Something are fun in pictures, but even MORE fun when you climb inside! When we walked past Dedon and i saw the Mini Nestrests hanging in the window and a huge Nestrest just inside the door, we had to pop in… and when the man there told me i was welcome to climb in… how could i say no? The Nestrest is designed by french duo, Daniel Pouzet and Fred Frety. It is far comfier than i expected, and with the way they lit it, it was a magical little oasis to curl up in! Also, far more spacious feeling than you’d expect. The minis are pretty much cat/mini-dog sized… and imagining them popping their heads out while hanging from a tree makes me smile. And their photography! The contexts in which they shoot the Nestrests are pretty funny ~ from being carried around in them, to next to a flock of ostriches and more. From the original pictures, i somehow assumed that they would be made of bent wood, but turns out it is all made of an “especially strong DEDON fiber” which is 4cm wide instead of their usual 2, weather/UV/cold+heat/pool+sea water resistant, high density polyethylene that is maintenance free and easy to clean. It is also environmentally friendly, being 100% recyclable and toxin-free with love carbon emissions. I’m tempted! It would be amazing hanging from the tree in the backyard, to curl up and swing gently… take a peek at the playful photography, view from inside, and more details on the next page!

--> to more images

Spotted at ICFF, these Kamina & C Stools designed by Takeshi Sawada are too cute ~ pictures really don’t do them justice. They are ADORABLE! And fuzzy and cute and perfectly little kid sized. Coming in Bambi, Sheep, and Cow variations, Bambi is by far the cutest, sheep at a close second… take a peek at the pics on the next page!

--> to more images

Shawn and i keep falling for the Verso Shelf by Mikko Halonen for One Nordic Furniture Company everywhere we go (well, so far at Home In The Woods and WantedDesign)… It is a beautiful ladder-esque bookshelf that allows you to showcase your books both spine out, or cover first with the addition of simple shelves that slip on. It comes in two widths (one that looks more ladder like, and the other more bookshelf like) an three finishes (black, white, natural). It was the winning design in a competition for a series of classic pocket books at a local publishing company. Apparently it can also be used for clothes, accessories… anything really! Though i’m not sure whether you can actually climb it as a ladder… Really the nicest detail in its simplicity is that the rails alternate sides, giving it a lovely side profile, and creating the perfect depth for your books to lean. Take a peek at all the details on the next page!

--> to more images

Some lights just pull you in, and you can’t help but to peek inside them! Loïc Bard’s Capside Lamps do just that… their faceted woody shell and colorful rope cord are hard to ignore, but when you get glimpses of the bright colors within, you have to peek inside! And as an added bonus (for those who love the details) the inner frame looks like CNC milled wood holding on to the subtly beveled facets… And they can be suspended like pendant lamps, or placed as on one of their many sides for directional, ambient lighting. Take a peek at the stunning lamps on the next page!

--> to more images

More inspiration spotted at Home In The Woods NYC exhibition (which you can see our coverage of here), beautifully simple wood and leather stools and table of Lith Lith Lundin, which is a furniture company from Torsåker, Sweden consisting of Erik Lith, Martin Lith and Hannes Lundin. It’s great to hear that in addition to creating objects to last through generations, their about page states, “At the moment we are hard at work building our own furniture factory in an old sawmill in the village. We hope to gain permissionform the Swedish authorities to produce our own electricity to power our production, which we will achieve through restoring the mill’s old hydroelectric power generator.” The current collection consists of the Dome table, triangular Glimm stool, and square Seven stool. These pieces can be packed down as well as assembled easily without glue, nails, etc. It’s lovely the way the tension of the leather straps strengthens the stools and table both literally and visually. Take a peek at the details on the next page!

--> to more images

Spotted at Home In The Woods NYC exhibition (which you can see My Precious Companion by Lilian de Souza and Martin Altwegg of Nooktu is a stacking pear wood and leather set of containers created to store your precious treasures. The stack is reminiscent of asian bamboo steamers, and the designs of the inserts are stunning. Take a peek at the details and making of on the next page!

