DesignApplause » Gift idea

New alessi cocktail set calls back 1950s bar style.

Perrin Drumm — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:02:03 +0000

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It’s only the beginning of February and already Alessi is killing it with their (Spring/Summer) 2012 collection. Last week I was impressed by Marcel Wanders’ “Dressed” collection and this week I’m digging Giulio Iacchetti’s “Ape” aperitivo set. Alessi specialized in cocktail products in the 50s and Iacchetti’s design is a clear callback to those days. Designed to be used either in the home or restaurant/bar, the set includes a bowl and spoon for mixed nuts, a container for olives, a toothpick holder, a bowl for chips, a wooden cheese board and a dish for discarded toothpicks and olive pits.

“Three little inventions have been added to the family: a self standing cocktail stick holder, which can also be inserted in the olive bowl if desired, a teaspoon with a special cavity for picking up peanuts, and a steel container with lid for concealing little bits of rubbish from view.”

I love how Iacchetti has used the same stainless steel form for both the dish stem/base and the toothpick holder, so the entire set takes on the dynamic of landscape with varying heights and materials.

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15 Citrus juicers.

PRand — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 14:11:31 +0000

juicy salif | philippe starck | alessi | 1990 | click to enlarge

Two events prompted this post. Two weeks ago I went on a Bertrand Goldberg architectural tour. Two buildings in Chicago, four owners, all architects. Of interest, all four interiors might have been designed by one person, the furnishings were so similar, mid-century modern. Two of the four had the Salif on sparse kitchen counters. Our galley kitchen falls into the latter category. Anyone’s guess what kitchen tools were in their cupboards. The other event, we made grouper ceviche last weekend, an on-going experiment with different recipes so precise citrus measurements are required. We also have a juicer made for cooking, the OXO Citrus Juicer with a measuring cup as its recepticle. I purchased it directly from OXO when it won a design award in 2007.

citrus juicer | oxo | 2007

Below are promising juicers selected with the following criteria: simple, manual or small electric that’s easily stored, lightweight output, and well-thought-out solutions with great aesthetics. Several in are in the collection of contemporary art museums. Several will have glitches, like the Salif, no problem for me but to Barbara it can behave like a sobriety test; the Orangin and Flash Lemonade Juicer can be a bit labor intensive to fill a quart IMO. Price range from $8 > $100.

Anu penttinen for iittala

Perrin Drumm — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 07:46:20 +0000

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Anu Penttinen, a glassblower and designer, isn’t trying to “change the world,” she just wants to make”well-made designs that hopefully make a difference in someone’s day.” The dailiness of design is something I keep hearing designers speak to, whether it’s a better contact lens case or a beautiful hand blown glass dish for your keys, the small things we handle multiple times throughout the day have the biggest impact on our lives.

Penttinen has been working with glass ever since she converted to it from ceramics while she was a student at the University of Art and Design in Helsinki. In 2003 she started her own company, Nounou Design, which she now runs completely by herself – not just all the paperwork, but every item Penttinen puts her name on is blown or formed herself. With her dedication to craft it’s no wonder she’s continually commissioned by Iittala, which began as a glass factory in Iittala, Finland in 1881. You probably know them for their gorgeous tableware, but Penttinen’s latest edition for the brand is the Vitriini Box (available in large and small, wood and glass combinations, from $40-$115 – and no, I didn’t get a freebie for writing this!)

In luscious hues of peach, amber, violet, yellow, blue, green clear, taupe and smoky gray, the boxes look more like precious gems. Penttinen says she doesn’t “believe in gimmicks or designing stuff for the sake of stuff. I love eccentric designs that are very well designed, of high quality but containing an element of surprise, unexpected color combinations or a twist of some kind.” Even if that twist is as simple as swapping a glass base for a beautiful piece of wood, I think she easily fulfills her own credo. Some of her pieces are more intricate, with patchwork, nature inspired motifs, but it’s her simple, back-to-the-basics handblown style I love best. And my dailiness would be markedly improved if I tossed my keys into one of her purple glass cases at the end of a long day instead of hanging them on a nail by the door.

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Tèo. A special teaspoon by Alessi.

PRand — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 12:20:47 +0000

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An innovative shiny, special-shaped spoon designed to wring out your tea bag and keep your fingers dry. I’m still in the habit of wrapping the tea bag string around the bag on occasion but now I have my special spoon to make my tea. After all, making the tea is a ritual tea drinkers enjoy. Tèo is $25 at Alessi. You also can find it in retail stores and museum shops both on premise or online.

