Monster Mash

Charlie Davidson recently exhbitied two new lights, 'Monster' and 'Iris' at Designersblock in London. Reading the designer's description of the 'Monster' lamp (above), it seemed like an appropriate pick for Halloween. "The Monster projects shadows that give children nightmares and make them want to hide under the protection of their duvet." I'm sure that will have parents everywhere scrambling to buy.

Nanni Holen and Denver Meet-up

Great new bookshelves by Swedish designer Nanni Holen. Not only does the laser-cut edge keep all your knick knacks in place; it adds a nice decorative element as well, making even your most kitsch collectibles look fancy.

Also, I almost forgot about the Denver Design Meet-up tonight with all the Red Sox mania that been happening for the past few days. I was lucky enough to be at the final game last night - got a game ball, lost my voice and saw my hometown heroes win it all - totally awesome. Anyway, I think I can handle one more evening out before I completely collapse. Any Denver area design enthusiasts are welcome to join us tonight to talk design, baseball and anything else.

• Tonight from 6-8 Pm at the Skylark Lounge on S. Broadway, Denver
  

Sparks: Sarah van Gameren

Sarah van Gameren's work is just as much about performance and process as it is about the final product. With 'Big Dipper' Sarah designed a machine that can create 24 chandeliers in a 24-hour period through the process of traditional candle making. The machine periodically dips the forms into vats of molten wax, building up 12 layers over time. Read about Sarah's other cool project 'Burn, Burn, Burn' here.

Voon-Benson Setcast

Voon Wong and Benson Saw recently exhibited 'Setcast', a new series of tableware, at 100% Design in London. The collection, which is made from bone china, includes: 'Crease', a dish made to resemble folded paper, 'Molecule' a linked set of condiment dishes along with their 'Range' candlesticks and 'Dune' hors d'oeuvre dishes.

Not Your Average Cup O' Tea

Two new ways to enjoy tea time - 'Chismosa' by Juanico and 'Sexy Legs' by Undergrowth.

p.s. go sox!

Design is Spooky: Denver Design Meet-up

OK, so after a long hiatus I think it's time for Denver's design meet-ups to start happening again. With all the new designers/design sites popping up in town, it seems like it's high time for Denver's creatives to come together and maybe form a super-hero team. Or just have some drinks...

Whether you are in the field of industrial, product, graphic or any other type of design come on down for an informal gathering of Denver design enthusiasts. We'll share exploits from the recent AIGA conference, steal each other's Halloween costume ideas and generally have a good time.

Join us on Monday, October 29th from 6-8 PM at the Skylark Lounge, located at 140 S. Broadway. Happy Hour goes until 7 and it's a big enough place that we'll be able to hear each other talk.

p.s. spread the word...

Tom Inglehart

OK, the more I read about Tom Inglehart, the more interested I become. Tom's amazing glass chandeliers are made from reclaimed bottles, steel crown caps and rolled aluminum cans. Now maybe it's because I grew up in house full of antiques, but I find these lights so alluring - they definitely have a steam-punk charm.

But what's even more intriguing is that Tom Inglehart apparently works out of a treehouse! On his site he describes his studio as "based in the lower branches of three spruce trees on a hill top overlooking the Urr Valley." Tom Inglehart=new hero.

'Sparks' will come tomorrow - I have to venture out into the city to get photos for this one...

Isolated Building Studies

Here's an amazing collection of photographs by David Schalliol. His 'Isolated Building Studies' document neighborhoods throughout Chicago. The nighttime photos are particularly stunning -view the full flickr set here. (via today and tomorrow and archinect)

Science Series by DFC

You know you're a science nerd when you use test tubes and beakers as bud vases (like me). Too bad none of my collection looks as nice as the 'Science Series' by DFC. The Mexico City-based designers hand-etch floral and dot motifs into scientific glassware of all shapes and sizes.

Brickshelf

You may be past the days of dorms, but if cement blocks still make your supply list for 'custom' home furnishings, then the Brickshelf may be just for you. Designed by Paul Kogelnig and Gabriel Heusser, these bricks are made to resemble real books - offering a stylish upgrade to makeshift shelving everywhere.

Celine Wright

Celine Wright is a French designer whose amazing sculptures of light have been compared to design legends such as Noguchi. Wright's creations, which are all handmade, often incorporate elements of nature lending a delicate balance to her work. My favorite piece is her 'Cloud' lamp (bottom), a gently floating lantern hand-crafted from rice paper and weighted with a smooth rock.

Binder Light by Sonic

Here's a simple concept from Sonic - the 'Binder Light' allows users to create their own lamp shades by printing out imagery/text and securing it into the built-in binder clips.

Karen Ryan Lampshades

Hmm...don't get me wrong, I love Karen Ryan's wild chairs, but her latest creations - 'Untitled' lampshades leave a little something to be desired. Using scallop-shaped shades as her canvas Karen painted the interior surface to, "light colour rather than colour light." Well if the colors look like an amateur 1980's revival, maybe it's best just to leave the lights off... (photo and quote via dezeen)

Sparks: Brian Dettmer

With nothing but an exact-o, some surgical tools and a whole lot of patience, artist Brian Dettmer creates these amazing book sculptures. I can't even imagine how long these take to create, but they're beautiful.

News Knitter

News Knitter was created by Turkish students Mahir M. Yavuz and Ebru Kurbak who were looking for a way to visualize the massive amounts of data thrown at us everyday. The two used flat knitting machines to create clothing from live feeds of political news. Some garments were made with direct text (a snippet of the day's headlines), while others were the result of translating the feeds into visual patterns. Given the immediate link between the feeds and the knitting machine, each sweater serves as evidence of a particular moment in time.

Victor Vetterlein

Interesting table from Victor Vetterlein. Ceramic with a gold leaf interior - while I'm not a big fan of the gold leaf or anything gold for that matter, a robotic inspired table works for me.

Rock by Brusatto

'Rock' - a lighting and seating series by Brusatto. Very little info on their site, but I like the faceted look.