happy 'green' halloween!

:: ten tips for an earth-friendly holiday :: (via 'environment news')
how about we start with sending only e-cards!?

pic:: 'plan59' (fleer dubble bubble, 1954)

pretty pink ...

... will look your room when your friends wrap everything in pink paper while you're gone ...
(271 wrapped items, 6 hours, 5 friends, 203 m of paper)
'the pinkprankproject' ... many thanks!!!!

'green' walls

i know green + self contained roofs, but this is the ultimate key to a 'green' house:: 'green' walls by 'vertical garden' (patrick blanc (france))

identify where things go ...

i like these stickers, design:: 'yneko'

'flat' is not always stylish ...

does a new flat panel tv always fit into a mod home? probably not.
how about these 'retro tv'::

'the keracolor sphere', design:: 'arthur d bracegirdle' (1968)
very cool, very retro ... probably inspired by the 'bubble chair' (1968)

or this one here:: 'the predicta tv' (by:: 'telstar')

original:: 'predicta' by 'philco' (1958) (see:: mztv)

'the g hotel', calway (ireland)

looks like a neat stylish little hotel in galway (ireland):: 'the g hotel'
i like the carpet in the 'pink salon'. ;-)

design:: philip tracey (london, u.k.)

'the observer' (uk):: 'child sweatshop shame threatens Gap's ethical image'

news from 'the observer' (u.k.)
:: ... the discovery of the sweatshop has the potential to cause major embarrassment for 'gap'. last week, a spokesman admitted that children appeared to have been caught up in the production process and rather than risk selling garments made by children it vowed it would withdraw tens of thousands of items identified by 'the observer' ... ::

'fast runner shoes' for little athletes

... and older*kid got new ::fast runner shoes:: (own words ;-))

our little athlete likes 'converse' (chuck taylor all star). had a couple of those before for each summer. what should i say:: looks very 'old school' ...

boots for little ladies and for me

little*tod got new boots yesterday ... very stylish (by:: 'primigi' (italy)). i'm so happy for her::

i'm also jelous. i'm still looking for the perfect boots for me. at least i narrowed it already down to a style similar to those boots::

very hip (by:: 'diesel' (italy)). these are 'older' styles:: 'porrima' & 'nico'

still looking for a shop to try them out ... and buy them (online would be fine too) ;-)

chic market tote instead of plastic bags

i thought my 'andy warhol marylin tote bag' (to avoid the use of plastic bags in the grocery store) is stylish::

but, i have to admit, the free bag from 'method' (environment friendly cleaning & home products) is cool too::

btw:: you can win a free product kit from 'method' @ mod*mom giveaway

stylish outdoor splashing in 'dutchtub'

looks like a pot ..., but it's actually a kind of portable (hot)tub called
'd u t c h t u b'::

design:: floris schoonderbeek (nl, 2002)

retro furniture by 'stokke'

i didn't know that 'stokke' (norway) makes furniture for grown-up.
we have two knock-offs of the 'tripp trapp™' high chair ... they can grow with the tods ... and i love the 'sleepi™' (maybe next time ;-) )

but 'variér intelligent sitting' (originally 'movement collection' by 'stokke') makes really cool chairs. and some of them look very retro to me::

'planet™' (design:: sven ivar dysthe (sweden) 1965) ... it swivels ...

'tok™' (design:: toshiyuki kita (japan) 2005)

'date ™' (design:: olav eldøy (norway) 2003)

'peel™ club' (design:: olav eldøy , johan verde (norway) 2002)

see entire collection

play in style with 'playsam'

... classic 'playsam' ... i love those stylish mod wooden 'toys' from sweden ... it's probably better 'on display' than actually 'in use'::

this is my favorite:: 'streamliner classic car'

'streamliner f1'

bobby car 'roadster saab'

design:: ulf hanses (sweden)
photo:: jonas lindström (sweden)

i have to fly 'virgin atlantic' to london

but i can anyway not afford business or upper class ... :-(

this is the 'virgin atlantic upper class clubhouse'
@ london heathrow airport



design:: softroom (london, uk) ... see pdf file
photo:: richard davies (london, uk)

do you see what i see????
'bubble chair' (design:: 'eero aarnio' (finland) 1968), and
'eames lounge and ottoman' (design:: 'charles and ray eames' (usa) 1956)

translucent concrete? ... no way

... i couldn't believe it, too ... but
'litracon ™' is a light-transmitting concrete::

:: ... 'litracon ™' - light-transmitting concrete is an innovative building material with translucent characteristics - a mixture of optical glass fibre and fine concrete. the main idea behind this interesting material is the integration of glass: thousands of optical glass fibres create a matrix of lines that run in parallel, connecting the two opposing main faces of each block. the fibres integrate into the concrete as a kind of "undemanding" additive and the surface still reminds one of homogenous concrete. the material is translucent because the glass fibres carry light in the form of little dots from one face of the block to the opposite one ... the most interesting aspect of this phenomenon is the sharpness with which shadows become visible on the other side of the wall ... ::

how about this instead of glass blocks?

