Sisyphus - The Kinetic Art Table

As a fan of staring in to space for elongated periods of time, this kinetic art table - Sisyphus - is the perfect way for me to escape reality. 

Sisyphus is the clever table designed by Bruce Shapiro that incorporates sleek electronic movement with art as well as home comforts. The Sisyphus tables that are offered as rewards in Bruce Shapiro's Kickstarter campaign are modern and artistic and perfect as main living room pieces, coffee tables and spellbinding end tables. 

You can really see the tables namesake in the design; "In Greek mythology, Sisyphus was condemned to roll a boulder up a mountain for all of eternity" which you can see clearly in the way that the metal ball forever rolls in the sand to create hypnotic, ever-changing patterns. 

The Sisyphus sculptural table is made of a metal frame, and a layer of tempered glass put over the top of the kinetic movement that makes it a fully functional yet elegant looking piece.

Now I'm not going to spoil the magic of it, but if you head on over to the Kickstarter campaign page you can check out all the production and manufacture processes that go in to making Sisyphus.

Oh SNAP!

Freedom to create is probably the best gift out there, and with SNAP you have the freedom to turn anything in to a coffee table, auxiliary table, desk or side table all with a simple assembly system that allows you to design your own furniture and change any space in to what you want it to be.

SNAP allows you to turn boards and surfaces in to tables that are portable, versatile and easy to create. There's no need to drill holes or make table legs, all you do is pull down the flexible portion of SNAP to fit around your desired table surface, then tighten the cable until your SNAP is securely in place. And voila!

SNAP is set up in seconds and you've got a sturdy table at the ready. That surfboard that gets in the way a little bit? Now it's a funky coffee table. An old chessboard sitting in the cupboard unused? Now a quirky side table to compliment your room.

SNAP has endless possibilities and easy set-up so that you can personalize your living space in a few, simple steps. And you don't have to use the conventional four SNAP's in making your table, you can use three for a more conventional feel, or two if you plan to rest your surface against the wall. You don't have to worry about it falling apart because it is literally fall proof. Prices start on Kickstarter from $60 for two SNAP's, to $80 for three and $110 for four, depending on what you want to do with your living space.

Show off

You've got precious items that need showing off but you don't want to leave them in a cabinet when the only time the eye is draw to them is when they get dusty? Then you should definitely store your trinket in a Showcase Mirror. 

The Showcase Mirror is your conventional glass mirror except for it has a plexiglass bubble formed over the middle center which provides a reasonably sized space for you to store your prized possessions and showpieces in a way that's a little more creative and unique than putting it on a shelf. The bubble makes it appear as if your souvenir is floating; genius! 

There really is no limit as to the stuff you can store behind the bubble of a Showcase mirror; be it your flowers, a necklace, a delicate piece of china or even some kids toys to spruce up their room a bit. Whatever you have that you want showed off to the world, you can put it in a Showcase Mirror. There's something almost poetic about the display of floating art. 

Designers Studio Thier&VanDaalen created their own machine which allows them to form plexiglass panels in organic curved shapes which make all of their Showcase Cabinets look as breath taking and magical as they are. And if your article is too big for the Showcase Mirror then maybe the line of Curator Cabinets is for you; with an all over plexiglass bubble to display larger items. 

Like a VIP

It's game day and you're in your comfy chair with a beer in your hand and the television remote well and truly under your control, no one is taking the game away from you and if they step in front of the TV during play time they risk ultimate death. 

But there's something not quite right. You're wishing you could be there, wishing you could smell that fresh tennis ball scent and feel the sweat running off your brow as they debate whether it was a penalty or not. Well if you had yourself a Sportstyle chair from Paolo Lillus then you'd feel so immersed in the game you'd struggle to remember you're not LeBron. 

Paolo Lillus' Sportstyle chairs are awesome feats of design; made to look like practically every iconic sports ball you could think of; be it the tennis ball, the basketball, the football, the golf ball, the baseball or the old pig's bladder they used to kick around back in the day. Each of the Sportstyle chairs are made with intricate and immaculate detail, completed to a high standard using an aluminum base, leather skin and tennis felt. You can chose to have a 4 spoke base on your seat and stool or a rotating circular base; making the seat suitable for any environment. 

These lounge room Sportsyle chairs would be perfect for sports fans and teenagers alike, and wouldn't look too foolish in a games room either. Imagine having one of each of these chairs seated around the dining table; bringing great craftsmanship and entertainment to dinner. 

