i love homework

We have moved!

2010-01-19T12:45:00.001Z

Happy 2010!
To mark the beginning of a new decade and the next step in the evolution of the Homework brand, we decided to start afresh. You can follow our progress at http://insideroom39.tumblr.com

Welcome!

All things bright and beautiful

2009-10-30T10:56:00.001Z

Fresh

2009-10-29T10:53:00.001Z

Decadent grandeur

2009-10-28T10:49:00.002Z

Breakfast in bed

2009-10-27T10:46:00.002Z

Unisex

2009-10-26T10:36:00.004Z

A week later than promised... here is a selection of bedroom interiors I have been collecting in my "man drawer".

2009-10-20T12:43:00.002+01:00

Another set found through Hei-Astrid, this is the home of designer Kristian Severin Skeien at Studio Skeie. I've been putting off decorating my flat for years, but now I've seen these pictures I want it just like this.

2009-10-20T11:00:00.001+01:00

Capturing the geometric shapes of an unmade bed! Shot taken from above, found on the website of Swedish artist, Theresa Wendt.

2009-10-18T12:35:00.006+01:00

There's something comforting about a log cabin, I've always been into the shag pile chic of retro ski resorts, although the image at the top here is far more sophisticated than anything i had in mind. The 2nd image is taken from the website of interior designer Suzy Hoodless
That authentic rustic feel, with the stuffing coming out of the armchair, was by design i'll have you know! And unfortunately I lost the details of the bottom picture. I have a romantic notion that it's the interior of a russian dacha, but it's probably all props from a fashion shoot again.

2009-10-17T12:29:00.004+01:00

And sticking to the Scandinavian tip, Hei-Astrid is a blog i came across by accident in my search for images for this set of posts. Astrid Hagen is a journalist/ copywriter from Bergen, Norway, and also takes these really pretty photos for her cute blog.

2009-10-16T12:10:00.003+01:00

In a parallel universe, maybe i live a life with several houses in all my favorite places around the world. It would definitely include this Swedish cabin on the archipelago outside Stockholm. For now, in this universe, the home of designer Carouschka Steijffert. Images found on the remodelista website, from photos taken from Martin Lof.

2009-10-15T11:43:00.006+01:00

We've been considering what makes a photo of an interior appealing. Luckily the blogosphere is jam-packed with snaps of intimate nooks and crannies. Maybe it's just voyeurism on my part, but i find this willingness or need people have to share the tiniest details of their daily lives and domestic surroundings touching. Going in search of domestic settings, the Selby steps inside the homes of various artists to take portraits of people in their homes amongst their possessions. I keep going back to the Selby and rate it one of my favorite blogs, so maybe I do just like snooping! Above,from the Selby is the Los Angeles flat of film director, art curator and writer Aaron Rose; and photographer Elise Nalin's Paris home.

2009-10-02T15:55:00.002+01:00

And getting back to the artists i discovered on the underground this was the beautiful artwork i found by Luke Dowd.

2009-10-01T15:30:00.002+01:00

The thick black lines of Paul Morrison's pictures reminded me of this style of tee that seems really popular all of a sudden and everywhere. In the style of some graphic novels I'm guessing and a neon version of old heavy metal artworks. Love the details. I found all the images through a UK blog dedicated to finding the best t-shirt artwork on the internet: tee hunter

2009-09-30T14:56:00.006+01:00

Ever since the moquette post, i pay a little more attention to what discoveries can be made whenever i take the tube. Waiting for the Northern line the other day I was standing next to one of those Platform for Art posters about the Art on the Underground programme run by London Underground and made note to look up two of the artists: Paul Morrison and Luke Dowd. 2 among many to have been commissioned in the past to produce an art piece based on the London Underground roundel. These pictures are what i've come across on my internet search for the blog - which at the moment is our search for print ideas.

Jumper Jumble Jamboree

2009-09-17T10:51:00.005+01:00

It's not often that you find me covet recycled fashion for it's high aesthetic appeal, but these "Frankenstein" jumpers I just got to have! Trick is: it's DIY job and at www.cutoutandkeep.net they show you how to do it.

2009-09-08T19:35:00.001+01:00

Forget reading metro, why not think of a feature for the London Underground blog

2009-09-08T19:30:00.001+01:00

Most of these images were found on the London Transport Museum website.
As a nerdy textile designer i was a tad over-excited finding these archives and would be very tempted to travel all the London tube lines and bus journeys to put together a little moquette journal of my own. Maybe in the near future, as soon as I get that anorak for my winter wardrobe!!

London Underground Moquette

2009-09-08T19:22:00.001+01:00

Transport for London has launched a fun competition to design a new seating moquette for the London Underground. The winning design, which will initially launch on the Piccadilly line, will then be adopted across the London Underground system. This is a chance to become part of the fabric of London design and transport history. I've yet to meet a textile designer who can resist the thought of their seat design caressing the behinds of London's 3 million daily tube users! The deadline is September 14th, for all the details see http://shop.tfl.gov.uk/moquette-competition.html

2009-07-24T11:00:00.004+01:00

Carol Mather pictured walking into her studio makes this stunning silverwork. I want one of those little dog necklaces.

