Desktop Wallpaper: July 2023

Austin, Texas-based URBS Studio is joining us for July’s Designer Desktop with a background that’s cool-tempered but energizing. Through her interdisciplinary design studio, Alyson Beaton explores the urban culture that surrounds her. The details and detritus observed all contribute to the whole of the studio’s work: grids, grit, signs, symbols, rhythm, scribbles, weeds, chaos, order, and more. URBS translates these visual tales of urban renewal and environmental sustainability through spaces, textile collections, children’s products, and more. The man-made environments that are part of our everyday lives are constantly evolving in different ways, and most of it’s nothing you or I have control over. But we’ll never tire of seeing creativity rise from the most unexpected of places.

For this month’s Desktop, Beaton shares her Glimmer design inspired by “The glimmer of light that reflects off the glassy buildings when the sun hits just right.” The trippy design is paired with the quote, “While you are looking, you might as well listen, linger, and think about what you see,” from Jane Jacobs.

Download yours with the links below!

DESKTOP: 1024×768 \\\ 1280×1024 \\\ 1680×1050 \\\ 1900×1200 \\\ 2560×1440

MOBILE: iPhone XS \\\ iPhone XS Max \\\ iPad Pro

Learn more about URBS Studio here and follow along on IG here.

View and download past Designer Desktops here.

Swipe Right Into Tinder’s 7-Story West Hollywood Headquarters

Tinder’s new headquarters in West Hollywood, California designed by Rapt Studio could be imagined as a thoughtful response to the transformative changes that have affected the corporate workplace dynamics the last few years. The seven-story, 77,000-square-foot project, handled by the same creative consultancy responsible for developing other creative spaces for the likes of Google, Dropbox, and Vans, is imagined to reestablish the pandemic-frayed ties that bind individuals into creative collaborative teams – and by extension, between the app users they seek to support – designing a multi-level headquarters layered with a multitude of opportunities for collaboration and connection.

Rapt Studio began the project by researching existing public space typologies, from the town square to the speakeasy, that empower a progressive deepening of ties that bind workers with their work in an organic manner.

Modeled after a town square, The Commons is the largest and most expansive of the spaces, and also the entry point into Tinder’s new headquarters. The airy environment is intended to encourage casual interactions and large enough to accommodate for company-wide gatherings.

The café — or “Boost Bar” — sits on the second floor, giving employees access to the skills of an in-house barista, and in turn providing an informal space to work away from the desk.

The IT help desk is fashioned after the nostalgic memories of the neighborhood arcade.

Diffuse lighting, custom modular furniture on wheels, and walls clad in top-to-bottom whiteboards all inhabit La Galleria, a room drawing its atmosphere from the workshops and displays of an artist studio.

Floor six is dedicated to quieter activities and appropriately demarcated as The Stacks, a tranquil communal space fashioned after a library.

Deep blue hues across plush fabrics, with curvilinear walls and curtains framing windows overlooking the LA skyline give the pinnacle seventh floor a nightclub vibe. Seating arrangements are situated to encourage engagement within intimate groups – a “secret” employee getaway of sorts.

“Connection is at the heart of the Tinder brand,” says Rapt Studio CEO and Chief Creative Officer David Galullo. “To design a space that deepens connection within Tinder, we looked to the places where we typically build relationships and then mapped them onto a floor plan. The end project emphasizes how design itself can be a force of connection.”

Tinder’s new HQ shares some similarities to Rapt Studio’s previous project, The Schoolhouse, a creative office for The Google School for Leaders. Each share the goal to spur informal engagements between team members by carving out both shared and intimate spaces, and furnished to empower employees to adapt those spaces to their needs on an as-needed basis.

Mizetto’s Summer Collection Tests Design’s Boundaries

Creative and fun, Mizetto’s Summer 2023 Collection lives somewhere between work and play. The brand has pushed its own capabilities, exploring new materials, production methods, and functionality. Made in Sweden, the latest release includes a wood chair, a versatile table with attachments, a leaning piece, modular planters, and a trash/recycling bin. All share the qualities of clean lines and curves and leave you wanting to experience each for yourself. Known for its color combinations, Mizetto has also added five new “Nordic noir” hues: rusty burgundy, cloudy latte, forest green, latte, and dusty blue.

