Molding Marble Into Light

Marble's pliable, fluid properties form the DNA of some of the world's greatest works of art and architecture. From Michelangelo's David, Venus de Milo  and other masterworks of ancient Greece and Rome to The Lincoln Memorial on Capitol Hill, we owe a debt of gratitude to this hard crystalline metamorphic form of limestone. Fastforward to modern-day where this ancient stone takes on the unconventional function of contemporary furnishings. A budding UK design company called On Entropy recently debuted a marble collection of contemporary furnishings and lighting fixtures at 100% Design during the London Design Festival.

Design Writer/Blogger/Host Karen LeBlanc at the 100% Design show in London checking out the Ray Marble Light by On Entropy

It seems counterintuitive that a solid stone can illuminate a space so I was surprised by the design and engineering feat of Architect Niki Moskofoglou, who was able to tame marble's properties into a beautiful translucent glow.

The Particle marble floor light made of bronze legs by On Entropy

Ray Marble Light Pendant by On Entropy

Moskofoglou's light, On Particle, explores the connection between the marble void with 4 bronze flat pieces rising up the marble shell and three legs supporting the structure. The bronze legs are oxidized to give prominence to the structure. The marble light fixture Ray exploits the connection of the marble to the metal work. Notice that the strings and fixing are barely visible. Moskofoglou says the interchange on the rawness of the marble and the technologically advanced LED is intentional to enhance its presence.

 

The On marble light by On Entropy

"The concept of entropy sprung over the last two years, as I was designing marble furnishings for friends and clients. I started designing furniture because I could not find in the market exactly what I had in mind," explains Moskofoglou, who draws from his background in architecture to create interactive experiences with his creations.

His fascination with marble began as a teen while working in a marble quarry. Moskofoglou was drawn to the strength and fragility of this material. "The ability of such a sturdy material to collapse under certain pressures and different slip surfaces is something that still blows me away. It is a natural material and I do admire its uniqueness, as one can never find the exact same piece twice," says Moskofoglou.

 

Aerial Marble floor light with solid bronze legs by On Entropy

The creation of marble light fixtures is a time-consuming process. Moskofoglou chooses marble based on its properties like color, mineral content and its fragility. For light fixtures, he carves out parts of the raw stone to create a void that hosts the light.

 "After experimenting with what each different piece can do, I set up a design brief. Then metal work follows.  All bronze detailing is hand-crafted with care and a certain level of experimentation to the finish of the metalwork is undertaken. My aim is to produce fine items, which engage most senses," says Moskofoglou.  All items are designed and made as single, seamless cut marble pieces. On entropy also designs and manufactures contemporary furniture that mixes marble and metal such as bronze.

 

The Orbit marble coffee tables with metal base by On Entropy

 

The Blast marble and bronze shelf by On Entropy

On entropy's custom marble lights and furnishings are available in the US on demand.  

Prices range from $500 to $5000 depending on the size and detail entailed in each item.

The Unexpected, OffBeat and Over-the-Top Design Finds

CUE design agents represent Melogranoblu in the UK, as well as number of other European furniture, lighting, kitchen and wallpaper brands.  The brand list includes Crassevig, Baltus Collection, Expormim, Wall & Deco,

What My 3D Selfie says About Design

 

Design Blogger Karen LeBlanc's 3D Selfie printed in ceramic resin by iMakr

Recently, while attending the London trade show, 100 % Design, I became one of the first to experience a 3D cloning machine that scans and 3D prints a selfie. It belongs to the 3D Store iMakr — the product of a team effort by iMakr engineers and designers. My whole experience at the iMakr trade show exhibit is emblematic of a seismic shift in the manufacturing process from  mass production to customization.

 

Design Blogger Karen LeBlanc checks out 3D selfies at the iMakr exhibit at 100% Design in London

iMakr, in Central London, is one of the world's largest 3D Printing stores and is pioneering 3D printing technology for consumer use.

 

Karen LeBlanc in the photo booth that scans and digitizes my image into a 3D ready to print file

Mechatronics Engineering student Pankaj Raut was there to operate the scanning booth and spoke to me about the potential of 3D printing to change the way we create, relate to and purchase products.  The 3D scanning booth uses 44 cameras to create high-resolution digital files then it 3D prints the files to produce a lifelike replica.