... or as passable surface illuminated from below
:: ... during the day, it looks like that the surface is a simple concrete pavement. at sunset the paving blocks start to shine, even in different colors ... ::

... or as an interior design feature:: 'litracube ™ lamp'

pics:: 'litracon ™'
inventor:: áron losonczi (hungary)

concrete jewelry by 'konzuk'

well, i think i'm in heaven ... as a 'concrete*enthusiast' i can finally express myself with a simple 'statement' in style ...



pics:: 'konzuk'

... concrete jewelry by 'konzuk' ;-)

there are recent updates to their 'concrete collection' ...

@ 'konzuk'
:: ... 'konzuk' jewelry, with its highly personal elements such as a subtle use of color and an innovative use of materials, is faithful to the clean, minimalist aesthetic of contemporary industrial design and architecture. combining materials like stainless steel, concrete ..., the 'kozuk' collection embraces materials and methods that reflect the design-centric philosophy of its wearers ... ::

design:: karen konzuk (calgary, canada)

art? ... no, pain

looks like art, but unfortunately the title would be 'mri of migraine' ...
and this is how the inside of my head looks like today ... x-(

'case study houses' by taschen

... and this one is the best coffee table books ever::

thanx to hubby santa claus will be able to read my mind ;-)

@ 'taschen'::
:: modernist experimental homes. prototypes for everyone::
the 'case study house' program (1945-66) was an exceptional, innovative event in the history of american architecture and remains to this day unique. the program, which concentrated on the los angeles area and oversaw the design of 36 prototype homes, sought to make available plans for modern residences that could be easily and cheaply constructed during the postwar building boom ... a monumental retrospective of the entire program with comprehensive documentation, brilliant photographs from the period and, for the houses still in existence, contemporary photos, as well as extensive floor plans and sketches. ::

i especially love the floor plans and sketches ... they might come in handy if i ever happen to have enough funding to design my own house!? ;-)

author:: elizabeth a. t. smith
editor:: peter gössel
(hardcover 15.7 x 12.2 inch, 440 pages, ISBN 978-3-8228-6412-8, $ 200.00)

new:: 'modernism rediscovered' by julius shulman

this is definitely on my wish list! new 'taschen' book (actually 3 vol.) about architecture (modernism) and its photography. will appear this month ...

event::
julius shulman at the 'taschen store beverly hills' to sign his new book, october 25, 2007 (see webcam)

@ 'taschen'::
:: paying tribute to residential and commercial buildings that had slipped from public view, shulman`s stunning photographs uncovered a rarely seen side of california modernism. this extensive, three-volume follow-up to that remarkable volume brings over 400 more architectural gems into the spotlight. not just restricted to the west coast this time, the images were taken all across the united states as well as in mexico, israel, and hong kong. ::

watch the interview with julius shulman & benedikt taschen

(3 vol. in a slipcase 11.4 x 14.5 inch, 1008 pages, ISBN 978-3-8228-4287-4, $ 300.00)

'illy' cafe in 'push button house'

... more 'recycling' of old containers (see article in 'nyt') ...

isn't this cool? could there be a more stylish place to enjoy a perfect cup of 'illy' espresso? ... shipping container ... until you push a button that turns the container into a cafe house ...
:: it works like a flower - you push a button and the thing transforms itself. ::





design:: adam kalkin
found @ 'coolboom.net'

'freitag ®' flagship store zürich, ch

who says that 'green' can not be cool? this is recycling in style::
'freitag' bags & sleeves are made from recycled materials - used, exhaust-stained truck tarpaulins, the inner tubes of bicycle tires, old car safety belts and air-bags ... every piece has its individual design ... it's a cool 'statement' ...

but the best is the flagship store in zürich, ch::
it's entirely made from seventeen recycled containers
architect:: annette spillmann / harald echsle, zurich
realisation: raumbau ag, zurichfreitag ®'s photos @ flickr
(there is even a book:: 'freitag: individual recycled freeway bags')

kids 'puppy'

... i got some of those for our kids a while ago ...
nice chairs for kids ... and eye-catchers ...
'puppy' (design:: 'eero aarnio' (finland) 2002)
... i would love to have the 'ball chair' (1963) and the 'bubble chair' (1968) too ...



(see:: 'ikea ps lömsk' swivel chair)

coffee mugs and cereal bowls:: w/ piercing and tattoo

... we bought those years ago ... they are still very cool: coffee mugs and cereal bowls w/ piercing and tattoo ... 'update piercing' by 'kahla porcelain'

:: once your thirst is quenched, simply hang it up. it looks decorative and saves space. ::

design:: barbara schmidt, idea piercing:: transparent design management

'you can sit sleep lounge on it'?

... we just bought a red 'fatboy' (by 'fastboy usa', but originally from nl)

home-made 'ugly doll'

... i just hand-crafted a kind of 'ugly doll' for one of my kids (looks like 'ice-bat') ... they are really cool! ... still have to make one for the other 'little monster' ...