What do you do when you want to create a restaurant in a space with a low ceiling and a tangled maze of plumbing, sprinkler, and electrical pipes? Why, add more pipes, of course. Introducing Conduit, a new San Francisco restaurant designed by architects Stanley Saitowitz.
Via Dezeen.
An interesting approach to lighting from Billy May, a recent graduate from Washington and Lee University actively looking for full-time creative work in New York City.
Via Design Milk.
There's still time to find that perfect Father's Day gift. In that spirit, I offer you the whimsical Papa Chair by Itay Ohaly. What a nice little way to encourage interaction and highlight the emotional bond between father and small child (or father and sandwich/beverage, for that matter).
Via MoCo Loco.
Here's a little desktop lamp made with an LED light and shade that clips onto a battery base. The classic lamp shape even comes complete with a working pull chain on/off switch. Available soon through Suck UK.
Via Trend Insights.
Clever. The Karbon Articulating Kitchen Faucet from Kohler lets you extend the faucet to fill large pots, lower it into the sink for cleanup, or even fold it completely out of the way. Once you put the faucet in the position you want, it stays there for hands-free operation.
Via Trendir.
The cushion for this bench is actually 1,600 working pencils. Since each pencil is individually sprung, they can be removed, used, and easily returned. Designed by Boex in the UK, the piece won Best of Show at Cornwall Design Week in 2007.
Via Trend Insiders.
It's one thing to wish you had more green space in your city. With the help of three fellow Dalhousie University classmates, David Gallaugher created this grass-lined wheel to cleverly demonstrate the need.
Via Preik.
To promote the annual Year in Ideas issue, The New York Times Magazine created this nice little video. Take a minute (actually 1:42) to learn about some of the big ideas from 2007 that may end up making a huge impact on our lives in the years to come. Stick through to the very end; especially if you think you need to be some sort of scientist to make big discoveries. All it takes, sometimes, is a willingness to look at the world in a different way.
Via AdverBox.
The Aquaduct Mobile Filtration Vehicle could be a life-saver in developing areas. It's a clever idea. Clever enough, in fact, to win the Innovate or Die design competition for progressive pedal-powered inventions. Does it really work? Is it economically feasible? Is it an idea that will be heavily adopted in areas where it is most needed? I don't know. But, once again, I'm emboldened to believe that many of the world's most basic problems can be overcome with creativity. Inspiring, don't you think?
Via Art Threat.
Summer dandelions sure seem a long way away. This clever little light, however, can bring a little bit of summer radiance to your wintertime desk. Each light is handmade by designdrift in the Netherlands. The LED light, powered by a 9V battery, is covered with real dandelion seeds. Available at designboom.
Toronto advertising agency Taxi is celebrating its fifteenth anniversary by handing out 3,000 free coats to the homeless. The 15-Below coats, designed by Taxi and fashion designer Lida Baday, are ingenious. The inside of the coat is lined with pockets that can be stuffed with crumpled up newspapers for insulation. This way, the wearer can regulate the warmth of the coat with a readily available material. The image above shows executive creative director Steve Mykolyn testing the coat and staying warm in a meat locker.
The coat is made from Aquamax, a lightweight, waterproof material. The jacket can be folded up into one of the pockets and includes straps so it can be carried as a backpack. Taxi used the funds that would normally go to a staff holiday party to fund the project. The coats will be distributed to the homeless in cities where Taxi has offices sometime in March. Inspiring.
Via Digital Journal.
Check out this porcelain egg bank by designer Kensaku Oshiro. Put the coins in the slot, of course. The only way to get them back, however, is to crack open the egg. I love everything about it...except the price. At $79, you're losing money every time you go to cash in your change. Somebody make this for about $5 and I'm in.
Here's a clever idea. The Candle Carver lets you turn any fruit or vegetable into a candle holder. Apples, pears, squash, small pumpkins, you name it. The hole is the perfect size for an inexpensive tea light. At $9.99, the Candle Carver isn't expensive, either. I love the idea of a row of red apple candles along our white fireplace mantle. Available at Amazon.
Via Swiss Miss.
Perhaps there's still time to get your hands on this cool LED Mini Menorah before the Festival of Lights comes to an end next week. Only $10 over at Evil Mad Science.
Via Make.
