Fascinating structures! Designer Patricia Urquiola and Italian inlay, marble and stone company Budri collaboration produced amazing patterns, shapes, textures and an extraordinary modern approach to marble processing. After the Marbleous Garden, the garden of stone, presented by Interni Design Energies and Marmomacc Verona Fiere, Patricia Urquiola leads us through a digital-biological microcosm, a fascinating environment inhabited by natural forms that are usually invisible, those of vegetable micro organisms (the micrasterias). The result of these awesome collaborations have been ‘Marbleus Garden’ in 2009 and ‘Macrosterias’, ‘Algae’ Bench and ‘Curly’ screen in 2010. See more pics on the next page!

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The latest from NOTCOT.org include great architecture, furniture and lots of little things to brighten your day. Who wouldn’t be cheered by skull ice cream bowls or bacon infused caviar?

I love multipurpose pieces. There’s just something so smart and flexible about them! The new Case Study Day Bed Convertible Table Ottoman also doubles as a handled table when you remove the simply velcro’d on cushion! And as usual ~ over at Modernica you can pick your choice of woods, legs, and fabric colours! See more pictures on the next page…

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Frankie’s Tiki Room is definitely one of my favorite spots in Las Vegas - i’ve shown you pics of the place, the amazing SHAG Vice Tester machine, and some of my favorite mugs. Well they have a NEW one that is stunning! (Keep in mind they always have 8 signature drinks with matching mugs… and the mugs change over time!) Email just came in with this one saying “THE NEW MALEKULA TIKI MUG HAS ARRIVED! This striking new tiki mug, sculpted by reclusive artist Jack Churchill.” Isn’t it beautiful? Luckily, if you’re far from vegas, you can order it online… but really, it’s more fun to go get a drink out of in in person! And if you’re curious what a Malekula IS… see the next page…

p.s. they are open 24/7!

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Beautifully sleek Silveira Customs Personal Watercrafts ~ are not the jetskis of the past… they are designed to “feel more like an extension of your body” and definitely lean more towards sport bike design streamlined for aquatic adventures. “The ergonomics evolved this way, based on simple physics involved. Physics dictated the advantages of reducing watercraft weight and positioning the handlebars as the center of gravity, so you can exert extreme body English. You can go from big high speed drifts , to cutting very tightly, all with just a small change in attitude of the craft, yet it’s all distinctive.” Take a peek at more pictures on the next page ~ i love that the Silveira site shows so much of the manufacturing process as well!

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Another gorgeous week over at Notcouture gives us a roundup that is sultry and stylishly seductive. Whether you’re after nails and daggers or the sensuous seven fold tie, this week’s roundup has it all. To find out more about each post, click the individual images.

Some people have ABC Blocks for kids… not Fred. Fred of course has XYZ Blocks… wooden and covered with illustrations by Christian Northeast… with everything from waffles and graffiti to trailers and vinyl to corn dogs and heroes to quicksand and jackalopes… what kid (or creative desk space) doesn’t need these?!?!?! Peek at more pics on the next page…

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“With the creation of an exclusive collection of three bottles by the Design Laboratory at Central Saint Martin’s School of Art & Design, Dom Pérignon pays tribute to Andy Warhol, creative genius and one of the most illustrious artists of the 20th century.” Love press releases that start like that. Especially when followed by fun anecdotal excerpts from Warhol’s Diary! “Went to the gallery where they were having a little exhibition of the glittery Shoes, and had to do interviews and pics for the German newspaper and then we had to go back to the hotel and be picked up by the “2,000” people - it’s a club of twenty guys who got together and they’re going to buy 2,000 bottles of Dom Pérignon which they will put in a sealed room until the year 2,000 and then open it up and drink it and so the running joke is who will be around and who won’t…” This is an entry from Andy Warhol’s diary on March 8th, 1981. I can’t help but wonder what ever happened to those 2000 bottles… but it is pretty awesome that “Inspired by Warhol’s unconventional representation of icons, and the playful use of codes and colour in his work, Dom Pérignon commissioned the Design Laboratory at Central Saint Martin’s School of Art & Design to reinterpret its timeless bottle. The result is a unique collection of three bottles, each with its distinct label in red, blue or yellow, paying homage to Warhol’s iconic colour games.”

