The amazing Liquid Lamp was designed by Kouichi Okamoto, the head designer of Japanese design studio Kyouei Design. At first look it  appears to resemble a bucket of paint which has been knocked over. But then again the bucket itself appears to be melting away.

The Liquid Lamp is a fine example of Japanese Minimalism, it might appear to be too simple for some, yet there are surely few that will appreciate its true beauty. These stark lamps are handmade of one thin sheet of steel by an expert craftsman without welding or folding. The liquid lamp comes in wall-mounted and tabletop versions, and with white or red inner coloring.

Their fluid shape reminds us of a liquid that has been suspended in motion. The whole lampshade appears to be made of a liquid dripping in suspended animation, frozen in time and defying gravity. The undoubtedly artistic liquid lamp will surely add an unusual sense of motion to any interior.

read more

Berlin based luxury cosmetics brand Uslu Airlines came up with an airbrush makeup kit so compact that you can fit it in your pocket, and as a bonus the Air(o)pak 2.0 looks simply gorgeous.

An Airbrush makeup system consists of three components, the airbrush itself (sometimes called “the gun”), the air-source which is usually a compressor that puts out a soft continuous flow of air, a thin flexible hose that connects the airbrush to the air-source. For application a few drops of specially formulated liquid make-up colors are filled into the airbrush gun which uses the compressors airflow to create a very fine mist over the desired area of the face/body. Uslu Airlines managed to combine all those parts into a small stylish package. The Uslu Airlines Air(o)pak 2.0 is an elegant, second-generation portable airbrush makeup system that shows the direction of future makeup appliances, airbrushed makeup anywhere, anytime.

read more

The Stelton Pure Black knife series features stunning utterly minimalist design highlighted by the solid black color choice, a typical example of Scandinavian design.

They were designed by the Danish design duo HolmbäckNordentoft  consisting of Sebastian Holmbäck and Ulrik Nordentoft.  Stleton Pure Black knives are forged are forged from a single piece of metal, enabling their handles to meld seamlessly into their blades, while he special matte black coating makes them look unique. The Stelton Pure Black knives have been honored with the prestigious “red dot design award” and the important “Formland Prize” one of the most treasured distinctions in Denmark and is only given to products of Scandinavian producers.

read more

The exceedingly futuristic MyShell256 modular shoes designed by graduate designer Sharon Golan are assembled from 16 separate parts that allow the composition of 256 different designs.

Sharon Golan created a very original concept which is ideal for those women who can never have enough shoes. The design is minimalistic but at the same time allows a tremendous diversity. The full MyShell256 set consists of sixteen parts, but each shoe is assembled using four parts, strapped to the wearer’s foot using elastic silicon bands. The possible combinations are so many that the wearer essentially also becomes the designer by choosing his preferred color combination, stylistic approach and heel height.

MyShell256 shoes are made of thermoplastic, a lightweight and durable material. Another interesting aspect of the design s the “split structure” of the shoe. The rigid pieces forming the front and the rear part of shoe move independently as the foot flexes, with no connecting bridge between the heel and ball of the foot. Although they have not yet come into production, Saron Golan plans to produce them and sell them through her website. We particularly like the idea of modular shoes that offer such a plethora of combination options and hope to see them in production soon.

read more

The In-Ypsilon Armchair by Czech company mminterier achieves a difficult combination as it graciously combines modern style with classic lines.

It was designed by Czech architect Miroslav Maňas who is also the founder of mminterier. The dominant design element is the angular metal frame that gives a modern, geometric silhouette. The curved wooden back and seat interpose to “soften” the strict line of the frame, composing a unique design which is finalized with the luxurious black leather upholstery. The combination of three different materials, metal, wood and leather is highly successful and gives an aura of quality.

read more

Fashion forward car manufacturer Smart recently presented the evolutionary Smart E-bike. A stylish electric bike that brings the two wheels to the Smart family and introduces a series of technological innovations.

For the development of the Smart E-Bike, Smart collaborated with a specialized electric bike manufacturer, Berlin Based Grace. The Smart E-Bike is equipped with a 250 watt electric motor which accelerates the bike at a speed over 25 km per hour. At the same time, it has very low power consumption allowing autonomy in excess 100 kilometers. The design is modern and streamlined, since the battery and the electric motor are fully integrated in the frame of the bicycle.

An innovative design element is the smartphone integration, which allows you to use the phone as GPS and information display, showing current speed, battery charge level and all other vital information. As a bonus you also maintain your smartphone fully charged. More technical specification after the jump…..

read more

German artist Jörn Beyer explores the role of packaging in our understanding of a product, through the creation of the Ecohols series.

The Ecohols series consists of three packages of known alcoholic drinks that instead of their usual bottles are packaged in milk cartons. Jägermeister, Absolut Vodka and Jack Daniels were parted of their signature elegant glass bottles and re-packaged in simple paper cartons.

The question now is whether customers will still buy them and what remains of the brand once their signature packaging is replaced? What is ultimately the most important: the name, the content, the wrapping, or are they an integral package? The only certainty is that Jörn Beyer’s work contains a strong dose of surrealism. It may not get categorized in the fine art realm, but it is definitely a very creative experiment.

read more