Lazy Basketball

With society like it is it's a given that someone would come up with a way for people to play sport without having to move. And that product is the Lazy Basketball chair by Campeggi; a seat designed to allow you to shoot hoops without having to move an inch (well, depending on your shot to miss ratio). 

The metal structure of Lazy Basketball is covered in a synthetic net that catches the ball the minute you score a shot, and rolls it straight in to the arms of your friend in the other chair, ready for a game of back and forth free throwing. Lazy Basketball is colourful and would make a great garden game for both able bodied and disabled people alike. And although some may argue that Lazy Basketball will breed a, well, lazy generation, I'd argue that you're more than likely to miss the hoop altogether and end up running after the ball; as well, isn't it better to be sitting in the garden or house having an interactive game of Lazy Basketball than to be cuddled up in your room with your computer under your nose? 

Lazy Basketball is a great and fun invention and for roughly £600 you can get your hands on one of your own, ace for adding a new flare to your games room and getting your arms moving. 

Wave after wave

There's something almost tranquil about looking out to the ocean or staring down at your reflection in the water of a lake, and artist Gaetano Pesce seems to have captured the movement and beauty of the water in his aqua inspired table series. 

Using a range of plastic materials; like rigid Polyurethane foam, PVC, epoxy resin and soft urethane resin; Gaetano Pesce creates these beautifully artistic tables with blue and green hues so true to life that you'll have to look twice to make sure the table isn't liquid. He seems to get the surface of the water - with its ripples, flows and reflections - just right, also giving the pool of water a neighbor in the form of shrubbery and sea defense walls. 

These tables would make amazing statement pieces be it either for decorative use or for functionality as an actual table; they're true to life and deep blue, with natural forms and landscapes to make them appear more tangible. In the collection there is the; Lagoon Table, Lake Table, Ocean Table, Pond Table, Puddle Table and the River Table, all offering unique coloring's and styles that'll make you wonder and want to wander. 

Let's gather round the campfire and let's...

For those who haven't quite come to terms with the art of camping and can't stand to be outdoors where the mosquito's and creepy crawlies are, then the Campfire Candle by Revolution design house is great for giving you a little bit of camp in the comfort of your own home so that you can toast your marshmallows over an open flame. 

The Campfire Candle was inspired by the warm crackle of a campfire on a crisp autumn evening with an almost geometrical shaped candle designed to look like a flame sat on a walnut log base, that as you burn the candle it's edges kind of curl and spit like an actual fire. Perfect for taking the adventure anywhere. And the grass base they model it on is a definite must if you want to compliment the candle. So if you see a scrap of artificial lawn, attack it with your scissors knowing that it'll make an ideal background for the Campfire Candle to sit on.

Also Revolution Design House - the makers of Campfire Candle - have another rather artistic candle on their hands that I'm in awe of. Madison: The candlestick candle tilts convention on its head by featuring the candle as the candlestick itself too.

The Candlestick Candle is a modern take on the ornate style of a vintage Candlestick; combining wax and artistic molding to create a piece that turns in to something different as it melts and shortens. The Madison Candle is great for achieving a classical look whilst attaining a modern theme. 

How?!?

There are a lot of things in the universe that we want answers to, like do plants die of old age? Can germs catch germs? What is a hiccup? And my all time favourite; how on earth can you possibly make an electrically powered bulb float?!? 

Well, if you want to crack that code then you're going to need yourself a Flyte; Levitating Light. It uses magnetic levitation powered by air to get the bulb to hover, letting you have a mini art instillation in the comfort of your own home without the use of batteries. Instead Flyte powers light through the air via this crazy thing called induction. A magnet in the attractive wooden base plate uses magnetism to repel against the magnet inside the bulb which is pushing an opposing force; and somewhere in the middle of all of that you get light...

By gently lowering the bulb over the center of Flyte's magnetic base, you'll feel a resistance as it automatically settles on the electromagnetic field and causes the LED's the light up, slowly releasing it the bulb locks in to position and starts rotating.

To turn on and off your Flyte all it takes is a simple tap to the wooden surface of the base, turning the light off whilst keeping the bulb levitated in rotation; it's effortless and smooth, using a perfect blending between modernism and science to make an attractive product to make minds really think. Best of all, Flyte can double up as a wireless charging platform for your smartphone!