Bedroom secrets

2009-07-23T11:35:00.000+01:00

Ian Spencer, a Kennington born furniture designer makes these beautiful cabinets and tables with hidden compartments. Bedroom secrets was an idea Petra has been working around already... more about that soon - it's still a secret for now!

2009-07-23T11:32:00.000+01:00

Another furniture designer in the yard is Cairn Young, here are a few pictures taken in his studio, including one of the storage unit designed for Sawaya Moroni where each unit glides open in a different directions - very cool, but really must be seen in action to enjoy the surprise effect.

Pullens Yards, South London craft community

2009-07-22T14:52:00.002+01:00

Last weekend i discovered a well kept treasure in my own back yard. It wasn't literally my back yard, but the Pullens yards across the road i lived on when i first moved down to London, Penton Place SE11 (behind the urban grot of Elephant and Castle and the Woolworth Road). And having never moved very far I couldn't believe that in all this time I hadn't come across the art and craft studios of the beautiful Pullens buildings. Built in 1870 the Yards were purpose built with craftspeople and small traders in mind and represent an original Victorian example of live/work space as, orginally, each ground or first-floor workshop opened into one of the 2 flats situated behind it. So very homework in spirit.

2009-07-22T13:51:00.003+01:00

The yards today include a couple of small publishers, including Can of Worms press who published the Borough Market Cookbook and Made in Southwark by photographer George Nicholson, who also has studios in the yard.

Miranda

2009-07-16T08:30:00.000+01:00

Giles Miller, MA Product Design: "Miranda is a surface tile whose ‘hairs’ can be manipulated to create different shades in its surface. These shades can be used as a medium for illustration, communication or simply intriguing visual effect. Miranda is an adaptable wall mural measuring 3 square metres and composing of silicone wall base tiles with over 65,000 injection moulded polypropylene 'hairs' sitting in tiny ball and socket joints in the surface of the wall. These hairs can then be brushed in different directions rather like grass on a football pitch to create shades and patterns or images on the wall."

BMW Pixie- the depth of surface

2009-07-15T12:12:00.000+01:00

Magdalena Schmid, MA Vehicle Design: "It is no longer about designing the surface of a car, but the values it represents as an object, not only for the users but also for the sociocultural infrastructure- a car for ‘cultural movement'.
My PIXIE concept aims to turn this condition of complexity into a positive mobility experience, moving you not only from A-B, but also in a theoretical way- changing your position within an ethical dimension towards recovering values that have become virtual in the last 10 years, like relationships, responsibility and active participation in society. I am approaching my design by translating the virtual back into an object/car whose main feature will be a different way of surfacing: by using porous structures to build the surface, I will achieve a bigger internal surface than on the outside, which will be used for functions like an evaporative cooling system. The architecture of the car will be updateable like software: the electric drive train is most likely to be out of date in a few years and therefore has to be easy to upgrade, by not integrating the battery in the hardware of the architecture. Fueling will no longer be just a matter of spending energy but creating an energy cycle, which keeps unused power available by using the existing infrastructure of streetlamps, creating an energy feedback."

RCA, IDE

2009-07-14T11:47:00.005+01:00

These are just two of the many brilliant final projects presented by the Industrial Design Engineering students at the RCA show.
Chiyu Chen: "Hybrid2 is a proposal of a public bike hire scheme highly integrating the whole public transport system to generate energy and reduce the consumption of energy by applying the energy users generate from pedaling public bikes to feed Hybrid Buses (reducing the use of petrol engines which power electric motors), and by encouraging
people to cycle more through blurring the boundary between the unit of energy and the unit of money. The more energy you generate, the more credit, which can be used for other public transport means, you gain back as the offset. Thus, the value of Hybrid2 is actually the sum of the energy generated and the energy reduced."

Chris Holden: "Cool India is a night time cooling system which mixes high tech materials with traditional skills and techniques to create low power, low cost cooling solution. It has been devised for the Indian market and has the additional benefit of providing protection from mosquitoes in the same way as a traditional mosquito net. As an enterprise proposition a “kit of parts” has been designed to enable effective and high quality production of the system at a local level. Community groups manufacture the textile element of the net giving women the opportunity to work from home.

More RCA

2009-07-13T09:32:00.008+01:00

Heather Orr, MA Textile Design: "I am fascinated by texture. By imitating various surfaces through the process of knit, combining contrasting textures and distorting scale and volume, I am able to create new surfaces which transform the simple silhouettes of my garments. This collection takes inspiration from animal skins, feathers and furs to create a flamboyant collection of one-off knitted garments with a sense of humour and a naive charm."

