Christian Hallerod and Johannes Svartholm Mobile Office & Art for  arts organisation Mossutställningar. A conceptual piece consisting of four unique modules representing archetypes from the office contained within a frame. The pieces can be used separately or in formation to create a complex labyrinth.

2D LED by ding3000 A simple outline of a lamp made in aluminium and rubber. The light can be bent over to provide directional lighting from the LED contained in the outline of a lampshade. It turns from a graphic icon of a lamp into an animated character with a tilt of its neck.

Chicako Ibaraki – Weave Bookshelf.  Tokyo designer Ibaraki devised a bookshelf that can hold up to 200 books Interlocking steel frames have been set at angle to allow the books to be slotted in. The steel frame has been coated with a rubber paint to prevent the books from slipping.

Loop Stand by Leif Jørgensen for HayThe Loop collection is inspired by traditional trestles that have been stripped down to emphasise the 3D and give a graphic look. The range consists of trestles tables in three heights and and a wardrobe pictured here. I guess “wardrobe” is pushing it a bit but there you go!

Thin Black Lines byNendo Exhibited by Phillips de Pury & Company at the Saatchi Gallery during the London Design Festival and Frieze Art Fair.“Slight black lines like the traces of sketches drawn in the air made transparent surfaces and volumes appear, which we assigned practical functions.The designs gently break the relationship of before and behind, and traverse at times the space between two and three dimensions. Multi-faceted and constantly morphing, they move alternately between the becoming and collapse of form.”

Royal College of Art graduate Felix De Pass created Boundary Desk with the key storage elements slotting into the aluminium frame. I particularly like his bold use of colour to emphasis the different  shelves. The individual pieces, the draws, cable management and and also a privacy (not shown here) slot into the frame, which can also be made to the users required size. 

Ronan & Erwan Bouroullechave created a bathroom range for Axor that takes into account our own organising needs/ foibles.  The collection is not constrained by a rigid set of fixtures. With over 70 pieces in the collection the individual can build up the pieces as they need. Shown here separate shelves integrated into the basin allow the tap to be positioned where you like and additional shelves can be arranged freely.

In the kitchen Gitta Gschwendtner’s Drawer Kitchen for Italian brand Schiffini appears to be a stack of random boxes. Its only round the business side of the island uit where you would actually work that you understand the function of the piece. And it has been designed to be a functional piece although personally, I have my reservations. Yes it does function but it could also drive you crazy. I’m sure that those with the budget to buy it wouldn’t have the nightmare job of cleaning it. Imagine all those food bits that’ will get stuck. I’d also imagine that it would make a superb – if a little dangerous climbing “challenge” for toddlers. I’ve come over all practical; but to me the test of a good design is its seamless integration into your life. I  find this too confrontational, I do love designs that visually smacks you in the face but not one that you’d just keep smacking into. I have to say though this is a concept rather than a production piece.

AF Designs created Elementi Cabinet, a sculptural handcrafted piece that’s is at the same time wholly functional.  Panels have been covered in copper  that have been aged and treated in different ways to build up a mosaic. Two panels open to reveal cupboards and others are drawers, its a bit of a trick to discover how each panel opens. Its a beautiful piece that, with its use of material could sit as happily in a period house as  in a modern.

Modern architecture has often accused of  stacking  people on top of each other in a soulless little boxes. So it is a little ironic that this Hotel project by WAM architects in Zaandam Holland really has stacked a number of “houses” on top of each other. As yet there are no interior shots but its due for completion this Autumn. I would soooo love to stay there but I have a sneaky feeling its a little out of the way for Dutch Design Week. *runs off to check map of Holland*

This post has nothing to do with post holiday blues and the dullness of those long dark winter days - no really. This is an appreciation of Blue and how designers have used this incredible colour in its various shades and hues. Blue has long been associated with quality work. Far back into the Middle Ages the cost of  Ultramarine led to its use sparingly for the finest works, and so our association of Blue with quality began. 

