monseigneur collection by philippe starck

yeh, i know philippe said a few very negative things about being a designer just recently, but i am willing to turn a deaf ear to it when i look at this monseigneur sofa he has made for driade.

very glamorous design from a guy who said that design is a dreadful form of expression, don’t you think?

find the collection here.

via trendir

share this story

janine golbert jewelry

beautiful and feminine are only two of the ways i could describe the jewelry of uruguay born, israel-based artist janine golbert aka etsy seller eninaj. having lived around the world and making a successful career in both graphic and interior design, janine decided to pursue her dream of creating her own line of jewelry and accessories. the resulting collection is intricate, expressive and sensual, featuring laser cut sterling silver, a soothing and surprising leather color palette, pearls and fabric.

all the things i love are present here: attention to detail, skillful technique, gorgeous patterns and unusual material combinations.

purchase these items and see the full collection at janine’s etsy shop.

share this story

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!

share this story

axel bench/coffee table

i love versatile furniture pieces, don’t you? and i also love when you can find a piece that works when you think that nothing will fit in the place you want to put it! this stylishly slim axel bench from cb2 gets the job done if you’re working a narrow living space or tight hallway and need a table to put in front of a sofa or a dash of extra seating. it’s 60″w x 17.75″d x 18″h, is made of recycled leather, has fixed beechwood legs and is pretty darn maintenance-free.

$299 right here.

via betterlivingthroughdesign

share this story

studio archirivolto charme chair

i don’t care that these are $795 each, i’m hatching a plan now to cook up a scheme to somehow see these in the flesh and maybe sit on them once… to me this is the perfect feminine/masculine chair. glamorous and curvy, but made from macho materials of aluminum and leather, from the brilliant minds at italy’s studio archirivolto for fasem.

LOVE.

see for yourself at fy2k or the conran shop.

via betterlivingthroughdesign

share this story

transportation thursday: train

n.b. this is a week long series on methods of transport and how we feel about them, created by a dear friend.

i enjoy elevated, commuter, tgv and other trains for the most part, except maybe when someone unsavory is sitting too close to me. the first long train trip i took was to california, when i was a kid, for summer vacation. i remember we had a sleeper car and the bathroom was tiny and the porter was very helpful. and you never think that you’re going so fast on the high speed trains in europe until another train whizzes by you on the neighboring track, and you nearly get whiplash trying to follow it. good times. i always think of it as an adventure, even on the brown line here in the city.

florence transit map necklace, from le photique’s etsy shop

vintage acme thunderer whistle for sale on ebay

give leather train case at fred segal beauty

bridget davies embroidered silk passport case at her dawanda shop

share this story

upcycled accessories by ouno

please don’t paintball my pillow — it’s recycled fur!

look at these opulent pillows and throws from canadian designers sarah gee and lindsay brown for their company ouno design. they use the highest quality vintage fabrics and used fur coats to create their simple, luxurious collection, inspired in part by scandanavian and japanese design. they are strong believers in sustainable design and repurposing materials. this upcycled collection is a perfect example.

check out their grand collection of beautifully finished pieces in their etsy shop.

share this story

go soak yourself… in leather

the fancy bathtub collection from ws bath has got something for everyone!

for the uber-modern: an acrylic liner with a base covered in leather. i like the floating headrests, made of marine-ply wood, connected to the tub by stainless steel supports.

they also have a wood-wrapped option.

for the organic: a flintstone-style, 1400 lb. travertine tub, handcarved and sculpted from natural stone.

for the modern-organic: tubs crafted from beautiful solid wood, such as teak and cedar (my fave!).

for the comprehensive ws bath collection and to contact click here.

via trendir

share this story