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Twenty years ago, Italian designer Stefano Giovannoni debuted ILBAGNOALESSI, a modern bathroom collection designed for Laufen in collaboration with Alessi. The series garnered mass attention and acclaim for its reinterpretation of typical bath products as the designs were soft and sculptural, like objects of art instead of just objects of necessity. With the evolution of materials and technology, Giovannoni decided to revisit and innovate upon the collection.
Since the collection’s original debut, Laufen has continued to conduct ongoing research and evolve its technology and materials. A new ceramic material named Saphirkeramik has made it possible to create thin, malleable forms that are still extremely durable. Giovannoni used Saphirkeramik to reinterpret the Tuna washbasin which now features a slimmer profile, a reality that would not have been possible two decades ago.
The new freestanding tub is made with Sentec, a mineral composite that feels velvety to the touch. In a manner similar to the washbasin, the tub has a subtle asymmetry as its borders widen on one end to provide a headrest or surface for objects.
To learn more about the ILBAGNOALESSI collection, visit laufen.com.
Aluminum in its rawest form has a very industrial aesthetic, which is the beauty of the Monochrome line by Chinese designer Ximi Li for his own design-led brand URBANCRAFT. Moved to challenge conventional processes and explore the uncertainty of materials, he showcases the malleability and flexibility of aluminum in the Basics collection for Monochrome, which consists of a bar table, dining table, chairs, and other pieces. The series is extremely straightforward due to the avant-garde application of technique so that you can see exactly where the bends and welding marks are created.
The streamlined designs have a raw yet elegant quality to them due to the sinuous lines that train the eye to follow the silhouettes. The natural form of welding scars are a unique characteristic of the collection, highlighting how and where the aluminum parts come together. Although the series appears primitive, there is precise consistency and intention throughout the design expression. The simplicity of the materiality allows the collection to adapt well to both indoor and outdoor settings.
Ximi Li
For more information on Monochrome, visit urbancraftdesign.com.
When it comes to renter-friendly solutions for decorating a space, sometimes we have to choose the road that’s less aesthetically pleasing and more budget-minded to keep our landlords happy. With the Poplight Wall Light though, it doesn’t feel like we’re settling for something we don’t really want. It actually feels we found exactly what we want in a wall light. The lighting fixture is currently going viral on social media and we can see why. It’s accessible, modern, easy to install, and doesn’t leave any marks behind, much to the joy of landlords everywhere.
Available in Vermillion Red, Sage Green, and Matte Black, the Poplight Wall Light comes with a back plate that conceals two command tabs, so you won’t see the annoying ends of the strips once the light has been installed. A built-in level helps you get the perfect placement and eliminates the need for extra tools. Once the back plate has adhered to the wall, the Poplight pops on and locks into place with a slight swivel. Because it’s rechargeable via USB-C, you can remove the battery and charge it where you do have an outlet or leave it plugged it if you prefer. A single battery charge is estimated to last about 2-3 days if left on continuously.
Poplight is available to purchase via Kickstarter and has already reached its original $9,100 goal (currently at $109,495 at the timing of writing!). To learn more, visit poplightoforthepeople.com.
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.
OUT is a Berlin-based furniture studio by Christoph Steiger, David Spinner, and Reinhard Wessling that stands for Objekte Unserer Tag, or “objects of our days” in German. These objects have been turning heads for their playful use of color paired with minimalistic forms that feature unexpected details, like a cloud-shaped seat or asymmetric side table. One of their latest releases is the studio’s first ever throw. At first glance, SEIDEL looks like just another striped throw blanket until you examine the stripes a little further.
Made of pure organic cotton, SEIDEL has a velvety texture that’s achieved by repeatedly brushing the material after it has been woven. The abstract shapes in bright, punchy hues are a signature move of OUT as the studio loves expressive colors. The throw is produced at a traditional weaving mill in Bavaria that already has a repertoire for supplying its products to princes and royal courts. While there is no wrong way to use a throw blanket, the six colorways OUT has given SEIDEL allude to where and how they can be experienced: SEIDEL GONE WILD, SEIDEL ME TIME, SEIDEL DATE NIGHT, SEIDEL NAP TIME, SEIDEL BINGE WATCHING, and SEIDEL UP FOR FUN.
