Design of the Day – Cosy accessories for your home

As it’s Monday, the doom and gloom day of the week, I thought I’d bring a bit of colour into your day with this super cosy, multi-coloured knitted lamp by Melanie Porter.

This piece is certainly fashion forward and the perfect Autumn/Winter accessory for the home. You may be thinking WINTER – ALREADY? Well, yes I am and we all need to get prepared because the leaves are starting to fall and the summer nights are slowly fading away. Harrods even has christmas decorations up – so I’ve heard!

That aside, this whopper of a lamp is hand woven by the Knitwear Designer herself and each piece is bespoke. The design comes in a range of colours with one named “Freya”, which has a white base and coloured flowers made from felted material around the shade. Simply gorgeous!

If you want to get your hands on one of Melanie’s lamps, prices range from £400 – £550 and are available from MyDeco or direct from her website.

Design of the Day – Wallpaper that will literally brighten you’re day

This Design of the Day will certainly make your ears prick up and eyes open wide! Here is a revolutionary design by Swedish Artist Camilla Diedrich, that will transform any wall in any home into a glowing feature piece! Her fiber-optic wallpaper collection, Nature Ray Charles, is simply mesmerising with its subdude lines and feminine flower motifs, which project out the light.

Diedrich was drawing on her computer one day and accidentally slipped, knocking her keyboard and changing the appearance of the drawing making it extremely light. She then associated this with how blind people might view the world and the musician Ray Charles popped into her head. His name was then adopted as the collection’s title.

The are 8 different colours of paper to choose from so a colour to suit every personality! However, I’m struggling to find an explanation for how the light is sourced, powered fitted within the paper, so if anyone had a clue please give me holla, I’m dying to know!

Design of the Day – Polar bear rug speaks a thousand words

A team of designers have a taken one of the worlds most pressing environmental issues and created a piece which speaks louder than words. Designers Ricardo Casas, Alejandro Castro, Héctor Esrawe, Emiliano Godoy and Cecilia León de la Barra have produced a thought provoking rug, which contrasts it’s oft and pleasant texture with the prickly problem we have surrounding the rapid decline of the Polar bear and melting ice caps.

Ironically named ” Global Warming“, this statement piece is sure to make anyone stop and think whether its placed in a living room, waiting room or café. I’m very impressed with the rugs simple design and how it conveys this message with such impact.

I would definitely have one of these in my home as way of raising awareness of global warming.

Design of the Day – Forget tank-top and think chunky knit!

The cold nights and winter weather will soon be jumping on us out of the blue. Mini skirts and tank tops will be exchanged for knee high boots and chunky knits, which is everyones favourite winter warmer. Well this Design of the Day will certainly make you want to gear up the fire and get ready for Mr Frost.

Phat Knits is a collection by Netherlands Designer, Bauke Knottnerus, who creates oversized knitted pieces for interiors using large threads. This piece looks like something a giant Grandma has knitted and would be a perfect snuggle rug for any room.

The collection is currently on display at the Mode Museum in Belgium  until 14th August 2011 for your perusal and is sure to take the winter worries away.

Design of the Day – Sat on a thousand balloons

This psychedelic chair created by Israeli industrial artist Pini Leibovich will brighten the darkest of rooms and is intended to created happiness and positivity. A piece of  “Happy Material” collection,  it’s made entirely of balloons – I wonder if it’s bouncy! This super cool chair is a tribute to surrealism and furniture-as-art and is featured in the New olds: design between tradition and innovation exhibition at Israel’s Design Museum Holon last month.

Design of the Day – Solid chocolate human skull from Brighton

It’s Friday and here is a Design of the Day to make you drool! A friend brought this  to my attention and I have never come across anything like it! Created by choccywoccydodah.com I present to you a solid chocolate, hand painted, life-sized human skull weighing nearly THREE KILOS!

I don’t know whether I would want to spoil it and sink my teeth in. Although that could also feel rather strange – sinking my teeth into what resembles a human skull. But anyway its solid milk chocolate!

The skull also comes in a white chocolate version and will cost you £100.

Choccywoccydodah is an Art and Design based chocolatiers in Brighton and in the middle of filming their second series for channel Good Food.  They also make to most fabulous wedding and occasion cakes which blow the ordinary fruit three tier out the water! You’ve got to check them out but be warned you start to crave!

Design of the Day – Meet Annie the chair, previous occupation – A shopping trolley

Today’s Design of the Day is one which will make you smile and think “what a crazy idea yet so perfect!”. Contemporary Eco design studio Reestore takes random objects like aeroplane wings, wheel barrows and shopping trolleys, then turns them into beautifully stylish pieces of furniture – another fantastic approach to sustainable interiors.

Designer and Managing Director of  Reestore, Max McMurdo, first made head way with his products when he pitched to the terrifying Dragon’s Den panel in series 5 of the show. He managed to impress the fierce Deborah Meaden and business genius Theo Paphitis, who invested in the company.

I’ve chosen Max’s “Annie” chair which in a previous life was a shopping trolley. It’s just fascinating how this symbol of the scrap yard can be totally transformed in to a perfectly functional chair. It takes 4 – 6 weeks to be delivered and will set you back £550.

Design of the Day – Meal times will never be dull again with the Swing Table

What a fine morning campers! The sun has got his hat on and everyone seems to have a spring in their step. In keeping with this great summer weather, (or what little us Brits have)  is this rather exciting Design of the Day.

Created by london based designer Chris Duffy and his team, the Swing Table is just the perfect piece of furniture of inject life and fun into meal times. The table is made in a four-poster bed style, allowing the GEO light above to be suspended in air. But this isn’t even the best part, the chairs are attached to the top of the frame with wires so they too are suspended like swings! What fun! This dining table is my dream, and not to mention a doddle to vacuum under.

The Swing Table in available in bespoke colours and finishes and is 220cm high, 235cm long and 135cm deep. It takes roughly 8-12 weeks to arrive and will cost you a whopping £4995.  Who said eclectic was cheap?

Design of the Day – Inject some life into a room with these funky 3D cushions

Rebecca Barton’s cushions instantly caught my eye with their bright array of colours and 3D like designs. What’s even more attractive about Rebecca’s pieces is they’re all bespoke and made to order from a small studio in Kent, using fabrics based in England and based on a strong ethical ethos.You can even specify colours, size and delivery time if you wish!

All the cushions are made from quality natural materials such as linen, silk, wool felt and cotton. There are different styles that you can choose from (which would look fab in any room),  from contemporary and floral, to plain and wood grain, you’re spoiled for choice.

As a mum of three I don’t know how she fits in the time to create such wonderful cushions. If you’re as much in love with Rebecca’s designs as I am, you can order from her website www.cushlab.co.uk or through Brighton POD, (which I’m addicted too!)

Design of the Day – Rectangular leaf light by Aline Johnson

Aline Johnson’s serene lighting designs have taken my breath away. Specialising in exclusive kilnformed glass vessels and platters, Aline also works with architects and interior designers making site specific lighting designs that have been commissioned for Dune, Covent Garden and the Foreign Office for the British Embassy in Doha, Qatar.

Born and bred by the sea, I just adore how Aline translates her rural roots of Dorset and seaside inspired palette into these beautiful and delicate designs. I’m instantly drawn to the “Rectangular Leaf” light which boast so much colour and positive energy.

If you want to catch a glimpse of Aline’s work , she will be showing off her fabulous designs at this years Tent Show in London – don’t miss it!

Image source: http://www.alinejohnson.co.uk