Animals from Another Planet

Animals from Another Planet is a series of pigs and pig hybrids (dolphin, elephant, etc.). I just like the forms and swirls. Designed by Jaime Hayon, they build on his large body of work with organisms and creatures.

Benjamin Hubert - 100% Futures

Benjamin Hubert sent over his new product lines, set to debut at 100% Futures in London in a few weeks. My favorite is his Labware lamp series which are inspired by laboratory beakers, and showcase the purity of glass blowing through the range of large, geometric glass lamps. Furthering the laboratory idea, each lamp comes with a Portuguese bark topped cork.



The Diamond Chair seems inspired by the Eames' fiberglass shell chairs, but has the surprising detail of an upholstered fabric seat.



Benjamin used thin walled concrete to make his Heavy Lights. I like the playful practicality of the ceramic Yumbrella bowl and banana tree

Vitamin - Hex Plates

New tableware from Vitamin - I love how the geometric design and how it creeps onto the plate.

Caroline Slotte

Gorgeous, gorgeous ceramic art by Caroline Slotte made out of found objects. The artist's statement:

"In my current work I use found objects as a starting point for conceptual works in ceramics. Old objects, such as photographs, pieces of clothing or ceramics, have a way of directing our gaze to the past. They are symbols of the life stories of those who used them. From their markers I construct new stories. Memories play a pivotal role in defining who we are, as humans. In my work I wish to indicate the presence of time passed, in the human mind as well as in the objects that surround us. By giving the mute object a voice, I imbue mass produced items with a narrative capacity."

Diem Chau

My friend Betty sent me a link to Diem Chau's work, and it's pretty incredible. I don't know how she does it, but she embroiders each graphic onto a piece of porcelain dishware. This is just a small sampling of her work - check out much, much more here.

Thanks, BBRK!

Hot Cold Mug

Charles & Marie are having a pre-sale of their Hot Cold Mug. The mug is made with a heat sensitive pigment that causes it to turn from black to white as it heats up. So, it starts by reading "COLD", and after you fill it up with a hot liquid, the text turn into "HOT". Clever, eh? The Hot Cold Mug is a spin off of Charles & Marie's On Off Mug.

Available for pre-sale here.

Tonfisk Design

Brian of Tonfisk Design sent over their latest iterations from the WARM tea & coffee range and the WARP Bud vase and tall flower vase. Previously only available in white, they've recently launched black versions of the products and the result is pretty hot (as is the Odes Serving Tray. So gorgeous!). Keep your eyes open for these new designs, which will be hitting stores in the spring (ie. soon! I cant wait for winter to be over!)

Gesine Hackenberg

Gesine Hackenberg creates conceptual jewelry from vintage ceramics. Each piece is constructed from punched out pieces of the tableware. I don't know if she's selling them or if they are more for arts purposes, but it would be awesome if the altered plate and the piece of jewelry could be bought as a pair.

Via Bloesem.

PS. Blogger's been acting up and not publishing our posts. Sorry for the delay!

Ross McBride

These Anamorphic Cups by Ross McBride offer a fun alternative to the stuffy teacup. Each cup is made of polished stainless steel in order to correctly reflect the distorted text or image on the porcelain saucer.

Frida Mälarborn

I could have sworn that I had posted Frida Mälarborn's work before, but I can't find that I have - so here you go! Frida is a ceramic artist from Sweden. Her website is in Swedish so I can't tell you what her intent was behind the project, but what I love about it is the reinterpretation of a set of feminine objects, rendered useless and permanent in porcelain, with cross-stitched graphics pushing that femininity further.

Via Bloesem.

Kathleen Hills

Kathleen Hills sent us a link to her website, and unbeknownst to me until now, she is the designer of one of my favorite Christmas presents - the Milkii. The Milkii is a double spouted milk jug, but I actually use it as a bud vase and it's great! Kathleen has lots of lovely products, but my favorites are the Egg cube, which includes a place for your spoon, and a rolling pin with raised lettering marking everything that you bake as "made in England".

Wieki Somers

I remember seeing Wieki Somers' High Tea Pot make the rounds on various blogs and thinking that the tea pot was on the gruesome side - which it is, but that's the point. Made of bone china and modeled after a fox skull with a water rat fur cozy, Wieki describes the project as "tasty and unsavoury, harm and delight aren't discerned any longer. Nothing is more decadent than to satisfy the human need for status and extravagance through the harm of animals."