Perhaps the most curious addition is Lumber by Addi, a piece meant for leaning, lingering, and loitering. The soft beam’s release marks the first upholstered product introduced by the brand. It’s a great answer to adding seating to small spaces, and we can’t help but note its resemblance to a dynamic piece of gymnastics equipment. A quick place to stop on the go for a coffee or email check, Lumber’s small tray-like table adds further functionality to a piece with no obvious front or back. It can even be hung on a wall for maximum space saving. Lumber’s upholstery is flameproof wool, with a cover that’s fully removable, repairable, and exchangeable. The legs are powder coated metal.

A wooden chair is new territory for Mizetto, so they turned to an expert for help – Finish-Swedish furniture designer and woodworker Sami Kallio. The Embrace armchair was a result of the brand lacking seating in their own spaces, and shortly after, Kallio walked in with a fully functioning prototype.

“A few alterations later, Embrace was born; a chair that seemingly hugs its user. I love how it can be hung on a tabletop and stacked, but still provide us with all the beauty and comfort we seek in a piece of furniture,” said Rickard Muskala, founder, and chief of product development.

Kallio is also behind the multi-purpose table in the Embrace series.

Playful, fun, and modular, Addi’s Plant Here gives our green friends a pedestal fitting of their mood-enhancing ways. The planter pays attention to the various needs of different varietals through its accessible design, whether you’re a balcony or office gardener. Features include a generous depth, transparent inner pot for easy planting, different heights, shapes, sizes, and colors. Combine two or more to form endlessly possible installations.

Trash and recycling bins are a necessity, but that doesn’t mean they have to look like one. Pelican by Studio Nooi turns them into minimal decorative objects with touchless interaction. Their semicircular shape allows for modular design, creating an oval when placed back to back. Pelican’s design is suitable for residential as well as commercial spaces, and comes in two sizes and a variety of colors.

To learn more about Mizetto’s Summer 2023 collection, visit mizetto.se.

Studio as a verb

“Get yourself a little studietto where no one will bother you at all.”
—Cennino Cennini, Book of Art, c. 1400s

A delightful bit from Tom Stammers’ review of David Hall’s The Artist’s Studio: A Cultural History:

it’s helpful to know that the term ‘studio’ derives from a verb as well as a noun. Studiolo denoted the scholar’s study or cabinet, but there was also studiare, linked to a certain kind of diligent or pleasurable work, which could take place anywhere.

Another interesting bit on the difference between a “studio” and a “workshop”:

The idea that the artist’s studio was somehow different from the artisan’s workshop took off in the 15th century. In Hall’s phrase, ‘the Renaissance concept of the studio involved a literal and symbolic turning away from the street.’ The most skilful and profitable craftsman of the Middle Ages was the goldsmith, whose reputation for honest dealing was predicated on the transparency of his working practices. Goldsmiths’ shops were open to the street, and to watching customers. By contrast, the 15th-century artist’s studio was premised on a measure of secrecy.

I like this tension between “studio” and “workshop.” I would like to think of my space as serving both functions, occupying a place somewhere in the middle  — a place I go to be, by myself, but also a place where the people are free to visit me. (I love a good visit.)

But even before I built my current studio, I knew that a great deal of my work “could take place anywhere,” and indeed, a great deal of it takes place, as it did before, in the morning at the kitchen table.

Raw and Refined: Inside a Renovated Brutalist Apartment in Rome

A Brutalist-inspired apartment in the suburbs of Rome in Tor de’ Cenci recently received a complete renovation by STUDIOTAMAT. Designed for a lawyer couple, the project consisted of renovating the 120-square-meter apartment, along with a coveted 40-square-meter terrace. The Casa Rude residence overlooks the Castelporziano Nature Reserve offering both wooded and sea views, an ideal locale after years of living in small apartments in the heart of the city. Now, their space is filled with natural light, original character, and modern conveniences.

“What guided us in the design was the desire to enhance the distinctive features of the unique terraced building, dating back to the 1980s, which houses the apartment. We wanted to restore fluidity to the spaces, encourage the opening, and the discovery of pre-existing materials and details, on which to set a new vision,” says STUDIOTAMAT co-founder Tommaso Amato.

