We received an email from Carlos over at Scrapile alerting us to several new pieces in their 2005 collection. Images we received include a wall-mounted shelving system, a circular table with tripod legs, and accessory boxes in several sizes. Scrapile produces their products out of discarded wood from local wood shops. Thanks, Carlos!
Email: ScrapileNYC
Related: Scrapile L+L
We love getting tips. Especially when they are for such inventive and witty pieces like these light fixtures from Italian manufacturer Tecnodelta. Most of Tecnodelta's fixtures come in wall, floor, hanging, and table variations and Tecnodelta uses the most advanced technology in the production of its lighting devices – fibre optics, LEDs, electroluminescent sheets – in addition to the traditional technologies.
Last month, we learned about Adriean Koleric's Edith Mailbox and liked its style. We decided to check back in and see what was up with the site and went looking for any new product updates/info. The site is still under construction but the background image caught our attention. Being the curious blokes that we are, we fired off an email to Adrien to get the scoop on the new design. Here's what we heard back:
"The piece you're asking about is called 'SUGAR'. It's an adjustable lounger that's upholstered in vinyl over 3" foam. The yellow/orange band in the middle has a textured finish like scales on a fish, the white is a typical smooth texture. The pipe in the back acts as a support which fits into either of the 2 openings to create a laid back setting or more of an upright. I sometimes refer to it as a 'poor mans la-z-boy'. The pipe itself is pvc wrapped in vinyl as well. I also use it as a magazine holder."Along with the updated website, Adriean will be adding a few more pieces to I T E M's product lineup in the coming weeks so keep an eye out for them. We certainly will.
Apparently I'm not alone in the notion of seeing a museum banner hanging from a streetpole and thinking how great that would look hanging in my living room. BetterWall took that idea and turned it into a business. On their website, you can purchase banners advertising an Ansel Adams gallery at the Art Institute of Chicago or Warhol's exhibition at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. But these aren't just reproductions of those banners, they are the real deal.
" All of BetterWall’s beautiful banners are the real McCoy! They have been displayed on streetlamp posts and museum facades in cities across the country. Made of vinyl or heavy-weight canvas, the banners are well-equipped to withstand outdoor display. All banners are in excellent condition with no rips, tears, fading or large blemishes. Minor surface blemishes or other slight signs of wear do not detract from the beauty of the images and add to the banners’ value and authentic charm. Some banners have wind-slits, small half-moon shaped cuts that allow the banners to withstand high wind without ripping."To date, BetterWall has helped their museum partners keep 10 tons of vinyl out of landfills. Also, by purchasing a banner from BetterWall, you are also supporting the arts, as a percentage of proceeds is returned to the museum featured on the banner. Great idea, guys!
Most photographers that specialize in landscape photography tend to focus on sharp images showing crisp detail and perfect exposure. On the other hand Frank Grisdale prefers just the opposite. He prefers the handheld exposure to the tripod, allowing colors to merge and overlap each other, "drawing with light" as he calls it.
"Most photographs are the result of shooting long hand held exposures. As the camera moves in my hands, real life's fine details begin to merge, overlap, and cancel out on the film, resulting in work which might have been drawn or painted by an early Impressionist."Intriguing work, Frank!
We don't speak Dutch and when we found out about landscape designer Harry de Visser's site, we immediately turned to Babelfish for the 411 in our native tongue. According to Babelfish, the garden designs of Harry de Visser are "tight of form" and we'd have to agree. He employs the technique of "beplanting" (I haven't quite figured out what the English translation of beplanting is - anyone?) and the reuse of materials such as coloured glass, zinc, galvanised gratings, wood, ordinary glass, stone and concrete.
The gardens of Harry de Visser finds their origin in the context as an expressive artist and illustrator. The designs are exclusive, monumentally and frequently minimalistisch of form, but spherical. Main point for a design is the architectonic half-measure sheathing. Architecture and garden must a relation with each other have. Entirely must radiate rest and space. By devising particular elements, every garden gets its own character. take water design, architectural elements, visibility lines, contrast, functional beplanting, reduction and environment prominent. (Babelfish)Update: We just got word from Harry. Beplanting "means all kinds of plants that you use in a garden." Simple enough, thanks Harry!
