nice 60's design

i really enjoyed the exhibitions in the 'danish museum of art and design' in copenhagen, dk. especially the one about 'danish design
 – from the 20th century' (you could download the exhibition catalogue here)

the most i liked the showroom full of 'arne jabobsen' design::







most of those pieces have been designed for the 'sas royal' hotel (1955-60) in downtown copenhagen, dk::

it's still there. i've checked.::


check out 'room 606' (from hotel's website)::
:: room 606 is the only hotel room with the original arne jacobsen décor from july 1960 when the hotel first opened its doors. with the grey, blue-green colors, the wengé wood and a selection of the most representative furniture designed for the hotel, this room takes its visitors to another time and place. room 606 functions as a regular guestroom and is a must for arne jacobsen fans and design lovers ...
hotel guests with an interest in design are welcome to visit room 606, when it is available. arne jacobsen designed the famous egg and swan chairs for the royal as well as the lesser known and rare drop chair... ::


nice. maybe next time i should stay there...

50's lamp

isn't this a real 'classic' modern design? a lamp designed in 1958::


i would like to have one of those in my living room...


these are the original collages in the 'danish museum of art and design' in copenhagen, dk::



story behind the product (from louispoulsen.com)
:: the 'ph artichoke' is considered to be a classical masterpiece made by poul henningsen (called 'ph') more than 40 years ago. the structure is made of twelve steel arches. on this structure ph placed 72 copper “leaves” in twelve circular rows with six blades in each row. because each row is staggered from the previous, all 72 leaves are able to “cover for each other”. this design allows viewing the fixture from any angle without being able to see the light source located in the center of the 'ph artichoke'. the original 'ph artichokes' were developed for a restaurant in copenhagen called the 'langelinie pavilion', and they are still hanging there today. ::

lamp:: ph artichoke (original:: ph kogle = "conifer cone")
design:: poul henningsen (dk, 1958)
by:: louis poulsen (copenhagen, dk)

'lousiana' design museum in humlebaek, denmark

we spent one week in denmark near copenhagen... what a nice city... always surrounded by (danish) modern design...
one night we went to 'lousiana' - museum of modern art.


one of the current exhibitions is 'green architecture for the future'




from lousiana.dk
:: a sustainable future calls for new inventions, materials, processes and complex architectural methods in the built-up environment. for sustainable architecture is a far more complex matter than rainwater collection and solar cells. that is why the architecture of tomorrow is inextricably bound up with the exploration of new scientific and technological frontiers...
the thematic exhibition is divided into three sections – the city, climate & comfort and metabolism... ::


this exhibition is related to the upcoming united nation's 'climate change conference' (dec. 7-18, 2009) in copenhagen...

'einzeiger' watches

cool idea inspired by history - single hand watches
i like this one by 'karl falk'::



:: all watches come in a black leather presentation case featuring an additional stainless steel bracelet and tool kit ::


by:: 'karl falk watches' (germany)

i like this table... of course...

a really nice table made of concrete... 'table p1'::





from archiexpo.com::
:: modern furniture in purist style, without extra ornamentation;
cement is the foundation of purist furniture from the furniture house of 'cantate'. pandomo®-frontal fulfills the most rigorous demands regarding durability. the external surface – without joints – is one of a kind, with an amazing appearance which makes every piece unique. each piece is hand-made furniture characterized by a variety of colors, shades and various etchings and patterns. the intersection of opposites – rugged and smooth surfaces – gives a changeable effect to the appearance of the surface under various lighting angles, which highlights the liveliness of the unique material which is applied to a thickness of just 5 mm, using a special spraying technique. this technique gives a load capacity generally reserved for wood floors or natural stone ::

by:: 'Zack Design' & 'Cantate' (Germany)

break the silence

i know it has been a while... was quite busy with life and family...
i promise to get back to blogging... in case someone is actually (still) reading/following my blog!?
in the meanwhile, i was collecting stuff that i plan to blog in the next couple of weeks.... just stay tuned

save 20% of ink and toner

:: the prints we make for our 'daily use' not only use paper, but also ink. according to 'spranq creative communications' (nl) your ink cartridges (or ink toner) could last longer. they have therefore developed a new font: the 'ecofont'.
"After dutch holey cheese, there now is a dutch font with holes as well."
appealing ideas are often simple: how much of a letter can be removed while maintaining readability? after extensive testing with all kinds of shapes, the best results were achieved using small circles. after lots of late hours (and coffee) this resulted in a font that uses up to 20% less ink. free to download, free to use. ::

ecofont ... simply idea, huge environmental and financial impact (especially since printer ink is more expensive than 'champagner')
... for windows, linux, and mac os ...