For more information on the SEIDEL Throw, visit objekteunserertage.com.
It’s a new month, so it’s time to refresh your laptops and screens with our latest Designer Desktop! This month’s artwork is by Mario De Meyer, a graphic designer and artist from Ghent, Belgium best known for his typography-based artworks. He has worked with clients including Adobe, Speedo, Penguin Books, Bloomberg, Fortune, Inc., Ogilvy & Mather, IBM, Wired, Henkel, and more.
De Meyer also experiments with abstract creations, one of which turned into this month’s trippy and eye-catching desktop wallpaper. Download it below for all your tech devices!
DESKTOP: 1024×768 \\\ 1280×1024 \\\ 1680×1050 \\\ 1900×1200 \\\ 2560×1440
MOBILE: iPhone XS \\\ iPhone XS Max \\\ iPad Pro
Learn more about Mario De Meyer here and follow him on IG here and here.
View and download past Designer Desktops here.
Coffee aficionados know that what goes into a good cup of ‘jo are subtle details that enhance the experience. This is true from the process of sourcing and roasting the beans, to brewing and extracting the perfect shot of espresso, all the way to the end of selecting the best café wares to hold your beverage. notNeutral, a coffee brand founded by multidisciplinary design firm RIOS, pays close attention to these details when designing its new Pico collection, a line of ceramic wares that pay homage to Los Angeles’ Pico Boulevard and elevates the art of enjoying a hot cup of coffee or tea.
The Pico collection was also inspired by California’s historic design heritage, which gave rise to the Arts and Crafts movement and Mid-century Modernism, as well as the natural landscape of Los Angeles. Combining those sensibilities with the technical precision of modern technology, the designers created coffee mugs, saucers, and a specially-made spoon to fit the plates. The cups and saucers come in four different sizes (espresso, cappuccino, small latte, and large latte) and feature a partially glazed design that highlights the beauty of the exposed terracotta. Conversely, the spoon is fully glazed and, with its smooth handle, offers a different form of tactility. While the spoon is often an afterthought, notNeutral dedicated time and attention to its design, creating a contour fit for the cups’ interiors and ensuring it “locks” into the saucers when not in use.
Pico is available in three colorways – white, neutral, and black – on notnetural.com.
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.
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.)
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.
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.
Finally, I’m just going to leave this video here for your endless wonderment…
This post contains affiliate links, so if you make a purchase from an affiliate link, we earn a commission. Thanks for supporting Design Milk!
And by Fritz, we mean Approved by Fritz’s CEAO (Chief Entertainment and Approval Officer), a rescue dog from South Carolina and the inspiration behind the pet accessory brand founded by Danielle Heeren. When the realities of the pandemic first started to settle in, she, like many people, found herself looking for a four-legged companion and ended up on a waiting list to adopt a dog. Soon, Fritz entered her life and sparked the impetus that would eventually become Approved by Fritz. From dog beds to collar and leashes, the brand is an extension of who Heeren is: a New Yorker with a love of the city and her dog.
The dog beds, from the cover to the insert cushion, are made from recycled PET bottles and add a fun pattern to the homes of dog- and design-lovers. The cover is machine washable and scratch-proof.
Echoing in durability, the collar and leash sets are made from PVC coated nylon, making them easy to clean, odor resistant, and durable for walks in New York’s environments and abroad. The two-tone color combinations are all inspired by the city: street colors, subway train seats, Lady Liberty, Brooklyn murals, and NY sports teams.
The two-tone poop bag carriers, also made from recycled PET, add a fun pop of color for a necessary chore that’s not always exciting to do.
To shop the full collection of cheerful dog accessories, visit Approved by Fritz.
Timothy Goodman is a busy man: When not donating murals to non-profit organizations in New York or designing Nikes for basketball star Kevin Durant, prepping for a new gallery show, or collabing with big-name brands, he somehow managed the time to move to Paris – and then, several years later, publish a book about that experience. The full title is: I Always Think It’s Forever: A Love Story Set in Paris, Told by an Unreliable but Earnest Narrator.