The rest of Wieki's work is as thoughtful - the Bathboat looks at the form and function of a small boat and inverts it by turning it into a bath. The bathtub legs make reference to the wooden frame that boats typically rest on when docked.



Some more projects (left to right): Come Clean (soap in the image of the traditional Dutch farmer, which when used disappears to reveal the form of the modern business man who has replaced the farmer), Mattress Stone Bottle, and Blossoms (a vase which takes on the shape of its contents).

All projects were done in close collaboration with Dylan van den Berg.

Notcot Gift Guide

Sean and I put together today's gift guide over at Notcot. It's filled with (mostly) affordable picks from our favorite designers. We hope you will check it out, along with the rest of the gift guide that Jean has worked so hard to put together...

Left to right: Decanter N°2 by Etienne Meneau, Full Contact Spice Grinder by Mint, and Bubble necklace by Brevity (yes, me!).

Happy holidays!

Morphorm - Theosaurus

Ack! This piggy bank by Morphorm is so cute! I love the little cork feet, and the traditional porcelain design on a non-traditional form. One of my good friends has an obsession with pigs and I've been looking for a piggy bank for her for Christmas. Every time I think I've found the right one - another awesome piggy appears! What to do, what to do?

Via Electro^Plankton.

Artful Home show

Yesterday was a crazy day (thus the lack of posts), but I did make it to the Artful Home preview show at the Puck building (love that place!). The evening provided a great opportunity to meet artisans and to see new work in the glassware, ceramics, jewelry and textiles fields. Some of the highlights:

The glassware tended to be colorful - lots of bright pastels (is that an oxymoron?). The Spike Bowls by Hudson Beach Glass and Nicholas Kekic's collection of vases were gorgeous, and I loved their forms.



Ananda Khalsa had some jewelry in the show, and it is truly more beautiful in person than it is in photographs. Everything is so delicate and intricate. The Stacking Bowls are by Kaete Brittin Shaw.


I had the pleasure of meeting Laura Goldstein of Grotta & Co, who make very cool silk screened throw pillows. The designs tend to incorporate personal elements, such as handwritten letters from her grandma and old musical scores.

The Artful Home show is open to the public starting today through Sunday at the Puck building in Manhattan. There is unfortunately a cover charge - tickets are $12 in advance and $20 at the door (steep, in my opinion!). Check it out if you are in the area. Have a good weekend, all!

Coe and Waito

Coe and Waito have a new line of porcelain bottles out, inspired by treasures dug out of the ground as children. The bottles are complete with platinum decals of the insects, dirt and leaves dug up with them. Hello, beautiful!

Scott Amron - Dry Vase

I love Scott Amron's Dry Vase. I don't usually press flowers, but I think I would if I had one of these...The vase is made of rubber-coated earthenware. The soft black makes it pretty sexy...Though I wish it was just made of rubber like this vase, so that it could start out functioning as a "live" vase, but would lose its shape when you pressed your flowers.

Via Core77.

Poppytalk Handmade

It seems like there are a million web launches today (congrats, Grace!)! Today marks the first day of Poppytalk Handmade, which Jan of Poppytalk calls an virtual street market. Each month will feature new designers and products. She's got some great participants this month (clockwise from top left): Skinny Laminx, things are better than a parrott, The Sherwood Press, Alyssa Ettinger, Ink and Wit, and Restless Things.

Biaugust

Biaugust is a design office in Taipei, Taiwan. I love their 108 Time Box, which is a nine-year calendar that is meant to read as one continuous sheet. As each month is unrolled, you are left with a receipt of time. All 108 months are treated in a unique typographic format. And I just liked the graphics on the mugs.

Via pan-dan.

Guillaume Delvigne

The Lampe (72dpi, 144dpi, 300dpi) by Guillaume Delvigne for Industreal is a study in pixelation. The lamp comes in three versions, ranging from "high resolution" to "low resolution".

Via Style Files.

Jorine Oosterhoff

The "Tea Time" collection is a very playful set of tableware from Jorine Oosterhoff. I love the smooth lines and the irregular shapes. Inspired in part by Alice in Wonderland and other fantastical characters, "Tea Time" would be a fun addition to your tableware collection. Available at Rose and Radish.

