All posts filed under: Things for Relaxing

Spectrum Candles

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Founded by architects Jean and Oliver Pelle, PELLE is a Brooklyn-based design practice that produces sculptural lighting fixtures, furnishings, and accessories that merge architectural practice with craftwork. The Spectrum Candles are a set of 12 lightly scented, soy wax candles that are individually hand-cast in PELLE’s cone-shaped Sugarloaf candle molds. The set comes in either dark red to cream (Red Currant) or black to white (Dark Rose) spectrums, with each candle producing a stronger scent as the color darkens. As the candles burn (up to 25 hours), the scents can combine and pools of colored wax interweave to create an new color experience. The makers highly recommend using a liner or candle dish to collect wax runoff and to protect your tabletop. $336, set of 12 or $28 per candle. All images courtesy of PELLE.

Sense Sleep Tracker

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The Sense sleep tracker from Hello, which begins shipping to consumers next month, raised an astounding $2.4 million on Kickstarter in August to become the 6th most funded tech campaign in the crowdfunding site’s history. Taking a different approach to “wearables” that can only track your sleep patterns when they are on your body, Sense is intended to fade into the background and let you just focus on the task at hand — sleeping. The design of the polycarbonate shell was inspired by architecture, in fact Sense resembles a little egg that would have rolled out of Beijing’s iconic “birds nest” Olympic stadium. Sense comes with a little device called a Sleep Pill that attaches to your pillow and invisibly tracks your sleep movements at night. In case you were wondering, the manufacturer says that the unit “absolutely does not” track movements related to sex. The unit’s high-precision sensors are so sensitive, however, they are able to identify noise (from snores in your bedroom to car alarms on the street); pick up on light disturbances; monitor temperature and humidity conditions; and even see particulates in …

Audio Giant Bose Celebrates 50

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Today I attended a press event celebrating 50 years in business for acoustic and speaker giant Bose Corporation. Held on the west side of Manhattan, the event centered around a timeline showcasing actual Bose products from their first loudspeaker (1966) to their just-introduced QuietComfort 25 headphones. An interesting fact: When Bose founder Dr. Amar Bose died last year, he left the majority of company stock to MIT. Here are some shots from the event.

The Alarming Clock

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The Alarming Clock, created by Scottish designers Natalie Duckett and Lee Murray, is a reinvention of the typical alarm clock. When the morning alarm is programmed, the evening alarm is automatically set to signal nine hours ahead to remind you when it’s time to start unwinding for bed. The clock’s face remains hidden on the base of the alarm so all you see is a little wooden box with a beak in the middle. Handcrafted from natural oak, the Alarming Clock has passed CE safety testing. In place of the typical (and dreaded) electric buzz, the alarm signal is mechanically created to imitate the sound of a woodpecker tapping against a tree. Placing the small wooden “beak” against different surfaces or objects (say a glass of water, a book cover, or a metal box) alters the sound. To shut off the alarm you simply touch the top, and when no alarm is required, you just remove the beak and the alarm is silenced. The clocks are currently only available in Europe with a 4 to 8 week lead time, but if there is …

3.2.1 Glassware Collection for Kontextür by Jeff Miller

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These handblown and hand-etched Czech crystal decanters and tumblers, designed by New York City-based designer Jeff Miller for Kontextür, would make a good (and luxe) holiday gift for anyone that equally appreciates good liquor and good design. The decanters (available in 32 fl. oz and 16 fl. oz sizes) feature a triangular base and a large mouth for smooth pouring. The decanter’s stopper, along with the tumblers, are encircled by etched bands. Retailing for $400 for the decanters (either size) and $400 for each set of four glasses (tall or short) these are pieces you should really only take out when you are drinking the good stuff.

Brewbot

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While I was covering last month’s London Design Festival I met Caroline Santos, one half of the British design studio Mette. At the 100% Design show Caroline was discussing her firm’s design of The Farm Kitchen, an installation that explored micro-agriculture in architecture and interiors. Mette has now been commissioned to design the first working prototype of Brewbot, a smart brewing appliance by development team Cargo, that you can control and monitor with your smartphone. This new approach to home-brewing is intended to take it out of the garage and put it into the home or workplace (thought it must be one incredibly cool office). We don’t brew beer in my house, but if it was an easier process my British husband might give it a try. By automating water amounts, temperature, and brewing time via a mobile app, Brewbot hopes to make home brewing easier than before. Belfast-based Cargo, a group of mobile app developers who are also craft beer enthusiasts, created the technology behind the Brewbot system and brought in Mette to create a …