Cool…mr potatohead

Oh Mr Potato Head, you were one of my first creative endeavours! So if you are in Melbourne, don’t forget to check out the cute Mr Potatohead exhibition at Ganim’s Store.   Here is a  bit of a sneak peak, but there are many more interpretations by artists regularly featured on this blog…Doug Johnston, Glenn Proebstel, even my favorite sock designers, Antipast socks (pick them up in Tokyo or in the US in Barneys).

Cool… venini @palazzo bagatti valsecchi

Two of my favourites, the Palazzo Bagatti Valsecchi and Venini come together again to present their new collection.    The Palazzo is located in the centre of Milan in the Via Santo Sprito near the main shopping district.  Built in the 19th century by 2 brothers, the  Palazzo is a amalgamation of the Renaissance and the 19th Century.   It was turned into a museum in 1994 and has been used by Venetian glass manufacturers, Venini, to show off their wares for the past few years.    Clearly the luxe appointments of the Bagatti Valsecchi is a fitting backdrop to the rich colours of Venini’s  Murano glass creations.

This year, the  Italian designer Fabio Novembre has created stacked vases for renowned italian glass manufacturer Venini.
made of world-famous Murano glass, the containers are in the form of pharmaceutical drugs, with chemical compositions written on each.
Each color combination represents a different hormone: testosterone, adrenaline, oxytocin, phenethylamine and estrogen (I’ll take the oxytocin).  This  placebo effect is meant to take the place of medication, with the philosophy that the playful designs has the same hormonal effects as ‘happy pills’.

To create the vases, the incalmo glass technique is used —  a complex technique where different sections of blown glass are placed one on the other. After the first piece is made, the second must be placed directly on the edge while still hot, fitting perfectly and fusing so there is no overlap.

I seem to recall that Jonathan Adler did something similar a few years ago, but I am loving the colours and the chemical composition of the pieces.

BAGATTI VALSECCHI MUSEUM
Via Santo Spirito, 10
THE WHITE COLLECTION
16 | 22 April, 2012
h. 10am to 9pm

Cool…cr by carine roitfeld

I am very excited to hear about the new magazine Carine Roitfeld, former editor of Paris Vogue, is launching very soon.    The biannual mag will launch in September and will be based in New York. Each issue will have a certain theme and will be much more in the style of in depth interviews and articles as well as fashion stories.

As an influential style leader, no doubt her mag will be original and daring and will hopefully give us something cool to look at twice a year.

Cool…concrete

Concrete is a very underused substance. In its natural state it is a neutral grey  but can be mixed with all sorts of colours and textures.    I love a concrete floor in  loft apartment or even a country pad.   If you find it a bit cold, you can lay heating into it and it becomes a warm, welcoming surface.    It can be transformed into all manner of shapes.   It can be smooth, straight and hard a la Tadao Ando or appear soft and forgiving.

It is the ultimate in versatility and is really cheap too!

New arrivals @ Eclectic Cool

We’re very excited as new products are being unpacked each week.   In addition to are own designs, we are pleased to announce some new brands to our store.  OOOMS from the Netherlands design homewares and interior products that are characterized by a quirky sense of humour.

Paperphine from Austria make the most gorgeous and original wrapping and craft twine, wound around vintage and handmade wooden bobbins…adding distinction to any desk.

Our Beni Ouarain rugs are selling fast.   They suit any decor and our handpicked vintage rugs are gorgeous and soft to the touch.

like us on facebook

We’ve been busy opening boxes, renovating and coding in preparation for both the online and retail showroom launch.  We have uploaded a few sneak peaks on our facebook page, so like us and get access not only to our sneak peaks arriving instore but special deals, coupons and design news.

COOL STORE… SPAZIO ROSSANA ORLANDI, MILAN

Tucked away in the Magenta district of Milan, a few steps away (okay, 10 mins walk) from the Last Supper, there is a design space that is listed in all the design guides to Milan, but is characterised by exterior shyness.

It is not so hard to find, but the entrance is barred by some inconspicuous gates. It was only until I saw the small brass bell that I knew I was in the right place. Upon pressing the buzzer, I walked into an art lined garden, which-so the assistant told me- is great for cocktails in summer. But alas for me- it is the middle of a freezing winter and it’s only 11am.

One of the best things about this space is the curation of objects that are almost ordinary, but have been transformed in a way that makes them interesting-playing up imperfection and age. In this age of IKEA, where every interior looks the same, these are objects for people who like distinction, beauty and originality. Of course all this originality comes at a collectors price- but these are pieces you won’t find anywhere else and you will probably love them the rest of your life.

An example of this is the resin pieces by Manuela Crotti- the image I took only showed spoons and cutlery, however there were cakes and asparagus and other edible objects, all preserved. Quite a talking point, especially in your dining room.

Even the offices have been given the treatment, and are made out of office partitions from a bank of the 19th century, inspired, gorgeous and interesting. The design space is lined with hundreds of boxes on industrial shelving with nothing labled. However, when I ask about an object she opens a box and pulls out more examples. What I wouldn’t do for a memory like that!

But I digress, the common theme of the objects found in this place is unusual and unexpected materials, bright punches of colours and classic shapes. However, bizarre and cutting edge- when you strip the object down to its form, these are pieces of style that will never go out of date.

Spazio Rossana Orlandi
via Matteo Bandello 14/16, 20123 Milano

MON 15.30-19.30 – TUE-SAT 10.00-19.30

COOL STORE…ASTIER DE VILATTE PARIS

I have told you about Astier de Villatte before. Enjoying a popularity surge, you can find them in all the coolest boutiques around the world. They started off producing a range of ceramics, moulded finely and dipped into a semi-translucent white glaze. They have since expanded their range to marbled patterns which are beautifully rendered; made possible by the thin glazes that can be mixed with an oil resist to create the patterns. Recent collaborations with French brand, Commune de Paris and American designer, John Derian have mixed in colour and pattern into their range.

Other products that they have introduced are candles sometimes inspired by exotic places around the world-even Hong Kong. Their notebooks are fun as well, simply printed pages with a geometric shapes and luxurious gilt edges.

Walking into the store in Paris, you feel you have stepped back in time. The store uses old shop fittings, soft lighting and peeling paint to create an atmosphere that is both old and contemporary in its sensibility. It’s well worth a visit.

Astier de Villatte
173 Rue Saint-Honoré 75001 Paris
Tel + 33(0) 1 42 60 74 13
boutique@astierdevillatte.com
www.astierdevilatte.com

COOL STORE…CAST & CAST

Walking through the back streets of Como, I happened across a design store that was so similar to my aesthetic that I could have taken everything in the store back home with me.   I had never heard of the brand Cast & Cast before, but it was full of luxurious finishes and interesting pieces.  Unfortunately, the assistant did not speak English and the website is not the best in terms of images.  I will have to do further investigation!

The only thing that I did find out was that the owner owns 2 apartments on the shores of Lake Como that are available for rent. They are called Pescallo.   The website for these properties was a bit better and the prices for accomodation were very reasonable.