Fish Bowls

Roger Arquer’s designs challenge the iconic image of the fish bowl. The attractive bowls come in fifteen different varieties which serve to personify the fish within. The bowls speak to the prescribed personality traits of pet fish. “Do Not Piss Me Off” describes the human power to decide between the life and death of the fish with a symbolic drain plug. “Suicidal Tendencies” is a bowl that prevents unhappy fish from jumping out. “Private Matters” provides an opaque area for fish who are tired of living in glass houses. “Above Water” lets your fish share its water with the plant above.

The designs are elegantly simple, sometimes so subtle that it is necessary to look twice to see what alteration has been made to the classic fish bowl. Yet the simplicity of the physical bowl in no way translates to simplicity of ideas.

Servus

German furniture designer Florian Saul‘s elegant clothing rack, Servus (Latin for servant) is a minimal, lightweight yet practical wardrobe.

The wardrobe, with its simple and reduced form, leans against a wall, supported by two small rubber feet. To accommodate small items such as gloves and scarves, there is a removable leather bag attached to the frame. If additional space is required, two frames can be combined. The cross-connection could subsequently provide space for conventional hangers.

Dome Table Lamp

The Dome Table Lamp by Todd Bracher takes an honest approach to design  this lighting solution. His Dome Lamp is all about achieving flawless light in a thoughtful way. The lamp was inspired by the phases of the moon and its contrast between light and shadow. Bracher designed the lamp to be a perfect half-sphere so that it is evenly lit on all sides. Just as the moon’s source of light is the sun, the perfect globe shade of the lamp is illuminated by its “sun” within, the light bulb.

Standing Broom

Malaysia-based designer Poh Liang Hock created 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. 

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

SodaStream Source

Salone Internazionale del Mobile is the global benchmark for home furnishings and this year’s edition begins tomorrow in Milan. One highly anticipated product to be presented is the new SodaStream Source system by San Francisco designer Yves Béhar as part of an installation at MOST.

The elegantly redesigned SodaStream Source is the result of a collaborative project between Béhar and SodaStream. The primary focus was on sustainability, reducing and refining the entire sparkling water and soda making experience, as well as the simplicity in aesthetics.

Twist

Twist is a floor lamp that allows you to control the amount of light you desire. It is simple to use: just twist the neck and the light will smoothly move up. Only as many LEDs are lit up as are needed which means that when the lamp is half the way up only the top half of the LEDs are turned on. The lamp has a solid stainless steel base and the neck is made of powder coated aluminium.

Twist, created by Milan based Stefan Krivokapic, founder of Skrivo Design, in cooperation with Arian Brajkovic, was recognized in 2010 with a Premio Lissone Design award.

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 piece reflects phases of the moon. The bottom of the glass is curved. 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.

Moon Glass comes in two sizes and two colours.

Imagine with Lego

German advertising agency Jung von Matt have created this print campaign to advertise Lego. These minimalist printed ads, although perhaps not entirely original, are interpretations of a selection of widely known cartoon characters, created using blocks of Lego.

Catskill Mountain House

Introducing Catskill Mountain House in Catskill Mountains, New York by Audrey Matlock. Built based on simple forms and applying fluidity within spaces, the home becomes a retreat where architecture and nature become one.

Some of the interesting architectural features are the white framework and a large cast concrete wall that protects the terrace, pool, and outdoor fireplace from a rocky slope. Full height windows allow for maximum light and expanding views of the Catskill Mountains. Interiors consists mostly of a monochromatic palette of black, white, and gray with the addition of blue and green coming in from the outside in a form of skies and nature. Other features include heated and polished concrete floors, slate accent walls and ebony stained ash cabinetry.

Bruder Klaus Kapelle

Hélène Binet is a renowned architectural photographer who has photographed the work of contemporary and historic designers. Her diverse portfolio includes work of architects such as Daniel Libeskind, Zaha Hadid, Le Corbusier, and Alvar Aalto.

Peter Zumthor’s Bruder Klaus Kapelle, a chapel in Mechernich, Germany is an highlight on Binet’s portraits. Binet’s incredible images of this structure stand out as a unique achievement among architectural photography. Zumthor’s buildings are a notorious challenge to capture on film. This is because his design theory is based on the phenomenological aspects of the space. Zumthor’s structures are designed to be enjoyed through full sensory experience. The look, feel, and even scent of the materials come together as one moves through the space. This results in a collage of sensory input that manifests as an overwhelming presence of building. How is one to capture this experience in a still image?

Binet met Zumthor’s challenge with vigor. Magically, her work captures the very essence of the Bruder Klaus Kapelle. Through her images, the viewer has a sense of approaching, entering, and leaving the space. I am aware of the weight of the obelisk-like structure as if it loomed above me. I can nearly feel the concrete brush against my arm. I squint at the light in the ceiling to see what lurks in the sky above. Binet lures out the character of Zumthor’s structure and makes it apparent, even when viewed from a mere computer screen.