Top Floor

Rugs don't come up too often on designklub...probably because they're not that interesting. However, 'Esquire' by Esti Barnes for Top Floor caught my eye - I can't quite tell if the crinkle effect is a trick of shading or if the rug is actually textured - I hope the latter is the case.

Pecha Kucha Night Vol. 1

Thanks to everyone who came out to the first Pecha Kucha Night in Denver on Friday! About 150 folks showed up to hear presentations on everything ranging from design theories to obituaries and ceramic design to one man's love of pi. The next event will be Monday, July 14th - if you are interested in sharing your creative project at the next PKN, email your name, contact info and topic idea to pechakuchadenver (at) gmail (dot) com.

Takashi Iwasaki

Takashi Iwasaki is one my favorite artists right now. The Japanese born designer works with a variety of media ranging from acrylics to paper collages, but it's his delicate embroidery pieces that won my heart. The intricately sewn canvases are like a mix of Kandinsky meets the Yellow Submarine - beautiful work.

Moleskine Love

Take your Moleskine devotion to a whole new level with these snappy laser engraved covers. Choose from an impressive array of artist designed tops or upload your own work. For a mere $25 (and up) you can prove you're king of the neighborhood design nerds.

Voon Wong & Benson Saw

I love this installation by Voon Wong and Benson Saw (designers of the lovely Setcast collection). Made from polystyrene cups, it was commissioned for the opening of Space, a new design shop in Kuala Lumpur. (via dezeen)

Denis Oh

True, Denis Oh's 'Maintain the Balance of Your Knowledge' shelving system may take up a lot of space, but these things are usually worth it when the result is interactive furniture. One can tip the balance of the unit by the placement of objects on the shelf or sliding the counter balances below. Probably best for books...and not your heirloom china.

Boca do Lobo: Mondrian

Portuguese designers Boca do Lobo created the sleek 'Mondrian' as part of their Large Emotion collection. Limited edition of 20 pieces.

Hyock Kwon

'Tree House My House' is a shelving unit with a simple twist. Designer Hyock Kwon added a step ladder that not only leads to the books, but also a small chair, allowing the user to get a whole new view.

Sarah Thirlwell

Designer Sarah Thirwell's pieces are a beautiful mixture of acrylic and wood. Above are her 'Droplet' vases and ash wood bowls.

Pecha Kucha Night: Denver

I am so happy to finally be able to post some information about a project Angela Schwab and I have been working on - bringing the very first Pecha Kucha Night to Denver. For those unfamiliar with the format, Pecha Kucha is basically an opportunity for creative people to share their creative projects with the world. Or at least, in this case, Denver.

The format is simple. The topic is open. Each presenter gets 20 slides, timed for 20 seconds each. Highlighting everything from professional work to personal hobbies and collections, these evenings are PowerPoint meets Variety Show and they are currently being hosted all over the globe. Started by Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham in Tokyo, Pecha Kucha Night is a way for creatives of all types to share and network in a concise, exciting, rapid-fire format.

Our first Pecha Kucha Night will take place Friday, March 28th at Buntport Theater in Denver. Doors open at 8 PM, program starts at 8:20 (20:20) PM. $5 suggested donation at the door. The line-up for this first one is awesome - we'll have people talking about everything from obituaries to design theories. Whoa is right.

So come be entertained and informed...and next time sign up to do your own show and tell.

Benta Plates

This is really exciting! Angela Schwab, local Denverite and friend, just released the dinner plate she designed for Umbra. The BENTA plate has a curved edge, allowing you to push the food up onto your fork. Genius. Congratulations Angela - stay tuned for another exciting announcement today on a project Angela and I have been working on. Now go forth and buy your BENTA here.

Stephane de Sousa

Designklub reader and friend, Bob, was the inspiration behind the David Restorick post below - he had mentioned he'd found an interesting bedside table and it reminded me of Restorick's work. Here is Bob's addition: the Habitual table by Stephane de Sousa. Another nice option, although I'd like it in a brighter color. Thanks Bob!

Total Trattoria

I have a particular fondness for projects where a designer doesn't just create a single product, but rather a complete environment - because all design should share a story. London-based Martino Gamper has accomplished this in fine style with his 'Total Trattoria' installation at the Aram Gallery. Conceived as a dining room for 25 guests, Gamper designed every aspect of the exhibit, from the furniture to the coasters. The table alone is beautiful - it's made from remnants of school laboratory desks, church benches and poplar from the London Patent Office. (via dezeen)

David Restorick

I was just talking with some friends this weekend about good bedsides tables. I, admittedly, am one of those horrid people who forgo bookmarks (and all common decency) to mark my place by folding the pages of my books. Luckily, David Restorick has come up with the 'Bookhouse' just for hopeless souls like me. Simply lay your book over the ridge to keep your spot. Restorick has several other nice pieces on his flickr album, including the 'Office Tidy' table above, which has hidden built-in shelving.

Giancarlo Mazzanti

Faceted lights, now faceted buildings. Architect Giancarlo Mazzanti designed these three structures to resemble enormous boulders atop the hillside town of Medellin, Columbia. The buildings house a library, community center and cultural events space. (via plataforma arquitectura)

Gomitolo Clock

Found this sneak peek of Diamantini & Domeniconi's 'Gomitolo' clock for the 2008 Salone del Mobile at yatzer. A hand knit cotton clock is a sight to behold.

Koray Ozgen

Koray Ozgen's 'Asteroid' lamps are available in both glass and plastic, for indoor and outdoor use respectively. Faceted lanterns...very nice.

Karo Klipps

The 'Stummer Leuchter' and 'Knicklicht' are two projects created by German design student Karo Klipps. Each piece is a hybrid of various functions, a lamp meets cup/mail holder or a hallway light and coat rack. I really like that the forms take on a different personality when they are being used.