2Modern Design Talk - Modern Furniture & Design Blog

Once again, the MCB awards!

So, once again, for the 23rd time, Museu da Casa Brasileira, in São Paulo, has announced the winners of its prestigious awards. These are a few of the winners, among 13 categories. You can check all of them right here

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 

Wallpaper by Aimee Wilder

The robots and the squirrels have got to be my favorite..Visit Aimee Wilder to see more stylish modern wallpaper.

  
  
 
 
 

2Modern Recycled Ornament Contest

All you DIY Junkies get ready to create a Holiday Ornament made completely of recycled materials. Winners will be judged on creatvitiy, use of recycled materials, and design asthetic. 3 Winners will be chosen and win great prizes from 2Modern.com. Contest ends December 20th 2009. You may enter as many times as you wish. Learn More Here! 
 

Klein Bottle House by Mc Bride Charles Ryan at Rye, Australia

This holiday home is situated in sand dunes full of trees, directly behind 16th beach at Rye on the Mornington Peninsula, only two hours from Melbourne. There was in this home to be the sense of arriving at a natural and built environment which was unique and in complete contrast to the owner’s city home.

The architects, Mc Bride Charles Ryan practice in Melbourne, began with the idea of the spiral, an acknowledgement of the end of the weekend journey to the beach. An Australian icon, McIntyre’s 1950’s Snellman House came to mind. As the project developed they carefully considered where the building should be located, its relationship to the prevailing winds, and possible points of entry, topography and vegetation. Subjected to numerous distortions, the topology of the spiral gave way to the topological classic The Klein Bottle.

The architects were keen to remain topologically pure, to distort the shape as need dictates but not to appear to sever this form. The idea of the origami version of the Klein bottle was attractive to them, not just because it was able to be approximated in cement sheet (the resonance with the ubiquitous 1950s fibre shack was compelling) but both because of its beauty and the perversity of an origami Klein Bottle. To accommodate ‘rooms’ within the bottle they thought of them like objects inserted (the ship) within the bottle.

The mathematician’s complex topological surfaces like the Klein bottle are appealing to many architects. They look like the new architecture of the computer age, and hold the promise of new form and spatial sequence. Radically they merge the floor, wall and ceiling, inside and outside. The fact that there are so few examples is evidence that they are actually almost impossible to achieve in reality. In this project, the Klein bottle was the perfect fit to the constraints of the site. Once adopted, the shape of this building had something of a life of its own, the genie was out and she was difficult to temper. The development was intense, the serious pursuit of joyful nonsense.

The result is a unique shape and internal space, an unexpected entry sequence and series of new relationships between the traditional components of the home. The process was also a reminder that architecture does not spring naturally from place, and yet it is the beautiful abstract idea, that when carefully selected and developed can suddenly seem as natural as the tee tree that surrounds it. The building required extensive use of 3d software for both its development and eventual execution.

The building is largely steel framed, the complexity of which required the architects to develop representations for use in the shop drawing and production process. It is a lightweight structure largely clad in cement and metal sheet; incombustible and lightweight, these materials meet stringent fire overlays. It harvests water, is double glazed and the large cavities between the external and internal cladding allow packing with bulk insulation. The central courtyard adds cooling and cross ventilation, Windows are hardwood, the flooring is bamboo and the artificial lighting was selected with efficiency as a primary concern. The project was awarded first prize in the House category at the World Architecture Festival Awards 2009.

Digital Graffiti Wall

What if you could spray paint a wall with graffiti and erase it whenever you wanted with a click of a button?  That's exactly what the YR Grafitti Wall offers, except the spray paint can has no paint- just a beam of light (an IR light source with computer tracking - to be precise) and the wall is a giant digital screen. 

Designed by interactive U.K. designers Lumacustics, the YR Wall is yet another step toward breaking down the walls between the digital world and the physical one.  It also offers a benign alternative to spray painting real walls with real paint. 

But this is more than just a toy, it is a new drawing tool.  It offers new possibilities for creative expression. Let's hope the people who use it transcend the urge to merely write their name in bold letters.

