natasha newton paintings and illustration

i like the clean lines in these pretty little ink drawings and acrylic paintings from uk artist natasha newton. there is a lot of depth, texture and good positive energy swirling around here now that i’m looking at them.

see more in natasha’s etsy shop and website, and say hello on her blog too.

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japanese housewares at moma

the moma shop is offering some exclusive, lovely and odd products for their destination japan limited edition shopping adventure, the highlights of which include these fun chat plates and this cute apple jar.

if i had a precocious child (or husband) who wouldn’t eat vegetables i think some persuasive messages might be spelled out in peas on those plates.

see it all right here.

via nobody — i know this is circulating around the blogosphere right now but believe it or not, i found it all by myself!

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PURE settee and banquette

i LOVE this pretty and perfect air hazel settee as well as the fire cyrilla banquette by PURE. the company claims that this is green design, by using sustainable materials, working with local craftspeople and participating in fair trade with their international sourcing. sounds reasonable to me.

did i mention that i love these? the color, the embroidery, the elegant retro modern lines?

they’re $4418 and $4017 respectively, are available in nine luscious colors and with or without embroidery, and right here at structured green along with some other very cool furniture.

via ecosalon

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thomas broomé illustrations

perhaps you know swedish artist thomas broomé for his low res man sculpture, but i also love what clever pieces he has created here in his modern mantra collection. he is using a liberal amount of the alphabet to create texture, depth and positive/negative space in his clean lined drawings, and takes us on a very funky house tour at the same time.

i love the walk-in closet.

thomas is represented by the galleri magnus karlsson in stockholm. you can see lots more intriguing artwork in a variety of media from thomas on his website too.

via fabrica

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skogstad/vold product design: let’s chat!

ever since i caught a tiny glimpse of their work on designboom, i have been charmed and slightly obsessed with the clean, youthful designs of petter skogstad and haakon vold, for their company skogstad/vold. the items they have included in their collection are fresh, playful and inviting all at the same time. the designs have a flexible versatility, which make them appropriate for use in a variety of applications. to me the outstanding consistent theme here is the focus and balance of both masculine and feminine qualities. i love their stealth lounge chair (above), which was inspired by modern military aircraft, but it also reminds me of the opening petals of a flower. i enjoy the minimal lines and strong material of the steel break vase (below), which softens and transforms when flowers are placed within it. and of course this balance is clearly demonstrated in the graphics on the appropriately named fun wall clocks. these are the thoughtful qualities that compel us to appreciate, seek out and live with quality design everyday. let’s have a chat with haakon and petter and find out more!

q: where do you live and where do you design and make your collections?
a: we both live in oslo, norway, and we are senior students at akershus university college of product design (bachelor). we make most of our prototypes in the workshops at our university, but for bigger projects and production processes we use other companies with the competence we need.

q: what is your top priority (or the most important element) when designing furniture?
a: to create products for the future. we focus on making contemporary products where aesthetics, function, environment and high quality play a big role.

q: who or what are your main influences?
a: we get inspiration from nature, specifically norwegian nature and clean shapes. this is further enhanced by exploring new materials and technology. we also have some favorite designers: ronan and erwan bouroullec, konstantin grcic, stokkeaustad, norway says, arne quinze, karim rashid and mid to late century scandinavian design (in the 60-70’s).

q: are any of the pieces in distribution yet?
a: no, not yet, but we hope some of our products will be in production soon. we have a catalogue and website and have been in contact with a few manufacturers.

q: do you have a favorite material you prefer to work with?
a: we are trying to work with new materials, new technology and new production processes all the time, so we have no favorite material.

q: what is the best single piece of advice you have received as designers?
a: keep it simple and focus on the details.

q: how would you finish the following sentence? the future of design…
a: the future of design will have more focus on the environment and it will be important as a designer to focus on the whole life-cycle of the product.

skogstad/vold will be exhibiting these pieces and some exciting new prototypes too at the milan international furniture fair, from april 16th-21, 2008. they will be located in the area considered the launching pad for young designers, called saloneSatellite. i have high hopes that production with a quality manufacturer will begin soon, and look forward to seeing their pieces here in chicago someday.

thank you haakon and petter!

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compact, modern speakers by scandyna

now we can make a strong individual statement about our personal style not only through our choices in music but the way we listen with this gorgeous speaker collection from danish company scandyna. the curvy collection includes the drop, micropod and minipod styles, whose funky organic shapes and poppy colors appeal tremendously to me (and i especially enjoy the drop shape).

this is a company that’s been around for 40 years striving to create the highest quality audio equipment possible. clearly (and lucky for us!), modern clean design is a priority for them too.

available at the conran shop, decibel and audio vision sf.

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frucci jewelry design - let’s chat!