 

Karen LeBlanc's 3D Selfie printed in ceramic resin by iMakr

My 3D selfie is made of a ceramic resin material but there are many types of materials to choose from: metal, laywood filament, plastic, and much more. For those early adopters who have a 3D printer at home,  iMakr has an online platform called My Mini Factory (www.myminifactory.com) where every owner of a 3D printer can download free printable files. Here are two examples:

 

The Love Me Flower contributed by Frederic Thibaud

 

Hot Me?...Never Mug

Raut and the team at iMakr are at the forefront of a revolution in the culture of design. 3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing,  portends the democratization of design by eliminating the costly barriers to traditional prototype manufacturing.  All one needs is an imagination, a software program to sketch out and digitize the idea and a 3D printer to make it real.   Imagine this:  you've lost one of your favorite shoes. It's no problem—just download the files for it and print a spare to complete your pair.

 

3D printed red shoes, photo courtesy of iMakr

Or perhaps you can't find the perfect light fixture with the exact look and size you need for the foyer?  Now, you can design it and upload the files to an online 3D printing store or print it at home with your own 3D printer.

 

3D printed light, photo courtesy of iMakr

"3D printing is getting to a stage where we can print more complex objects, making it easier to create customized objects that were only mass-produced," says Raut.

 

3D printed dress sleeves, photo courtesy of iMakr

From fashion to home interiors and mundane necessities such as replacement parts, 3D printing can be convenient and cost-effective.  3D printing has been around for years but the recent marketplace emergence of affordable consumer grade printers has created competitive pricing. Now anyone with a spark of creative genius can sketch it, scan it and print it into reality.

 

3D printed vase, photo courtesy of iMakr

"This changes everything for an engineer such as myself.  Now we can focus more on solutions since the constraints of mass-produced objects are lifted," notes Raut.  In the very near future, Raut sees desktop 3D printers just as common in the household as 2D paper printers.  He envisions a day when people can use 3D printing to replace broken parts, make personalized gifts, even do  "Santa" shopping online minus shipping and handling charges. "Parents could even look up, download and print toys more specific to their child’s age and liking without leaving their home," says Raut.

If you want to test drive the technology for free, go to www.myminifactory.com  to request free 3D Printable objects. If you have a 3D design in a ready-to-print file, you can upload and share it at My Mini Factory or if you have the idea but lack the technical expertise, designers at iMakr can create it for you. To check out more design possibilities with 3D printing, read my post on the winners of 100% Design's 3D Printing Design Competition.

The Emotional Alchemy of Designer Ben Barnard

 

Porter chair by Designer Ben Barnard

In the grand old days when all hotels had ‘Porters’ the gentlemen were given chairs that provided cover over their heads to protect them from the wind and rain as they sat by the open doors. That’s the narrative of British Designer Ben Barnard's latest creation, the Porter Chair. "Our inspiration comes from, a cocooned experience, wrapped in opulent fabric. This also makes the chair great for conversation because it blocks out noise from around you," explains Barnard, who debuted the Porter Chair during the London Design Festival at Design Junction, an exhibition for established and emerging contemporary designers. Everything that Barnard creates evolves from a narrative—designed to elicit an emotional experience through carefully calculated use of materials and form that follow function. Ben Barnard's Porter Chair caught my eye at the London Design Festival because I detected a trend in modern furniture design that I call "cocooning."  It's when furniture functions to shut the world out and create your own private haven from the chaos and white noise of daily life.

 

Blogger Karen LeBlanc in the Porter Chair at Design Junction

Barnard's Porter Chair is a prototype—one of his debut products as he breaks out as an independent designer.  At 38-years-old, Barnard has been preparing for this moment since his childhood. At the age of nine, he worked on a table in his dad's furniture shop that was a wedding gift for Prince Charles and Princess Diana. Furniture making is Barnard's destiny. His father, John Barnard , is a luxury furniture maker known for his flamboyant style. Ben Barnard has turned that childhood apprenticeship, formal cabinet making education at UK's esteemed High Wycombe and work abroad for major furniture manufacturers into a process he calls "Emotional Alchemy." He is producing works that elicit emotional responses rooted in strong narratives.