Flyte comes in three different styles; the first being the original square wooden base, a nice accessory for any home. The second is the premium version with a diamond cut wooden base ideal for those who would like a little more style in their Flyte. And lastly you can get your hands on the Flyte Maker's Kit; ace for letting you have a go of making up your own artistic light using the Flyte concept.

They're sleek and clever and take mind of sustainability in their powerful yet low energy consumption bulb usage. And starting from £160 it would make a fantastic piece to any room.

Don't let the airlock hit you on the way out

There's no better way to communicate to your dorm room mates that you're a hard core science and gaming fan than to paste one of these bad boy's on your door! 

Sci-Fi Door Decals are awesome accessories for any nerd or intense gamer out there who wants to bring a little bit of cyborg, mechanical or hyperspace in to their bedroom. 

These Sci-Fi Door Decals are removable and perfect for any teenagers bedrooms, offering four different varieties; Airlock, Armory, Freight Elevator and Lab Door, all great ways to make you feel as if you're in a fast paced science fiction film with a dead end and a bunch of morlocks heading your way... 

Except for this time you don't have to punch a code in to get out. And if you want a gun cabinet on hand in case of an emergency, or a freight shaft that lowers you to your secret bat cave, then all it takes is £35 and a spirit level to make sure you don't hang the decal at an angle.

Peared

Now these genius's behind Peared Creation know how to use old bottles and pipes and to turn them in to something awesome, as is proven in the creative and Industrial styled lamps and lights above. 

Peared Creations are a design powerhouse who create unique lighting products that put a twist on your conventional bottle lamps. Rather than putting a thread of fairy light in to the bottles or cutting them in to pieces to make room for a bulb, Peared Creations custom fit incandescent bulbs in to the heart of the vintage glassware's that are fit on to the frame of the lamp stand using Industrial style bolt and screw couplings. Peared lamps also continue the vintage theme with their fabric covered cord with makes the lamps feel classy and authentic. 

Peared lamps are turned off and on using rotating vintage faucets; thus adding an element of pre-mass plastic production fun, managing to bring back that Industrial style so well in the use of iron piping and vintage materials, and pairing the stripped back and bare metal design of Industrialism with the new timeless art of up-cycling glass bottles in to furniture.

They sell a series of different styles to suit all; with wall lights, to table lamps to overhead hanging piping lights, they combine the heavy duty iron with the ambient glow of illuminated glass to give a warm and inviting atmosphere. Peared lamps are utilitarian, modern and give a salvaged charm to any home. 

What the Snurk?

Just as their slogan says, Snurk are focused on making creative yet comfortable design 'For Horizontal Living'. By 'Horizontal Living' they mean those eight plus hours you spend wrapped up in your bed; sprawled on a mountain of pillows with a duvet sinking you in to sleepy by land. 

But Snurk was designed to help those who aren't as fortune as the rest of us; for those who aren't lucky enough to have a roof over their head or a bed to lie in safely. And to help support the homeless, the designers behind Snurk, Erik and Peggy, thought it would be awesome if they could bring the streets in to the house in the form of a duvet cover that looks like a tatty cardboard box, and a fitted sheet that looks like a grotty sidewalk. They called the design Le-Clochard and Le-Trottior, which literally translates to 'the tramp' and 'the sidewalk' And asides from looking amazing and authentic with the photographic print on both sides, some of the proceeds of Le-Clochard go to several charities throughout Europe to help tackle homelessness. 

Obviously from there Snurk has only grown and their series of photographic prints are the kind that have you longing all throughout the day to crawl back in to bed. Perhaps Snurk are best known for their Ballerina and Astronaut covers for children, but their more mature line of expressive bedding's look awesome. 

If you're in to more artistic bedding then the Pool, Trampoline and Bassie are for you. The pool duvet cover has the lines that you see at the bottom of the swimming pool with gorgeous water ripples decorating the surface. The Bassie duvet set is designed to look like a clear water tank, a lone fish and his shadow in the bottom hand corner making the duvet look enchanting yet crystal clear. And if you're more on the funside and enjoy turning your bed in to a jumping apparatus, then the Trampoline duvet cover will help you complete the effect!

