Posts
Back at Qubique Berlin we spoke to Nils Holger Moormann, and in addition to discussing the number of days spent in bed with fever following the Bookinist Cup – three appeared average amongst all participants – he also mentioned that he was busy redesigning a car. At that point he couldn’t say more; but in [...]
Having got up in the middle of the night to travel through the depths of the European winter just to get to Weil am Rhein for the “Album” opening, you can imagine our joy when we heard that Erwan Bouroullec had frozen to his core while waiting to board the 6.15 Basel bound TGV. Not [...]
As we admitted, “time management challenges” saw us visiting Design braucht Täter 2012 in Cologne before it officially opened. And before all exhibitors had arrived. We know it’s not good. And we’re still not sleeping properly. And so it was especially nice to receive an e-mail from Julia Pfizenmayer from jp designs – one of [...]
A couple of years ago we were sat, late one Friday evening, in the kitchen in the Moormann Berge in Aschau, when Nils Holger Moormann came in. Beaming. He’d just returned from collecting a “German Design Prize” in Gold for Berge and enthused how, in comparison to other design prizes, winning the Designpreis der Bundesrepublik [...]
We received advance warning of what awaited us at IMM 2012 on the Friday afternoon before the official opening. Ambling through Cologne town centre we came across a large plastic hemisphere – the IMM Snow Globe. Dispatched on a tour through the city to entice the good folk of Cologne to visit the fair, the [...]
For a decade and a half the unofficial start to Cologne Furniture Week has been the honouring of the “A&W Designer of the Year” Awarded by the German magazine “A&W Architektur & Wohnen”, the prize was inaugurated in 1997 to honour a designer whose work has particular defined the home furnishing style of our time. [...]
Following on from last years “Kids Only” collection, Richard Lampert was/were back at Cologne 2012 with a collection of new outdoor furniture And just as “Kids Only” clearly wasn’t. So too can “Living Outdoor” clearly also be used for “Living Indoor” Which is important if you live north of Alicante and can’t guarantee your summer [...]
On January 27th the Design Museum Helsinki opens “DesignWorld”, its first major exhibition for 2012. A not unimportant fact given the Finnish Capital’s tenure as World Design Capital 2012. And very much in keeping with the Helsinki 2012 Manifesto – if we can use such phrase, apologies if that’s going to far – DesignWorld asks [...]
A drawer. Honestly that is all it takes and you’ve got us. A desk with a drawer. Or even better multiple drawers. As if Müller Möbelfabrikation could read our minds, we were met on their stand in Cologne by the most fantastic sheet steel desk. With soooo many drawers. If that’s not a guaranteed to [...]
In addition to showing “From Aalto to Zumthor Furniture by Architects” the Museum für Angewandte Kunst Köln is also showing off it’s new acquisitions: 10 early Michael Thonet stools and a rare work from Jacob and Josef Kohn. Plus 2 monumental pieces of modern abstract metal furniture: “2 R Not” by Ron Arad and “Bell [...]