The main living area is designed much like a open plan loft with unfinished walls and the support structure’s exposed concrete visually connecting the spaces.

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.

A custom dining table with a Shou sugi treated wood top rests on a black base and a glossy red ceramic leg for a sleek look.

A large, multifunctional birch wood cube is built to hide the pantry, hold coats, provide storage, and house a TV.

A wall of perforated bricks separates the living room and home office allowing natural light to pass through. A custom desk extends out from the built-in shelves and is held up by a circular red wheel, complementing the dining table’s leg a few feet away. The wheel allows the desk to roll along on a track to a new position.

A pivoting door visually separates the public areas from the sleeping area, which houses a main bedroom with ensuite bathroom, and a guest room.

In the primary bedroom, sliding ribbed glass doors offer privacy to those in the bathroom while allowing light in.

The large terrace features an outdoor kitchen, seating areas, dining space, and outdoor shower, all of which benefit from sunset views.

Photography by Serena Eller Vainicher.

Create an Array of Light + Atmosphere With the Kori Collection

The new Kori lighting collection, designed by Stockholm-based TAF Studio, is a welcome contemporary addition to Finnish design brand Artek. Its essence captures everyday beauty in a five product series that creates a diverse array of light and atmospheres. Three pendant light models, a table light, and a floor light feature modular design and pared-back aesthetics displaying the best of form and function. At the core of the design is a “basket” (kori in Finnish), a unique element that’s key to blending direct and indirect light – like sunlight filtered through trees.

Gabriella Lenke and Mattias Ståhlbom of TAF Studio shared, “With Kori, we wanted to achieve an atmospheric and glare-free light with different models adjusted to different spaces and contexts. The diffuser around the light source became very central, and through lots of experiments with shades and reflecting parts the different characters in the family appeared.”

Kori’s compact floor light provides great reading light in larger spaces, while the table light works well for bedside tables, sideboards, or shelves. The pendant light is arguably the most versatile, available in three models. When paired with a shade it provides a direct downlight and diffused uplight, ideal for smaller spaces. Add the Dune shade and illuminate the surface beneath while spreading glare-free light across a wide area. Or, choose the inverted Disc shade that reflects a soft cone of diffused light downward, good for smaller tables and sideboards.

The entirety of the energy efficient Kori collection occurs within a 200km radius in Italy, and the die-cast “light basket” is made from 100% recycled aluminum. A universal E27 socket ensures longevity, that bulbs are easy to replace, and the ability to choose from a full range of bulbs.

“Color-wise, we were inspired by the way light hits the matte white texture of an egg, and the thinness of an eggshell,” said TAF Studio. “Kori comes in extra matte white and a color that reminds us of egg yolk.” The Kori collection comes in a matte white powder coating, and the floor and table lamps are also available in a matte orange.

To learn more about the Kori collection, visit artek.fi.

Fallout 4 mod uses voice AI to add sensible reactions, more RPG-like choices

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Japanese authorities cracking down on men taking gross sexual photos with statues at new Studio Ghibli theme park

Japanese officials are cracking down on men taking gross photos of themselves pretending to fondle statues of young female characters at Japan's new Ghibli Park, the new theme park dedicated to the work of animation director Hayao Miyazaki and his Studio Ghibli. — Read the rest

A New Orleans Hotel Inspired by Traditional Southern Guest Houses

Maison de la Luz is a boutique hotel located in New Orleans, Louisiana, conceived by Atelier Ace. The establishment was inspired by traditional Southern guest houses, and features an environment of effortless sophistication and luxury. The guest house, which was designed in partnership with Studio Shamshiri, offers 67 private rooms filled with quiet Southern design typologies.

The building that houses Maison de la Luz was an Italianate style structure with a rich history within the city. It served as the City Hall annex for nearly 50 years from its construction in 1908 until 1957. Despite its historical significance, the design team successfully transformed the 55,464-square-foot building into an exclusive guest house while maintaining its original charm.

The guest house offers an airy and serene breakfast room, a private living room, and a secret salon connected to Bar Marilou, providing guests with a unique and unorthodox experience matched by its historical aesthetic and ambiance.