Joanna Mendicino

Joanna Mendicino emailed us about some very sweet new work. I like that the images are made through a void rather than through a relief.

Lorena Barrezueta

Renegade Craft Fair was an exhausting but very fun experience...It was great to see some of the people whose work I've long admired. One such person is Lorena Barrezueta, who has taken the form of traditional, disposable food containers and turned them into fine, porcelain tableware. I had seen Lorena's work online before but in person it is even nicer!

Bodo Sperlein

Some more beautiful but unaffordable work from Bodo Sperlein.

Via inredningsbloggen.

ICFF - Anne Black

It was great to see Danish designer Anne Black's work at ICFF. Her porcelain pieces are so delicate and beautiful. By placing the graphic on the inside of the ceramic ware rather than on the exterior in her Black is Blue collection, she takes a modern spin on a traditional medium.

ICFF - Perch

The fixtures from Perch all have that handmade ceramic quality because they are indeed handmade and ceramic. Amy Adams designs and crafts all of the objects in the collection. I really like the muted colors and the deep glaze finish of the ceramic.

Mokkatanten

Love this porcelain USB flash drive from Mokkatanten! Gorgeous form, and it's a nice change from all the metal and plastic drives.

Via Bloesem.

Shannon Garson

Pretty porcelain bowls from Shannon Garson. I like how the bowls are weighted by the illustration.

Via Housemartin.

Julianna Grove

Julie emailed us about the launch of her latest venture, the new online boutique Julianna Grove. Julianna Grove is a compilation of up-and-coming artists and designers. All products in the boutique are handmade. I love some of the ceramics she is carrying in the store. Stand outs were works by Hugh West (middle) and Jill Ford (ends). Thanks, Julie!

Emiko Oki

Found another designer to file under 'favorites'...I think these products are so clever! Both take typical household objects and subvert them by applying new meaning to old objects. I love the modified pint glasses, especially the wine glass within the pint glass! The trophy table set is a nice project as well...a clever ensemble of products. Emiko Oki is a young Japanese designer based in England.

Via Core77.

Sternform

The Niklas by Sternform is a multi-functional, porcelain sphere that has many clever functions. It can be a lampshade, a fruit bowl, a flower pot and a birdhouse, among many other things.

Sternform

You've probably seen this ceramic set by Sternform on a few other blogs (thanks Core77!), but I thought it was worth mentioning here...I like that it's modular and that it creates a nice pattern on your dinner table.

I also love these Tango lamps by Sternform. The Tango lights are flexible and can be reconfigured to cast light whichever way you want.

Anna Gram

Check out this sexy glass from Anna Gram (a design collaboration between Florian Dussopt, Julie Girard, and Jérémie Reneau). It is at its most functional when drinking a beverage that requires mixing. Swivel the glass and the ceramic ball will dissolve the sugar! I dig.

Vincent Van Duysen

Love these (expensive!) bowls by architect Vincent Van Duysen. The contrasting materials - earthenware containers with a wooden lid - are really gorgeous. These were designed originally for When Objects Work, but are now available through Moss.

Via Designklub.

Joana Ozorio de Almeida Meroz: The Ornamented Life

I came across Joana Ozorio de Almeida Meroz of The Ornamented Life via Style Files. Joana’s interest is in taking ordinary, everyday objects and turning them into little design vignettes. Shown are the Crackery Tableware set, the Lace-Drain, and the Flower-Power Screws.

Sara Paloma

Lovely stoneware vases from Sara Paloma. The Tidal Green vases are available on Ebay here. The tallest vase in either group is 16" high.

Chris Kabel

I just discovered Dutch designer Chris Kabel. I love how the image is incorporated into the functionality of the Coral Vase. The vase is made of glazed porcelain, and was hand painted by artist Jose den Hartog.



The Shady Lace umbrella is also super cool. I would love to have this in my back yard (if I had one)...

Time Is Money clock

Nice piggy bank. The Time Is Money clock. Available at Atypyk.

Via BLTD.

Laura Bethan Wood

Another cup that makes the most of stains. These are from British designer Laura Bethan Wood. Designed in anticipation of the damage caused by use, a graphic emerges as the cups slowly stain over time. This is one cup that looks better with age.

Via Cool Hunting.

Bleach Design

A cork vase from Portuguese design firm Bleach Design. I like the contrast between the glossy porcelain on top and textured cork on the bottom. The cork base keeps your tabletops safe. I think the cork stool is pretty cute, too.

