Home Furnishings

Sean Yu and Yi-ting Cheng began 22™ in 2005 with a desire to create items in both metal and concrete. Inspired by Japanese architect Tadao Ando, the duo set out to rethink ways to use such an industrial material like concrete to make everyday items like clocks and pens.

Based on a childhood love of model glider planes, Daniel Hulsbergen created the Vederlicht (Featherlight) out of the same materials as the planes and using the same technique. Not being able to afford the costly hobby as a kid fueled his fascination with it to this day, so turning it into lighting only seemed natural.

PROOFF recently launched the #006 SideSeat that was designed by the Netherlands-based duo Studio Makkink & Bey. It's the latest item they've released that begs its users to be "flexible with their working space." The multifunctional design is not just a chair, it also features a desk and storage.

I was thrilled when I heard that urbancase had released a new piece of furniture. The Alvo stool was designed by Brian Beck and he also hand-makes every single stool himself using vintage German block planes and a simple bench lathe; no computers necessary - just good, old fashioned muscle.

After years of making lamps and separately making textiles and patterns, jefdesigns has married these two in a series of new drum pendant lights.

The Barrel Lamp by Nieuwe Heren has a new little brother, the Baby Barrel Lamp, also designed for Dutch design label called New Duivendrecht.

I thought it might be fun to follow around a student designer to get a better idea of what it's like to be a design student these days (or a student in general!). Pratt Institute Industrial Design student Casey Daurio, who graduates in 2013, gladly offered us the opportunity to peek inside his everyday world. Let's follow him around on the exciting occasion of Pratt Institute's 125th anniversary celebration:

I just discovered ALLT and I'm addicted. Everything they've designed is ridiculously cool. Run by Peter Simonik and Elena Bolcekova, and based in Slovakia, the studio has churned out quite a bit of fantastic stuff in just a short amount of time (the studio was founded in 2011). Prepare to be amazed:

Grocery shopping just got a heck of a lot easier with this device called hiku. You scan the barcode of an item you're running out of or finished OR you say what item you need and then it magically sends (well, via Wi-Fi) the item name to a list on your phone. No more forgetting food when you're at the store because you'll have the list that you've been accumulating with you. Genius!

Canadian design student Brendan Gallagher might not be finished with his degree yet, but in my mind I think he's graduated. His Rocker No. 1, which is made of walnut, woven wire mesh and fabric, looks like a classic in the making.

Valencia-based multidisciplinary design studio Sputnik is run by Majo Fernández, María de la O Reyna, María Salar and Borja Sepulcre, and recently exhibited their latest collection during the Habitat Valencia Fair.

New York City-based textiles and design company, ZAK+FOX is headed by Zak Profera, with help from his trusty Shiba Inu, Shinji. The textile collection, comprised of 10 designs, is defined by an aesthetic that is warm, modern, and eclectic. His work draws influence from his early studies of conceptual art at the San Francisco Art Institute, as well as his recent international treks – from the outskirts of Istanbul in search of vintage finds, to the depths of the Black Forest for an open-air expedition. As for "Fox," he says, “I loved the idea of a boy and his dog traversing the globe, unearthing ancient treasures." In this week's Friday Five, we can see where the pair finds inspiration.