Riedel Decanters

There's no denying that Riedel makes quality glassware, but the product series that I love most from Riedel are their decanters. They are so gorgeous with their fluid shapes and simple forms. I really wanted to put one of their decanters on our wedding registry, but felt too guilty about the price tag, so I didn't. But regardless, they are beautiful and maybe some day we'll take the plunge and get one.

Some of my favorites: the Amadeo Decanter the Swan Decanter, and the Cornetto Decanter.

IKEA sneak peak

IKEA sent us a sneak peak of some products to come this April - here are our favorites:

The KNUBBIG table lamp by Michiko Nakata (above), with floral graphics on clear and frosted glass spheres. We love the bright colors of the GUNVOR fabric by Anna Salander (bottom left) and the very sweet BARNSLIG cushion by Maria Vinka - a pillow for keeping your hands and feet warm. The design and colors of the cushion remind me of kids pajamas.

Artist Collection Glasses

We were at IGF this weekend and saw these Artist Collection Glasses, available at Molla Space, are something I haven't seen before. I like that it's a limited edition of a banal and everyday object. Each glass comes with a coaster by the artist and the case with the artist's bio. The coaster is displayed in the top lid.

Thomas Bernstrand

Thomas Bernstrand is a multi-disciplinary Swedish designer who makes everything from glassware, to furniture, to lighting, not to mention that he designs architectural interiors, as well. He designed the Uddabo table for IKEA, which combines a dining table with a work table. I could definitely use one of those! Too bad the US IKEAs don't carry it (though it may just be out of production, since it's an older design). Also interesting are his Burk Glasses - a series of glassware inspired by beer cans. Thomas appreciated the ergonomic comfort one finds in drinking beer out of a can - the lip fitting perfectly with the folded part of the can - and translated that into a classier, glass version.

Isolation Unit

Hello, sexy! The Slant glass is by Teruhiro Yanagihara of Isolation Unit. I love the form and the delicate imbalance of the glass and the liquid inside.

Notcot Gift Guide

Sean and I put together today's gift guide over at Notcot. It's filled with (mostly) affordable picks from our favorite designers. We hope you will check it out, along with the rest of the gift guide that Jean has worked so hard to put together...

Left to right: Decanter N°2 by Etienne Meneau, Full Contact Spice Grinder by Mint, and Bubble necklace by Brevity (yes, me!).

Happy holidays!

2007 Gift Guide - For Him

Hi Folks,

We hope you caught our gift picks for him this week - watch the ideas column next week for christmas decorations.

Left to right: Dart Coat Hooks by Suck UK, Decanter N°2 by Etienne Meneau, and the Snow Wallet by Ulterior Motive.

Inside Out

I saw these inverted candle sticks on Moco Loco and love them. Designed by Alberto Mantilla and Anthony Baxter for Mint, the Abra Candelabra is made from hand-blown glass. It seems like this "inside-out" idea is cropping up all over the place. I first remember seeing Emiko Oki's Pint Glass Series back in February of this year, and not so long ago Alissia MT's Inside Out Glasses. I like the trend, but I'm glad to see it moving beyond drink ware. Anyone who can point us toward other "inside-out" products, please feel free to leave a comment!

Out of Office

Oof (which somehow translates into "Out of Office") is a collective of young graduates from Britain's Ravensbourne College of Design & Communication. My favorites: the Cloud Sponge is a playful bath sponge, the Watering Mug is shaped so as to remind you to water the plants after having a cup of tea, and the Musical Comb.

Via Core77.

Artful Home show

Yesterday was a crazy day (thus the lack of posts), but I did make it to the Artful Home preview show at the Puck building (love that place!). The evening provided a great opportunity to meet artisans and to see new work in the glassware, ceramics, jewelry and textiles fields. Some of the highlights:

The glassware tended to be colorful - lots of bright pastels (is that an oxymoron?). The Spike Bowls by Hudson Beach Glass and Nicholas Kekic's collection of vases were gorgeous, and I loved their forms.



Ananda Khalsa had some jewelry in the show, and it is truly more beautiful in person than it is in photographs. Everything is so delicate and intricate. The Stacking Bowls are by Kaete Brittin Shaw.


I had the pleasure of meeting Laura Goldstein of Grotta & Co, who make very cool silk screened throw pillows. The designs tend to incorporate personal elements, such as handwritten letters from her grandma and old musical scores.

