Dayna Decker Chandel Couture ~ the same way looking up at chandeliers has been mesmerizing recently, looking down at the wide woody crackling wicks of Dayna Decker Chandels. They smell divine, but i can't get over the lovely glass votive lined in black with the patented EcoWood Wick is "made from organic wood via a natural manufacturing process, and burns cleaner than an ordinary cotton wick. When lit, the EcoWood Wick displays an intriguing "teardrop" shaped flame and emits a soothing crackling sound." Quick video to share the crackling with you on the next page as well as unboxing and product shots of the chandel!
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I love bent plywood, and i love simple multipurpose pieces that are incredibly versatile... and when i spotted John Green's Embrace shelf/table at Tent London out of the corner of my eye, i was smitten. And i wanted a few! Basically they are a pair of tables that can be interlocked to form a lovely floating shelf with room for magazines/etc to rest on the side. The first use case that popped into mind with this was - bedside table! And laptop resting in the shelf, such that when it got too hot on my lap in bed, i could grab the tray and flip it over my legs to lazily laptop in bed! With my current offi one i never know where to put it when not in use! It's too shallow for a side table, to big to slide under the bed.... this would be perfect! And its so beautiful! No wonder why its been winning awards!
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My pens got envious as soon as i opened the latest email from the folks at Merchant 4 ~ their new Place For Trace ~ pen/pencil and tracing paper roll holder... so pretty, so simple... it makes me want to drill holes along the edge of my desk to line up all my pens/markers/pencils... i suppose it would end up like a colorful picket fence of writing instruments (and maybe x-actos too?) around my laptop and such? Anyhow, take a peek at this new desk accessory on the next page!
afterthought: i wonder if these holes fit sharpies?
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5 Notes
Found these adorable wooden kids pull toys the other day, and the simplicity of the design, and the appeal of the adorable glossy turtles. From Maya Organic Toys in India ~ made from a sustainable wood source and hand crafted with natural dyes, it even has nice simple eco-friendly recyclable packaging! My favorite part are the details like... it looks as if they lacquered the whole sphere, THEN cut the stripes into them... and they spin simply from the friction of the little sphere "legs" rolling along! Check out the video and more close ups on the next page!
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Perhaps the coolest random goodies yet... Ford & Ching (Previously FordBrady, but Brady has moved on and Ching has joined Ford) ~ while at Dwell on Design this morning, i got a branded marshmallow in a box ~ a very cool little wooden box cut to perfectly fit a single marshmallow. A marshmallow i couldn't bear to eat until i had thoroughly photographed it to share with you! (As it was publishing, i devoured it. it was delicious.) While i hate to admit it, i was far too excited by the adorably cool boxes and chatting with both Ford & Ching that i don't have the name of the awesome wood loving designer behind the boxed mallows, but i'll be back there tonight and quite a bit this weekend, so i'll come add that later... but first things first ~ check out the awesome branded mallow in a box on the next page!
UPDATE!!! The awesome woodiness is by Andrew Riiska ~ and his blog has some fun behind the scenes look at his gorgeous tables as well!
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Stand out at ICFF that i walked away still lusting after? Shimna! Based right here in NY, their tag line is "avoid the aesthetic of the moment" ~ and it just about sums it up perfectly. It's like rustic meets modern ~ but not rustic modern. Soft and cozy meet hard and rough ~ but not hard and cozy. Outdoorsy meets urban chic? The only descriptions i can give you sound ridiculously juxtaposed ~ but they have struck a beautiful balance in their juxtapositions that i'm in love with. I can see their pieces in my rustic modern loft... or my modern ranch/cabin in the woods...
OH, and i didn't even get to talking about the 80$ ebay stuffed rabbit they placed on the bright red couch yet. Details like that really draw everyone into a booth... even adorably mesmerized babies (see pic on next page to make sense of this!). Also the bed, those drawers are slanted! So from afar, you wouldn't even guess there are 4 large drawers of goodies hidden beneath ~ it just has sleek lines underneath... and then next to your head there are drawers for your glasses and jewelry... but not for your partner/lovers. They even have gorgeous updated variations on what felt like a trunk that evolved into a seat/coffee table that still opens up to provide tons of storage space... and apparently coyotes went from near extinction to overpopulation ~ so they are doing their part by using some of the special culled coyote skins on their cozy chair... and the couch is incredibly comfy/cozy and mounted on gorgeous woodiness... anyhow, see the juxtaposition of press and real world photos on the next page!