Ella Robinson, MA Mix Media Textiles Design: "My final collection utilises the texture and character of driftwood, contrasting its weathered, uneven and dull surface against the feminine softness and sheen of thread. Inspired by the British coast, with colour palettes coming from the urban environment of street art and graffiti, these interior and exterior pieces exploit my love of vibrant colour and pattern."

Chau Har Lee, MA Footwear Design

Volkswagen Conerto Concept Car

2009-07-10T11:33:00.008+01:00

This is one of the projects, I saw at the RCA 2009 graduate show, that captivated me the most. I find the simplicity, the humor, the playfulness and the overall "clean goodness" of the design immensely inspiring.

Hong Yeo, MA Vehicle design: "We’ve stretched the limits of traditional manufacturing and traditional materials to the point where it is becoming repetitive and predictable. Cars designed today are beautiful in their own right; however, a lot of the excitement and passion is lost.

The biggest misconception about sustainable design today is that everyone is trying to cram in the latest and greatest technology and materials into an existing design. In reality, true sustainable design should start from the very beginning and carried until the end of its lifecycle. Materials should be easily dismantled and recycled by the user at the end of its lifecycle, which should lead to a much simpler, efficient way of manufacturing from the start.

The last bit of inspiration came from my love for Legos. Lego bricks are not made from the most sustainable material; however, you can buy a set of Legos from the 1960’s and it will fit perfectly onto a brand new one. In a way it is one of the most recycled products in the market today.

Sectioning the vehicle transformed the entire design. New innovations were made possible like the integrated suspension parts and customizable wheel configuration. What made it more interesting is that there was no paint involved. It was a solution in a very honest way, achieved by simplicity. The design could never be made possible by traditional methods, which allowed a new language to be born. Simplicity often leads to retro design, but because of the concept and philosophy behind it, it didn’t look retro at all.

A buyer can begin his life with a car as a short wheelbase two-seater, and it can be transformed into a new function by adding new sections or subtracting sections. At the end of the lifecycle it can be dismantled, sold, traded, or used as furniture. The sections can also be locally sourced as different regions have different sustainable materials and economy. Producing the car can be made by factories, which would have a reduced footprint, or at home. Building it yourself makes a connection to your car, rekindling that passion and love for cars.

In the end, a completely new type of vehicle was born. It was a big risk to do a project like this instead of a sleek sexy car, but it paid off. The responses have been nothing but positive from both non-car communities and car communities. It’s been honored by receiving the Pilkington Award for Best Design.

More than anything, what I am most proud of is the fact that it sends a positive message and re-energizes the joys of the car culture again. Measures of great automobile design are not seen through the bends of the sheetmetal, but from the thought and passion underneath it."

RCA, MA Textile Design

2009-07-09T19:57:00.000+01:00

Wendy Marchbanks, MA Printed Textile Design: "A collection of interior pieces that have evolved from my reflection on childhood and a longing to nurture and cherish my childhood imagination."

Charlotte Linton, MA Printed Textile Design: "My collection is based around the wardrobe of a fictional character: a zoologist traveling around the world in the earlier part of the 20th century. The prints are eclectic and vibrant reflecting the pluralism of her life an travels."

Rebecca Lucraft, MA Mixed Media Textile Design:"My work is narrative, the tale of a journey yo a Bollywood film set. The characters and situations are ones encountered during the trip."

The Central Saint Martins MA Communication Design Exhibition

2009-07-08T10:51:00.014+01:00

I popped along to the Central Saint Martins MA Communication Design Exhibition in support of my friend Rob Rae who lectures part of the course... and to see what these students were getting up to.

The subjects include Digital Media, Graphic Design, Photography and Illustration. The following are just a few of the illustrators whose work struck a chord with me.

Quentin Jones: "My work has centered around the question of what it means to be a female captured in image alone. Sometimes it is about human flesh, sometimes about masks and disguise, and sometimes about animal form. Collage and layering is key to my process and reflects my interest in the many facets that make up the characters in my work".

Dulun Zhang: "I’m interested in school bullying, the relationship between predator and pray, the contradiction between adult society and the fantasy world in adolescents’ minds. I used some of my digital characters as a start point for a series of drawings. I tend to use a figurative narrative to represent the relationships in bullying."

Loughborough University School of Art and Design

2009-07-07T13:00:00.000+01:00

The last six posts were work selection from Loughborough University School of Art and Design. This was just a small selection to see more student work visit www.chameleon09.co.uk

Jenny Appleton, BA Printed Textiles: What does it mean to be British? The transition between antiquated traditionalism and developing, modern culture, focusing on the aesthetics of recognisable British Institutions.

2009-07-07T10:30:00.000+01:00

Sarah Home, BA Multi-Media Textiles: Bordering on the bizarre, a fantastical exploration into the curious and mystical symbolism and behavior of the bird. A collection of intricately embroidered experimentations created through print, stitch and manipulation.

