Bus Blinds in the Bathroom

The vintage bus blind seems to be on trend at the moment. While the jury may still be out on it's appeal post the 'Keep Calm and Carry On' bubble [it will come], classic typography in moody hues is an easy win for masculine spaces. This vintage style pharmacy towel from H&M deliveres functionality and the same feel without sandwitching a fabric bus blind behind glass. Shown with steel vase from Sevens in Dusseldorf and silk branches from Habitat.

Praise for Meguro's Design Community

Design Trawling is often tricky in cities as vast as Tokyo. While similar types of stores will inevitably tend to co-locate, seeking out design gems can be hard work [not least because of the often independent nature of design and designers]. The Meguro Interior Shops Community, or MISC, is pulling together the 60 or so design retailers, workshops and galleries along the 5km throughfare with a comprehensive directory, website and maps.

There are plenty of stores serving up furniture and accessories in the masculine/utility style perfect for Mancaves. Best of the best are Lloyd's Antiques [pictured], ACME [who have two stores], Blackboard, and Geographica.

Catch me if you ADK Can

It's an inevitability that I've come to accept when visiting New York, Seoul or Tokyo - More often than not, I'll return with more luggage than I came with [owing largely to an over indulgence in design related acquisition]. My fifth trip to Japan introduced me to the excellent ACME Furniture company where I spotted this iconic valise.

Commissioned in 1938, the Zero Halliburton suitcase was originally made from aluminium aircraft engines. Alongside steamer trunks by Vuitton and Goyard, the Zero is the very definition of luggage. A trophy of the jet age traveller, this rare 'ADK' monogrammed case was the envy of every Tumi-wielding management consultant at Narita.

0 to Designer in 100 Articles

18 months ago I wrote an article about a chrome baloon dog, Jeff, that I picked up in Tokyo. It seems fitting then, that 100 articles later, I'm back in Japan. This time not as a casual shopper, but as an exhibited and soon to be published Designer.

It's been a great journey to the 100 article mark - BBC film crews, world famous penny floors and contact from Foster+Partners, LVMH and Hackett - not to mention 15,000 readers from dozens of countries.

There never was a 'grand plan' for DesignTrawler.com but I can't wait for the great designs, perspectives and opportunities to come in the next 100 articles.

Dom Arigato - A Bowing House for Tokyo Design Week

As part of the Arigato Project initiative for Tokyo Design Week, the Japanese Design Association has called for submissions across nine creative categories under the theme of Arigato / Thank You. The second collaboration from the designers behind the Isomodal Townhouse, Dom Arigato [The Bowing House] has been selected by the Panel at the Design Association to be exhibited at Tokyo Designers Week. Over 100,000 visitors will see the design alongside projects from Absolut, DoCoMo and Dubai Futures before it is published in the spring.

Drawing influence from the iconic form of a bow of thanks, the name Dom Arigato is also a play on the Japanese phrase ‘Domo Arigato’ meaning thank you very much, and ‘Dom’ the Latin word for house. Humble in its proportions, the house uses simple materials that respect Japanese heritage and modern aspirations.

The only project in the architectural category to be selected, Dom Arigato won praise for its environmental credentials; specifically designed with the urban Japanese landscape in mind. Solar cells are optimally positioned to capture energy from the sun while a living wall attracts wildlife and provides urban areas with greenery and oxygen

Blown Away by Designboom

In a little known corner of Moscow, just of Stretenka Street [which shares a name with Stretenka Design Week; the little brother to Moscow Design Week], is a shop/cafe/lounge called Designboom. Trawling out the best of Russian design inevitably led me to this place, and on first visit I was a little underwhelmed.
A credible smattering of European designer classics and smaller Russian pieces on the ground floor was only a front to the veritable Aladdin's Cave on the lower floor [and very easy to miss; as I did until a second visit was propmpted].

If there was ever any doubt about it, Russia gets design. The volume, quality and breadth of the collection at Designboom trumps anything I've seen in London, New York, Seoul or Tokyo. A bold statement and utterly deserved.

Back to Basics @ Moscow Design Week

I recently spotted this innovative straw bench as part of the Organic Dwelling exhibition at the Moscow Museum of Architecture. Curated by Lidewij Edelkoort for Moscow Design Week, the exhibition explored how designers are influenced by primal instincts; "like animals, constructing architecture based on lifestyles, affected by geographic influences, and inspired by local materials and perfected skills."

Nice to see the concept of Mancaves acknowledged by the pillars of the design world then. As for the bench, it was surprisingly comfortable and easily convertible to a commercially viable domestic design.

Noma Bar - Big Dog in a Bigger World

Isralei artist Noma Bar is a big dog in graphic design. He has published 600 illustrations, two books, and over 60 magazine covers including designs for Time Out, The Economist and Wallpaper*. Noma's big dog status has been super-sized in his latest exhibition with an iconic dog shaped die cutting machine.

The signature dog design from the series is masterful in a variety of levels. Using negative space, the canine portrait consumes a cat, which in-turn consumes a mouse. A poignant reminder of the relativity in which we all exist: At face value our focus is on the big dog; but the cat gets it's mouse too; the big dogs of this world ceasing to exist without it.

