FærID have just launched a new product range in Iceland at the Design March in Reykjavik.

FærID is a new product design company based in Iceland with a mix of Icelandic and Swedish designers.

Here is a list of the three objects shown at the Design March.

Askur:

Inspired by old Nordic history, Midsummer festivals and love of family. This piece named Askur was first show-pieced during the Design March in Iceland in 2009.

The piece reinvents old values and new experiences.

This picnic basket is handcrafted in Iceland out of Icelandic Birch and then spray coated as a protection for the wood.

The pieces in the picnic set are designed mainly to serve for Nordic food such as herring, rye bread, potatoes and eggs.

Designers: Karin Eriksson & Thorunn Hannesdottir, Iceland

http;//www.faerid.com

Masters:

The French fairy tale Le Maistre Chat, ou Le Chat Botté, commonly known as “Master Cat” or “Puss in Boots”, inspired the designers when confronted with a problem known to most homes.

The average woman owns around 19 pairs of shoes, to maximise the lifetime span of the shoes it is important that they are well kept.

The Master holder keeps the boots from wrinkling around the ankle, falling over and messing up the hallway. The Master clip is used in ankle boots and court shoes to maintain their shape and lure.

The shoe and boot holders, are very light and can be flat packed for easy storage while they are not in use.

The Master range create added value to the owners footwear and creates playful and clean aesthetically pleasing elements to your home.

Designers: Karin Eriksson & Thorunn Hannesdottir, Iceland

http://www.faerid.com

Epikk

Epikk is a module shelving unit is designed to work for all homes.

The unit floats on the wall and the wall posts come in different lengths as well as that the wall post are able to conceal electrical cables in specially designed slots on the edges of the wall posts.

This allows electronic devices found in most modern households today to be stored away whilst been esthetically clean and cable free. This is also incorporated in the desk designed for the unit which has a compartment that can store away an extension as well as multiple cables with no visibility to the eye.

The design gives the consumer complete control and allows the customer to play with size, colors, price and layout.

The visual language for the shelf was originated from the Danish design The Royal System designed by Poul Cadovius.

Epikk uses wood and plastic together, mixing different colors and textures. The brushed steel brackets give the unit a strong and a secure hold.

Designers: Karin Eriksson & Thorunn Hannesdottir, Iceland

http;//www.faerid.com

Bythreads is a new startup from the land of Denmark. Initially started as a design firm back in 2004, Bythreads has now grown into a product development outfit. The design duo “creates minimalist design laptop bags, with a clean conscience” which means that they put products on the market which they will stand by for better or worse. Luckily for us all, Bythreads collection of bags and sleeves offer great takes on laptop portability. Beautiful and classic.

More looks at the Bythreads Journal, Shoulder Cases, at www.bythreads.com

The Scandinavian design company Muuto begins 2010 with two additions to the growing collection of products from the leading Scandinavian designers. This year’s first launch includes an iconic table lamp and a tealight holder with a simple but insightful idea.

An honest and iconic design The characteristic and iconic Wood Lamp, designed by Swedish design and architecture studio TAF, is the latest addition to Muuto’s collection of new Nordic design. TAF ARCHITECTS ON THE DESIGN: “The all-wood lamp is a lo-tech counterweight to the usually very modern and technical desk lamps. All details on the lamp are chosen through a pragmatic perspective and all bolts, screws and joints are emphasized. By using very simple methods we have been able to give Wood Lamp a very honest and iconic expression.”

TAF has previously designed the E27 Pendant lamp and the dining table Adaptable for Muuto.

Wood Lamp, pine, height 50 cm. With green or white cord.

Muuto’s perspective on the classic tealight holder Tired of burning your fingers when trying to light a tea light? So was the Swedish design group Form Us With Love who has designed a beautiful and simple tealight holder for Muuto. FORM US WITH LOVE explain their design: “We came up with the idea for Match when trying to light a tealight candle, constantly burning our fingers. We have therefore created a design with a vent where the lit match securely travels down to the tealight. The vent also doubles as an aesthetic feature, emphasizing the flickering flame.”

Match, tealight holder in glass, height 80 mm, Ø 59mm. Available in grey, green, purple and light blue versions.

MUUTO is an innovative Scandinavian design company that joins forces with the leading contemporary Scandinavian designers to create original products with new perspectives. The result is design objects that are enjoyed across the world, representing the best of Scandinavian design today.

BÅHEM is a furniture for mobile gadgets. From now all your gadgets will have their own stabile place and all their wires will be nicely organized. Finally gadgets got their home.

Link: bohem.hotsnow.fi

Sous les Cerisiers

Restaurant & atelier
12 rue Stanislas, 75006 Paris
France

www.souslescerisiers.com

The latest restaurant design by Ralston & Bau is an intimate space in Paris that is dedicated to a balanced fusion of Japanese and French gastronomy. “Sous les Cerisiers” (under the cherry trees) is an invitation to taste the delicious cooking of Sakura. Both cultures have influenced the theatrical interior concept. The classic opera and geisha cultures from France and Japan can be seen in the scenographic layers, costumes and shadows cast throughout the interior. A contrast of dark and light spaces divides the room: the bright area with the bar as a center point is used for cooking courses during the daytime, and the dark part, following a perspective angle, including a VIP space to enjoy a gastronomic menu at night. Moveable and translucent walls separate the seating areas for privacy.

The theatrical influence from the interior design is continued in the development of the visual identity of the “Sous les Cerisiers” restaurant. A traditional textile costume clasp with soft, natural curves was the inspiration for the logo. The menu cards soft golden paper follows up the costume idea: through pre-punched holes a delicate ribbon bound the changeable menu sheets inside. Each menu uses a different style of classical theatre costume ribbon.