Tèo won a best product design at the New York International Gift Fair.

designer: karin santorso
producer: alessi

Give the gift of design #2. Fly fishing fetish.

PRand — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 22:35:32 +0000

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[ Tibor QC reel ] As a young tool and die apprentice in his native Hungary, the old masters taught Ted “the most beautiful machines have the least moving parts.” This philosophy helps make the Tibor QuickChange™ Series superior to any other quick change reel and spool system on the market. The spool change involves only a single moving part – the stainless steel end cap. There’s nothing to remove: no loose parts, tricky threading or alignments. Changing a spool has never been easier. The Tibor QuickChange Series – simplicity and reliability in a classic new design. $775 usd

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[ Simms g4 pro wader ]
Chasing down big rainbows on New Zealand’s Ruakituri River calls for light tackle and waders that can take a beating. Built for the most demanding angler, this is the G4Z Wader without a zipper…and made in the USA!

5-layer and 3-layer GORE-TEX® fabric technology
Incorporates more 5-layer fabric than any other wader
Adjustable elastic 1.5″ suspender with YKK® non-locking buckles
Zipper hand warmer pockets with quick-drying micro fleece
Flip-out Tippet Tender pocket includes patented build-in retractor
Low profile belt loops accommodate 2″ wading belt
Includes forceps tab and accommodates Simms Super-Fly Patch and Retractor
4mm high-density neoprene stockingfoot with hourglass seam design for more cushion and increased durability
$530 usd

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[ Tom Morgan graphite rod ] Tom says, “Although most of our rods are sold via our catalog or our Internet web site, we have a considerable number of customers, including many from Japan who stop by our shop to cast our rods. Its extremely gratifying to let them cast our rods and to hear their praise for the rod actions. The comments that I hear the most are that the rods feel great, that they are amazingly smooth casting, and that they are sized correctly for the lines they are rated to cast. Our rods are very carefully designed to use a double taper or a long belly weight forward line of the size I recommend. Some of the newer lines are more heavily weighted towards the front portion to accommodate the newer and stiffer graphite rods. Those lines will tend to overload these rods so make sure you are using lines with traditional design. They will not cast, under normal circumstances, a line that is one size heavier.

One aspect of our rod design that makes them different from most other rods currently on the market is the snake guide size. If you compare our rods to others the guides seem small, and you might think, too small to let the line pass through easily. The common misconception is that the bigger the guides the better the line flows through them and the farther you can cast. I have wrapped and cast identical rods with small guides and large guides and found just the opposite to be true. Apparently, the larger guides allow the line to slap around the rod too much and actually reduce the shooting ability of the line. Another aspect often overlooked, particularly on rods like ours with delicate and supple tips, is that the larger guides weight the tip of the rods excessively and entirely destroy their subtle action. Trust me, our guides are of adequate size; the smaller, lighter guides are one of the things that make our rods feel so great.” $1,400 usd

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[ Korkers chrome boot ] Producer says, “Due to high demand, delivery of this product may be delayed.” Sets a new standard for technical fishing wading boots Constructed with sleek yet tough whitewater raft type material and seamless toe guards.
• OmniTrax® 3.0 Interchangeable Sole System adapts your traction to meet the performance needs of each river system
• Low profile Boa® speed lacing system for quick on/off and custom fit; significantly faster than previous system
• Waterproof materials (including sleek synthetic material similar to whitewater rafts) reduce water absorption, thereby reducing overall weight, and dry faster to help prevent the spread of invasive species
• The reduction of stitched seams improves durability and eliminates potential failure points
• Regrind rubber toe cap provides an added layer of durability without adding weight
• Integrated midsole drainage ports allow water to drain quickly keeping boots lighter
• 2 lbs 13 oz
$220 usd - Includes Kling-On & Studded Kling-On soles.

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[ Patagonia SST wading jacket ] An icon among fishing shells that keeps you dry in wet conditions, our durable and recyclable 100% nylon SST Jacket, with a waterproof/breathable H2No® barrier and a Deluge® DWR (durable water repellent) finish, features a host of angler-friendly details. Spend much time in Smithers, Forks or Rio Gallegos and you’ll know: Wherever good fishing and bad weather come together, our venerable SST reigns supreme. Today’s version features our latest advances in shell design and technology, along with a host of new, angler-friendly details. Made from 3-layer recyclable nylon ripstop waterproof/breathable fabric, the SST is durable, extremely light, and better yet, fully recyclable. There’s also an integrated hood with single-pull adjustment and waterproof, corrosion-resistant ririAQUAzip® main and handwarmer pocket zippers. The now-classic large, gusseted chest pockets are waterproof and set high for deep wading. A belt loop on the back allows a wading belt to be worn over the jacket over waders, this combined with the waterproof front zipper results in a near waterproof garment to the neck for greater safety in the event of a spill. Streamlined cuffs lie flat, resist line snagging and seal out water. More details: large back pocket and hidden rod holder. Medium length (2 inches longer than the Deep Wading Jacket).
$449 usd

Give the gift of design #1. Visit a museum store.