The House of Montecristo

 

What would happen if I were to suddenly and inexplicably turn in to a cigar? It's a question that daunts many of us. Where would I live? How would I occupy the hours before my slow and smoky demise? Ever the public service, Design Trawler provides some reassurance that life as a cigar isn't all bad.

First and foremost you'd need to find a nice humidor to live in. The Viscount David Linley could help you out with burr walnut veneer boxes ranging from £1,450 through to £25,000 for the colonial Partagas edition for you and 99 of your friends. Pad acquired, British manufacturer Billiard Room Ltd will happily supply you with the minimalist 'curve' pool table (pictured at Decorex 2011). Throw in some 1920's props (literally), the knowledge that some cigars age for 80+ years, and it's Lagavulins all round.

Design Ninja @ London Design Week

With 280 events held in the space of a week, the London Design Festival turns the Capital in to a veritable candy store for fanciful design enthusiasts. In much the same way that candy stores seem to attract a fat kids with little more than pocket money, it wouldn’t be Design Week without Hoxton sorts wielding skinny jeans and NUS cards.

This year, a new breed of guest infiltrated the openings, launches and previews. Design Ninja arrives without a bright pattern shirt and without green jeans. Unsuspecting, in a sombre suit, Design Ninja bypasses the air-kisses, the canapés and complimentary drinks [well, in most cases]. Identifying and shooting the best of the show with a view to serious acquisition - before silently slipping out, unnoticed, fully informed and only moments after arriving.

Highlights of 2011 included the brass Jackson floor light (pictured) by Portuguese manufacturer Delightful, and SCP’s masculine Timberly Hall Rack by design studio Rich Brilliant Willing.

Coffee on a Podium - Democratising Design

The other week I hopped along to a TED style talk organised by Creative Morning. Billed as a 'monthly breakfast lecture series for creative types', the initiative currently runs free sessions in 15 international locations. On the podium was super-designer Chris Bangle, former Chief of Design for BMW and widely acknowledged as one of the most important auto designers around today.

Bangle made an impression with the observation that designers and the design world seem to exist on a podium; dictating design to the masses on the basis of their wise and worldly judgement. While our tribal instincts make being part of a respected group desirable, it's our wider contribution to society that drives our evolution from caves to man caves. Watch the full video here. Sketchnotes by Eva-Lotta Lamm.

Metroland Modernist - 97 Park Avenue Ruislip

Kicking off the London Design Festival this year, Open House London flung open the doors of over 700 of the capital's best buildings to the public. Many private homes, flagship offices and civic spaces welcomed journalists, nosey neighbours and Saab driving architects with goatees and/or elbow patches for guided tours.

Representing DesignTraweler's stomping ground and brave new world of Metroland was 97 Park Avenue in Ruislip. A modernist beauty built in 1936 complete with roof terraces and lashings of Bauhaus goodness. Just add hot tub and attractive young things for instant Man-Villa [Saab and/or elbow patches optional]

Design Trawler's Container Townhouse for the BBC

What happens when a 25 year old with no experience decides to design and build a luxury home using industrial shipping containers? The Isomodal Townhouse is the result of two years design and development for a low cost, ultra efficient, high specification home. Created in part for a new BBC television series which has since been put on hold.

The Isomodal Townhouse draws its influence from shipping containers loaded on to a freighter; its poured concrete ground floor representing a ship's hull with containers loaded on top. The rusty cedar side tower figurative of a container crane and wide circular skylight echoing nautical chimneys.

Container architecture isn't new, however the Isomodal Townhouse is unique in that it represents a high specification build that embraces the industrial forms of intermodal containerisation. Unlike other container projects, the design neither pokes fun at containers as a design gimmick, nor disguises the modular container DNA.

Featuring three full sized bedrooms, separate formal and informal living areas with double height ceiling, gym/cinema, office with concealed entry and 20ft roof terrace, the home has 225m of high specification living space.

Excluding land and design fees, the luxury container home is anticipated to cost £135,000 and take 16 weeks to build. This represents a 40-60% reduction in construction costs for conventional projects of a similar size.

Sartorial Sketches by Jeremy Hackett

How nice of Jeremy Hackett, the founder and Chairman of the iconic British outfitter to send his best wishes. Following DesignTrawler.com's Twitter debut this month, I found out from Mr Hackett's Mr Classic Blog, that 25 of his signed sketches would be generously gifted to anyone polite enough to ask. The drawing by Jeremy Hackett features three well turned out chaps and will be presented to a select number of his clients in Tokyo this September.

Harrods Pot Noodle - The Oligarch of All Snacks

Widely believed to be a spoof when announced in 2008, the Harrods Pot noodle was a limited edition charity design coloration purchased to support Action Against Hunger. The posh 'poulet et champignon' ramen noodles come in a kitsch flocked green and gold leaf cup - colours that are synonymous with the opulent Knightsbridge store.

While the opinion dividing snack was launched as part of the rather more serious Harrods Design Icons series, credit has to be given for the light hearted (yet peculiarly relevant) fun poking of the iconic edition of 100. No other photos exist of the product and it's unknown how many of the, um, 'artworks' have been eaten by drunk students collectors.