--> to more images

Kicking off NY Design Week ~ the Home In The Woods NYC: from Swedish Modern to New Nordic exhibition created by Maria Larsson is beautiful! They describe it as “a story that shows sustainable craftsmanship through innovative historical and contemporary creations. Exploring the artistic boundary with nature as a material and inspiration.” The pieces are displayed in eight curated chapters: luft [air], eld [fire], kol [cox], glöd [glow], jord [soil], aska [ashes], grönska [growth], and vatten [water]. Each chapter is a mix of fashion, art, objects, and more, and each day will have a specific topic for their ‘daily talks’ and the sequences highlighting the sections will be launched day by day on their website and through their social media. Take a peek at some of my favorite pieces from the exhibition on the next page!

--> to more images

Progetto Barrique: A new life for wood project from SanPatrignano - “The project is about new starts - both for the wood reclaimed from 230 litre casks and for the young people at SanPatrignano who, thanks to the initiative, have been able to also learn a trade which is dying out. In addition, they have been able to challenge themselves, putting themselves putting themselves to the test with 30 of the world’s best known designers and architects who conceived the design pieces.”

Of the projects, i’m currently smitten with Angela Missoni’s Miss Dondola. A beautiful mix of colorful padding and playful string connecting the wood staves of the casks to form what looks like a fun swinging chair. See the details and making of on the next page!

--> to more images

This post is part of the NOTlabs Laser Challenge: The ground rules are: Shawn and I are alternating days with executing and sharing a Laser Cutter involved experiment! And most importantly - we’re supposed to have fun, explore ideas, and it’s less about a fully formed product/concept at the end of the day, but more about seeing where the experiment takes us!

For #11, Shawn decided to start saving our beans in progress… that were starting to grow and flop a bit. In order to make the garden a bit more fun, he prototyped an idea for modular plant scaffolding ~ in wood, since scraps were around ~ but we were imagining doing different ones in plastic or coated wood/metal ~ and we are also imagining larger ones for our tomatoes! Basically they slot together and have zip ties to strengthen the set up… and you can build up up and away in any way you want (or in the way your plants want to go)! Take a peek at the making of and details on the next page…

p.s. If you have ideas, or want some laser cutting done, or want to play with us… feel free to use the contact form or leave a comment! And if you’re curious about the laser cutter we’re using, here’s the unboxing.

--> to more images

Melbourne artist, Valissa Butterworth, aka The Mod Collective’s porcelain pieces are such a beautiful splash of colors created by a thoughtful mix of 3D printing and hand moulded/cast colored porcelain. They remind me of Maria White Mebane’s pieces… the porcelain which creates such an unusual and lovely glow when illuminated. As Butterworth explains - “My porcelain tableware is a fusion of technology and traditional ceramic techniques. Each concept is developed using Design software then printed on 3D printers in various mediums. From here the pieces are moulded and cast by hand using coloured porcelain. The porcelain is coloured using raw pigment at the slip stage, should you chip a piece you will not see the telltale white body you would get with coloured glaze. This process allows me to achieve a rich bold colour range not attainable with glaze. Having said this I am now using coloured glaze on a small number of pieces to highlight the texture and pattern and add another contrasting element to the range. This process also appeals to those who prefer the feel of fully glazed pieces. Each piece is made by myself in the studio, the result is a collection of beautifully unique pieces that retain the small marks of the hand made process.” They look absolutely stunning in pictures - and i can only dream up the possible color/glaze/pattern combinations you could create with her custom options! Take a peek at more closeups on the next page!

--> to more images

It’s that time of year already, where everyone’s designs for Milan Design Week are flooding the design world… and the latest from BD Barcelona and Jaime Hayon have made me far too giddy today! The Gardenias Garden Collection is just so playfully Hayon, and with the stunning LA weather and all the work i’ve been doing in my garden, i can’t help dreaming up where i’d put some of these! Take a peek on the next page at the outdoor furniture, watering can, pots, and more!

--> to more images

Hood from Form Us with Love for Ateljé Lyktan. Loving the modular lighting design they’ve created, and how easily it scales to fit just about any size/shaped space while providing ambient lighting for stores, workspaces, and more! Take a peek at the details on the next page.

