there, and there should be. It can be a great way to recycle and reuse.

Case in point, the stools above, which are made of plastic and fiber-based waste. Or these concept shoes below that are made of sugar derived from plant waste and microbes which is then turned into nanocellulose as a material.

For more on the topic, I owe it to myself to go through all these Eco-Friendly designs over at Yanko Design. I recommend you do too.

Starck + Perrier: two good things that go together well

Glad to see that Perrier has come out with a new and cool bottle done by my favorite designer, Philippe Starck. Vive la France!

Sadly this will not be in Canada. I need to find a way to get a bottle. Perrier, if you are listening… (Just kidding, this is 2023. Now if it was 2009…. :))

You can read more about it here at UnCrate and the Perrier site.

 

Minimalist desks to meet your minimalist needs

As we move to living in smaller places as well as working from home, minimalist desks can be the solution we need to get things done. For example, this ignite desk that separates work and personal life in a simple yet effective way:

Very nice. Or how about these sleek desks designed to perfectly meet your work from home needs declutter your workspace:

Love the wood. Need more? Here’s  10 desk designs every workaholic needs to amp up their productivity, including this one from teenage engineering:

Awesome.

We all need a good surface to work from. Sometimes that surface doesn’t have to be very big. These desks prove it.

All images and links from Yanko Design. If you are in need of a minimalist desk, check them out.

 

Why do we have only one phone?

Why do we have only one phone? In truth, many of us have many phones: we just use one at a time. But why?

I was asking myself this question when I was reading about this sensible foldable phone with minimalist + clock mode is digital detox done right from Yanko Design. I would like to have this phone as well as my iPhone. When I get home I could ditch the Apple device and just use something like this device to stay up to date with important information.

The clue to the answer is the photo below:

We are tied to two things when it comes to our phone: the carrier and the device maker. Device makers don’t allow you to easily have two or three phones and transfer the SIM from one to the other. And carriers don’t support have multiple devices with the same SIM.

Sure, you can have phones just using wireless to get and send information. That’s something. But it would be great if you could have multiple devices using the same connection to get and send data. Some day, perhaps.

Desks for people who live in small spaces and/or like Transformers

In these days of working from home in small spaces, we could use ideas for desks and workstations that can meet our needs.  Here’s five such desks that fill the bill:

This first workstation is amazing. It’s a gym! It’s a desk. It’s storage. It’s a space saving work and workout setup designed to keep your mind and body healthy. I thought this was especially cool.

For those more inclined to use their desks to lie down than workout, this hybrid couch /  desk could be just what you need.

For people really short on space, this easily concealable home office addresses productivity woes in style by transforming into furniture by night. I like it.

In a similar vein, this slim wall cabinet opens into a sleek modern functional workspace.

Finally, this multifunctional desk features entertainment and work modules to help you switch off from work mode:

I love them all.

 

Beautiful brutalism at home in Rome

 

 

For some, the word “brutalism” does not go with the words “beautiful” or “home”. For those, i recommend the page to visit is this: Raw and Refined: Inside a Renovated Brutalist Apartment in Rome. It’s full of photos (like the one above) showing just how brutalism can be home-y and beautiful. I think this sums it up:

Paired with the original Brutalist details are a variety of tones, textures, and materials that add up to a visually enticing space. The roughness of the terracotta tiles on the oval island and concrete pillars are juxtaposed with the smooth Patagonia marble countertops that connect the two.

For me brutalism is at its best when it pairs up with other design elements. Brutalism left to its concrete self is unappealing to me. But put it together with nature or marble or fabric or something other than itself and I think it really shines. It certainly does in that Roman apartment.

Work outside kinda! The desk/office leaves the building


I love a good place to work. While for many those are found within the home or in an office space, there are some found in neither.

Case in point is this very cool portable affordable micro office that can be placed in your backyard or out in public (above). It can go inside, but it works great in a backyard or an office patio.

Now if you want to get out of the house because it is making you claustrophobic, you can work outside all year long with this unit (below).

It looks like a shed in that photo, but if you click through, you can see just how attractive and unshed like it is.

Finally, if you yearn for something really deluxe, then  these 3d printed pods that are sustainable personal offices that you can subscribe to just like netflix might be just the thing you need (below).

All three links have plenty of additional detail on these great person workspaces. Check em out.

Cool and colorful furniture


The colorful can be found here, IKEA Nytillverkad Collection Delves Into the Archives in Colorful Fashion at the site Design Milk, while the cool can be found here: top ten minimal furniture design at Yanko.

