New toy from Eero Aarnio the designer of the original Ball Chair/Bubble Chair… Pony! And many other classics. Many more pictures of his old works i just rediscovered after the jump. This new one is quite fun though, comes in a few different sizes, and could be a unique playful footrest!
3 hours of sunlight, and mosquito free. I won’t even pretend to understand it, but they claim it works, and after many a horrible mosquito attacks, i’m game to try it. And its the most unique use of sustainable energy i’ve found tonight [more on that later, its my theme/curiosity of the night].
We’ve received countless raves from satisfied Solar Mosquito Guard owners from Hawaii to the Amazon Basin, from Alaska to Louisiana all with the same theme: “These amazing things really work, we’re mosquito free, while our friends are swatting away.” The principle is they put out a high-frequency audible wave that actually repels most species of mosquitoes. Funny part is there is no scientific evidence that mosquitoes can even hear, yet they really seem to work! There is an on/off switch so you don’t have to activate until the mosquitoes arrive. The battery will recharge in three hours of sunlight. Hong Kong.
Bizzare, possibly amazing. Worth 10$ if it works, doesn’t harm the environment, saves you from itchiness. Or if you’re super hardcore…
Brent Comber’s Alder is visually orgasmic. And i haven’t even seen the real thing yet. Its been everywhere, (yes yes between E3 and ICFF every blog/mag is pretty swamped with gaming and design). But the image. WOW. So cool.
Apparently Keita Takahashi (creator of the awesome game Katamari Damacy) studied sculpting in college. He claims that this is where he first came up with his goal to improve the world by making people happy.
The initial fruits of this ambition are almost as amusing at his recent game.
Witness: this coffee-table/robot. As he says “it can even fly”. Another cute aside is that it takes two people to complete the robot’s transformation, so one must “learn to work with a fellow human to achieve the amusing effects of this piece”.
Kinda reminds me of the new two player mode that has been announced in Katamari Damacy 2, where the players must work together to control the same Katamari.
Click on the image for a bigger view.
Lamp + Plant = Lampel. It’s such a simple idea really, i don’t know why i haven’t discovered such a combination earlier… although it does make one wonder about whether you need to worry about the plant catching fire, or overheating it causing damage to its growth? But pretty none-the-less.
There’s lighting, art, storage combining into a gorgeous functional piece here. Basically, you place your own glasses into this elaborate rack, and flip the switch to let the two bulbs within illuminate the full structure. So many ideas on how you could come up with variations on your own, or using different shaped/colored glasses. The structure comes fitted for 16, 40, or 75 glasses.
Storklasen (the Glass Cluster) is a chandelier and at the same time a repository for drinking-glasses with stems, either with all glasses alike or of various combinations and colours. With two clear bulbs, e.g. a carbon-filament lamps with two pendulums/electric fittings, Storklasen will provide a pleasant lighting where reflections from the 76 glasses creates lights and patterns on surrounding surfaces in the room. Storklasen is a genuine product of Swedish art industry, designed by a team of two architects - Gunnar Cedervall and Björn Stillefors - and an industrial designer - Jörgen Pudeck. The manufacturing takes place in Sweden, at a smithy dating from 1840. The glasses in the chandelier are meant to be used and then replaced in the chandelier after being washed. Storklasen, including standard length pendulum, is adapted to fit over a dining table in a room with a height of 2.40 m. The Storklasen can be found only one surface treatments black lacquered. If you have a room of different height, or want to hang the chandelier in a different way, there are pendulums of different length made to order. Glasses is not included
Its a fascinating idea really… except for the dust and spiders that might enjoy all the crevices if you dont use those glasses frequently enough? And the price from 98 pounds up to 1,032 pounds with no glasses included, i kind of wonder if we could design our own?
More after the jump…
Or “Alora Ambiance” in a nice blend of languages. I saw these a while ago, but only recently went on a air freshener hunt for my friend’s apt that is desperately in need. I wanted the alternative to glade plugins and whatever that new thing is on tv where the family gathers to watch the “puffs” come out to know its working.
