Connor Renwick

The Design Milk team knows a thing or two about finding the perfect holiday gift (have you seen our collection of hand-selected holiday gift guides?). Read on for part two of our team’s top holiday gift recommendations, and if you haven’t seen part one, give that a read when you’re done! You can always find all our staff picks and more in the Design Milk Shop here!

Gregory – Contributing Writer/Tech Editor | Cloth Napkins by Anchal Project

Gregory – Contributing Writer/Tech Editor | Cloth Napkins by Anchal Project

“Cloth napkins aren’t usually something that rates highly on wish lists typically, but as an admittedly eager and occasionally haphazard eater, I found myself amusingly enthused upgrading from an older set of very durable, yet rough fabric napkins recently to something more pleasantly tactile and contemporary – a complementary set of Graph and Prism design napkins. Not only does the subtle dotted line geometric patterns appeal aesthetically – hinting both of quilt-like craft and modernist wireframe forms – but the organic cotton is supple, absorbent, and textured and hasn’t failed me yet when I need to wipe my face clean between bites. These would make a great gift for anyone who loves to eat, as much as they appreciate good design.”

$28

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Vy – Lifestyle Editor | Kronos Double Wall Coffee Cup by KINTO

Vy – Lifestyle Editor | Kronos Double Wall Coffee Cup by KINTO

“No one needs another coffee mug for the holidays, but these coffee cups are truly the exception. The double wall design keeps you from burning your hands and the simple silhouette looks beautiful sitting on an open shelf. If you have a coffee-loving friend, I would definitely gift them a bag of fresh beans – they will be SO excited.”

$13

Jaime – Founder + Chief Creative Officer | Candlehand “Victory/Peace” by 54 Celsius

Jaime – Founder + Chief Creative Officer | Candlehand “Victory/Peace” by 54 Celsius

“This Candlehand Victory/Peace candle by 54 Celsius is a very cute and stylish accessory – makes it difficult to choose whether to light it or leave it! It would make a fun and unique gift for a new homeowner.”

$40

Kate – Director of Merchandising | B10 Blender + Hydration Station by Beast Health

Kate – Director of Merchandising | B10 Blender + Hydration Station by Beast Health

“I LOVE this blender! My morning protein shakes come out perfectly smooth and the clean-up is so easy – and it looks fabulous sitting on your counter! I used to hide my blender away every day and now I don’t need to! It is functional with an amazing design aesthetic. The hydration system keeps me drinking my water goal thanks to the amazing infusions I can now add to my water! Let’s just say this also makes a mean frozen marg … so the gift is suitable for anyone in your life who wants to up their counter game with an amazing blender!”

$185

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Kelley – Operations — Small Cups by Fors Studio

Kelley – Operations — Small Cups by Fors Studio

“I love how cute these small cups are. The color is great for my little espresso collection. I would absolutely gift these to any espresso drinker. I will be purchasing the mini plates and the larger cups for my coffee mornings. Nothing like a functional yet aesthetically pleasing coffee bar! Also, these are the perfect size for my daughter to join in the morning routine. I put chocolate milk in hers. It’s an adorable grown-up tea party.”

$18

Stephanie – Director of Finance | Notabag Tote/Backpack by Notabag

Stephanie – Director of Finance | Notabag Tote/Backpack by Notabag

“The Notabag was ultra-functional, comfortable, and stylish for our summer vacation. I’m obsessed with all the different colors. At such a reasonable price point, these make exceptional gifts (I sent one to my sister), and an easy grab for yourself to coordinate with your closet. Mine also washed up fantastically.”

$28 – 33

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Lucy – Director of Marketing | Desk Mat by Orbitkey

Lucy – Director of Marketing | Desk Mat by Orbitkey

“Our Tech Editor Gregory recommended I try this Orbitkey Desk Mat and it’s a great addition to my workspace. I got the medium size (27×14.5 inch) that can easily accommodate a laptop or keyboard for desktop and a mouse. The magnetic cable holder is a bonus to keep my cables handy. It’s made from vegan leather so it’s durable and easy to clean. I also love the document hideaway under the top layer to store the multitude of loose papers and notes I seem to accumulate throughout the day.”

$79

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Kelly – Senior Editor | Small Bottle Grinder Set by MENU

Kelly – Senior Editor | Small Bottle Grinder Set by MENU

“I’ve had a crush on this grinder set forever, so I was happy to get my hands on them and see how well-made the pieces are. The twisting motion to grind is super smooth and the cook in your life will love having quality fresh ground salt and pepper on hand for their culinary masterpieces. With a great color selection available it’s easy to choose a set that they’ll love.”

$90

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Matthew – Social Media Manager | Lincanabur Black Mountain Clay Stoneware Pipe by Miwak Junior

Matthew – Social Media Manager | Lincanabur Black Mountain Clay Stoneware Pipe by Miwak Junior

“There are A LOT of smoking doo-dads out there, but the best pieces are usually the simplest. Case in point: the Miwak Junior Stoneware Pipe. This design has remained largely unchanged since the company was founded in 2014 and for good reason. It fits in the hand like a perfectly rounded river rock and has a large hollow chamber for a smooth and even drag. And unlike a lot of the other high design options out there, it doesn’t draw attention to itself when not in use. This piece comes in a number of stoneware clay options, but the Lincanabur Black Mountain Clay rendition is easily the most low key and will hide the gunk and stains that mar glass and other light-colored pipes.”

$80

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Gabbie – Merchant + Brand Manager | Home Cycle Candle by Anecdote Candles

Gabbie – Merchant + Brand Manager | Home Cycle Candle by Anecdote Candles

“The Home Cycle candle by Anecdote has the most refreshing/clean smelling scent. It smells exactly as described – like bergamot, rosemary, and amber. I bought it for myself but would happily buy it as a gift for someone, too!”

$26

>>> For more staff picks, visit the Design Milk Shop, here! <<<

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The oeuvre of auteur Wesley Wales Anderson – aka Wes Anderson – is immediately distinguishable at even a quick glance. The filmmaker’s impeccable, precise eye for composition, illuminated by a seemingly timeless palette of pastels paints his body of work with a uniquely nostalgic aura swimming with whimsy and wonder. Keyboard maker Angry Miao surprisingly has dipped into this unmistakable tonal range to tinge a trio of mechanical keyboards with “a sense of idiosyncraticness and exquisiteness” with their anachronistically named, Cyberboard R3 series.