Spin on Spun

Just looking at Spun Chair you can see what inspired the design; and after extensively researching the process of metal spinning and the creation of circular metal objects such as timpani drums, the Heatherwick studios created this gorgeously symmetrical chair that looks a bit like a large spinning top. 

The bucket shape of the chair provides ergonomic seating from whichever angle it's rotated and seated at, whilst the bottom of the chair is designed with a flat pivot at the bottom which allows for it to be set stable, or stilted on to its axis for spinning purposes. 

Asides from being practical, this chair is just good old fashioned fun, allowing for you to tilt and turn and definitely set to put a smile on your face. Spun is made from rotational moulded polyethylene and is suitable for both indoors and outdoors; as was demonstrated in the many outdoors installations set up in city's to get people spinning.  Spun generally comes in four solid colours; Grey, Purple, Red and White. Though special Amber and Grey polycarbonate models were available, and unique metal Spun Chairs were demonstrated and sold at Haunch of Venison. 

Pedal to the Metal

Finally Diesel have created something relevant to their namesake; a whole collection of home ware and lifestyle products aimed at the mechanical edge of design. The Machine, Transmission, Lace Race and DIY collections by Diesel use the aesthetic elements of mechanics to create an awesome display of items.

In the Transmission collection, you've got candlesticks modeled to look like actual transmission pieces with a porcelain body painted an antique bronze colour to pick out the natural industrial colours of the car parts, bringing a motor-driven edge to the art of laying your table; great for masculinizing any room. 

And if you're looking for a place to store your keys and loose change then these large porcelain jars from the Machine Collection are great for storing all your crap. The thread detail in the porcelain looks artistically extraordinary, and the theme of these jars is shared in the design of these Diesel glasses; both managing to bring a minimalist style to a warehouse and junkyard themed design. 

By far the best design in the new style is the DIY flatware cutlery, made of your bulk standard knife, fork and spoon set except for they've got an awesome spanner head and handle. They're so authentic in their design that you'll probably end up with these in the toolbox and your actual spanners in the cutlery draw. Much like a kid with their special knife and fork set, any motor head would feel young again with these to cut their stake with. 

Last but not least in Diesels range of motor themed home ware is their Lace Race collection; which is a series of different sized towels in varying colours, displaying several different car parts. You've got the dark grey bath towel with a nut and bolt car part displayed on the front, the gears in the background giving amazing detail to the towel and lending to the overall mechanical vibe of the material. 

All I know is these would make great gifts to any tinkerer out there. And if you're interested in buying some then you can get some of the newer designs at the Diesel website, whilst several special items (such as the mars plate) are available at Fancy.  

POLAROLL

The toilet selfie might not have taken off just yet but this toilet roll holder is a kitsch accessory for any keen photographer out there who used to love the art of printing out a Polaroid. 

POLAROLL works similarly to a instant picture camera which instead of giving you your developed image, gives you endless streams of toilet roll. How fun?!? 

This retro POLAROLL is cute and tidy, bringing an 80's vibe to your bathroom that allows you to disguise your one ply loo roll in a clever plastic caddy that will have you no doubt filling your guests with liquids just so they have an excuse to use the loo and see this awesome camera buddy. 

And asides from being an ace gift for camera lovers, the POLAROLL comes in two different varieties. You can get your bulk standard retro camera style of black and white, or if you're more into your pastels you can get the pink and blue model. Me thinks I need a POLAROLL in my life.

Craighton Berman

Designer Craighton Berman really impresses with his prototypes, products and sketch ideas so I thought I'd talk about some of his awesome inventions and what makes them so amazing and innovative. 

First of all is the Coil Lamp which is a genius design composed of only a laser cut acrylic lamp frame and a long length of electrical wire, designed to coil around the frame to make the volume of the lamp's shape. The lamp challenges convention by making the electrical component the main attention, the coiled design doing all of the aesthetic work as well as the functional. Coil Lamp is so well proclaimed that it's a permanent fixture in the Art Institute of Chicago as part of the "Rethinking Typologies" Exhibition which features many creative designs. 

Another of Craighton Berman's witty designs is the Daily Aspirations collection of bedside trophy's created to inspire daily aspirations. 'Fiscal Responsibility' is the trophy made to keep your wallet at hand and remind you of your monetary duty's, whilst 'Honest Communication' provides a neat space to keep your mobile docked, helping to remind you to be friendly, and last but not least 'Civic Engagement' which provides a nice nest to keep loose keys in place. These trophy's act as a gentle reminded to stay happy throughout the day and to live up the message on each trophy. Although they do also make an attractive trio of functional trophy's to keep your gadgets in. 