Here's a simple and inexpensive way to add some mod seasonal cheer to your flat or home (or store window, for that matter). All you need is some paper, a stapler, and a dash of holiday spirit. Follow the steps here.
Via Design*Sponge.
This is a simple, but clever solution to a very real problem. You see the solution here. So, what's it for? Leave your guess in the comments. I'll update with an answer and product link in the next day or so. Have at it.
12/01/07 UPDATE: ANSWER REVEALED
That's right, these are smoking mittens. Designed by Tobias Wong, the single metal eyelet is perfectly positioned for holding a cigarette between your fingers. The mittens work either way, so you just flip them around if you are left handed. A clever idea, especially when you consider more and more cities are banning smoking indoors. Thanks for all the creative responses.
Via Collateral Damage.
I love these little stainless steel figures and vehicles for use in architectural models. Each figure is smaller than a paper clip. Created by Hannes Freising.
Via MoCo Loco.
I just love these plush cereal boxes from Snaggs. Check out the attention to detail, right down to the UPC bar code, nutritional panel, and "free toy inside" offer. The entire concept of Fix is hilarious. If you're in the Los Angeles area, head on offer to Stuffed, the food-themed plush show at Munky King. You'll find these cereal boxes, as well as work from some of the other top plush toy makers, on display now through December 2.
Via Craft.
And butlers everywhere rejoice. A fresh take by Martino d'Esposito, an industrial design student at Ecole Contonale d'Art de Lausanne (ECAL) in Switzerland.
Via Old Glutton.
Tokyo Design Week 2007 just finished up yesterday. Here's a fun little piece introduced at the show by Rice Design of Japan. This little tree keeps your notes in one place on your desk. As you attach more and more notes with the magnetic leaves, the bare branches bloom into colorful foliage. A whimsical solution for those of us addicted to little notes we never feel right about throwing away. (I'm not the only one, am I?)
Via Designboom.
This Halloween season, Fusebox is bringing some old computers back from the dead.
It wasn't something we planned to do. In fact, the idea sprang from a conversation on Twitter just a couple of nights ago. I had been looking to unload a bunch of old Mac Classics (we had been collecting them for an art project that never developed). That started a Twitter conversation that soon turned into a Twitter brainstorming session. The idea of the Mac-O-Lantern was born.
Two days later, an old Mac was alive and smiling.
There's still time to make your own. Besides a working computer and a little technical know-how (very little), all you need is three cans of spray paint and a bit of epoxy. And here's the best part...no slimy guts to clean out!
How to Make a Mac-O-Lantern
Have fun. Use our rather basic design as a springboard for your own creativity. Add some animation. Bring sound into the mix. Here's your chance to show off your old-school programming skills.
Just be sure to come back and leave a link to some photos in the comments. (You can see more of our Mac-O-Lantern photos, including some assembly shots, on Flickr.)
Check out this heat sensitive wallpaper by designer Shi Yuan. The vines come alive with flowers that continue to bloom as the room temperature gets warmer and warmer. I love this for the same reason I loved those gorgeous patio tiles that bloom flowers when wet. The world could use more pleasant surprises. And more flowers, for that matter.
Via Advertising Lab.
Back in May, I wrote about GrandOpening, the concept store that changes into a new storefront every few months. The space on the lower east side that originally brought you the ping-pong store PONG now brings you Manhattan's only drive-in movie theater. At DRV-N, you get to sit in a 1965 Ford Falcon convertible (seats six) and watch movies under a (fake) starry sky surrounding by the (fake) outdoors. There's even a (real) popcorn machine. Over the next few months, a variety of movies will be shown (including Psycho, The Graduate, Cool Hand Luke, and Midnight Cowboy). What's after that? Only the masterminds behind GrandOpening know for sure.
Via Gothamist.
Summer won't officially end for another couple of weeks, but the days are getting shorter and there's just a hint of autumn already in the air. Now is the time to start gathering the season's bright sun and store it away for those dark nights ahead. If only, right?
But the Sun Jar from designer Tobi Wong actually does store the sun, even if it's just for a short time. Using solar panels and LED light technology, the Sun Light gobbles up rays during the day and emits a warm, sunny glow at night. Perfect for a rooftop or balcony, or even a window sill as shown above. Get yours at Charles & Marie for only $44.
