” My works arise from observations of daily life: small events at home, street images, actions and traditions. I walk around them and examine them from all possible perspectives.
My favourite materials, my muse, are objects that are so self-evident that they are overlooked. I lift them out of the shadows and place them in the light, so that their hidden meaning becomes visible”

” Borrowing art has many advantages. The borrower has no commitments, there is always something new to interest you and the view changes from time to time. But there is a disadvantage too: namely the blank space that takes possession of the wall as soon as the borrowed work of art is gone.”

“What remains is a hole that reminds us of what used to hang there… The waiting nail makes this spot a sign of promise. It casts its shadow on the emptiness and patiently awaits the art that will come.”

Works of Nienke Sybrandy are for sale through her site.

At salone del mobile during Milan design week 2012, Doshi and Levien showed CHANDLO a dressing table they made for BD barcelona design.

The dressing table refers to the Bindi worn by Indian women on their forehead, the vanity is a composition of elements based on the ritual of dressing and grooming oneself.

Also from Doshi Levien is this sofa. The designers named the couch MY BEAUTIFUL BACKSIDE …

… and this is why.

The “Schaukelwagen” is made of solid beech and plywood and has rubber wheels.

It can be flipped one way to use as a child-sized play car or tilted upside-down to become a rocking chair.

Such a simple yet very strong design … for sale in this online store.

Via

The pattern in the blanket and table runner SCHUUR, which means BARN, was inspired by the ancient wood barns that Mara Skujeniece has admired since childhood in her homeland Latvia.

The rhythms of the slats and boards, the structures, the graphic image, are all worked out in drawings and watercolors from memory.

Both pieces were produced by the Audax Textiel Museum in Tilburg, The Netherlands. This commission took Mara to the question “how can I use the same rhythms and drawings in designing textile?”

Mara Skujeniece is the founder of Studio Skujeniece, through which she designs furniture and interior goods. Mara is based in Amsterdam and currently teaches at Design Academy Eindhoven, The Netherlands.

Both pieces are available for purchase here and here at Wannekes webshop.

Made in first class oak wood, the Dots are a design by Norwegian Designers Tveit &Tornøe.
The largest Dot has a diameter of 17 cm.

The Dots are even more good looking in real life … for sale here, here and here.

Here is another one … The carry – on portable stool by Scandinavian designer and architect Mattias Stenberg of studio vision A&D.

This little stool is upholstered with a textured tweed body which is contrasted with a natural wooden handle.  The the multi-purpose design is a take on a classic barrel form and can be used as a stool, ottoman, or stand.

For more of my favorite little stools click here, here and here.

Image © Studio vision A&D photo © Helena Winberg & Anna Kjernsvik

Via Design Boom

And because of that all sorts of gorgeous coffee pots are popular although this one was invented in 1940 something…

No I don’t go as far as to grind my coffee beans by hand…

But if you see this great coffe grinder you almost would. All these products and a lot more are for sale in the beautiful online shop of Neest.

The brand-new design Cozy Shelter by Dutch designer Lambert Kamps, features in this exhibition.

This is what Lambert wrote to me about his new design: 

” The Cozy Shelter has the look of a sandbag fortress from the outside and gives you the soft, safe and coziness feeling of wool blankets from the inside. Visit Helsinki, come to the exposition and hide in my shelter.”

Click here for more details

OBJECT Rotterdam a Design Fair with a mixture of, crafts, fashion, design, architecture and art.

Good to see jewelry makers Judith Bloedjes and Ineke Otten participate in this Fair.

The work of Judith Bloedjes includes unique jewelry and objects, often made ​​of porcelain and / or silver.

More info on Object Rotterdam.

As a conceptual designer, Sophie balances between art and design.

Sophie’s new collection is a wonderful series of scarves, titled “Undiscovered Wonders of the World”.

The scarves are digitally printed on crepe de chine and silk velvet. The project came about with the cooperation of the Dutch Audax Textile Museum, Tilburg and CATDigital in Glasgow, Scotland.

The scarves are beautiful fairytale like landscapes inspired by Celtic, Norwegian, Indian and Greek ancient stories.

I think they are beautiful …

Update:
The scarves are for sale through the designer: sophie@sophieduran.nl  Also from February 20 on at You Are Here Concept store in Eindhoven, The Netherlands