Updates
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It is of course called "Warum Gestalten ?" Apologies for the typo #fingerslikeafarmer8 hours ago from web | Reply, Retweet, Favorite
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Good line-up including Axel Kufus, Jaime Hayon & Andreas Brandolini .... we'll keep you posted. #warumgestaltung?9 hours ago from web | Reply, Retweet, Favorite
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In #hamburg for the "Warum Gestaltung ?" (Why Design ?") symposium at the HFBK. ... We're hoping for a bit more than "Why Not?" ;)9 hours ago from web | Reply, Retweet, Favorite
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Nils Holger Moormann: Wagon-lire - Back at Qubique Berlin we spoke to Nils Holger Moormann, and in addition to discu... http://t.co/61jcw3ze
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Vitra Design Museum Gallery: Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec "Album" http://t.co/edRx41rU
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Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec "Album", @ Vitra Design Museum http://t.co/wtciA9k9
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On our way to the opening of the R+E Bouroullec exhibition "Album" @vitra design museum...6 days ago from web | Reply, Retweet, Favorite
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Design braucht Täter 2012: Reprise. Outsider by jp designs - As we admitted, "time management challenges" saw us vis... http://t.co/8fzWegzP
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Designpreis der Bundesrepublik Deutschland 2012: DMY Berlin New Organiser http://t.co/PcLAbkcT
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IMM Cologne 2012: Review - We received advance warning of what awaited us at IMM 2012 on the Friday afternoon before... http://t.co/5N8aV10R
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A&W Designer of the Year 2012: Patricia Urquiola - For a decade and a half the unofficial start to Cologne Furniture... http://t.co/VhS3OSY6
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IMM Köln: Richard Lampert Living Outdoor - Following on from last years "Kids Only" collection, Richard Lampert was/... http://t.co/dFSM4443
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Design Museum Helsinki: DesignWorld - On January 27th the Design Museum Helsinki opens "DesignWorld", its first majo... http://t.co/Cr7IhyUs
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IMM Köln 2012: Tie-break by Bertjan Pot for Richard Lampert http://t.co/1RnakcFE
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IMM Köln 2012: Müller Möbelfabrikation - A drawer. Honestly that is all it takes and you’ve got us. A desk with a dr... http://t.co/oa372Yud
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IMM Köln 2012: QKies by Anette Klein http://t.co/95vDlwQR
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MAKK Reprise: Thonet, Ron Arad, Satyendra Pakhalé - In addition to showing "From Aalto to Zumthor Furniture by Archi... http://t.co/ioYCS79z
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IMM Köln 2012: Pause by Andreas Mikutta http://t.co/0ZBUPX1R
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World Furniture Day 2012 - Although it would be wrong to say that we misled you in saying that there would be no Moo... http://t.co/Ru8DbQOX
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IMM Köln 2012: Wardrobe System "Ropero" by Hierve http://t.co/g03a6ZMT
Updates
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The winner of the @vitra panton chair cocktail competiton has been decided :) All information tomorrow, Thursday!Posted 6 months ago
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Currently putting the finishing touches to our summer competition... more details soon over at http://www.facebook.com/smowcomPosted 6 months ago
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After Bauhaus Weimar yesterday, we're of to the FH Potsdam graduate show today ... pictures and typos to followPosted 6 months ago
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Yup... we're still reading "It’s Hard to Find a Good Lamp" by Donald Judd . And still enjoying it!Posted 7 months ago
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Wie’s Wetter am Siebenschläfertag, so der Juli werden mag #Siebenschlaefer TagPosted 7 months ago
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Are we only the only ones who find the term "Hartz IV Wohnung" really offensive? Idea: Good - Name: Shocking! Or is it just us ? #dmyPosted 8 months ago
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The most important lesson from the catalogue photo shoot... the @vitra Alcove highback is heavy :)Posted 8 months ago
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The Simpsons has just started on the TV in the flat across the road from our office. We can see it, but not hear it :( #whatwouldhomerdoPosted 8 months ago
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As if it wasn't grim enough in #Leipzig #Plagwitz ... slowly everyone starts closing their shutters. It's all very Sergio Leone :)Posted 9 months ago
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Team one are in #Milan enjoying the sun. Team two in #Leipzig with jackets on in the office. There's even talk of snow.... Europe!Posted 10 months ago
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No one appears to have preapred a Saloni Sattelite Programme.... Otherwsie all going well. Interviews mit grcic, levy, moormann, usw uswPosted 10 months ago
Photos
Posts
On Friday February 3rd the Vitra Design Museum, Weil am Rhein opened the exhibition “Album” in the Design Museum Gallery.
Documenting the work of Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec the Vitra Design Museum Exhibition is a spatialy reduced verison of the original show from Marsailles - but what it lacks in floor space it more than makes up for in intensity and focus.
Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec “Album”, @ Vitra Design Museum runs until June 6th 2012. And in the coming days we’ll bring you a couple of background interviews…..
No honest
Where others spend ages trying to find the perfect, hard wearing material for their outdoor seating.
Bertjan Pot looks around for a material that is already in common use.
And creates a garden chair from tennis netting.
Read our IMM interview with Richard Lampert real soon at (smow)blog
The possibilities of using it are near limitless… yet the only place you seem to find them are on advertising posters. And we can’t think of anything you need to scan less then an advertising poster. Especially when the advertising poster is attached to a bus stop shelter. And the QR code is in the bottom right hand corner.
