Interior Design Sense

I’ve been asked several times to show what I came home from Puerto Vallarta with. Besides a wicked suntan, some jewelry, 3 tops, a pair of pants, 3 pairs of super cheap and funky sandals, a bag, a few Spanish shelter mags, a lime squisher and a big bottle of vanilla, I brought back a few things I thought you guys might be interested in (yes, shopping was a high priority on this trip). Keep in mind I only brought one suitcase with me with as little in it as I could possibly manage so there wasn’t much I could bring back. A few of these items I bought with someone you know in mind (sounds like Bo).

Enrico Dini, an Italian designer and architect came up with the revolutionary idea of a machine that prints…buildings. His invention-a 3D printer momentarily located in Pisa, Italy- is said to look like a  “prototype for the automotive industry” and combines the functionality of computer architecture programs with the printer mechanism. Instead of paper, the material introduced in the machine is sand that is further on shaped in the desired form, computer-configured in advance. The designer says this process is “four times faster than conventional building, costs a third to a half as much as using Portland cement, creates little waste and is better for the environment.” Even though the design is able to “construct” relatively small projects,  Dini wants to take this idea further and stated: “What I really want to do is to use the machine to complete the Sagrada Familia.” -via Blueprint Magazine

Chandeliers are usually made of crystal and diamonds. This one’s made of tampons. At first glance, this dramatic chandelier created by Joana Vasconcelos looks ordinarily beautiful, but look closer, and you’ll be bloody surprised! The monster-sized chandelier is actually composed of hundreds of white O.B. tampons. Called “The Bride” this chandelier is right now in a gallery in Lisbon. It’s a 5-meter tall chandelier made from wire, cotton thread, and over 14,000 tampons. Right now, the tampon chandelier is only soaking up the gazes of art lovers, and will continue to do so until the Belem Cultural Center exhibition ends, on May 18, 2010.

Are you a fan of transparent pieces of furniture ? If yes then you should take a look at “The Invisibles” by Japanese designer Tokujin Yoshioka. He will launch a collection of transparent polycarbonate furniture at the Kartell showroom in Milan next month. “The Invisibles” is the result of the latest collaboration between japanese designer Tokujin Yoshioka and Kartell’s president, Claudio Luti. The series comes ten years after the ‘invention’of transparency, in which Kartell expresses a new stylistic approach to ‘invisible furniture’. The pieces share a lightness, complete in transparency, but still have a feeling of solidness. – Via – Deezen

According to Claudio Luti, President of Kartell, “The Kartell-Tokujin team is founded on the creativity of both partners, on the brandʼs expertise and on the designerʼs poetry which goes far beyond technical brilliance.”
Tokujin Yoshioka explains “In the last few years I have been thinking about a design that would include natural phenomena and invisible elements such as senses, wind and light. The “Invisible”, a special collection launched from Kartell, only leaves the sense as if seating in the air. The presence of the object is eradicated and it will create a scenery of a sitter floating in the air.”

Although still at the concept stage the “Cube Chair” by Svilen Gamalov provides an interesting example of modern design. The chair, which combines futurist design elements of the 1950’s with modern sensibility, is designed to envelope the user, creating a comfortable and stylized space. I hope to see more creative pieces of modern furniture like these, and I can’t wait to see the Gamalov’s ‘Cube Chair’ fully realized.

From time to time as you might have noticed we like to post some things that are a little bit unusual. For example today I would like to present  Fjaril, a drawer system designed by Danish designer Jakob Jørgensen. Fjaril is one of his many projects which distinguishes itself with its beautiful sculptural nature and fine craftsmanship. As Jakob describes it, it goes from being a simple box into a functional sculpture. This drawer system expands rhythmically and go in this movement from being a simple box to be a functional sculpture.

…it’s something we all are guilty of. I dream of wide open spaces after a few years now in a small 2 bedroom apartment. Oh to live in spaces like these from Ike Kligerman Barkley Architects! Classic and contemporary, historic and modern, open but able to be closed. Two different lofts with two different feels. A wall of books and a long table for all your friends. Vast spaces divided by screens for privacy. Light and bright. Or perhaps a dark cosiness, spaces like vast caves. Intimate and cocooning.

In 1969, the renowned French sculptor Maurice Calka issued something different: the Boomerang desk. A sexy molded fiberglass and plastic desk. The original moulded fiberglass desk has been produced in a limited edition of 35 pieces, initially manufactured by Leleu-Deshays. french president georges pompidou (1911-1974) was the owner of a white version in the elysée palace. In respect of his father’s work, Serge Calka has now allowed a re-edition of the original desk, manufactured by Singaporean furniture company Office Planner. This iconic desk has been first introduced to the international market at the international furniture fair in singapore 2010 IFFS. Each piece is individually marked and identified, produced on demand by a team of fiberglass sculptors.

Here is another store in Puerto Vallarta that I almost passed out in. It’s called Ponciana, located downtown, and was filled with everything under the sun. Clothing, tons of linens (lace, tablecloths, pillowcovers, runners…), mirrors, furniture, glassware, dishes, pottery, paintings…you name it. And I went a little nutty in this store knowing I could fit little bits and pieces in my suitcase. To my delight I did end up purchasing several items. Here’s a peek inside Ponciana, and coincidentally you’ll get a glimpse at a few of the things that came home with me (which is another post for later).

How cool is this? A chair and table set with a unique feel which is probably not even all that hard to do. From Ilan Dei Studio, this incredible table set (chairs, table and lamps) was created in order to bring nature indoors. Basically for this type of original design you only need a few logs, some specially made seating sponges and a free standing lamp that will be interconnected with the unusual material. We do not doubt this is the type of solution that can be home made. Furthermore, you could think of other fun objects you could have around using logs, such as a carved rustic shelving system for example. We also like how the set was integrated in the pictures below, bringing freshness and originality to the interior.-via Yanko Design