Anderson’s latest film, The French Dispatch, has reignited interest and discussion of the director’s body of work, and the Cyberboard R3 arrives as an unexpected homage to his previous cinematic efforts including The Grand Budapest Hotel and Isle of Dogs, alongside the lesser known short film, Come Together. Each keyboard is tinted as a visual homage, electro-coated for durability and saturation, with a sharply angled keyboard housing.

The entire layout sits atop a gasket mount to produce a slightly more cushioned feel with every keystroke. Perhaps more curiously – and in the retro-spirit of Anderson films – each keyboard also sports a fairly large and low resolution LED matrix display.

Aquatic Green: Tranquil yet refreshing, like the cabin in Come Together. Budapest Pink: Classy but not showy, like the hotel’s exterior wall. Cloud White: Calm and timeless; similar to Professor Watanabe’s lab in Isle of Dogs.

Keyboards can be used wired or wirelessly via Bluetooth, switching from one to another automatically.

Available in Budapest Pink, Aquatic Green, Cloud White, and a non-Anderson style Basalt Black, Angry Miao’s Cyberboard R3 series is available as both a DIY base kit or as a bundle with keys and switches included (currently sold out). We hope to see additional keyboard setups inspired by favorite filmmakers and TV series like this colorful homage…Squid Game, anyone?

via http://design-milk.com/

Continuing with our winner spotlight from the WantedDesign Manhattan 2021 Launch Pad competition, we’re excited to present Tom Lerental of Tomma Bloom as the winner of the Furniture category for her Sonia and Rene Collection! Design Milk partnered with WantedDesign Manhattan alongside sponsor American Standard and led the jury panel with Giulio Cappellini of Cappellini, Andrea Cesarman of Design Week Mexico, Crystal Ellis of Egg Collective, and Jean-Jacques L’hénaff of LIXIL Global Design, Americas in determining the winners of this prestigious competition. Congratulations Tom!

Tom chats with Design Milk about her studio Tomma Bloom, the inspiration behind her work, and what she plans on taking on next:

Can you tell us a little bit about your background? Who is Tom and how did Tomma Bloom come about?

I’m a textile designer in passion and practice. I’m 31 (but celebrate 19 every year), I grew up in Israel and currently live in Boston, MA with my wife and gorgeous dog-daughter, Kai. I graduated from Shenkar College of Design with a bachelor’s degree in Textile Design (Cum Laude) and from Tel-Aviv University with a Master of Art in Interdisciplinary Arts.

As a kid, I was the odd girl out, never felt like I quite fit anywhere. Luckily, I have a strong mom that has always made sure that I stay true to myself, to who I am and to what I believe in, so evidently it became the core to my values. Pursuing a creative profession was my calling, so I am doing it with open heart and open mind.

My grandma’s studio was my favorite place on earth. She was a textile artist, so I was familiar with textile as an artistic medium from an early age. When I applied to design school, I felt like I knew what I was getting into but had no idea how this choice would be so meaningful. It turns out that my whole essence was wired to textiles. Textile as a practice, a method and a visual language works perfectly with my repetitive-anxious-OCD mind. Framing my practice within a pattern or a structure is the basis of how I think and act.

Since an early age my dream was to live in NYC and have a space where I could practice my art. My wife and I moved to the New York three years ago to pursue new adventures and professional development. I founded Tomma Bloom around then, and my work focuses on surface design for interior. Textile design is the basis of my creative practice and a guideline to my work, but I believe that there is so much more to it than designing fabrics. It can be used both as a visual language and as an object in creating tactile and playful spaces. Through ever-evolving material research, I work to redefine the tools of my trade – pattern and structure, along with form and color – into tangible, three-dimensional experiences, inspired and driven by an exploration of material culture and the interactions between object and folklore.

What is so inspiring to you about Sonia Delaunay and Rene Lalique’s work?

My approach to design thinking and my creative practice are deeply influenced by the late 19th, early 20th centuries Art History. I believe that this era is one of the most meaningful in the development of our material culture, one that allowed us to move forward by questioning our culture, perception, and medium.

Sonia Delaunay and Rene Lalique are two examples of artists that created groundbreaking work that allowed us to be forward thinkers. I find Sonia Delaunay approach to form and color fascinating. Using abstraction to depict forms was not a new approach at her time, but the rhythm and motion she created using color were unique to her. As for Rene Lalique, I admire his utmost use of details, building his work through repetition of forms, translating his style through various mediums.

Saying that, the thing that inspires me the most about their work is their dedication and uncompromising approach towards their practice, and the fact that they were able to keep their unique voice while transitioning from one medium to another.

Who is your ideal customer?

Interior designers, architects and people who are visionary, forward thinkers who are not afraid to step out of the box and utilize bold designs into their spaces.

What were some of the challenges in creating your designs and how did you overcome them?

Being a designer is an ever-evolving practice that requires being madly in love with what you do to keep doing it. A lot of effort and even struggle goes into developing an artwork, and just because you have the talent doesn’t mean that things come easy. I believe that raw talent is not enough. It should be nurtured and must go hand by hand with persistence and hard work. The challenge is to constantly balance this trio, which feels like feeding a hungry beast, especially when you’re a one woman show. I love every minute of it, but sometimes I wish I had someone on my shoulder that would say “everything is going to be ok.”

The “Sonia and Rene” collection was the first time I experimented with 3D structures. I was curious about the three-dimensional possibilities hidden in my practice and took a leap of faith into the world of 3D structure. Frankly, when I started, I knew absolutely nothing about it. As someone who used to work with soft materials like yarn and fabrics, working with 3D printing, molds and casting was a steep learning curve. I still have so much to learn and am grateful for Itai Miller, who is an amazing industrial designer and who I have been working with to bring this collection to life. I used to think that I can make it on my own, but I know now that the people around you are those who make the difference. I’m lucky enough to say that I have a great support group of colleagues (shout out to FDC) and friends that keep my sanity intact.

How can you see your work being utilized by designers or manufacturers?

I believe that when you join forces great things happen, so I would love to work with professionals from the A&D community to develop work for interior design – home and commercial spaces. Upholstery, rugs, wall covers and tiles. Anything that can transform a space. My dream is to have a commission space designed from top to bottom –floor to ceiling Tomma Bloom.

