Couldn’t resist posting another, here is the Dedon Orbit. For when the weather changes on you, and you want that cozy cabana-esque feel, with a more circular feel - how can one resist curling up in there with someone and just watching the stars? or the waves crashing? (ok ok, or simply as your own hideout in the living room, or on the patio). These curves and lines are much like what i tend to doodle when my subconscious takes over, so it’s no real surprise i am so attracted to these pieces.

I am an ocean kind of girl, don’t even need to be IN it so much as NEAR it at all times. It keeps me calm. And i love a good lounger, and as a definite hammock addict, this Leaf appeals to my organic simple design side as well. This woven beach little island of heaven is hand woven from weatherproof Hularo synthetic fibres and comes in seagrass and java, with optional cushions for added comfort… by Dedon.

Hey how rad is this Futura wall lamp by Rob Zinn? Reminds me of the cover art by Peter Saville for Joy Division’s Unknown Pleasures album… just a little bit. It comes in four different color schemes: Cool, Warm, Major, and Minor.

Here’s some more info on how the color effect is achieved from the blankblank.net site:

The shade consists of 5 white plastic planes whose reverse sides are printed with vivid colors to reflect colored light onto the preceding planes.

I’m thinking these would look so sweet all lined up in a row along an entire wall. (Pardon the bad photoshop job…)

You know you’re a designer when… you want to buy a First Aid Emergency Preparedness Starter Kit because of how great the packaging looks (and also the 10$ donation to the Red Cross). But seriously, Target impresses me repeatedly on so many levels. And for those of you who don’t have fully stocked cars of preparedness, get on this.

The furniture collection by Metrofarm makes me feel the need to rethink my definition or implication of “concrete jungle”. There’s something extremely appealing about the harsh, cold, smooth edges of these pieces that is a unique blend of street meets modern. From dj decks and benches (they blend wood/concrete nicely) to custom kitchens, its an inspiring collection. [These are the guys who brought you Koi Klub that has gotten a few posts at .org lately]

On the subject of wallpaper - here’s another contribution from our Aussie correspondent, Lucy Feagins.

Still on the topic of Melbourne Design Week (already a couple of weeks old now, sorry!), I was lucky enough to attend a seminar on the life and designs of Australian designer Florence Broadhurst. Speaking at the seminar were Helen O’Neill, author of the recently released Florence Broadhurst biography, Katherine Thomson, writer of Unfolding Florence - the soon to be released film about her extraordinary life, and David Lennie from Signature Prints.

Signature Prints is an Australian company that handprints beautiful fabric and wallpaper from a large library of different designs. Among this collection are the legendary designs of Florence Broadhurst, which Signature Prints’ CEO David Lennie stumbled across and purchased in 1989.

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‘Paper Voyeur’ - flora and fornication. Wallpaper that is the litmus test to weed out the dirty minds entering your humble abode? It is always interesting to see how people manage to work the subversive into their products… does this take it too far? is it not subtle enough anymore? Still conceptually interesting. via reluct.

SUMO LOUNGE REVIEW!!! Andrew over at Sumo Lounge sent over this black Omni and Otto about a month ago, and i’ve been test driving it and having others come play with it as well. It is extremely comfortable for sitting and working outside i’ve found ~ a bit large for people crammed for space, but i love relaxing and working out here on the patio, where i’m posting this from. For the full verdict see below.

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Some people inherit money, others inherit a company name to carry on with - the unique part here is that as the company changed hands, the business did as well. What began with her grandfather as a jewelry store has grown and evolved through the years. I love this part of the about page “The name Paris House was originally created by my grandfather, Cohus Paris in 1934 for his jewellery business. My father Michael Paris, a watchmaker, continued his father’s tradition until his death in 2002. It is with a sense of pride and commitment that I continue the legacy of care and quality associated with the Paris House name.”