Goodman’s story just hit bookstores a couple weeks ago, and in this episode of Milkshake, he takes us through the project: part memoir, part travel story, part art book. Interviews punctuate a deeply emotional recounting of how Goodman extended a stay to Paris after meeting someone. “That’s just the only way I know how to tell a story,” he says. “There’s this continuous through-line of the love story, but then you turn the page and suddenly wherever you’re at in that love story, I’m talking, I’m wrapping myself in the context of today’s dating culture. If I’m in a chapter where I’m talking about the heartbreak of my love story, suddenly you turn the page and then it’s, like, here’s 25 non-cheesy breakup songs, or here’s all these funny dating app bios I came across on Hinge or Tinder. What’s personal is always universal.”
While it takes place in his incredibly dynamic studio, this Milkshake is also part reading – a testament, he says, to an ambition to add spoken-word artist to his repertoire. “I’ve been doing events with my friends, with jazz guys, where I do spoken word poetry over them playing piano and saxophone,” he says. “I’ve been very heavily inspired by Jack Kerouac – he used to do these albums in the 50s where he would read his poems, his readings, over piano. I want to cut an album.”
Also in this Milkshake, we ask Goodman whether this was a love story about a woman or about Paris itself. Neither, he says: “This is a love story about me more than anything – you know what I mean?” he says. “This book is really about how I was able to finally stop the cycle in heartbreak, in breakups, that I always go through and show up for myself through therapy, through intense evaluation, about being kinder to myself, being okay with not being okay, accepting my vulnerability as a man, accepting that it’s okay again to be masculine and cry or go to therapy or whatever.” Tune in for more!
Diana Ostrom, who has written for Wallpaper, Interior Design, ID, The Wall Street Journal, and other outlets, is also the author of Faraway Places, a newsletter about travel.
Milkshake, DMTV (Design Milk TV)’s first regular series, shakes up the traditional interview format by asking designers, creatives, educators and industry professionals to select interview questions at random from their favorite bowl or vessel. During their candid discussions, you’ll not only gain a peek into their personal homeware collections, but also valuable insights into their work, life and passions.
Color is a very subjective quality in the eye of the beholder but leading materials manufacturer 3form continues to prove that it has its finger on the pulse when it comes to creating and curating colors that the design community is looking for. For its 2023 Color Collection, the brand is adding 10 new pastel hues to its permanent color system, offering new ways to brighten up commercial environments. “Color is at the core of what we do, and this collection allowed us to be more introspective about the meaning of color in our lives,” shares Ryan Smith, 3form’s Chief Creative Officer.
The new collection is inspired by the four seasons and the emotions they evoke, like the blues of a winter day and the purple tones found in spring. To begin the process of expanding its color system, the design team at 3form first laid out swatches of current colors in order to identify missing colors. They noticed an opportunity to introduce soft, subtle versions of their saturated tones and, in the end, settled on 10 new hues: Lavish, Graceland, Alta, Smolder, Honeycomb, Rhubarb, Talc, Cedarwood, Adobe, and Comet.
The colors can be applied to 3form’s Varia, Chroma, and Glass platforms that can be constructed into partitions, wall accents, reception desk wraps, ceiling features, and more for public spaces like offices, hotels, schools, hospitals, and wellness centers. The translucency of 3form’s materials brings the colors to life, especially when natural light, which gradually changes throughout the day, diffuses through.
Lavish
Lavish
Graceland
Graceland
Alta
Alta
Smolder
Smolder
Honeycomb
Honeycomb
Rhubarb
Rhubarb
Talc
Cedarwood
Adobe
Comet
Comet
For more information on 3form’s 2023 Color Collection, head to 3-form.com.
On view through April 23, 2023 at the Claremont Lewis Museum of Art in California, A Conversation With Trees exhibition showcases a series of monolithic sculptures and furniture carved out of recovered, fallen local trees from a windstorm in Claremont. The exhibition is presented by California-based furniture maker and sculpture Vince Skelly, who’s inspired by prehistoric forms, tools, and architecture. “I tend to turn to megalithic structures for inspiration, including stone Dolmen structures which are, of course, ancient but at the same time feel almost modern in their clean lines, minimalist shapes, and construction by way of natural materials,” Skelly shares.