Photos by Stephen Kent Johnson.

The Avro Pendant Lamp Powers up Your Electronics

It’s a common circumstance in which many of us have found ourselves from time to time. It’s that annoying moment when our phone pings us that it’s on 10% battery or our laptop screen went black because we kept ignoring the alerts – only for us to look around and discover that there are no sockets available nearby. It’s in this moment that the Avro Pendant Lamp really shines. Designed by Studio Natural for Martinelli Luce, the luminaire has a hidden feature: the lower part of its shade conceals a socket, allowing you to power your devices right at the table.

Available in four different colors (orange, light blue, white, and black), the Avro turns any dining table into a workspace. No longer would you need to find a vacant outlet or ensure your cords are long enough to reach the wall. By plugging in a multi-socket, you can power up a whole team’s worth of devices.

 

To learn more about the Avro Pendant Lamp, visit martinelliluce.it.

Cobra Studios’ Decor Thrives on Surprise + Charisma

Architect Kenny Decommer and scenographic designer Hugues Delaunay have otherwise been known as Cobra Studios since 2020. The Brussels-based duo work together to bring creative, sculptural furniture pieces and interiors that overflow with color, material, form, and texture to life. The studio recently launched a series of chairs, tables, lamps, sofas, and curtains. Initially designed for a specific space in the Art Deco SHELL building near Brussels Central Station, the collection can be combined with other pieces previously released by Cobra Studios for an inimitable aesthetic.

Cobra Studios’ manufacturing process for the series includes reusing and recycling materials and objects – including leftover resin stock – to bring these new pieces into the world. The original elements of the Art Deco SHELL building include travertine, marble, and concrete and have been combined with latex, clay, stainless steel, foam, resin, velvet, and aluminum. The end result is a surprising, charismatic, and chic visual experience that retains an air of fun.

To learn more about Cobra Studio’s furniture and lighting, visit cobra-studios.design.

Take 5: Sustainable 3D-Printed Vessels, Modern Flowers Three Ways + More

1. UAUPROJECT

This design studio in Warsaw, Poland founded by Justyna Fałdzińska & Miłosz Dąbrowski captured my eye for their vibrant, 3D-printed vessels. I learned that sustainability is a high priority for the designers, so they only use compostable or highly recyclable materials. From vases to sculptures, totems to candleholders, each piece is manufactured as needed, which means zero overstock and zero waste.

2. Studio Mondine

I’m not planning a wedding or big fancy dinner in need of centerpieces anytime soon but I can’t help but continue to be inspired by modern day florists, namely the ladies behind Studio Mondine, a San Francisco-based floral design studio that creates very moving, very intentional floral creations. When you start following many florist IG accounts (which is easy to do because who doesn’t like beautiful flowers peppered into their feed?), you’ll start noticing lots of similar trends and styles, but Studio Mondine strays from staying inside any one specific box as they continually evolve and finesse their style (I love what they’re currently doing with braided grasses and lotus leaves). The next time you’re at a Proper Hotel or checking out the latest Vogue Weddings feature, do a quick scan for the florist credit – you might find that you’re a Studio Mondine fan, too.

(PS: they’ve also written a book called Ikebana Unbound, a beautiful book that’s full of inspiration, even if you’re not arranging flowers anytime soon.)

3. New York Botanical Garden’s 20th Orchid Show

Following the floral theme here, I highly recommend checking out the New York Botanical Garden’s Orchid Show this year if you’re able to attend. Landscape architect and artist Lily Kwong has transformed the grounds into a wonderland of colorful, exotic, and beautifully fascinating orchids, offering visitors a natural zen relief from the busyness of the city. Inspired by her heritage in designing the space, Kwong seemingly pulls illustrations from Chinese scrolls out and into the real world. The show, now in its 20th year, is on view through April 23, 2023.

4. Silke Bonde

What can I say? I guess I have spring on the brain! Unlike my previous flower picks, Danish artist Silke Bonde’s paper art lasts forever. I enjoy discovering the different ways artists incorporate paper folding into their works and especially love that Bonde folds in the art of watercolor into her creations.