Now that you’ve won WantedDesign Launch Pad, what do you plan on doing next?

Being awarded the Best of Launch Pad is a great honor and I am forever grateful to the panel of judges that believed in my practice and most importantly – in me. Along with a pat on the back comes the hunger to push harder and do better. I’m constantly developing new ideas and currently working on my next collection of fabrics.

The “Sonia and Rene” collection is only the tip of iceberg when it comes to experimenting with 3D and textile design. I will present my new collection at the May 2022 Launch Pad, so stay tuned!

Learn more about the designer at tommabloom. Meet Tom and see her prototype at WantedDesign Manhattan this Nov 14-15 at the Javits Center. Register to attend HERE.

Rendering by Itai Miller Photography by Roni Cnanni Upholstery by Avivit Porat

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Back in 2020, we featured a massive dining table Tom Dixon made from solid brass. Now, the British designer is rounding out the Mass collection with four new pieces: an updated dining table, console table, bookshelf, and coat stand. Tom Dixon makes the Mass 2.0 pieces in the U.K. out of super polished solid brass in the shape of planks, the most often used unit in furniture construction. The results are everyday household archetypes transformed into captivating sculptures with lustrous, golden hued finishes.

Mass 2.0 Console Table

Mass 2.0 Console Table

Mass 2.0 Dining Table 2M

Mass 2.0 Dining Table 2M

Mass 2.0 Bookshelf

Mass 2.0 Bookshelf

Mass 2.0 Coat Stand

Mass 2.0 Coat Stand

Spring Brass Pendants by Tom Dixon

The Mass 2.0 collection will set you back U.S. $37,000 for the dining table, $29,000 for the console table, $32,000 for the bookshelf, and $13,000 for the coat stand. If that’s out of your budget (it is for most people!) but you still want the polished brass look, check out Tom Dixon’s Spring Brass Pendants. They come in Small, Medium, and Large and can be hung solo or in a grouping. The diagonal bands of brass-finished stainless steel come together to make a bold, sculptural statement on their own. They’re even adjustable so you can change the silhouette for a new look!

Spring Brass Pendants

Spring Brass Pendants

A ceiling light made from multiple bands of high-performance stainless steel in a brass finish. Pliant ribbons of stainless steel have been arranged like a whisk around our custom-made dimmable Tom Dixon LED disc. The semi-transparent shape thus created can be adjusted to a variety of silhouettes.

$900 – 2,400

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>>> For more from Tom Dixon, click here! <<<

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Holiday shopping for someone with a major case of wanderlust? You don’t have to travel far and wide to find the best holiday gift. We rounded up the very best in modern and functional travel gifts so you can treat the jet setter in your life to a first-class holiday. For more holiday gift ideas, check out our library of holiday gift guides thoughtfully curated by Design Milk editors!

EvaMini by LOMMER

EvaMini by LOMMER

We love the EvaMini for its compact size and simple, minimalist design. Small enough to carry in your hand, but roomy enough to store the classic P.W.K (phone, wallet, keys?), the Mini is made of a foam-like, “E.V.A.” material, that’s completely waterproof so your traveler can feel good knowing their must-haves are safe and dry, come rain or shine. It’s even available in a variety of colorways, though we love the classic minimalist edge of the Off Black (are you surprised?).

$65

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Carry-all Set by Junes

Carry-all Set by Junes

This set of reusable pouches by Junes has a use for every phase of travel: use them to organize clothing and toiletries before packing, use them in place of disposable shopping bags while at your destination, use the smallest pouch as a wristlet for quick errands, store worn clothes in them on the trek home, the possibilities are endless. They come in a range of beautiful colors, and the brand’s sustainable bio-knit material means you can wash and reuse them again and again and help save the planet from single-use plastic pollution!

$18

CATCH:2 Wireless Charger in Black by Courant

CATCH:2 Wireless Charger in Black by Courant

This wireless charger by Courant will have all your recipient’s devices charged up and ready for whatever adventures they have in store. It’s slim profile and wide leather charging pad will save space in your jet setter’s luggage and keep them from wrangling a tangled mess of charging cables. Expect many thanks for this!

$150

The Diplomat Black Tie Travel Case by Capsule

The Diplomat Black Tie Travel Case by Capsule

Because there are few things more stressful than airport security checkpoints, the traveler in your circle will love having all their important documents – ID, passport, vaccine cards, you name it – in one easy to maneuver location. The stylish black leather Diplomat Blacktie Travel Case by Capsule has a roomy interior for all these essentials and more, and a secure closure to ensure nothing gets lost along the way.

$110

zMask Face Mask by Zimarty

zMask Face Mask by Zimarty

Love ‘em or hate ‘em, face masks are a non-negotiable for safe travel – so you might as well have one you enjoy wearing. The zMask Face Mask by Zimarty does what you need face masks to do while looking incredibly cool in the process. The origami inspired design makes for a modern, architectural look, that also holds itself up around the mouth area, creating less friction between the mask and your recipient’s face (less friction = less maskne!).

$45 – 50

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City Backpack by mariamaleta

City Backpack by mariamaleta

Frequent travelers will know the importance of having a bag that can do it all – especially when you’re trying to save luggage space! The City Backpack by mariamaleta does exactly that. The neutral style and easy closure are as fashionable as they are functional. The reversible black and brown leather design, and convertible straps that can be worn over both shoulders (backpack style) or slung over one like a tote – making this a bag you can switch up whenever the mood or destination strikes.

$220

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Obsidian Black Bottle by LARQ

Obsidian Black Bottle by LARQ

Not to be confused with just any reusable water bottle, LARQ water bottles are the first ever self-cleaning bottles out there. They use a UV-C LED light to purify your water and bottle from 99.99% of contaminants – perfect for long haul hikes and camping enthusiasts. With one full charge, the purification system will do its thing for one whole month before needing to recharge so you can go the distance. We love the sleek look of the Obsidian Black colorway, but there’s bound to be a hue to suit your traveler.

$95

Haircare Minis by SEEN

Haircare Minis by SEEN

This travel set of dermatologist-designed hair minis use hair-loving and non-pore clogging ingredients that will keep your recipient’s hair (and skin!) in check while on the go. The set includes a gentle cleansing shampoo, nourishing conditioner and blow-out cream for an easy hair care routine from in-shower to styling. Plus, it’s on sale!