While Skelly has long been influenced by Constantin Brancusi, Isamu Noguchi, Barbara Hepworth, and Henry Moore, he is most directly inspired by JB Blunk, a celebrated sculptor who also hails from California. Like Blunk, Skelly primarily uses a chainsaw to tease out forms from the wood sourced unconventionally.
A Conversation with Trees features seven sculptural forms, including chairs, side tables, stools, totems, and sculptures – the latter being a first of its kind for Skelly. Five of the works are carved from logs of magnolia, redwood, Brazilian Pepper, and pine wood recovered from a massive windstorm that blew through Claremont in January 2022, representing a physical metaphor of new life born from destruction and loss. Three of the works are 5- to 6-feet tall and roughly 22-30 inches in diameter. One piece is made from the discarded wood scraps of his larger sculptures.
“What inspired me the most about Blunk’s sculptures was that he worked with found material that was collected around where he lived. He could see the potential in firewood off-cuts, or a twisted redwood burl that washed up on the shore near his home,” says Skelly. “This had a huge influence on how I viewed material. It requires a trained eye and imagination, which often doesn’t get a lot of credit. It made me want to learn how to see what he saw in a dirty, wet, unassuming piece of wood. Because of this, I still go out to collect random logs on the side of the road, or off-cuts from arborists when I see them cutting down a tree.”
Humpback Chair and Inverted Arch \\\ Photo: Raymond Molinar
Humpback Chair, Mountain Stool, and Inverted Arch \\\ Photo: Raymond Molinar
Lowell Stool and Morelia Void \\\ Photo: Raymond Molinar
Lowell Stool and Morelia Void \\\ Photo: Raymond Molinar
Morelia Void \\\ Photo: Raymond Molinar
Vince Skelly \\\ Photo: Justin Chung
The Claremont Lewis Museum of Art is open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, from noon to 4 p.m, and admission is free every Friday. To learn more, visit clmoa.org.
Arguably better than a fresh bouquet of flowers, the iconic Flowerpot range designed by Verner Panton is getting a spring refresh from Danish design house &Tradition with five, new, vibrant colors and a black & white pattern that has us feeling nostalgic for retro styles. The reissue of Panton’s hypnotic, wavy pattern is a particularly exciting one. According to family archives, it was first used in the 1970s and adds a bold, graphic element into interior spaces.
Monochromatic in color, the rest of the new Flowerpot arrivals add their own vibrancy, even when switched off. Those looking for that perfect poppy shade of red can lay down their search with the Vermillion Red color, which was first used in an invitation for Panton’s 60th birthday party in 1986. For something a bit moodier, Dark Plum is a never-before-used shade for the Flowerpot range that brings a chicness similar to black.
Perfect for spring, Tangy Pink delights like a full-bloomed tulip stem, adding a happy pop of color and energy to a space. In the cooler range of hues, Swim Blue is fresh and aquatic while Cobalt Blue is more subdued and sophisticated.
Check out the 5 new colors and black/white pattern Flowerpot designs at andtradition.com.
SPACE10 is looking a little different since we visited it last. The Copenhagen-based research and design lab recently unveiled its redesigned headquarters completed in collaboration with architecture and design studio Spacon & X. While two levels of the three-floor building will remain the same, with the basement as a fabrication laboratory/tech studio and the top floor as a workspace for the SPACE10 team, the main floor has been fully transformed into a community-centric space, even more so then before. New additions, including a public library with a take-a-book-leave-a-book system, foster an environment that’s conducive for community exchange and creative ideation.
Inspired by the concept of a newsstand, the public library with its modular racks and displays will feature 100 books, magazines, and titles for kids – all hand-selected by the SPACE10 team, as well as input from guest curators and the community. This selection will change throughout the year with new, relevant titles. A book exchange is also available where guests can simply leave a book and take a different one home. The racks, made from locally-sourced organic wood, wool, and Danish-produced aluminum, add a delightful pop of color to the white tiled space.
