Green toys. Designer gifts 2013.
there are 100s of green toys out there and here’s just one. the dish set really caught my eye and could wind up in my picnic basket. guessing i’ll have to go elsewhere for wine glasses. [ green toys ]
Chess sets: gallery libby sellers. Designer gifts 2013.
billingsgate chess set | julia lohmann and gero grundmann | bone, silver, paper | unique piece | 2012 | photography by petr krejci | price: £3,360
Gallery Libby Sellers was established by the former curator of London’s Design Museum in 2007 to support and promote contemporary design in a gallery context. Commissioning new works and curating a program of evolving selling exhibitions, the gallery has earned a reputation for its critical and concept-led agenda. Recent selling exhibitions have included: The Copper Mirror Series by Hunting & Narud, installations by Anton Alvarez of his Thread Wrapping Machine designs; a solo show of glass designer Paola Petrobelli; a psychogeography-inspired series of works by London-based Clarke & Reilly; the Craftica series of works with FENDI by Italian designers Formafantasma; and the ongoing touring exhibition of the works of legendary British graphic designer Richard Hollis.
log chess set | peter marigold | single branch, plywood, graphite | open series | 2012 / photography courtesy peter marigold | price: £1,800
slice chess set | simon hasan | patinated brass, screen-printed leather, hot-rolled steel plate, brass fittings | edition of 3 plus 1 artist’s proof | 2012 | photography courtesy simon hasan | price: £8,400
please note: these prices include 20% uk vat/sales tax but exclude shipping charges | photography by marten aukes
[ gallery libby sellers ] 41-42 berners street | london WlT 3NB | +44 (0)20 3384 8785 | gallery@libbysellers.com | hours> tuesday > friday 11 > 6 | saturday 11 > 4
mercedes-benz amg gran turismo concept.
Mercedes has produced whole new vehicle for the video game Gran Turismo 6 –but they also built it in the real world. The Gran Turismo concept is said to illustrate “sensuous purity” the emerging Mercedes design language, according to design chief Gordon Wagener. It was shown in gleaming steel at the 2013 Los Angeles auto show.
Back to front: sebastian bergne. Designer gifts 2013.
back to front | sebastian bergne | 2007
These ‘Back to Front’ playing cards are a light hearted redesign of the classic bridge format deck. The face of the card has been pushed onto the normally patterned back, leaving the front blank. Players are so forced to use the cards back to front. Produced in 2007 in an edition of 500 packs: exclusively at [ buysebastianbergne ]
[ sebastian bergne ltd. ] 2 Ingate Place London SW8 3NS | +44 (0)20 7622 3333
Rocking horse: kay bojesen. Designer gifts 2013.
rocking horse | kay bojesen | 1936
who hasn’t dreamed of waking up and finding a horse in the garage? here’s your chance to fulfill that dream for someone you love. this pony goes on the auction block 14 November 2013 noon CST (USA) [ wright ]
<a href="
about ron kovach
Architectmade. Designer gifts 2013.
bird
[ Architectmade ] started in 2005 obtaining the rights to manufacture iconic designs from Danish Designers such as Hans Bolling, Finn Juhl, etc. Featured on the [ Cooper-Hewitt web site ] (Cooper Hewitt is under renovation and will reopen in 2014) is a selection from this handcrafted and well-designed collection.
circle bowl
child’s chair
duck and duckling
optimist and pessimist
oscar
oscar
Kristalia gives lobster skate team the keys.
One day we asked ourselves what would have happened if we gave the firm’s keys to two skaters.
[ kristalia ] [ lbstr apparel ]
Earth blocks: legos for grown-ups (or sustainably minded children).
click > enlarge
If you’ve visited the Guggenheim lately you may have seen Earth Blocks – no, not the ones used to build houses (though those are really cool, too). I’m talking about the kid’s version, Earth Toy Earth Blocks, which are like sustainable Legos. Made from a composite of cedar tree bark, compressed saw dust, coffee beans and green tea leaves, the blocks don’t come in shades of red, blue or yellow. In fact, you’d better hope your kid likes dark green and brown a lot.
They’re a lot softer than Legos, which means it won’t hurt as much when you accidentally step on one, but The Wall Street Journal points out that since they’re softer and don’t snap together as tightly as Legos, they’re “less than ideal for making lightsabers.” And since the blocks do actually smell like coffee and tea, they’re probably better suited for the big kids out there. I can’t be the only who never outgrew her Legos, right?
You buy them from the Guggenheim online, $30 for 50 blocks.
Tube toys, by oscar diaz.
click > enlarge
Tube Toys debuted at the New York International Gift Fair earlier this month from NPW, a company that specializes in playful design products, many of which are for children. The toys come from London-based designer Oscar Diaz, who describes his work as “plain and playful objects that take inspiration from everyday things, which, by a simple twist, become something unexpected…and often involve a narrative aspect.”
Though that speaks to his aesthetic as a whole, it’s also a perfect description of Tube Toys, a series of vehicles that can be assembled from their own packaging. Made from cardboard, rubber, bamboo and LDPE (low-density polyethylene), the only extraneous piece is the paper label, which slides off and can be recycled along with the rest of the parts. The body of the car, tractor, fire engine or train is the tube itself, and the wheels and accessories come inside. The tube is pre-cut with slots and holes for wheels and other components, making it an easy build for a young child. I think the most brilliant part of this design is that it plays off the fact that children (and my cat) are often just as interested in playing with the packaging as they are in the toy itself – and now they can have their cake and eat it, too.
about perrin drumm
The eames elephant, 67 years in the making.
click > enlarge
Designed by Charles and Ray Eames in 1945, the Eames Elephant never made it into mass production. This actually isn’t all that surprising; many of the Eames now iconic designs were made as one-offs for friends and family, and it was only through the urgent pressing of the recipients – and in some cases Vitra – that pieces like the rosewood leather lounge chair and ottoman were ever put into production.
The two original prototypes were made out of molded plywood and exhibited at MoMA, but were never seen by the public again until 2007, when a limited, 1,000-piece run in red and natural maple was produced to celebrate Charles’ 100th birthday. Now, 67 years after it was first conceived in the Eames office, Charles’ grandson Demetrios has teamed up with Vitra to bring the Eames Elephant to the public en masse and for good. The elephant is available in five different colors and instead of plywood it’s made from thick plastic, a more durable choice for children at play.
Buy it online for $322.
about perrin drumm