MOEBE – Honest and Intuitive Design

MOEBE is a Scandinavian design studio based in Copenhagen, Denmark, and consists of cabinetmaker Anders Thams and architects Nicholas Oldroyd and Martin D. Christensen.

The beauty about MOEBE is that the studio deliberately keeps things simple, without sacrificing its quality, curiosity, honesty and level of consideration. With a clear focus on the essentials, the brand strives to reduce its designs to their most simple forms, thereby creating intuitive, honest and long-lasting products.

Founded by Anders and Martin over a cup of coffee back in 2014, the name MOEBE derives from ‘Amoeba’ – the single-celled organism, representing the simplicity in their design DNA – and the word ‘Møbel' (furniture), which hints at the type of products the studio designs.
 

“We keep things simple. The world is complex enough.”

Possibly the most iconic design of the studio – and a personal favourite – is its transparent frames. A re-interpretation of the classic clip-on picture frame, the idea was to reduce it to its core form and make it simpler in its construction and expression while retaining the flexibility of conventional clip-on frames. It consists of two panes of acrylic glass, a frame comprised of four detachable panels of either oak or aluminium (black and white), and a rubber band. The rubber band both holds the frame together and serves for hanging the frame on your wall. The frame is available in A2, A3, A4 and A5 format.

One of the studio’s most recent launches is its beautiful Wall Mirror, a frameless mirror held by a lightweight wire form. In staying true to its core design principles, it is designed by stripping the mirror down to its essential elements. Available in either powder coated black, white or solid brass.

MAISON & OBJET – ‘Le French Design’

While people immediately recognise Scandinavian design, French furniture design is somewhat nebulous. Maison et Objet has therefore decided to change this and celebrate the values of French Furniture.

Maison & Objet Paris is one of the biggest interior design events in the world. For this year’s edition, the fair has initiated an ambitious operation titled ‘Le French Design, no taste for bad taste’ in an effort to pay tribute to the values on the French furniture industry. Twenty-five exhibitors will partake in the plan to generate public awareness of the ten core values - identified by the ‘Valorisation de l’Innovation dans l’Ameublement’ (VIA) - that characterise French design. “The public has a general idea of what defines Italian, German, Scandinavian and Japanese design, but have a much less clear picture of what constitutes French design,” says Jean-Paul Bath, VIA’s executive director. “The idea is to get a concrete idea of what French design actually represents, both from the designer’s standpoint and our industry’s intrinsic expertise.”

Artists have long played a key role in raising the profile of a city or nation. And by supporting home-grown designers in defining the values of French furniture design, France seems to be on a mission to expand its cultural cachet - beyond fashion and food. Celebrating local talent certainly is part of a more general shift towards patriotism, but Maison & Objet’s operation is not the only sign of the nation trying to boost its international appeal. Station F - set to launch in Paris in April ‘17 - is the world’s largest start-up campus gathering a whole entrepreneurial ecosystem. So for a nation more renowned for its heritage and holiday destinations, furniture and tech might soon help the ‘grande nation’ get an upgrade.

KRISTINA KROGH - Limited Edition Art Prints

A few weeks ago i was introduced to Kristina Krogh's limited edition art prints and liked them immediately. The geometric shapes, colors and textures convinced me. Especially the photography is outstanding and a great fit for Goods We Like.

Her inspiration comes from places and objects that surrounds her; a beautiful old parquet, a marble floor in a church, stained glass windows, a bike ride through the streets of Copenhagen – among many other things.  

You should definitely get your hand on one of these prints and check out more unique design on her website.

SPITSBERG - Floating Light

Spitsberg is a product design studio based in Amsterdam, founded by Jeroen van Leur and Thijmen van der Steen. They aim to discover how to make our surroundings lighter, in all senses of the word. 

'We venture to discover how to make our surroundings lighter, in all senses of the word. To build a place that is not about abundance, but about clarity and simplicity, a luxury we embrace.'

