mathieu lehanneur

belair - clean air at your home, courtesy of NASA technologies

As young french designers go, Mathieu is really worth checking out: his inventive “Bel Air” (above) is a NASA technology piece for home use – based on some sorts of plants that are proven to absorb toxic substances from air.  Also useful to remind us how polluted our immediate invironment is – each peace of new furniture and accesories brings more pollutants to our home. May well be used for topic of converastion 🙂

But new from Mathieu is the “Labo Brain” – surrounding that enhances our cognitive capabilites and stimulates our brain (!?)

labo brain – plants digest CO2 and emit O2 for more productive thinking

Viccarbe houses

viccarbe furniture

Spanish producer of high-end furnishings for the home and office surroundings “Viccarbe” has a notable list of references to boast with. Such is their latest pick of home furnishings, notably the “TJ residence” and “PR house”.

You may also want to take a look at their products at the site www.viccarbe.com

Inventive or clever?

camelia washing liquid, by MUJI award 03

Have you seen the results of the third MUJI competition?

I think my favourite is the “cameila washing-up liquid”  by Huang Yi Tang. This clever taiwanese has remembered what was used in past for washing the dishes – a powder-like residue from making camelia oil, which has antimicrobial and oil absorbing capabilites.

Now, this age old taiwanese invention has been translated into new context, thanks to MUJI, the world famous brand with talents like Naoto Fukasawa and Jasper Morrison, this time in the role of judges at the MUJI award 03 competition.

See other winners at MUJI award 03 site or read on for a resume of awarded works.

The “aaah” factor

I just don`t know what is it that distinguishes good design from bad, beautiful spaces from not such, good art from bad art. Milions of critics tried their best at it, and I suppose it is the driving force behind theories of art, architecture or design: to destinguish good from bad, and to make systems to clarify these destinctions.

What striks me, after all the years of formal and unformal education, is how fickle and eludive this “quality” in good designs, art, architecture is.

Still, I hold my breath each time I see a good photograph, or a specific peace of art.

This picture below inspired me to think of how little we still know about what lies beyond our ways of percieving.

For me this space pictured was just beautfiul. I`ll call it the “aaah” factor 🙂

the front of a former argentinian monastery

via  NY TIMES

As NewYork hums below… you have a killer view!

southern view from the bedroom

 Take a look at how a New York resident, B. Smith, has made her nest – and a nest it is, looming high over Central Park.What fascinates is elegant mix of old and new, African and modern thoroughout the home.

Via New York Social Diary.

Tour other faboulous homes of famous and not so, at NYSD archive section.

simplicity reigns in the living room, with african bronze throne in one corner