Last night, popped by the latest show of Peter Gronquist, The Evolution Will Be Fabulous at Gallery 1988 in Venice. It’s AMAZING, definitely something worth checking out in person, because the mix of gilded luxe brands, weaponry, skeletons and taxidermy are just something you can’t completely comprehend through pictures… the shear scale of things is pretty mesmerizing in real life. But for now, take a peek at some pics and details on the next page!

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Dark matter, slime molds and stools created with the help of magnetic fields are all a part of this week’s roundup from NOTCOT.org. To find out more about each post, click on its individual image.

This series of Unexpected Combos posts is sponsored by P&G Downy.

Our London-based editor Justine Aw catches up with the latest action from the London Design Festival! For this latest in unexpected combinations, we love the idea of an object that can be used to hold just about anything your mind can dream up ~ while functioning like a giant clothespin! Another discovery from this year’s 100% Design, Been Kim’s DrinKlip. Sometimes you just can’t find a cupholder when you need one. How convenient would it be if you could add your own to any surface? That’s exactly what DrinKlip sets out to do. The piece clips onto desks, shelves, or even the arm of your chair using a classic clothespin design and gives you a cup that can carry up to 1kg. These clips come in a range of fun colors and can hold all sorts of things (love the idea of using them for plants!). Each sale also supports efforts to develop wells and water filtration for areas in need. More photos on the next page!

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An installation for poking, a Tokidoki Barbie and a connect the dot transformation of Michael Jackson are all part of this week’s roundup from NOTCOT.org. To find out more about each post, click on its individual image.

Our London-based editor Justine Aw catches up with the latest action from the London Design Festival!

Another fun architectural piece I adored this year was this beautiful, delicacy filled indoor glasshouse by VONSUNG for Tramshed 2011. The Glasshouse was designed by Joseph Sung, Michiko Ito, Jing Chen, Gernando Cavalli and Grace Hsu and served as a pop-up cafe. Sung describes the Glasshouse as design nurturing the relationship between construction and innovation, forming an ‘incubator’ for the food within. From outside, the polycarbonate structure looks like a hybrid between a polytunnel and a glasshouse, with soft lighting permeating its translucent walls. It somehow manages to be simultaneously eerie and inviting. Great touches follow within as well, like the playful Peter Pan rabbits from Ligne Roset, and of course plenty of tasty treats as well (Vietnamese delicacies from Viet Hoa). More photos on the next page!

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Our London-based editor Justine catches up with the latest action from the London Design Festival!

One of my highlights of this year’s 100% Design event would have to be finally seeing the amazing animal chairs from Maximo Riera in person! You may remember his octopus chair which we previously featured here and more recent rhino and walrus additions. These beautiful throne-like pieces of furniture are even more amazing to behold in person. The detailing on the animals is exquisite and incredibly realistic. Another feature that is evident upon seeing the chairs is their enormous size! Like the animals they are designed to reflect, these pieces are truly colossal. More photos of the beautiful walrus, rhino and octopus chairs on the next page!

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Real-time face substitutions, etch-a-sketch with lasers and a view of the earth from space are all part of this week’s roundup from NOTCOT.org. To find out more about each post, click on its individual image.

Our London-based editor Justine catches up with the latest action from the London Design Festival!

Another fun discovery of this year’s London Design Festival was Vauxhall area laser cutting shop and studio Cut Laser Cut, who work with a wide range of clients and with many unexpected materials, creating laser masterpieces of all sorts and cutting and engraving materials from fabrics to foods! For this year’s design festival, Cut Laser Cut shared some selections from their client showcase. More photos of some of impressive laser creations and their shop/studio on the next page!

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While Nalden and I were cruising to the Monaco helipad to catch our ride back to Nice airport this morning, there was a loop of an intersection that confused me far too much, and this bizarre concrete truck/cow thing on a building nearby… so, luckily the quick snapshots came out so i can show you what i’m talking about! I only found two other pics online. Any one know what the story is?

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Our London-based editor Justine catches up with the latest action from the London Design Festival!

Another unexpected discovery of the festival, was the work of Christopher Jarratt. Some of you may remember Christopher Jarratt’s previous slingshots from NOTCOT.org, but to see them in person and what can be done with these elegant pieces is something different altogether. Jarratt’s ‘Take a Shot’ exhibition at the YCN shop and library on Rivington Street is filled with these beautiful, colorful and playful slingshots. The slingshots are both works of art in their own right as well as a means of making art. See the next page for more photos of the slingshots and photos of them in action!

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Our London-based editor Justine catches up with the latest action from the London Design Festival!

Yesterday was a preview filled day with so much inspiring design and beautiful exhibition spaces! One of the most exciting press previews was that of Designersblock at the Farmiloe Building (which we also visited recently during Clerkenwell Design Week). The press preview was full of unexpected touches, including elaborate and bizarre costumes and interpretive performances and the stunning Victorian building again played host to some stunning products and installations. More photos on the next page!

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Flew Spanair for the first time ~ noticed a fun graphic ad in their inflight magazine… and found it HUGE when i landed in Barcelona. The icons on it for each city they fly to were so cute i couldn’t help taking pics! See the details on the next page!

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Our London-based editor Justine catches up with the latest action from the London Design Festival!

By sheer luck and an unreliable sense of direction, I discovered Nobrow on Great Eastern Street, in East London. What a gem! Nobrow is part shop, part studio and part gallery. The folks at Nobrow run both a small press of beautifully tactile illustrated books as well as a screenprinting studio. Here’s a look inside the gorgeous shop, a peek at a few of their lovely books, and look at the Masks exhibition by Ben Newman!

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Dancing spiders, carved tires and an encounter with zero gravity are all part of this week at NOTCOT.org. To find out more about each post, click on its individual image.

Our London-based editor Justine catches up with the latest action from the London Design Festival!

Beautifully refreshing, I was blown away by the setting of this wonderful showcase of Swedish Design. Hemma, which means ‘home’ in Swedish, is one of two exhibitions of Swedish Design Goes to London and is appropriately hosted in the Swedish Ambassador’s Residence, a beautiful 18th century house.

The beauty and elegance of the house works incredibly well with the clean, contemporary designs showcased in Hemma and the venue is a stunning and welcome addition to this year’s design festival. For example, love the contrast between the chandeliers and the vibrant purples of Sara Reinholtz’s Pixtel Shapes. More photos of this stunning exhibition on the next page.

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