2009-07-06T14:08:00.000+01:00

Lauren Barfoot, BA Printed Textiles: Paul Poiret was influenced by the Ballets Russes at the turn of the 20th century and his innovative east-meets-west style has captivated me. My concept focuses on the influential cultural events and the people that shaped fashion at this time. Constructing and engineering my prints ergonomically was a concept I developed when interning at McQueen and Zandra Rhodes.

2009-07-06T11:04:00.000+01:00

Claire Smith, BA Printed Textile: Experimental printing, combining printing methods with hand painting techniques to create contemporary outcomes.

2009-07-05T13:57:00.000+01:00

Danielle Saletes, BA Printed Textiles: mixing digital and hand-printed processes to create beautiful finished pieces which are all about colour and texture, a hand-drawn quality is also key to the look of my designs.

2009-07-05T10:46:00.000+01:00

Sarah-Jayne Guest, BA Printed Textile: the collection combines a mass of eclectic imagery in explosive compositions to create excitingdesigns on both fabric and wood. The designs aim to provoke imaginative thought and memories within the viewer. The more you look the more you see.

2009-07-03T14:07:00.000+01:00

Spotted on Bethnal Green road, these beautiful wheatpaste posters have some of the textures i've been thinking about for my textiles. I was back the next day on my way to the Loughborourgh Uni degree show (next posting) and the posters had already been taken down, I felt kinda smug they'd been caught just in time. There's plenty more great art where they came from at Subism.

2009-07-03T14:01:00.001+01:00

Small interlude as we wait for a few more graduates to get back to us with pictures of their work. I took a look at what i'd been snapping these last few weeks and found these. We weren't allowed to take pictures at the Chelsea degree show, so i have a picture of a knitting machine. And some moss growing on a roof, reminiscent of the woolly designs hung indoors.

Chelsea College of Art & Design

2009-06-27T14:52:00.000+01:00

From 20th to 24th of June, it was the undergraduates turn to show their work at The Chelsea College of Art & Design. Here is just a small selection of works on display, with the authors commentary.Marit Fujiwara, BA Textile Design:"To create a sculptural fabric, I am experimenting with the printing technique of marbling,in combination with embroidery,bonding and pleating. Applying these fabrics into fashion creates unusual and intricate fashion garments. "

Katherine Garde, BA Textile Design:"The concept behind this project was to create prints for sportswear with the dual function of being worn as highly fashionable pieces as well. The collection includes intense yet fun images aiming to capture the energy, movement and passion of sport as well as embracing my environmental responsibility as a designer."

Laura Walsh, BA Textile Design:"My knitted installations are reflective of traditional craft concepts such as Fair Isle knitting, American samplers and Scandinavian pattern. While using illustration and illustrators tools such as graph paper, lined paper and even brick walls to create humourous knitted fabrics."

Olwen Walsh, BA Textile Design

Marie Parsons, BA Textile Design:"UNDERGROUND is a collection of 17 garment shapes(canvases) used to showcase a variety of techniques, which are still evolving within the final collection itself. Mixing print with my adaptations of traditional hand embroidery techniques, the initial inspiration was the London Underground."

Tope Tijani, BA Textile Design:"I'm merging 2 design aspects: real life photography with geometric patterns, creating not only an image but also an atmosphere with the use of colour, scale and composition. Printing on plastic is a new technique I have developed, for the light consuming flexible fabric allows the print to breath as if you are seeing it through my camera."

Amy Radcliffe, BA Textile Design:"Wonderlands, fantasy and illusion are the key themes behind this collection. Through interpretive imagery investigation, with particular reference to the Rorsarch ink-blot test, and experimentation with both print and surface manipulation the collection culminates in a selection of contemporary fashion pieces that in turn distort and exaggerate the figure."

Na Yun Kim, BA Textile Design:"Remembering the places and streets in London has always been hard for me. As a result, I created my own version of the London map and incorporated it into a collection garments and accessories."

Flaminia Veronesi:"The complexity of what we perceive as reality and the role individuals have in establishing its boundaries strongly fascinates me. The project "I exist" represents the individual claiming his right to creatively participate in constructing reality."

Rachel Boxall:"Using a mix of found imagery and illustration I have created 3D sets titled Preserved Poppycock.My work is about collections, creating nostalgic often-surreal scenes out of found imagery from old manuals, found photographs, typography and found words creating captured moments in a nonsense formula."

Chloe Scadding:"This collection explores innovative textile possibilities for bespoke interior surfaces, inspired by the changing backgrounds and patterns formations within frosted glass."

Sarah Warden, BA Textile Design: "My work is centred around combining intricate colour gradations and proportions with structured patterns."

Woochae Lee, BA Textile Design:

"Love, support, hearth and  home.The focus is on the past, all the colours and patterns come from my family’s  clothes in old photographs. I developed woven techniques and patterns that mimic the knitted  blanket look.

Olubanke Kuku, BA Textile Design:"Drawing inspiration from traditional British and Nigerian textiles, through fusing and exaggerating elements of these textiles, I bring a zest colour and shape to the traditional British 'Hound's-tooth' motif and weave pattern and texture onto the simple geometric Nigerian fabric, 'Aso Oke.’"