'tree planting'

gift of green® - prove you care, plant a tree for someone special.

:: when you buy someone a 'gift of green', one native tree is planted in an ecosystem restoration project in the united states. the recipient also receives a plantable ornament made of seed paper, plus a card telling them about the environmental benefits of their tree. you can even send a personalized message. 'gift of green' sustainable products make an eco-statement and are suitable for any occasion. ::

i'm not really into all of their design ideas - but i think that's not important here... ;-)

products of 'green mountain energy'

please recycle more airplanes!

'jumbo hostel' - a really cool idea... to re-use a jumbo jet as a airport hotel...

:: the airplane, a decommissioned model 747-200 jumbo jet built in 1976, was last operated by 'transjet', a swedish airline that went bankrupt in 2002. it was originally built for 'singapore airlines' and later served with legendary 'pan am'. ::

at the moment they even remodel the jet engines that will end up as usable 2-bed rooms, too...

@ arlanda airport, stockholm (s)

nice idea to recycle soda cans...

...not that we actually have any soda cans in the house...


:: recycling a soda can has never been so much fun! with the 'tin can robot' kit kids can transform recycled soda cans into robots. a soda can, one aa battery, and a screw driver is all that's needed. ::

another cool sled

this looks like real fun...


'zipfy' (pronounced [zip’ fee]) is a uniquely designed rugged plastic snow sled with a distinctive lever used for stability and turning.

:: the easiest, safest, most exhilarating downhill sport... ever ::

hubby's new exercise toy

my hubby will buy a new bike this weekend... 6300 white by trek (usa)... finally...
it's the result of 2 new year's resolutions (saving gas by biking more often to work, and doing more exercise) and the nl tax saving option 'fietsplan'...
very nice and stylish, i'm jealous, ... and i get a used trek mountain bike...

nice case for electronic gadgets (handmade felt)

i think that's pretty cool!!!!!!!!


looks quite sleek - just right for such cool electronic gadgets...
i need one for my macbook pro :-)

100 percent wool felt, handmade in germany + also available in leather
by:: 'red maloo' (germany)
designer:: katja hettler & jula tullman

:: redmaloo's concept is to be minimal, traditional and modern all at the same time, taking natural materials and re-introducing them into modern life. redmaloo looks for an idea behind each product, be it functional or emotional. redmaloo wants to introduce a human touch and warmth to the functional world of electronic devices. ::

cardboard play house and mobile doll house

a sturdy cardboard play house.
:: 'casa cabana' comes decorated with a cat on a tree, a small ant, a rabbit and a squirrel and still more than enough room to color, paint and decorate your very own casa cabana. let it be your tree house, mansion or hiding shed. give it as many names as you like …– and do you want to be left alone a bit? … put a sign ‘no trespassing’. 'casa cabana' has a door, seven windows and many spy holes. ::
dimensions:: h.105 cm x w.70 cm x d.70 cm
weight:: about 3 kgs

this 'mobile home' doll house is easy to install, easy to carry. with 8 rooms, stair openings and spy holes. and an attic for storage. for knights, pirates and princesses. it folds up flat, making it easy for play dates and weekend trips. for on the road, when staying over. for a day in the park, or on holidays.
dimensions:: h.46 cm x w.22,5 cm x d.36 cm
it is even available in the moma store.

design by:: kids on roof (nl)
they like imaginative and colorful designed objects. they believe less is more.

and sustainability is a key issue to them:: their cardboard products are made of recycled paper and biodegrable.

a 'morgan threewheeler' for kids

the 100 anniversary of 'morgan' ... celebrated with the 'superSport junior' pedal car for kids... nice timeless design, and cool, too.

design sleds

design-sleds by car makers... not only for fun, but maybe also a good business idea in hard times... ;-)

green disposal of X-mas tree

we returned our real X-mas tree to the garbage collection... they will use them to generate 'green' energy, ... and we got a energy-efficient light bulb as a reward...

what a nice idea to save energy even when it will be generated the 'green' way.

all the best in 2009!

i hope you agree - better late than never... to all my blog-'followers' ;-)

egg cup made of concrete

'frühstück im bett' (breakfast in bed)

material:: concrete
design:: julia lodes (germany)
simply concrete / 10 liter design

shop @ betoniu

pump it up, the couch

'eclosion' :: pump up according to your mood ::

design:: olivier gregoire (ny, usa)

concrete jewel case 'klunkerbunker'

this is a really innovative way to 'house' your jewelry - very concrete, too
'klunkerbunker'

design:: david oelschlägel (leipzig, germany)
10 liter design

shop @ das rote paket

'PanAm' lounge straight from the 60s

the 'PanAm lounge' is a private lounge situated on the top floor penthouse of the 'eden building', built in 1966, where once pan american airways (PanAm) crews were accommodated in private apartments during their berlin layovers. the lounge was the common room where everybody met and where legendary wild parties took place. three roof terraces offer spectacular views over the berlin skyline.


