One of the biggest challenges facing product designers in coming years will undoubtedly be the question of planned obsolescence. For while we genuinely believe that the majority of designers understand their responsibilities in terms of sustainability and resources, we also know that most designers understand their responsibilities to help their clients generate profit. Finding the correct balance wont be easy. But it must be found. Perhaps the most distressing example of planned
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After long, sober, consideration we have decided to end the "Christmas is coming.... " project. Simply put, in the wake of last years "Christmas is coming the goose is getting fat… if Verner Panton had ever visited us, that is where he would have sat" we couldn't see where to take the concept. We had reached a creative zenith. Mount Olympus was behind us, a distant speck on a snowy, cloudy horizon and ahead a sorry, meaningless, desert of repetition, emotional contortion and former East
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As we all know life isn't fair. But imagine, just for a minute, it was. Over the past 12 months we've found numerous items that in a fair and just world we would find under our tree on Christmas morning..... Endless by Jason Miller for Roll & Hill Spotted at Roll & Hill's Milan debut back in April Endless by Jason Miller is a modular lighting system that can not only be extended and shaped to fit any space... but positively cries out to be allowed to do just that. In the Roll & Hill shop
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If purple is the second colour of mourning; then citrus colours are unquestionably the second colour(s) of Christmas. Be it the orange of an orange, the lemon of a lemon or the dark lime of a Vitra Panton Chair. Launched by Vitra in July as a special summer 2011 edition the Dark Lime Panton Chair was released as a strictly limited edition piece. And the (smow)warehouse is down to the last few examples...... And just like mince pies - when they're gone. They're gone! Unlike mince pies
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Janne Kyttänen never intended to be a light designer. Fate meant that he became known as one. Fortunately Janne Kyttänen understands the art of 3D printing better than most practitioners and in the past decade has created a truly unique collection of illumination objects that grace the permanent collections of all the most important design museums. And with versions for wall, floor or ceiling the Freedom of Creation lighting collection offers a design classic for everyone. Among the many
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Launched in 2002 with just one product, Fatboy has grown to become not only one of the most instantly recognizable designer furniture brands on the market; but has expanded to become home to a whole range of objects created with one aim: Making relaxing and unwinding even easier and more enjoyable. And so what could be more desirable gift for the festive season, than an oasis of calm and comfort. Fatboy - The Original As the name implies, "The Original" is the product that started the whole
read moreWhat would Christmas be without mince pies, sloe gin and repeats of much loved family classics. Such as "Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat..." by (smow)blog. With its impeccable sense of meter and rhythm, the series has captured the imaginations and hearts of generations of (smow)blog readers. To be honest we did consider replacing it this year; but that would be somewhat churlish given the place the feature has captured in the pantheon of design journalism. And because the
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Although Alexander Girard worked closely with Herman Miller and designers such as George Nelson or Charles and Ray Eames; Alexander Girard's speciality was not furniture but fabrics, folk art and colour. Born in America and raised in Italy Alexander Girard studied architecture in London before a lack of architectural openings saw him spend several years working as an exhibition and interior designer; most notably in Sweden where he worked in the design department of the Nordiska department
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If Christmas is a time for family, then Christmas is also surely a time to buy your gifts from a family business. Currently being run by the 5th generation, Thonet have not only been responsible for the introduction and development of bent wood and steel tube furniture - two of the most important genres in the history of furniture design - but continue to support and develop young designers and so may just also discover the next big genre..... Thonet S 333 by Holger Lange Back in February
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Or indeed any side table from Moormann. Based in a remote alpine valley hard on the Germany/Austria border it is hard to imagine a designer furniture producer who better fit into our modern White Christmas romantic than Nils Holger Moormann. Especially given the elven-esque Moormänner who assist Nils Holger with the construction and distribution of his products. And so a few suggestions from Haus Moormann for those of you looking for wood based Christmas presents a la days of yore: Mini
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What would Christmas be without hats? Father Christmas, his elves, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Dave Hill.... Even the shepherds and wise men. All bemillinered. And so what could be a more festive gift than a hat rack and/or hooks. Hut Ab by Konstantin Grcic for Moormann Hut Ab is both German for "Hats Off" and a genial space saving coat and hat rack by Konstatin Grcic. When not in use Hut Ab can be folded flat and stored. When in use, Hut Ab offers numerous options for hanging and holding
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Lazier than a group of sloths who've just been given the day of from slothing and told to "take it easy", the (smow)blog crew have decided to roll out the Christmas 2009 series for Christmas 2010. We're just like BBC 2. Over the next couple of weeks under the "Christmas is coming .... " heading we'll present one or the other festive gift idea beautifully wrapped up in a truly appalling rhyme. The 2009 selection can be found under "Christmas is coming the goose is getting fat...."
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Bosses are without doubt the best reason to set up your own business. Bosses, however, buy your office chair when you work for them. Set up on your own and you are forced to buy your own seat. And for far too many of us the first steps in an independent working life lead us to a supplier of cheap mass-produced furniture. The normal reason given is cost: well made and intelligently designed furniture costs more than a generic piece loosely based on the form of the well made and
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Twas the month before Christmas, when all through the house Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. Save for a company from South Tirol, In hopes that unwary Christmas shoppers would buy their illegal unlicensed copies of Bauhaus classics In a lesser known version of his 1822 classic “A Visit from St. Nicholas", Clement Clarke Moore eerily predicted events some 180 years later whereby, as part of a Christmas sales promotion, a "known" producer of unlicensed copies of Bauhaus classics
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...and the mistletoe and wine will almost certainly be in abundance - so why not give someone the gift of time this Christmas. Puns, we love 'em One of the true greats of clock design was former Herman Miller design director George Nelson and his classic 1950s clock designs are a gift that one can always give with confidence. A new addition to the range is the three Ceramic Clocks; designed in the early 1950s but which never entered production. On the basis of drawings and other technical
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In the world of designer furniture there are few designers for who "home" and "family" played such a central role as Charles and Ray Eames. From the design of their "Eames House" as a combined living and working space for a young family and on through their many works for and with children, Charles and Ray Eames always presented themselves as "domestic" rather than "industrial" designers. And so it is little wonder that so many of their designs can be so easily recommended as Christmas gifts.
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As traditional as roasted chestnuts and corked sherry, gift recommendations are what make Christmas for us. This year, however, we start with a friendly warning. The lead times for many of our suppliers are creeping upwards - and although we have a well stocked and bountiful warehouse; should you want to order something extra special as a gift for a loved one, and we have to order it - it's getting tight. The "traffic light system" in the (smow)shop provides an instant guide to availability;
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