$29

Porter 15 oz Glass by W&P

Porter 15 oz Glass by W&P

Perfect for the eco-conscious traveler, the Porter Glass is a must for your travel bag so you can refill and reuse while on the move and curb single-use plastic waste. The durable glass and protective matte silicone cover mean you can feel good about bringing the cup with you wherever you go. Use it for cocktails, coffees, teas, you name it. It’s even available in a bunch of soft pastel colors!

$25

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Tuplus X2 22″ Aluminum Carry-on by Tuplus

Tuplus X2 22″ Aluminum Carry-on by Tuplus

If the traveler on your list has been extra nice this year, pay it forward with a piece of high-quality luggage that will last a lifetime. This Aluminum Carry-on by Tuplus is the ultimate luxury suitcase. It’s equipped with all the bells and whistles – an aircraft grade aluminum and magnesium alloy exterior, genius upright opening capability, lightweight and space saving hydraulic hinges, and smooth, quiet wheels. The impeccable design and functionality of this carry-on is 100% worth the investment.

$549

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>>> For more travel gifts, visit the Design Milk Shop here! <<<

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Not all timepieces are created equal. In fact, most failed to accommodate those who are visually impaired, and the alternatives that sprung up in their place – talking and delicate tactile watches – fell short on quality and design. That is until modern watch brand Eone came to be, anyway. When founder Hyungsoo Kim learned of the watch world’s inaccessibility through a friend who is blind, he set out to create an inclusively designed timepiece that serves everyone – and delivers on next-level design in the process. Kim’s thoughtful collaboration with designers and people with vision impairments led to the engineering of a watch unlike anything else out there – a modern and iconic timepiece designed to communicate time through touch rather than only sight. Newly added to the Design Milk Shop, there’s plenty to admire about this trailblazing watch brand, so let’s dive in.

Eone’s best-selling model, The Bradley, is named after veteran turned Paralympic athlete and gold-medalist Bradley Snyder – who became blind while defusing bombs in the line of duty.

The hero of the Eone catalog is the Bradley model. Named after veteran turned Paralympic athlete and gold-medalist Bradley Snyder – who became blind while defusing bombs in the line of duty – this line of watches champions the needs of the visually impaired and can be enjoyed by everyone, blind and sighted alike. The best-selling watch collection lets users feel the time thanks to their unique three-dimensional form. Raised lines in varied widths denote the hours and ticking watch hands are reimagined with an innovative magnetic ball bearing system that circles the watch face on a track for minutes and another for the hour. Pretty cool right?

Being able to tell the time in a way that’s accessible and convenient, while core to Eone’s ethos, isn’t enough – the brand wants blind and sighted users to experience ultra-modern design and have options to choose from. The Bradley comes in a variety of styles and finishes, all befit with architectural details and minimalist aesthetic that have become synonymous with Eone. Their newest model, The Switch even has a Kickstarter community rallying behind it and is slated to join the DM shop soon.

The Bradley Element

The Bradley Element

Tested by Tech Editor Gregory Han (find his full review here), the Bradley Element is unique from others on the Eone line up due to the architectural planes that lead up to the raised hour lines, creating alternating high and low impressions across the watch face. Made with a durable, scratch-resistant ceramic and PVD coated – the materials are carefully considered for texture and resilience. The Element’s matte black finish and black stainless steel mesh strap give the watch a sleek and modern edge that’s as stylish as it is functional.

$350

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The Bradley Apex

The Bradley Apex

Made for your everyday and any occasion, the Bradley Apex features the brand’s signature raised line notations, on a smooth black ceramic watch face. Italian leather straps give the piece a more casual look and feel and can even be swapped out for others in the brand’s collection for added versatility. The Apex even features a NATO strap, a call back to traditional military styling, that effortlessly loops around the watch to deliver a perfect fit.

$285

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>>> Find more from Eone in the Design Milk Shop here! <<<

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A collaboration based on elevated aesthetics with everyday function has resulted in the Slab Collection of minimal seating. Furniture studio Union Wood Co and designer Alyssa Lewis of Studio Block have created three pieces – dining chair, counter stool, and bar stool – that intentionally reduce the details of a chair’s structure. These pieces are a true celebration of form and the natural beauty of wood.

The Slab Collection is the first collaboration between the two studios, who met while working closely together during the 2019 Interior Design Show Vancouver. It was an easy match thanks to their individual design approaches. Studio Block uses a minimalist’s eye to create serene living spaces: “I find there is a lot of visual noise that surrounds us every day, so I like to simplify things in my design work to quiet the world around us,” said Lewis. Union Wood Co crafts furniture that will stand the test of time in both design and construction.

Slab Dining Chair

The seating’s name comes from the raw material used to make each piece, hand-selected ash slabs. The hardwood is ideal for furniture for its durability, shock-resistence, and light weight. The Slab Collection allows you to choose from natural, whitewashed, or blackened finishes. Each piece is then coated with a matte commercial grade finish for a softened look that will last through a variety of living and working environments.

Slab Counter Stool

Slab Bar Stool

To learn more about the Slab Collection, visit unionwoodco.com.

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Anda French is cofounder of Boston-based architecture and design studio French 2D alongside her sister, Jenny French. The studio’s work on mixed-use projects combines ideas of collectivity with more radical organizations and typologies. The award-winning practice is deeply engaged with local issues of collectivity, housing, public space, history, and identity. They also focus on collaboration across multiple scales in environments for participatory events and dinners, urban-scale graphics, experimental facades, and buildings for collective living.

Anda and French 2D completed the first all compact housing unit building in Boston, and their work in collaborative and participant led design for Bay State Commons Cohousing won a 2020 Progressive Architecture Award from Architect Magazine. French 2D was named as a 2019 Architectural Record Design Vanguard, and the studio has been featured in numerous publications, including Domus, Metropolis, and The Architect’s Newspaper, and as Architect Magazine’s Next Progressives. Anda is currently a Visiting Faculty member at the Princeton University School of Architecture and is the 2022 President-Elect of the Boston Society of Architects/AIA.

Today Anda joins us for Friday Five!

Photo courtesy MoMA

1. Designing Motherhood

Designing Motherhood, by Michelle Millar Fisher and Amber Winick, was released in September from MIT Press. Their Instagram account showcases an incredible mix of work centered on human reproduction and design, and the politics and conversations that entails. I love that their work and advocacy speak so poignantly to pressing societal issues, while feeling personal as I go through my own journey, merging motherhood and design work.

