2Modern Design Talk - Modern Furniture & Design Blog

City Shrinker

Ben Thomas sent over a URL to a very cool project:

CITY SHRINKER

He shrinks down cities to model size. The detail blows me away. How does he find the time?

The answer (from Michael): is Google Tilt Shift Photography

The site is worth definitely worth a visit.

How To Discover the Latest Design Trends

One of my favorite pastimes is data mining design. It's a labor intensive hobby, but one that I get great enjoyment out of. So, what is data mining design? It's basically scouring the world for new designers and design trends. Do you ever wonder how design blogs come up with so many interesting things to write about? There are generally two ways: A blog develops contacts with multiple contributors from all over the world like this blog or the Core77 blog, or a blog has one writer who just methodically digs in all the right places to discover designs, like my blog Design Crack.

So, where do you dig and how do you dig? The best place to find young emerging talent is at the major design fairs. Invariably, each design fair has a young designers section where students or the newly graduated come to show their stuff. To me it's like a kid in a candy store. Take 100% Design, a fantastic London design fair, as an example. Each year they present 100% futures which debuts dozens of talent that range from strange to ingenious concepts.

For instance, above is the work of Victoria Robinson's Justin Case, a suitcase with legs. It's simple, weird, ingenious design.

A more refined work comes out of this year's winner of the 100% futures top designer which is called the Smart Board. This design has been created with a very small apartment in mind. This sideboard incorporates 4 chairs as well as several drawers into a well integrated piece of furniture.

This was just two of dozens of designers who have exhibited at the 100% future, each of which has contributed something interesting or exciting. It's almost too much. But if you are a retailer or manufacturer of interesting design furniture, for instance, keeping these young designer's email addresses close by can be a economical alternative to hiring or buying from major design houses for future projects.

Seasoned Greetings

There's no accounting for some people's taste. Everyone's particularly particular about their spices. Too much or too little after all, quickly turns a meal from mouthwatering to mulch. But Vic Firth's high-lighted, high-gloss salt and pepper mills lift the flavor of your food long before their contents twist their way onto your dish. The bright and flavorful accents, with a patented lock and grind milling system, deliver a colorfully perfect dash, pinch, smidgen, or dollop every time. Check for them and the rest of Firth's colorful mill options here at vicfirthgourmet.com

Avant Garde Is Good For Kids

Via Cool Hunting, ISO50 (The Visual Work of Scott Hansen).  Prints, music and tees - great art at a great price.  Buy a dozen prints and here you go yo, most def nursery ever.

Flow

Flow was developed by John Arndt, from the Design Academy of Eindhoven NL, for a Postgraduate thesis. The Flow system is based on the cyclical flow of nature for tackling the issue of wasteful resources in the kitchen. The designed system allows for the different elements to interact with one another by utilizing the waste from one element as nutrients or fuel for another.

The water from the dish rack is used on the herbs and edible plants in the planter boxes below it. When preparing the herbs and edible plants, you can collect the scraps into a built in bowl that gets tipped over into the composter that is attached beneath the table top. The finished compost is put back into the plants... restarting the cycle.  Amazing.

I wanna shake Mr. Arndt's hands. Well done ! This guy is going places... you heard it hear first.

--sdotg--

Innermost

Mining the wealth of design talent in London, Steve Jones and Russell Cameron created Innermost in 1999.  Their focus was originally on lighting, but the collection has expanded into other areas over the years.  Here are two of my favorite new lights from their Autumn 2007 collection:

Meiha Tsang created the Peony shade, an intricate laser-cut shade available in three sizes.  It can be used on lamp bases or as a hanging pendant.

Acrylic and linen fibers create the complex patterns in Bubbly Chic, courtesy of designer Mireille Gourbin.

Hulger

Hulger has just launched on 2Modern! These phones connect to almost all mobile phones and have an amazing retro look with the functionality of modern cell phones. The PENELOPE*PHONE echoes the famous Bakelite phones of the 30’s and 40’s, while the PIP*PHONE design is brutally simple and echoes 80’s style. All phones are also available with a base, which connects to both PCs and MACs for use as an internet phone, such as the P*PHONE & USB*BASE.

Pontopidan Oil Candles

Jorgen Olsson's Pontopidan Oil Candle is a cross between a candle and an oil lamp.  The polished steel lamps have the warmth and intimacy of a candle, but are drip-free and worry-free.  The candle magnetically attaches to the wall mount, and is easy to refill.

Pretty Snakey

In recent years, the trend in exotic-skins has seen the likes of alligator and crocodile being used in high fashion accessories. This fall, the hottest skin, in the luxury market, is Python. A native of Southeast Asia, it is known for its variations in color and scale and its supple feel. Some designers prefer the skin of the Anaconda, native to the swamps of South America, since it has a more regular-sized, shinny scale. Either way, its hard to miss the use of snake skin in the apparel, accesories and home markets.

From Left to Right: JALDA Metallic Python Bean Clutch, Zagliani Metallic Python Puffy Bag, Kennth Jay Lane Embossed Clutch with Snake. Available at Saks Fifth Avenue

Marc Jabobs Satin & Python Pumps, Miu Miu Python Bicolor Flat. Available at Saks Fifth Avenue

The snake skin pattern is also being printed on dresses and clothing separates. Diane von Furstenberg Treenie Snakeskin Dress, Roberto Cavalli Silver Python Print Cami. Available at Saks Fifth Avenue

If you are interested in the look of snakeskin without the price tag that goes with it, check out the Atypyk Python Tape at Charles & Marie

Or check out this Faux Python Tray Table at Neiman Marcus.

Modern vs. Contemporary

There is a little debate going on here that I thought I would throw some commentary on:

http://2modern.blogs.com/2modern/2007/10/2008-dream-ride.html

What is the definition of MODERN vs the definition of CONTEMPORARY?

MODERN: from the dictionary:

adjective:
Characteristic or expressive of recent times or the present; contemporary or up-to-date: a modern lifestyle; a modern way of thinking.

noun:
One who lives in modern times.

So...by definition, anything that is of current time, is modern. So isn't everything contemporary then modern because it is of "modern time"...aka "now"? Well, no, not really...because just because it is "new", doesn't mean that it is "modern".

 

Why is it that classic "modern" design is defined by some as "modern" and new design is considered "contemporary"?

 

Is the term "modern" forever frozen in mid 20th century?

 

(Eames Rocker)

CONTEMPORARY: from the dictionary:

adjective
1. Belonging to the same period of time: a fact documented by two contemporary sources.
2. Of about the same age.
3. Current; modern

 

Blu Dot Buttercup Rocker

Now I am confused..."modern" is listed under "Contemporary" and "contemporary" is listed under "Modern".

 

Now..."Modernism" of course is something a bit different. That term often refers to the movement from traditional forms within the art, design, architecture and literature during the 20th century.

 

Is it fair to say that "Modern" should be the phrase that refers to any contemporary design that is moving away from traditional forms of design? If that is the case, when does the old guard of "Modern" become more stale and traditional and the new designers of current times become more "Modern" based on the definition?

 

I guess there will always be "Classic Modern" defining the innovative design from the past and "Modern" which refers to "Contemporary Modern" design of now (and the future).

 

There it is. My 2 cents.

 

A