David Wiseman

Beautiful ceramic work from David Wisemen...This particular shape finds its way into a lot of David's work - there are bronze and glass versions as well. These pieces seem to refer to terrain - both remind me of aerial views of a mountaintop. Lovely!

Via Shiny Squirrel.

Modus Design

This is a not the best image, but I love the idea of the double ended vase. Very cool. From Modus Design, a ceramic studio in New York City.

Gift Guide - Ceramics: Egglings

For all of your garden-challenged friends, I present the Eggling. Ceramic eggs that look and feel like the real thing - just crack one open and add water and voila! Garden! The eggling is available with seeds for basil, italian parsley, mint, thyme, chrysanthemum, lobelia, phlox, and petunia.

Available at Elsewares for $8.95.

Gift Guide - Ceramics: Mint

A very nice looking mortar and pestle from design collaborative Mint. The shapes of the mortar and pestle work together to provide a "full contact" effect which makes grinding spices etc very efficient.

Also very sweet is the Coink - a piggy bank in which you can dump all your change easily (and remove just as quickly). It also has a fun funnel system that reminds me of the McDonalds' penny donation stations. Both are available for $36.

Gift Guide - Ceramics: Barnaby Barford

Barnaby Barford is a London-based artist and designer whose body of work ranges from manipulations and reinterpretations of existing ceramic sculptures to clever pillows stuffed with conversation suggestions. The Solitaire Olive Plate makes a beautiful hors d'oeuvres platter, and also includes instructions on how to play a game of solitaire using the snacks. Designed in collaboration with Andre Klausér, and available from the MOMA design store for $45.

Also clever are the Stamp Cups, designed in conjunction with Valeria Miglioli. Using the inevitable stain left behind by drinking coffee or tea, the Stamp Cup turns the stain into a cute floral pattern. Available as a set of two for $55 from Greener Grass Design.

Gift Guide - Ceramics: Fishs Eddy

Fishs Eddy is a local NYC ceramics and glassware shop started 17 years ago by Julie Gaines and Dave Lenovitz. Their ceramics are commercial grade and stylishly stand up to the rigors of everyday use. The Spot On Series(left) and the Pantone Collection(right) are clean and simple dishes for every meal.

Gift Guide - Ceramics: Joanna Mendicino

Here's a cute little bird vase from California based Joanna Mendicino for $42. Also shown is her cobblestone bud vase which ranges in price from $21 to $40 dollars.

Gift Guide - Ceramics: Tonfisk Design

A porcelain tea set from Tonfisk Design. An oak "bracelet" provides insulation for both the hot liquid and your hand. I mostly love the oversized cork stopper. The teapot is $95 and a set of two cups is $55. Rare Device also caries the matching sugar/creamer set for $70.

Gift Guide - Ceramics: Perch!

Two handmade ceramic vases from Perch! The vase to the left is the "Let Me Take a Look at You Vase", and the vase to the right is the Basket Bowl. They are $26 and $48 respectively.

Propaganda

Nice "Dish Up" dinnerware series from Thai design house Propaganda. A smart take on the food tray...Also, because of the flat edge, these plates can easily be stored vertically.

Via bltd.

Stella

Vases derived from paper bags, and cast concrete stepping stones with graphic perforations for moss and grass to grow through. Stella is a collaboration between Johnathan Hopp + Sarah Auslander.

Sandra Haischberger

Gosh! I wish I spoke German, so that I could understand Sandra Haischberger's website. Her work is beautiful, though, and speaks for itself.

Ceramics

New specialized ceramics are super-light, super-durable, and pretty expensive. Above are two examples of ceramics replacing other materials in product design (metal in this case). On the left is the Nixon Ceramic Player, Nixon's first ceramic watch. Ceramic replaces steel watch band and case and reduces the weight of the watch considerably.

On the right is one of the Kyocera Ceramic Cutlery Series. The ceramic blade replaces the traditional steel blade. Ceramic blades remain sharp for much longer than steel and are more resistant to damages to the blade edge.

Perch!

This is a nice little birdhouse from Perch!. If I didn't live in Manhattan, I would be more inclined to get one, but I just can't get excited about attracting pigeons to my fire escape. I also like the vessel line with the bird-footprint/flower decals. Amy Adams seems to have a thing for birds.