Prettocraig

Germany-born, Switzerland-based designer Till Koenneker took matters into his own hands when he moved into a studio apartment that had no storage. Building a simple cube-like design, called The Living Cube, he found space for his vinyl collection, TV, clothes, and shoes. On top of the cube, Koenneker was able to incorporate a bed for guests and inside houses a much-needed storage space.

Koenneker sketched out his ideas and had them built by Remo Zimmerli.

Working with the space he had, The Living Cube, essentially a large piece of furniture, was built for his personal needs and solves a lot of issues.

I loved that they used virtually ever square inch of the cube and made it functional.

Photos by Rob Lewis.

Launched at London Design Festival, this SmartLight series by Raw Edges gives your iPhone yet another function. Like most other people, I charge my phone right beside my bed, and Raw Edges seems to have also noted that this is a trend. So they created a concept that combines smartphone with lamp.

So far, they’ve come up with five different fun lamp/phone hybrid concepts:

1. Sling – an absolutely fun device that simply connect the phone into a readymade cup.

2. Suction Cup – this design takes itself a bit more seriously with a phone that held by suction cup.

3. Rocking – more playful simple direction.

4. Rubber Shade- a shade made out of rubber that can stretch around different size phone.

5. Art Deco Army Flash Light – a more stylish approach inspired by classic army flash light.

(click on the image for a larger version)

Sometimes I feel so angry or frustrated that I don’t even know what to do with myself. Other times, I’ve just had too much coffee… That’s the time when I lace up my sneakers and head out for a run. I sweat it out. Some people swim it out, others cry it out (hey, I’ve done both of those, too!). It’s healthy to get your emotions out of the way so you can get back to whatever it is you have to do. Taking breaks is important and should be encourage and embraced. So go on, head to the beach for one last dip in the ocean before it gets too cold. Have a good cry. Maybe even an ugly one. Or, run around the block a few times. Whatever you need to do—it’s guaranteed to make you feel better.

About the designer: Kimberly Hall is an illustrator + designer who is living in Philly and working in New York. She has two little girls, a website, a husband and we are thinking about getting a bird. She loves collecting junk, riding the train, exploring, and of course, drawing. Additionally, she runs a little shop where she sells vintage clothes and accessories by illustration only.

Want to design one of these for us? Get in touch!

Often times it’s the little things that make our days brighter. For me, one of those things is my friend David Walker (co-creative director of St Bernadine agency) and his #runningfortheseabus hashtag on Instagram. Simply put, he takes photos of people as they’re running to catch the Seabus during his commute, he posts them to Instagram, and they make people like me smile.

Follow @DavidWalker.

This guy is my new hero. His name is Jason McHenry. He and artist Christopher Dyer have embarked on a life project called One Thousand Thousand, which entails making 1 million uniformly-sized, original mixed-media works on paper. They’ve been making new pieces just about every day for the last 20 years and the project is nearing the 330,000 mark. WHAT!? Yes, 330 THOUSAND paintings.

They’re approximately 5.5” x 7” — a precursor to the Artist Trading Card movement.

AND, Jason sells them for right here on Etsy. You can own one (or many!) and support this amazing project. I own two. I want more!

Check out the online gallery of work and be sure to follow him along on Facebook or Flickr to keep updated on the project. I really enjoy looking at the process photos on Facebook.

Process

Process

At their current rate of production, the goal of one million pieces of art will likely not be reached in their lifetime so they’re now asking others to get involved. If you’re interested, you can email them to help participate in the project yourself, or go here to learn more about participating.

A heat wave in September? You bet! Our last three Septembers have had peak summer temperatures and this week we’re breaking records set in 2011, that previously stood for decades. With all this sunshine the beaches are still bustling and patio season will run straight into hockey season. Here are some hand-picked images from the Miss604 Flickr Pool that have been contributed over the last week that showcase scenes around town and some of our spectacular sunsets:

Photo credit: Nattawot Juttiwattananon (NJ) on Flickr

Photo credit: Ruth and Dave & [@travelfox] Julius Reque & dons projects on Flickr

Photo credit: fotoeins & wurkingartist & colink. on Flickr

Photo credit: Clayton Perry Photoworks on Flickr

Photo credit: Eric Flexyourhead & colink. on Flickr

Photo credit: Eric Flexyourhead on Flickr

Photo credit: Kissarissa & Eric Flexyourhead on Flickr

Photo credit: Erich J. Harvey on Flickr

Photo credit: superherb on Flickr

Photo credit: Mark Faviell Photos & Claude Schneider on Flickr

Photo credit: Thomas Bullock on Flickr

Photo credit: Alexis Birkill Photography on Flickr

Photo credit: Sayde Burgers on Flickr

Photo credit: Wynonna on Flickr

Photo credit: BelCan75 on Flickr

Photo credit: dons projects & Wynonna on Flickr

Photo credit: CGehlen on Flickr

Photo credit: Sayde Burgers on Flickr

As always, please click through on these images to view more work from the photographers and feel free to share your own photos with the Miss604 Flickr Pool. View all photo collections here.