Our methodology has always centered on involving people in research and design processes in order to continue to diversify our perspectives and create solutions that truly matter for the many. We learned in a recent SPACE10 survey that 87% of our community follow us for ‘inspiration and new ideas’, while 59% want to be part of a ‘like-minded community.’ This felt like an opportunity to provide the community with a physical space that can be used for research, discussions, and meetups, and share books we at SPACE10 find inspiring and that are shaping our own conversations and projects. We want to foster spaces where people and ideas can meet, and what better than a library to provide serendipitous encounters and conversations on a daily basis.
– Kevin Curran, Spatial Design & Partnerships at SPACE10
Next to the library is a kiosk where visitors can check out and purchase local drinks and snacks while they enjoy the space. Guests can also buy a souvenir from a curated selection of design objects including stationery, homewares, toys, books, and SPACE10 merchandise.
The rest of the space will function as usual. A program of events, always free to attend, will continue to highlight new guests and cultivate a space for discussion, conversation, and inspiration. The gallery area will host two exhibitions a year, with this year’s The Ideal City 2040 installation currently on view through spring 2023. Around the floor, various seating options, from window stools to reading nooks, allow guests to relax, enjoy a coffee, work, study, or check out the books from the featured library.
Photo: Emilia Staugaard
Photos by Seth Nicolas unless otherwise noted.
A friendly bellboy is always a welcomed sight to see at a new destination and the same goes for Fatboy’s new Bellboy table lamp, a cordless design with a quirky spring neck and a fun operating mechanism. To switch the Bellboy on, simply tap the touch button on his cap to turn on his warm LED light. For nights when you want to create a bit of an ambience, pressing the button a little longer will dim the light’s intensity. Another tap turns the light off, and the next time you need it on, Bellboy will remember your chosen light intensity.
While the battery is located in the cap, the lamp is charged via the base. Once that’s done (about three hours for a full charge), you can take the lamp anywhere indoors or outdoors to illuminate your space for about nine hours.
Bellboy is available in six different colors which you can preorder now for end of February shipping at fatboy.com.
While the Wabi bed is named after the Japanese philosophy of wabi sabi, which celebrates the beauty of imperfections, you’d be hard pressed to find any flaws in this design by Belgian designer Alain Gilles for Saba Italia. Rather, the peculiarity comes from the unusual, asymmetric design. Wabi’s large sculptural backrest, which doubles as the back legs of the bed frame, is juxtaposed by the front wooden slatted legs that have a different design language compared to the rest of the upholstered frame. However, this stark contrast serves to reinforce the character of each element.
The front wooden legs, available in various finishes, are adjustable as they can be affixed to the bed’s outer sides in a vertical position or horizontally placed underneath. The backrest is padded with polyurethane foam with a softer insert in the middle for added comfort. While the backrest captures your attention, the upholstered expanded perimeter strengthens the appearance of the bed’s volume. All upholstery can be removed for washing, and because the legs can adapt to any thickness of fabric used, the bed can be reupholstered for future style preferences.
Photo: Marek Swoboda
Photo: Marek Swoboda
Photo: Marek Swoboda
Photo: Marek Swoboda
Photo: Marek Swoboda
For more information, head to sabaitalia.com.
Designer and art director Serena Confalonieri is known for her identifying aesthetic which is all together graphic, colorful, and emotional. In one of her latest projects, she brings her design sense to Zdora, a project and installation created in collaboration with Very Simple Kitchen and La Pietra Compattata. Zdora, the dialectal word for “sfogline” in the Emilia Romagna region of Italy where Very Simple Kitchen and La Pietra Compattata are based, refers to the Italian women who prepare the dough by hand to make fresh pasta for Sunday lunch, typically enjoyed on a traditional checkered tablecloth. That textile has now been translated to the kitchen walls, table, and seating tops.
The surfaces by La Pietra Compattata are made of exclusively natural raw materials, including porphyry, quartz, and granite, that have been recovered from processed stones, ground into a mixture, and compacted into a hard material by pressing. Confalonieri curated perfect color palettes for the project, ones that match the color variations proposed by Very Simple Kitchen.