These delicate lights create an intimate atmosphere and can be used in dining- and bedroom alike. The misty screen of thin fabric stretched around a ash wooden ring captures the light and spreads it out in a soft tone. The light is designed and made by hand with great care, and affection for refined details.

PUNKT. - The AC 01

Punkt. rightly points out that the more tech we take into the bedroom, the less we end up switching off. Why have your phone next to your pillow, if you can entrust your sleeping hours to a design object that – with four easy operations – is as simple as it is intuitive.

'I founded Punkt. to offer a viable alternative to those feeling overwhelmed by the advanced technologies that have pervaded modern lifestyles. Punkt. is about using technology to help us adopt good habits for less distracted lives.'
- Petter Neby

With its headquarters in Switzerland, Punkt. designs to rebalance our relationships with technology. Appointing renowned British industrial designer Jasper Morrison to art direct the company, Punkt. offers timeless products that are built to last, combining intelligent technology with clean lines and essential design. Price £115.

Photographed by Ali Baï for GOODS WE LIKE

STUDIO AVO - Hand-Painted Leather Rugs

Drawing inspiration for her designs from travel, history and everyday objects, Brit Kleinman, founder of Brooklyn based art and design studio AVO, takes an anthropologic approach to design. She fascinatingly combines age-old techniques with new materials and patterns, which stems from her passion of both experimentation and exploration. As illustrated in the images above, AVO’s flagship collection consists of these beautifully, hand-painted veg-tanned leather plains.

AUSTIN LIGHTING - Hand-made Lighting

Austin Daikon, designer and founder of Daikon Lighting blends elements found in ancient sacred spaces - like temples and stupas - with the visual and material strength of industrial steel. Each style offers a unique feature, from providing just a little shine and energy to lighting up an entire room. His products are unique by design and craft. Each piece is handmade by using high quality American structural carbon steel comprised of 32% recycled material. Originally starting as a 24 foot long square tube, each is cut to length, cleaned, TIG welded, machined, wired, and finished with a clear polyurethane protectant. Get your own unique Daikon lamp by clicking the link below. 

THE KNOTS - Vintage Rugs Re-born

Based in Berlin, THE KNOTS oriental vintage rugs that were made up to 80 years ago are picked by Katrin with love and care. They are composed of organic materials and handcrafted applying traditional techniques. After going through a process of sun bleaching, restoring and washing THE KNOTS rugs are reborn into contemporary design with outstanding colors. Their authenticity has been accessed by a federally acknowledged expert for oriental rugs. Find out more about these outstanding rugs and visit their Showroom in Berlin for more information.

COLORS JAPONICA by AOIRO AIRDESIGN

Colors Japonica is a concept by Berlin and Tokyo based atelier AOIRO, specialising in olfactory design. Founded by Japanese scent designer, Shizuko Yoshikuni, and Austrian communication designer, Manuel Kuschnig respectively, their expertise lies in the unique interpretation of concepts, transforming these into individually tailored signature scents for both olfactory products and airdesign. Colors Japonica derives from unique Japanese aesthetics and the discovery of beauty in everyday life. Drawing inspiration from traditional Japanese colours found in nature, AOIRO reinterpreted these colour associations into three distinctive scent compositions: ‘Yanagi Iro’, colour of the willow leaves; ‘Daidai Iro’, colour of the citrus fruit; and ‘Sora Iro’, colour of the sky.
After distilling and extracting the essences from flowers, woods, citruses and spices, the refined scents are hand-blended in the AOIRO atelier. Equally mindful is the duo’s approach to packaging that epitomises the Japanese philosophy of the art of packaging and gift-giving. Their concept reflects a modern interpretation developed using carefully selected, authentic materials, and traditional techniques of artisanship.
‘Airmist’ is made of the highest and purest quality fragrant materials of botanical essences. The 100% natural scent impressions are designed to create a unique ambience and atmosphere. Images by Ali Baïlon and Gladys Fabie.

 [ colors-japonica.com ]