2009-06-18T14:56:00.000+01:00

Another Antwerp graduate. Not sure what the meaning of the woman as teacup symbol suggests, but it sure is pretty. And Karisia Paponi illustrations also found on the antwerp-fashion/show 2009 website are stunning.

2009-06-18T14:55:00.000+01:00

Doesn't fashion school seem fun! Much more colour for men required according to CSM graduate John Booth.

2009-06-18T14:52:00.000+01:00

Mariel Manuel collection fantastically named 'what happens in the grotto, stays in the grotto'. Weird, but wonderful. Antwerp show 2009.

2009-06-18T14:46:00.000+01:00

One of my favorites from this year's Royal Academy of Antwerp crop. Elise Gettliffe. All photos on antwerp-fashion website including illustrations from her 2008 collection - is that eminem modeling?

2009-06-18T14:34:00.000+01:00

Pretty head tie and bird box -handy for your pet cuckoo. Designs from Helen Bullock (left) and Jarvis (right). For more info see dazed digital feature on CSM degree show.

2009-06-18T14:31:00.000+01:00

CSM graduate Maria Hill looks like the next Christopher Kane. Amazing what can be done with some thread and a couple of ribbons.

2009-06-07T22:55:00.000+01:00

I haven't done much photoshop work recently, it's all been vector based. But I needed to do a bit of texture research for a print that needs to be finished by Monday! So played around and this was the result, with a bit of help from a Computer arts tutorial.

2009-06-07T22:41:00.000+01:00

We're planning to go to a few degree shows. I haven't been for ages, but my favorite show is usually the work at the Bartlett - the UCL faculty for the built environment. These images are from 2 current graduates: Ruairi Glymn and Tobias Klein. More photos to follow. The grad show at the Bartlett runs from 26th June till 4th July.

2009-06-07T22:26:00.000+01:00

Another appealing seat by Moroso and Kim Beck. It reminds me of Campanas brothers designs for Melissa jelly shoes.

2009-06-07T22:19:00.000+01:00

I can't remember where I came across Sergio Rodrigues, but I like his style. His chairs are pretty cool too.

Treehouse Gallery

2009-06-07T21:55:00.000+01:00

A friend of mine posted facebook about a fund raising event at area10 in peckham for The Tree House Gallery. I missed it, but the photos on the site were really appealing. When I was stuck for something to add to the blog this eve, it came back to me. Anyway, it turns out that tree nests I really liked were designed by Ryan Frank that Simone mentioned in her last post. The sight of these leaves makes me want to run away to the countryside and climb a tree. I might just make it to Regents Park where The Tree House Gallery runs from 13th July till 6th September.

Ryan Frank

2009-06-03T11:03:00.000+01:00

My final spotlight is on East London based South African born furniture designer Ryan Frank. In asking around if anyone knew a good 'carpenter', a friend of mine, who's linked to Ryan through the Burning Man community (and projects), suggested I make contact. What a treat to discover Ryan is a very talented and well established, free-range furniture designer. Materials used to create his unconventional, unique and functional range of eco-sensitive furniture objects are often reclaimed, recyclable and of a sustainable nature.
The featured product is Ryan's Isabella Stool made from Strawboard (compressed straw) and wrapped in soft 100% felted wool. Love the colours!

Heath Nash

2009-06-02T11:46:00.000+01:00

This sexy South African takes 'craft' to a new place and I absolutely love his work.
Heath Nash was named 2006 Elle Decoration South Africa Designer of the Year for his treasures from trash. This white flowerball light is fashioned from recycled plastic bottles and hand crafted into a beautiful functional lifestyle piece.

Willowlamp

2009-06-02T11:13:00.000+01:00

I have always been a big fan of 'lights' and the bigger and more dramatic the better. The frustrating thing for me usually is the spaces we inhabit are rarely big enough to house a huge, gorgeous light installation such as the ones I found from Willowlamp.
The South African team behind Willowlamp are the design duo 'TeamTwo' Adam Hoets and Sian Eliot. Adam, a registered Architect specialising in Eco Archectecture, and Sian a distinctive voice in the field of jewellery design, are responsible for these beautiful creations.

"Our design ethos fuses organic forms with high tech elements without compromising on the highly personalised level of craftsmanship. We industrially manufacture the elements but each lamp is painstakingly hand-assembled. Each of the hundreds of chain strands are cut and attached by hand. Both artistry and technical development are evident in the pieces. Willowlamps are dynamic – every movement of air can be seen on their surface, suggesting something quite ‘impressionable’ and delicate."

Monkeybiz

2009-06-02T10:17:00.000+01:00

Monkeybiz is a fantastic Cape Town based non-profit organisation providing disadvantaged women with employment and empowerment. And they achieve this through the ancient tradition of beading.
I'm a big lover of colour (and beading) and the creations the 450 women involved in this project produce are exquisite beautifully colourful hand beaded artworks.
How it works is Monkeybiz supplies the glass beads to these women who live in the townships of Cape Town. The women are paid for each piece they produce, and since they work from home, can look after their families and avoid transport costs.
I think it's a brilliant and inspired concept and Selfridges in London thinks so too, with a Monkeybiz concession on the lower ground floor.