The Artful Home show is open to the public starting today through Sunday at the Puck building in Manhattan. There is unfortunately a cover charge - tickets are $12 in advance and $20 at the door (steep, in my opinion!). Check it out if you are in the area. Have a good weekend, all!

Alissia MT

Jean over at Notcot. posted about Alissia Melka-Teichroew’s gorgeous Inside Out Glasses. When empty, the glasses all have the same shape. When filled with liquid, each glass reveals a traditional, recognizable form. A nice play on negative space. Check out more of Alissia's great body of work on her website (Sean actually proposed to me with Alissia's diamond ring!)

LOTS

Swedish design group LOTS created the conceptual Elektra line of domestic appliances. The image to the left is a toaster (coolest toaster I've ever seen)! The use of black glass provides a nice contrast to the translucent glass.

Tortise DOF by Ted Muehling

The Tortise DOF glass by Ted Muehling is a beautiful piece of work. The precision cut concave excavations makes one think of a precision crafted crystal arrowhead.

Møhl Drivsholm Glas

Check out this amazing glassware from Danish glass artists Tobias Møhl and Trine Drivsholm of Møhl Drivsholm Glas. I especially love the Longnecks Installation (bottom image). I think they are vases, but regardless, they defy my expectations of what can be done with glass. I want one!

Iittala Birds by Oiva Toikka

While Iittala is mostly known for their line of the timeless Aalto vases, they also make these great little glass birds. The Bird Collection features different species every year. Designed by Oiva Toikka, the simplicity and smoothness of the forms is contrasted by the detail in the detail and complexity of the glass coloring. The oriole and barn owls are my favorites.

Anna Torfs

Anna Torfs creates gorgeous glassware. I love the bubbles and the cracks that she incorporates into her work.

ICFF - Artecnica

I'm a big fan of Tord Boontje and Artecnica, and was not disappointed by their booth at ICFF. I appreciate how they give discarded materials a new purpose, and make something super cool while they are at it.

Front Design - Changing Vase

This is the perfect vase for those of us who get bored easily and want to change things up. Front Design created the Changing Vase for an exhibition called "Chocolate", curated by Naoto Fukasawa at 21_21 Design Sight. The actual vase is made of chocolate brown glass, which is covered with five different layers of foil, each with a different design. Essentially, six different vases in one!

Aun2h4

Some beautiful vases from the young Japanese design firm Aun2h4. I love the orbs, aka "Sway Vase".

Via Pan-Dan.

Elodie Vase Collection

Happy Monday everyone! This weekend was gorgeous in NYC and today is no exception! It's one of those days where everyone is walking around and happy. Anyway, some pretty glassware to start your week off right...I wish I knew who designed the set, but the Lekker site wasn't clear and Google couldn't help me out. The Elodie vase collection is hand-made in Poland. I love the shapes and the colors.

Salviati Battuto Vases

I love the subtractive faceted surface of the Salviati Battutto Vases. Combine that with the glow of a candle within and it assumes an almost reptilian skin. Simply beautiful.

Cal Breed

I'm home sick today, so this is it from me: Cal Breed is an amazing glass artist. I came across his work a while ago and was very impressed with the colors, textures and forms of his work. I love the vase and the hanging ornaments and would love to use them in our wedding but alas~ his pieces are definitely not within our budget!

Phuze Design - Vasez

Orfeo Quagliata's Vasez are truly a labor of love. He cuts each square of glass, drills a hole in the center and hand polishes each piece. He then cold fuses each piece to the next, alternating opaque with clear glass - creating a glass plywood of sorts - and then polishes the whole unit again. I love how the vases appear dense and solid on the bottom and become more transparent as you get to the top of the vase. Orfeo Quagliata is a founding member of Phuze Design.

Atypyk

Atypyk is a Parisian design studio made up of Ivan Duval and Jean Sebastien Ides. The Snapshot Mirror, the Souvenir Camera (27 pre-exposed images of Paris so that you can pretend to have been to all the touristy spots) the Good Mood pad and the Do Re Me Glass - all very clever products from Atypyk.

Michael Kersch

Some interesting projects by Michael Kersch. The pendant above is made of approximately three thousand zip ties.

Besides the fact that the vase has a very appealing shape, I love that you can see the layers of dirt and the flowers growing, as if you had taken a section cut through the ground.

