We’ve seen string used in design for a while now, though our interest was piqued earlier this year from the showings at both the Milan Furniture fair and ICFF. The woven trend, exemplified in these furniture examples, incorporates string and modern uses of embroidery with traditional weaving techniques. The results are an interesting homage to a time honored craft reminding us of all things cozy – warm sweaters and bulky blankets in a world where life feels more often chaotic.

Donna Wilson has teamed up with furniture company Ercol to create her one-off wound and wrapped pieces, contrasting the hard wood with the softness and comfort of the wool. Susanne Westphal’s two chairs – Stitch and Wooly – are a part of her final graduate project “The Discovery of Slowness” at [...]

A great pattern can convert any surface into something special, so it’s easy to see why designers swoon when they see unique textures. For centuries, designers used patterns to inject new energy into their work. Simply Pattern is a compilation of today’s best designers and displays outstanding work ranging from packaging, textiles, wallpaper, stationery, clothing, furniture, boutiques, and dining utensils. The wide variety of applications reveal how graphic elements can be arranged randomly or thoughtfully in order to bring a modern, classic or dynamic effect to any project. Great as eye candy or as a potent source of inspiration, we highly recommend adding this to your library.

For those of you who are unaware, I’m spending this week in Paris doing pattern and trend scouting. Home Autour du Monde is always on my itinerary as the Bensimon home collection is magical and curated to perfection. You can imagine my delight when I happened upon this window. The furniture is covered in cable knit with amazing wintery pom poms. So exciting to see the home version of this trend translated so seamlessly.

The last time I made kid-friendly patterns was at the beginning of my career when I was a shoe designer in midtown, Manhattan. The palettes were seasonless and the graphics were a constant cycle of hearts and stars. So it sometimes goes when you work with highly commercial brands. Today’s budget buy from Argington Furniture comes from Gilt Home and is a complete departure from those mass market demands. The delicate stones, dinosaur footprints and wispy florals are refreshing, sophisticated and a stylish alternative for your baby’s crib. Check them out before they’re gone!

It has always been a personal fantasy of mine to be able to change the color of things at whim. It’s fairly easy when it comes to personal adornment, however interiors present a few laborious challenges. You can imagine the delight and surprise I felt when I saw Amirkhan Abdurakhmanov’s Change It wall. The wall uses triangular pieces, with each side representing a different color. The pieces can be rearranged to create a variety of looks, emitting a pixelated vibe. The mechanism this uses is reminiscent of the changing billboards we used to drive past on the South Florida highways. My delight at Abdurakhmanov’s concept isn’t unique, as this particular piece has been sweeping the web.

The designs immediately remind me of the Swedish design team, Front, and their Changing Cabinet, which we mentioned in [...]

Having graphic design roots, I’m naturally drawn to typographic patterns.  From Visa’s go campaign to Adelaide’s West Village furniture selection to Ross Menuez’s summer ’09 dresses, it seems as though artists from all over the world are proudly showcasing their language of choice. Today’s post highlights the work of Adam Courtney, the photographer who shot this intricate and incredibly cool shirt. While there’s a possibility that this Hebraic adaptation ventures into sacrilegious territory, I’m curious what text was chosen and feel it’s important to note the commercialization of the Torah’s holy scriptures. Nothing’s off limits these days, and line-blurring across categories will most likely continue as artists use the internet to share and distribute content.

Lest we forget the ladies! This ‘To Life’ blouse from Built By Wendy merges Chinese style [...]

Cristian Zuzunaga and his pixilated prototypes have gained notable buzz as of late.  Similar to Kashiwasato’s vibrant animations, Zuzunaga’s printed textiles provide a softer, more tactile alternative to digital geometry.  Each work is heavily influenced by architecture in addition to the metropolitan landscapes Zuzunaga has traveled to, including Barcelona, Paris, London and Shanghai.  Each product, be it a chair, couch, wall covering or jacket showcases a playfully abstract vibe, providing an intricate snapshot that’s as detailed as it is abstract- eye candy for the artistic nerd.

It’s always a little tough finding gifts that are foolproof.  Unless instructed otherwise, I always try to go the creative route, as I love initiating artistic moments.  While at the home goods concept store, Future Perfect, in Williamsburg this past weekend, I stopped in my tracks at these ingenious crayon rings.  The chic pyramids come in a playful palette of primaries and can be coordinated with any wardrobe.  Doodling on the go just got more fashionable.

If you’re looking for a cheaper alternative to DIY fashion, check out Wishing Fish’s T-Shirt Graffiti, as it’s under $10 and a perfectly sensible gift for any child (or adult).  If you’re aiming for personable luxury, Longchanp offers a blank canvas for their signature Le Pilage bag, though I’d be worried about making a mistake with every [...]

As excessive desires wain under the current economic climate, minimalist living shifts back into the spotlight.  Daniel Hedner, the mastermind behind Imaginary Office, a Swedish design and architecture firm, recently designed Pleats Please, a bare-bones approach to traditional seating.  Weaving only 19 stripes of upholstered polyurethane foam to a white coated steel pipe frame, Hedner built his creation using the macramé technique of knotting.  Illustrating this method on a flat surface, graphic designer Damien Correll, interlocks various arms together in Like Pattern, a print of hands holding hands. Utilizing a monochromatic palette and consistent stroke, Correll conveys a timeless sense of optimism, communicating strength in the basics.

When buying or revamping expensive furniture, it’s quite difficult to suppress your inhibitions and trust your creative gut.  Back in July, The New York Times highlighted Pamela Bell, one of four original founders of the Kate Spade brand.  Bell took it upon herself to reinvent the concept of doodling and let her children go wild on two pieces of antique furniture.  The results, though alarming to some, were well received my most.  Fast forward a few months, and it’s time to inspect how this idea of laissez faire fabric graffiti seeped into the marketplace.  On display at Elizabeth Bauer, a store for modern traditionalists, sits a wonderfully adapted high-end interpretation of this style. French handwriting covers all visible fabric, representing a playful pattern on pattern effect.  This chair is as flamboyant as it is elegant.

Bold & [...]

Oftentimes I am hired to beautify info graphics.  For any designer tasked with such an assignment, there is always an underlying urge to challenge the guidelines with as much flair as possible.  Striking the perfect balance between translatable content that evokes human nostalgia is every designer’s goal- or at least mine.  Here are a few creative approaches to this idea.  Vitra recently redesigned their website, filling their homepage with fabric samples sectioning off continents within the world.  A valid attempt to display product and distribution, though I wonder if there is any underlying symbolism in the placement of patterns- at first glance the assortment is a bit jumbled.  Duck Down Designs takes a more DIY approach to map-making with illustrated paper cut-outs on a metaphorically inspirational treasure map.