 

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5. AutoHedron Chair by Crushmetric

Finally, I’m just going to leave this video here for your endless wonderment…

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Imagined Mac Mini Redesign Argues Apple Should Borrow From Mac Studio

With the Mac mini's current design dating back over a decade, one MacRumors forums user has imagined what a redesign could look like if Apple were to take hints from the Mac Studio.


The idea mainly comes from MacRumors forums user "Rickroller," who shared basic images of the concept earlier today. They suggest that a Mac Studio-like design could bring significant thermal improvements to the ‌Mac mini‌ to enable better performance, and even add some simple quality-of-life enhancements such as front-facing USB-C ports and an SDXC card reader.

Leaker Jon Prosser shared renders of a complete redesign for the ‌Mac mini‌ in early 2021, thought to be destined for an M1 Pro or M2-series model. The design depicted a smaller chassis with a "plexiglass-like" top, but did not emerge with the latest M2 and ‌M2‌ Pro ‌Mac mini‌ models last year.


In 2022, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo warned that the next ‌Mac mini‌ models would have the same design as prior models. Looking to the future, Kuo again believes that the new ‌Mac mini‌ models in 2024 will have the exact same design as their predecessors.

The ‌Mac mini‌ currently features a silver aluminum unibody design that Apple introduced in 2010. It has used this design for every ‌Mac mini‌, other than offering a Space Gray colorway in 2018. By the time the next-generation ‌Mac mini‌ models launch in 2024, this design will be 14 years old – becoming the longest continuously used Apple design in the company's history.


Bloomberg's Mark Gurman recently suggested that Apple has no plans to update the Mac Studio with the ‌M2‌ Max and ‌M2‌ Ultra chips in the near future. The main reason for the decision seems to be the change in direction of the Apple silicon Mac Pro, which will now have the M2 Ultra chip as a top-tier option and offer limited modularity. Apple may leave the ‌Mac Studio‌ without a hardware refresh for some time and could even discontinue the product line, similar to 2017's iMac Pro, which served as a stop-gap device until the release of the 2019 ‌Mac Pro‌.



If the ‌Mac Studio‌ is indeed discontinued sometime in the next several years, a post-2024 ‌Mac mini‌ may be even more likely to adopt a Mac Studio-like design, since there would no longer be a risk of further cannibalizing the ‌Mac Studio‌ with a similar design. Apple often introduces new designs and features on its high-end devices before slowly trickling them down to other products in the lineup, such as the squared-off industrial design of the 2018 iPad Pro, which finally came to dominate the whole latest-generation iPad lineup upon the release of the 10th-generation ‌iPad‌ last year.

• Mac Mini vs. Mac Studio Buyer's Guide

What is in store for the ‌Mac mini‌'s design after 2024 is unclear and likely has not even have been firmly decided upon by Apple yet, but considering how long the company has stuck with the aluminum unibody design, a redesign sometime in 2025 or beyond is highly plausible.
This article, "Imagined Mac Mini Redesign Argues Apple Should Borrow From Mac Studio" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Coil + Drift Open New Studio in the Catskills

Coil + Drift have recently relocated to Upstate New York, opening their doors to a new 3000-square-foot studio within the Catskill Mountains. Nestled two hours north of New York City, the space houses an office, showroom, and state-of-the-art production facility where all of Coil + Drift’s lighting fixtures are now produced by their in-house production team.

Founder and designer John Sorensen-Jolink established Coil + Drift in New York City back in 2016, but in 2021, moved the studio to the Catskill Mountains to immerse the team in the wild landscape that inspires much of his material-forward designs. A former dancer-turned-designer, Sorensen-Jolink designs objects that are grounded in human connection and spacial awareness, with a deep reverence for nature.

Visitors to their new studio showroom can view a series of new additions to Coil + Drift’s existing collection. The highly popular YAMA table lamp is now available as a floor lamp in a new tarnished nickel finish. The Atlas series has also been expanded to include a new mobile-like chandelier, and the June Floor Mirror has been introduced in a new ebonized maple finish.

Photos by Zach Hyman.

Office hours

Today’s office hours over on the newsletter are making me feel guilty about all the books I tried to write to answer some of those exact questions and failed to get off the ground. (What’s beautiful is that other people have better answers than I do.)

