When i first saw the post titled “romantic star projector” over at Design Crush, i thought it sounded ridiculous. Then i couldn’t seem to stop staring at the pics. And there is something overwhelmingly awesome about the abundance of lights all around the room… and i can’t help wondering what it would look like if i turned off all the lights in my office, dimmed the monitors… and turned one on! You build it yourself ~ but can purchase the set up ~ and can even arrange it to mimic the night sky outside ~ or pick another spot on the globe… or another time. Take a peek at the pics and the set up on the next page.
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This series of Unexpected Combos posts is sponsored by P&G Downy. See the first post on Porsche Ice Cubes too!
There are so many approaches one could take to a mashup ~ for whatever reason mine tends to be start with an evil mwuahahaha kind of mad scientist kind of laugh in my head, followed by trying to figure out what fun items around me might fit together. In this case, 2 of the new Plumen bulbs arrived - “the world’s first designer light bulbs” (So gorgeous! But simply hanging them from a regular light to show off their fun shape didn’t seem like enough!) ~ and i’d been playing with lightbulb fixture connectors/splitter/plugs (and wondering how big of a tree of them i could make with lots of bulbs at the ends!) ~ and there was the Blue Lounge Mini Dock that allows your iphone/ipad/ipod to stay off the ground when charging… and when you put them all together ~ along with a simple ikea lamp base… i ended up with this fun iPhone Charging Lamp! Where the bulbs are as much a part of the lamp as the rest! Something almost antler like about the bulbs viewed this way ~ and rather mesmerizing as it lights up a room ~ perfect little stand to charge the iPhone, light the room, and control my music from it as the phone streams to speakers over airplay… so iphone charging DJ lamp? Take a peek at more of the silliness on the next page!
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Love this Robo Mimicry from Shawn Sims + Karl Willis at CMU. There’s something magical about those huge robotic arms we always run into in manufacturing plants ~ big bright colors, mesmerizing to watch them assemble, paint, and do just about anything more powerful and precise than a human can… consistently… but there’s a lack of the fluidity and possibility within them… and since Shawn Sims showed me what initially looked like lightwriting pics on his iphone that were already visually mesmerizing… i was even more pulled in upon realizing they were 1) created by those awesome robotic arms 2) they were mimicking in z-space what a human had initially shown it through moving a hand around naturally… and using a Kinect as it’s eye…
The playful potential of taking the precise, programmable motions and actions of these robotic arms ~ and exploring their artistic and more “human” or organic motions ~ opens up a whole world of robotic lightwriting graffiti, painting, or a synchronized visual display (whether multiple robotic arms in one location, or across the globe) ~ the ability to explore ways that others may interact or control these robotic arms and have beautiful visual/motion captured results just send my head spinning with ideas… and perhaps that’s exactly why Shawn and i are teaming up for NOTlabs to see where else we can go with this space where art, technology, and culture are constantly overlapping… (While NOTlabs is in quiet incubation mode at the moment ~ feel free to follow us on Twitter as we figure out where we’re headed!) But for now… take a peek at the videos and images of the beautifully organic movements of the awesomely orange ABB4400 robot that is tucked away in CMU’s Digital Fabrication Lab as it fluidly dances and mimics with light on the next page!
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There’s no denying that Kindle Living has some of the nicest heat lamps around. In fact, its surprising that there aren’t more designs that make better use of people’s natural tendencies to cluster under heat lamps… love that these are beautiful designs (though a bit alice in wonderland with the HUGE scaled traditional looking lamp look), more functional than purely heating - with the ability to provide lighting, cocktail tables, and even customized shades and more. But what’s most fascinating that i just discovered, is HOW they are actually assembled. When researching heat lamps for my friend’s patio, we started reading up on all the details, and discovered the assembly guide filled with pics! Surprisingly easy, i’m tempted now… even though it doesn’t get THAT chilly here! Take a peek on the next page!
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Been exploring NY Design Week digitally this year, and Anna of Sub-Studio, has been our eyes and ears! She just sent over these pics of The Reflective Work showing at The Future Perfect! Gorgeously simple idea, and so beautiful! Made by Lara Knutson, the shade is made out of a reflective glass fabric that is made from microscopic glass beads which magnify light 100 times. The fixture is lit with an LED that looks like a traditional lightbulb when reflected in the lampshade. There was also a bunch of vases and jewelry that was made from the same reflective fabric. See close ups on the next page!
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Thanks, Veuve Clicquot, our Milano Design Week sponsor! We adore their new origami inspired ice bucket, Clicq’up.
Spotted in Milan, the mesmerizing Flylight, by Lonneke Gordijn and Ralph Nauta (Studio DRIFT) in collaboration with engineers Klaas van der Molen and Luuk van Laake. It is a beautiful light installation composed of 160 glass tubes. The tubes light up and respond to the viewer and was inspired by the movements of a flock of birds. Each light is programmed with digital DNA and responds individually to the presence of viewers. Ultrasonic sensors detect the distance between viewers and installation, causing the ‘flock’ to react differently as visitors come closer or approach the installation in different configurations. To make sense of it fully you have to check out the video and pics on the next page!