If you want to jazz up your place, then that collection from IKEA will do it. On the other hand, if you yearn from simple pieces like this below, then head over to that link on Yanko.

Two very different sets of home furnishings, but both being well done.

Pull up a chair. Make it into a sofa. Make it comfy, even.

I love me some Yanko Design. But I have looked at these five different chairs for unwinding after a long day at work and I have to say, I dunno. I mean, these chairs are cool:

But I would have to sit in them before deciding it was comfy.

As for this:

Well, it looks great. But comfy? I can’t imagine.

Let’s check out Design Milk and this easy chair that can turn into a bed or a sofa:

Yep, it looks more comfy. Good colors too.

The latest and greatest from Teenage Engineering: the CM-15 mic

Fans of Teenage Engineering and their designs might be interested in their new CM-15 microphone seen in the photo above. Is it expensive? Yes. Is it cool and well designed? Also yes.

These two links from Uncrate and design-milk have more details on it. Audiophiles will especially want to take a look.

I just love all the things they make, and wish I were musical enough to really appreciate them.

On Karl Lagerfeld now (thinking about difficult people)

I’ve written about Karl Lagerfeld often on this blog. In the past I found much to admire about him: his drive, his levels of energy, his capability to go in different directions, his ability to change mentally and physically. He was also quite the wit, as can be seen here and  here, and I admired that too.

Not everyone feels this way, however. The Guardian gives you a sense of that here. The New York Times calls Lagerfeld a “firehose of offense”, and they are not wrong. His disparaging remarks about any woman he considered “fat” are infamous. Over at hyperallergic they open their own firehose of criticism back at Karl. Not my approach, but again, some (not all) of what they related is true.

Despite all that, Lagerfeld still has allies. Like Anna Wintour, a friend who thought highly of him. It’s not a fluke he was the focus of the recent Met Gala, run by Wintour. And anyone who cares for fashion and design that flipped through this retrospective the Tines did of his work at  Chanel, Fendi, H&M would agree just how influential and powerful his work was.

So what to do with difficult people? I often think the best way to think and talk about them is like this. Instead of saying “I admire Mr/Ms X”,  I try to say, “There are things I admire about Mr/Ms X” or “I admire anyone who can do Y”. That is the case when it comes to me and Karl Lagerfeld now. There are things I admire about Lagerfeld. And I admire anyone who can do some of the things he achieved.

Like any famous person, Karl Lagerfeld is not my friend, my foe, or even a member of my family. I don’t have to accept or reject him unconditionally. You don’t have to either.

P.S. All this was driven by the recent Met Gala. Here’s more from the New York Times on this year’s event, which was based around Lagerfeld. Also here’s a look back at the Met Gala’s red carpet shenanigans from the last decade.

Besides being a famous fashion designer, he is also well known for the Karl Lagerfeld diet. You can read more about that here and here and  here and here.

A good collaboration: Ikea and Marimekko

I love this: Ikea and Marimekko have teamed up to create a collection of home goods at affordable prices that are also beautiful. They range in prices from this low cost bag at $2:

To this lovely side table with a tray for $79:

They even have clothing, like this robe for $40:

Amazing. Over at Chatelaine they have their 15 favorite from The Ikea Marimekko Bastua Collection. The three seen here were plucked from their list. Go to Chatelaine for more. Go check it out.

What’s better than a well made chair? How about one that’s made sustainably?

Yeah, the Sova Lounge chair is ergonomic and comfortable, but it’s also made from sustainably sourced wood. Oh it’s also gorgeous.

At some point most if not all the things we buy will be made from sustainably sourced material. As it should be. Here’s to more things like the Sova.

For more on this beautiful and smart chair, head over to Yanko Design for more.

 

 

A quick peek on what Philippe Starck is up to

If you love the work of Philippe Starck as much as I, then I recommend you head over to Uncreate and search on his name (or click here). It turns out he’s still doing cool stuff. Not surprising.

For example, this is cool: B&B Italia x Philippe Starck Outdoor Sofa. It reminds me of the great furniture he did for hotels like the Royalton in the 80s:

And this LaCie Blade Runner Hard Drive reminded me of how at the names of his older furniture often were borrowed from Philip K. Dick novels:

Love it! I wish I could find one of those hard drives. They look awesome.

Speaking of awesome looking, check out this, the Aeklys by Starck Payment Ring:

Finally these Phillippe Starck Log Knives are very gift worthy:

Nice to see one of my favorite designers is still creative, and creative in many different ways.

