Dutch Disturbance is a collection of ceramic products designed by Judith van der Boom. The collection is about a redefinition of Dutch identity, and how people lose contact with their roots in an individualistic society. In a fast changing, multicultural society, Van den Boom asks herself: “How do we keep our Dutch identity, our heritage and our traditional values of life? Not by wearing wooden shoes, eating hearing, and living in a windmill. These clichés are no longer representing our Dutch way of living, and maybe never did.”
Judith’s design statement:
“This story is my world, this world is my home, were I make and break my own laws. In this space reality connects with fiction and creates new directions. Being a designer gives me the freedom to walk over borders and man made ideas. Design doesn’t only exist for me in products. Design is a way of thinking and observing and creating space of unbound concepts”.
Click here to go to Judith’s website where you find more information and all her designs. She also has a blog where she gives a personal view on her work.
Check out these gorgeous kitchen towels by Etsy artist Lisa Price! These hand-printed towels are Lisa’s new project combining her love and need for printmaking, fabric, and home items. Lisa is inspired by old biology and plant books, and most of her images are botanically based. Visit Lisa’s Etsy shop to see all her designs.
Hollandsche Waaren is run by Anne-Marie Jetten. She has designed and produced a series of souvenirs that are all ‘made in Holland’. The common material used is ceramic: earthenware or porcelain and glazed in bright colours. Anne-Marie’s design philosophy: “There is to many mass production among tourism and typical Dutch presents are mostly a pain for the eye. I’ll try to find a way through it, by making a product with a sense of humor…”. Anne-Marie has also created some tablecloths and serviettes, in cooperation with the Textile Museum in Tilburg.
A bit about the history of Delft Blue. In 1602, the V.O.C. (Dutch East India Company), imported Chinese white porcelain with beautiful blue decorations. The Dutch were taken with this porcelain. It quickly became very popular and a highly desirable commodity. The making of a popular Dutch variant started in Delft, a small city in Holland, and was therefore called ‘Delft Blue’. Until this day Delft Blue is world famous. Holland produces Delft Blue all over the world; production even went back to China, where it all once started. Some Delft Blue has lost touch with its glorious history and feeling.
With Hollandsche Waaren, Anne-Marie Jetten re-designs Delft Blue to restore the old feeling with a new look. Click here to see the whole collection. Some of the designs are available from &David.
Charlie Atkin graduated from Staffordshire University (UK) in 2006 with a Masters in Ceramic Design. The young designer now works in her own studio. Most of her products are designed for manufacture in bone china, creating stylish contemporary home products with unique appeal. Charlie: “I work on a fine line between manufacture and the craft process, and my main consideration when designing and making ceramics, is to create objects which are both beautiful and functional. Because of its uniquely fine quality I have grown an affinity with Bone China, every element of the material fascinates me, from its bright white finish to its glass like sound and feather like weight when fired.” On her website you can see all her beautiful ceramics collections.
I know that a lot of us have a hard time finding affordable art. Alexandra Giertz and Ulrika Grönérus are two design lovers from Sweden who had that same problem: they couldn’t find affordable art that they liked. So they contacted their favorite Scandinavian illustrators, designers and fashion photographers and created Andyland.
Andyland is an online gallery shop featuring affordable contemporary art by cutting edge Scandinavian illustrators and photographers. The gallery offers beautiful and cool photographs and printed illustrations in limited editions (never larger than 100 pieces). The photographs are real photographs on photographic paper; illustrations have been produced on aquarelle paper or in some cases on photographic paper. Each piece is numbered on the front and signed on an enclosed certificate. Above you can see some pieces that are available from their shop. Click here to see the complete collection. Thanks Alexandra for sending me the link to your cool store!
These dog inspired designs are the last in the series about India Mahdavi. Shelves Reservoir Dog (left) and Dog’s life (right) are both made from natural oak wood. I hope you have enjoyed this series about this talented designer! Check out her website for a complete overview of her work.
Are you looking for pillows that not only look great, but are affordable as well? Then you should definitely check out Heidi Panelli’s website ModPillows! Heidi is an illustrator and graphic designer from Minnesota, USA, who created ModPillows because she wanted an online decorative pillow store that was cool and affordable. Heidi: “Throw pillows are an accessory that can pull together a room, but you should be able to afford to change them once in a while. It’s my interest in modern, contemporary, and cutting edge interior design, prints and patterns that will keep this store growing and changing. I love watching new trends emerge, grow and change”.
The pillows are $19.95 each. Heidi is kind enough to give the style files readers a discount. You can save $5 if you spend $20 or more, by using coupon code BEAUSBOUNTY (expires on Jan 23, 2007). Click here to browse through Heid’s great sellection of pillows. Thanks Heidi!
Some more inspirational images from the work of designer India Mahdavi! I have been admiring her work ever since I saw what she did with the Condesa DF hotel in Mexico city. She is not only a very talented interior designer but she also carries her own, gorgeous, collection of furniture. All her designs are marked by elegance and display a great sophistication.
The name of the green seat is Don Carlos, and is available in a rocking chair version as well. For that gorgeous fauteuil, Bluffer, fabric from Marimekko has been used. I love it! The cute Dot stools are available in different colours and fabrics.
Charlotte Tangye is a young designer based in the UK. Her aim is to design functional objects for batch and mass production. Her designs are functional but still have a sense of poetry. Emphasis is on light and structure, geometric and archetypal forms.
With this aim in mind Charlotte designed Footprint, a modular shoe storage system. The wall mounted shoe rack is available in white, pink and powder blue. There is a Footprint for childeren as well. Check out Charlotte’s website for more information.
Anna Magdalena Johansson is a young textile designer based in London. She has a great interest in everyday objects and is constantly exploring new ways of combining functionality and aesthetics. Anne Magdalena’s greatest source of inspiration is nature. Having grown up in rural Sweden, and then spent her adult life in London, has made her aware of the beauty in the contrast between nature and urban. This is something that is widely reflected in Anne Magdalena’s work, which incorporates both a natural and a modern feel.
The Tree Room Divider has little holes in the paper which let light shines through. The silhouette of a tree is then made visible. Isn’t this gorgeous?!
Anne Magdalena has also designed a beautiful collection of wallpaper and fabrics. This girl sure loves trees! The wallpaper designs are screen printed on paper. The fabric designs are also screen printed. Check out Anne Magdalena’s website if you would like to see more of her designs. If you are interested in her work, you can contact the young designer at magda@annamagdalena.com.