Fly-Pitcher

2009-06-02T10:16:00.000+01:00

Although I don't think Petra's post intended to be Slovene specific from the original outset, I was inspired by her patriotism to highlight some incredible design from my home country - South Africa!
Fly-Pitcher is the creative vision of a Mr Piers Mansfield-Scadden who is an old friend of mine. Piers and his lovely wife Nikki (and baby Sefton) left the craziness of London in favour of a better quality of life in the absolutely stunning Cape Town. I've been a collector of Piers' fabulous pieces since the start of our friendship.

Nika Zupanc

2009-05-28T11:52:00.000+01:00

When a young Slovene designer is hailed as one of the stars of this years Salone Internazionale del Mobile in Milan (officially the world’s biggest furniture fair), it is my duty to report about it!
Patriotism aside, Nika Zupanc is one of those few female product designers, whose style is undeniably feminine, without being fluffy. Instead, her work was described from “punk elegance” (Elle USA) and “Techno chic” (BUISINESS WEEK), to “larger than life” (CLEAR MAGAZINE). In 2007, Urbis magazine selected her as one 17 most perspective names in field of art and design. This year at the Milano fair , her designs feature in the repertoires of two of the most prestigious brands: Moooi (Lolita lamp)and Moroso (Tailored chair), as well as at her own off-site installation entitled "I Will Buy Flowers Myself: Objects Gone Indiscreet.

Clever use of traditional Slovene "peasant" design motifs as seen in this cradle series.

Feather duster sold at Coco de Mer.

favourite ads

2009-05-14T10:19:00.000+01:00

After pausing for a week, we are back with a new homework task to complete. This time is the wonderful world of ads and examples of successful marketing in general. Here are a few of my favorites...

I will start with an old 80's advertising campaign that could well have been one of the catalysts for the wave of Geo-political changes that followed in the early 90's . The "Slovenija, moja dezela" campaign, commissioned by the Slovene tourist board, was for many of my generation, the first time we became aware of our own national identity. That in itself was a radical message to be heard at the time when the "one country-one nation" was still the official doctrine in the Socialist Federate Republic of Yugoslavia. Cheesy as it may look now, it still is a textbook example of the power of advertising and on a more personal level, one that is carved in the minds and hearts of my generation.

When it comes to adds I am a sucker for anything that bares a connection to my childhood (or generally children), with some clean, wholesome humor attached.
A lot of the adds you see nowadays try too hard to be clever, but bare no relevance to the product they're trying to sell (like the gorilla in the Cadburry add??). I guess it's harder to come up with a concept that manages to be both- clever and relevant and this next add is interactive too!
I suppose self promotion is advertising on a micro scale and if you looking for a cheap, but effective and stylish way to introduce your self to the world, you'll love Moo! Here are a few examples you might find inspiring...

Simple and Effective

2009-05-03T19:28:00.000+01:00

A cereal box that becomes a fun kid's project by Dorset Cereals.

Inviting, simple, clean packaging by the Swiss food retailer Migros.

Genius first aid. Soothing, made from recycled paper pulp and 100% compostable - by Help Remedies.

Inspiring and Fun

2009-05-03T19:00:00.000+01:00

They say nothing in life is free. Nonsense. What about these free flatpack toy characters ready for print and build!
Fwis Readymech has designed these little guys that use package design techniques for folding boxes. Super cool and super interactive. Gets my vote.

Environmentally Friendly

2009-05-03T17:36:00.000+01:00

I want one of these! Multi-functional seat / storage box by Australian design studio Zaishu. I thought this one was worth throwing into the mix because of how 'little' packaging is used for this Japanese inspired furniture item. And it's just so damn environmentally friendly. Rock on!

Hand printed, uses timber from renewable forests, light, easy to piece together and delivered flat packed in a reusable non-bleached calico bag sewn by women at a local disability workshop. Delivers a very powerful and beautiful message throughout.

University of the Arts grad student, Andrew Millar, designed biodegradable packaging for McDonald's from grass paper, which has naturally grease-resistant properties and clever internal folds to keep food separated. This clever school assignment should definitely be passed by the big chiefs at McD's.

Packaging is Product

2009-05-03T17:15:00.000+01:00

Petra, I know you will appreciate this as I know you have one!
'Sticky Lamp' by Chris Kabel. Peel off the back lid and stick. 100% useful packaging and fantastic! Production and distribution of this product was handled by Droogdesign, a firm favourite of mine.

Stylish Italian Packaging

2009-05-03T16:34:00.000+01:00

Achingly cool Italian wine. A special collection launched for New York Fashion Week back in '05 under the label Bootleg. 5 estates from different parts of Italy took part in a collaboration for this launch.

