Autoboxes by Andrew Haythornthwaite

During a collaborative workshop organized by Dutch furniture company Arco, New Zealand-born Okay Studio member Andrew Haythornthwaite created Autoboxes, taking mechanical cues from the children’s toy jack-in-the-box, this project explores structures that can expand and contract with an easy gesture. The two resulting manifestations convert storage objects into display units by simply turning a handle, one expanding horizontally and the other vertically.

Autoboxes, by Andrew Haythornthwaite, Okay Studio, Photography by Lucas Hardonk
via, designboom

Wig Pendant by Chris Hardy for FontanaArte

“When I was conceptualizing this design I was inspired by the of society-a unique, organic social structure formed through the relationships that connect an individual to a greater community. This idea of a single mass constructed of smaller individual elements I found to be an interesting concept to visualize through form.”
- Chris Hardy

FontanaArte Wig Pendant, by Chris Hardy Design

Nenufar Sunshades by Samoa

Outdoor umbrellas tend to be fairly conventional, a fresh approach by Samoa offers Nenufar, sunshades with control over the shadow angle, perfect for that outdoor cafe or keeping cool poolside.

Nenufar by Samoa

Slumber Pouf by Aleksandra Gaca for Casalis

Who can resist the charm of these comfortable poufs designed by Aleksandra Gaca? The poufs are made in a three-dimensional elastic fabric and their shapes are highly flexible.

Slumber Pouf, by Aleksandra Gaca, for Casalis

Glassware by Karl Lagerfeld for Orrefors

The celebrated designer Karl Lagerfeld recently teamed up with the Swedish brand Orrefors to create a collection of crystal glasses which include champagne flutes and coupes, coasters, bowls, vases, as well as water and liqueur glasses. Transparent, black or milky white, and sometimes engraved with the KL monogram, the series is sophisticated and elegant.

Glassware, by Karl Lagerfeld, for Orrefors

Lea Ceramiche Presents Dotted Conversation by Patrick Norguet

Lines and Waves are the revolutionary protagonists of the installation conceived by the French designer for Lea Ceramiche. A micro-architecture, comprised of 3 communicating modules, stands out at the centre of the space and with a play on perspectives is surprising in the flexibility of the material covering it: super slim laminated porcelain Slimtech slabs only 3 mm thick. They however allow a large 300x100cm format, produced with advanced Lea Full HD technology which allows all types of decorative designs to be printed on glazed porcelain.

The Lines pattern, a composition of lines and vertical strokes which overlay and follow one another, first of all drawn by hand, then converted graphically by computer into countless punctiform elements, confers vibration, as well as depth, to the surface and intensifies the sensuality of the material through colour variation. Inviting visitors to enter the narrow and quiet passages and become totally immersed amongst the materials. A sensory conversation between design and technology.

Dotted Conversation, 16th – 20th June, Deco Design / Lea Ceramicheby, Paris Patrick Norguet, for Lea Ceramiche

Ekko Tri Leg & V Leg Base Table from Davis

Ekko ushers a new level of style into conference rooms and personal office spaces everywhere. Its clean, crisp lines and unapologetically simple aesthetics make a bold statement about both modern interior design and the people who incorporate it into their daily lives. New materials and striking architecture make Ekko a much-heralded addition to the impressive collection of traditional conference room options from Davis.

Ekko Tri Leg Base Table, Ekko V Leg Base Table, by Wolfgang C.R. Mezger, for Davis

Jean-François d’Or: Golden Child of Belgian Design

Thirty-seven-year old Jean-François d’Or (a name that befits the sunny, luminous quality about him) is considered one of the most talented, prolific and appreciated designers in Belgium.

In 2010, he was chosen to represent his hometown, Brussels, during the national design week (Design September), and a retrospective selection of his works was displayed in one of the shiny spheres of the iconic Atomium. On this occasion, critics praised his “simple, unpretentious, logical objects that appeal as much for their evident, clearly perceptible design as well as their discrete poetry”. “Humble” is quite the epithet for Jean-François d’Or — and he proudly claims the label, turning these words from Belgian poet George Linze into his motto: “A strange phosphorescence covers the humblest objects as if poetry were only what is extraordinary about the ordinary”.

Droog design, Domani, Interni Edition, Konstantin Slawinski, Jongform, Ligne Roset (his terracotta Maternity pot was recently released during the Milan Salone, another landmark in the collaboration he started a few years ago with the Roset group) or The Conran Shop are among the brands his name has been associated with. Lately, he has designed a bed for Magnitude (which was introduced during the Kortrijk fair) and a series of door handles for Vervloet (on display at Maison&Objet in Paris). A large panel which somehow illustrates his versatility, as well as his ability to absorb himself into raw material, whether clay, glass, metal or wood is involved.

Graduated from the renowned La Cambre School of design in Brussels (1998), he started his own studio, Loudor design, five years later. In between, he had managed to achieve a project in New York with textile designer Caroline Ray, then to work in his homeland with star designers such as Maarten Van Severen and Hans De Pelsmacker. Already granted a Henry van de Velde award (Belgium’s most coveted prize in the design field), this deeply grounded young man’s creations are now everywhere, through his brainchild: Loudor design has set up ongoing collaborations with the most prestigious design labels in Europe. A gifted, modern day alchemist, well-named Jean-François d’Or seems to turn everything he touches into gold.

– Elodie Palasse-Leroux
(French journalist Elodie Palasse-Leroux is the founder and editor of Sleek design, launched in 2009)

Bonbonne hanging lamp, Bonbonne floor lamp, Arlequin, Bonbonne, Drop, Mezzoluna, by Jean-François d’Or, Loudor design

DEX Desk by Reinier de Jong

DEX is a refined, compact en minimalist desk that fits anywhere at home. The frame consists of two horizontal cross shapes of solid wooden laths and a drawer unit. The frame has a minimal presence round the seat for optimal comfort. The drawer unit has two or three drawers. They can be pulled out entirely to provide a place for a printer which one can control from the seat.

DEX Desk, by Reinier de Jong

Exhibition: Jean Prouvé by G-Star Raw for Vitra

Prouvé RAW is a collection of newly interpreted furniture classics from French designer and artisan Jean Prouvé. The designs of Jean Prouvé have been a source of inspiration for the creative team at G-Star for quite some time. This appreciation of and fascination with the artist was the starting point for Prouvé RAW in collaboration with Vitra. Thanks to the cooperation of G-Star, the Prouvé family and Vitra, Prouvé’s most famous designs have been re-issued with a contemporary flair, while some of his lesser-known designs have been rediscovered.

Jean Prouvé by G-Star Raw, June 15th – July 31st, daily 12 – 2:00 pm, at the Fire Station by Zaha Hadid on the Vitra Campus in Weil

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