Whether a luminous iridescent or a flat matt pigment designers have chosen a variety of shades to launch and promote new products in the past year. Starting from the lighter brighter blue from a spring morning (its January - I’m feeling hopeful!) down to a deeper day-into-night shade  

At the beginning of the year in Stockholm Ineke Hans chose to exhibit her Fly Chair  in a beautiful matt sky blue. Produced by Arco  its simple oak frame has been matt lacquered, allowing the form of the chair to been seen in varying shades.

At the same show Ligne & Roset displayed Confluences by Philippe Nigro seen here in a range of tonal blues.   Launched at IMM Cologne the interlocking yin yang design not only allows different arrangements but also posture settings for the different users.   

Quilt by Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec was launched by Established & Son at Salone del Mobile Milan. Using a shade of blue that expresses the moment that day turns to night . Appropriately enough, the day I got to see this the chair had been taken over by a lady in her twilight years who just wouldn’t move. For anyone.

At Design Miami/Basel 2009 designer Tomáš Gabzdil Libertiny of Studio Libertiny  The Bic Blue Cabinet. As the name suggests  Tomáš has used the ink from the ubiquitous Bic pen to colour his cabinet  not for him the finest most expensive natural pigment! That said though he hasn’t just coloured in an MDF cabinet and whacked on a bit of varnish. For 26,000 you get a handmade American Walnut cabinet, coated with Bic ink and hand-finished with French Polish; layer upon layer applied as you would to antique furniture. The combination of ink and polish give the cabinet an iridescence; a reminder of why this colour has been inspiring and intriguing artists for centuries. The finishing touches of gold plated hinges and Libertiny logo are hidden inside, there is no handle, it is a push to open system.

At the London Design Festival Benjamin Hubert chose blue for Splay his Coat stand for De La Espada. Seen here with all the other products this prolific new designer has launched in the last year.

And if you wanted to completely immerse yourself in blue, you could have visited the magical art installation Seizure by Roger Hiorns. Created by pumping 75,000 litres of copper sulphate into an abandoned council flat at letting the evaporating liquid form incredible blue crystals. It must have been quite some moment cracking open the seal to see if it had actually worked. Thankfully it had. Sadly the block and its crystal contents will be demolished – but then they said that last year… http://www.artangel.org.uk/

Do we have too much….stuff? Are our wardrobes bursting at the seams, all manner of clothing bits and bobs tumbling out? I have to confess, I would love to say I have everything neat and ordered, shoes boxed and labelled, but … no, in my dreams! 

Muscle by Giorgio Biscaro is a storage unit that shamelessly flaunts your happiness with organised chaos. The metal top and bottom are joined by elastic threads that you stretch to push your belongings in. There are no doors or sides to hide and contain your mess.   

 ”You can fill the inner part of the container as you like it, even more than what the bases can accept, because even if protruding, objects won’t fall thanks to the elastic wall, recalling a bulging biceps.” For more of Giorgio’s work  www.seemantic.com

 Soft Wardrobe by Katharina Ludwig

Katharina wardrobe does at least allow you to hide the extent of your untidiness  

“The soft wardrobe is supported and shaped by the strength and volume of the things put inside.
Its walls are not hard and supporting, but  soft like the clothes and flexible. They react in a certain way to the content and the way you fill the wardrobe.. Like this it changes its character according to the filling and becomes more alive.” For more of Kathy’s work http://www.kathyludwig.com/

Zak n2 Shelving by Casimir Meubelen.

Ahh the plastic bag…it can be stuffed with a whole host of things and they conveniently expand as we cram more and more in. With this everyday object in mind Casimir have built on the concept – literally. The bags have a sturdy oak frame and the plastic has been replaced with leather, which is perhaps not quite as stretchy but at least it won’t suddenly split and spill the contents across the floor.

Not on the storage theme but certainly a design that’s bursting out at you is Puff and Flock’s Spiky shower curtain. Rather than look at ways to contain the spoils of our over consumption, Elisabeth Buecher looked at how to discourages us from consuming too much. Her work explores the environmental issues of over consumption of water and is aimed at provoking debate rather than a serious product proposal.

The shower curtain allows the user 4 minutes to shower before gradually bursting out at you and leaving you no space left to shower in. So you stop.

Its interesting that since hearing about this design, each time I shower I’ve started to think “how long have I been in here?…. must stop…must stop…”   www.puffandflock.com