2009-05-01T14:32:00.000+01:00

Cuppa Mucha

2009-05-01T14:24:00.000+01:00

Photo found on Don't touch my moleskin

Cupp Cave

2009-05-01T14:14:00.000+01:00

Great album cover from Belgian band Cupp Cave

Finish Off Yourself

2009-05-01T14:09:00.001+01:00

Can't get better than this - FYS (finish your self) chairs where the packaging is the product! From Dutch designer David Grass

2009-05-01T14:04:00.000+01:00

New packaging for a classic design by Rylan Francis

Porno Fruits

2009-05-01T14:02:00.001+01:00

Very very juicy. Maoam sweets by Heribo

Zany Zoo

2009-05-01T14:00:00.001+01:00

Furoshiki and Mizo Yokan

2009-05-01T13:50:00.000+01:00

The japanese art of furoshiki: gift wrapping with a reusable square of fabric. Much prettier than plastic. Furoshiki kits by Furochic

Confectionary: Mizo Yokan sweets by Koujuken in Nara.

Recycle, Reuse, Remake

2009-05-01T13:39:00.000+01:00

Plenty of great packaging to make products or even more packaging from. Wash bags by Katell at art d'eco design. Coffe sacks by Maya Made.

aaw cute

2009-05-01T13:33:00.000+01:00

Wasted Youth by Noble and Webster

Homework: Packaging

2009-04-27T23:05:00.000+01:00

When your product is threatened to be lost in the ocean of others that are just as good, you need something that will make it stand out from the crowd.... Packaging with a sense of humor will always be a winner. If it's a bit thongue in cheek, like this condom pack and chocolate wrapper, all the better.

It's milk! Love, love, love these special edition cartons. They should keep them special all year round.

Trompe d'oeil is one of my favorite design features, being it visual or contextual like the examples above. I'm not a massive chocolate fan, but with a name like Oral Pleasure....

D.I.Y. packaging is cheap and looks cheap, but in this day and age of RE-USE and RE-CYCLE, the frugal approach may well be the the most sophisticated one yet!

Just when you think it can't possibly be improved on... who wouldn't prefer to lick a stamp tasting of chocolate and how posh is this three-pack of eggs!

Cheap luxury: it's amazing what a little bling can do. Does anyone know where I can buy this beer??

Show stopper: Victor&Rolf's Flower Bomb- work of genius.

And my favourites: I found these images few years ago and felt instantly attracted to the simplicity of the design. The first is a gift pack for "4th Floor" hair products and the second a Japanese brand of banana juice(doh), created by one of the icons of product design.

Julian Knight Sexercise

2009-04-25T16:04:00.000+01:00

Colours to make you smile. Photography by Julian Knight.

Vogue Italia - Photograph by Steven Klein

2009-04-25T15:53:00.000+01:00

I am usually so drawn to really vivid hues but this image is stunningly moody, dark in context and dominated by lots of subtle nude shades.
What an incredible find, Steven Klein.

Underwater Fashion by Katie Bruce

2009-04-25T15:42:00.000+01:00

Super cute / fun underwater fashion shoot worth a visit on Red Bubble where prints can be obtained from the artist Katie Bruce.

Charlie Hicks Beetroots

2009-04-25T15:34:00.000+01:00

The most exquisite beetroots I've ever seen! :-) Had to get a foodie colour shot in. I found this image on Flickr and it belongs to Charlie Hicks . Beautiful! It's been viewed like a thousand times!

Takashi Iwasaki

2009-04-25T15:26:00.000+01:00

I found this fantastic Japanese embroidery artist today - Takashi Iwasaki - and not only are the colours bold, bright and gorgeous, the embroidery element is very relevant too. Really beautiful collection of embroideries and worth a vist to the site.

Recycle

2009-04-22T16:45:00.000+01:00

Recycled materials - a great source of colour inspiration.Another installation by Martine Camilieri. And some shopping bags woven from shredded plastic by my friend Katell who has a range of fairtrade and recycled goods Art d'eco design that I've always admired her for.

2009-04-22T16:32:00.000+01:00

This Vogue fashion shoot entitled Light and Fantastic by Javier Vallhonrat is aptly named, just fantastic! Neons under sheer white crepe, I don't often come over all fashion luvey, but heres getting close!

2009-04-22T16:25:00.000+01:00

AJ Fosik discovered in a fun book called Illustration Play published by Victionary. Photos courtesy of Jonathan Levine gallery in New York.

2009-04-22T16:19:00.000+01:00

Hui Hui an indie Berlin fashion label. They always do a great line in a variety of sludgy shades.

2009-04-22T16:16:00.000+01:00

Marcus Oakley gets crafty.

2009-04-22T16:06:00.000+01:00

Not quite sure what this is, but it's from Keetra and Ktoj, well, from Keetra to be precise.

