All posts filed under: Things for Storage

Hanagasumi Series of Cherry Bark Tableware

The Hanagasumi series of tableware, from the Monochro design studio, is made of cherry bark in a 200-year-old craft technique that originated in Kakunodate, Japan. The series includes the square-shaped Hanagusumi tray, a matching moisture-proof box, wooden teacups, and canisters that are suitable for preserving tea leaves and coffee beans. I like the version with the colorful bands on the canisters and cups — a grouping of these on a shelf would look so serene.

Camome Collection from DANIEL

Camome is a collection of solid wood furniture and design accessories from the Yokohama- based furniture manufacturer DANIEL. The manufacturer uses wood from timbers from fallen trees and forest thinning, as well as rejects from production. My favorite in the collection, which I saw during the London Design Festival in September, is the Wood Crown Basket. The basket’s circular spoke design was inspired by the splash made by a drop of milk. The baskets come in two sizes and are made of birch wood with a clear lacquer finish. Another accessory in the collection is the Kii key holder made of solid wood from fallen tress and brass. The shape, made by traditional turnery techniques, is designed to fit well in the palm of the hand. All images courtesy DANIEL.

Memories USB Collection

I met Vanessa Redondo during the London Design Festival, where she was displaying her Memories collection of ceramic building-shaped USB sticks. Redondo, an architect and designer, was born in Caracas, Venezuela and currently lives in Madrid. She began her career as an architect and graduated from the Central University of Venezuela in 2010, after which she studied photography and design at the Instituto Europeo di Design (IED) in Spain. Inspired by the city of Caracas, her Memories collection of USB sticks are an amalgamation of her studies. The green and cream ceramic pieces mimic skyscrapers and small buildings to form a little cityscape on the wooden base. The concept, says Redondo, is to be able to organize important life events and keep them within reach. “Nowadays we’ve become more digital…we load information in computers and are no longer aware of it, we accumulate for no reason,” she writes. Her collection of USB memory sticks are an attempt to bring value back to this common digital storage tool. “In the end…it has become a delicate piece with …