since the PanAm days nothing has been changed. the design is still late 60s, the furniture is original and even the post boxes of the former tenants are still in the lobby (never opened though).

stephan balzer runs the lounge together with natascha bonnermann. they turned this penthouse lounge into a hip location for parties and events in berlin.

environment.furniture

this is a really nice bed. real wood, environmentally sustainable, simple design, and it looks great next to exposed concrete!
not to mention that i would like to live there, too...

'santos bed' (see pdf file) by:: environment.furniture (los angeles, ca)

:: we put the chic in eco-chic ::

seen in 'dwell magazine'

'bacon case' for your cell phone (handcrafted)

i'm not really sure what i should think out this... but it looks kind of cool, and it is creative!
the 'bacon case' for your cell phone, and you can order every size...

:: the case look really like a piece of bacon. you can feel the irregular and the illusion is perfect. each case is different. ... the whole case is seamless and felted in one piece. i can felt the case in each size, please tell me your type of phone or anything else. it´s absolutely trendy!!!!! ::

design:: antje schmitt (gangkofen, germany)
buy here:: dawanda.com

another nice e-car

remember my post about the tesla roadster by tesla motors (ca) about a year ago?

here is a very stylish european answer to the californian e-car design::

mindset six50 - a four-seater hybrid car with roof-top solar panels

:: ... the driver can choose between two modes of driving. in the electro-mode – which is emissions-free – the built-in electric motor is used, with a fully- charged battery guaranteeing a range of over 100 kilometers. in the hybrid mode an optional, compact combustion engine is activated additionally, which, at a constant optimal engine speed, functions as an electricity generator for the battery charge, boosting the cruising range to over 800 kilometers.
according to mindset the 95hp motor should enable speeds of up to 140km/h and acceleration from 0-100km/h in under six seconds. the company, which is based in switzerland plans to roll out 10,000 of the cars by late 2009, at an estimated asking price of 50,000 euros. ::

company:: mindset ag (spirt avert ag, switzerland),
design (and ceo):: mürat günek , previously car designer at mercedes-benz and vw

happy thanksgiving!

wooden radio

the 'magno radio' - a nice mix of retro style and modern design

hand-crafted in indonesia and made from sustainably harvested wood instead of non-biodegradable plastic... they only use trees from plantation and care for the re-plantation in their hometown

design:: singgih kartono (magno, indonesia)
award winning

vintage scooter

maybe the perfect way to stay mobile in times of increasing (energy) costs... in style, of course

'bloom my buddy' vase

what a cool idea to 'display' flowers and plants!


:: it's a boy. it's a girl. or an it - whatever suits you best. and as a brand new type of vase it's open to suggestions. will it be haute couture in a flowery dress, seductiveness with roses so red, sheer envy with hauntingly green chrysanthemums or an angry look with thorny branches? 'bloom my buddy' is the easy type: fun to play with, free to create your wildest dreams and an ideal spokesperson for your moods and grooves. it looks at you as if to say: 'go on, express yourself.' ::


see:: product page + ideas
design:: nils van eijk & miriam van der lubbe (studio van eijk & van der lubbe, geldrop, nl)
shop:: 'yksi' (nl) (small buddy + large buddy)


seen @ 'dutch design week' in eindhoven, nl

2008 release of 'concrete countertops' (book+dvd)

i'm in heaven. one of my favorite diy books will appear in a new addition::


about this book:
:: in seven simple steps, the clear, complete directions in this book and companion dvd give you everything you need to create a customized concrete countertop that's functional and attractive.
if building a concrete countertop doesn't strike you as a traditional home improvement project, you're right. but the detailed advice and step-by-step illustrations in the book, plus valuable demonstrations on the dvd, will help you create a flawless countertop in just two weeks -- all with basic tools and materials.
for a fraction of the price you'd pay for granite, marble or any artificial material like corian, you can make a beautiful concrete countertop to suit any décor. and by taking a complicated process and making it so utterly simple, best-selling author 'fu-tung cheng' makes your job enjoyable, affordable and rewarding. ::

paperback + dvd
by:: 'fu-tung cheng' (chengdesign, berkeley/ca, us)
publisher:: 'the taunton press inc.' (newtown/ct, us)
release date:: 12/02/2008

see offer and movie @ amazon.com