Måltidets Hus is the new 9000 m2 national and international resource centre for food development, host of the Gastronomic Institute and Norwegian chef team. Ralston & Bau was commissioned by Figgjo to make a permanent installation in the reception hall. A central wall that runs three flights high was transformed into a generous, vertical feast table. Combined iconic Figgjo dishes form organic shaped plates and bowls of the table, the wall was covered with an innovative laminated wood material simulating a linen table cloth. The wood was engraved with the shapes of ghost silver ware and glasses, while a classic chair backrest on the wall top completes the illusion of the vertical table. The installation was opened to the public on the 16th of September.

Anders Thingbø, CEO Figgjo thinks: This project has had found it’s own path since it is truly innovative! The reception of the finished result was allround positive…and the final design a surprise to many. Constance Gaard Kristiansen, product manager Figgjo: I like the vertical table more and more!

Link: transplant.nu

I recently got a FedEx package from PR company working for PHILIPS with some computer gadgets by PHILIPS. They wrote in cover letter that they noticed my blogging activities, and that I writing about gadgets, so they decided to send me these items. They stated that I am under no obligation to write about the products if I feel that they are not relevant, but if I will drop a line or two they will appreciate it. A clerk is wrote also, that I need to mention that received the gift from Philips, so everything will be transparent, etc.

I receive sometimes various devices from companies in tasting purposes, as a luxury phone from NOKIA at the last spring for some period of time (although I was so busy and had no time to write a review) but all other companies wanted their things back, and it was not so sweet as this time, when I got it in my own use.

So, when we opened a box (there were a lot of fun with bubble wraps) we got:

• A pair of cushions for laptops, one with a speaker connected with USB and a second one, with a heat-neutralizing system is more suitable for smaller laptops.
• A bluetooth enabled mouse with some several interesting functionality.
• A speaker system for laptop attaching to the top of the lid.

I and my family tested all items during two weeks, and we found some of gadgets very useful and nice. I liked a mouse, because it has a functionality for use without a surface thorough some kind of optical trackball on the top of it, and especially, because of its wireless nature. This gadget helped me to cheat my littlest daughter (she hates when I am using laptop when I am holding her – she is a newborn) so I was able to operate laptop from the far via the mouse in the pocket of my jeans. I loved a Notebook CushionSpeaker, since it really protect laps from the heat of my MacBookPro, but this cushion has very slippery surface, but special rubber stoppers fortunately were included in the box as well. Regarding to the speaker – my daughters loved to use them during the gaming and watching movies.

I heard that PHILIPS has acquired AVENT – maybe the next time I will receive some nice things for my little baby? I promise to write about it!

Electrolux, a global leader in home and professional appliances, selected Cocoon as the Electrolux Design Lab ’09 winner. The announcement was made at the finals in London on September 24, 2009, at 100% Design London, the UK’s leading architecture and design event.

“Cocoon” is a sustainable response to the world’s growing population and its desire to consume meat and fish. Similar to heating popcorn in a microwave, Cocoon prepares genetically engineered and pre-packaged meat and fish dishes by heating muscle cells identified by radio frequency identification (RFID) signals. The signals detect the specific dish and then suggest the required cooking time. This process uses science to create food, lifting a burden on the planet by reducing the need for further intensive farming and fishing. The negative effects of this process, including the mass transportation of food around the world, clearing of land and distortion of ecosystems, are then negated.

Jury motivation

A jury of internationally-recognized designers judged the entries based on intuitive design, innovation, and consumer insight. Their motivation: “Cocoon addresses a controversial issue that is very real: humankind’s continued desire to eat meat and fish. A great design concept polarizes opinion, and this is exactly what Cocoon achieves by exploring this issue. An inviting, tactile design, the Cocoon resembles a gemstone with a metal accent reflecting the heritage of the Swedish art-glass industry. Cocoon meets all of the brief’s criteria: it is daring, cutting edge and truly innovative in its focus on social and environmental issues.

Latest work from Hot Snow Design Studio: a logotype for online store of children clothes Модные детки (In Russian). Graphic Designer: Bronislav Gorlinsky.

Skills applied: Art direction, Graphic design, Brand creation
 Client: Модные Детки, 2009.

In this tough time of overall recession people starting to be more active and coming with new ideas, and some of them are successful and very useful for everybody. This online shop has been launched in an attempt to survive in difficult financial situation and help others. Now people in Russia can afford quality clothes for their kids on very reasonable prices. We are proud of being supporting this initiative and helping to create professionally looking identity for this handy online store.

Link: www.modniedetki.ru

You can see our other latest works on our site: http://hotsnow.fi/en/works

Electrolux launched promotional campaign for their Ergorapido Cyclonic 2 in 1, in this time it’s a competition, where participants submits photos of their homes to have a chance to win Ergorapido or grand prize – a trip to London, Nice, or Istanbul and 5000€ worth of furnishing goods.

I was proudly accepted the invitation of Electrolux to participate in Jury, and started to vote on submissions. In jury also participating well known bloggers and designers:

ASHLEY WHITE http://decorology.blogspot.com

MARTIN ŽAMPACH http://designeast.eu/

KIM LIM, Studio Chief Designer of Electrolux Industrial Design Centre Stockholm.

So what do you waiting for? Go to competition site and submit photos of your inspiring interior design at Ergorapido site: http://www.ergorapido.com/

You can also follow Ergorapido blog: http://www.ergorapido.com/blog