The post Vancouver Photos of the Week appeared first on Vancouver Blog Miss604.

UK designer Paul Cocksedge doesn’t mess around. He’s so confident in the strength and design of his Poised Table that he doesn’t mind standing on its edge. Made from a thousand pounds of rolled steel, the table is actually perfectly designed (thanks to math and physics) that it can withstand holding up a human being without toppling over. Impressive.

Poised table has been made as a limited edition of 10 pieces and will be on exhibit at Cocksedge’s first solo show, Capture at New York’s Friedman Benda gallery through October 12th.

[via Mocoloco]

It's not easy to remember which services you signed up for in the past. If you need a little help tracking them down so you can delete them, reader Mike.Sims recommends using the username search site KnowEm to hunt down your accounts.

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I’m one of those people that still listens to vinyl and I’m not ashamed to admit it. There’s something about the crackling, lo-fi sound that only comes from playing a record and it totally reminds me of my childhood (ok, I’m old). One of my favorite things growing up was my parent’s stereo console that had all the audio components fit into a piece of furniture, including the record player. So seeing the Folded Record Bureau made me want to bust out my vinyl, sit back, and listen all afternoon. Designed by UK-based Hugh Miller of HM HandMade, the piece combines the compact beauty of the old console units with storage for your collection, all in one modern package.

The piece mixes Miller’s three favorite things – wood, vinyl, and 80′s styling. He uses solid Iroko wood that appears to be folded to form the low bureau. Set within the top is a 1985 Bang and Olufsen turntable that’s built right into the wood seamlessly.

The folded planks of wood punch through the top to help form an angled shelf underneath for record storage.

Someone sent us the link to THIS new Tumblr blog which is without a doubt the best thing to happen since Definitely Raining… and just as mysterious! No idea who’s heading this up but it’s apparent that they’ve got a knack for digging up historial Vancouver videos and turning them into GIFs. Enjoy Vancouver Rising!

BC Place Stadium (1983)

Lions Gate Bridge construction (1937-1938)

The Vancouver Stock Exchange (1984)

Gothenburg-based designer Charlie Styrbjörn Nilsson has reimagined the traditional ladder and given it a decorative upgrade. I certainly wouldn’t mind if this ladder were left out, leaning this against my walls!

Through using the traditional method of steam bending solid wood, Nilsson aimed to create a highly decorative ladder for interior use whilst still maintaining the strength to function as any good ladder should. The steam bending technique allowed Nilsson to maximize the strength of the wood while treasuring the direction of the grains. Each step bends to align with the side of the ladder, forming a very strong compound and simultaneously creating a ledge for the next step above. The mirrored steps not only give the impression of an upward endeavor but also guides each foot on the step with its seamless rounded curves.

The Ladder will be displayed for the first time in the UK at Tent London September 19-22, 2013 during the London Design Festival.

Photos by Jonas Lindstedt.

Now that a majority of us (myself included) use our iPhone’s most of the time to take pictures, photo apps pop up on the regular trying to lure you in. None has taken off quite like Instagram (hey, do you follow Design Milk on Instagram? You should! We’re design_milk) and instead of having those Instagram photos sitting in outer space (or the interwebs) you can now view them on the tiniest projector I’ve ever seen, courtesy of Projecteo.

Projecteo lets you upload nine images from your Instagram account to make up a single wheel. They develop your nine photos onto a single frame of 35mm Kodak film which they then cut and assemble into a custom wheel. You can create as many wheels as you want.

You purchase the projector for $25.99 and can view your purchased wheels ($8.99 each) whenever you’re feeling nostalgic. Take your Projecteo into a dark space and project your images onto a light colored surface. You adjust the lens to sharpen the photo, just like a normal-sized projector.

Yes, I need a manicure.

I was skeptical at first. I mean, how great of an image can you get from a teeny tiny projector that fits into the palm of your hand? Well, I was happily blown away and can’t wait to create more wheels.

The projected images are much sharper than they appear in these photos, trust me.

