Modern Caskets For Your Body And Soul. The 2014 Equinox Collection from Camaquen.

I'm not a morbid person, despite having written about modern casket options before. No one really likes to talk about preparing for death, yet it's a realistic inevitability. That said, casket shopping is not unlike any other furniture purchase. You want one that is comfortable, reflects your design and philosophical sensibilities and is well-made without having to, well... sell your soul.



Camaquen, a company in Ecuador, has more than 25 years of experience in the design and fabrication of wood caskets. This year French-Ecuadorian designer Enzo Cucalón (shown above) decided to expand the frontiers of Camaquen and restructured the company’s vision, evolving the traditional existing line of caskets into a more modern and original one that combines modernism, minimalism and ethnic art.


Mixing together the spirituality of Incan ancestors, the force of the moon, the brightness of the sun, the power of the earth and the magnetism of the middle of the world, Enzo has designed 3 unusual caskets: the QUILLA, the INTI and PACHA.

QUILLA CASKET:




INTI CASKET:




PACHA CASKET:




The Equinox caskets are beautiful and unusual white caskets, with bright colors on the interior and exterior, and made ​​with fabrics of the world-famous Otavalo Indians.



"The place where we will going to rest for the eternity has to be comfortable, energetic, sentimental, pleasant and full of camaquen."- Enzo Cucalón



Camaquen is located in Quito-Ecuador, magical territory known for being the Middle of the World; where the cosmo-energy becomes an important element for the essence of these caskets and where the Incan ancestors left their most deeply teachings, telling us that everything existing on the face of the earth and beyond, has a special and vital force called camaquen.

images courtesy of Enzo and Camaquen

If you never saw my post on beautifully designed modern caskets, see that here.

Read More »

Add Comment

Arek coffin furniture, death, industrial design, modern design, modified coffins, recycled coffins, textile design, textiles

Suspended Glass Display Bowls From Mono Can Hold Live Fish or Fruit.

Mono Pendants in Duo, Trio or Quartet offer a unique way to display living things, be them goldfish or succulents. The suspended displays are made in Germany of stainless steel and glass and come in three variations.


above: close up of stainless steel hanging cords and shelf with glass bowl insert bowl

Fill the glass bowls with colorful stones, colored water, sweets, floating candles, cactuses, beta fish or small plants. Or use the glass containers to store of fruit, vegetables or herbs in the kitchen.



The hanging Mono pendants are available in the "trio" with 3 glass inserts (64 centimetres wide), the "duo" with 2 glass inserts (40 centimetres), as or the "quartet" with 4 glass inserts (99 centimeres).





Designed by Mono of Germany and available either directly from them here or you can purchase them here at Connox

Read More »

Add Comment

Arek accessories, fishbowl, glass design, home accessories, home decor, kitchen accessories, modern decor, modern design, multifunctional products, storage

Spring Cleaning! New Orla Kiely Designs For Method.

above image composited by if it's hip, it's here

This Spring, method, the hip San Francisco company that makes cleaning products for the home and personal care is once again collaborating with Irish textile and fashion designer Orla Kiely. Having previously produced limited edition products with the designer, the new spring line features four new graphic patterns from Orla combined with method's iconic bottle designs.





The limited edition collection shown above, said to hit stores next month, includes handwash, dish soap + all - purpose cleaner in a range of delightfully fresh scents.



Orla's previous limited editions for method include the Primrose and Vanilla Chai handwashes which are still available for purchase




Here's a little interview method conducted with Orla regarding this new line:

method: this collection features four new fragrances: tomato vine, white nectarine, honeysuckle and cloudburst. is there one in particular that puts an extra spring in your step?
Orla: I love the idea of tomato vine! it’s that fresh earthy smell you get when you walk into a greenhouse full of tomato plants. so, for me, to re-create this smell for everyday use in my home is just divine!

method: can you share the inspiration behind the patterns you chose for these bottles?
Orla: it’s always fun choosing prints that work with the fragrances. sometimes some of the prints are a more literal match, like our “oval spot” print that is used for tomato vine, whereas cloudburst was more about the color scheme, using sky blue with pops of color. our “multi flower spot” print lent itself perfectly to the honeysuckle fragrance, reminding us of those beautiful summer bunches of honeysuckle blossom. and white nectarine teamed up brilliantly with one of our newer prints called “wallflower spot,” which to us looks like nectarines growing on a tree.

method: what’s your favorite part of the design process?
Orla: it’s always very exciting when a print finally comes to life. after hours of tweaking the color and playing with the scale, it’s wonderful to see the end design really pop.

method: what do you enjoy most about collaborating with other brands?
Orla: we are very picky with who we collaborate with. it is important to me that both brands share a similar sense of fun, quality and integrity, and each share a mutual respect for what the other does. I think only then can it be truly exciting and creative process with an outcome we can all enjoy.

method: both of our brands are over a decade old. how do you keep things fresh year after year?
Orla: it’s so important to mix things up. I like to see new exhibitions and watch classic old films. I love books, both new and old, and have a growing library of fashion, art, architecture and everything in between. I always love to find new references and inspiration each season, and when mixed with what I love it’s always an exciting journey to see what is created.’

images courtesy of method and the dieline.



method
orla kiely

Read More »

Add Comment

Arek cool packaging, fashion, hip new products, housewares, limited edition, modern design, new product design, package design, packaging, textile design

The Three Most Modern Nativity Sets You've Ever Seen.

