Made in Brooklyn: Re-Surface lampshades

As my 'On The Streets' posts show, I do love street art and that also includes design influenced by our urban landscape. This March at Brooklyn Flea, I spotted a stand, Re-Surface, selling great lampshades with graffiti and street images found in our own dear Brooklyn nabes.

The lamps give an interior a little edge and the colors could work with most designs. The talented Donna Brady does do more objects and designs for the interior that are inspirational - check out her website!

Dutch Design: Zelfbouwboomhut - DIY Treehouse

'Zelfbouwboomhut' which translates into English as 'DIY Treehouse' is a design by Rogier Martens and Sam van Veluw. It is part of their 'AanDeBoom' design series, literally meaning 'On The Tree'. The series will consist of object that can be attached/strapped to a tree.
The basic idea of the DIY Treehouse is a flatpack approach to the ideal hideaway for kids. Seven pieces of water-resistant panels are connected to a tree by four straps. A sort of instant treehouse. Now if only I had a garden - who says treehouses are for adults only?

Dutch Design: Knitted Vase by Ilona Huvelaars & Willem Derks

Always looking for a perfect vase to go with your flowers? This innovative design, by Illona Huvelaars and Willem Derks, provides the solution. Instead of the flowers having to adapt to the vase, the neck of vase is flexible and the flowers will therefore determine the shape. It is made using rapid prototype sls technique.

Dutch Design: Solar Birdhouse by OOOMS

Guido Ooms and Karin van Lieshout, both graduates from Design Academy Eindhoven, run Studio OOOMS - a design studio that has come up with some pretty interesting and innovative products. This is one of my favorites and also for sale on their website: Solar Birdhouse.

If I was in the eviable position of having a garden, this would be nice touch: a birdhouse with a solar panel on its roof that charges during the day and when dusk falls it produces a little light. Perfect for birds - they only need to sit and wait for the bugs to show up!

Dutch Design: Marcel Wanders for Moooi

I have to start off by saying that I'm a big fan of Marcel Wanders. 'Killing of the Piggy Bank'-vase, designed by Wanders for Moooi in collaboration with Royal Delft, is whimsical with an observation of cultural change.

The piggy bank-vase represents the digital age of money and the beginning of the end of physical money.

Dutch Design: Favela Painting

Dutch duo Haas&Hahn first started working together when doing a documentary for MTV about hip hop in Rio and Sao Paolo. They then wanted to bring art to unexpected places. 'Favela Painting' is about these great colorful murals in the favelas, done by the local youth. The result looks stunning.
Their latest project was in Santa Marta in Rio. Check out the before and after pics. It's a great example of how art in no way needs to be highbrow and elitist in order to be good. Inspiring.