The bottles look stunning, that splash of colour definitely changes the presence of walking into a dinner party or hotel room carrying this dressed up bottle of Vintage 2002 Dom! Perhaps we should lock a few cases of these in a room till 2020 and throw a future NOTCOT party? These bottles should be available starting October 15th across the US! And until then, take a peek at the two really fun videos on the next page as well as more pics or the bottle and packaging!

p.s. there’s a part of me ~ so tempted to open up one of these boxes to frame as a random piece of art!

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While at the GRAMMY Museum for DigitalLA’s Crowd Source to Curation event last week ~ luckily before hopping on the panel, i had a chance to run around the museum ~ and one thing that couldn’t be missed in the lobby is Janis Joplin’s 1965 Porsche 356c painted by her friend, Dave Richards… can’t you believe it was white before the paint job? There was something surreal about seeing it in person ~ see details on the next page!

p.s. Can you believe they DROVE it into the lobby?

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On new favorites ~ love this LTD Tee by Camilla D’Errico. A perfect blend of her adorable steampunky girl ~ with red lollipop hugging a gator… AND in the printed box there’s both the tee and a nice little matching print! Quality is great as well…. so i couldn’t help sharing a few close up pics with you on the next page!

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This post is a sponsored series that takes a fun peek at the gorgeous details of modern life. The irresistible design details that enhance our lives… Gillette is the sponsor (Thanks, Gillette!)… but, as always, the post and ideas are 100% NOTCOT!

Technogym is positioned as the most design oriented fitness brand, and has developed two eye-pleasing and highly innovative ‘wellness’ systems in collaboration with design masters Antonio Citterio and Partners. These are like works of art ~ that ALSO work you out… and now are even filled with tech! “Read e-mails, catch up on the latest news, or update your Facebook status while you workout. Today, it’s all just a touch away. VISIOWEB is the new interactive digital platform that transforms your workout into Wellness Time.” Yes, this means never stopping working, even while working out… but hey, i like to run and poke at my ipad anyhow… take a peek at the details of the line on the next page!

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On fun unexpected inspiration ~ RUGenius sent over some pics of London department store, Harvey Nichols’, latest elaborate window display, ‘Everyday Things’, which certainly does not disappoint. The window series consists of everyday objects (pencils, clothespins, nails, cassette tapes and plastic toys) to create more elaborate sculptural pieces. Piano’s made of cassettes of all shapes and sizes, dresses of clothespins, cars of toys, men made of books, bikes made of tools, and more! Stunning! See the close ups on the next page!

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This week’s NOTCOT.org roundup gives a real sense of adventure, capturing inspiration from a range of media, from architecture to illustration. Click on the images to find out more about each post.

Metal screw top film containers? Adorable graphics? Miniatures of your favorite lomography cameras to hang on anything from zippers to cell phones to… (use your imagination!)? AND amazingly cute packaging and unboxing experience?!?! Also, awesome point of sale case?!?! I gave in and bought 2/4 - the Fisheye 2.0 (of course!) and the Diana F+… The whole collection is available here. See many a Hotel Vitale photoshoot pics on the next page…

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A fun and original (hopefully inspiring) use of diverse materials and packaging. These playful designs by the talented Troika studio are perfect for gifting! Troika was invited by the Barbican Gallery to create an event to celebrate Ron Arad’s retrospective ‘Ron Arad: Restless’ at the Barbican Art Gallery. Building on Arad’s long standing association with table tennis, Troika created a ping pong tournament with a twist, for which they designed 5 sets of custom bats, more or less playable and inspired by Ron’s classic designs. Amazing pieces forcing you to shift perspectives on the game! See lots of pics of all the fun details on the next page!

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