I love companies where the philosophies are well grounded in the passions of the owners/workers. And the Paris House seems to have understood and embodied this notion whole heartedly from day one. As a designer - Sharon Paris managed to combine her background as a conceptual artist - and her ability to create some fascinating leather wallets, etc which all have text to draw you in, make you think - and thats not enough, she takes you on a ride through mental illness in this collection (even donating 10%). And packaging is fun stuff. She provides you with a pot of New Zealand bee’s wax to preserve the leathers ~ one of the first lines contained beeswax with “what’s so wrong with taking care of each other?” imprinted in it.

Had a little fun with the Chairbag on 4th of July… and since sometimes its all about context, and people have been asking me about how this chair is as an outdoor chair, and compared to normal chairs… well this should give you a feel for its size/style/etc relative to others. [click the pic to see it properly]

This is Sunset Blvd (closer to the beach than the clubs) - and this happens only once a year… the night before the 4th of July Parade all the locals put their chairs out - some chained to one another, some duct taped to trees, some with names sharpied on them, some even have cushions. And then imagine all the chairs you see, also in mini kids form. So i wandered out and took a lot of shots of this bizarre, surreal scene of chairs abandoned and waiting around 2am… and even brought the Chairbag out with me, NOTCOT sign and all.

[i have a whole series of shots from this night, all of which are incredibly surreal and a great study on outdoor chairs… not sure whether to put them up though, let me know if you want to see some]

So i came home the other day, and the mailman had left this bizarre black bag at the door. Puzzled but curious - my first thought was really, WOW what efficient shipping- a simple, black canvasy rectangle of a bag with a zip along the top, and the handles had just been tied (see below). And the labels were just slapped on there. Talk about not wasting any materials to send it over.

Turns out it was a CHAIRBAG. You’ve been seeing it around all the design sites lately, designed by PS Labs of Amsterdam… part buoy, part bouncy kids chair, part giant workout ball, and definite design icon in the making. So thus begins my adventures with the Chairbag, and below is my extensive review with more pics. [also click the pic above to see larger]

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What kid doesn’t need a “precisely proportioned, 2/3 scale edition of the 1929 classic. Made exclusively for Genius Jones in the same US factory that began producing the adult-sized version almost 60 years ago”? Ah, these are the moments my mom emails me “i’m glad they didn’t have that when you were kids, imagine how much money i’ve saved” [this comment also came up when we discovered paper denims for kids - SO cute.] But seriously, this Mini Mies is just too adorable - a must for any chair collector with the prospect of kids. And look at some of these other products over at Genius Jones? Absolutely loving their selection of modernist kiddie options - and they dont even have a fully functioning store up yet! Hopefully it will show up soon. via .org by oO.

Popoutz are these great bird feeders with incredibly simple/reusable/flat pack design. Simply pop it open, fill it, hang it, and there you go! Nice vibrant colors, and a few other designs over at their site. Designed by Zelo Creative of the UK. Noticed this via .org this morning… also go check out the censor bar glasses, they are hilarious.

From Vitamin, A Life Less Ordinary - the ones who brought you the incredibly cute IV Drip Plant Pot…. also have this funky twist on the garden gnome. The Gno’s are a black and white glossy bone china “urban gnomes” - ready to take on those old school guys with little red hats, fishing poles, etc. I think they’d frighten me if i woke up to a troop of them lined up like in the picture all over my lawn. Are these possibly almost cooler than the vinyl figurines that are everywhere?

I think i must raise the question - Has SimpleHuman OVERsimplified? I noticed this “bag capsule” over at FreshArrival and upon looking into it further the capusle basically holds a giant tube of trashbag material (i say material, since if its just a tube, can you really call it a bag?) - and the idea is that you pull out as much as you need, and tear it off, and tie a knot at the “bottom” - fill it with trash - then tie off the top too? Sweet design on the packaging though. I just don’t know if i’d trust the bottom being simply tied, less secure for the liquids and gooier substances?