Light up your life... or at least your home!

With Jonas Samson's high-tech light-emitting wallpaper it's possible to use a two-dimensional flat surface as light source instead of a 3D object.

As long as the wallpaper is turned ‘off’, it is indistinguishable as a source of light. Instead, it is just what it appears to be: wallpaper. The size is 240 X 360 cm.

So how does it work? Speaking exclusively to TechRadar, Samson explained that the wallpaper actually uses existing technology, but applies it in a different way:

"The base material is made from a commercially available product that’s manufactured by a number of companies. What I have done, though, is to apply that technology in a different way."

Delving deeper, Samson revealed that the wallpaper is constructed by "sandwiching" a number of layers together that combine to produce light:

"The back layer is a silver-based solution that conducts electricity, while the layer above this contains phosphorous pigments that light up. On top of this is a flexible, transparent ITO conductor layer, with regular wallpaper placed on top to act as the final, outwardly visual layer," he explained.

The result, when it’s switched on, is a visually stunning wall-of-light that can be turned off and on, just like a regular light.

Although Samson first revealed his creation to the public last year, this year’s Salone Internazionale del Mobile interior design show in Milan, where he is exhibiting, looks set to make his creation a must-have for those who can afford it.

Ah yes, the price… Well, given that everything is designed from scratch and made to order, there are no set costs for installation of Samson’s light-emitting wallpaper. That said, Samson told us that 6,000 euros could be considered a basic "starting price".

By Audley Jarvis

Through my friend designer Jordan Cappella!

Concrete floors with a twist

These photos made me want to install a concrete floor at my place immediately (sigh). The Transparent House team in San Francisco managed to come up with an ingenious way of making an otherwise mundane material into something incredible.


While it does not take away from the simplicity of the floor, it embellishes it with a unique style and flair, giving it a softness not associated with concrete.


the process can be applied either during the pouring of the floor or after it. The polishing gives the final effect.


I would love to see this continue over to one of the walls - the effect would be striking.



From decor8 and Design Sponge.

To start the week off in a beautiful way...

... here are some amazing photographs of abandoned (?) Russian wooden houses in the middle of nowhere. Just imagine Chekhov's "Three Sisters" taking place in one of these. They do look in some photographs like theatrical settings. Or levels from the Myst games. They were published by qzmn, but I found them out through my favourite storyteller/writer Neil Gaiman (and he got them from one of my favourite illustrators, Michael Zulli).



From the original posting:

In the Kostroma province, 550 km from Moscow to the north-east, not far from Chukhloma city, 2 remarkable houses are located, hidden between the forests and the villages in a state of neglect. This winter it was possible for me to visit these wonderful places, about which I want to tell you here.

Enjoy!

Oslo Opera in 2Modern!

Please check my Oslo Opera post in the 2Modern Design blog - awesome pictures! I cannot wait to visit Oslo again just to see this one up close - last time I visited it was still in construction phase.

Easter eggs inspiration: Franc Grom

Catholic Easter is long gone but the Orthodox is now, so some inspiration for this year's eggs comes from Slovenia: Franc Grom patiently drills the egg shells with an electric boring tool, making them more beautiful than any Fabergé egg out there.


Usually he needs 2,500 to 3,000 holes to create one egg but once he pierced 17,000 holes in one! He is inspired by traditional Slovenian designs.


Making eggs look like lace is his speciality, they look so delicate and fragile one is afraid of touching them. His intricate work has been published in National Geographic and many internet websites.


I cannot imagine his frustration if an egg breaks while he is working on it...


So, anyone care to try this at home?


Via momeld.

Happy Orthodox Easter to all my friends!

Spring flowers : an inspiration

Being surrounded by flowers (live ones, not in vases) has always been necessary for me, ever since I was a small boy. My happiest times at my dad's paternal home was being in the garden, playing with mud and watering the plants, watching the various flowers my grandma grew on soil or in pots blossom, making our world even more beautiful.

One of the more then ten blooms of my rose bush!

