Old Drawers become Design Beauties

I’ve fallen in love.  There I’ve said it.  It’s a rare event, but when it happens, well, you know the symptoms.  Distracted thoughts, expecting to see my amour around every corner, and checking out pictures a little too often on the internet.

The object of my desire?  The gorgeous dressers created by the re-use of old drawers by two different firms in Berlin and Hamburg: Entwurf Direkt and Franziska Wodika’s Schubladen.  Both designers make a similar product, and the results are beautiful.  A classic item renewed by taking old drawers, and mixing and matching them into a new storage possibilities.  It’s more than just  dressers – they make desks, sideboards, kitchen counters, you name it and they’ll do it. Read the rest of this entry »

Vienna EOOS

One day, over 20 years ago, three men met while applying for admission to the University of the Applied Arts in Vienna.  Out of this chance meeting blossomed Vienna’s EOOS design firm.  EOOS, which derived its name from one of the four winged horses of Aurora, has a steadfast reputation for never doing a project they’re not interested in.  While this caused some lean times for the three founders in the beginning, it also garnered Gernot Bohmann, Harald Gründl, and Martin Bergmann a respected reputation, which after years of struggle not only paid off, but also allowed them to develop their signature approach – Poetical Analysis. Read the rest of this entry »

ic! berlin. Collaborating with White Line Hotels

“Elton John has a pair.  Madonna has 6 and the king of Morocco – he has 42!”

ic! berlin. Glasses with Heart.

Meet Ralph Anderl, the man behind Berlin eyewear legends ic! berlin.  There’s no doubt that his firm epitomizes style, confidence and individuality. Their daring runway walk made a big splash at Berlin’s Fashion Week, furthering their reputation as a firm that’s not afraid to take risks. Read the rest of this entry »

Vienna. Breaded Escalope and Fast Flowers

Vienna’s Breaded Escalope Studio (bE), run by Sascha Mikel, Martin Schnabl and Michael Tatschl has a history of challenging the system, or rather, improving upon faulty yet well established systems in our day to day lives.  Their design philosophy integrates strategies of social sustainability with the idea that objects and environments should facilitate interaction and add convenience to the lives of users.

The studio doesn’t create work; rather it makes “statements” which are often produced through playfully interactive performances.  They don’t believe in adhering to traditional standards of beauty, however they do believe in the poetics of a communicative and functional product.  Their statements are a result of a research-based approach and results in the production of a limited edition of “statements”. Read the rest of this entry »

Slow Cow

Slow Cow, it's no Bull

Lino Fleury founder of Slow Cow, whose mission it is to “de-stress the world”, announced recently that production of his Canadian “relaxation” drink will commence in Europe, China and the US in a matter of months.

Slow Cow (the name not totally inspired by Red Bull, but partly by the relaxed persona of the cow) contains a number of natural relaxation substances, helping you to slow down a little and take the stress out of life.

Ingredients include, L-Theanine – a relaxation substance that actually improves overall cognition while increasing cerebral levels of dopamine, the neurotransmitter of pleasure.  Chamomile with its reputed anti insomnia qualities.  Passion flower – a helpful sleep agent. Valerian, Tilia and Hops are all popular in reducing anxiety and stress. Sodium is commonly used in reducing fatigue during exercise.

So, keep your eyes on the energy drink shelves in the coming weeks.  Slow Cow – the drink that will calm you down, is hitting stores near you soon.