The Design Can

Brooklyn-based Jeannie Choe and Steven Tomlinson of The Design Can are producing some interesting work! I remember seeing their Self-Portrait Mirrors around a while back...Love the idea behind the Self-Destructo candle - it comes with an LED on one end and a wick on the other. When you get tired of looking at the LED light, you flip the candle over and light the wick and the candle eventually self-destructs. I'm also a big fan of the Aorta vase...

Emiko Oki

Found another designer to file under 'favorites'...I think these products are so clever! Both take typical household objects and subvert them by applying new meaning to old objects. I love the modified pint glasses, especially the wine glass within the pint glass! The trophy table set is a nice project as well...a clever ensemble of products. Emiko Oki is a young Japanese designer based in England.

Via Core77.

Ichendorf

After buying the Bodum Assam glasses, I'm totally into double walled vessels these days. I love the illusion that the liquid is suspended inside the vessel - it's so pretty! These carafes and glasses from Ichendorf are lovely. I'm curious as to how comfortable drinking out of the glasses would be. Available at Unica Home .

Kate Hume

I like these vases from Kate Hume's Gem collection...As I'm sure you can tell from the jewelry I post, I love rough cut stones and shapes, and the crystalline forms of these vases really strike a chord with me. I love the contrast between the frosted glass and the edges of the cut glass, as well.

Via Style-Files.

Anna Gram

Check out this sexy glass from Anna Gram (a design collaboration between Florian Dussopt, Julie Girard, and Jérémie Reneau). It is at its most functional when drinking a beverage that requires mixing. Swivel the glass and the ceramic ball will dissolve the sugar! I dig.

Gift Guide - Glassware: Rikke Hagen

I don't drink cognac, but I like the hand-blown "Wobble" glass, designed by Rikke Hagen. It's like a top! The Moma store (who knows about cognac drinking better than I) says that "the glass was designed with bouquet, temperature, and volume in mind. The graceful wobble shape of the glass increases the pleasure, deep color, and movement of the liquid." And for a set of two for $50, that sounds good to me!

Gift Guide - Glassware: Tord Boontje and Emma Woffenden

The Transglass Bottle Collection is a beautiful assembly of jugs, tumblers, carafes and other vessels made of entirely recycled beer and wine bottles. Each piece is unique and comes in multiple colors, with either a polished or sandblasted finish. Designed by Tord Boontje and artist Emma Woffenden and produced by Artecnica, the vessels are handmade by artisans in Guatemala, and are available for $32 each.

Gift Guide - Glassware: Bodum

These Bodum double wall glasses are one of my favorite purchases from this year. Made from a heat-resistant glass, the double wall system allows you to pour both very hot and very cold liquids into the glass, while still holding it comfortably in your hand. Priced at $14.95 for two glasses, they are an inexpensive addition to your drinkware. The sake glasses are $24.95 for six, and while you're at it, you might as well get the teapot, too.

Gift Guide - Glassware: Riedel & Crate and Barrel

Riedel, the Austrian crystalware company, is the originator of the idea that different wines should have different glass shapes in order to emphasize the qualities of each wine variety. If you were so inclined, you could amass a wine glass quiver of some 30 different shapes.

However, these glasses would only be needed for those special occasions when the wine you are drinking is of a supremely high quality. And since we enjoy wine on a regular basis and simply cannot afford a $500 bottle, we enjoy the European method for wine glasses: use whatever is around and enjoy the wine, fool!



These stemless glasses from Crate and Barrel do just that. No pretense, just a simple shape and a heavy base. And at $2.00 each, they are quite a bargain.

Honeycomb Tumbler

The Honeycomb Tumbler, designed by Carl Rotter in 1940, is mouth-blown and then hand-turned to grind the dimples into the glass to create the final honeycomb form. The optical effect of peering through the glass is mesmerizing and the time invested to hand-craft each glass makes these tumblers more than a joy to hold.

Erika Lovqvist

Beautiful vases from Swedish designer Erika Lovqvist. I like the molded pockets for water and a flower, but I have to say that I can't stop thinking 'cow' when I see this.

Birds Birds Birds

evasolo is a danish cooking-serving-lifestyle object design house. They make a very wide range of products including these two bird feeders. The Feeder Ball (left) and the Bird Table (right) are two of the products that exude the lightness of glass and the joy of birdw