Even though I live in an apartment, I am lucky enough to have a big veranda, which of course I filled with many pots soon after moving in. And now that the spring is in full force, I am surrounded by blooming flowers every day of the year almost (except the bleakest winter periods)

One of my numerous yellow calendulas (dimorphotheca)

A rose bush, a peony, daisies, lilies in various types, a bougainvillea, dahlias (a big and a small one), passion flower, a hydrangea, a camellia, a Japanese maple (Acer Japonicum, my pride and joy), strawberries (yummy!), chilli peppers, jasmine, honey suckle, cestrum (or lady of the night if you prefer - the Hindu name even more poetic: Raat ki Rani, which means queen of the night), wandering Jews (not Silver ones I'm afraid Mr. Dustroad!) or telegraph poles as they call them in Greece, gladiolus (gladius means sword in latin), plumed cockscombs, ranunculuses, begonia and many more... phew! Enjoy the photos of my flowers as an inspiration for spring! And remember: it helps the environment too!

My pink ranunculus plant in full bloom

My red ranunculus

My acer japonicus

One of my strawberry plants before their transplant into a single big rectangular pot.

A single fuchsia dancing in the wind...

Another calendula

I will be posting again with more flowers as they bloom and grace my veranda with their colours and perfumes. I hope I made some of you go out and start planting more!

Design Obsessions

My dearest friend Meniek invited me to write down my obsessions, hoping to make me admit things that would embarrass me. Well, since this is (mainly) a blog dedicated to all aspects of design, I decided to make this post about my design obsessions. So here they are, in no particular order:

1. Colour: Green, especially lime green, is an obsession for at least five years now. My kitchen (see the previous post for a photograph, you can see the green wall of my kitchen behind the shoes) and bedroom walls, various home objects, many of my clothes - latest acquisition are my All Star shoes (Chucks) in army green.



2. The Eames lounge chair - I posted before about this, it will haunt me until I get my hands on one (maybe even after I ever do).



3. 50's & 60's Scandinavian furniture - the absolute must for a well designed space. Timeless, elegant, simple, comfortable. What more can one ask for?


4. Alexander McQueen - for me the best fashion designer working today. I wait breathlessly for each new collection of his. The rest of the pack follows.


5. Calvin Klein ads, shot by Bruce Weber. The best ones out there since the late 70s.




6. Christy Turlington - my inspiration and favourite model.


7. Bottega Veneta - Tomas Meier is doing amazing things with this label, from bags to dresses to anything: the modern classics.


8. Sterling silver rings for men - best hand decoration out there.



9. Steven Klein. I do not think I have seen any photos taken by him that I did not like. Ever.

Vogue cover - Christy Turlington by Steven Klein

W photo shoot - David Beckham by Steven Klein

10. Dave McKean. The best illustrator out there. Period.






11. Frank Lloyd Wright. Most of his work is still relevant, his buildings are still talked about, the Guggenheim in NY is still the most beautiful museum out there.


12. Karim Rashid - I'm obsessed with his choice of colours, materials, organic forms. And of course his chess and backgammon sets are gracing my home (along with his dish rack!)


13. Eiko Ishioka. The genius of set and costume design. Her work is rare and exquisite, blending ancient Japanese tradition with modern sensibilities and historical references. You all remember her costumes for Francis Ford Coppola's Dracula.


14. Apple products. Enough said.


15. Fabien Baron. Master art director, he has worked for so many iconic brands that you get dizzy just reading his cv.

Harper's Bazzar layout

Harper's Bazzar layout

Prada men's perfume - bottle designed by Fabien Baron

16. Marimekko bags. I own one. Sadly only one.



17. Versace from early 80s till early 90s. Everyone wanted to dress and be like the models in his ads (male or female).


18. Texture in fabrics. I love rugged, torn, fuzzy, intricate woven fabrics for clothing and furniture alike.


19. Modern design. Need I say Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe once more?


20. Photographers David Seidner and Herb Ritts. They are no longer with us, but their images are for me unforgettable. David made his subjects look as if they posed for Sergeant, while Herb made his look like Olympian Gods.

The Miller Sisters by David Seidner for Vanity Fair 1995

Fashion photograph by David Seidner

Versace ad - Christy Turlington by Herb Ritts

Record sleeve - Olivia Newton-John by Herb Ritts