Green Materials and Design

One of the big changes that has gone on in architecture and the greater design world in the last 6 to8 years is the growing interest in sustainability and green design.  Early on, green design was primarily part of the institutional architecture market because the schools and universities were the ones that would accept the additional project costs and design changes associated with a green project.   The LEED (Leadership in Energy Efficient Design) building standard, the current green standard in building, is now used in all parts of the building market and has come to define premium office space in Boston and most large cities around the country.  It’s what people are coming to expect from their homes and offices.

 

California Academy of Sciences re-design (San Francisco, CA)- Renzo Piano

Because of LEED we now have a lot of exciting new products that never existed before, using base-materials that we would have never considered using.  Many of the new materials that contribute to the LEED standard are different than traditional materials and… just plain cool!  Whether it's the choice of a base material- recycled plastic, bamboo, shredded tires, re-purposed wood, a new technology- or the design that results from thought and intent that goes into sustainability, many of the new products and the designs that have been developed are exciting and unique. 

 

Renzo Piano’s re-design of the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco is a project shaped by some of these new choices in materials and ideas about our environment.

New Prints from Jefdesigns

Just in time for the holiday season, Jefdesign's 6 new prints are all inspired by American Northwest forest scenes. Each print is created from an original hand drawing and digitally enhanced with woodgrain. Wall ready, no framing needed. A UV gloss coat protects from sun and intensifies print color. Each design is produced in a limited edition of 100, numbered and signed on the back.

Win a Modern Nursery Winners Announced!

Thank you all who participated in our Win a Modern Nursery Sweepstakes! And the winners are...

GRAND PRIZE:
Argington Modern Nursery & Color Consultation from Danielle Hirsch. Including: Bam Changing Table, Bam Toddler Conversion Kit, Bam Bassinet, Bam Bassinet Canopy Support, Bam Canopy Drape, Bam Six Drawer Dresser, Bam Diaper Caddy, Bam Trundle Drawer

Kimberly Pacetti
Houston, Texas
Graphic Designer

"I am a designer and my husband and I own our own design firm in Houston, www.goodproject.com. We eat, sleep and live modern design and we are elated that our little one will be surrounded by stylish nursery decor thanks to 2modern. This is an amazing prize- thank you. As soon as we put the nursery together I will post the images on my blog http://ittyluxe.blogspot.com/ for you to see."

2ND PRIZE:
avalisa - Elephants Stretched Print

Jessica Trounce
Phoenix, AZ
Art Director & DIY Enthusiast

"WOW! Thank you so much! My arriving little one will love it I'm sure.'m an art director and designer for an advertising firm by day and an artist and crafter by night. Check out my baby blog http://stitchedlittleelephant.blogspot.com/. I'm always on 2modern's site and blog getting ideas on what to put in my home and my, soon to be occupied, baby room."

3RD PRIZE:
Inhabit - Plankton Pillow

Merry Warner
Salt Lake City, UT
Intern Architect

"Thank you! It made my day!"

FilzFelt Rugs

The use of felt in modern decor has been a pretty hot trend for a while now.  I've mostly seen it used in small scale applications (coasters, laptop bags, ornaments, etc.), so it's exciting to see these larger rugs from FilzFelt.  Available in sizes up to 6x9, these felt rugs are handmade from German wool and dyed using the Pantone Matching System.  What does this mean for you?  An eco-friendly floor covering in 20 amazing colors!

About:

FilzFelt was founded by two felt loving designers, Kelly Smith and Traci Roloff. FilzFelt is a combination of the German word for felt (filz) and the English (felt). Since we’re Americans importing German felt, it seemed like the right fit! This female run business prides itself on simplicity in design, beautiful photography, good packaging and jaw-droppingly great customer service. Want to see what goes on behind the scenes at FilzFelt? Check them out on Flickr or become a fan on Facebook.

Rugs from FilzFelt are available in three sizes: 2x3 ($50), 4x6 ($180), and 6x9 ($405).

Federal Deficit

Slightly off topic...but I found this interesting...no wait...concerning. I hope you do as well since it doesn't seem like many are interested in Congress given the empty seats in this video...It gives you a little peek into why we just surpassed 12 trillion dollars in debt ($12,000,000,000,000).

Oh...and in case you are wondering...It took about 250 years to get to 6 trillion dollars of US debt and only 7 years to get to double it to 12 trillion. I think it is in our best interest to start paying attention. This debt is OUR debt. Please contact your representatives to see if they can try to...um...curb the unsustainable spending.

-Greg