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Armed with her camera, Justine checked out the Kinetica Art Fair for us, and found some inspiring and fun art pieces i’m loving! Here’s what she had to say about it…
The highlight of the 2011 Kinetica Art Fair for me was Alex Posada’s ‘The Particle’, which had me mesmerized. A spectacle of light and sound, a seemingly simple wire frame studded with lights came to life. Posada writes of his piece “Experimenting with colour, sound and movement, the continuous rotation, speed and light create visual effects that define the spatial structure of the object.” The exhibit has a further layer of complexity, the regulatory mechanism of the design is based on the haphazard decision-making manner, forming new models. This means that the structures cannot be anticipated, but instead evolve through continual iterations involving the viewer. You simply must check out more pics and videos on the next page!
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Armed with her camera, Justine checked out the Kinetica Art Fair for us, and found some inspiring and fun art pieces i’m loving! Here’s what she had to say about it…
I discovered the work of Dianne Harris at the 2011 Kinetica Art Fair, where her Neon works Caduceus, E=MConsciousness2 and Eternally Yours were featured. Dianne’s work “aims to heighten and advance human potentiality and question the self-imposed limitations that serve to confine the very nature of our ideas, thoughts and being” and perfectly captured Kinetica Art Fair’s theme of Body, Brain and Consciousness. See more pictures on the next page!
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The new Lladró Lithophane lights that launched in Paris at Maison et Objet are stunning. Something so fun about the way the cluster of porcelain lights glow from afar, and as you get closer you see the wintry scenes with deer… or the parrots playfully adorning them. These new lights of Lladró porcelain can be displayed in so many ways, i love the modular potential, from more traditional chandelier like hanging, to twisted in clusters, they can change the mood of any room. Take a peek at some closeups of the two on the next page…
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Northern Lighting’s latest addition is Evergreen, by designers Vibeke Skar and Jens Praet, though first presented in milan last year, it’s making the rounds again during the Stockholm Furniture Fair in Sweden now. With a classic pendant shape, i love that it is hand blown glass, giving it such an elegant glow, and the mount is a pulley attached to the ceiling and you simply figure eight the cord around the other fixture to secure it. And it really caught my eye to see the making of pic appear in my inbox this morning! See more pictures of it on the next page!
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Luceplan HOPE light by Francisco Gomez Paz - i fell madly in love with the Hope light in Milan last year. And what better icon to celebrate 5 years of NOTCOT (embarking on our 6th this year!) and an end to 2010 with?
I didn’t expect it to be fully built upon arrival, but i hadn’t given much thought to HOW the lamp is assembled either. The process and packaging is amazing. SO well thought out. Down to the white gloves with grippy bits so you don’t scratch/dirty the lenses… well protected lenses you can clip together only one way, and bend ever so gently. The way it mounts to the ceiling fixture, with another anchor to distribute the weight. The way you can adjust the height easily even after installing… They even include special clothes to clean the lenses with… So thoughtful, love the process as much as the light! Anyhow, i could gush on, but it makes far more sense in pictures. And now, my living room is filled with Hope, and i can’t stop grinning every time i get lost staring at/into it. See it all on the next page!
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Amazing. I’m literally in complete awe as i write this post, under the glow of the Kraken Lamp, while sipping some Kraken Rum on ice. There’s just something too awesome about great things feeding and inspiring each other ~ in this case Kraken Rum coupled with incredible design studio, Dead As We Know It, and launching quite possibly the coolest product line yet! The product line is lustworthy on its own… but still noteworthy, when’s the last time a Rum inspired you to redecorate? Rum inspired housewares, art work, and wearables? Even handkerchiefs for the dandiest fellow on your gift list… Take a peek at some of my favorites from the new Kraken Rum Store on the next page… and i can’t wait to see what else the Kraken will inspire in all of us!
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So excited for our friends over at Hulger and their launch of Plumen! Back in the winter of 2007 they initially launched the concept of Plumen ~ designer energy saving compact fluorescent bulbs… and 3 years later, they are now in production! And ready for order! Sadly, they only work in the UK at the moment… “It’s strange that the bulb, an object so synonymous with ideas, is almost entirely absent of imagination.” ~ and for a few fun facts: “The name Plumen comes from ‘plume’ - a bird’s decorative feather, designed to attract attention to its’ prowess and beauty. We believe our designs do the same for the neglected low energy light bulb. The first Plumen concept design joined the very prestigious permanent collection at MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) in New York, while the second was featured at the Victoria and Albert museum in London. The Plumen 001 design was developed in collaboration with designer Sam Wilkinson.”
Best part of it becoming a real product? They’ve shared lots of pics of them in USE! … as photographed by Tom Mannion ~ so take a peek at the pics on the next page!
