balancing act

really cool video of a very cool product
sold at areaware

the chicest cup holder

Please meet the chicest cup holder on the planet.

A creation of petit h (yes, h as in Hermes, see my previous post), designed by leather craftsman and saddler Michael Orain.

When you look at it vertical on the cup, it's the exact same shape as the traditional Hermes craftsmen and saddlers apron and when you tilt the cup horizontal, it's the saddle, another iconic silhouette for Hermes. So everyday with your coffee (starbucks included), you have the whole history of Hermes in your hand. How powerful is that?

... and YES you can actually own one soon: they will be available at the petit h sale in the Hermes Madison store between Nov 2nd and 23rd 2011 and on Hermes.com (10/3 to 10/23).

I have to start drinking coffee now!!

petit h

Last Friday I got to visit the petit h studio in Paris and the Hermes ateliers (yes, as in Hermes) thanks to my very good friend Mathieu Forestier from White Sky.
The most inspiring visit ever.

petit h is the "atelier de re-creation" (re-creation studio) of Hermes. The idea is that Hermes having probably the highest quality control in the world, there's a gold mine of rejected materials that are absolutely perfect around the one tiny fault that made it get out of line. Well, petit h gives these "rejected" or "left over" pieces another chance to get in the spotlight. They might not become the Birkin bag they always dreamed they would be, but they might become the ear of this giant bunny designed by Marjolijn Mandersloot for the year of the Rabbit (see last image), or part of another one of a kind poetic objects created in the studio with the savoir faire of the Hermes artisans.
The movie on the Hermes website and a few of the objects below, will explain it better than words...

Directing the magic are Pascale Mussard, from the Hermes family as the art director and Cyril Feb, managing director (with me and the rabbit above) that I had the privilege to meet - exquisite people for sure!!
There's no limits to what's possible, you should see the studio, the ultimate dream. Believe me, if I lived in Paris, I would have volunteered myself to make coffee, sharpen pencils or anything that would allow me to stand around and absorb...

pretty light bulb

Please meet the Plumen 001 designed by Hulger and Sam Wilkinson (UK) - discovered on ahalife where you can buy them for $30. Do I really need to say why I love them??
Some numbers: it uses 80% less energy than a regular bulb and lasts 8 times longer.


also see the dezeen article showing the bulb in glass vessels for DECODE, London.

sort of coal

I haven't been that excited about a product in a long time... especially as I'm getting more and more disgusted by consumerism in general.
I discovered this water purifier bottle (on the table of some very good friends of mine) that makes you want to ditch your old BRITA - even though that wouldn't be very environment friendly - and its disposable filters full of plastic and cheap coal...
This is a whole different level, the coal is in the bottle, the design is impeccable.
There's a whole philosophy behind the products from SORT OF COAL, read about it on their website. It's just the most inspiring company I've heard of in a long long time.

>> the bottle with the piece of coal is 68 euros + shipping from Denmark (35 euros to the US). A lot more irresistible products on their website...

I'm in love!

hugo the wild boar

His name is Hugo and he's the result of a collaboration between 2 of my favorites: Aeraware and Monocle designed by David Weeks.
Limited edition: 100 only, available online (110£)

be-poles paper goods

be-poles is the graphic agency in Paris who worked with MERCI on their brilliant visual identity. Check out my blog about MERCI and see their blog for more photos. They have a great approach they call ecographik about graphics and environment. They've designed a few great items for them as well - and you can find more on their website.

above, my MERCI paper bag (4 euros in the store) I use as a paper basket in my office in NY. I told you I'd be talking about MERCI a lot!!

