Jonas Damon makes nice things...

I need a multi tool for work and although I know I'll end up with some sort of all singing all folding contraption, I found this tool kit (admittedly not the same thing) designed by Jonas Damon through Apartment Therapy. It's wooden and lovely and I want one.

Tool Set

The shop selling his stuff is Areaware and they also have his amazing LED alarm clocks; four little, individually positional, cubes of joy. However, at $95 and $100 respectively, neither of them will be finding their way into my home any time soon... Nevertheless, definitely check out Jonas' blog and Areaware too if you're feeling flush.

Numbers LED Clock

Lucienne Day was/is awesome...

I was watching Antiques Roadshow the other day (mock all you like, but trying to guess the valuation is fun) and a lady had brought in a set of incredible plates. They turned out to be from Lucienne Day, one of Britons most distinguished post war textile designers who, less infamously, also dabbled in ceramic design.

Calyx Chair

My complete ignorance on this subject has since been replaced with a borderline obsession as she has designed some ridiculously beautiful patterns which have since been applied to furniture, cushions, canvas', shoes etc etc. After a bit of a Google trawl, I think my favourite is this chair... And here is the lady herself.

Get an Autum this Autumn...

Apart from lending themselves very well to (hilarious) word play, Autum make carefully designed, limited edition...stuff. They only have three things in their store...two of which are made of leather so although they do look awesome, the vegetarian in me can't possibly condone them...but the final is a glorious looking bicycle called the Minion.

Minion

My buddies think there is a Nazi-ish undertone to the design...I disagree. I think it looks like a sleek lined, pedal powered cafe racer. They're only making 7 and unfortunately at about £1000 none of them will end up with me. Sad times...

(via the awesomer)

I forgot about you for a while there...

OK so it's the middle of March and all the evidence seems to suggest that I haven't posted since January 31st. Outrageous. I can't even really use the excuse of being too busy...I mean I have been quite busy, but too busy would be stretch.

I'll just get on with it then...

Something I have been thinking about a lot recently is the prospect of growing up and becoming, well, a grown up. Having a real job and getting a house and all that. I am hoping that when I eventually get a place it will be filled with 'functional art' like that from 100Percent's Etsy shop. They have some rad little nik-naks that would look great in my imaginary house. I particularly love the vintage alarm clock...I can't stand those bright digital ones...they're too damn bright! It's like trying to sleep with the light on. I have taped a little cardboard flap over the numbers on mine; it has a handle and everything for easy access to the time.

(through please sir)

This imaginary house of mine, by the way, will look pretty much exactly like this converted old carpenter's shop in Copenhagen. It's furnished by a company called Indenfor & Udenfor who sell international antiques to contemporary homes.

(through Indenfor & Udenfor)

The Zoomable Map...

Quick post today. Here is a lovely and simple bit of design that makes a frustrating but useful object frustrating no more. Map² removes the need to unfold all the unnecessary parts of a giant, awkward, blowing in the wind, tearing down the folds map. Granted it's not quite as flexible as zooming in on an i-phone...or in fact at all useful unless you need to find your way around London...but ingenious nonetheless.


Head over to the website to check out a video of the map in action, see more photos and buy a London copy.

Book works...

I recently tried to make something for my friend by cutting out letters from the front covers of books and arranging them in a pattern to make a word. It turns out book covers are thick and tough and it ended up looking like it had been made by a five year old with his eyes closed...we can't even get it to stay on the wall its so heavy. Fail.

Anyway, a man named Robert The has a series of 'Book Works' and he's cut through the spines, covers and several hundred pages as if they were butter and in comparison has ended up with some amazingly detailed and characterful things. My favourites are the animals, they look like they could easily scuttle off the books that bore them.

(through design milk)

Paper cut outs; no seriously...

So, there's this guy called Pablo Lehmann, and for the last few years he has been making just unbelievably detailed paper cut outs. I'm pretty sure he has missed his calling as a surgeon but instead of operating on humans he could operate on tiny, tiny animals with miniature organs...which is effectively a vet. That sounded more glamorous and complimentary in my head.



All in all pretty mind blowing stuff; well worth having a look around his website. I wish I had the patience for work like this...and also skill.

(through moon river)

Not quite Dick Van Dyke...

One of my favourite movies when I was growing up was Chitty Chitty Bang Bang...apart from the Child Catcher; damn that guy is scary. There are some super awesome scenes but the best parts are Caractacus Potts' inventions so when I saw 'The Breakfast Machine' I practically squealed with delight...imagine squealing but something more manly and far less shameful.


Basically 'The Breakfast Machine' was built last weekend by platform21, an Amsterdam based studio under the direction of designer Yuri Suzuki and artist Masa Kimura. Once finished it served all-day breakfasts of omelet, coffee and toast with jam. One day, when I have way more space and way more tools I will have one of these and I'll dress up just like Dick Van Dyke when I use it.

White Box

There are many things to love about this video by Makoto Yabuki. The soundtrack works perfectly, the animation is quaint and cute without being too much and the camera work is soft and lovely. However, after four minutes and eight seconds of feeling quite warm and fuzzy inside, my favourite, favourite thing about this video is the way those coloured pencils are so well lined up. They are just so lined up. Fantastic.

Through Reuben Miller, originally posted on Share Some Candy

Website of the Week

OK, granted I have only just run into 'Book By Its Cover' so to give it the prestigious status of 'Website of the Week' already...on a Monday...is probably a little presumptuous. On the other side of the coin, it is awesome and seeing as I have never done a 'Website of the Week' feature before it doesn't matter all that much does it.

Moulger Bag Digest #2 - Rusty Jordan & Brent Harada

Anyway...'Book By Its Cover' is the brainchild of illustrator and pattern designer Julia Rothman. It brings together beautiful, independent publications including zines, sketchbooks, designs and comics that she has either found recently or collected over the years. Some are available to buy and some unfortunately are not. Well worth investing 20 minutes of internet nibbling time...

Sketchbook Series - Will Miller

I've never been able to do clocks with hands, the whole thing confuses me. If I I get asked the time and have to use a clock like that it takes me ages to work it out, counting the minutes past or to the hour. If the big hand points to 8 it's 40 minutes to...or something...blah blah blah.


Anyway, the lovely people at the Biegert & Funk Project have created Clock Two (for me). It's beautiful in its own right, hand made in Germany and must be the simplest time-telling device ever. At almost $1600 it's a bargain...and by bargain I mean way too expensive. One day...hmm...

It's also available as an iPhone app for a much more pocket friendly $0.99.

Pie Paper

A couple of days ago I filled out a 'how are we doing' questionnaire on the always exellent 'It's Nice That' in which I commented that it would be great to have more global posts especially from New Zealand. Low and behold, today I found (through 'It's Nice That') a New Zealand design quaterly called the Pie Paper! Were they forced into action due to my incredible design world influence? Probably not. Was it nevertheless a delightful coincedence? Yes!

Promising 72 pages filled with secret wonders, I will certainly be purchasing it. I've been looking for some interesting companies closer to home for ages now. Also the kiwiana influenced title - love. Plus they have a page of Nudibranch illustrations! Double win.

Buy it here