Design Debate

Not only is this cabinet a beautiful piece of furniture, but what lies behind is an interesting concept.  Swedish designer  Jenny Ekdahl  decided to create a piece of furniture which would aid recovery for people effected by natural disasters. Her product is very much 'please do touch' creating a tactile and interactive piece to help to reconcile the person with nature.  Jenny says  "The moveable structure is meant to give an outlet through which the user can express his emotions and personality and on which he can leave his own individual imprint. The patterns are based on water and waves, creating a tactile and rhythmic interaction with ever-changing images and underlying meanings."  The cabinet is called Dear Disaster and is made from  4000 pieces of beech wood.  One side of each wooden scale is painted blue, white or grey, while the other side has been left plain, so that they can be flipped to create patterns based on water and waves....

Blueberries and Kale by Laura Berman We have had quite a trying week and a half at work! Our internet has been missing! Thankfully all is back to normal and I could once again explore the great wide web. Today, what took my fancy was this beautiful food and plant photography from Canadian Laura Berman. Apple blossoms by Laura Berman I love how she finds pattern in nature, something I am drawn to myself - and the full palette of colour she explores too.  Oyster Mushroons and Miscanthus Grass by Laura Berman She is a very experienced photographer and many of her images have been used in editorial. Her background has evidently fed into her photographic work and given her a really good eye for framing an image. After 20 years as a landscape architect, horticulturist, and community garden animator, she turned her focus to photography.  Flower garden in the sun by Laura Berman Her interest is in food - the farmers, the people, the gardens, the plants and t...

Back in 2013 I came across Dutch company By Mölle and their gorgeous debut collection. 'Mölle', Dutch for 'mill', felt perfectly chosen for the brand. Started by sisters Eveline and Marianne Maat, the online shop brought together some really beautiful homewares celebrating the world's oldest materials of linen, wool and denim. Some of the wool used for these fresh and contemporary throws was sourced from the UK, while the linen came from an old flax mill in Lithuania. My favourite idea was their use of recycled denim. By Mölle took old jeans, removed the zips and buttons, washed them thoroughly and reduced them to fibres to create something completely new. By Mölle was the creative work of the two Dutch sisters, who fittingly lived in a miller's house with a windmill next door. The designs felt pure and modern while still looking back to the traditional crafts which once underpinned whole economies. Their intention w...