Interior Design Tools: The most practical soft partition

- it is not only beautiful, it is also a sound absorbing screen made from moulded fiber felt and, as you can see from the pictures - it can be used as comfortable pocket for your reading. Airflake modular system is built around the shape of a hexagon in a variety of designs and colours, which can be freely combined to create the screen. Moulded fiber felt panels in five colours and four patterns. It can be fixed to aluminium rails for mounting on walls or ceilings, or fixed directly to the wall as a sound absorbing decoration.
Available in red, green, brown, black or white it makes a great centerpiece, too.
Design by Stefan Borselius forAbstracta

source: Architonic
Textile, in all its forms is one of the basic tools of interior design, but the revival of felt is a prominent trend in the last couple of years.

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Clever Recycling

Living in a time of economic crisis and the necessity to fight overconsumption, save resources, energy and the environment have brought to life a lot of unusual products and ideas. Some of them practical and inspiring, some very depressing. The images here are a great example of clever re-use of glass bottles: Spices pepper Bottle made from the neck of a bottle, bottle cap and a cork stopper, and another use of bottles as hangers. Both are designed by João Sabino.

In general, it is time to revive crafts and the natural penchant for creativity that lives in us. That was one of the trends which were most noticeable during the Milan Furniture Far in April, along with the desire again to start to value longevity, good quality practical and well designed products. We are going in the right direction, aren't we?

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Pyramid Furniture

This year designer Karim Rashid seems to be obsessed with Egyptian culture. His new Pyramid Chair designed for Canadian Manufacturer Neinkamper may seem a little unusual for home interiors, but it is great for commercial and entertainment interior design. But I am impressed with his new Slab Secretary Desk - this is definitely something I would love to use - either in my own home or as part of an interior design project. It is neat and elegant and can easily become the centerpiece of a modern interior or an interesting accent in any other room style.
Another High Design for Your Home Office, which is compact and obviously can collect a lot of your documents.
Doesn't it remind you of a pyramid, too?

Another Great Shop Design - Camper, Paris by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec

I find that the Bouroullec brothers have a passion for textile. After the Quilt ­ 2009 and the Clouds ­ 2008 projects now they have found a way to use a very domestic textile product in a shoe shop design - "backstitched blankets that partially cover the walls and certain furniture and décor
elements". At the same time they are used as a background where to hang, like in an exhibit, the famous brand Camper shoes. As the designers explain, "...we tried to create a space that was both evident and surprising,a space able to produce special sensations: the red adds warmth, the cloths muffle sounds and give depth and the household furniture confers an air of simplicity."
This comfortable store, located in the impressive Centre Pompidou in Paris, joins the other two spaces that Camper already has in this city.
Great color scheme, simplicity together with coziness and elegance - that is what an interior design should be about, even in a shoe store. I like it!

This shop could be looked at as an example of male-designer's approach to shoe shop design. We have seen what a female-designer's approach is with Urquiola's Shoe Shop Like Cosy, Comfortable Bedrooms.
With this project Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec again prove to be not only part of the group of the most influential contemporary product designers, but also great interior designers, too. I am a fan of their office design, too - they have a considerable contribution to make the office environment cosy and comfortable.

sources: Dezeen

Camper Together

Новият магазин на известната марка за обувки Camper в Париж, трети подред, е дело на братята Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec. Интересен похват - за фон за показване на обувките дизайнерите широко използват текстил в красиво съчетание на различни оттенъци на топлата гама на цветното колело от цикламено до жълто с баланс от малко зелено. Друг необичаен елемент - мебелите, които са използвани, са проектирани за домашен интериор - още един начин магазинът да има приятна и уютна атмосфера.

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Award Bad Product Design

Do you care about design? Are you interested in where product design is heading to? Now you can be part of those who vote - at the OOPS DESIGN AWARD site which, as its creators state "became the first "not honourable " award
in the world for bad product design / furniture design,lighting design,home accessories design,
kitchenware design,tableware design,houseware design,WC appliances design,garden products
design etc. /.
Award were created by the international group of product design specialists, including product
designer and expert Andrej Statskij / Lithuania - Latvia /,design journalist Magda Braun-Sommer
/ Germany / and product design historian Adam Hoops / USA-Switzerland /.
Award includes such official categories as:
1. Ugliest product design of the year
2. Silliest product design of the year
3. Most useless product design concept of the year
Award nomination and selection are performed by OOPS DESIGN AWARD FOUNDATION/ODAF/,
an group of anonymous product design fans and experts. Award are voted upon by the
membership of the ODAF and this membership is openly available to the public.
First award nominees is already selected and published on an official award web-site."

Among the 2009 nominees NOMINEE No 5 is one much talked about at the Milan Furniture Far this year: the Skin collection,designed by Nacho Carbonell

I would say that I have came accross many more products suitable for nominating and acclaim the idea.

A Lamp That Can Be Folded

This ingenious lighting by Tomoko Kita (daughter of famed Japanese designer Toshiyuki Kita, an accomplished product designer in her own right) is properly named The Book Light. It folds tightly when closed and fans out to an ambient glow when opened and turned on - ideal for the bedside table. And easy to clean.

image from PoinClickHome

What is the easiest way to transform your room

without any messy activities? With textile, of course. And all forms of handcrafting connected with that, like knitting, for example. Have a look at some inspiration photos - poofs by Paola Navone, room decor from Designers Guild and Livingetc.
A simple new curtain in a bright color palette instantly changes a room's mood.
Pillows and poofs are also a great furnishing accent.
If you are keen to follow trends, have in mind that, as one can expect,
"Flowers burst into full bloom on the season’s prettiest designs, from delicately painted tableware to boldly patterned textiles" according to ELLE DECOR July/August 2009

Wildflower Fields cotton bedding by DKNY (top)

New Luxury Hotel with Interior Design by Patricia Urquiola

Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group will open its first luxury hotel in Southern Europe this summer in Barcelona.


98 luxury rooms and suites will offer creative interiors by my favorite designer, Patricia Urquiola. The guest rooms and suites will provide guests with highly sophisticated in-room entertainment systems and elegantly designed meeting and banqueting facilities.
Mandarin Oriental Barcelona has a rooftop dipping pool, an expansive garden - a glamorous space for relaxation or al fresco dining, 1000 sq m Spa with wide range of holistic rejuvenation and relaxation as well as luxurious water and heat therapies.

A great way to combine Urquiola's most elegant and interesting furniture designs at one place. As we know, lately she has been producing excellent outdoor furniture and accessories. But she is a talented interior designer, too.

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If Money Were No Object

It may be a tough time, but luxury goods still exist and if you are of those lucky home owners for whom money is no object and need stylish renovation, here are a few interesting suggestions:
UK’s top traditionalist tastemakers have banded together to sell off some of their overstock at Christie's South Kensington on Wednesday, July 8. The image is from ELLE DECOR blog

A 1920s console table with willowy legs (Lot 3, estimated at $4,600-$7,500).

A 1920s console table with willowy legs (Lot 3, estimated at $4,600-$7,500).

For a more modern look you might consider Armani Casa's elegant Riesling cocktail cabinet - limited to an edition of just 100 it is clad with alternation resin strips and polished walnut

Designers and sustainable cities -

Listen to what some of the most influential designers have to say about it at MiniBoost

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