QKies by Anette Klein offers a way out of the misery
Developed in conjunction with the baking goods supplier Juchem, QKies is a ready to bake biscuit mix - with an edible QR code top.
And of course you can set the target URL.
Sure there will be marketing bods thinking about how they can employ it… but we don’t see it as a mass-market concept rather one for entertaining and amusing friends and colleagues.
And as such helping bring the QR code into the bosom of the family.
Where in our opinion it belongs.
We reckon we must have missed Pause by Andreas Mikutta at at least two design shows before now.
And so thank you d3 design talents for including it in the d3 Contest.
There’s is nothing remotely clever or innovative about Pause. It is simply a well constructed piece of furniture; a well-constructed piece of furniture created with reason, proficiency and attention to detail.
You want more?
And lest we forget, the future is analogue…..
So why not put them on display?
Or for the rest of us; why search through a wardrobe for that particular shirt and/or jacket. When you can see it.
“Ropero” by Mexico City/London based design studio Hierve is a modular, free standing wardrobe system that caught our attention not only because of the quality of the construction.
But also because it is a modular, free standing wardrobe system.
We’re not saying it’s a practical solution for everyone. But as a solution we found it nicely conceived and wonderfully realised.
But then you’d have to get up so early…..
More photos on their way
But then you’d have to get up so early…..
More photos on their way
Ill prepared as we were, we wandered out to Piet Hein Eek’s sprawling design wonderland not really expecting that much.
Fools!
The whole set up there is really starting to take shape and since we were last there they have managed to attract a couple of very high quality tenants, including Dirk Van Der Kooij and Lotty LindemanIn addition, during Dutch Design Week three ateliers presented jointly under the name “Door 22” , an exhibition which featured “Compartimenten” by Rene Siebum.
Essentially a series of individual wood boxes that the user can position on the wall to suit their requirments, Compartimenten had a real charm and sense of its own right to exist that really appealed to us.That and groves in each box to allow the lamp cable to be unobtrusively placed as required.In addition the individual boxes can also be bound together to create one, sub-divided, storage box.
Compartimenten by Rene Siebum isn’t the only system of this kind on the market.It did however impress us much more than any similar system we have seen of late.Sometimes its very hard to explain why you are drawn to a particular piece.
And so in such cases we generally try to avoid doing do so.
The table lamp Klos by Chris Slutter is such a case.It’s nothing spectacular. Nothing particuarly revolutionary.
The frame is steel. The shade ceramic.
But something in its form language spoke to us. Something said “Hello”
We reciprocated and were captivated by the response.If you know us you’ll know that we do find it a little bit sad that desks aren’t as useful as they used to be. Back in the days desks had drawers. For example.
Dana Cannam’s desk doesn’t have drawers, but is does have a wonderfully simple raised level; a small ledge that not only provides the desk with the most wonderful optic, but which, much more, positively invites us to use and interact with the piece.
Just like ye olde desks of yore.
The design is simple, the design well executed and if Dana can find a use for that “spare” leg end….If not, we’ve got a few ideas :)
The desk probably does have name, we forget to note it. It is however being displayed as part of the “Thoughts of Home” exhibition.
Normally when we read that an exhibition is called “We Make Carpets” we don’t go.
Because we assume it is some producer - who experience has taught us doesn’t interest us - displaying a few of their new products.
We Make Carpets in Eindhoven however caught us in a weak moment. Or maybe it was fate’s soft hands that guided us gently through the entrance.
We Make Carpets appear to be a designer triumvirate who produce carpets from “non-traditional” materials. Clothes pegs for example. Or paper clips.
For their exhibition at Dutch Design Week they have created a series of miniature carpets which they are displaying in a dolls house, alongside miniature versions of contemprorary Dutch design.
A format we found as fascinating as it was enjoyable.
If we’re honest we only visited Studio Jo Meesters exhibition because it was on the way from our actual A to our planned B
Very glad we did though.
Hanging lamps created from natural materials and the use of felt in place of more normal materials isn’t perhaps truly cutting edge design.
But what impressed us was the competent and confident way in which the pieces were composed and executed. The pieces exuded an untroubled innocence that meant it really was like seeing such things for the first time.