--> to more images

Learning to make room for the NOTpuppy, Bucky, in our world, i keep browsing dog bowls and wondering why so many are so painfully gaudy (it’s not like a dog can read “dog” or will drink/eat from it because it has pictures of dogs on it, right?) And also, what’s so different about using human bowls for dog dishes? (Quickly figured out the shape/weight distribution/spillage/etc problems with many those!) So our biggest priorities were quickly, heavy enough not to be pushed all over and shaped well enough to be less spillable…

We recently shared Waggo’s Dipper Bowls on NOTCOT.org, and they offered to send some over for Bucky to try out. A nice simple splash of color, dishwasher safe, and FDA approved - these hand-dipped ceramic bowls are a nice, minimalist solution to simple dog bowls that fit well in any environment! They are also subtle and not so dog-bowl like that they could easily fit into your home as a cereal bowl, fruit bowl, etc as your pup outgrows it… They also sent over one of their Bubble Placemats that are made of 100% Silicone - upside: no slipping, downside: static grabs all the dog hair. Take a peek at their fun packaging and product details on the next page!

--> to more images

Adventures with Bucky, the NOTpuppy! Currently he’s a mere 22 weeks and a whopping 47 pounds… which means, no more baby teeth, and he’s starting to lose that puppy coat… everywhere. Not to mention his digging and constantly bringing who knows what from the yard inside… from dirt to grass to twigs and more… so as you can imagine, while we cleaned the house and lab before, we’re cleaning more than ever now!

Well, Dyson just sent over some of their Animal specific products (aka even more super sucking power) to help: specifically the DC41 Animal Complete and the Groom Tool. Currently, i’ve been combating the dirtiness with the cordless Dyson DC35 Digital Slim, which is still fantastic for quick clean ups… We’ve been huge Dyson fans for years now (long before NOTCOT even existed), for their beautiful, innovative designs, attention to detail, and ability to truly innovative with their machines both inside and out, but until Bucky, i haven’t had the chance to really put the suctioning power to the test with their Animal line. The DC41 Animal Complete is not just a DC41 Ball Vacuum, but it also comes with the new Tangle Free Turbine Tool, Soft Dusting Brush, Multi-Angle Brush, Stiff Bristle Brush, Crevice/Brush Tool, Stair Tool, a bag of Zorb Carpet Maintenance Powder, and a tool bag (that looks like a giant toiletry kit that unfolds to hang from the back of a door)… basically it has enough to tackle just about anything that you could need it to do… except brush your dog. For that, they included the Groom Tool, which functions much like your self cleaning brush, where you can push a button to remove the hair from the bristles, only this one has the super suction power of Dyson to vacuum it all in as you brush!

So here are some things i’ve learned. The suction power of the DC41 Animal is AMAZING. Bucky seems to think it is his foe - or a plaything - and either runs away or tries to play with it. I’ve always had problems with my long black hair getting twisted up on tube of the turbine heads - the Tangle Free Turbine Tool really works! (And you can attach it to the handhelds as well.) Re-vacuuming what i thought was a pretty clean floor, couch, dog bed - proved the sucking power of the DC41, and with the right attachment even helped us vacuum the impossible to reach thin spaces between the washer and dryer! There is something satisfying about the way the stand on the giant ball kicks up (just tilt the vacuum back and up it pops). While they say the Groom Tool doesn’t work with the handhelds, it DOES work technically, but since the power is only on when you hold the trigger, it’s a bit hard to handle pulling the trigger, squeezing the tool, and managing the dog all at once. The Groom Tool also works as your normal brush. Bucky isn’t quite used to the brushing + the vacuum noise so close/on his body… but treats help ease him into it.

Take a peek at the unboxings and details on the next page!

p.s. Here’s an outtake on instagram…

--> to more images

Rootcup - love this simple, elegant solution to growing plant cuttings! Designed by product development firm, good3studio of Michael Good in San Francisco. The root cups are molded from a flexible elastomer that’s highly UV resistant, nonporous, and water proof, and have such nice details! The flexible lid helps protect the roots from light, holds the cutting’s leaves above water, captures evaporating water, and has a slot to help easily remove cuttings when ready for planting… and it now comes in a BIGrootcup as well… or it nearly does, their kickstarter campaign just successfully completed for the big ones! See more details of both sizes on the next page!

--> to more images