It was a nice surprise to find this Japanese company named TEORI this week, they’re producing some superb items that also have a nice story and concept behind them. TEORI was founded in 1998 as a manufacturer of wood products in Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture. They specialise in making modern design objects out of bamboo, an eco-friendly material that grows much quicker than wood. Not only that, it’s also very …
I’m always on the lookout for shops and places displaying honest well-made objects which are both functional and visually appealing. I often find myself taking the simplest of objects and being immersed in the details and intricacies within. The ones which look great on a shelf and do an equally impressive job doing what they’ve been made to do. One shop I came across which instantly caught my eye was Objects of Use in Oxford, England …
After a craft orientated week it seemed suitable to highlight work more rooted in the usual design process, and Atelier Steffen Kehrle has been on my list of ‘likes’ for a while now. Although I say ‘usual’, their work is far from it, with one of my favourite parts of their studio website being that they show how they make a lot of the furniture and objects, also where the ideas stem from. Since I have …
I had a nice long rest over the Easter break, it gave me some time to reflect on our general direction and the quality of my writing here, possibly more the way it’s evolved over time. Often a small holiday is forced upon me by others, but this time it felt good to get away from the digital world and have inspiration thrown at me from lots of different angles. A bit of sun, nature and greenery does …
When viewing works made of glass I usually have two thoughts in mind: simplicity and functionality. A lot of European glassmakers tend to have this idea that they need to separate artwork from design work, ie they won’t make glassware that doesn’t have some sort of ‘style’ attached to it. This may mean making an object that’s purely decorative, or alternatively attaching a particular style or colour scheme to each one. Personally, I don’t feel …
The function vs non-function debate is one that I regularly battle with, as a designer my urge to make things structural and quite conformative is a very natural one, I like the idea of ordering disorder. But one thing I’ve been trying to do lately is to step outside this mindset and be more free and creative in other fields where it sees fit. Obviously, I’ll still have that element of functionality inside of me …