wasara paper tableware

I discovered WASARA at MERCI (see post on my favorite store in Paris here).
These are one time use paper tableware made out of a mix of reed pulp, bamboo, and bagasse (sugarcane waste) which is usually discarded in the sugar making process.
It's super-eco friendly, and the soft feel and Japanese aesthetic are irresistible. the website's images to explain the concept are great

check it out here

a few products I love

all images above from the wasara website

pop up public bathrooms

I overheard French people talking about it on the street of NY, and I found it on likecool.com. The urilift unit (pictured here) can be found in several cities in Europe, it stays underground all day, and comes up at 10pm to go back down at 3pm... They seem to have noticed that this is when the drinking -therefore the toilet need- happens.
But these are for men only as they're actually a set of 3 urinals. The one we could import to the US would be the urigienic, which has a door, and also has the advantage of being unisex thanks to its "revolutionary suspended toilet seat".

get a character

I love these salvaged characters from this brilliant company in Finland: characters. They were once part of a store front, and were re-cycled with led lights.
I want one!! (between 120 and 400 euros, all one of a kind)

discovered on Toxel.com.

white with a splash

Could a bathroom be more chic?
LOVE the "tambo" sink, in synthetic resin designed by Sergio Rochas ADORE the white version of the "pan" faucets by Ludovica + Roberto Palomba or "tara" by Dornbracht (amazing in black as well, but that didn't match the title of the post!)

jan feliks kallwejt

Amazing, absolutely love it!
I discovered Jan Felitz Kallwejt on notcot.com (where else??). He's a young graphic designer/illustrator, officially my favorite!!

much more on his website

euro condoms

I just learnt about the new rule to ban the light bulbs in the EU, starting with the frosted ones in Sept 2009. Find out more in this article of LEDs magazine.
Well, this Ingo Maurer's answer to it: the euro condom! He revealed it during design week in Milan. I found it on designboom.
What do you think?

worksite inspired

Maybe I spent too much time in my father's workshop, but I LOVE the industrial look, especially mixed with clean and polished...
I love #1 for how simple it is, and I always had a crush on worksite lamps like #2 (cleaned up version). #3 is the most brilliant radiator I've ever seen: you can leave it hung like that or drag part of it where you're hanging out for extra heat!! love love love.
Most of these could be cool DIY projects, especially if you have the same thrill as me walking down the plumbing isle of Home Depot!

1 - tap hanger from junktion starting at 100 euros
2 - work lamp from Form us with love - ScandinavianDesignCenter ($132.98)
3 - Ciussai radiator from Ad Hoc - world style design (1,520 euros)
4 - Seen in the April issue ELLE decoration - supermarket cart painted glossy white (DIY)
5 - light plumbing from Claus Bjerre, ed. Danish Crafts (75 euros at Home autour du monde in Paris)
6 - towel hanger from junktion
7 - Medito wall lamp - made in design (68 euros)
8 - chanukah lamp from junktion

1, 3, 4, 5 seen in the april 09 issue of Elle Decoration
Home autour du monde 8 rue des francs bourgeois, Paris 3eme 01 42 77 06 08

Thonet N14

Thonet chair number 14, hands down the most seated-on chair in Paris!
The French ELLE decoration gave it a spread in its April's issue (great issue by the way) showing also how it still inspires designers.
I love the MUJI version (2009) for its simplicity.
Also love the "Dan" as the Scandinavian cousin, and the fluo plexi "prosthesis" because the seat is the first thing to go on the originals and it's always hard to replace and look good, at least this one is not "trying" to be like the original.
I wanted to show the IKEA version in recycled plastic OGLA but for some reason it's not on their website anymore...

Images above from the French ELLE decoration April 09 issue, except for black and white which shows how it was packed: six pieces of wood, two circles, two sticks and a couple of arches - held together by 10 screws and two nuts. The first example of green industrial design. Ikea before Ikea.

Below is a sample of Pablo Reinoso's Number-14-inspired work:

Takashi Murakami fix

Just a quick nod to Takashi Murakami.
I'm sure you know him, at least for his collaboration with Louis Vuitton.
He's creating a world that he translates into fine art, luxury good and bring it to the mass market with small toys, stuffed animals etc.
Sorry, nothing very new here - except for the paintings above - but I just had a craving for his feel good video (click to check it out), so I thought I'd share...

This is from the retrospective at

MOCA (Museum of Modern Art in LA) last year: