Archive for 11.2009

LED chandelier

The LED chandelier is minimalist from several points of view.

First; the LED chandelier is a wonderful minimalist piece of lightning designed by George Simionopoulos and Erica Pecoskie, a.k.a. Group Two Design, from Toronto, Canada. The chandelier is made by casting a LED linear lighting strip into translucent resin. The fixture of the lights, made of 5 identical pieces radiate around the power supply, is the backbone of this beautiful lightning.

Second; using LED technology the chandelier is sustainable and is respectful for the environment. LED lights use less energy, are long lasting, are durable and are mercury-free.

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Social Housing Solution

In the small mining town of Degana in Spain where nothing new has been constructed for more than 25 years, this new building keeps away from the common facades of a mining village with its volumetric angular profile and rich geometry.

Architects Nacho Ruiz and Jose Antonio Ruiz Allén Esquiroz from Zon-e Arquitectos have been commissioned to come up with a social housing solution

The colours and materials, such as the local slate, keep the building in context.The black facade acts like coal – absorbing almost all light that falls on it.Each of the 15 apartments is different in terms of size and floor plan. This contrasts with the building’s overall uniform appearance. Each room enjoys views over Asturia’s landscape.

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Calvin Klein spring collection 2010

For the spring 2010 Calvin Klein collection, Francisco Costa showed that minimalism doesn’t mean masculine. Brazilian born, Francisco Costa is creative director for Calvin Klein’s collection for women. His creations stress the idea of freedom with a pared-down approach.

Costa’s 2010 spring collection is youthful and sensuous. The models were almost makeup-free, wearing ponytails without accessories. Costa played with loose-fitting organic dresses, crumpled texture and transparency.

Minimalism in haute couture is about subtraction. What could be more perfectly simple than that?

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Colorless

New York-based designer Ryan Harc created this eco-friendly packaging concept, Colorless.

Instead of a painted-on logo, he proposes a convex logo. This would do a way with the need for toxic paint and all its negative side effects, such as air and water pollution.

On top of of that would also reduces the energy and effort required in the recycling process, as there is no paint having to separate from the aluminum.

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22 outlet

Have you seen this? It’s an electrical outlet, designed just for us minimalists!

It’s called the 22, and designed by Omer Arbel for Bocci. It does away with those horrible plastic cover plates by drywalling over most of the outlet, leaving only the essential bits exposed.

On top of that, Arbel’s designs tempt you to be playful with the placement of the sockets. So come on guys, time to get your DYI on!

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Chop2Pot

Never spill chopped vegetables again with this minimal and innovative chopping board, designed by Mark Sanders from United Kingdom. Sanders was recently awarded as the Designer of the Year at the British Engineering Excellence Awards 2009. Chop2Pot is a MoMa permanent exhibit and was awarded as Gift of the year by JosephJoseph.

Chop2Pot, made of polypropylene, provides in the flat position a nice surface for any to-be chopped vegetable. But at the moment you squeeze the handle a chute is formed by the up folded sides of the board and you are able to pour your chopped food neatly into the pan.

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Fussball table

Piet Hein Eek brings us the simplest fussball table today. The Dutch designer who gained notoriety in 1990 with his ‘scrap wood cupboards’. He works with found wood and salvaged materials and uses them for intricately patchwork tables, chairs, sofas.

In an innovative touch, Eek used metal figurines as players for this fussball table. He began with the figure, folded like a clothespin, after which the feet, legs, torso, shoulder blades and head automatically followed. The rest of the game was then produced to match in the same rugged steel and functional style.

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Nouveau identity

Hunt Studio from Melbourne, Australia, developed this identity and branding for Nouveau Developments, also from Melbourne.

The complete identity uses only a single colour, a dark metallic grey. This colour was chosen to reflect the modern colour palette often used in surfaces and materials by Nouveau.

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Saint-Étienne Collection

This is the furniture for the new building of the School of Arts and Design in Saint-Etienne, France.

The set of different types of seats and work tables are designed by Francois Mangeol and Sophie Francon, both from France. The modular system allows a variety of configurations within the space.

Minimalist, yet with plenty of style. I’d love to have this furniture at my office, or one pair of those chairs at home!

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Wattcher

A minimalist energy bill, isn’t that everyone’s wish? With the Wattcher from Dutch designer Marcel Wanders that wish will come true.

The Wattcher is a design object that displays your home’s total electricity consumption in a beautiful and meaningful way. When you switch on any electrical device, the Wattcher shows the extra power consumption. It gives you insight into your energy behaviour and helps you save energy.

In September the Wattcher was nominated for the Dutch Design Award 2009.

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