These sculptural cast-concrete planters caught our eye as being perfect when presented in a massive row poolside at a Zaha Hadid-designed beach house. The tallest version of these is 45 inches (about 110 centimeters) high, an impressive presence even without plants. We’d imagine these will look spectacular used to display a bunch of tall dry grasses or branches, outdoors or in. The planters, made by Phoenix, Arizona-based Kornegay Designs, are called the Quartz Series. The company has no inventory, as each planter is made to order. Custom colours shown in the image are azurite, citrine, topaz and amethyst. We also like Kornegay’s beautifully rounded Dune Series planters. - Tuija Seipell

Designed by the Berlin-based studio böttcher+henssler, Coen lamps are a white version of the designers’ dark prototype lamp, Troll. Although Troll is made of sheet metal, it brings back images of an upturned wooden ancient sauna accessory — a pail with two handles — called “kiulu” in Finnish. In contrast, the slim, white (and silver) Coen lamps are supremely stylish, quite at home next to an Alvar Aalto Paimio chair.



Coen lamps are part of the new collection by the lighting manufacturer ANTA Leuchten GmbH. Coens will be introduced at Salone Internazionale del Mobile’s Euroluce next week.



Böttcher+henssler is a product design studio founded in 2007 by Moritz Böttcher und Sören Henssler. Winners of a red dot product design award and other accolades, the duo focuses on designing beautiful and functional consumer products. - Tuija Seipell

Spanish born designer Cristian Zuzunaga has zoomed in on colour, literally, to create a fresh perspective on print design. The Royal College of Art graduate works with pixel concepts, applying designs to fabrics used in furniture upholstery. Inspired by architecture and the urban environment, Zuzunaga combined his graphic design skills and knowledge of printing techniques to devise his signature style based on squares and rectangles. He first burst onto the design scene with his pixel sofa, which was produced by Danish manufacturer, Kvadrat and sold through Moroso. He has now added more pixel-inspired designs to his portfolio including chairs and artworks.  - Lisa Evans

 

One thing we really love at The Cool Hunter is reinvention. Taking a fresh approach to an established form is at the foundation of innovation and we applaud anyone who can pull it off - like Ron Arad who has created this incredibly unique luxury bath concept, which turns the traditional bath on its head, literally. Aside from its obvious aesthetic appeal - it's like a giant art installation for your bathroom - its also multi-purpose, transforming from bath to shower as the whole unit revolves. Arad worked with Italian bathroom design brand Teuco to bring the concept to life. At this stage it's still a prototype but Arad is confident that with Teuco's production expertise his bath dream will soon be a reality in our own homes. We want one now. -Lisa Evans (via Sept issue of Wallpaper magazine)

Even if the results of your early-morning culinary endeavors appear bland and beige, all is not lost. With the right accessories, even the humblest breakfast can look cheery and stylish.
 
To attempt the task of making muffins, you’d get a head start by using the non-slip, nesting set of measuring tools and bowls called, fittingly, Nest, and designed for josephjoseph.com by London-based Bill Holing and Ben Cox, known together as Morph.



You'll eventually be able to bake them in your Marc Newson-designed Smeg oven previewed at Milan and available at the end of 2008.


 
Later, to transform those poorly turned-out muffins into desirables, just serve them in the anodized aluminum bowls designed by Melbourne-based Nina Ellis and available exclusively at Pieces of Eight in Melbourne.


 
Serve the plain boiled egg in the smashingly retro egg cup from Menu designed by the young Danish designer Pernille Vea and adorned with the striking designs of the late Verner Panton, the Danish architect and designer whose mastery of vibrant colour was extraordinary. Use the thermocups from the same series for your coffee or tea.
 


And why not serve that boring orange juice in a Club martini glass, created by the Swedish DJ and designer Matz Borgström for Sagaform
 
We are not saying that every item in your kitchen should be madly cheery. We are only suggesting you add some color to your black-and-white life, just to wake you up in the morning. - Tuija Seipell

Do only the design-minded notice the lighting when they walk into a room? Melbourne-based designer Volker Haug strives to ensure his ideas are essential and deliberate features — hanging from ceilings, attached to walls and placed on tabletops.  From a young age Haug’s preference for raw, industrial lighting design emerged.

The ‘Antler’ series primarily in black and white consists of a range of configurations  the most intricate he calls ‘Rudolf.’  And ‘Cable Jewelry,’ the long pendant, can be curved and bent to suit personal preferences. Haug has discovered that the potential lighting can have on our lives is limitless. By Andrew J Wiener

Computers could have been the biggest tree-saving invention of all time, yet here we are, “paperless office” still just a dream and trees being cut down faster than ever. Award-winning creative architect duo Stephanie Forsythe and Todd MacAllen at molo design in Vancouver, Canada, are not discouraged by this. They have decided to ensure that paper does some serious work at the office.

Their amazing corrugated paper furniture and white “soft” walls are not only fun to assemble, alter and move around, but good for the environment, too. Molo is the product arm of their bigger-scheme practice forsythe-macallen.com. Forsythe and MacAllen have been recognized around the world for their innovative housing and living-space projects and events. The first location for a molo design workshop will open in Milan, Italy by early 2008. It was previewed during this year’s Salone del Mobile in Milan. By Tuija Seipell

When it comes to thinking outside the square, Italian furniture design company, Lago, is well outside the parameters of traditional thinking. With the talents of its prized designers Daniele Lago and Massimo Bonnetti virtually on tap, the boundless creativity and functionality is evident in their current range.