On the tables, the pattern imitates the look of the inspirational tablecloth by falling over the edges on the short sides. The chairs simply showcase the pattern on its surface tops. For the kitchen, the pattern continues upwards to create a humble backsplash or a full wall mural. The resulting effect of all three elements in the same vignette is a modern interpretation of the colorful, Italian-inspired kitchen.
Photos by Serena Eller Vainicher.
Height-adjustable tables are hardly anything new. These days, they’re found beyond contract spaces in many home offices and lauded for their flexibility in providing variety and comfort to those needing to maximize their productivity. However, they are sometimes a bit of an eyesore, require access to power or feel to cumbersome to adjust manually, and they often take up a lot of space. Herman Miller’s latest offering, the Passport Work Table, takes away these pain points and adds in much needed flexibility and adjustability for those looking to level up their productivity, whether at home or in the office.
If Goldilocks were to test today’s office desk solutions, she would say that the Passport Work Table was “just right” in terms of footprint and space. The surface is large enough for your essentials (laptop, notebook, a drink of choice). Any larger and you start to impede on the flexibility of the table to fit in small spaces or the mobility of it to maneuver around the home, the latter aided by the single-column base and lightweight construction. Accessories like bag hooks and privacy screens can be added if those types of needs are necessary in a specific office (or section of the office) but they don’t increase the table’s footprint.
While there are times a larger work surface is needed, there are perhaps even more occasions when a user just needs to carve out a small space that can be easily put away afterwards (like in a home) or pulled up for an impromptu meeting (like at the workplace). The Passport Work Tables’s small size is, indeed, its biggest flex for today’s hybrid work environments.
Passport is available in two sizes: one with a height adjustment range of 12” with a 22×16″ work surface, the other with a height adjustment range of 18” and a 27×20” work surface. At a starting price of $600, Passport also offers a wide range of finishes, colors, and additional customization through accessories which help to create the perfect work desk for any office style.
For more information on the Passport Work Table, visit hermanmiller.com.
This post contains affiliate links, so if you make a purchase from an affiliate link, we earn a commission. Thanks for supporting Design Milk!
We teased a peek of this unique collaboration last week when we shared February’s Designer Desktop, but today we’re excited to introduce Sea Galaxy, a mural wallpaper and fabric collaboration between Shanan Campanaro, founder of Eskayel, and Jaime Derringer, founder of Design Milk!
Jaime recently tapped Shanan to help her design custom drapes for her living room using her own artwork, which is instantly recognizable by their graphic, defined shapes and intricate details. Shanan, however, is known for her fluid watercolor style which creates more organic forms. The process of reinterpreting Jaime’s drawings in Shanan’s own medium and signature style led to the creation of Sea Galaxy, a painterly collage of elements found throughout Jaime’s sketchbook.
How did the collaboration come together, especially when it involved two vastly different artistic styles? Jaime and Shanan share more in this Q&A:
What was this unique collaboration process like for you?
Shanan Campanaro: This was kind of the most fun collaboration because Jaime has so many cool elements in her art, it was super fun to work with them. The brief was really clear because jaime’s art is super high resolution and detailed and my style is super loose and watery – so all I had to do was paint her elements in my style. I took favorite elements from several of her paintings and collaged them together to make something completely new but that still had the spirit of her original world. It was so much fun!
Why did you want to work with Shanan/Eskayel to create this mural?
Jaime Derringer: I have known Shanan and Eskayel for a long time but I hadn’t considered working with her because our work is so different. I was collaborating on my living room design with Olivia Stutz Design and I told her that I wanted something custom and personal for my own space. She recommended working with Eskayel to create a design for custom drapes and shades. I hadn’t thought of it before because our work is so different, but I love the idea of pushing my art into new territory. I was excited to see how Shanan could soften my hard edges and create a more liquified, ethereal world. After we created the design, we fell so in love with it that we wanted to expand it to a collection.
What inspired the artwork that was used to design Sea Galaxy?
