smith museum of stained glass, chicago

items: cropped images of stained glass windows
courtesy of: smith museum of stained glass, navy pier, chicago
comments: a friend invited me to go see this stained glass exhibit at navy pier. i hadn't heard of it and was pleasantly surprised by the pieces there. you really have to see them in person. the detail, color and craft are amazing. it's a nice way to "fill the well" with inspiration. check it out if you're in chicago.

made: coffee table

item: coffee table
materials: 3/4" plywood, hairpin legs and marble
comments: i decided to make this table when i happened upon the hairpin legs. yeah, someone in my neighborhood put them to the curb. lucky me! the marble piece dimensions dictated the depth of the plywood top. the store where i bought the plywood was nice enough to cut it to size for me. sweet. a bit of sanding and drilling and the table was ready. my eyes are on the lookout for a larger piece of marble now...

jim denevan

item: sand drawings
artist: jim denevan
materials: sand drawn patterns with sticks and rakes
photos via: http://www.jimdenevan.com/jim.htm
comments: these temporary pieces take hours to create and can span miles of beaches. can't imagine what it would be like to witness one from start to finish and then to watch it dissolve with the tide. jim also founded and organizes "outstanding in the field". the idea is temporary "restaurants without walls" that bring local farmers, chefs and guests together to enjoy meals prepared with local ingredients on site. they can take place at farms, gardens and even mountain tops. check out his website (see above link) and read about his work. amazing and inspiring.

taf architects

item: stairs
designed by: taf architects, sweden
material: pine that was originally prefab kitchen worktops
photos via: http://www.tafarkitektkontor.se/projects.asp?Id=107
comments: stairs designed with staggered risers to save space. genius. check out their website (see above link), their work is incredible.

confluences

item: confluences
designer: philippe nigro, france
materials: upholstered sofa with fabric or leather
courtesy of: elle decoration magazine
photos via: http://www.contemporist.com/2009/01/28/confluences-by-philippe-nigro/
comments: how do you design seating to satisfy the largest variety of people? you design a sofa with varying height, depth and firmness. this allows for people of different heights and sizes to choose to sit where they are most comfortable. confluences by philippe nigro answers this question in a playful, beautiful and bold way.

wedge

item: wedge sandals
designed by: top: pierre hardy, middle: prada and bottom: fendi
photos via: top: http://stylebinge.ocregister.com/tag/spring-shoes/
middle: http://nickverrreos.blogspot.com/2010/10/milan-fashion-week-spring-2011-prada.html and bottom: http://www.anothermag.com/current/view/722/Holiday_Loves
comments: amazing scale, volume and colors. these shoes command attention. now to find an occasion worthy of wearing them...

made: origami envelope

item: origami envelope
origami pattern designer: gay merrill gross
material: paper
courtesy of: origami; creative ideas for paper folding, written by gay merrill gross
comments: this envelope is easy to fold and so functional. that's what is so wonderful to me about origami. it is simple, elegant and functional. it's still amazing to me that you can take a two-dimensional piece of paper and without glue, fold it into something beautiful, sturdy and useful. gay merrill gross has written many books on origami which can be found on amazon. happy folding!

kokuyo design awards, tokyo

items: top: flower tac, middle: eraser with a core and bottom: primary colors palette
designers: top: kazunari kodama, middle: to-genkyo and bottom: liu zhi-qiang and ye ming-jie
courtesy of: spoon & tamago
photos via: spoon & tamago
comments: the flower tac is so interesting because it takes a tiny item that we use everyday that maybe we don't notice at all and makes it whimsical and beautiful at the same time. eraser with a core is smart, functional and handsome, three attributes you wouldn't normally give to an eraser, that's what makes it so terrific. the primary colors palette is a beautiful piece but what really makes it special is the functionality. the palette is designed to help children learn how to mix colors. all simple yet stunning designs.

colored pencil jewelry

item: colours, jewelry line
designer: maria cristina bellucci, italy
materials: various metal, wood and colored pencils
courtesy of: www.designboom.com
photos via: www.designboom.com
comments: maria worked in theatre costume where she created accessories and jewelry. she works with thin sheets of metal creating pieces with volume and air. most recently, she has begun working with more solid materials and color. breathtakingly beautiful work. check out more of her work here.

mobile food collective

item: mobile food collective, a group of flexible/mobile structures
designers: students at archeworks, a multidisciplinary, non-profit design organization in chicago.
materials: various recycled building materials donated by the rebuilding exchange in chicago.
courtesy of: archeworks.org
photos via: archeworks.org
comments: this is an amazing, hope-filled story. it begins with a passion for healthy food education, social connection, cultural preservation and ends with design bringing all these things together to improve communities. this project helps to bridge the gap regarding access to food, the information needed to grow your own food, seed and recipe exchanges and cultural significance surrounding food. this is all accomplished with this fleet of mobile structures. the large structure contains a table and storage that doubles as seating. the smaller components are bikes and trailers which contain additional storage. the design makes it mobile which allows it to travel to areas that are in need. the mobile food collective was recently on display at the 2010 venice biennale and at the merchandise mart in chicago. check out the archeworks website for more information and to see how they are inspiring people to grow and cook healthy food while strengthening their community ties and sharing their cultures.

air lamp

item: air lamp
designer: ray power
material: timber veneer: cherry, beech and a variety of stains
courtesy of: inside out magazine
photos via: http://www.kezu.com.au
comments: it's interesting that the lamp and the base are the same material and that they are all on one plane. available as a wall or desk lamp. ray has many other designs on kezu's website and they are all sculptural, fluid and beautiful.