Coffee Seeks Its Own Level by Allan Wexler \\\ Photo: Allan Wexler

2. Allan Wexler

The wonderful artist Allan Wexler always keeps us on our toes. Jenny and I are forever inspired by his provocative, and almost inevitable, take on defamiliarizing everyday objects, furniture, and spaces.

Cover art: Judith Leemann

3. Design Studio for Social Intervention / Ideas, Arrangements, Effects

Boston-based DS4Si released Ideas, Arrangements, Effects last year and generously held a reading group last Summer along with the University of Orange. This book was an incredible resource for getting my graduate and undergraduate students to help talk about the real dimensions of design work that addresses social justice in the built realm. The core premise is that “ideas are embedded in social arrangements, which in turn produce effects.” DS4Si explores this through accessible descriptions and incredible examples of their own work that help redefine our agency and impact in the material world.

Photo: Public Domain / Heinrich Böhler

4. Bodies and Textiles, Specifically Emilie Flöge’s Dresses

I keep returning to my own relationship to clothing and identity. Emilie Flöge’s work is an incredible example of the freeing of volumetric textiles that helps us rethink bodies in space. History paints her as Klimt’s muse, but a show a decade ago at the Leopold in Vienna proved through postcards and exchanges that Flöge was collaborator and confidant in the Secessionist movement. My own practice is drawn to historical and contemporary textile work that shifts and remolds gender and identity.

Snailor Moon & Snail Earnhardt Jr. 2021 by Haas Brothers

5. Siblings

Now, more than ever, I am so aware of how strange and lucky it is to run a practice with my sister. Sibling creative pairs are always fascinating to us – The Mulleavy Sisters, Haas Brothers, Leong Leong, Hariri and Hariri, the Bouroullec Brothers… We are proto-collectives: the place where we first learn to share and collaborate without judgement, but with the productive frictions that arise from knowing each other too well.

Work by Anda French + French 2D:

Kendall Garage and Dresses \ French 2D designed 26,000 sf of permanent graphic scrim to wrap the Kendall Square Garage in Cambridge, MA. The work wrestles with the relationship between seeing surface and volume, drawing and building. Jenny and Anda sewed dresses to stage the final photography. They acted as scale figures, pieces of the building broken free and traversing the site. \\\ Photo: John Horner Photography

Outlier Lofts \ Outlier Lofts is a three-unit residential building that conjures past lives as a new act of collective preservation and form-making. French 2D uses this playful technique as a radical way of thinking about alternative preservation in the otherwise strait-laced historic landscape of Boston. \\\ Photo: John Horner Photography

via http://design-milk.com/

In Ramat Gan, Israel, a family tasked Israeli interior designer Chen Shadmi to renovate their 1980s house into a modern tri-level home that’s inspired by the wife’s work as a historian specializing in Old Jerusalem. The family requested that the home celebrate Armenian art in Jerusalem, as well as integrate a more contemporary floor plan that was adaptable to different needs.

Shadmi and the family began the design process with a tour to Old Jerusalem to visit the wife’s favorite places and reacquaint themselves with materials that are customary in Eastern European homes. They asked Armean Darian, an Armenian ceramic artist based in Jerusalem, to hand-paint the illustrations on the tiles seen on the pillar on the ground floor and the stairs leading to the first floor.

The entrance floor has an open floor plan that includes the kitchen, dining area, and living room with a dedicated library. On the upper floor lives a family space, three children’s room, a laundry room, two baths, and a main bedrooms. The bottom floor includes two study rooms (one for each parent), and a secondary living room from which there is access to the lower garden.

Throughout the home, the walls are adorned with the client’s copies of manuscripts, murals, unique maps, and artwork.

Common to all the bathrooms is the dark chest of drawers and the application of colorful tiles

The upper garden is used for entertaining, equipped with an outdoor kitchen, dining area, and pampering seating under a pergola. In the lower garden, a cooking area with a pizza oven and meat smoker, a seating area, a kitchenette, a bathroom, and a kid’s wooden house and climbing wall provide ample opportunities to spend outside.

Photos by Shay Epstein.

via http://design-milk.com/

Angie Myung is the co-founder and chief creative officer of Poketo (@poketo) – the cult-favorite lifestyle brand behind technicolored paper goods, homewares, and lifestyle objects that make functional fun. Myung and her husband, Ted Vadakan, founded Poketo back in 2003, with the goal to create design-driven goods that infuse art and design into every day and help cultivate a creative lifestyle. The brand has two LA-based retail locations in Downtown LA and Little Tokyo, where they regularly host art exhibitions, workshops, and other events designed to serve their local community of creatives. Most recently, Myung and Vadakan published their debut book, CREATIVE SPACES, a celebration of creatives, their works, and their spaces.

Aside from being practical objects you’ll reach for every day, Poketo goods are beloved for their bold and playful prints that bring eye-catching colors to your space – putting them at the top of our holiday wish lists this season.

But what’s on Angie’s holiday wish list? Read on to see the holiday gifts the Poketo co-founder is eyeing this Christmas season and keep an eye on our Instagram as we get closer to Christmas for an extra-special giveaway! And as you get started on your holiday shopping, remember that you can always find Poketo products in the Design Milk Shop. Now onto Angie’s shopping cart!

Bamboo Dining Collection by Poketo

Bamboo Dining Collection by Poketo

“Really into all our tabletop items from bamboo dinner and salad plates, to bowls, coasters, and glass straws. We seriously bring all our bamboo ware to picnics and camping trips and see all our friends bring our bamboo tabletop wares, too. They’re light, unbreakable, and good for the environment because they’re made with bamboo and cornstarch and not plastic or melamine.”

$14-48

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Bento Boxes by Takenaka Bento Boxes

Bento Boxes by Takenaka Bento Boxes

“As a home cook, I tend to bring my lunches to work, and the Takenaka Bento Boxes have never failed me. They’re safe for the microwave and freezer. Even with soupy things, I haven’t had any spillages, and they’re cute enough to leave on your desk. So much better than the boring tupperware.”