Just delightful.
Duch Design Week 2011 is proving to be an even more delightful treasure trove of unexpected discoveries than usual.
Which cheers us up.
However, because we fear that we won’ have time to feature all in the smow design blog … we’ll publish a selection of images here under the title Dutch Design Week Discoveries
A published image means Saw it. Liked it. Hope to follow up.
Enjoy!
Full reports and more photos from the (smow) Summer Tour 2011 can be found at http://blog.smow.com/
As part of a material research semester project Burg Giebichenstein Halle students were challenged to create the lamp Isamu Noguchi would have made had he been active today….
We’ve said it before but its always worth repeating - Designer is not a job, but a state of mind.
Sadly the designer of this innovative door stop wasn’t credited…..
And unquestionably good as many of the projects are….
In the IDK Department at the Universität der Künste Berlin stood - for no obvious reason we could see other than simply to promote it - the modular kitchen system Erika by UdK graduate design group Storno for Nils Holger Moormann.
As we say… Still lovin’ it!
And thanks to the use of the Sex Pistols “Anarchy in the U.K.” as the background track to one of the shows, all could be reminded that nothing is quite so commercially successful as teenage rebellion…..
Audio
Photos
Posts
On Friday February 3rd the Vitra Design Museum, Weil am Rhein opened the exhibition "Album" in the Design Museum Gallery.
Documenting the work of Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec the Vitra Design Museum Exhibition is a spatialy reduced verison of the original show from Marsailles - but what it lacks in floor space it more than makes up for in intensity and focus.
Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec "Album", @ Vitra Design Museum runs until June 6th 2012. And in the coming days we'll bring you a couple of background interviews.....
A chair made out of tennis netting.
No honest
Where others spend ages trying to find the perfect, hard wearing material for their outdoor seating.
Bertjan Pot looks around for a material that is already in common use.
And creates a garden chair from tennis netting.
Read our IMM interview with Richard Lampert real soon at (smow)blog
If there is one development of the technological age that we really feel sorry for it is the QR code.
The possibilities of using it are near limitless... yet the only place you seem to find them are on advertising posters. And we can't think of anything you need to scan less then an advertising poster. Especially when the advertising poster is attached to a bus stop shelter. And the QR code is in the bottom right hand corner.
QKies by Anette Klein offers a way out of the misery
Developed in conjunction with the baking goods supplier Juchem, QKies is a ready to bake biscuit mix - with an edible QR code top.
And of course you can set the target URL.
Sure there will be marketing bods thinking about how they can employ it... but we don't see it as a mass-market concept rather one for entertaining and amusing friends and colleagues.
And as such helping bring the QR code into the bosom of the family.
Where in our opinion it belongs.
As if proof were needn't that we're not an all-seeing, all-knowing being....
We reckon we must have missed Pause by Andreas Mikutta at at least two design shows before now.
And so thank you d3 design talents for including it in the d3 Contest.
There's is nothing remotely clever or innovative about Pause. It is simply a well constructed piece of furniture; a well-constructed piece of furniture created with reason, proficiency and attention to detail.
You want more?
And lest we forget, the future is analogue.....
For many people the most expensive possessions they have are their clothes.
So why not put them on display?
Or for the rest of us; why search through a wardrobe for that particular shirt and/or jacket. When you can see it.
"Ropero" by Mexico City/London based design studio Hierve is a modular, free standing wardrobe system that caught our attention not only because of the quality of the construction.
But also because it is a modular, free standing wardrobe system.
We're not saying it's a practical solution for everyone. But as a solution we found it nicely conceived and wonderfully realised.
You could get to IMM Köln earlier than us.
But then you'd have to get up so early.....
More photos on their way
Ill prepared as we were, we wandered out to Piet Hein Eek's sprawling design wonderland not really expecting that much.
Fools!
The whole set up there is really starting to take shape and since we were last there they have managed to attract a couple of very high quality tenants, including Dirk Van Der Kooij and Lotty LindemanIn addition, during Dutch Design Week three ateliers presented jointly under the name "Door 22" , an exhibition which featured "Compartimenten" by Rene Siebum.