Industrial designer Fabio Molinas has dreamt up a new concept in refrigerators that aims to keep your fruits and veggies fresh for longer periods of time. Storing them in the fridge isn’t always the best place to extend their life so Molinas designed OLTU.

With OLTU, you store your produce in ceramic containers on top where the heat emitted from the fridge keeps your goods at the optimum temperature and humidity. The heat that the fridge expels is just wasted energy, so why not use it to cool the stacked containers by evaporation? The heat rises and reacts with the double walled clay containers and with the help of the water in between those walls, the temperature lowers and creates the perfect environment for your veggies.

More from the designer:

The three containers are positioned so, that the heat affects them differently, to provide a certain inside temperature. The two cold containers are placed at the back, while the fresh one is placed at the front. Cold-dry container interior is made of metal, so the vegetables are cooled, but not affected by humidity. All the containers have external openings to allow breathing, and it is completely accessible for the user thanks to the revolving plane situated at the top.

The 2nd annual Gastown BBQ and Chili Festival will take over Carrall Street from 1:00pm until 8:00pm on Saturday, August 31st and Sunday, September 1st.

This two-day outdoor festival will raise funds for Athletics 4 Kids and provide the opportunity to experience a fantastic local food, BBQ and chili competition, live music, DJs, a craft beer tasting area and more.

On top of the cook-off competition for best ribs, brisket, wings and chili — with judges that include Chef David Hawksworth, Angus Reid (BC Lions), Jason Garrison (Vancouver Canucks), Joe Leary, and Dawn Chubai — there will also be a wing-eating competition. FortKnight Men’s Boutique will be running a charity cut or straight razor shave and you can explore the unique shops and services of Gastown while you’re in the area.

Admission is free for all ages and there are beer tents for those of age. A full scheduled of events is available online.

Gastown BBQ and Chili Festival: After Party

The Blarney Stone will host their 4th Annual Luau & Pig Roast on Sunday, September 1, 2013 at 5:00pm following the festival. The Boom Booms will perform live, the festival award winners will be announced, and the luau and pig roast will round out the weekend’s activities. Follow the Blarney Stone on Twitter for more information about the festival and the after-party luau.

The post Gastown BBQ and Chili Festival appeared first on Vancouver Blog Miss604.

Whether you’re a coffee or a tea drinker, WITHMILK, the ensemble set from DOIY, will make your drinking experience that much better. The stacked milk bottle is made up of a milk jar, four cups, and bowl. Serve your guests a cup of tea or coffee and have milk in the jar and sugar in the bowl. Or fill the bowl with nuts or leave it out for used teabags.

When you’re done, re-stack the bottle and you have a retro looking milk bottle to display. And let’s be honest, you know we’re going to love anything related to milk, right?

When you don't need a lid but you do need a coaster, just pull the top off of your soda. As BuzzFeed points out, it's actually designed to be used that way.

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TheSuitest is like our favorite travel site, Kayak, except instead of predicting air fares, TheSuitest predicts rates for hotels. If you're wondering whether to book your room now or later for the best price, you might want to consult this site.

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Canary has set out to change the way you think about security in your home with the help of their new smart home security device that’s designed for everyone. Canary is a single device that’s built with a bunch of sensors to keep you safe, like an HD camera, a microphone, temperature, motion detection, air quality, humidity, and more. You simply plug it in and the device sends you alerts to your smartphone when it senses that something isn’t right at your house.

When you’re not at home, Canary allows you to check on things like your pup or you can use it as a monitor in your baby’s room. Everything is controlled from your iPhone or Android and it allows you to receive, view and then act on the alerts from whatever location you’re at. Over the course of time, Canary learns about your daily habits and the rhythms of your home to send you even smarter alerts.

The folks at Canary are winding down their successful Indiegogo campaign (hurry—it ends Monday, August 26th!) but you can still get in on the security action.

The Jamcouver Cultural Society is a non-profit group formed by the Vancouver skateboard community to spotlight arts and culture with a focused goal on achieving a sustainable indoor skatepark for the rainiest city in Canada. We’ll be blogging regularly on V.I.A. about all the great skateboarding arts and culture news happening in and around Vancouver. Make sure to Follow @Jamcouver on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook and don’t miss out on our next great gathering.

image courtesy Flickr.com/ColorMagazine

You might have heard about the JCS earlier this year when the group took over The Burrard hotel with a party that combined local artists and skateboards, in one spectacular venue, for a fundraiser and ramp-up to JAMCOUVER 2013. It’s since been called “Party of The Year.”