The company takes a step back from the design board and looks at the way in which people interact with furniture on a daily basis and in a variety of environments. Flexibility is the essence of these designs, and with it comes functionality which is wonderfully executed in their floating 'Shelf System' range, named Tangram.



This system can be arranged in a generous number of varying designs. From expressive geometric through to the letters of the alphabet, the floating shelves open the boundaries of the way we look at storing and displaying items in the home. The system invites the shelves themselves to interact with their surroundings, and promotes them to the same footing as the objects they house.

As many designers gravitate towards a minimal look, Lago appropriates this concept by creating weightless or floating aesthetics to their 'Flutta' bed range. The bed comes in either a circular or traditional rectangular design, and evokes the impression of weightlessness by its ingenious support system. With a discrete wall mounted bracket and a metal streamline pillar placed in the center of the bed's base, Futta literally appears to float.



These designs not only impress consumers with the manner in which they interact with an environment - they stun us with their shear simplistic design, creating an overall stunning effect. In a market which demands forward thinking from designers, Italian design company Lago is setting benchmarks standards which will force others to follow suit. by Andy G see also COMPARTMENT-MAN and Storylines Bookcase

With suction cupped feet and a warm inner glow, these rechargeable , stick on anywhere lights are not only cool but rather handy. The lights are surrounded by a rubber outer shell which houses and protects the inner bulb.
Three suction cups at the base act as feet, allowing the bulb to be placed just about anywhere.

As they are battery operated and fully rechargeable, the bulbs are cordless  and can travel with you and take up new real estate in the most unusual places. They will be available to purchase from online store sometime in 2007. by Bill T

Who said art was just for hanging on the wall? Now you can take it to bed and let it keep you warm at night with this hot new range of designer bed linen by London based boutique design house, True Love Always. The range utilizes the work of several different contemporary artists, mostly graphic designers with background in fashion and pop culture. It's sexy and original. We love it. by Lisa Evans

Lighting has become a key element of interior design. The humble light bulb and lamp shade has morphed into all sorts of artistic creations. This new collection by Italian design firm Artmide is a case in point. The lines between art and lighting have been fabulously blurred. Art installation or living room light? Who cares, as long as we can buy one. by Lisa Evans

It's sexy, its sleek, and it's smouldering. Everyone wants to warm themselves up next to Ron. Inspired by the dynamic design of 1950's aviation technology, this cool radiator is design driven to the very last inch. Standing 2 meters tall, the elliptical chimneys pour heat into the air at a stabilized and generous flow. Finally a radiator that isn't ugly or noisy. Turn up the heat! by Andy G

Personalization and regulation are two words that work beautifully when referring to your own indulgence. This brilliant shower system from Kohler DTV, is the worlds first fully digital unit that caters for your exact showering requirements.

Both water temperature and water pressure can be inputted to the system and set as a customer shower mode. The strength and type of water spray is also open to your personal touch. Both the control pad and the shower itself are smart, sleek and ultra modern looking, turning the bathroom into a futuristic cleaning unit! At just $2000 the age old custom of waiting for the right temperature and pressure have just swept down the drain. by Billy T

The Flying Carpet is the only carpet that gives you the magic sensation of lying down between Teletubbie-like hills. Flying Carpet redefines the concepts of "carpet" and "furniture": it defines a new topography and functions at ground level. For the home or for a public space, the Flying Carpet is made of 100% wool with wedges made of 100% wool felt with a foam interior. The Spanish Emiliana Design Studio encourages users to become creative participants while enriching their daily experiences through the use of the objects and spaces which surround them. by Yvan Rodic

Finally, a coat peg worthy of your Helmut Lang jacket. Created by French artist Adrien Rovero, the black powder coated steel pegs are crafted into cameos. Typical of the 18th century, the black paper silhouettes are a sleek addition to any wall. In fact they're almost too nice to conceal. Looks like the Helmut Lang stays in the wardrobe. by Lisa Evans

Tom Dixon is a remarkably progressive designer who's work pushes the traditional boundaries of interior furnishings. His soft system sofa series (try saying that 3 times quickly) is a wonderful example of his unique creativity. Available in a corner unit, one armed sofa, and chair, the range is an upholstery system which is solely constructed from multi density foam upon a wooden structure. Space like in its form the soft system sofa is simple in its visual delivery whilst achieving its desire for maximum comfort. by Andy G

"Simon, Tahiti sounds nice! ". At first sight, it reminds you of the Imperial Leather T.V ad from the early 80's, where the family (along with a baby duck) are bathing in their spa on a jet. This is about fifty times cooler!

The new Seaside from Italian Spa maestros Teuco takes the indoor spa to a whole new level. What is great about the Seaside is not only the way it looks, but the ideology behind it. Named after the four elements, the Seaside's features are as follows. Water: The illuminated waterfall flows in a ribbon of light Air: The delicate blower disperses millions of tiny bubbles Earth: The seating area is raised and enjoys a gentle intrusion of subtle waves
Fire: The underwater light and temperature controlled heater keeps the spa cosy in colder climates.

Aside from these fundamental elements, you would be hard pressed finding a spa that is more seamless in its design and more luxurious in its form. Come on in, the water is fine! by Lisa Evans