Muuto Collaborates With 3 Designers for Spring 2023

Muuto’s Scandinavian designs are recognized for their aesthetics, functionality, craftsmanship, and expression. Rooted in tradition, the brand also continues to expand their offerings with fresh ambition and perspectives as they push forward. Spring 2023 newcomers that are soon to be released include thoughtful product collaborations with Normal Studio, Sylvain Willenz, and Johan van Hengel. The Wrap Lounge Chair, Couple Coffee Table, and Ease Portable Lamp bring with them clean lines and small details that will long be appreciated.

“Designing the Wrap Lounge Chair, we had the image of a lounge chair with a soft blanket simply draped around its ample silhouette in mind, playing with models and prototypes to find a fluid way of incarnating this idea,” said Paris-based Normal Studio of the design. “We were driven by the idea of creating a really snug chair with an enveloping feel and generous proportions that don’t feel chunky. A highly comfortable lounge chair with lots of personality.”

With a duvet-like covering that wraps around the shell, there’s no other word that comes to mind aside from comfort. The loose-fitting upholstery required extensive research and development, taken on by both Muuto and Normal Studio to solve. A light steel frame takes away from this perceived bulk by adding support that’s visually light for a sculptural aesthetic that balances intention and happenstance. There are no rules on how to use the Wrap Lounge Chair, sit or lay on its generous shape however you wish to read, relax, and more.

Inspired by the traditional tile table, “The Couple Coffee Table was born out of my research into this traditional and essential piece of furniture,” said designer Sylvain Willenz. “I wanted to come up with a new yet subtle take on its materials and typology. I was inspired by the materiality of fired earth-like brick and terracotta, finding that a beautiful synergy occurs when it is combined with wood.”

Bringing together FSC-certified wood and tactile ceramic stone, a hard, dense clay that can be compared to Bone China. You have the option of two table top tiles: a plain surface and a sculptural wave. Choose one or the other, or mix them for a truly tactile piece. The Couple Coffee Table is available in three sizes, from a small one-tile to the large coffee table.

The Brussels-based furniture, lighting, and product designer went on to say, “Thanks to these materials, their finishes, and fine design details, Couple Coffee Table subtly merges a familiar piece of furniture with forward-thinking features.”

The Ease Portable Lamp, created in collaboration with Dutch designer Johan van Hengel, transforms the traditional table lamp into one that’s sized to go wherever you do. It has a small footprint, yet gives off a lot of light by using a high-quality, dimmable, no-glare illumination that features three levels.

“I wanted the Ease Portable Lamp to have a remarkable quality of light, striking a versatile balance between atmospheric and functional light – after all, that is the wonderful thing about a portable lamp – you can bring a distinct ambience to literally anywhere,” shared van Hengel. “I landed on the idea of the top and bottom gently touching, softly meeting each other… This feature allows a large surface to emit light, while the flared bottom firmly stabilizes it.” The lamp’s barely flared bottom makes the base easier to grab hold of, while adding even more character.

The Ease Portable Lamp can be used in many spaces, in many ways: the bedside, a reading nook, home office, on a restaurant table, in a co-working space, or within a library.

To learn more about Muuto’s new spring 2023 releases, visit muuto.com.

System Shock remake demo fuses modern design to a retro FPS/RPG package

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Apple May Not Launch Updated Mac Studio With M2 Ultra Chip Due to Similarity With Upcoming Mac Pro

A new version of the Mac Studio with the "M2 Ultra" chip is unlikely to arrive in the near future, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.


In the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter, Gurman explained that since the upcoming Apple silicon Mac Pro is "very similar in functionality to the Mac Studio," Apple may wait until the release of M3- or M4-series chips to update the machine, or simply never refresh the device at all:

I wouldn't anticipate the introduction of a Mac Studio in the near future. The upcoming Mac Pro is very similar in functionality to the Mac Studio — and adds the M2 Ultra chip rather than the M1 Ultra. So it wouldn't make sense for Apple to offer an M2 Ultra Mac Studio and M2 Ultra Mac Pro at the same time. It's more likely that Apple either never updates the Mac Studio or holds off until the M3 or M4 generation. At that point, the company may be able to better differentiate the Mac Studio from the Mac Pro.

