My favourite Dutch design collective Droog have recently launched the Anamorphosis platters. Designed by Luc d'Hanis and Sofie Lachaert, the platters display what appears to be distorted images, until a reflective object is placed in the centre of the platter.
Droog is available locally through Simon James Design.
The magic that is Ferrofluid had me completely mesmerised at the Adidas installation at Milan Design Week. In basic terms Ferrofluid is a liquid that responds to magnetic forces. Which means holding a magnet near the fluid can make it move against gravity and rise up all on it's own. It's really impressive to watch, particularly because it's just a liquid that moves in a solid form, that makes for an interesting ever-changing sculptural installation.
Constructed from a mere 4mm thick oak veneered plywood, the new Houdini chair's construction is inspired by techniques used in airplane model making. Two-dimensional plywood slabs are stretched by hand around a complexly milled solid wood ring to form the back and another to form part of the seat. No nails or screws are used to hold the chairs together rather the 2D slabs are glued to the base to stay in position, producing the shape of the chairs.
Ron Arad has reconfigured the idea of a traditional sofa. Constructed from soft square and rectangular modules of various heights all fixed to a base by steel pins. Arad drew his inspiration from screen pixels. The modular nature of the sofa means that a wide range of compositions can be created.
Moroso is available from Matisse.
I love this big old chunk of natural stone that's been artfully turned into the kitchen bench. I'm not sure if it's marble or limestone, but either way it's fantastic. I don't imagine it houses your usual kitchen bench accoutrements, such as dishwashers and wastemasters, but who cares when it looks this impressive.
To view more images of this project go here.
In a classic case of being in the right place at the right time, I had the immense pleasure of meeting the charming and talented Mr Sergio Rodrigues at the Milan fair. The 82 year old architect and designer had flown in from Rio de Janeiro to join Classicon in the re-release of his iconic furniture range. Having designed furniture since 1954 Rodrigues furniture defines the Brazilian aesthetic, his pieces have always sat perfectly within the homes designed by himself and his luminaries such as Oscar Niemeyer.
I have long been a fan of the South American aesthetic, and with the increasing demand for classic furniture from the area at international furniture auctions, it's easy to see that Classicon are onto a great thing with the charming Rodrigues.
Classicon is available locally at Matisse.
Oh my this is so pretty. I love feathers, and this site specific installation by London artist Kate MccGwire is right up my alley with it's industrial pretty. Check out her other beautiful creations on her website.
People are always asking me to recommend furniture, and more often than not, it's outdoor furniture they ask about. I've picked up some excellent new outdoor offerings from Milan this year that we'll be including in the next issue of Design Folio - out in September.
The Heaven outdoor range is designed by Jean-Marie Massaud for Emu, which is avaiable here.
Not only is Ms Urquiola currently one of the most prolific designers, she is perhaps one of the most unique amongst her contemporaries. Unlike say, Philippe Starck who's done many an interpretation of the Louis XV chair, Urquiola never seems to reveal a signature style. Personally I think this shows the extent of her talents as a multifaceted designer, but others might disagree.
I would describe The Rift chairs above as sort of retro-futuristic. Urquiola says her influences came from tectonic plates that diverge, collide and overlap creating different layers.
Moroso is available from Matisse.
Growing up in rural South Korea designer Kwangho Lee spent much of his childhood making things. His humble surroundings have had an outstanding influence on his hand-crafted works. From chairs hand carved from styrofoam blocks and sponge to hand knotted or knitted lighting and furniture, Lee's work signifies craftsmanship at it's best and an innocence in design that I greatly admire.
Check out more of his work here.
