Some practical yet interesting seating designs at IMM Cologne included Homebasic’s Contour sofa with an open wire frame backrest as well as the ribbon effect of their Sway armchair and ottoman. The colourful and sturdy Translation Chair from the Kylie Collection by Qui est Paul? is made of plastic bottle caps, and Blofield’s inflatable chesterfield is a great solution when extra seating is needed or if transportable seating is necessary.

+ homebasic.de
+ imm-cologne.com

Lee Borthwick’s mirrored wood installation at IMM Cologne was a spectacular tapestry of over eight hundred pieces of dead wood. One side of the installation showed the natural wood and the other presented a much shinier surface: laser cut mirrors that had been traced to fit the wood. The Multiplay triangular carpet modules by Tamer Nakisci is an unexpected variation on the theme of carpet tiles, especially with the play on colour. Bondage seating from Machalke showed a playfulness that combined with comfort, and EllipsDesign had a variety of pieces from their new collection.

+ leeborthwick.co.uk
+ imm-cologne.com

Deep in the northern chill of Iceland, just outside the arctic circle, the Hof House sits snugly within its landscape. Built on an existing estate, Studio Granada Architects salvaged whatever materials possible from the site to be incorporated into the new residence, converting telegraph poles into a sun screen and basalt pillars into stepping stones. [...]

Norway’s Northern Lighting presents a new mood lighting series called Nova, which consists of three pendant lamps designed by Sweden’s Anu Moser. The shades are three layers of mouth-blown glass: transparent, white and transparent. Transparent glass pieces are then added to create the individual models. The series is inspired by the dusky light seen in the Nordic sky on a clear night, and each light is named after a star: Callisto, Miranda and Ophelia.

+ northernlighting.no

Calling all Gadget Geeks!
The Greener Gadgets Conference is only two weeks away now and tickets are selling fast! So fast, in fact, that we are going to close online ticket sales on February 20th, 2009. That’s NEXT FRIDAY! So if you want to attend the groundbreaking conference this year, GET [...]

Looking for a fun way to teach energy conservation to your kids? Check out the Power Hog, an adorably pig-shaped power monitor that introduces kids to energy efficiency (and general thriftiness) by piggybacking upon the familiar format of the piggy bank. You need to plop a coin in the Power-Piggy to activate electricity [...]

Visitors traveling to Stockholm will find soon themselves with the option of sleeping on a plane! That may not sound like the most exciting proposition until you realize that the 747-200 in which they will be sleeping has been retired from flying, salvaged from being dumped somewhere to rot and turned into a low-cost, fully-furnished [...]

+ Sleeping Biscuit, a table lamp patterned in an angled argyle, is the latest in lighting from Dima Loginoff.

+ Inspired by the image of a cartoon bee curling up in a flower was the inspiration for Maya’s Bed by Austrian designer Thomas Feichtner. This one-off sculptural bed is to be found in Linz’s Pixel Hotel, where it is placed within a gallery-like setting.

+ The d.structured low table is an example of work by French design studio Ultraconfidentiel’s New Delhi office. The slots at one end of the table range in width for a variety of storage options.

Dov, by Reddish Studio, is a series of cast aluminium tables and stools that is based on a block of polystyrene. The contrast in textures appeals both visually and to the sense of touch: smooth on the surface and lumpy underneath. Sucker is a gradient cabinet that starts off au naturel then slowly takes on colour. Reddish also has new lighting to offer. The Louis 900 table lamps incorporate antique furniture legs into a contemporary setting. The result is minimalist with a hint of history.

+ Reddish Studio

There were some wonderfully colourful chairs from Moroso at IMM: the Panna Chair by Tokujin Yoshioka, the rainbows of the Tropicalia chairs by Patricia Urquiola (above), and the Sushi collection by Edward Van Vliet, including the Donut pouf and the Spirocube rug. After the jump, the Replex Table by Oormerk is made out of old pieces of furniture, keeping memories and fine craftsmanship alive. What makes this table top so beautiful is the array of shapes that come together in a new context.

+ oormerk.com
+ imm-cologne.com