All posts tagged: design

Designy Things Holiday Gift Guide

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Here are some designy gift ideas for your holiday season, from a snowflake you can cuddle to pencils you can plant in the garden. Jellycat Holiday Soft Toys Jellycat arguably makes some of the most adorable plushies in the world, combining the softest materials with a small smiling face that brings personality to all types of everyday objects and animals. Designed in London, this snowflake ($30.00), Christmas Tree ($40.00), or potted Poinsettia ($48.00) can adorn a mantle or work as a festive table centerpiece. Available through the MoMA Design Store. Embroidered Holiday Ornaments Designed in London and handmade in India by a team of master embroiderers, these ethically sourced fabric holiday ornaments are made through the traditional technique of “zardosi” (sewing with gold), historically used to decorate the most luxurious of courtly finery. Ornaments in the collection include Claude Monet, Alma Woodsey Thomas, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Frida Kahlo, and Vincent van Gogh. $16.95- $18.95. Available through the MoMA Design Store. Taste Collection by Paola Navone The Glass House design store offers an exclusive design collaboration …

Designythings Nominated for a JDR Annual Industry Blogger Award

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I’m excited to share the news that designythings has been nominated for a JDR Annual Industry Blogger Award. The 8th Annual JDR Industry Blogger Awards recognizes exceptional design and remodeling blogs. According to the organizers, the award continues to strengthen in reach and influence, with tight races in several categories in last year’s competition. The annual award, run by San Diego-based Jackson Design and Remodeling, highlights the best bloggers in Architecture, Interior Design, Remodeling, Construction Business, Green, and Microblog categories. Last year’s winners include the blogs by interior designer Sarah Sarna, Decoist, and others. Designythings is running in the Interior Design category. If you’d like to vote, please click here. Each winner will receive a $500 cash prize and a 2017 JDR Industry Blogger Awards badge for display. Voting opens March 6th and closes April 24th, so please take a moment to vote now!

Little Free Library Design Competition

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A competition to design a new version of the Little Free Library touches on two of my favorite things in the world — product design and books. If you aren’t familiar with Little Free Libraries, they are small containers that are installed in front yards, community centers, and public spaces all over to world to help people exchange books for free. There are nearly 40,000 of these structures worldwide, and Chronicle Books. Little Free Library, and AIA SF are inviting architects and designers to rethink the structure and solve some problems cited by users in the field. Challenges that the new design should try to overcome include keeping the doors shut, making it accessible at night, keeping it water-tight and heatproof, and perhaps my favorite, serving small children and tall adults alike. The jury includes architects, editors, and designers, and the prizes include an architecture library from Chronicle Books and other goodies. If I designed one, I’d love a little solar panel on top that lights it up at night when the door opens and …

Triangle Roomshoes by Nendo

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Leave it to Nendo to come up with an entirely new look for the slipper. While this new cone-shaped footwear concept looks triangular from the side, a natural crease forms in its in-step portion. Only available in Japan, the gnomish shoes can stand on their own without taking too much space, and several can be stacked up in the foyer with no need for slipper racks — ideal for typically small Japanese residential spaces. Made of polyester and synthetic leather, the shoes come in two sizes and four colors. Photos by Akihiro Yoshida.  

Tanssi Tableware Collection from Iittala

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New from the iconic Finnish brand Iittala, the Tanssi tableware series features illustrations by Finnish artist Klaus Haapaniemi. The group of dishes, plates, mugs, and other decorative pieces were inspired by Haapaniemi’s visual designs for the Finnish National Opera production of The Cunning Little Vixen, a Czech opera by Leoš Janácek that premiered in January 2015. The story, which looks at the co-existence of animals and humans and the eternal circle of life, comes alive on tableware shapes created by Finnish designer Heikki Orvola. Reflections from both ancient Oriental and Slavic imagery, as well as traditional stories appear in the drawings of deers, badgers, vixen, and foxes. The earthy color palette coordinates with all current Iittala glassware, including the brand new desert color now available for the Aalto vase. All images courtesy of Iittala.

Stay-Brella by Nendo

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This clever “stay-brella”— created by the Japanese design firm Nendo exclusively for Seibu department stores in Japan — has a forked handle design that gives it a foot to stand on when not in use. This little feature also allows the umbrella to easily hang from tables and stay propped up on a wall when drying. The umbrella comes in eight different colors and has a strap to hang from the arm. A special surface coating reduces UV rays by 90%, a great feature in a country where folks use umbrellas for sun protection as much, if not more often, than rain protection. All photos by Akihiro Yoshida.