 

The Bhodi table by Designer Ben Barnard

"My two styles are currently Zen minimalism and opulent boutique hotel— my two aesthetic and sensory loves, bringing elegant simplicity into form," says Barnard. The Bhodi table evolved from Barnard's "boutique side."

 "I love the rich patterns and colours of the Middle East and Asia, Morocco, Istanbul, Arabia, India, China etc through my travels. I think that’s what tipped the scales aesthetically to create the Porter chair and the Bhodi table although I have always been into Eastern philosophy and spiritual practices- hence the story behind Bhodi table. The colours purple and gold are Indian-esq, there are 7 levels representing enlightenment, the scorched Oak is to resemble old Indian wooden bowls and the shape for them actually came from a Tibetan singing bowl my wife bought me for my first birthday with her last year," explains Barnard.

 

The Journal Desk by Designer Ben Barnard blends a mixture of soft leather and high gloss lacquer in a single white vision topped with a silver plated handle.

The Journal Desk personifies Barnard's Zen side.  "I fall in love with and get very passionate about forms, materials, mechanisms, ambiences and how they make me feel, or experiences that I can imbue into a product.  I utterly love the products I create and that energy translates through them to the client’s experience. You're buying energy, passion and emotion, not just a desk or a chair," explains Barnard.

The Illume floor lamp by Designer Ben Barnard features 3 walnut legs that meet at a central top joint supporting the black and silver lined shade, to create a soft light.

The Illume Floor lamp also exemplifies Barnard's creative process to emotionally connect with the consumer: "The product has to do its job, so form follows function otherwise it’s art. The materials and the story/emotion they create are inseparable and cannot be sidelined; they stand in equal importance. First you fall in love with the product, you have that emotional connection, and then you expect it to do what it does flawlessly," explains Barnard. Barnard is based in South London and manufactures using sustainable materials.  He offers custom furniture both to the public and private clients directly and via interior designers as well as range furniture to select retailers.

The Not So Normal Seats in London

I just returned from the London Design Festival, a heady mix of designer debuts, product launches, exhibitions, trade shows and showroom events. With so much ground to cover in so little time (8 days), the experience was total sensory overload. It was admittedly difficult to focus my attention amid all that creative buzz but this quirky character with his leopard spotted hairdo made me stop and do a double take.

 

Blogger Karen LeBlanc with Designer John Niero of Just Not Normal at London Design Festival

His name is John Niero, a Los Angeles based furniture and lighting designer abroad in London launching two new chairs. His company is called Just Not Normal, which reflects my personal design mantra. Steve Jobs said it best: "Designers must produce what the public has yet imagined." Job's words of wisdom guided me through the difficult task of curating design finds at this massive event. Niero's work was all about the unexpected and riffs on iconic pieces.

 

The Corset by Just Not Normal

The Corset—sober and restrained on the front and a surprising jolt of electric green on the back with its webbed corset that supports the seat by wrapping around a thin rod of stainless steel recessed in a shallow groove routered into the frame. The legs and arms are finished in powder coated steel.

 

The Corset by Just Not Normal

His mark III chair draws inspiration from two icons of different times: the classic mid-century Eames Lounge Chair and the 1970s Lincoln Continental.

The Markiii 4 by Just Not Normal

It's made of a continuous piece of curving bent ply with a walnut veneer tapering at each end.  Niero says the minimalist design allows the beauty of the wood, stainless steel and leather to shine.

The Markiii 4 by Just Not Normal

Niero debuted his chairs at Tent London, one of five huge exhibitions and trade shows tied to London Design Week.

An American's Musings About Scandinavian Design (Plus a Sneak Peek at100% Norway)

 

The Size Chair by the Torsteinsen Design Team

Scandinavian design is known and celebrated for its ergonomic, functional and sustainable qualities. As a culture, Americans are infatuated with the style yet it puzzles me how we are so enamoured with the design works from a Northern European region and people that many of us know very little about. Consumers tend to use the term "Scandinavian design" loosely as a moniker to describe "modern" or "contemporary."

