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I’m going to kick off this round of five favorites with an ultimately satisfying highlight reel of lettering artist Rachel Joy filling in the lines of her optimistic message in near perfect detail. I think I’ve watched the clip 10x already now, rewarded with each and every view of her skills applying acrylic markers onto canvas. Extra points for a favorite Chaka Khan track accompanying her flow.
I’ve always been enamored how our brains can perceive the illusion of three dimensional shapes and spaces from certain arrangements of two dimensional forms. Understanding what our eyes see and how it is interpreted by our brain is a wondrous reminder the world we deem to perceive isn’t necessarily the world as it really exists. In similar spirit designer Luiza Guidi’s illuminated sculptures offer the framework of space, light, shadow, and movement – the epitome of a mood light, by way of inspiration from the works of architects Luis Barragán and Tadao Ando.
Sure, I glance at my iPhone or Apple Watch while out on-the-go when I need to figure whether I’ve got a minute to spare. But at home I’ve strewn several wall and table clocks throughout to keep abreast of the time. The last thing I need is yet another screen. My personal preference is for analog time pieces. With their soothing seconds to minute metronome, the operate as a sort of a subtle heartbeat of the home.
The Punkt AC02’s Bauhaus-inspired design is subtly satisfying in form (love the sliver of light blue across one of the hands) and is designed to be a bedside alarm clock, and near impossible to tip over unlike plastic counterparts. In my case the AC02 is sitting in front of me as a desk-side companion, always there to remind me it’s time to eat lunch or finally log-off with nary a notification sound.
While perusing House of Spoils collection of photographic art prints – a selection strongly emphasizes people, automobiles, and the natural landscape – it was the vacant architectural patterns captured by photographer and professor of design Danny Franzreb that stopped me in mid-scroll. From several cropped perspectives, the balconies adorning the verticalities of the Spanish city of Benidorm – the city claiming the highest density of high-rise buildings per capita in the world – take on a surreal pattern representative of pandemic times within the context of an urbanist landscape. I imagine all three photos displayed as a triptych would really heighten the hauntingly desolate feeling.
Designer David Umemoto’s LEGO plans are derived/inspired by Danish polymath Piet Hein’s puzzling Soma cube, but there’s more than a tinge of Ricardo Bofill and Escher-esque architecture (or for the younger gaming set, the feeling of the impossible architecture of the puzzle game, Monument Valley) instilled into these puzzling plans. It’s like a grown-up architecture nerd’s version of a Rubik’s Cube.
Every other week we’re inviting one of the Design Milk team to share five personal favorites – an opportunity for each of us to reveal the sort of designs we use and appreciate in our own lives from a more personal perspective. Editor-in-Chief Caroline Williamson returns this week for our Take 5 series.
I admit, I’ve long been on the miniature loving train. How can you not fall for teeny tiny objects made with such detail? So when this landed in my inbox, I had to share! British miniature artist Nadia Michaux created the world’s smallest sub – 12x smaller than a regular Subway® Footlong – at just 2.2cm (less than 1 inch). The design is a clay replica of the new Footlong Teriyaki Steak Sub that’s been added to the sandwich chain’s new Japanese-inspired menu. She even nailed the exact colors by mixing clay colors, firing them, and then making necessary adjustments to get it right – a laborious task. Bottom line, it fascinates me.
Louis Vuitton® recently released their 2nd collaboration with Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama and to celebrate they launched several exhibitions to pay homage to her and her iconic dots. Each immersive, and most definitely Instagrammable, exhibition had a different look, including Harrod’s in London donning colorful dots both inside and out and complete with a human-looking Kusama robot, while the Tokyo pop-up was a yellow-dotted dream with a larger-than-life Kusama sculpture in the middle. Wish I could visit them in person!
For some reason, I’ve been really gravitating towards home furnishings in the color lavender lately. If you look around, you’ll notice lavender goods popping up more and I’m loving it… except when it’s paired with other pastels and the palette all of a sudden looks like Easter. Instead, my eyes lean towards more dramatic pairings, like these two tables in lavender and electric red. It’s shocking but delightful!
I’ve had a life-long obsession with Polaroid and I love when they release anything new – cameras or film. And when they launch a collection with one of my favorite musicians of all time, I’m sold. Available in packs of 10, the David Bowie Edition film features 10 unique frame designs that reference his iconic album art and imagery, allowing you to make your own art alongside Bowie’s (even though we have to accept the fact that none us will ever be that cool).
I’ve been intrigued by this piece by Elias Sime, part of a recently opened exhibition titled Tightrope: Behind the Processor. Sime uses recycled electronic components – keyboards, circuits, wires, and various other e-waste – that he braids and layers together to form abstract art, like this massive piece that spans 99-5/8″ x 157-1/2″. From far away, it almost looks like a landscape, like the view looking down while flying on a plane, but closeup, you see all the intricate braiding and weaving of the different components.
“The ONSEN collection is very simple and blends well with diverse architectural spaces. We developed it with the intention of transmitting calm, like Japanese architecture. We are inspired by rationality, by geometry, and elemental shapes that do not need heavy ornamentation,” said designers Francesco Meda and David Quincoces.
When Wallpaper* announced their 2023 Design Awards winners, Gandiablasco’s ONSEN came out on top in the “Best Outdoor Lounge” category. The iconic collection is lightweight, practical, and cozy – all things Wallpaper* considers when choosing ideal outdoor furniture. Smart decisions were made throughout the series’ design that features calm, clean, refined lines borrowed from elements of Japanese architecture.
ONSEN’s materials are chosen just as carefully, with efforts taken to maintain their natural properties. The structure of each piece is constructed from uncoated stainless-steel tubes, with the rest of the design employing repetitive vinyl straps resembling leather. Highly resistant and functional, the collection wraps up with two low coffee tables using the same steel. For their surfaces there’s a choice between thermos-lacquered aluminum – Gandiablasco’s flagship material – or iroko wood slats.
Onsen Lounge Chair
Onsen Lounge Chair
Onsen Lounge Chair
Onsen Sectional Sofa 4
Onsen Sectional Sofa 4
Onsen Sectional Sofa 2
Onsen 2-Seat Sofa
Onsen Coffee Table 153
Onsen Coffee Table 76
Onsen Coffee Table
To learn more about Onsen, visit gandiablasco.com.
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