2Modern Design Talk - Modern Furniture & Design Blog

Gus* Summer Sale

2009-07-16T14:56:34-07:00

Summer sale from Gus*! From now until August 16, all Essentials upholstery items are 20% off.

Periscope Houses by Joke Vos, Rotterdam, Netherlands

2009-07-16T12:27:40-07:00

Joke Vos architecten is an architectural firm, based in Rotterdam / the Netherlands. Their main objective is to realize interesting buildings in a pleasant urban context wherein people like to live and work. Their assignments vary from private housing to projects with multiple programs. The firm also has a reputation in urban design, often in complex situations and as an upstart to the architectural job. One of their most characteristic samples of work is the Periscope Houses projects, in Rotterdam.

The concept evolved within an exclusive competition asking for the design of twelve large water residences. The houses were to be expressive and appealing, yet allow for a high standard of living. The project should mark the Waterwijk in Rotterdam/ Nesselande, an area where all other housing was built without aesthetic regulations. The Periscope Houses show a remarkably compact (a prerequisite in the densely populated Netherlands) and expressive design and are surrounded by water on three sides.

The complex is made up of smaller clusters of houses. Within each cluster, three residences are brought together to form a solid three level centre. Soft shining volumes slice through this cube. Like periscopes the houses look in different directions, thereby ensuring the privacy of the individual balconies. The living areas are distributed among the ground and first floor, each with a terrace bordering the sunny waterside. The large water room on the ground floor adjoins a spacious wooden terrace with reed and yellow flag all around.

On a second lower platform small boats can moor and children can work on their fishing skills. Arranged within a zoning of wider and smaller naves the floor plans slide into each other like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, allowing for many different subdivisions. The houses evidently belong to the same family, yet show characteristic differences in i.e. the situation of the entrance, the width of the loggia and the form of the aluminium volumes.

The materials applied are durable and low in maintenance. For the main volume a solid dark metallic brick is used. Light and elegant aluminium panels enclose the periscopes. In contrast a warm hardwood is used where the interior extends into the exterior. Apart from the choice in materials and the flexible floor plans sustainability is further sought in extra isolation and energy saving mechanisms, like the wooden slats used to shelter the houses from the sun.

Completion 10- 2006
Floor area/size 3035 m2
Cost € 3300000,
Architect Joke Vos architecten
Structural Engineer Adviesbureau Buizer
Contractor Van Houwelingen Gorkum
Client Assink Vastgoed Projectontwikkeling

CAZAL sunglasses.

2009-07-15T12:48:05-07:00

Summer has finally set in! Which is why it's the perfect time to discuss sunglasses, specifically CAZAL sunglasses. If you're a fan of Run DMC then you might recognize the shades below from the CAZAL 600 Series. The hip hop artist frequently flossed with CAZALs, turning the brand -- created by Cari Zalloni -- into a sought-after commodity.

CAZAL 607s, worn into infamy by Run DMC

But it's not the hip hop aspect that attracts me to CAZAL, rather it's the brand's incoporation of art deco elements and true craftsmanship that peaks my interest. CAZAL's are a collector's item, a vintage pair will run you hundreds of dollars. My favorite models are the metal-rimmed shades. They're a true testament to the craftsmanship. Each pair undergoes multiple processes to get to its retail-ready state, including being triple plated in 24 kt gold, which is applied over Monel (a highly durable alloy metal frequently used in underwater machinary and piping and also for electric bass strings -- notably The WHO and Sting used Monel strings).

Metal frame CAZALs

When it comes to the fresh colorings instantly recognizable as CAZAL's signature colors, the company uses a variety of application techniques. Depending on the frame, colorings are often handpainted or employ the use of syringes to inject the color into the mold. Another more high-tech application involves foil color decoration, in which the color (in foil form) is literally printed or stamped on the metal frame using a heat transfer process. Finally, before CAZALs land in the customer's hands, they're given a white-glove polishing, ensuring perfection.

Whether you love them or hate them, CAZALs are classic eyewear, not in the Ray-Ban Wayfarer sense of the word but more as an ahead-of-the-curve classic. The CAZAL wearer is a tastemaker, a trendsetter, someone who paves the way for the masses. And deep down that tastemaker is in for more than just the look. They understand what goes into making every single pair of CAZAL shades, and now, so do you.

Shape Up or ship out.

2009-07-14T08:22:31-07:00

The Shape Up! alarm clock is perfect for folks like me who go into autopilot when reaching for the snooze button 15 times before actually getting up. With this clever little alarm clock, now I'll have get up quick and crank out 30 curls to make the alarm shut off. Pretty cool idea.

via

--sdotg--

Tray6 Price Reductions on 2Modern.com!

2009-07-12T15:29:43-07:00

Tray6 has just lowered their prices on 2Modern! Stay dry. Look good. Spend less.

Design for father`s day

2009-07-12T10:01:05-07:00

As father`s day is approaching, Tok&Stok design team created a cool pattern and printed it in products such as mugs, aprons and glasses.

The symbol, which says "champion dad", reminds us of a medal. Lovely gifts for the fathers!

Helvetica the Movie

2009-07-10T08:27:45-07:00

Helvetica is a worker bee. Helvetica keeps its head down and gets the job done. The job: communicating clearly with an economy of means. Helvetica is our everyday font, invisible to most people, which is exactly what the designer intended. Helvetica was designed by Swiss typographer, Max Medinger, in 1957 after he was commissioned to develop a new sans serif typeface. Helvetica was an instant success, a design blockbuster.

Helvetica transmits content simply with a minimum of typographic ornament and stylistic excess. Tahoma, Monaco, Times - all have a typographic character that triggers with us an emotional response, however subtle that colors the content. Helvetica strives to be emotionally neutral and transparent. But this stance of transparency and functionality is itself an aesthetic quality. Helvetica echos the modernist sensibility of 'form follows function' as an ideological principle as well as an aesthetic goal.

Film maker, Gary Hustwit's film, Helvetica, explores our relationship with this ubiquitous feature of our world. which we glide past, even now as your reading, without a second thought. Hustwit asks the audience to pause and look at the font. Helvetica - the movie - was released in 2007, but is now available on dvd and as a digital download from itunes.

An special type of door

2009-07-09T21:16:27-07:00

If you love ping-pong, then you will love this door. A design by Tobias Franzel. When you want a regular door, you got it... and if you feel a little sportive, you can switch the door and get this amazing ping-pong table.

Is not a concept project, by the way, it is real... Enjoy it, if you want it ;)

Via TechEBlog.

A Parvez Taj / 2Modern.com Exclusive!

2009-07-09T14:28:42-07:00

A 2Modern.com exclusive from Parvez Taj! 2Modern.com is the only place you'll find these four Parvez Taj designs at this low price. The designs--Emilie 104, Flowers 101, Protects 109, & Santa Monica 107--are available in limited quantities, & only at 2Modern.com!

New from MASH Studios

2009-07-08T15:26:28-07:00

New from MASH Studios! Durable enough for industrial use, yet refined for the most luxurious meals. This dining set--featuring a Dining Table, Dining Chairs, & Bench--made from solid English Walnut, is a classic addition to the modern kitchen. Stripped of excess, the MASH Studios dining set is the essence of reductive living.