The main event, a fun and friendly contest called “JAMCOUVER” and boasts the tagline, “Skateboarding at its most creative,” is an annual flagship event that began in 2011 when Sandro Grison (Publisher, Color Magazine) had the idea to bring creativity back to skateboarding with a world-class contest not seen since the days of Slam City Jam. JAMCOUVER 2011 was held at The Waldorf Hotel and was a refreshing return to the true and creative heart of skateboarding.

This year, the Jamcouver Cultural Society non-profit group was established and now includes a wide variety of cultural events, as well as a focused goal on achieving a sustainable indoor skateboard facility for the city of Vancouver. The JCS includes members of the skateboard community but has already seen a lot of great support from all kinds of interested people, right up to this official letter from Mayor Gregor himself.

(photo by Dylan Doubt courtesy ColorMagazine.ca)

This year, JAMCOUVER 2013 hosted 60 top skaters from across Canada including guest teammates from the US, to compete for $10,000 on the one-of-kind street course designed by The Zenga Bros. on location at Sunset Beach for the final day of Celebration of Light. Hundreds of people turned up for one incredible day that included musical performances from local and touring acts, hot BBQ from Save-on-Meats with a profit share that included Mark Brand’s A Better Life Foundation, and a skate contest that won’t soon be forgotten.

 
Watch the OFFICIAL JAMCOUVER 2013 VIDEO:

A tiny chandelier is suspended inside an oversized lightbulb shade! The King Edison pendant lamp, designed by Young & Battaglia for Mineheart, plays with lighting design and pays homage to the Edison bulb.

Hung on braided silken cable, the design is both romantic and glamorous through the addition of the interior chandelier, but its exterior suggests function and simplicity. I am loving everything about this design.

Mineheart will be showing at Super Brands London during the London Design Festival.

Massimo Dutti Fall Winter 2013 Campaign

When I was approached by Massimo Dutti to pre-shop their new Canadian e-commerce collection, I had to admit, I hadn’t heard of the brand before.  When I logged onto their website, the first thing I saw was a full-screen backdrop of two European models.  The woman was dressed in a black leather jacket with matching quilted leather gloves, while the man had a strong European jawline, slicked back hair and wore a navy blue peacoat.  A pair of aviators sunglasses peeked out from his pocket, as the couple nonchalantly leaned against a shiny motorcycle.

Everything about this Spanish brand conveyed prestige and luxury, down to Massimo Duttti’s royal looking crest-shaped logo.  But when I looked deeper into their online store and saw the prices, I was pleasantly surprised that the damage won’t actually be too bad to the wallet.

Massimo Dutti Crest Logo

For both men and women, Massimo Dutti carries a bit of everything including basics, pants, outerwear and shoes.  Their basics remind me of Club Monaco, while their leather jackets remind me of Danier Leather.  The colour palette for the fall is quite neutral - navy blue, tan, cream, black, and an occasional shock of red.   I purchased a basic Massimo Dutti Flowing Cardigan in navy blue for $79.50.

Massimo Dutti Flowing Cardigan ($79.50)

The pieces are simple and well tailored but there’s always a little “something different” and unique about each piece which justifies a higher price point than what you’d pay for plain basicwear.  For example, instead of just a striped cardigan, there is button detailing on the sides.  Many of the pieces are trimmed with leather.  T-shirts aren’t just your average plain t-shirt, some have drapey bits which hang off the shoulder, or tie at the back.  I purchased a linen Massimo Dutti long sleeved t-shirt with a ribbon detailing at the back for $39.50.  It reminds me of something I’ve seen at Aritzia before.

Massimo Dutti T-Shirt with a Grosgrain Bow at the Back ($39.50)

I also quite like the stylish Massimo Dutti menswear.  In fact, the Massimo Dutti brand was originally aimed at mens fashion when it first started back in 1985.  In the Fall/Winer 2013 menswear collection, I noticed the casual shirts all have subtle detailing like small polka dots, stripes, florals (not in a flashy way) or sleeves which show a different colour or material in the lining when folded up.  To check out the menswear, I also purchased the Massimo Dutti Slim Fit Micro Shirt for my boyfriend.  What’s special about this seemingly plain shirt is that when you flip up the sleeves, there is a contrasting colour in the shirt lining.

Massimo Dutti Slim Fit Micro Shirt ($79.50)

Despite having 667 stores in more than 64 countries, and being owned by the same group which owns ZARA, Massimo Dutti still seems like an exclusive boutique rather than a chain.  If Massimo Dutti had a bricks and mortar shop in Vancouver, it’d probably fit right in on Alberni Street in Downtown Vancouver.