Ever wonder what happens to old decommissioned propane tanks? We always did (well, not really, but we wish we could say we did). On that note, John T. Unger did and he did something we could only dream of doing: He cuts them up and makes one very cool fire pit out of them. With flames no less. Flames, so hot right now. We're diggin' it John!
"The Great Bowl of Fire is cut from quarter inch thick steel— you could hit it with a car and it wouldn't notice. Your car would though, so I don't really recommend such extreme product testing. A better idea might be to chuck it off the roof, but please be careful getting it up there, it's very heavy."Link: Artbuzz [Thanks, John!]
Thom Mayne hasn't been sleeping well. The radical L.A. architect, whose edgy designs seem to mirror his notoriously intense personality, keeps waking up from anxiety dreams. "They're all connected to figures of authority," he says. We don't need Freud to figure this one out. Mayne, 61, a true child of the '60s, has spent most of his career as a rebel outside the architectural mainstream—teaching, entering design competitions, creating dense, hyperkinetic small projects and basically staying faithful to his own gestalt.Article: MSNBC/Newsweek
I used to work with a couple of guys who were pretty hardcore gamers. They'd spend all hours of the night playing online games such as Half-Life and Unreal Tournament. One of the cool things about these games is that end-users can modify the "worlds" in which these games are played. With that in mind, here's what happens when you have a few gamers that also happen to know how to create an architectural rendering or two. Ah, now just imagine being able to take a sniper position in Pierre Koenig's Case Study No. 22 House.
I remember several years back, after receiving my first DWR catalog in the mail, one of the first things that caught my eye was their Mag Table in walnut. I don't recall exactly what it was about it that caught my eye. Perhaps it was it's simple lines, that it was bentwood, or it might've just been the fact that it was (and still is?) one of the least expensive items in the catalog. It was design within my reach. Anyhow, I still have a thing for bentwood furniture and recently noticed this newspaper rack from Swedese. I like it, but I'm thinking it's either a bit too, um, bent, or it needs a piece of glass on top to support a lamp or other accessory. However, with a piece of glass, newspaper access would be restricted to the side.
From Onix comes this communal housing project featuring 14 bungalows with a shared common area.
"Onix was requested by the Woonconcept Foundation to design approximately 14 patio bungalows for a small section of the Krakeel neighborhood in Hoogeveen. The houses are situated in a green zone that meanders through the suburb, consisting of an attractive green avenue, school facilities, ponds, a children’s farm, playing fields etc. An autonomous construction, the building forms a spatial jetty consists of private terraces, verandas, privacy screens, stages, a car port, end facades, roofs, a communal terrace, and an entrance gate to the inner area."
Originally developed as an entry for the 2005 *Frost furniture prototype exhibit in Edmonton, this hot pink mailbox from designer Adriean Koleric is sure to get your postman's attention. The mailbox is constructed from welded steel and features illuminated frosted plexi-glass letters on the front. The light is connected to a light sensitive transformer so it will not light during the day.
"From the start my main objective was to maintain a simple form that would not compete with the house / structure it sat infront of, plus be able to compliment any adjacent greenery. For something that will sit among shrubs and trees, it should look like it has the same right to be there. It almost feels like it grew out of the ground itself to a point that you almost anticipate it to get bigger each year or even sprout leaves. But the question usually asked is why pink ? Reason being this prototype was finished in that particular color was to bring it some attention right from the get go. With such an ultra simple form it needed a punch that would make someone stop and take notice."Update 5/5/05: Looks like we're late to this party. Check out Josh Spear's write-up on this from a few days back.
With all these UK posts, one might think we're turning into L+L London (hmmm, there's an idea). Well, here's yet another UK blog. In the same vain as the Fold House this traditional Waterloo home gets a clean modern addition.
"The garden extension to this grade II listed building in Waterloo is a simple pattern of solid and glazed panels repeating the original openings of the rear façade which are then repeated in reverse on the roof. The additional floor space extends the family living area and acts as an open connection between kitchen and dining area. The works also included lowering the existing semi-basement to create a utility room, storage and study and refurbishment of the house throughout."
