Boolean Construction by the Celebrated Ball-Nogues Studio.

This may not be the most economical use of cardboard produce a structure but the undulating form of the new reception desk for The Edward Cella Art + Architecture Gallery in Los Angeles by Ball-Nogues Studio is an interestingly raw use of layered cardboard.
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ziplocked flatpack chair

zipit is a unique “do it yourself” chair by viktormatic based on a kit of wood modules, cardboard seat and backrest cushions, to be easily built up and disassembled only with zip ties connections.

“A new undefined human personality needs in my mind objects that own a variable adjusting and transformable character. thereby i developed this kit based chair whose connections are fixed with adjustable zip-ties. because of these uneasy connections, this chair tends to be loose and wobbly, but this is part of “a new way of sitting” idea.”
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Flat Pack Furniture with Danish Influence

The Fundament Lounge by Acronym Designs is a pack flat lounger that was inspired by some mid-century pieces where simple lines and a low slung stance. The oak use for this piece is reclaimed and is currently being sourced from a company that makes tractor trailer beds. They have immense amounts of cut off waste that is too small for their purposes, but suits furniture design. Instead of this wood going to the landfill or being burned, it is converted it into functional and attractive furniture making it a sustainable design.
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Inspiration you can sit on

Click on Images for links but includes Khai Liew, Flexible Love, Brikolör, Michael Brussein, and unnamed designer with a great work desk to keep the blood flowing on a cold friday in the Southern Hemisphere…..

The Whittle Chair by Karen Ryan

So I imagine an overcast afternoon sitting at the kitchen table, staring idly into the middle distance when slowly the chair before you comes into focus. You get to thinking it’s ok I guess, but a little, boring. You get to thinking, what if I, you know, shave a little off here and a little off there it would be kinda nice.
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Ever wanted to access your 3D models on your iPhone, take a photograph of your surroundings, then place the 3D model in the photo? No, well at least now the option is on the horizon.

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Comparing the trends at NeoCon with independent design.

There is always a design zeitgeist that emerges from the various styles, methods of production, and materials that are popular at any given time. So, I decided to compare what I saw at NeoCon with what I am seeing  from independent designers using rapid manufacturing.

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the best company at NeoCon 2009

(above: portrait from MetropolisMag.com)

Stephanie Forsythe, along with Todd MacAllen and Robert Pasut, make up molo—a collaborative studio that approaches product design from an architect’s perspective. The outcomes are wonderful, multi-functional structures that can be interpretted for use as furniture, lighting, space dilineation, or custom installations. The molo aesthetic is strikingly unique yet versatile enough for a range of interior styles: residential, educational, corporate, or commercial.

(above: the very popular molo booth at NeoCon 2009)

Most people favor the deluxe permanent showrooms of to-the-trade-only manufacturers and their champaign and hors d’œuvre afternoon hours, but I have to say that the molo booth was my absolute favorite at NeoCon. They were really the freshest company at the event, and their products spoke most to what I think is the artistic vision, environmental outlook, and indie philosophy of today’s young designers.

Keep reading for the story on how molo came about, circumventing the traditional A+D route, and how their amazing designs were inspired by dollar store trinkets.

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A mix of design, innovation, a shaky global economy, and an abiding love for hand-stitched, buttery leather

“Craft Punk,” was a collaboration between Design Miami and Fendi, the LVMH-owned luxury goods brand known for its enduring baguettes and keen eye for talent (they signed up Karl Lagerfeld to design furs in 1965 and have held on to him since). In response to new currents in design practice and the present state of the world, Craft Punk is a celebration of tenacious creative expression, unruly experimentation, and brilliantly low-tech design processes.
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Fun Anamorphic furniture designs by Oscar Núñez of Cancun Mexico.

With Oscar Núñez’s playful Fill In The Cat, three characters disappear from large, solid white blocks, and their absence suddenly makes them important. The resulting emptiness is filled with the user’s belongings and through this action the silhouettes’ meaning shifts. The pieces suggest a continuous play between interaction and representation, where daily use generates a continuously changing story: a cat that reads Italo Calvino, a book filled with coins, a living room where birds come to eat the cake’s crumbles…

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