Two good pieces on two good pieces from IKEA

 

Here’s a good piece on how the ubiquitous IKEA Råskog trolley (seen above) has become famous as the TBR (to be read) cart on social media. Move over bedside table: IKEA is bringing on competition.

That trolley is old and good. What’s new and good from IKEA is the  VINDSTYRKA smart sensor (seen below) which monitors air quality inside your home:

It’s interesting that IKEA continue to make forays into home devices that are not necessarily furniture (e.g., home speakers). I for one am here for that.

Not your average bungalow! Here’s the top 10 cabins to get away to

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Over at Yanko Design are 10 of the cabins they chose as the best for 2022. Best for 2022, and 2023…really any year you want to get out of town and into some place nice and rustic.

Whatever the season, wherever the location, these places are the kind of places most people would like to spend some time. I’m more of a city person, but I would be happy to hang out in any of those 10 cabins.

what you see in this post is just two of the places they write about. To see more on these top 10, click here.

Rethinking minimalist decor and what it looks like

When I think of minimalist decor, I often think of rooms like this:

It’s beautiful, but it has a show room quality to me. It looks like a room one passes through, instead of lives in.

So I was pleased that in this list of top 10 minimalist projects for 2022 from Design-Milk.com, there were also rooms like this one:

And an addition like this one:

Indeed there were a number of projects that still had the qualities I associate with minimalism but also felt like places you would want to reside in, instead of look at and admire. It showed me that you can still aspire to a more pared back living space, but still have it livable.

To see the entire list, click here. Minimalism can be good!

It’s a new year. You need new desktop wallpaper for your computer


If you feel stuck, just a small change in your environment can make a difference in freeing you up mentally. Changing your desktop wallpaper is just such a change.

If you agree, I recommend you go to Design Milk and see what they have to offer in wallpapers. Each month they have a designer publish a new image for you to download and out upon your background. Needless to say, they are very well done.

Maybe new wallpaper won’t inspire you to do great things in 2023. But it can’t hurt! Give it a shot.

Ideas on furnishing and living in small spaces in the future

I suspect that living in smaller and smaller spaces is going to be the rule rather than the exception, as more people move to expensive cities. I think if that’s true, we need to think about how such spaces should be furnished.

Traditional furniture assumes a certain amount of room to move about. Those assumptions need to be challenged.

For example, this piece envisions a massive piece of furniture that combines a bed, storage and seating area into one (see below):

Or take this piece, which imagines everything within reach (see below):

I know, it’s not for everyone. But it may be the way things are going for many urban dwellers.

As I get older I get more attuned to this way of thinking: Why I Don’t Want a Bigger Home – Benefits of Small Space Living. Maybe in the near future we will all have smaller personal spaces and larger and more varied public spaces.  If so, we will need different furnishings to accommodate this.

P.S. The links have many more images showing how these pieces of furniture look. Worth checking out.

Cool furniture for cool people like you

I love the site Yanko Design. They highlight some amazing designs, especially when it comes to furniture. Here’s some of the ones I’ve been collecting from them that I thought were really good.

First up, I thought this was a cool chair. It reminds me of the old telephone tables people used to one have.

Something that would go really well with it is this very cool coffee table.

If you want to get something really amazing for your walls, I would suggest this beautiful but  very high end (Raf Simons) shaker furnishing. Or this thing: an odd device to help you relax. It’s hard to describe: you really have to go to the piece.

I love that crazy but beautiful shelving you see above. It’s incredibly modular, too. Over at Yanko Design they have a variety of configurations showing what you can do with it. Quite a lot!

P.S. This is not Yanko but good if you are interested in 4k TVs . Hey, TVs are furniture. 🙂 Finally, this from the New York Times: Have You Seen This Table Lamp? If You Eat Out in New York You Will. It’s a cool lamp. Good for restos, but good for you too.

Cameras aren’t dead yet. Here are four fun ones.

First up, this may be the only Leica camera most can afford, and then it is still around $1700: Leica D-Lux 7 Vans x Ray Barbee Camera.

To see what I mean, check out the Leica M-A Titan Camera… it costs around $20,000. And while that is extreme, it is closer to the median than the d-Lux 7.

Maybe you need this Pixy Selfie Drone  to follow you around and take selfies all day. Your own paparazzi!

Or perhaps you just want a new webcam. This one, Opal C1 Webcam | Uncrate, will set you back around $300.

Thanks to Uncrate.com for all these. Still one of my favourite sites for all things cool and wonderful.