Firm: Dive Architects
I have a bit of a thing for screens and after seeing the Folding Screen over at iannone:sanderson (nice find Grace!), I just had to include it here. Their website doesn't say, but I wonder if the resin panels are available in different colors?
"Our folding screen combines ash wood with modern manmade materials to create layers of transparency and color. Corrugated plastic is bent into a graceful form and drilled with a grid of holes which allow light to pass through and project a pattern on textured colored resing panels. The projected light fades and changes as one moves about the screen."Via: design*sponge
Continuing our theme of blogs from across the pond, Urban Roof Gardens is London's only multi-disciplinary team of architects and designers that focus exclusively on roof gardens and green roofs. Their website features a portfolio with gardens from around the world including Edinburgh, Amsterdam, New York, and San Francisco. I only wish I could design my ground-level garden to look as good as these.
This is the mission of Urbanroofgardens: To raise awareness of the benefits of urban roof gardens, terraces and green roofs. To collate and publish world-class research and best-practice relating to urban roof gardens. And to offer concept to completion advice and services to both the lay and the professional citizen wishing to build urban roof gardens.
Link: Urban Roof Gardens [Thanks, John!]
The Bibliotech from Porro is a multi-use bookshelf and storage system. It can be outfitted with a wide configuration of shelves and containers. The Bibliotech can be wall-mounted or outfitted with feet and used as a room divider. Available in a variety of finishings including anthracite grey, stained beech, natural beech, cherry-wood stained beech, bleached beech, natural or stained cherry.
Designers: Piero Lissoni & Lorenzo Porro
Link: Porro
Update 4/21/2005: Well, that didn't take too long. Looks like Janel has decided that our "Visit Land+Living" images weren't appropriate for her site so now she's simply linking directly to the manufacturer's site. Hey Janel, what about that Via link I mentioned above? Since you're still using our text, it's only appropriate. And do the same for all the Moco Loco images and text you grabbed as well.
Via (oh, the irony!): China IDC
Serralunga makes flowerpots. Small pots, ginormous pots, and every size pot in-between. One of the interesting tidbits we found is that some of the designers, while sketching their pots, sketched them with specific plants in mind. While some pots might be approriate for your orchids, alocasias, and cannas, others are much better suited for your agaves and cactii. The Hole Pot (featured at right) features.....get this, Holes!....allowing you to see the plant inside. Genius!
We just came across the design team of Lift and we like their work. In the past, they been featured in print rags such as ID, Metropolis, Sunset, DNA, and Time. They've designed products ranging from the Whisk (featured at right), an "inner-city commuting vehicle", the Veggie-Love (utensils with garden tool inspiration), the Taboo (a collection of houseware products), and the Botta, one of the best looking martini glasses we've come across yet.
Link: Lift
The Castelo Branco Chair was designed to compliment the Castelo Branco project. The Castelo Branco project will be located in Portugal and is being designed by Josep Lluis Mateo of Map Architects. The chair itself is a prototype and part of a larger collection of semi-mobile furniture designed specifically for outdoor environments.
Link: Castelo Branco Chair
Link: Map Architect
Link: Castelo Branco Project
Not to be confused with Big Head Todd and the Monsters, these Big Head coasters are a great accessory for your boring coffee table. They can be easily stacked for storage or, impress your friends by lining them up in a row and knocking them all down, domino style. They are sold in sets of 4 and claim to include both "boy" and "girl" models, however, that appears to be anatomically incorrect.
"the coasters are manufactured using heat resistant rubber moulded in the form of either a boy or girl figure with an enlarged ‘head’, which provides space for your drink. the coasters have ‘feet’ so they can be stacked together and stood up to attention when not in use! when you need them, just flick them down and place your drink on their big heads. the ‘boy’ and ‘girl’ forms mean your drinks need never get muddled up again!"
Link: J-Me Big Head Coasters
Based in Spain, Luzifer Lamps manufacturers suspension, floor, wall, and table lighting in a wide range of styles. Shades are available in materials such as timber, veneer, parchment, and polypropelene. If you're the type that enjoys matching fixtures throughout your home, Luzifer makes many of their styles in each of their lighting categories. However, since variety is the spice of life, why limit yourself to one style? Go ahead, mix it up a little!
