Posts by Natalia Repolovsky - Author at Minimalissimo

Monarchy

Monarchy is a crown-like shaped rocking stool, created by Yiannis Ghikas. Visually laconic and fun in use, the piece is convenient when you need extra seating. The design aims to offer freedom of movement to the user. Just by moving your legs and shifting your weight, you can change the orientation of the stool. The designer explains:

The balancing process creates a playful userobject relationship. The stool explores the idea that when seated, many people feel the need to be free from enforced bodily positions. 

I like the lightness and the versatility of the object. It can blend into any room and environment. Just don’t use it to change a lightbulb…

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Balance Lamp

This minimal lamp was created by Netherlands based designer Mieke Meijer for the ‘Untouchables’ show by Dutch Invertuals. The idea of the exhibition was to portray the live we live in the rapidly changing world. Mieke Meijer’s respons to the theme was that finding the right balance is the key. The lamp she presented resembles the static equilibrium of a tower crane. She translated the theme of vulnerability into a lamp that consists of two balancing wooden posts connected by a single wire.

Another beauty of this project is in the combination of high bright LED technology with tactile materialization. The LEDs are hidden within the horizontal post. When the brass strips touch, the electrical circuit is closed and the light turns on. You can adjust the position of the lamp by moving the horisontal post, and by bringing it down you can turn the light off.

Watch the video to see the object in action.

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Concrete Kitchen

The Concrete Kitchen by Martin Steininger has been recently awarded the prestigious RedDot design award. The designer used  ultra-thin 8 mm concrete as a main visual element in this project. Heat resistant and safe for food, the material is a perfect match for the function of the kitchen. However, the manufacturing process has to be very precise and requires a certain know-how. Hand-polished surfaces, minimal details and appliances add to the slick and streamlined look.

I love the combination of cool and masculine concrete and warm wood. Integrated herbal boxes save space and eliminate the need for cluttering additions to the kitchen.

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Wiroa Station Wine Cellar

Wiroa Station is the name of the minimal wine cellar built by MAP Architects in the Bay of Islands in New Zealand. The simplicity of the building has been dictated by the astounding backdrop of the scenery.

Restricted to 25m2 due to local planning regulations, the wine cellar features a beautiful interplay between coolness of concrete and warmth of natural wood. The wine bottles, displayed through the holes in the focal wall, make an exquisite statement.

I love how the subtlety of the interior sets the stage for the vista of the ocean. Thanks to this reserved and laconic design the enjoyment of the environment and the enjoyment of wine tasting can come together and transcend into one harmonious moment.

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black&black

K% is an exciting new venture, born from the collaboration between famed Japanese design studio Nendo and K Projects from Singapore, with Oki Sato, Nendo’s prolific co-founder, as a design director. The début collection, K% is currently showing at Salone del Mobile 2012, is called black&black. Purposely reduced to one colour, the line explores the relationship between structure and function. There is no distraction of new techniques or unusual materials. All pieces are made out of wood or metal.

The black&black collection is comprised of 15 objects, all following Nendo’s minimalist aesthetic. Sato elaborates:

It is exciting to be able to expand the original idea of Nendo into other parts of the world, starting with K%. We hope to bring a little bit of inspiration to everyone’s home through our products.

Collaborators for black&black are Singapore design firms Stidio JuJu and Exit Design. They each contributed an item to the collection.

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Standing Broom

Malaysia-based designer Poh Liang Hock had an idea so simple, it almost pains to admit no one had thought of it before – a standing broom. Rather than attaching a poll to bristles at the base, Hock modified the business part of the broom, making it both a platform to stand upon and a weighted anchor to keep the broom vertical. Here is how he reflects on the time when the idea was born:

My friends and I rented a house a few years ago. Like every other tenant, we had to clean our house from time to time. A broom, dustpan, and mop were all necessary tools in the process. However, amidst the cleaning process, the broom kept falling to the ground whenever I leaned it against the wall for some fresh air. As a result, I came out with the vision of solving this problem once and for all: how could I keep the damned broom from falling down.

The Standing Broom concept is a winner of the Red Dot Award in Domestic Aid category.

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House for a Photographer

Barcelona based architect Carlos Ferrater has built this stunner of a house for his brother, José Manuel Ferrater, in Alcanar, Spain. The building is placed in the area filled with gardens, orchards, and rice fields. The lot itself is a formal garden, the nod to which is seen in the landscaping techniques. Due to frequent floods in the area, the structure rests on a platform 20 inches above the ground. The low concrete walls, surrounding the house, serve as an additional protection from occasional floodwaters, allowing the full view of the beautiful mediterranean landscape.

The composition of the house is made up of three pavilions: living-dining-kitchen area, master bedroom and an artists’s studio with an alcove bedroom for guests.  The position and shape of the pavilions direct the views between them, creating a sculptural effect. The large openings offer alternative glimpses through the complex and inside the living structures. Interestingly enough, all interior pieces in the house were collected by the owners during travels - sofas from Indonesia, fabrics from Thailand, and miniature benches and chairs from Africa. No designer furniture…

Ferrater worked on this project in collaboration with Carlos Escura.

Photography by Alejo Bagué.

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Moon Glass

The Moon Glass is a collection of ceramic cups, designed by Seoul based studio Tale. Created specifically for rice wine and sake, this unusual piece reflects phases of the moon. The bottom of the glass is curved in a certain way. This curve, paired with the colour of the beverage, creates the lunar effect. The glass shows a full moon when it’s full of liquid, then as your drink, it slowly unveils a half moon, then a crescent-shaped moon.

I love the subtlety of the idea and aesthetically pleasing execution. Aside from the clever moon reference, these cups are simple and unembellished. Moon Glass comes in two sizes and two colours. Designers recommend to use the white version for coloured alcohol and tea.

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Sorry Giotto

Sorry Giotto is a new LED lighting collection by Italian brand Catellani & Smith. The name refers to the legendary perfect freehand circle drawn by Italian painter Giotto di Bondone in the 14th century. The modern circular objects in question are made from hand painted copper and LED, projecting relaxing warm light on the vertical surface. The collection includes a wall and a floor versions, the latter of which has already scored the ‘Best Floor Light’ award at the Wallpaper Design Awards 2012.

I love the dynamic between the circular shape of the lighting object and a larger circle of light it produces. It looks almost like a halo. And thanks to the LED technology, the 21st century halo-like reflections are much easier to make. Sorry Giotto…

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Drawn Pink

Drawn Pink is a stunning forty-foot installation by Kansas City based artist Anne Lindberg, currently displayed at the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts in Omaha. The work is comprised of threads of Egyptian cotton held in place by staples. Over 23 miles of thread was used for the piece.

I am completely blown away by the subtle beauty of the colour balance. The object looks like a pink pencil drawing suspended in the air. People reportedly gasp upon seeing the work, which surprises me not one bit.

Check out the time lapse video of the installation. Drawn Pink is part of a group show, titled Placemakers, which will run at the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts till March 31, 2012.

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