 

Tilt Lamp by Caroline Langfeldt, a designer from the Bergen Academy of Art. Her work appears in the exhibit “KHiB with Friends” at Tent London during the London Design Festival

Sure Scandinavian design spans those style spectrums but beyond the surface labels lies much more. Scandinavian design is about creating a user experience, solving a problem, finding a better way and above all, it stirs the soul. I would even venture to say that the American affinity for Scandinavian style is more about seeking a refuge from our own noisy, embellished, often over-the-top culture.

Tomorrow, I head to London for the week-long London Design Festival and I will have rare access to some of Norway's most celebrated and revered designers as well as up and coming design stars.

 

The Copper Mirror Series by Amy Hunting and Oscar Narud use the simple, raw materials of granite, steel and copper.

Many will converge at the exhibition 100% Norway, part of a huge trade show called Tent London. This year 100% Norway is celebrating it's 10th anniversary as a participant in the London Design Festival with a theme entitled "10 by 10"— 10 designers representative of Norwegian heritage and history and 10 emerging designers with novel ideas. 100% Norway also provides an exclusive introduction into products and designs that the world has never seen before.

 

The Butterfly Copper Light by Atle Tveit & Sven Ivar Dysthe. Manufactured by Northern Lighting

In my opinion, one of the shortcomings of American design is this tendency to make it all about the shock factor and show rather than usefulness, function, longterm value and relevance. The Scandinavians get it right by creating timeless pieces that never outgrow their relevance nor usefulness. Here are some of my design picks from 100% Norway born of this whole idea of finding a better way or a solution to a problem.

 

Swing Chair, by Peter Opsvik on exhibit at 100% Norway during The London Design Festival

Peter Opsvik, one of Norway's most established product designers, is introducing a new, more dynamic way of sitting with his Swing Chair. Opsvik says the Swing Chair is inspired by the bar chairs and hammocks he experienced while traveling in Mexico. "My theory about sitting is that if we are allowed to move, we move. The same holds true for sitting," explains Opsvik.

The Trialog Chair by Philipp VonHase on exhibit at 100% Norway during The London Design Festival

Philipp VonHase crafted the three-legged Trialog Chair as highly ergonomic with reverse sitting and a backrest that functions as an armrest when used backwards or sideways. VonHase noticed that when sitting in conventional chairs people tend to sink into the seat and don’t know where naturally to put our arms and hands.  Trialog Chair is VonHase's answer.

 

The Allen Stool by Strek Collective

The Allen Stool by Strek Collective, a design studio of four Norwegian designers,  is stackable for easy storage made possible by a hexagonal shaped profile.

 

The Drift Stool by Lars Beller Fjetland

Norwegian Designer Lars Beller Fjetland seeks alternative ways of thinking about sustainable design and creating new and unexpected combinations of materials in his designs such as the Drift Stool. "The drift stool has mass where it needs it— thicker where the joints are meeting and it's just the meeting of cork and wood. I think this is one of the most environmentally friendly sitting devices on the market," says Bellar Fjetland. The inspiration for ”Drifted” series came to Bellar while walking along the water's edge examining objects and material that had drifted ashore including driftwood bleached and scoured by the ocean and old cork. These textures, shapes and material set the basis for the stool ”Drifted”. The name plays off the material's ability to drift with the current.

 

Chair from The Equal Series by Lars Beller Fjetland

Other works by  Lars Beller Fjetland include The Equal series consisting of a chair and barstool made of ash and cast aluminium and inspired by the study of various tools, bikes and domestic appliances.

 

Cloche Light by Lars Beller Fjetland

Bellar's The Cloche is a lamp that gets personal by creating a sense of intimate space in public areas with a design strongly influenced by nature mimicing the bell-shaped blooms of the bluebell juxtaposed with the bold industrial designs of the 30s and 40s.

 

Sun, an art installation by Christine Istad & Lisa Pacini

I couldn't resist showing you this etheral art installation that begs a moment of silence to pause and reflect on its serene beauty. Norway is known for its long summers of endless sunshine and dark winters devoid of the sun. In a cultural nod to this phenomenon, 100% Norway commissioned The Sun installation that came all the way from Tromsø in the North of Norway.

