If, like most people, you’re not flush enough to chuck money at the Christmas present problem, you’re probably relying on a thrifty, inventive ideas strategy. We have some stylish and distinctive gift ideas in our shop right now which are budget friendly. First up are the Sticky Quotes in a smart silver plate holder – priced £8.50 they come in packs of 3 pads and feature witty quotes from Dorothy
Odd sort Coco Chanel. For some the epitome of the self made, independent working woman who released women from the tyranny of the corset, for others an amoral, rabidly anti semitic social aspirant prepared to dance with the devil, or at least the Nazis, to achieve her ends. What nobody disputes however is her absolute genius for design and the enduring influence she had on her contemporaries and everyone after.
‘Designed to bring some joy to even the most gloomy of winter days’, this collection of well crafted scarves, hats and gloves combines classic styles with bold patterns. Hilary Grant, an exciting new knitwear label based in Orkney, has just been selected for Cultural Enterprise’s Fashion Foundry business incubation programme set up to support ten of Scotland’s most promising fashion designers. The pieces in the range are knitted and hand finished
For some reason, good glass art is hard to find. Much of it tends to the gaudy or the twee. These colourful bottles however – the biggest of which are two feet tall – are quite stunning. They are by award winning sculptor Elizabeth Lyons who handblows and signs each piece herself. They are custom works available directly from the Lyons Glass studio in Rochester New York. The images below show
If, as comedian George Carlin said, your house is ‘a place to keep your stuff while you go out and get…more stuff!’ then The Smallest Apartment in America is not for you. Luke Clark Tyler shows how he designed the interior of his 78 square foot New York apartment and provides decorating ideas for small spaces, including furniture, storage, kitchen and bath solutions. Luke downsized from a 96 square foot apartment
Looking as though they are floating above the ground, these brollies are held in place by wires between buildings in Agueda, Portugal. The installation is an initiative by the council in the small town just south of Porto and is part of an art festival called Agitagueda. Photos: Patricia Almeida, Diana Tavares Photos: Patricia Almeida, Diana Tavares
Rarely does a piece of design elicit universal praise. ‘Betty’ – the 2012 Olympic cauldron – codenamed by the organisers in honour of the executive producer’s dog – has melted even the hardest of hearts. Containing 204 petals for each of the countries competing in London 2012, designer Thomas Heatherwick was apparently told that on no account should he use moving parts. Despite multiple moving parts his design was approved.
Such a brilliantly clever video this for Sour’s Hibi no Neiro (Tone of Everyday) featuring web cam footage supplied by the band’s fans around the world. Some people really know what they’re doing with computers…
Coat hooks, like calendars, are modest household items which seem to inspire a sort of mania in designers to come up with ever more stylish and innovative prototypes. The ones featured here should allow the design conscious to hammer home their aesthetic credentials the minute anyone steps into their home. Be aware however that when you hang more than one coat on your hooks you no longer see the design
Forget the dreaming spires, this psychedelic fun palace is what Supermachine Studio came up with when asked to design a Creative Centre for Bangkok University. The two storey student village is housed in the university’s already cutting edge Landmark compound and is conceived as a stimulating environment students will want to hang around in after lectures are over. There’s a karaoke hut, music rehearsal room, pole dancing area and snooker