I am officially obsessed with low-tech phonographs. First, there was the paper one. Now, this ceramic one. Beautiful.
The Phonofone II, shown here, transforms any personal music player into a low-tech sculptural audio console. There's no power source or working parts. Just plug in your earphones. Using horn acoustics your great-great grampa would recognize, the Phonofone amplifies the audio output of your earbuds to the decibel equivalent of laptop speakers. In the process, the trembly buzzing of the earbuds is transformed into a rich, resonant sound.
I have no place for one, but I want one nonetheless. You can buy yours here (warning: not cheap).
I love the idea behind this product. A book-shaped chopping block.
The Romeo & Julienne name is a bit cutesy for my liking, but I guess I don't really care what the product is called. The purist in me, however, hates the name engraved onto the book's spine. I would much prefer a completely minimalistic presentation. And the bibliophile in me would love to have about three different sizes so I can store them on my counter standing up like a bookshelf.
Purchase yours at Fred & Friends. Or just check out all the other creative products for sale there. Lots of great gift ideas.
Via Core77.
"Find your music and play the hell out of it." That's some wonderful creative advice from airplane lover P.D. Wayne Mathis. His "music" is making model airplanes out of beer and soda cans. He started this hobby as a challenge from a fellow pilot friend in the mid-eighties. Over the years, he's perfected his designs. No welding or soldering is involved. Read a great interview with Mathis here. If you'd like to make a beer or soda can airplane model yourself, Mathis sells plans and instructional DVDs on his own site.
Via Ephemera.
This simple Daisy Vase is made from a hand blow-molded ballpoint pen. Created by American designers Jim Termeer and Jessica Giffin, who work together as giffin'termeer. Available for $19 here.
Please tell me people actually do this. Please tell me someone actually sells tents like these. And please, please, please tell me they are sold under the brand name Car Crash.
Via Neatorama.
With one small line, Art Lebedev Studio has made a big addition to the classic piggy bank design. The visual cue of a plus sign coin slot is a subtle but profound shift in the way a child looks at savings. It's not about taking money away. Each coin or bill literally adds to the total of what can be spent later. Such a simple idea.
Via Core77.
Every store owner knows the power of grand openings. If you play your cards right, there'll be dignitaries cutting ribbons out front, coverage in the local newspaper, and a flood of curious customers coming through the door. After that, the buzz dies off and, if national statistics are anything to believe, you're on a slow and steady course to going out of business in the next two years. But what if you could harness the power of the grand opening forever? That's just what Ben and Hall Smyth are trying to do with GrandOpening on the lower east side in New York City. Every three months, their tiny storefront will become something new. Right now, it's PONG, the only single-table ping pong parlor in world history (I didn't have time to research that, so I'm just guessing). What will GrandOpening become three months from now? Ah, the fun is in not knowing.
Via The Cool Hunter.
I love this. Dutch designers Frederik Molenschot and Susanne Happle have created Solid Poetry patio tiles—normal looking concrete tiles that reveal a beautiful floral pattern when exposed to moisture. A quick Google search reveals that they may be experiencing some developmental problems. Let's hope they get those technical issues ironed out soon so this product can get to market. The world could use more pleasant surprises. And flowers, for that matter.
Via Core77.
Talk about a great public place. Not only do the residents of Zadar, Croatia get to watch some of the most beautiful sunsets in the world, they get to listen to the Adriatic Sea accompany the whole event on the pipe organ. The Sea Organ features 35 pipes with whistle openings along the sidewalk. When the waves lap against the organ, music and nature join together for an impromptu concert. This masterpiece of architecture and acoustics was created by architect Nikola Basic in 2005. Take a listen here. Brilliant.
Via Neatorama.
Radio gave us free music for putting up with advertising. Network
television gave us free programs in exchange for sitting through ads.
Now, thanks to an entrepreneurial group of Japanese college students, students can get free photocopies. Each blank page of slightly heavier paper stock (to eliminate bleed-through) carries an ad on the back. According to Springwise,
the free copiers have been placed around a few dozen campuses in
Japan—and are a bit hit with students and advertisers alike. Sounds
like a great business opportunity for any student. You know, I just
love it when advertising is opt-in and reciprocal like this. Now, can
we please get something in exchange for sitting through all those ads before a movie?
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