Author: designy things

Oh My Clumsy Heart Jewelry

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Sophie Davies is a designer living in the South East of Kent in England, where she makes minimal, modern jewelry for the wonderfully named Oh My Clumsy Heart. Her collections range from classic jewelry with a modern twist, to geometric designs, to her latest collection of geology-inspired pieces adorned with titanium quartz and pyrite. We asked Sophie a few questions about her work, and where she finds inspiration. Quartz Necklaces Designy Things: When did you start designing jewelry? Did you study jewelry design in school? Sophie Davies: I started making jewelry around 18 months ago. I wanted to make
 something I would buy and wear myself —minimal designs that are lovely to
 look at. Mostly everything I have learned has been self-taught. When I want 
to make something, and I don’t know how, I teach myself.  I do, however, have
 a degree in Media and Popular Culture with a heavy focus on advertising,
 design, and branding — something that comes in very useful. D.T. Where do you source the stones from the geology line? S.D.: When I have decided on what …

Nendo Designs a Library & “Books” for Starbucks Pop-up Shop in Toyko

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For a clever pop-up shop concept in Tokyo, the Japanese design firm Nendo designed a library-like space where visitors could review “books” in nine different colors that correspond to a different espresso drink. Once a visitor finds a drink that they want, they would “check-in” the book for an actual espresso drink, but keep the “book” cover with info on their beverage. The reverse side of the book cover can be punched out and used as an insert for tall or short size tumblers. The shop only lasted for a few weeks in Tokyo in September…but perhaps we will see one popping up in another city soon?

B.B. Billosaur Bank

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This half bank/half dinosaur from le mouton noir & co. isn’t interested in your pennies — in fact none of your change will fit into the B.B. Billosaur as it’s designed specifically for saving bills. For this redesign of the classic piggy bank, the traditional slot for coinage has been replaced with seven small holes to insert rolled-up bills. Don’t have enough cash to stash away at the moment? The bank comes with little cork plugs that give the bank a stegosaurus-like appearance. The 5”1/2 wide x 5 3/8” deep x 6 7/8” high bank is handmade in porcelain in matte black, gloss white, silver metallic, and matte pink.

Origami Hunter Wall Lights

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Hunting trophies may signify power and grandeur to some, but they are downright cruel to others. There is no denying however, that they become the focal point of a room. An animal-friendly alternative is the Origami Hunter lighting range by Chilean designer Veronica Posada. The fixtures are made of industrial-grade, heat-resistant paper that has been folded into the shape of a stag, rhino, or ram head. While tested for safety, the lights have not been UL-listed as of yet. The pieces range from 13.8 inches tall by 11.8 inches wide (rhino) to 28.3 inches tall by 15.7 inches wide (stag and ram). They are available exclusively through Pretty Dandy, an online interiors boutique based in Nottingham, England. £179 (single light), £495 (set of three).

Magical Magnetic Jewelry

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Since the first time i spotted Uno Magnetic jewelry at the New York Gift Show in New York City, i was intrigued. Created by Miami-based architect/interior designer Luis Pons, the jewelry is made of a brightly colored chain and a small magnetic ball that work together to form bracelets, anklets, necklaces, rings, and anything else you can imagine. When a sample arrived in the mail a week before this summer’s Gift Show, i was psyched to try it out for myself, and wore it to my day job at a design magazine. During the course of the day, my pink/green Uno got noticed by several colleagues (i was wearing it with a navy blue dress, and it stood out.) The hardest part is keeping your hands off of it once you have found a design you like – i found myself playing with my necklace all day (to the point of distraction). That being said, i think playing with these chains is a stylish, stress-busting replacement for other nasty habits, such as nail-biting or hair twirling. …

Empty Memory USB Collection

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I met designer Yoo-Kyung Shin last May at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair in New York City, where she was displaying a stunning collection of 4GB USB memory sticks that double as jewelry and objets d’art. Shin founded the London–based design studio Logical Art with Hanhsi Chen after their graduation from the Royal College of Art. The pair’s Empty Memory collection features two designs, Structure and Transparency, that contain “a physical emptiness in its sculptural form” that you can fill with your own “memory.” Structure’s geometric form can only be made with the lost-wax casting method that is normally used for industrial components. Transparency expresses its emptiness another way — it is 50% clear acrylic. After a long search for the right production partner, the designers located a manufacturer in Taiwan that is now producing pieces for the studio. Each piece is cast in high-quality, 316 stainless steel, then hand-polished by craftsmen, and finished in various colors. The Structure version an extra benefit — you can thread a chain through it and wear it as a modern pendant, or …