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Iโm 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 Iโve 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.
Iโve 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 isnโt necessarily the world as it really exists. In similar spirit designer Luiza Guidiโs illuminated sculptures offer the framework of space, light, shadow, and movement โ the epitome of a mood light, by way of inspiration from the works of architects Luis Barragรกn and Tadao Ando.
Sure, I glance at my iPhone or Apple Watch while out on-the-go when I need to figure whether Iโve got a minute to spare. But at home Iโve 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 AC02โs 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 itโs time to eat lunch or finally log-off with nary a notification sound.
While perusing House of Spoils collection of photographic art prints โ a selection strongly emphasizes people, automobiles, and the natural landscape โ 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 โ the city claiming the highest density of high-rise buildings per capita in the world โ 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 Umemotoโs LEGO plans are derived/inspired by Danish polymath Piet Heinโs puzzling Soma cube, but thereโs 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. Itโs like a grown-up architecture nerdโs version of a Rubikโs Cube.
This design studio in Warsaw, Poland founded by Justyna Faลdziลska & Miลosz Dฤ browski 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.
Iโm not planning a wedding or big fancy dinner in need of centerpieces anytime soon but I canโt 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 doesnโt like beautiful flowers peppered into their feed?), youโll 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 theyโre currently doing with braided grasses and lotus leaves). The next time youโre at a Proper Hotel or checking out the latest Vogue Weddings feature, do a quick scan for the florist credit โ you might find that youโre a Studio Mondine fan, too.
(PS: theyโve also written a book called Ikebana Unbound, a beautiful book thatโs full of inspiration, even if youโre not arranging flowers anytime soon.)
Following the floral theme here, I highly recommend checking out the New York Botanical Gardenโs Orchid Show this year if youโre 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.
What can I say? I guess I have spring on the brain! Unlike my previous flower picks, Danish artist Silke Bondeโs 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.
Finally, Iโm just going to leave this video here for your endless wondermentโฆ
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Every other week weโre inviting one of the Design Milk team to share five personal favorites โ 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 Williamsonย returns this week for ourย Take 5ย series.
I admit, Iโve 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 worldโs smallest sub โ 12x smaller than a regular Subwayยฎ Footlong โ at just 2.2cm (less than 1 inch). The design is a clay replica of the new Footlong Teriyaki Steak Sub thatโs been added to the sandwich chainโs 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 โ a laborious task. Bottom line, it fascinates me.
Louis Vuittonยฎ 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 Harrodโs 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, Iโve been really gravitating towards home furnishings in the color lavender lately. If you look around, youโll notice lavender goods popping up more and Iโm loving itโฆ except when itโs 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. Itโs shocking but delightful!
Iโve had a life-long obsession with Polaroid and I love when they release anything new โ cameras or film. And when they launch a collection with one of my favorite musicians of all time, Iโm 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 Bowieโs (even though we have to accept the fact that none us will ever be that cool).
Iโve been intrigued by this piece by Elias Sime, part of a recently opened exhibition titled Tightrope: Behind the Processor. Sime uses recycled electronic components โ keyboards, circuits, wires, and various other e-waste โ that he braids and layers together to form abstract art, like this massive piece that spans 99-5/8โณ x 157-1/2โณ. 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.
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