For the past few years I have been compiling my shopping picks for modern Christmas Decor (including Nativity Sets) on This Next.com.

This is the most modern I have ever found, with the nativity scene set by Oliver Fabel's coming in at a close second, followed by one from Little Sapling Toys.

1. COLOUR NATIVITY by Sebastian Bergne


Continuing his research into the meaning and use of colour in objects, Sebastian Bergne has designed a contemporary nativity set. Each of the characters is a minimal wooden block that is recognizable by it's colour, proportion and place in the composition. The project makes use of our learned experience from exposure to thousands of images, toys and Christmas cards over the years.




The hand crafted and painted beech wooden blocks are stored in a box that completes its character as a toy set with a difference.



Following the original edition of 6, this second edition of 250 sets are currently available only through buysebastianbergne.com and cost £85.00

If you would like your order delivered outside Europe, please contact them here

About the designer:

above photo Photo by Aurélie Berry

Sebastian established his studio after graduating from The Royal College of Art in 1990 designing objects and furniture. Bergne has collaborated for over 20 years with leading manufacturers including Authentics, De Beers, Driade, Gaia & Gino, Moulinex, MUJI, Procter & Gamble, Swarovski, Tefal and Vitra.

Sebastian’s achievements have been widely recognised with international design awards, frequent publication, exhibitions and inclusion in permanent collections such as The Museum of Modern Art (New York) and the Design Museum (London). He shares his knowledge and experience through guest speaking, lecturing and jury participation.


2. MINIMALIST NATIVITY SET by Oliver Fabel




Printed in English on one side and German on the other, this 11 piece set by Berlin designer  Oliver Fabel, can be purchased at DaWanda,  The Bauhaus Shop or  buy it here.


3. MODERN NATIVITY SET by Little Sapling Toys


Designed as a children's educational toy by Little Sapling Toys, engraved wooden blocks of Baby Jesus, Mary, Joseph, wise men, camel, shepherds, sheep, donkey, ox, star and angel make up this sturdy 11 piece set. Quality hardwoods Maple, Cherry and Walnut, are sanded smooth and rubbed with our own beeswax and jojoba oil finish.




This wooden set arrives ready to give in a cotton drawstring carrying pouch with a tag that includes information about their family business and care instructions. And each purchase helps them plant a tree through Trees for the Future!

Buy it here

Read More »

Add Comment

Arek merry christmas, modern design, online christmas shopping, religion in furniture, religious art

A Monopoly Makeover By Artist and Designer Matthew Hollet.

Unlike the modernization of the original MONOPOLY board game by Hasbro, MONOPOLY REVOLUTION, ONOPO is a conceptual re-imagining of the iconic American board game by visual artist and web designer Matthew Hollet.


above: The ONOPO board. The visual echo between the three Os in the original game title and the groups of three spaces on the board inspired my design. The original game presented plenty of opportunity for distilling the design down to an iconographic system representing its basic mechanics.

In an attempt to simplify and clarify the game system, he removed the thematic metaphors (such as place names) and other non-essential elements. Inspired by abstract strategy games, he then designed a minimal iconographic system which uses as little language as possible.


above: Property cards from ONOPO. All text on the original cards has been translated into an iconographic system. The symbols for different types of spaces were designed so that each of these cards would have a bisected circle centered at the top.

Matt says "I enjoy designing and working with systems, and this project was an exercise in consistency and constraint." The name is partly a reduction of the original and partly an homage to Oulipo, the "workshop for potential literature."


above: Instructional cards and bills from ONOPO. The instructional cards were the most challenging part of the game to translate visually for Matt. One constraint he gave himself was to using the same size board, cards and bills as the original. He thought of the project as a re-skinning of the game rather than a complete redesign. Leaving certain remnants of the original also makes the project easier to understand at a glance. For that same reason,he used mostly similar colours.

descriptions, images and quotes courtesy of Matthew Hollet 

If you never saw Hasbro's own modern version of the game, below are some images of Monolopy Revolution Edition which is available to purchase:





Buy MONOPOLY Revolution here

Read More »

Add Comment

Arek big family games, graphic design, logo redesign, modern design, product design

Awesome and Unusual Handmade Christmas Stockings From Etsy Designers Make The Mantel.

Not your usual Christmas Stockings, these three etsy stores sell handmade and unusual designs for the artisan holiday home. Hand-tooled leather with koi, flowers, bees and snowflakes from Moxie and Oliver, Burlap coffee sacks turned into elf stockings available with or without customization from Habitation Boheme and wild and modern patterns and designs for people and pets from Urban Creative. 

Most can be still be shipped in time for Christmas. Prices and designs vary. Read on for more info, pics and links to buy.

Hand-Tooled leather stockings from Moxie and Oliver:






shop for them here

Habitation Boheme offers unique, handmade one-of-a-kind repurposed burlap Christmas stockings made from coffee sacks:






shop for them here

Kendra Lock of Urban Creative has colorful modern graphic Christmas stockings for people and pets:




shop for them here

Read More »

Add Comment

Arek christmas gifts, etsy store, hand crafted leather goods, hand-crafted textiles, hip stocking stuffers, home decor, merry christmas, modern design, textile design