Helmut Smit is our new favorite artist/designer, even if FLAMMA was the only project he’d ever done (it isn’t, by the way, and they are all stellar). This brilliant Ikea Hack “harks back to one of humanity’s basic needs: making fire.” As Ikea does not sell matches or lighters, Smits has taken cues from the wartime necessity of burning furniture to keep warm, and created a fire from an Ikea rope, hanger, wine

Commissioned by The Metropolitan Opera to design an exclusive line of pillows inspired by their 2010-2011 Opera Productions! See all pillows here or details here .

Charles Benton graduated from Central St. Martins College of Arts and Design and has worked for several European and American fashion companies ranging from couture to ready-to-wear. He’s currently working on several projects which include freelance fashion design and fashion illustration. He recently set up his illustration shop, Zoe World , on Etsy. Even though I have always been attracted to fashion design, my real passion has been illustration. I truly love the entire process — from the initial idea…

This weekend, I’m going to be sparking up the grill with the Looftlighter, an electric firestarter that looks like an oversized curling iron, sounds like a hair dryer, and gets a good-sized pile of charcoal briquettes ready to grill in just a few minutes. I’ll admit I was skeptical about the $80 Looftlighter , which comes from Sweden and whose name, I believe, must be pronounced with as much Nordic accent as you can muster. It’s basically an air blower tucked behind a heating element. The idea is…

> A photo of a train making a stop. Standard version on top, HDR version on bottom. > View all A software update for Apple’s mobile operating system is due for release next week, and Wired.com has had hands-on time with a major new feature of the OS: high-dynamic range photography. HDR, an automated processing feature aiming to deliver a “dummy-proof” photography method, will be included with the camera app on all iPhones running iOS 4.1 when it ships next week . When you take a picture, HDR processes three versions of the image: an underexposed version, a normally exposed version, and an overexposed version. Then it combines these three images into one to increase the dynamic range (the intensity of the light) to give you a more accurate representation of the scene you&#…

Jen lives in Ottawa, Canada where she handcrafts modern organic kids’ gear and decor for SewnNatural , the shop she shares with her mother. In the fleeting spaces in between mothering, she shares musings, recipes and eco-living tips on her blog, the SewnNatural studio . She is also a member of the Artisans Gallery Etsy Team . When I look around at the gifts I give and receive, the clothes my family wears, the art on our walls, the dolls …

Luca Gnizio is an industrial designer from Milan who firmly believes that the life of discarded products can be further extended by transforming them into beautiful and useful articles. Luca’s BOOKFOR Armchair is constructed entirely from recycled materials including iron bars recovered from reinforced concrete, rubber tips from old walking sticks, and clothing, plastic material and paper remnants. Photos by Serena Riccardi. © 2010 Design Milk | Posted by Jaime in Home Furnishings | Permalink | No comments | Tweet This | Share on Facebook

DZ7172 is perhaps the most evocative, poetic product name ever devised. As you can see, the watch is equally as poetic in form. It has lots of curves, perhaps recalling a Degas nude, a blown Visit Cool Material for the full post.

Oscar Magnus Narud’s Keel collection: tables in rough wood and iron. Make-Me is an upcoming exhibition at Moss , running from September 15th through November 14th, that brings together an set of artists and designers producing what Moss has coined “Butch-Craft.” Maybe there is no better way to describe this than the words they use themselves: “a cerebral yet virile narrative applied to rough work crafted in wood, iron, steel, marble, rush, paint, boiled leather, clay, baked agricultural waste, plant-life, gypsum drywall, and blood, sweat and tears.” (more…)

In this world that is still to come out of the side effects of recession, even stars like Kylie Minogue are finding it tough to keep up the prices of their real estate. The pop star recently had to slash the price of her London penthouse from £4.5 million to £4 million. Apart from the fact that it is owned by Minogue, the other great point about this flat is that it is actually beautiful. It is a gorgeous maisonette that…

Generic Surplus sneakers are never quite what they appear to be. They all kind of look like sneakers in that they have laces and soles, but something always seems a little out of place. With Visit Cool Material for the full post.

Hey there! I am back from vacation. While away I was lucky enough to be able to get a bunch of my pieces into a lovely boutique. Needless to say I am running a little low. It doesn’t help that I am also moving my studio. So, when I am up and running I will start to replenish my supply. Happy supermarket shopping! xo, Kim

Dedo is a furry message board by Gonçalo Campos on which you can draw your message or a picture by simply dragging your finger in the opposite direction of the (artificial) fur growth. Doubling as a decorative piece, Dedo offers a fun new way to communicate in an artistic way. Dedo is available for purchase from Gonçalo Campos’ website or from Arcademi . © 2010 Design Milk | Posted by Jaime in

Alexander Wiethoff of the Department for Informatics at LMU Munich (and a former Experientia intern – disclosure) has developed with the Univeristy of Saarbr

Actor Morgan Freeman was nominated for an Oscar for his portrayal of Nelson Mandela in the movie” Invictus”. The custom made “46664” bangle worn by the actor during the Academy Awards was highlighted by the media. During the World Cup this year in South Africa the bangle in question was sold for one million South African Rand which is equivalent to $137,000. The 46664 bangles are made to support the 46664 campaign which continues Mandela’s charity …