Soft-Modern Design Finds at London Design Festival

 

The London Design Festival takes place in September debuting some of the world's most cutting-edge, cleverly designed art pieces, furniture, fabrics, surfaces and housewares.   I'll be in London covering the event and in the days leading up to it, I'll give you a sneak peek at some my favorite design finds. For this particular blog posting,  I curated pieces that spoke to me as fitting complements to the soft-modern aesthetic. These pieces will be on display in The Brompton Design District. (The massive London Design Festival features five design districts in the weeklong event)

 

The store Mint is showcasing a curated collection called Cabinets of Curiosity, inspired by curiosity and wonder featuring collaborations with renowned Czech gallery Křehký, Svensk Form, and Established & Sons showing new work by Ingo Maurer and Jo Nagasaki.

[caption id="attachment_1912" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Cabinets of Curiosity at Mint[/caption]

This contemporary interpretation of a table with its warm wood slab and cool metal base exemplifies a soft-modern style where raw materials trump glitz, bling and over-the-top decor for simple, subtle, soothing design.

[caption id="attachment_1914" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Cabinets of Curiosity at Mint[/caption]

Also at Mint, I was drawn to the white textured slats that artistically encase this piece, again very raw and sensory driven design.  A walk about the Brompton Design District leads to several Pop Up shops that showcase the works of emerging designers, artists and craftspeople to a larger international audience.

[caption id="attachment_1893" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Works from Issue No. 1 by Designers Laetitia de Allegri and Eva Feldkamp[/caption]

Designers Laetitia de Allegri and Eva Feldkamp  are collaborating on the exhibit Issue No. 1 featuring a new series of works as well as past projects. I admire how the designers were able to mold polished marble into a billowy magazine holder coaxing the cold material of stone into a warm, welcoming form.

 

[caption id="attachment_1892" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Works from Issue No. 1 by Designers Laetitia de Allegri and Eva Feldkamp[/caption]

The designers playfully present another interpretation of the same design, slick, modern and bright.

This work by Designer Eva Feldkamp relies on raw string tied to glossy tear drop medallions to create subtle gradations of texture as a soft-modern interpretation of design. 

[caption id="attachment_2244" align="aligncenter" width="135"] Drop by Eva Feldkamp[/caption]

I singled out independent designers Catherine Aitken, Ariane Prin, and Pia Wustenberg for their juxtaposition of time-honed craft making techniques married with new design thinking.

[caption id="attachment_1875" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Fade Stool by Catherine Aitken to début at the London Design Festival[/caption]

 

Catherine Aitken is a textile designer who explores the contrast between hardness and softness, heaviness and lightness in her furniture designs. One of her latest works to début at the London Design Festival is the Fade Stool as part of the Material Subconscious exhibition at the Gore Hotel.

[caption id="attachment_1877" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Fade Stool, Catherine Aitken, 2013[/caption]

Material Subconscious showcases design lead pieces with an affiliation to traditional craftsmanship and sensitivity to materials and processes. Featured designers include Attua Apricio, Iain Howlett, Hina Thibaud, Marina Dragomirova, Meret Probst, Pia Wustenberg, Sarah Colson, SmithMatthias, and Yoav Reches.

[caption id="attachment_2241" align="aligncenter" width="437"] Buzz by Hina Thibaud[/caption]

Ariane Prin is an award-winning product designer using a creative water fountain method to paint water cups from drizzle pan above.

[caption id="attachment_1881" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Fountain Water Cups created by Designer Ariane Prin to début at the London Design Festival[/caption]

The end result is a nuanced and original water cup— each with its own distinct markings much like an artistic fingerprint.

[caption id="attachment_1879" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Fountain Water Cups by Designer Ariane Prin[/caption]

Pia Wustenberg uses a juxtaposition of materials, surfaces, textures and colors to create mixed media narrative objects—those with a story to tell. Using paper, glass, ceramic and wood, Pia creates original works such as these in her company Utopia and Utility.

[caption id="attachment_2242" align="aligncenter" width="437"] Memory Objects by Pia Wüstenberg[/caption]

For more sneak peeks at my curated design finds at the London Design Festival, check back daily.