Designed by Hay Studio, the Mags Sofa is available as a 2-seater, 2.5-seater and a 3-seater lounge - and from personal experience, it's also comfortable with the back at the perfect height to rest your arms. We also like the artwork by Cathrine Raben Davidsen in the background.
Available locally from here.
In researching this story, the only good reason that I could find for why you wouldn't have a conversation pit in your home was an issue of safety. Apparently according to one article I found, one can fall into the pit, and come to quite a lot of grief, particularly without safety railings installed. Doesn't sound so bad to me. But seriously, the art of good hearty family conversation should be encouraged. It does seem glaringly obvious that the demise of the conversation pit was about the time of the launch of the television set. Hmmm....time for a conversation pit I think.
Berlin's modernist and contemporary architecture plays a staring role in 2005's futuristic thriller Aoen Flux. Berlin plays the fictional city of Bregna in the year 2415 with suprisingly little alteration. The images above show the interior and exterior of Baumschulenweg Crematorium by Alex Schultes and Charlotte Frank, where much of the action takes place.
Not only is modern architecture clearly still considered space-age in the popular unconscious, we wonder at what point modernist and contemporary architecture will no longer be considered quite so futurisitc?
The fantastic Out/ In Chairs by Philippe Starck that were launched earlier this year in Milan have finally arrived in New Zealand. These chairs are an excellent example of Starck's tongue and cheek approach to design. As their name suggests the Out/ In chair is suitable both outdoors and in, and to me seem like the perfect chair to add a little intrigue and mystery to an otherwise predicable cafe courtyard.
You can view the chairs now locally here.
Rug designer Esti Barnes, uses hand carving techniques to shape and mould the faceted surfaces of her exquisite rugs. Each rug is hand tufted in wool, and has unique textural finish.
At the recently held World Architecture Festival (WAF), Grohe, launched a limited edition range of their ever popular Rainshower shower head. Winning the acclaimed red dot award: ‘best of the best’, the user can choose not only the shower pressure, but also the colour that best reflects their personality. Grohe conducted an on-the-spot survey at WAF, and shortly will release its findings: the most popular colour among architects.
Grohe is available locally here.
As someone who's spent her life editing and publishing design and interiors magazines, it saddens me to hear the news of Metropolitan Home magazine's closure. The 26 year old magazine has always stood out as one of the only decent modern interior design magazines to come out of the US. When I worked in New York we would pour over the pages of each new issue, utterly envious of the homes and apartments they had procured and their exquisite and unique styling. I am certainly glad that I've kept hold of my favourite issues.
Inspired by Birds, designer Zhili Liu creates light sockets in bone china which hold lightbulbs at an angle to form these pieces. The lights can be hung in clusters, attached to a perch or displayed within a glass shade that represents a bird's cage.
Inspired by deep sea creatures who have "lights" on their heads that assist them in hunting down their prey, the Light Up chair is constructed in steel and resin creating an ergonomic form.
We love the Barocco Sofa series by Zanotta for both its elegance and mix of traditional aesthetics with modern shapes. The rounded and flared armrests and the diamond quilted upholstery act as a subtle contrast to the otherwise minimalist design of this sofa.
Zanotta is available locally here.