$30 – 38

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4 Piece Modern Knife Set by Hast Knives

4 Piece Modern Knife Set by Hast Knives

“You can never have too many quality knives. These Hast Knives look cool and seem to have a comfortable handle, made with Japanese blades, which are my favorite. Just make sure to keep them sharp by purchasing a nice stone sharpener.”

$366 – 426

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Handmade Acacia Wood Serving Board – Set of 2 by Casa Amarosa

Handmade Acacia Wood Serving Board – Set of 2 by Casa Amarosa

“These serving boards by Casa Amarosa are perfect cheese boards and eye-catching cutting boards. They look cool on your kitchen countertop and are made with quality solid wood, too.”

$50

Japanese Cast Iron Oven Pot by Vermicular

Japanese Cast Iron Oven Pot by Vermicular

“As an avid home cook, you also can never have enough quality cast iron cookware. Easy to clean and big enough to feed a troop.”

$290

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via http://design-milk.com/

If you or someone in your life is a bibliophile, then the Author Clock is sure to pique your interest. Without question a statement piece, it uses thousands of quotes from books written across six centuries to spell out the current time every minute of the day. Checking the time becomes a whimsical moment that transports you through literature with every glance.

With $300,000 raised on Kickstarter in less than 36 hours, the Author Clock is already fully funded and will begin shipping April 2022. “We’re thrilled with the early response to Author, and hope that it will help readers discover new books, authors, and even genres,” says founder Jose Cardona. “We’re hopeful that displaying the Author Clock will spark conversations about literature between friends, family, and coworkers.”

It comes available in two sizes: a small 4″ display that’s ideal for a desk or bedside table, and a large 7.5″ display with a removable base perfect for a bookshelf or wall mount. The elegant wood housing of the clock uses white oak sourced from sustainable forests. Mechanical Design Labs, who create products that add moments of inspiration to everyday life, have partnered with OneTreePlanted to plant a tree for every Author Clock sold. Launch prices start at $99 for the small and $199 for the large, with limited discounts of over 30% off MSRP for the first Author Clock backers.

The creators are also excited to involve their Kickstarter community in further development of the Author Clock. Besides raising funds, during the campaign they’ll be crowdsourcing even more quotes that mention the time. “It will come as no surprise that our backers are avid readers,” says Cardona. “They’ve already begun finding new quotes for Author that will help us deliver an even better product.” There are still a few days left to get on board with the Author Clock Kickstarter, so back them now!

Photography by Jose Cardona.

via http://design-milk.com/

The Future Perfect, a contemporary gallery founded by David Alhadeff, has just unveiled its latest exhibition at Casa Perfect, its Los Angeles outpost in Beverly Hills. Featuring new works by designer and sculptor Chris Wolston, Temperature’s Rising is a fantasy come to life, a compilation of 21 original works that explore materiality and abstraction through chairs, tables, loungers, and other furniture pieces. Wolson continues to expand his unique style of using fiber materials to weave anthropomorphic forms and silhouettes while also experimenting with metallurgy using bronze, brass, and copper metals.

Temperature’s Rising is an amalgamation of different inspirational sources, from the Andes Mountains in Western Colombia to Spanish modernism. The human elements of his pieces gives a sense of familiarity while reframing your perspective of the whimsical possibilities of furniture. Wolston explains:

I’m fascinated by the large-scale, gestural patterns that make up our world. The past year has thrown the beauty and fragility of our lives into sharp relief. Temperature’s Rising dually celebrates the essential elements of our world and encourages you to think differently about the objects you see everyday.

The collection includes Wolston’s first-ever standing mirror, seating woven from ethically sourced 100% Colombian wicker, a rattan sofa that upcycles animal hides, and a one-of-a-kind vessel that combines wicker and metal.

Temperature’s Rising is on view from November 3 through December 2021 at Casa Perfect LA by appointment only.

via http://design-milk.com/

TYP is a recently launched furniture design brand bringing timeless modern classics to the masses. The inaugural collection includes a curated selection of contemporary designs aimed at bringing design history into the future, all made with sustainable, high-quality materials.

Notable designers include Klemens Schillinger – who created an aluminum chair out of the highest grade aluminum – and Jasper Morrison, bringing forth a redesigned tubular steel chair exclusive to TYP named PEL, originally manufactured by Practical Equipment Ltd in the 1930s.

“Our vision and ambition is to bring products to the market that will have substantial relevance,” says Helen Thonet, TYP CEO and co-Founder. “We know the demands set on products for modern interior collections today. More than just adjusting colors and fabrics season after season, we want to create a new standard within the design industry that revolves around great design, competitive pricing and sustainable manufacturing.”

  via http://design-milk.com/

Good design doesn’t have to break the bank. So for our latest holiday gift guide, we handpicked the best affordable and design-driven holiday gift ideas that’ll spark joy for everyone on your list, all for under $50. Read on to discover our favorites, and head over to the Design Milk Shop for more holiday gift ideas under $50, here! 

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Native Union Drop Wireless Charger by Native Union

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Native Union Drop Wireless Charger by Native Union

This sleek wireless charger by Native Union ensures no one on your holiday shopping list ever has to wake up to a dead phone (or air pods!) battery. Its weighted aluminum base has a cool, modern touch and features a graphic linear textile on the top to add a stylish flair to home or desktop. It’s even available in a soothing sage green colorway.

$49.99

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Expanded Bento Box by Takenaka Bentobox

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Expanded Bento Box by Takenaka Bentobox

Make lunchtime easy for anyone on your shopping list with the Expanded Bento Box by Takenaka Bentobox. Available in a rainbow of vibrant colorways, this roomy bento box features two food storage compartments and a convenient elastic band to keep your food items snug and secure inside. It even has an airtight seal to prolong your food’s freshness and flavor!

$30

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Salt Pond Tray by Space Ctrl Design

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Salt Pond Tray by Space Ctrl Design

There are endless ways to use the Salt Pond Tray by Space Ctrl Design. Made with small, medium and large compartments – there’s a space for all your essentials, so you can stay organized. The cork construction makes this organization tray unique and brings a natural neutral element to your recipient’s space. Use it for storage on your nightstand or desk, or for organizing supplies for hobbies and projects in progress.

$38

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A5 Memobottle by Memobottle

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A5 Memobottle by Memobottle

The award-winning memobottle is universally loved for its ergonomic shape and modern design that’s perfect for on the go. About the same size as the A5 international paper size, the A5 Memobottle lives happily in your work bag, tote or backpack and helps curb waste from single-use plastics. Staying hydrated has never looked cooler.