The last of Berman's stylish products I'd like to talk about is his highly practical 'Stimulation' mug and ash tray combination. Stimulation is a helpful stack-able mug and ash tray which allow you to get your daily fix of legal drugs in the form of caffeine and nicotine. It's a simplistic design that allows for an easy stimulation boost and can be tidily stacked. 

You big softy

If you're worried about your precious cups and saucers getting chips and cracks, then fear no more because the Soft Cabinet by Dewi Vani De Klomp offers a way for you to softly store all of your precious china, editions and cactus plants. 

Soft Cabinet comes in four varities; the Soft Cabinet Green, Soft Cabinet High, Soft Cabinet Small and Soft Cabinet Classic, allowing you to pick a style to suit you. 

These Cabinets are constructed from a thick foam rubber that is strong and sturdy enough to keep the cabinet vertical, whilst also offering a little bit of give so that you can push the foam aside and place your cups and saucers safely away. 

Clever incisions through the middle of the foam material provide space for storage which has been crafted to replicate the traditional storage of a wooden cabinet. They're funky, soft and functional and offer a unique way to store your damageable items. 

Like a King

Canvas Furniture is a series of two dimensional hanging furniture pieces that let you feel like someone worthy of being immortalized on canvas. These clever pictures slash chairs can either be hung like regular canvas' or lent against the wall to provide opportune seating for guests who'll ooh and aah at the genius of it. 

The aluminium and wooden framework of Canvas Furniture is covered by an elasticated fabric that allows for comfortable seating when the need arises. The chair and sofa printed fabric makes it even more suitable as you lean into the portrait, defying convention by doing your best to deform the canvas. Canvas Furniture comes in three styles; a stool, a chair and a sofa which all allow for cosy seating that tidily hangs back on the wall at the end of the night. 

No more dog chewing your sofa to shreds, or loose change going down the back of the sofa. It's the beginning of a new age where everything - TV's and sofa's alike - hang on walls. 

Miso Happy

So okay, we've all seen those bath towels that have the cute pictures on them that look totally awesome laid out on the beach for everyone to see, but they're not as effective once rolled up and put away. Now these kawaii looking Sushi Towels are just the opposite; they look awesome once sushi rolled and stacked on a shelf, so yummy looking and fitting for that deep-sea bathroom theme you've got going on. 

They're fun and fabulous, and the clever folding technique that designer Jenny Pokryvailo has come up with manages to make each sushi towel look like our favourite fish based Japanese food. Just awesome! You can either roll the towel to be seaweed wrapped, or alternatively you can create a rice outer layer; yummy! 

Mizukagami: Water Mirror

People love a good illusion and these dripping mirrors give the eyes something to think about. The clever "Water Mirrors" are the collaborative project of art director Rikako Nagashima and acrylic craftsman Hideto Hyoudou, which manage to combine the reflective marvel of mirrors with the hallucinatory effect of slowly dripping and vibrating water to create timeless pieces to decorate the house with. 

These almost realistic puddles and spills were part of an instillation for the Shibuya gallery Rocket, designed to challenge perspective and are made of reflective acrylic. It's spellbinding to look at the clarity of the mirror as it curves to the form of each ripple and drip, and as it pools on the floor. 

Water Mirrors would make attractive yet neutral additions to the home, making the room feel as if it were melting with time. I'd love to turn the wall dripping mirror in to a clock to help create the theme of time slipping away. 

Study Cubby

I know what I'm like when there's a deadline to meet; a cluttered, flustered mess with papers lying everywhere and a desk of textbooks laid about in disorganized chaos. Well, thank heavens there's finally an aesthetically pleasing solution. I introduce to you Homework, a table which helps you do what it says in the title. 

The Homework table is a clever wooden table with a metal rim running all the way around three sides of the table allowing for you to prop pictures, documents and books upright ready to use, storing all your important items so that you remember what to do next. It's perfectly formed so that your opened textbook can be propped upright - no more straining to lean over the desk and read - for you to take reference from. Pure study genius! 

Designer Tomas Kral utilizes this "moat" like lip around the table to help you store and prop to all your study delight whilst looking modern and sleek in a metal layer sandwiched between wooden panels.