2009-04-22T15:55:00.000+01:00

Christian Wijnants is one of my very favorite designers. I could pick the colours of any of his collections. But Spring/Summer 2006 was photographed by Viviane Sassens and I've kept a set of photocopies all this time. She has a new book out Flamboya, a collection of photos taken in Africa.

Plastic fantastic

2009-04-22T15:48:00.000+01:00

Eye-popping plastic shades. Martine Camillieri's installations suggest colours also have meaning.

Homework Logo No. 3

2009-04-22T12:27:00.000+01:00

I just can't seam to keep away! Here is one that came to me in the twilight of the night.....

Homework: Colour

2009-04-19T17:05:00.000+01:00

Another week, another homework girls! This time is Colour Palettes. I took inspiration from Kris's colour stripes blog, but added the Pantone values as well. Since I know how busy you Simone and Charlotte are, I decided to do this weeks exercise for all of us ;)
Well it certainly looks like I did! I intended to only do 3 or 4 of my favourite images but of course I have more favourites than that! I could have gone on and on and on.....
Now my bum hurts.

Camille Rose Garcia

2009-04-19T09:15:00.000+01:00

And last but not least. I learned of Camille Rose Garcia recently through my good friend Diana and her awesome and vast collection of interesting books. It's a fairytale and it's just beautiful to me. I want to be a part of the picture.

Burning Man

2009-04-18T20:23:00.000+01:00

Until you've been, it's difficult to comprehend this particular setting. Burning Man. I wanted to share something personal and an image I love and took. There is a carnival in this image against an arid, unforgiving landscape and it brings me so much joy. Isn't that what it's about. Finding things that bring us joy?

Eclectic Cow

2009-04-18T19:28:00.001+01:00

In googling for more images of Beata Boucht's work, I discovered an awesome blog called Eclectic Cow. This site features contemporary art, photography, illustration and so forth and I am really quite impressed with the variety. I stumbled across Carl Kleiner . This is the image that grabbed me. I've said it before, I love neon. And this work has so much movement. (I'm also anorakky enough to admit, I'm a big fan of 'stationery'... am I alone?)
And all of this fun and research to a big orange sun going down on big beautiful London and a noisy inspiring Pixies soundtrack.
Not sure what their official website is as I couldn't find it but I concur, I Love Pixies!

Illustration by Beata Boucht

2009-04-18T11:49:00.000+01:00

I was paging through Over and Over by Mike Perry and stopped on Beata Boucht who's work I'm an instant fan of. Starting with Mike Perry, when I visited his site, I scrolled down until I found Over and Over and would you believe, he too stopped on Beata Boucht in featuring only one image from inside this book on his site. Not the one I'm gonna feature but still! This did make me smile. Here's a sample... it's very curious how I keep stumbling across so much art of different descriptions I enjoy from *Sweden*... having discovered my love of Fever Ray.. I like the hand drawn illustrated quality with just splashes of colour.

My favourite...

2009-04-13T20:02:00.000+01:00

... illustrator is the tenebrous and Glam-rock scary Hannah Stouffer from San Francisco. I can't get enough of her highly decorative gory landscapes and I HATE snakes!
... graphic designer is Emil Kozak. The Dane in Spain and a very clever boy, this is what he has to say for him self: ”I hope that my work can remind us that imagination can defy gravity and bend time. It is our own responsibility to enjoy every second of the day. Nobody else can do that for us. Have fun, eat candy, do what you love, love what you do… We might get thrown off this spinning ball of iron and mantle tomorrow.”

...print designers are Clara Leskovar and Doreen Schulz from C.Neeon. Hailed as the "New Bauhaus of fashion", their work is distinguished by strong colours, a mix of geometrical and abstract shapes.

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T17:40:00.000+01:00

The homework this week is to feature artists that we've come across and like, possibly with a view to a future collaboration. Initially, I had a couple of artists in mind that I meant to email, but as usual, before i knew it, it was my turn to blog again. So I hopped on my bicycle and headed down to Columbia Road in search of artists. As you'll see I got a bit trigger happy and have taken lots of unrelated photos, most of these are of food!

My first stop, the bunnies and cupcake display at Treacle.

2009-04-12T17:33:00.000+01:00

A great bagel display. Inspirational and delicious!

Lovely Rob Ryan

2009-04-12T17:20:00.000+01:00

Rob seems to be into printing on tiles at the moment, probably giving his fingers a rest from all that paper cutting. Thanks to girls in the Ryan town shop who let me take the photos.

Picture Gallery

2009-04-12T17:10:00.000+01:00

Elphick's art gallery has some prints by Jen Franklin which I'd originally come in search of. And I've just discovered that Sharon, who runs the gallery, has some nice work of her own on her website which I need to take a closer look at.

Beyond Fabrics

2009-04-12T16:57:00.000+01:00

A new fabric shop Beyond Fabrics has just opened on Columbia Road run by Eduardo Hirschfeld and Silvana Brasil. And yes, they're from Brasil!

Market Scenes

2009-04-12T16:45:00.000+01:00

I liked the uplifting music played by She Koyokh.