To date, little has been rumored about the next-generation Mac Studio, so Gurman's latest remarks are the firmest indication yet that a new version of the machine is unlikely to arrive any time soon.

Last month, it emerged that Apple reportedly scaled back its plans for the first Apple silicon Mac Pro, scrapping the "M2 Extreme" chip and falling back on non-user-upgradable memory and the same design as the 2019 model. The device is now expected to offer the M2 Ultra only – a chip that would also have logically come to the next-generation Mac Studio.

The M2 Ultra chip is almost certain to double-up the capabilities of the recently introduced M2 Max chip, which is currently only available in the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro. With reduced modularity and similar performance on the upcoming Mac Pro, Apple's move to hold off on updating the Mac Studio's hardware may make sense until it can work out a better strategy for the machine's positioning going forward.
This article, "Apple May Not Launch Updated Mac Studio With M2 Ultra Chip Due to Similarity With Upcoming Mac Pro" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Relevo Rug Sculpts a Welcoming Geometric Landscape Underfoot

A rug at its most basic exists merely as a floor cover, protecting the surface and also to provide occupants an agreeable material to tread upon. But a rug of note can be a transformative, if not an artful expression within a room. Muuto’s Relevo Rug designed by Milan-based design duo Studiopepe represents the latter, a beautifully hand-tufted sculptural wool rug with an elevated attention to detail in its color, texture, and dimensions.

Derived from the word for “relief” in Latin, the Relevo presents itself as an engaging sculptural plane of New Zealand wool, trimmed to differing levels and channeled widths, resulting in a dynamic geometric and graphic pattern.

Like the raked sand or gravel of a Japanese karesansui garden, the topography realized in soft wool offers an engaging visual element beyond singular color, with the rug presenting an interplay of tones dependent upon light and shadow as the daylight or interior light source changes. But where raked gravel of a karesansui garden is strictly off-limits, the Relevo invites
footfall with texture and soft touch.

Studiopepe’s Arianna Lelli Mami and Chiara Di Pinot describe the Relevo Rug as an intersection between Scandinavian and Italian design, a design born from line drawings inspired by land art and the furrowed “hypnotic paths in the soil.”

“There is a wonderful tension between Scandinavian and Italian design – both emphasize simplicity with a meaning. Often, it is marked by a particular interest in enduring materials, one that we deeply relate to as we aspire to design objects made to last and only become more beautiful with time.”

Additionally, Studiopepe imparts the design with another standout feature – a rounded corner – adding a subtle implied movement with the semi-circular addition, distinguishing the rug as a centerpiece feature within any space, whether in 5’6” x 7’9” or 6’5” x 9’8” sizes, and across Relevo’s four monochromatic colorway options as available at Muuto.

An Abandoned Lisbon Attic Becomes Airy Apartment With Hidden Kitchen

The 645-square-foot MARVILA ATTIC did not begin like this. Prior to KEMA studio renovating the space, it was an attic in disrepair in an old industrial area of Lisbon, Portugal. Finally, the neighborhood is undergoing a revitalization and this project is a part of it. KEMA studio transformed the unlivable attic into a bright and airy apartment with views of the nearby Tagus River.

The renovation required a brand new roof and interior structure, leaving behind the only salvageable components, the floor structure and gable walls. A full bathroom and private entry were added to round out the space’s function.

To maximize the natural light and airiness of the new design, the private areas are contained in a separate volume, leaving the public space open.

A separate volume in the living area houses storage, an embedded sofa, and the kitchen behind fluted wood panels. That leaves the remaining space as open and minimal as possible.

Four new skylights and two dormer windows are added to fill the space with daylight.

There’s even hidden storage in the wall by the entry stairs, perfect for jackets and shoes.

A window above the bedroom volume and a mirror on the back wall keeps the stairs well-lit.

Overall, the minimalist design comprises natural tones and sustainable + eco-friendly materials, like fiber cement panels, colored wood fiber panels, plywood, metal, brick tiles, and wooden floor.

Before:

Photos by Alexander Bogorodskiy and Eliza Borkowska – KEMA studio.