Massimo Dutti’s ecommerce store launches to the public on Thursday August 22.  Use hashtags #MassimoDutti and #CanadianAffair to join the conversation on Twitter!

We received an email from a local motion graphics artist named Ezra Istiroti this morning containing a link to this wonderful video below. Inspired by the Symphony of Sirens (a piece where the soundtrack is made entirely by sounds that happen all around us) it’s a look at things in Vancouver which sometimes go completely unnoticed by the people walking on the streets. Sounds that are so familiar that they’ve become part of the background and we sometimes take them for granted.

Of the project, Ezra says it “gave me the opportunity to explore Vancouver in a way that I’ve never done it before, not only taking in what my eyes can see, but paying more attention to the sounds that were around me at that time. Having to stop for a moment and listen in places that usually you just pass by on your way to work or home. I’ve spent hours walking around, listening, taking in whatever I could, and in some cases, some smells that are part of the streets like the food market in chinatown, or the smell of fresh mowed grass on David Lam Park.”

The end result is beautiful. Best three and a half minutes you’ll spend on the internet today. Enjoy.

Pizza stones (or, alternatively, unglazed ceramic tiles) give pizzas, breads, and much more a marvelous crust. Use two layers of pizza stones or tiles and you can turn your oven into a brick oven of sorts.

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In just under 7 days one of the world’s most coveted brands will be launching in Vancouver. Taking up no less than 35,000 square feet in the former HMV building on Robson Street in Downtown Vancouver, the highly anticipated opening of Victoria’s Secret will change the world of underwear for women (and some lucky men) across the province.

No longer limited to shopping online, already dedicated customers (myself included!) will now be able to directly access the hottest new lines, in store. Without a doubt we know this grand opening will be welcomed with open arms. We can’t wait to see what the store has to offer. With such a huge space to fill, we can only hope to see more than just the basics. Our minds have gone in circles just thinking about the possibilities. The grand opening on Tues August 27 is rumoured to include the notorious angels.

To sign up for early access and exclusive Canadian offers check out victoriassecretcanada.ca. Also, stay tuned for more from us as we meet with the Victoria’s Secret crew on Aug 29. We can’t wait to share with you the first ever preview of the Fall 2013 Victoria’s Secret line in Vancouver!

This Mallorcan paradise should be mine (a girl can dream, can’t she?) but since it’s not, I thought I’d share. Stephen Nickel of ecoDESIGNfinca designed this country villa for himself and his wife after many frustrating delays with local architects and high construction costs. His solution was prefabricated buildings he found on the internet and had shipped over from Germany, and looking at the house, you’d never know its components were prefab.

The H-shaped villa wraps around a beautiful interior courtyard with a pool and plenty of patio space for lounging or dining.

The one-story house consists of four bedrooms, three bathrooms, a master bedroom with a dressing room and en suite, a spa with sauna, an entrance hall with a piano, and a modern kitchen and living room.

The long narrow windows in the entrance space bring in plenty of light and give subtle peeks to the pool outside.

Features of the house include: underfloor heating, insulated exterior walls, double glazed windows, and a home ventilation system and heat pump to keep the perfect temperature all year long.

The shape of the house allows for plenty of views to the pool in the courtyard, courtesy of floor-to-ceiling windows and sliding glass doors.

Images courtesy of ecoDESIGNfinca.

Ever wish you could try out furniture in your home before you buy it? Ever wonder how it will look or if it will even fit in the space? Well, with the 2014 IKEA catalog, you can do just that. The Swedish furniture giants let you “sample” a selection of their designs (about 90) with the help of an augmented reality (AR) app (iOS or Android), so you can see how they would look in your own home.

Watch the video to see the app in action:

Download the new IKEA catalog app to your smartphone or tablet and one of the new features is augmented reality so you can view your room in 360º/180º degrees using the device sensors. You simply place the catalog in the room you want to decorate, which helps to set the scale. You can then select items you want to virtually add to the room and they appear at the correct size so you can get an idea of how they’d look.

Video stills via designboom.

If you're lucky enough to have some old game cartridges and a working console at home, you probably have a few games that don't load up reliably. Before you waste your time blowing on them though, Ars Technica put together a great guide to get them working as good as new.

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There's nothing like fresh guacamole, but even after a short period it'll turn brown, at least on top. Lemon or lime juice will hold it off for a while, but it can alter the taste. Plastic wrap works too, but most plastic wrap is actually porous these days, so not for long. Know what works? A thin layer of water.

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