So as usual, first grab is by the visual. This is a gorgeous way to display the fragrance, glass bottle with wooden sticks gently stuck into it to “diffuse” the scent into the room. Even supposed to last 4-6 months on one bottle.
Next, the story. Italy has a soft spot in my heart, especially Lago di Como and the surrounding regions since it was my half hour train ride escape from the city for a year… so no surprise in finding out that this was developed/inspired by two Minnesota sisters who lived there for 15 years [and it certainly makes more sense of the name as well]. Alora Ambiance
OXO good grips revolutionized the way my kitchen and cleaning functioned… suddenly the only options i allowed myself were “rubberized, ergonomic, gorgeous to leave around” or more Restoration Hardware, stick to the classic old school styles. [Naturally leaning towards OXO-izing my whole process for comfort]. So you can imagine i was excited to see that they are branching off into the world of home gardening, although not much of a yard to garden in at the moment, they are just pretty to look at, and when the time comes that i need to, these are high on the list.
Besides, even at home you could use a wateringcan, and i love how this one rotates back onto itself, not only saving space, but also minimizing drippage? Enjoy OXO, and remember these aren’t available till Summer ‘05.
Silicon: you squish it, it comes back. You heat it, it survives. Naturally what else would you ever use to design cooking goods, especially a Squid inspired cooking baster? Today’s theme is Silicon cooking goods. Its a great innovation recently in kitchen accessories, and as far as design, this is the most uniquely appealing one i found.
Enter Isi’s Orka line of silicon goods, there is also the Silicon Oven Mitt, with a slight hint of an orca like shape… so part hand puppet, part useful heat resistant glove.
I fell in love with the simplicty of this object… and the ideas it brings to mind. “Slant Stacks” are the new visual in my head, the idea of transorming the way things naturally tend to pile on my desk, coffee tables, shelves, and in my car. I like the idea of using simple objects to recreate, or shape a space that they will occupy anyhow.
This is also just a gorgeous piece of wood, given an innovative use, which becomes more pleasing to look at as it is being used. SHIKA! Not to mention mad props to Joey Roth on not only designing but naming this object to make it unforgetable.
For the boy with everything (ok specifically the guy who only has chopsticks in his kitchen) Travel compacting chopsticks… they remind me a lot of mini billiard cues, especially the way they unscrew in the middle, and have a nylon carrying case. The handle is a hollow stainless steel tube that becomes the storage unit for the chopstick. It has brass caps with O-ring seal, and natural birch tips. Made by Snowpeak. [$19.99]
Update: Cheaper pair found at Back Country Gear for $16.00
There’s an inexplicable appeal i have to this one. I think it reminds me of those old library stools that you sit/climb on or just nest yourself upon one in a corner of shelves with a good book.
Imagine this stool taken a step further? I’d want it in black. With rubberized gripped edges. Perhaps the ability for a built in airfreshener, or SOMETHING to give you an auditory/haptic feedback implying spraying? Maybe some hydraulic seat action? so you spray when you initially sit? Thanks Mixko, for making me think.
The idea here is so thought provoking and brilliant. Same end result, causing you to rethink the way you went about getting it. (you get LIGHT either way. but when coupled with a plug, that usually implies electricity) Here you literally have a plug candle “holder” and no more. Now the plug works to provide lighting in any situation.
A few more visually provocative lighting solutions below…
Sometimes the best things in life are… cheap. Urban Outfitters in Santa Monica, CA today, found this great Parcel lightbox lamp that comes with many sheets of alphabets, numbers, and symbols you can place between a the two layers infront of the bulbs. For a mere 14$ its a steal. ON-OFF-FLASHING is always amusing as well…. (see more pics after!)
It’s art, thats functional as a hat-rack… and fun funky and colorful as well. The images speak for themselves. Also check out David Wiseman’s other work like the Wall Forest(a forest slowly emerging out of your wall) and the Porcelain(interesting multifaceted porcelain pieces)
