Tastes Like Fine Design

Amsterdam-based design firm Uxus Design just upped the ante in California’s wine country.

While many of the wineries in the area embrace the California rustic aesthetic, Uxus gave Merus winery something edgy, modern and ultimately cool. Don’t get us wrong: there is a nod to the geographic aesthetic in the wine cave and exposed wooden beams; however, they traded in the long farm table for a sleek, lacquered black table and hanging pendants from the likes of Tom Dixon. We love seeing what’s traditionally a romantic, artisanal craft shaken up with some great contemporary design!

Images courtesy of The Cool Hunter.

Out of This Stralasphere

Swiss designer TM Schmid, the creative force behind Strala, seems to be popping up everywhere recently with his tour de force collection of simplistic modern furniture.

Organic, natural forms – like the nautilus shaped sconce below – are the basis for much of his design. However, pushing the envelope and really exploring the process of modifying materials, shapes and consumers’ expectations is what sets Strala’s designs apart from the rest. We expect to see much more from this emerging talent.

Atlas Shrugged

Ayn Rand suggested many years ago the notion that society would collapse without its most productive, creative minds propelling it forward. Well, burgeoning designer Scott Jarvie may be leading the pack of young designers thinking about design, its relationship to art and ultimately functionality.

On display now at the Gallery of Modern Art in Glasgow are his geometric “Atlas” chairs, which allow the efficiency and beauty of their construction to shine through. The lines of the chair remind us of the human spine, perhaps one of nature’s most beautiful and important creations.

Jarvie will be showing these prototypes at this year’s 100% Design London, and then hopefully it’s onward to the US.

Images courtesy of designboom.

Designing with Depth

Creating the illusion of depth is a key aspect of two-dimensional design. The ability to make a flat surface appear three-dimensional provides the viewer with a delightfully false impression of space. For textile designers, this illusion is often incorporated within patterns and designs in order to give the piece a higher level of interest and complexity.

Angela Adams has taken the notion of depth to another level by sidestepping the illusion and instead giving the viewer the real thing through the art of surface relief. The collection of Wool Rugs by designer Angela Adams can be described as traditional hand-tufted rugs with a modern twist. The heavy texture and depth of these vivid and original rugs provides a topographic quality to the work evocative of relief sculpture. Available in a wide variety of colorful patterns, all of Angela Adams rugs are made with 100% New Zealand wool and are GoodWeave certified.

Images courtesy of Angela Adams.

Organic and Inorganic Principles

FlatFlat is an online games portal for mobile phones, developed by NHN Japan Corporation and designed by SAKO Architects. SAKO provided the interior design for FlatFlat, which is located at the center of Harajuku, Tokyo. The concept behind this contemporary games portal was focused on incorporating both organic and inorganic principles while representing Harajuku’s very modern society. The organic aspect of the design is found in the curved lines that create the cave-like appearance of the space. The inorganic design characteristics were achieved through the incorporation of bright white walls. The overtly white space generates a feeling of expansion and is accented by the neon lighting and mortar floor to stimulate the curiosity of the visitors by subtly leading them to the inner parts of the narrow spaces.

On and Poppin’

K2’s New York office has been seeing a multitude of pop up stores arising in the Lower East Side and East Village. Everything ranging from the infamous street artist Banksy, creating a pet shop made up of his stenciled creations to London’s “Wish You Were Here” retail hub.

Hoping on the indie train is Prada’s Parisian contingent. Sprawling across 570 sq meters and two floors is a new Prada pop up store, with a bridge-themed façade designed by architect Roberto Baciocchi. The mirrored interiors reflect a bohemian homage to Prada’s 1913 original Milan store and a ready-to-wear collection with a shelf life of only 5 months. We’ll see you in Paris !

(Thanks to our friends at Wallpaper* for this gem.)
Images courtesy of Wallpaper*