Get dead comfy on the Coffin Couch

Posted by admin on Apr 11, 2011 in Design and Home

Upcycling is a popular trend nowadays, but I think that Coffin Couches may be pushing the boundaries of taste. The couch you see above is created from a real life coffin- unused, thankfully. Los Angeles based company Autumn created the Heretic Coffin Couch using Italian black leather and there’s a limited run of three on sale (still available).

They’re not the only ones to have gone the coffin couch route (perhaps just for the pun element?) as the brand Coffin Couches also exists, upcycling flawed coffins bought from funeral directors. Health and safety laws prevent the resell of coffins to the public so the company was able to buy the coffins at a cheap rate, reupholster them and sell them on;- such is the apparent demand that they even have themed SPORTS coffin couches, for individuals who are Lakers fans till death do they part (sorry). Read more…

Tags: Coffin Couches, Heretic Coffin couch

Food Design exhibition encourages you to play with your food

Posted by admin on Dec 26, 2010 in Design and Home, random, Theatre and Art

Growing up I was always told not to play with my food, a lesson that clearly wasn’t drummed home to the artists involved in the International Food Design Society exhibition. They created an exhibit which used food as the basis of exciting and innovative artworks, everything from edible coffee cups to a skintight bird feeding suit to let you get all Mary Poppins with pigeons.

I like the thinking behind the event, as food shouldn’t be something static which is consumed- let’s evolve the edible! Why not have chocolate jewellery for diabetics or sugar stirrers (oh wait, we have those).

This exhibition was show in London last month, and saw a collective of artists worldwide get together and display their best pieces. I’m in love with the ‘cheese sharpener’ (see bottom image) which easily allows you to add artistic cheese garnishes to your food with minimum effort. Other cool ideas were shown- isn’t the chocolate calorie counter cool? Pull off a piece of choccie and the calories are (scarily) inscribed upon the slice- it’s a whole new way to think about portion control.

The Human Bird Feeder Outfit

Technology city sculptures from Franco Recchia

Posted by admin on Dec 19, 2010 in Design and Home, geekery, technology

I love art but lack any modicum of talent in this field. You want proof? My high school art teacher almost cried at my depiction of still life oranges, and her sighs of despair still haunt me to this day. I tend to credit anyone who knows their way around a paintbrush with a huge amount of awe, and I hold these sculptures by artist Franco Recchia in high esteem. I first discovered his work on ChipChick, and am so impressed with what he has created. Franco has taken old computer parts- everything from the hard rive to the cardboard packaging- and turned it into futuristic style cityscapes. His work includes the Manhattan landscape, Pittsburg and Boston, and I’m hoping he’ll turn his attention to Britain next.

The Doodle Duvet unleashes your inner Art Attack

Posted by admin on Nov 21, 2010 in Design and Home, random

I have doodled pretty much my whole life. From the moment I could hold a Crayola I was busy coloring in sheets of paper, the walls, anything I could reach really, much to my parents chagrin. As I got older I moved away from walls and onto textbooks, illustrating the margin with badly drawn cartoon figures modelling fashions. As an adult I still doodle constantly, as it’s something I literally can’t stop. I’ll leave a meeting full of ideas, notes and crazy ass flowers in the margin of my notebook. I’ve seen a fair few doodle friendly designs, but this duvet is definitely my favourite. Read more…

Tags: Doodle duvet

Musings on Museums: Hidden treasures for home decor heaven!

Posted by admin on Feb 16, 2010 in Design and Home, random, style

Due to the fact that I’ll soon be the proud rentee of a one bed flat all to myself, I’ve become a little bit obsessed with home furnishings of late. Whether it’s fantastic chandeliers, wall stickers or even those weirdly rounded IKEA rugs everyone seems to have, they’re all somehow on my radar. One place I never expected to find seriously stylish products was museums though, as my idea of gift shops tended to verge towards staid postcards of Victorian women, or the multicoloured marbles you find at the Science Museum. A recent trip round some the Museum of London disabused me of this notion however, as amongst the myriads of ugly tea towels and books that will remain sealed on coffee tables forever lay a treasure trove of accessories. From lovely lamps to cool furniture, museums seem to be the untapped destination for quirky furnishings, and there are even geeky treasures too!

Here are my favourites.

The Museum of London has some seriously desirable decor, and I’m really bowled over by their great coffee table cum street sign mashup. Their throw pillows and ironic tea towels are also pretty sweet. Read more…

Tags: geeky lights, home furnishings, Lego lights, MoMa, Museum of London, Science Museum