Tag: Inspiration

This object is so strange and specific, I thought for sure it came out of Japan. But in fact, this MG Raiser is from German company Manga Guardian. It's a sort of remedial device aimed at manga (Japanese comics) lovers. The deal is that most manga volumes are about 13cm wide. But th

This sideboard is by British furnituremaker Nick James. It's made of solid Oak, and features a single height-adjustable interior shelf. The real beauty is on the outside:

This striking Ultras Sconce is by 6:AM Glassworks. Though based in Milan, the Italian design brand is dedicated to showcasing Venetian glassmaking techniques practiced in Murano.The sconce is actually blown as a single piece of glass. To achieve the two colors, the artisans use the Venetian a canne ("with cane") technique. This is where separate glass rods (canes) are assembled into a single mass, then blown into shape.

This handsome Plinth is by Swedish industrial designer Martina Claesson. Inspired by the form of a gymnast's vault, her aim was to make a simple, elegant stool and storage piece.

In some manufacturing facilities, you may see gigantic storage cabinets that look like this: That's the Hänel Rotomat, by German office equipment company Hänel Bu¨rosysteme. They developed the design in 1957, inspired by t

As all parents know, children rapidly outgrow both clothing and furniture. In the 1970s, Luigi Colani designed this plywood Tobifant furniture set, which could grow in height along with the child. Colani designed it to not only be flatpacked, but to be utterly easy to assemble. The joinery consists of simple wedged tenons.

This beautiful Topos Chair and Sunlounger were designed by Zaha Hadid Architects.

This Roulette Cart, by a Belgian company of the same name, is designed to make grocery shopping easier in urban environments. It was designed by Belgian industrial design firm Futurewave (though at press time it wasn't yet on their website). It's sized for the city, at 64.5 cm H × 34 cm W × 24.5 cm D (25.4" x 13.4" x 9.6"). The frame is powder-coated aluminum, and the bag is waterproof nylon. T

The beauty of sailboats is that they don't require power in order to move. However, modern-day sailboats have a host of onboard electronics that do require power: Navigation lights, radar, a VHF radio, a GPS unit, the navigation console, interior lighting. These are typically powered by batteries, which are charged by an auxiliary motor if the boat has one, or the boat can be plugged in at the dock.However, a Belgian startup called Phileole has invented an alternative: This Grain Blanc wind turbine. This can be bolted to the mast. Because of its vertical orientation, it can capture wind from any direction. And unlike having to fire up the

In design, the transitions between surfaces are everything. And in a perfect world, those surfaces are designed at the same time, giving the designer the luxury of thinking things through.Sometimes, however, things need to be retrofit. And then it's up to someone who may not have any design training at all to come up with a coping solution. What do you think of these four executions:1 2 3 4