Oh Look - A Street Chandelier

We have no street lights where I live as it's a tiny hamlet in the Northumberland National Park. I love that we have none as I can see the stars with no light polution, however I think I could live with one of these. Found at Juxtapoz Magazine

Tiny French Chateau

The work of this amazing French woman never ceases to amaze me. Mes Petites Proprietes is a most fascinting website showing just how these minature buildings and all their accoutrements are made. Take a look it's is so worth it.

Designing an Icon - Roland Kreite - Mysqueeze

Here in the UK we celebrate Shrove Tuesday (today) by eating pancakes. Not for me pancakes with all sorts of weird fillings I like simple lemon and sugar on my pancake, the way it's meant to be.

Let me get to the point here. The lemon will be squeezed fresh, directly over my pancake. So today in celebration of the humble lemon and sugar pancake I bring you an interview with Roland Kreite the young man who impressed Phillipe Starck so much back in 2010 that he helped him turn his Mysqueeze lemon squeezer into a Design Icon. I love a story with a happy ending, read on.....

Firstly Roland let me congratulate you on your achievement, at such a young age this must have been a tremendous boost to your career. Has anything else exciting happened to you since?

No, not that exiting... well Mysqueeze was awarded with the design plus award 2011 that was a great experience to see my product presented on an huge international exhibition . I now have my diploma with best grade... and i m still waiting for that tremendous boost on my career... ;-)

I am being careful not to ask the same questions as were asked in your brilliant interview with Mydeco but you were asked about your design style at home. Hopefully by now you are not just a student and maybe have a little more cash to spend. What is your favoured style assuming you now have some cash?

Now I'm a Diploma Designer (FH) working as a freelancer. My favourite style is, mixing up classic and modern. Old classic furnitures, real material with patina, full of detailed hand crafted and soul besides modern furnitures, clean, minimal, manufactured.
so it's lovely to create my own space with harmony and contrast.

What have you brought away from your time working in Phillipe Starck's studio in Paris?

Working on many projects at the same time, working fast, creativity and quality.

I used to own a prestigious lifestyle website and we used to stock Alessi designs. I am lucky enough to have some of their pieces which I have found are a great investment. How does it feel to be the designer of one of these iconic pieces?

It's unbelievable... 3years of hard work and now everybody can go to a store and buy my product it's like a dream come true.

What do you think is the most important component of good design?

The idea, harmony and beauty.

What is your favourite city and why? Mine is Paris by the way.

Paris too. It's so full of life, small beautiful places everywhere.

What are you working on at the moment?

I'm working on many projects at the same time... furniture, tableware, concept, interface and some more. and I am looking for manufacturers to collaborate with

Where do you find your inspiration?

I'm open for any kind of inspiration, for example: nature, art, mistakes, new materials and technology. but the most is playing... playing with materials, shapes, try to solve problems with unusual objects in usual ways and see what happens.

Have you got a favourite product that you either own or desire?

Le Corbusier LC4 black leather, chromed I would like to own.

I have to ask this one - where do the pips go?
Pips? I don't know the word and I haven't found the right translation... but in context I understand it as money, where do I spend my money? Well I spend a lot of my money in product prototypes, materials and living.

The last answer made me smile as I just didn't think about how the word pip would translate. Roland is Romanian and speaks English a darn sight better than I do Romanian or any other language come to that. Shame on me.

Go and take a look at some brilliant films commissioned by Mydeco to celebrate this new design icon. My favourite is the one with the Mysqueeze being thrown from one scenario to the next - excellent!
Lastly thanks Roland for making an English blogger very happy on Pancake Day.

Just a Lovely Idea

Who would have thought a wire coat hanger could look this good. Found at VT Wonen.

How Do You Not Eat Them?

I am not a lover of soaps made to look like cakes but these are the exception that proves the rule. The Yorkshire Soap Company creates these stunning soaps. I would be sorely tempted to taste them.

Don't Cry Over Spilt Wine

I think most of us have experienced a wine spill on a beautifully set table. Well fret no longer as Kristine Bjaadal has designed this amazing tablecloth - Underfull. The butterflies will form a pale, shadowy pattern that will grow as the tablecloth is being used. How clever is that?

The Carved Book of Landscapes

Whilst researching how to make a box from a vintage book for my Ghost Furniture range I came across theee amazing books by Guy Laramee, found at Yatzer. I don't think mine will be anything like these.

More Than a Little Over The Top

These weird objects are called Megaphones and are to boost the sound output from your iPhone. I cannot help but like them and it would certainly bring some humour to your video conferencing. From Enandis in Italy

Just a Lovely Idea

Simple yet so effective. Hanging jugs full of flowers, love it. Found at VT Wonen

Take Some Sandwich Bags and a Wire Coat Hanger

My daughter's sister-in-law, Rachel, posted this on Facebook the other day and it just blew me away. A fabulous Xmas Wreath made with just sandwich bags and a wire coat hanger. I asked how it was done and she kindly sent me the instructions:
"Di, the bags are sandwich bags, size 17cm x 20cm they cost anything from £1 for 500. I have no idea how many bags I used but must me roughly 200 to 300 max! I used the frosted bags, as in not clear/see through and it's a bit more effective. Yes it was a white wire coat hanger shaped into a rough circle and literally tie each individual bag on tight and push them on tightly. I have seen it done with strips of black bin bags for halloween or can use green garden bags too. Then you can decorate with baubles or bows, ribbons etc."
I'm off to the shop now for some opaque sandwich bags.

Eating Your Words

I can't even make a biscuit look round let alone do this. Fabulous Edible Poster by Crosshatchling found via Huslighter which incidentally is a fabulous blog.

3 Into 1 Does Go

A light,

a bedside table and

a chair. How clever is that? Helios by Spigoli Vivi

Roll and Mix

Just a clever idea by Design Studio Ashayane. Rolling Pin, Oil Bottle and Pestle and Mortar all in one - genius.

WANTED!

these cute little hedgehog tumble dryer balls instead of my boring round pink ones. Found at Kikkerland

Some Clever Under Sink Storage

I just love how the human brain works. Such clever and useful storage ideas. Found at Pinterest and Journal de la Maison

That Japanese Attention To Detail

Jung Jung creates these amazingly detailed pieces and turns them into jewellery amongst other things. The method is called Closh Knitting. Only the Japanese do detailed work so well.

A Baby Wipe Flower

Amazing the things you can do with a baby wipe. Have a go yourself instructions here

Shabby Chic Scrabble Tiles

I pride myself in having ideas that are totally off the wall when I am designing my Ghost Furniture pieces but I have to confess, if someone had shown me some old scrabble tiles I would never have thought of doing this to them and making them into rings. FABULOUS idea by Flowerleaf at Etsy

Recycling The Italian Way

Whilst wneding my way around the internet this morning I came across this fabulous Italian website - Giovanni Scafuro. Love what he is doing with old cutlery and ceramics. He does lots of other stuff, take a look at the braclet and ring made from old key holes. Fabulouso!