Essentially a series of individual wood boxes that the user can position on the wall to suit their requirments, Compartimenten had a real charm and sense of its own right to exist that really appealed to us.That and groves in each box to allow the lamp cable to be unobtrusively placed as required.In addition the individual boxes can also be bound together to create one, sub-divided, storage box.
Compartimenten by Rene Siebum isn't the only system of this kind on the market.It did however impress us much more than any similar system we have seen of late.
Sometimes its very hard to explain why you are drawn to a particular piece.
And so in such cases we generally try to avoid doing do so.
The table lamp Klos by Chris Slutter is such a case.It's nothing spectacular. Nothing particuarly revolutionary.
The frame is steel. The shade ceramic.
But something in its form language spoke to us. Something said "Hello"
We reciprocated and were captivated by the response.
If you know us you'll know that we do find it a little bit sad that desks aren't as useful as they used to be. Back in the days desks had drawers. For example.
Dana Cannam's desk doesn't have drawers, but is does have a wonderfully simple raised level; a small ledge that not only provides the desk with the most wonderful optic, but which, much more, positively invites us to use and interact with the piece.
Just like ye olde desks of yore.
The design is simple, the design well executed and if Dana can find a use for that "spare" leg end....If not, we've got a few ideas :)
The desk probably does have name, we forget to note it. It is however being displayed as part of the "Thoughts of Home" exhibition.
Normally when we read that an exhibition is called "We Make Carpets" we don't go.
Because we assume it is some producer - who experience has taught us doesn't interest us - displaying a few of their new products.
We Make Carpets in Eindhoven however caught us in a weak moment. Or maybe it was fate's soft hands that guided us gently through the entrance.
We Make Carpets appear to be a designer triumvirate who produce carpets from "non-traditional" materials. Clothes pegs for example. Or paper clips.
For their exhibition at Dutch Design Week they have created a series of miniature carpets which they are displaying in a dolls house, alongside miniature versions of contemprorary Dutch design.
A format we found as fascinating as it was enjoyable.
If we're honest we only visited Studio Jo Meesters exhibition because it was on the way from our actual A to our planned B
Very glad we did though.
Hanging lamps created from natural materials and the use of felt in place of more normal materials isn't perhaps truly cutting edge design.
But what impressed us was the competent and confident way in which the pieces were composed and executed. The pieces exuded an untroubled innocence that meant it really was like seeing such things for the first time.
Just delightful.
Duch Design Week 2011 is proving to be an even more delightful treasure trove of unexpected discoveries than usual.
Which cheers us up.
However, because we fear that we won' have time to feature all in the smow design blog ... we'll publish a selection of images here under the title Dutch Design Week Discoveries
A published image means Saw it. Liked it. Hope to follow up.
Enjoy!
These shoes were made for walking - and walking they have done.
Full reports and more photos from the (smow) Summer Tour 2011 can be found at http://blog.smow.com/
As part of a material research semester project Burg Giebichenstein Halle students were challenged to create the lamp Isamu Noguchi would have made had he been active today....
We've said it before but its always worth repeating - Designer is not a job, but a state of mind.
Sadly the designer of this innovative door stop wasn't credited.....
If we're honest we did find it a bit of a shame that the UdK Graduate show simply repeated their DMY show. Witty as the design unquestionably is.
And unquestionably good as many of the projects are....
It was a bit cheeky - but then we're huge fans of cheekiness
In the IDK Department at the Universität der Künste Berlin stood - for no obvious reason we could see other than simply to promote it - the modular kitchen system Erika by UdK graduate design group Storno for Nils Holger Moormann.
As we say... Still lovin' it!
Thanks to the wonders of modern technology visitors to the Universität der Künste Berlin Rundgang 2011 could enjoy the Fashion Department Catwalk shows.
And thanks to the use of the Sex Pistols "Anarchy in the U.K." as the background track to one of the shows, all could be reminded that nothing is quite so commercially successful as teenage rebellion.....
Part of the semester project "Lichtes Porzellan" at Kunsthochschule Berlin-Weißensee
The 2011 Kunsthochschule Berlin-Weißensee Diploma show took place in a former supermarket and under the motto "Kaufhalle wird Kunsthalle"( A Supermarket becomes an art gallery)
But was there was anything worth investing in ....
