inspiration pad, marc thomasset

item: inspiration pad
designer: marc thomasset, belgium
photos via: marc thomasset
comments: marc is a designer from brussels. the inspiration pad was a personal project of his. as someone who is seldom without a journal, this just caught my eye. it would be so fun to scribble and sketch in this notebook. hope you enjoy it. you can find more of marc's work on his website and on behance.

fiducia vases and candlesticks by louise campbell for kahler design

item: fiducia vases and candlesticks
designer: louise campbell for kahler design
photos via: kahler design and louise campbell

comments: these ceramic vases and candlesticks are meant to be displayed in groups. their "arms" have magnets so that they can be arranged into many configurations and will hold together nicely. the curved shapes and fun colors are lovely. please take a look at louise's website to see more of her work. her talent is boundless.

spring street studio, hanna werning

items: surface designs
designer: hanna werning of spring street studio, sweden
images via: spring street studio
comments: hanna is an incredibly talented designer from stockholm. her patterns shown here are for textiles (sofa covers for ikea and fabric for anna sui clothing designs), wallpaper, and ceramics. the wall papers are also posters. the size is 19.7" X 27.5" and is designed with a repeat pattern when pasted to a wall but also stands alone as a poster. love this idea! i especially love the large areas of reverse (white area where there is no ink) that create those beautiful silhouettes in the fourth image. the complexity of forms and colors in her work is wonderful. how she balances it, amazing. please check out her website to see more of her work. you won't be disappointed.

studio snowpuppe, origami lampshades

item: origami lampshades
designed by: studio snowpuppe, netherlands
photos via: snowpuppe etsy shop
comments: nellianna van den baard (architect) and kenneth veenenbos (industrial designer), of studio snowpuppe, designed these origami lampshades. not only are they beautiful in form, but the choice of material (paper) creates a soft, ambient light which is diffused and soothing. the lampshades are designed to be used with led bulbs which is an added environmental bonus. please check out their etsy shop for more of their amazing work.

kirstu storage, studio suppanen for marimekko

item: kirstu storage
design firm: studio suppanen
photos via: studio suppanen
comments: the base of this storage is made from polyester felt which is rigid but tactile at the same time. the lid, with its playful pattern, can also be used as a tray. what i love about this design is that it is functional but also beautiful. i admire when designers take products that can sometimes be mundane and make them so much more. this is visually interesting storage that can also be used as a table. this is storage that you would want to leave out on display. that is quite a feat. please check out studio suppanen's website (link above) for more of their beautiful work.

mokusei lamp

item: mokusei lamp
designed by: asahi plywood industry
photos via: tortoise general store
comments: this lamp is made of twenty triangular pieces of cherry veneer. the end user assembles the pieces into either one large lamp or two lamps made of ten pieces each. love the translucent quality of the veneer, the texture, and the overlapping areas. nice.

linda ketelhut

items: digital collage illustrations
artist: linda ketelhut
images via: linda ketelhut
comments: these pieces are the work of a self-taught illustrator and surface designer from austin texas. wow, the color, composition and transparency are amazing. please check out her website and etsy shop for more of her work.

heath ceramics, dwell patterns

items: ceramic tiles
designed by: heath ceramics and dwell
images via: heath ceramics
comments: heath ceramics is an amazing mid century pottery company that designs and produces tableware and tile. the company was started by edith heath over fifty years ago. it is currently owned by robin petravic and catherine bailey who have carried on edith's commitment to design and environmentally responsible production methods. the images shown here are from a collaboration between heath and dwell. the collection consists of three tile shapes which can be configured into one, two, or three color combinations to create a variety of patterns. please check out the link above to see more of heath's designs. their work will not disappoint.

folda table and chairs, jordi gisbert and veronica coloma of ham & cheese

item: folda table and chairs
designers: jordi gisbert and veronica coloma of ham & cheese
photos via: ham & cheese
comments: jordi is a product designer and veronica is a graphic designer. together, they formed the design studio, ham & cheese. the folda table and chairs are designed for two users but can also adapt to four users. this is an elegant way to solve the problem of needing extra seating temporarily in small spaces. each chair is really two chairs, with one that fits inside the other. brilliant, your extra chairs are always at hand. no need for extra storage or chairs that don't match. the table expands also. the design is impeccable, the materials beautiful, the craftsmanship meticulous and the addition of color adds fun and contrast. please check out their website for more of their designs. love the thought, quality, and whimsy of their work, hope you do too.

made: origami box

the base of these boxes is one of my favorite patterns called, "tsura" designed by tomoko fuse. the pattern is from the book written by her titled "origami boxes". it is made of two pieces that fit together to create a square cube that is so much fun to make. the paper i used is actually calendar pages from the typographic calendar designed by kit hinrichs of studio hinrichs. it's just too beautiful of a calendar to recycle so i save it for paper projects. fun! the lid is made from the "masu" box pattern with a sticker placed inside to keep it together. to finish, i thread the ribbon through a washer because it is simple and has just enough tension to hold the ribbon in place. bonus, the ribbon doesn't get wrinkled like it would if tied in a bow, which makes reusing it easier. yes, i am one of those people who reuses ribbon, and tissue, and wrapping paper. fact: making origami boxes is pretty high on my list of fun. paper geek, i know!

triplette chair, paul menand

item: triplette chair
designer: paul menand
photos via: paul menand design
comments: this chair is designed to be used as one, two or three chairs. yes, i know it sounds confusing, but the design of each chair fits into the next so that when you only need one chair it stacks back together perfectly. love the simplicity of the design and the flexibility it offers without sacrificing beauty. nice.