JD: I have been keeping a regular sketchbook drawing practice since 2006 and the imagery created was based on a handful of my sketchbook entries that Shanan was drawn to. My work is inspired by so many things, but undersea creatures and sci-fi are two that have been key inspirations for my art practice, and that’s how we ended up with the name!
JD: I gave Shanan carte blanche to take my drawings and come up with something that she could make her own, too. I had never done anything like this before, but I was surprised and delighted by the end result – I had no idea that my work could be interpreted in such a unique – and vastly different – way.
How did you originally envision the mural and are you happy with the final result?
JD: Once we determined the final color and composition that we used for my own space, I worked with the Eskayel team to determine the final product designs and colorways. It was truly a collaborative process. It was such a great experience to have Shanan come and see the curtains in my space.
How would you describe Sea Galaxy?
SC: It’s kind of like an imaginary world under the sea or out in the galaxy.
JD: Ethereal, soft, flowing, but energetic.
Shanan Campanaro and Jaime Derringer
For more information on Sea Galaxy, visit eskayel.com.
Last week, we headed to Las Vegas to check out the 10th edition of the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (KBIS) and we are still reeling from everything we saw! Did you catch our live coverage on Instagram? From fixtures to surfaces, ovens to wash basins, showers to closets, we got to see the latest products and collections from legacy and emerging brands coming out this year and beyond. If you missed out on attending, registration for the 2024 show is not yet opened but you can sign up here to be notified first thing. Until then, here is the best of KBIS 2023 to get you excited for next year’s festivities:
We’re not sure about you but we are still into the sage green trend, so this bathtub from Marmite made us stop mid-track. Look how thin the edges are!
Tech was a major component of the show and this smart garden by Natufia showed us how easy it is to cultivate and grow your green thumb, even if the season outdoors are less than ideal. If you don’t have any balcony or garden space, this would be a great alternative.
Another option for growing your own garden indoors is with LG’s “tiiun mini,” which allows you to grow just enough to enhance the dishes you whip up using fresh herbs. We love that this takes up very minimal space on a counter top.
Colors, colors, colors! There was no shortage of color options at this year’s show and that included wash basins. The rainbow of hues we saw (like these from Ruvati) made us question why we would ever choose white or stainless steel again!
We love a matte black fixture and this one at the Brizo booth called out to us for its clean, architectural lines. We also checked out the Jason Wu for Brizo Kitchen Collection (below) and it reminded us of our Friday Five with Wu here.
Kohler announced that it was bringing back two of their six most popular heritage colors for a production and we got to see all six up close. The colors were put to a vote and the winning hues were Spring Green and Peachblow! We love both and could see them in a colorfully bold, statement-making bath space.
Speaking of heritage collections, Bertazonni’s ranges made us wish for one in our own homes. Between the Professional line (above) and Heritage line (below), which would you choose?
We’ve written about Samsung’s Bespoke collection before (see here, here, and here) but seeing it in real life solidified our love for the series. The fridge color blocking is especially pretty in person and such a refreshing alternative to stainless steel.
Konkretus is a new-to-us brand but we love what this under-the-radar brand is doing and making. The booth showcased a monolithic concrete tub in beautiful bubble gum pink hue but it was the natural textures of the tub that really stood out to us. The brand offers a curated selection of colors to choose from if pink isn’t your thing.
This is what happens when fashion inspires the kitchen space! Cafe Appliances displayed various mood boards that these kitchen vignettes were created from and we love how unapologetically bold and colorful the results were. We especially love this eclectic pink/purple kitchen and the tropical beach vibes of this second kitchen.
Bath fixtures are something you should really see in person because photos don’t do them justice. The Central Park West series was a collaboration between Kallista and Robert A.M. Stern Architects and instantly elevates a bath space. Be sure not to drop that handheld shower head on your foot – it’s heavy but that makes it feel so much more substantial and luxurious!
With Smeg, we love how you can go bold with color or minimalist with classic stainless steel.
Finally, all the hardware at Emtek makes us want to change out every door and cabinet in our own home. Above, it looks like we’re looking inside a jewelry box with the various materials! Below is Emtek’s predictions for 2023’s colors and finish trends – which one is your favorite?
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