Link: Luzifer Lamps
Last summer in our coverage of CA Boom, it was noted that Sami Hayek was on the panel of a conference that James attended. We included a link but unfortunately didn't feature any of his work. I recently visited his site, and, well, being the huge fan of bentwood furniture that I am, I was impressed with the work that I found. I was most impressed with the Inana cocktail table (below, bottom left). His work is available in finishes such as walnut, maple, and leather. Featured at right is the rambius shelving unit.
Link: Sami Hayek
Reference: CA Boom (Land+Living)
Is it wicker? Is it wire? Is it a "high-tech plastic"? We're not sure, but whatever it is, Lebello shapes it and paints it in some cool colors. Their product line ranges from ottomans and lamps to chairs and stools. The Hollow ottoman (featured at right) provides an open frame for books to be placed in its center. Each product is available in a wide range of fun colors.
Link: Lebello
Link: Available Colors
Using a proprietary acrylic known as "Altuglass", desginers at Aitali have come up with the Alikudi chairs. The acrylic is approximately 25 mm thick and can be embedded with graphics to create bold and striking designs.
In addition to the Alikudi chair, they also manufacture a table and chair set and a chaise lounge, all created with Altuglass. Very cool!
Link: Aitali
Founded in London by architect Philipp Mainze, e15 produces well designed furniture in an array of styles and materials. Some of our favorites include the Tafel bench, the Ingmar console, the Alex side tables, the Harry garden bench, and the Noah bed (featured at right).
"Solid European wood, stainless steel, aluminium and leather are selected with beauty, strength and durability in mind. The feel and appearance of the material inform the design of each product. The shape is modern; the craftsmanship traditional. Designed and built to endure, the pieces are assured, refined and uncomplicated, allowing the natural beauty to be appreciated in its most elegant form."Link: e15
You might not have noticed but we've been making some small changes to the site here at L+L. We've added pagination to our main pages (finally!) and recently fixed a bug that was causing comments to be submitted multiple times. We've also made a few changes to the database so hopefully pages will load a little bit faster. I'm pretty sure things are running smoothly but if you happen to notice any weirdness, give us a holler and let us know, or simply comment below. As always, thanks for stopping by!
Link: Contact
Browsing the Moss online store, we were smitten with these industrial looking, albeit pricey, sterling silver napking rings designed by Italian architect, Gabriele De Vecchi. For a cool $1275, this set of 6 rings can be yours as well.
For me, however, I think I'll stick with bicycle cogs and some silver Rustoleum.
Link: Modern Rings (Moss Online)
Back in early February, I had this flashback to my high school woodshop days. It was caused by the X-Lounge from Modern Objects and since their website lacked information about their lounge, I rambled on about the old high school memory it evoked.
Well, since then, it looks like they've been busy because they've got a new site up with quite a few new products and plenty of information. Bravo to them!
So it turns out, the X-Lounge is available in three different woods: poplar, walnut, and teak. In addition to the X-Lounge, they also have a few new tables: the min coffee table, which features a sliding, removeable platform shelf; the hidey table, which features a "box like" shelf for stashing your keys, wallet, etc; and the italic table (at right), which has an off angle book cubby and a floating removable shelf. Nice work, Jesse!
Link: Modern Object
Designer: Jesse Doquillo
Reference: X-Lounge (Land+Living)
Architecture For Sale is an online resource featuring some of the most sought after real estate on the planet. From Schindler to Neutra to Murcutt, Architecture For Sale has them listed. The prices of these homes are way out of my price range, but if you've got a million plus burning a hole in your pocket and are in the market for a new home, check them out.
Architecture for Sale is the premier online resource for architectural properties around the world. For nearly a decade, architectureforsale. com has featured an eclectic and diverse offering of estates, historic properties and architectural residences. Our current listings may include: a craftsman bungalow in California; a grand Southern plantation inLouisiana; a modernist retreat in Connecticut; a prefabricated house available for construction worldwide; a historic light house in Maine; or an urban loft in Germany. Our goal is to marry a customer with the architectural, historic or estate home of his or her dreams.Link: Architecture for Sale