PRand — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 19:17:36 +0000

There is no doubt that all of these items will be found in a museum shop near you. Design-driven producers / museum shops seek each other out. Join the museum and you get 10% off. It beautifully all adds up.

JAMBOX delivers stunning hi-fi audio in a portable wireless speaker so compact you won’t believe it when you hear it. It’s loud. With an output capacity of 85 decibels, JAMBOX fills even the largest rooms. Unlike other portable speakers, JAMBOX is powered by a pair of proprietary, highly sophisticated acoustic drivers, unmatched in their ability to produce extreme high (tweeter) and low (woofer) frequencies from a single, ultra-small dome speaker. They work in concert with an innovative moving-wall passive bass radiator and airtight enclosure to deliver shimmering highs and thumping lows that you can literally feel – the richest sound all in the palm of your hand. Designed by [ yves behar / fuseproject 2011 ] Colors/Finish | grey | blue | red | black | silver price: $200 usd

NEKO WATCH | 2010. Japanese architecture team Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa of SANNA created a modern Neko wrist watch for Italian design company [ alessi ] Made of Polyurethane and available in five colors, Neko watch does not have a fastener but simply embraces your wrist. price: $100 usd

FREDRICK ELEPHANT. Bholu creatures are the creation of [ Australian designer Jodie Fried ]. Each Bholu piece is individually hand embroidered or hand woven by artisans in India using ancient techniques, giving each product its own unique and original personality. By using their traditional skills, the artisans gain an income, hence independence and opportunity as well as keeping a traditional craft alive. Bholu is a Katchchhi term of endearment, and also denotes the naivety and free expression of a small child. This is in keeping with the expressions of the Bholu creatures themselves, who will appeal to children and adults alike. Plush, expressive Frederick Elephant is 10″ x 4.5″ x 7. Bright red with big white ears. Each creature is packaged in an organdi bag. Made of wool and acrylic. Slight variations will exist, as creatures are hand embroidered. price: $55 usd

Etre fivepoint capacitive gloves.

PRand — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 15:04:02 +0000

Etre FIVEPOINT Gloves are a stylish way of keeping your hands warm while using your iPhone, iPad, iPod and other touchscreen devices.

Thanks to their special capacitive contactwoven® fingertips, they do what other gloves don’t: They let you use touchscreens without having to take them off. While nearly all modern touchscreen devices employ the kind of capacitive technology described above, some (typically, older devices) rely on resistive technology instead.
Resistive touchscreens consist of two extremely thin metallic layers overlaid by a sheet of glass. When you touch the glass, the two underlying metallic layers are pressed together causing the device to register your touch. So, unlike capacitive touchscreens, they are pressure sensitive, which means that they can be manipulated with any object whatsoever—including your fingers, a stylus, a pen or even your nose. You can operate resistive touchscreen devices while wearing any pair of gloves. However, in order to be able to operate all touchscreen devices, Etre FIVEPOINT Gloves will work. [ fivepoint gloves ] [ etre ]

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Bowers & wilkens c5 headphones.

PRand — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 17:29:29 +0000

C5 stays put thanks to a unique Secure Loop design. Adjustable loops hold the in-ear headphones firmly in place. An ingenious innovation where a cushioned loop fixes quickly and comfortably in the inner ridge of your ear. This, together with the tungsten balanced design, holds C5 in place for improved sound, and also makes it ideal for use on the move and during activities.

price: $180
producer: bowers & wilkens

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Delorme inreach communicator.

PRand — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 17:14:36 +0000

Stay reliably connected wherever you go. Send, receive text messages from beyond cell phone range. You can have remote tracking and send a 2-way interactive SOS. Pairs with Android phone or Earthmate PN-60w GPS, or use inReach by itself.

price: $250 usd
producer: delorme

Grace digital eco terra waterproof speaker dock.

PRand — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 20:41:19 +0000

This dock with speakers features a water and dirt resistant design, can run on batteries or plug into an AC outlet. It’s also submersible and it floats.

Price: $170 usd
producer: grace digital

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