(ed. note: welcome first-time readers! if you enjoy this article about fru, please click on the other categories to the left to enjoy even more posts about other talented artists and designers. better yet, feel free to be impulsive and click on subscribe to the right, and i will bring the good stuff to you instead! thank you for visiting!)

i had to remember to breathe when i saw these wondrous paper creations from california artist francesca vitali, aka fru. this talented designer from rome, italy crafts stunning jewelry from folding and weaving layers and layer of papers, then integrates them with other materials such as copper and leather to create her gorgeous frucci design collection. everything is so precise and pristine, with well defined edges, but still soft and wearable. and i love her color combinations and finishing details. let’s have a chat with fru and find out more!

q: where do you live and where do you make your jewelry?
a: at the moment i live in southern california. i’m here because of my work. i’m a penitent scientist trying to transition into art. i make my pieces mostly at home, i have set up a little corner studio, but to tell you the truth i generally spread my work in progress everywhere. i also have access to a jewelry studio at my school, where i work with metal…especially soldering metal, which is something i’m not allowed to do at home!

q: what is your background, and did you ever study art formally?
a: for the longest time i’ve regretted not pursuing my creative nature by studying art! my formal education background is in science. i got my “laurea” in chemistry in italy and my phD in organic chemistry in switzerland. since then, i’ve being working in research as structural biologist at a different university, but something changed since i came here (to the united states). i started thinking again of my art education, and last summer i attended my very first formal class in metal, at penland school of craft. that experience changed my life! after penland, i signed up for a class at calstate fullerton taught by a great metalsmither, christina smith, and next spring i’ll attend an intensive two month jewelry course in san francisco. and i’m also considering applying for grad school.

q: can you tell us a little bit about your collection?
a: i started this new line of woven/folded jewelry almost three years ago, when my sister, who knew how much i enjoy working with paper, got me some pre-cut paper strips. she knew one day i would come up with a good use for them…and i did! i like to repurpose old techniques with new media. one of my preferred techniques at the moment is weaving. i’m still experimenting with new paper shapes, new paper sources and new combinations of materials. i use shopping bags, old magazine pages, old catalog pages from my lab, coupons, old maps, museum newsletters, and new paper too. so far this has been a great creative process that is still evolving!

q: do you think there is a connection between art and science, and do you find inspiration in the combination?
a: i definitively think art and science are connected and the link is nature. for me, it is interesting to attempt to both understand and describe nature. i’ve been creative all my life, and for some time i thought science could be creative too…but there is nothing in the world that gives me as much pleasure as working on one of my pieces!

i get inspired by everything surrounding me, i guess. i never really know exactly where my inspirations come from, because normally they all come during the night while i’m sleeping. sometimes i wake up in the morning with an idea and i can’t stop thinking of it until i make it happen! kind of crazy, no?!

q: does it come naturally to you to blend the left brain analytical type of thinking with the right brain creative way?
a: i don’t know if it comes naturally, because i’m dyslexic and so to me left or right makes little difference! i will say that while my “right brain” background is self-taught, luckily i come from a family of great crafters (my mum is a great knitter, and my grandma was an excellent embroiderer).

q: what is the price range of your collection?
a: i like to give my customers lots of choices, so i have a broad price range ($9 to $250). people can just “taste” my paper jewelry for few dollars buying the cubetto earrings, or they can select very elaborate pieces that of course are more expensive.

purchase fru’s collection at her etsy shop, and be sure to check out fru’s flickr stream to see more beautiful things.

thank you fru!

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element touch led lamp

ooh! i love the curve and the cleanliness of this chrome-finished sculpture - i mean, faucet, er, led lamp. you simply touch the base to turn it on and off. i am totally picturing this on my huge gorgeous ebony wood desk with beautiful turned legs, that’s completely cleared off except for an imac with hidden cords and a vase of fresh white peonies (NOT!)…

form and function. that’s the stuff.

$85 at uncommon goods.

via geekalerts

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perch! ceramic designs

i love the fresh positive feeling i get when i look at these ceramic pieces by brooklyn artist amy adams for her perch! design company. with smooth surfaces, colors found in nature and minimal decoration, it’s easy to picture having these things in any room in the house.

i especially like the early bird lamp, not just because i’m a birdwatcher but also because of the intelligent up and downlight design. very thoughtful.

you can see more about amy and purchase the collection on her website, and purchase select works at the supermarket.

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lulu smith jewelry

uncomplicated, pretty jewelry pieces from seattle artist lulu smith. lulu takes a painterly approach to her sterling and resin jewelry collection. the intense crispness that is the foundation of her designs is inspired by the magic moment we see something for the very first time.

i like her layered, luminous tones of color and simple shapes.

purchase her work at the artful home.

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das design nightstand

this nightstand from san francisco daniel schultz for his das designs is perfect. just perfect. it is made from continuous boards of black walnut wood which wrap around the entire piece, keeping the grain consistent on all sides. excess hardware is unnecessary thanks to the gently curving edges, which serve as a way to open each dovetailed maple drawer. the clean design is finished with an inset top.

daniel has a degree from the school of architecture at rensselaer polytechnic institute. the details of his training are revealed in his precise details, uncluttered designs and thoughtful craftsmanship - the themeline through his entire collection.

see the das website for more beautiful furniture.

via padstyle

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happy, colorful art by geninne zlatkis

i am so impressed with the nimble hands of mexican artist (by way of the us, argentina, venezuela, brazil, and chile) geninne zlatkis. her cheerful work makes me smile every time i look at it, even if the theme is stormy weather!

geninne’s two most favorite things are birds and flowers, as you can see. although she works in a variety of media, including ink, pencil and collage, her penchant for doing things quickly is complemented by her preferred medium: watercolors. she also does lovely fabric embroidery and other textile crafting, and makes rubber stamps!

everything she creates is so brightly clean and precise, with thoughtful quality and style. when you look at her pieces, there is an infectious, almost palpable positive energy, which must radiate off of her in person. i am just wild about it, wild i tell you!

intrigue, part one: she just opened her etsy shop a few days ago!

intrigue, part two: she and her family downsized from a 4000 square foot house to a cozy 700 square foot cabin in the woods, where she and her family will remain until their new home is built. she continues to blog, craft and document the experience in gorgeous photos.

intrigue, part three: more inspiration on her blog.

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