$36

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Succulent Swing by Ohio Workshop

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Succulent Swing by Ohio Workshop

It’s impossible not to smile at this adorable Succulent Swing by Ohio Workshop. Sure, succulents may need less maintenance than other houseplants, but they deserve to have fun, too! This unique planter is a holiday gift that’s sure to spark joy for the plant-lover on your list and bring a playful energy to their space. We love this planter as a cheerful touch to a desk or home office, but this swinging planter plays well in any space in your home.

$35

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Oasis 1000 Piece Puzzle by Fits Puzzles

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Oasis 1000 Piece Puzzle by Fits Puzzles

Treat someone on your holiday shopping list to the gift of a (mental) getaway with the dreamy Oasis Puzzle by Fits Puzzles. This soothing artwork by artist Rhi James promises to be as meditative to put together as it is to stare at once you’ve finished. The lush green hues and contrasting jewel tones bring the tropical outdoors in and will introduce beautiful pops of color to your recipient’s space. Find dozens more fun and unique puzzles to choose from here!

$40

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WagWellies by WagWear

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WagWellies by WagWear

Protect your canine pal’s paws and give your dog-loving friend even more reasons to send you snapshots of their pup this holiday season with these WagWellies by WagWear. These rubber “Wellington” boots for pets are designed to keep your dog’s paws dry and safe from scrapes while on walks. And because getting your dog to wear clothes is always a challenge, the WagWellies feature open-vented slits to make slipping them on easy.

$49

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Fruitsuper Sage Bookends – Set of 2 by Post.Script

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Fruitsuper Sage Bookends – Set of 2 by Post.Script

A thoughtful holiday gift for the design-loving book worms in your life, these stylish steel bookends by Post.Script are an easy way to add color and personality to their bookshelf, desk or anywhere they store their books. The sleek, lightweight bookends use contrasting angles to support book stacks of any size and are available in bright yellow and eye-catching coral colorways.

$32

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Glam Copper Alarm Clock by cloudnola

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Glam Copper Alarm Clock by cloudnola

This Copper Clock by cloudnola is a modern update to the traditional alarm clock styles – making it a functional and fashionable piece of modern and metallic decor! The sleek and neutral copper finish will add a dash of glam to your gift recipient’s decor aesthetic, so they can rise early in style!

$32.50

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Grande Tote in Bio-knit by Junes

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Grande Tote in Bio-knit by Junes

The bigger the bag, the more fun you can have! The Grande Tote by Junes is big enough for all of life’s adventures – trips to the beach, yoga practice, overnight stays, the farmer’s market and so much more – making it the perfect holiday gift for anyone on your list. Made from the brand’s innovative and sustainable bio-knit material, this eco-friendly tote helps curb plastic pollution and is 100% machine washable, too.

$46

>>> For more modern holiday gift ideas under $50, visit the Design Milk Shop here! <<<

via http://design-milk.com/

In this special edition of Milkshake, in partnership with Lutron Electronics, we take a light-centric tour of their New York Global Experience Center with our esteemed guide, Thomas Mnich, an award-winning lighting designer now collaborating with the world’s top creatives and lighting designers in a sales specification role. If you’ve ever doubted the power of shifting light temperatures to create radical change in your environment, don’t miss this episode.

Everyone knows what good lighting feels like – but not everyone knows where to begin. Good news: The power to create and then shift an environment with lighting isn’t necessarily an expensive project, even small improvements can make a big impact and Lutron has room-changing solutions for every budget. “The two most important things to make an impact are A), get a super affordable dimmer,” Mnich says. “If you have to paint a wall to get a different color, [that] takes 10 hours – you can dim the lights with a dimmer and there’s an instant change in the space. The second piece is to look at the quality of the dimmable LED lamp itself. There are fantastic dimmable LEDs out there with dim-to-warm capability that give an incredible experience.” Mnich also has a “pro tip” in the dimmer department: “I have around a $35 dimmer in my bathroom that has a sensor included,” he says. “One experience I think we’re all familiar with is waking up in the middle of the night and needing to use the restroom – you’re looking for the light switch, and then a second after you’ve found it, boom, you have this bright, blinding light in your face, and it’s very uncomfortable. Having a dimmer with that included sensor, I can walk into my space, it turns on with a very gentle light, so I don’t have that moment of sudden glaring light.”

Photo: Andrea Calo

Photo: Nathan Schroder

Thomas also walks us through all some of the unseen design decisions that go into lighting three institutional spaces where light is historically unappealing: the DMV, hospitals and airports. “I’m pretty sure the DMV “brand experience” is globally all the same – regardless of where you are, there’s typically a lot of uniform, unflattering light,” he says. “The lighting might be designed in a way that makes people want to get through the space quickly, but you also need to consider: What are the lighting needs for the people working in this space? What’s the direction of light? Do we have different layers? Do we have visual comfort?” Hospitals, he says, have a completely different set of needs: “We have space types [ranging] from lounges to family rooms to patient rooms but also emergency rooms,” he says. “And each space has a different visual task. The family room or lounge might have moody lighting for visual comfort, while a patient room – or of course the emergency room – we want to have a lot of light where we can perform and just focus on the medical tasks at hand.” For more – including a philosophy in favor of embracing winter’s light and its “warmer qualities, when you connect with people with warm, dim lamps, having a candle and a cup of tea” – tune in.

*Quotes have been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Diana Ostrom, who has written for Wallpaper, Interior Design, ID, The Wall Street Journal, and other outlets, is also the author of Faraway Places, a newsletter about travel.

Milkshake, DMTV (Design Milk TV)’s first regular series, shakes up the traditional interview format by asking designers, creatives, educators and industry professionals to select interview questions at random from their favorite bowl or vessel. During their candid discussions, you’ll not only gain a peek into their personal homeware collections, but also valuable insights into their work, life and passions.

The following post is brought to you by Shaw Contract. Our partners are hand-picked by the Design Milk team because they represent the best in design.

via http://design-milk.com/

What does Sushi Vesla, a Pan-Asian restaurant, and Blin Beri, a Russian pancake house, have in common? They share the same company and office in Volgograd, Russia designed by Rogojnikov&Sorokin (also known as Studio RIS). While both restaurants are different in cuisine, their common denominators include using natural ingredients in food preparation and natural materials in their interior design. Studio RIS opted to continue this theme in their office design using wood materials, lush greenery and patterns found in nature.