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SO, when reading Today Tomorrow ~ i was fascinated by Golan Levin and Kyle McDonald’s flowers unwarped images… Golan Levin says “Abusing my open-source BloggieUnwarper panoramic-imaging software with some flower photographs from Flickr, we produced the “flower panoramas” below. This is what you would see if you were doing panoramic imaging from inside a flower…” Well i couldn’t help myself, and as soon as i saw this, i lit up upon realizing all of those Chandelier Mandalas i’ve been photographing all over the world… needed to be seen from within! So on the next page you can see “what you would see if you were doing panoramic imaging from INSIDE CHANDELIERS!” ~ and candles, and the amazing Hope light, and even the ceiling of the galleria, and more! It’s quite a trip… be warned, there are a LOT of images on the next page… i’m having way too much fun with this!
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Produced by Norway’s Northern Lighting, Sunday is a wall light and shelf combined. It is lit by using either a bulb or a candle light. This petite design object was created by Martina Carpelan
of Studio Frost Produkt after being invited by the Norwegian design magazine Design Interior, to create a lamp within the time frame of a week.
Sunday may be used a bedside table or in the hallway, in the chalet or in the toilet - or actually anywhere you may need a light and a shelf combined. Vary the mood by simply turning the socket and re-lock it! The perfect mood maker for a Sunday morning in bed. See more images on the next page…
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Hope. After a night of endless events, too many people, and walking all over the city… i must admit walking into a room of HOPE lamps really did make me light up… i was just giddy at the sight of them all together! And then i had to go directly under one to see how it looked from below… Luce Plan’s light designed by Francisco Gomez Paz and Paolo RIzzato, and winner of the 2010 red dot design award, Hope was born in 2009 as a modern reinterpretation of classic chandeliers. The design is a combination of a steel structure with polycarbonate arms and plastic Fresnel lenses to create a refraction effect equivalent to that of glass.
There is something so versatile and enamoring about this lamp, in person they just draw you right in… fun to see the way the family has grown and evolved from the original modular design. This year Luceplan proposed four new versions capable of satisfying a variety of demands.The large suspension lamp with 105 pairs of illuminating lenses can be enlarged upon request for special projects. This is the perfect solution for public spaces where a sparkling and joyful effect is desired. The wall model is smaller, with three pairs of lenses, while the ceiling model has 12 pairs of lenses. Finally, the floor version completes the Hope family: polished stainless steel tripod supports 18 pairs of illuminating lenses. See more pictures from the Luce Plan event as well as all the new Hope family on the next page!
p.s.
also walking past the dark lobby of a beautiful old milanese office building, i stopped dead in my tracks when i saw a large hope pendant in the center… it looked stunning!
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As design week comes to a close, but not the trip (we’ve been hostages of the volcano), i’m still sorting and posting much of the fun stuff discovered this week! Here’s a favorite photo from Milano Salone del Mobile 2010 this 4am. Staring at it ~ Leo, who’s been amazing helping explore and cover design week with me, and i joked that in a way, this image epitomized the key elements of the design week chaos…
Milan Design Week = beautiful objects + flowing libations + a sea of humanity
p.s.
This is the Luce Plan Mini Mini designed by HABITS Studio.
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While rushing to a Molteni/Ferragamo event on Montenapoleone the other night (which was definitely a fire hazard with the number of people crammed in the store!) ~ i was pleasantly surprised and amused by the Citroën DS3 Design Driver ~ a huge red lamp serving as a lounge as you popped out at the Montenapoleone metro. A lamp that sized ~ wow ~ you just can’t help but smile when you see it!
According to FuoriSaloni - “The most refined heart of the city, Piazzetta Crocerossa, on the corner with Via Montenapoleone, will stage Citroën DS3 Design Driver, an original installation which will be used to unveil the latest creation to come out of the Citroën stable, the DS3, launched on the Italian market on the 21st of March. The installation bears the signature of the architect Fabio Rotella, whose aim was to create an “Open Air Living Room” where a six-metre-high lampshade covers and illuminates a lounge area… The large lampshade is reminiscent of the Venini lampshades hosted by Citroën in the lounge area as a valuable testimonial to a major name in Italian design. The unmistakable creations of the historic glass maker illuminate the exquisite chairs, recreating the atmosphere of an ideal lounge in which to meet and share ideas, projects and creativity.”
See more images of the stunning lamp on the next page!
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What to do with all of those old toys? Well over at Freshome, just found out that you can commission Evil Robot Designs to merge your toys into a bespoke sculptural lamp… then finish it off in a single color high gloss finish… fun concept, playful execution… take a look at some closeup examples on the next page.
They really just don’t make horseless carriages like they used to anymore. This is the brake light of the 
Thanks, 
Armed with her camera, Justine checked out the 
Dog lamps! And Doggie portraits! Justine just sent some awesome pics over of “A Shoe Is A Dog’s Best Friend” with assemblage dog lamps by 
Wow. There is a definitely love of light bulb clusters at the 