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7 Notes
It's somehow becoming paper art week here at NOTCOT ~ after the many incredible artists showing at Papershapers, i just keep finding MORE! Late night obsessing over the 3D works of young British artist & maker: Lizzie Thomas!
Her 3D micro-paper-sculptures unfold like pocket sized mythical worlds and forests tucked away in little hinged wooden boxes. One can only imagine the beautiful shadows they would cast on a wall if a candle was carefully lit beside them (perhaps this is where the paper aspect may not work as well?). You must check out more of the pieces on the next page, as well as an adorable portrait of the artist herself!
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Isay Weinfeld is a Brazilian architect who runs a very diverse practice with projects ranging from built work to set design to art and furniture pieces. Clean lines and functionality dominate his work. He seems to be interested in working with a kit of parts to create a new, more interesting product. I love this mobile bar - a series of boxes sized for specific functions with a set of hidden drawers.
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NOTCOT Note: Here's another lovely post from Anna of Sub-Studio ~ and i totally had this on my list of things to post when i got back! I guess that's why she's a perfect fit for NOTCOT =)
Gregory Buntain is an Industrial Design major at Pratt Institute. Currently working for Brave Space Design and developing his own projects at Pratt, he exhibits a great design eye and really great carpentry skills.
My favorite project is Carbon, a set of diamond-shaped salt and pepper shakers. My only gripe with the project is that they are made of injection molded plastic (I would love to see them in wood). Gregory's website showcases a bunch of different projects, many of which begin flat-packed and are assembled by the user. He includes lots of great photo-diagrams on how to assemble or use each piece.
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I know we all fell for Kaiju Studio's I/O Desk Organizer, and were heartbroken to find out that they were still hunting for a manufacturer... well we met up with our new friends, Cutter Hutton, Ayako Takase, and Chris Specce of Kaiju Studios, at ICFF, and were giddy to see the desk and cabinet that it was practically made for! (And these you CAN buy, thanks to Herman Miller.) I think we can all agree that Kaiju Studios will be worth following over the next few years...
So here is their latest project, Airia desk and media cabinet for Herman Miller. And its gorgeous down to the tiniest details... when you see this in person, be sure to check out the perfect wood pieces with rubber feet to keep your cables hidden and the cork lined trays that make organizing your drawers easier than ever. It really is nice to see a desk that goes out of its way to not only look good, but help make hiding the inevitable cable clutter during use.
See both press images and ICFF show floor shots on the next page ~ as well as a really nice little profile on the company.
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There is nothing like a yellow box with a ball on a string hanging off of it and the hint of a secret door... it might as well have screamed "PULL ME". So we did. And i couldn't stop laughing when out popped a porcelain cuckoo bird offering me a condom in its beak. So i let go, then pulled it again. Perhaps i'm still a 5 year old, but it was amusing! Susanne Hangaard's Cucoon ~ silly play on words, craziest, yet most adorable condom dispenser i've seen.
Now just imagine being right in the moment, and as your partner goes to reach for a condom, instead they pull a string and out *pops* a porcelain cuckoo? Would it kill the mood? Help you fall faster for the playful design geek? Personally, i'm not sure how i'd react... other than a fit of giggles. My only complaint, why can't it refill itself? Teach the bird to get its own condoms... its a bit high maintenance to have to refill it one by one... also, it could make for a fun business card dispenser (if only it could refill itself!). More pics on the next page!
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Ran into blogfamous Sorapot designer, Joey Roth, a few times this weekend (yes, the first NOTCOT reader i ever met)... and after posting about his Garden Geta project over 3 years ago, i FINALLY got to see them in person!!!