The left hall, separated by an existing glass partition, contains three meeting spaces with trailing plants hanging above, as well as 12 open desk spaces separated by planters. The pre-existing brick was left unfinished as an industrial background.

The reception area has a standing desk space for impromptu meetings or heads down work. A map of the world illuminates a brick wall while providing an artful element to the entrance.

In the right hall, a quiet rest space is marked off by a fringe curtain. In front of it sits another nook for meetings. In the common room, 20 more open desks are available for use, as well as the terrace with casual seating and white boards. Above, a mezzanine adds even more usable space with six open desk spaces. Climbing plants falling from the mezzanine, the tropical wallpaper, the planters, and the carpet with a moss-like pattern all add to the natural theme of the office.

via http://design-milk.com/

Since its earliest years, Apple’s utilization of iterative improvements has been a hallmark of the company’s design and engineering ethos – operating not as a bug, but as a feature. For every major change in course the Cupertino company has announced over the years – the original iMac in 1998, 2007’s unveiling of the first iPhone, and most recently the launch of M1 Apple Silicon-powered machines, to name a few – the years between generations of devices such as the iPhone and Macs are often explicated by significant advancements of technologies paired with subtle modifications delivering a sense of continuity rather than drastic cosmetic alterations. Nowhere is this process of shaving the clay more evident than with the Apple Watch.

watchOS 8 includes watch faces optimized to take advantage of the larger Apple Watch Series 7 display, including a new Contour face and also Modular Duo face.

Now in its seventh iteration since launching in 2015, the wearable has continued to improve in form and function with every passing year, while retaining a recognizable external design DNA across its timeline and arguably attaining an iconic status within the category it firmly established.

No matter the hyperbole of marketing, a cursory glance of last year’s Apple Watch Series 6 does not present a remarkably different impression from its earlier predecessors. The Apple Watch Series 7, despite offering the largest, most advanced display the company has ever offered, doesn’t diverge with any remarkable discernible traits that broadcast “newer, better!”. The crown dial is still there, as is its rectilinear external design. That is, until the Series 7’s larger Always-On Retina display is viewed at full brightness, and its roomier and optimized improvements come to light across its strengthened crack-resistant front crystal – one nearly 20 percent larger and up to 70 percent brighter indoors than that of the Apple Watch Series 6. The experience is akin to walking into a modest sized room renovated with higher ceilings and skylights; the dimensions may remain the same, but perceptually the experience is positively altered – same, but also newer and better.

The Apple Watch Series 7’s larger display permits information rich watch faces like the new Modular Duo face, while making previewing photos easier and more immersive.

Apple’s forte has always been delivering a degree of experiential discovery of detail, and so too does the Apple Watch Series 7 utilize a dimensional improvement paired with “hundreds of small but impactful changes” benefitting how users interact with a device by physical nature can present navigational limits and challenges in legibility. While rumors of a more severe and sharply formed design brewed before the Apple Watch Series 7 announcement, the eventual evolutionary reveal spotlighted Apple’s attentiveness to form dictating function informed by previous generations.

When asked about the adherence to a form mostly indistinguishable from previous generations beyond its larger screen – especially in light of Apple’s design language noticeably veering toward a sharper, rectilinear detailing across most of its newest mobile and computing designs – Apple’s readied response would lean heavily into the argument their “hardware ends where software begins,” inviting a closer inspection of the proverbial paint upon the canvas.

Over a recent interview/chat with Stan Ng, Vice President Product Marketing, Apple Watch and Alan Dye, VP of Human Interface Design, with Design Milk, the pair would point out the new Series 7 larger display available in 41mm and 45mm sizes was crafted “for the wrist and the constraints of the limitations of the display” where “every pixel counts…with no wasted space.” And indeed, Apple’s design and engineering team have pushed the limits of quadrilateral design further toward the bounds of its previous predecessor without sacrificing the identifiable characteristics of what makes an Apple Watch an Apple Watch.

Last year’s 3mm bezels are now a barely there 1.7mm, disappearing toward a rounded refractive edge extending into a nearly organic curvature. The effect again is subtle, and most pronounced when seen at an angle or from the side, yet quietly satisfying in the same way Apple nearly fetishized the chamfered edges of their iPhone into a distinguishable tactile pleasure point. Like a polished river stone, I’ve found myself tracing the watch’s seamless rounded edges over and over again, struggling to feel the seams between case and display.

More importantly, the maximization of screen real estate permits a more information-dense display. This not only circumvents crowding, but also spotlights how much bigger the display really is in use, an effect attributed to countless optimizations superimposed across a new grid system created for the new Apple Watch. These optimized elements include flexible and variable customized typefaces (San Francisco), altered navigation sizing and layout, buttons redesigned to follow the physical curves of the display, and redrawn watch faces literally pushing to very edges of the watch display (most noticeable with the new Contour face that stretches its numerical display with organic fluidity).

Dye notes the Series 7’s gentler corners required an entire redesign of the device’s UI, one that wasn’t merely scaled up to take advantage of the display but optimized for legibility and improved navigation. Side-by-side comparisons between the Series 6 and Series 7 reveal a multitude of typographic and graphical changes the latest watchOS delivers in harmony with the latest hardware; again, not immediately noticeable nor revolutionary, but with regular use, appreciated for improved everyday  interactions while tapping and typing. The resulting combination of minimizing and maximization even permits the Apple Watch Series 7 to offer a QWERTY keyboard that can be tapped or swiped with QuickPath, allowing users to swipe to type, something that would prove challenging to accomplish with accuracy with even its most immediate predecessor.

As a longtime Apple Watch wearer, I can’t help conclude these improvements delivered by the Series 7 are inarguably iterative. But that’s not a knock, simply indicative of Apple’s commitment to improve their designs at their own pace, alongside emphasizing the longevity offered by each generation. If practice makes perfect, Apple seems dedicated to perfect the practice of the small screen user experience. The sum of the Apple Watch Series 7’s elemental improvements deliver the best Apple Watch experience to date – mostly because of its gloriously larger display – certainly the best option today for anyone seeking a wearable delivering a waste not, want not experience realized upon the wrist.

via http://design-milk.com/