At the Rubin Chapelle and IDSA New York Opening reception for Equilateral 08:01, they had Joey's Sorapot, Garden Geta, and Shika literally on pedastals, spotlighted for all to see, and being slightly early, but spotted walking past the window while they were setting up, Joey snuck me in early and i got some nice clean shots of the woodiest flip flops i've been dying to try on since '05. I am still in love with the fact that the pair are cut from the same slice of tree stump... and there must be some correlation to be drawn if he made kids pairs that were from younger trees... something about rings in the tree measuring your geta/shoe size? So check out more pics on the next page...
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On more sneak previews of ICFF launches, how adorable is Hanno the Gorilla? "From the deepest jungles comes Hanno the Gorilla! Like Hanno the Navigator, the Greek voyager who discovered gorillas 2,500 years ago, your Hanno is brave, strong, and curious. Hanno's powerful hardwood frame can hold many poses. His elastic-band muscles and durable wood limbs make him almost impervious to breakage. Hanno cannot fly and is vaguely afraid of heights. Hanno is made from sustainably harvested new-growth beech wood." He is the brainchild of David Weeks, and will be available from Areaware's new AREAWARE jr. (their new children's division) starting in Sept 08. Check out a close up of this guy on the next page!
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Naef makes the most incredible wooden toys that transcend age... with vibrant colors and unlimited possibilities, they are good from childhood through adulthood - being both toys, desk sculptures, and perfect for coffee tables/waiting rooms! I've obsessed on them before, and Dan has even purchased a few... but i recently rediscovered the Rainbow, which was designed by Heiko Hillig.
Rainbow is not only a wooden stacking toy - that opens up the possibilities with its bright colors and playful curves... but add the mallet to it, and each piece becomes its own tuning fork! It has received numerous design awards including the Bundespreis for product design in 1998, Germany and the German Design Award Wooden Toys in 1997. And although its pricey at $175 - i can see this being a great gift for parents of new borns... or any designer regardless of age...
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Candy and Nicho, are the Aussie duo that make up Noferin. Exciting news i recently received from them - they are coming out to Santa Monica (from Carrara Island, Australia!) for their solo exhibition at Copro Nason on April 5th! I've been begging them for a sneak peek at what is to come... and studio pics and perhaps some paintings in progress coming soon... so far i've got a sneak peek at the Pecanpals (which you may remember from .org #7556) - made up of Fanelli, Pecan, Pandacake, Claudius and Jac Jac (read their bios on the Noferin site). These little guys are entirely made from wood, hand crafted, hand painted, and limited to 200 per character! The final versions may vary slightly from these prototypes, but i hope not by much, since they are pretty perfect looking as they are! See closeups of the whole set after the jump! I love all the little sidekicks... the grass cuttings, elephant, and dumbells are definitely my favorites.
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Pranna Timers ~ these incense meditation timers may not be the expected NOTCOT content, but when i received an email about these i was genuinely intrigued. "Using gravity instead of batteries, incense instead of circuits." And the site had these beautiful handmade wooden contraptions that sit next to ancient singing bowls...
To further indulge my curiosity of a COMPLETELY technology free activity (timed meditation? or any other random timing you need once you perfectly calibrate how long it takes a certain length of incense to burn)... Pranna Timers sent one over, so here is the review - with close up shots of how exactly it does its thing, and a video of how it sounds as well! Check out your minute of zen below (please don't mind the airplane noises that had to fly over right when i was filming it...)
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NOTCOT Note: Here's another article from Anna Corpron of Sub-Studio!
Saw these gorgeous vases by Teori over at Designklub. Teori is a Japanese design collective with a focus on bamboo household objects. The craftsmanship in each piece from their Laminated Bamboo Lumber Project is beautiful, but what I love most are the surprising details, like the split in the wood that becomes the opening for the vase, or the slight peak in the bamboo tray (after the jump) that functions as a chopstick rest.
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DayNa Decker makes some breathtaking Candles - i mean Chandels. What's the difference? According to their site, it's their patent pending wood wicks, which not only create mesmerizing wide flames, but also crackle like a wood fire. They are also handmade right here in LA! The come in a range of sizes, from the perfect size to line around your bathtub, to huge centerpieces, they will certainly set the mood. I'm personally most drawn to the layering of the black within the solid clear glass candle... see a plethora of images after the jump!
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Latest in 
On impressive structures and interactivity that had to be videoed ~ the bamboo installations of 
TO WIN: 
