Gregory Han

April 21, 2017

LeGrow Smart Garden Is Like LEGO Blocks for Growing Plants

                                                <a href="http://design-milk.com/legrow-smart-garden/legrow-plantsystem-11/" data-wpel-link="internal"><img src="http://3.design-milk.com/images/2017/04/LeGrow-plantsystem-11-810x456.jpg" alt="LeGrow Smart Garden Is Like LEGO Blocks for Growing Plants" /></a>
                                Earlier this year Pantone bestowed PANTONE 15-0343 Greenery as the <a href="http://design-milk.com/pantone-color-of-the-year-2017-greenery/"  rel="noopener noreferrer" data-wpel-link="internal">color of 2017</a>, prescient of the house plant trend that has culminated in numerous books, Instagrams, and websites dedicated to integrating plants into our everyday lives. But as one wise Muppet once professed, “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpiIWMWWVco&ab_channel=JamesAdams" data-wpel-link="external"  rel="external noopener noreferrer">it ain’t easy being green</a>” – not everyone has the space or green thumb for keeping plants healthy. The <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1413554510/legrow-the-smart-indoor-garden-for-any-space"  rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external">LeGrow</a> smart garden kits attempt to turn growing and caring for plants into a simple matter of snapping modular pieces together into self-sustaining indoor gardening ecosystems so everyone can live a little greener.

Similar to LEGO blocks, each element of the LeGrow system serves a purpose in promotion of growing and maintaining healthy plants:

Pots are the building blocks of the Smart Garden, each outfitted with an internal water reservoir designed to control the amount of water available to each plant.
LED Lamp blocks feature dual-bulb designed

Continue reading "LeGrow Smart Garden Is Like LEGO Blocks for Growing Plants"

April 19, 2017

10 Carry-On Essentials We Always Travel With

                                                <a href="http://design-milk.com/10-carry-on-travel-essentials/dm-travelessentials/" data-wpel-link="internal"><img src="http://3.design-milk.com/images/2017/04/DM-TravelEssentials-810x569.jpg" alt="10 Carry-On Essentials We Always Travel With" /></a>
                                Becoming adept at working while traveling requires several instances of trial and error (e.g. <em>always</em> bring your own power adapter; preload an offline map of wherever you’re traveling to) – strategies and preferences born out of necessity, but also shaped by preferences in comfort we enjoy while at home. Inspired by last year’s <a href="http://design-milk.com/?s=city+in+a+suitcase"  data-wpel-link="internal">City in a Suitcase</a> series I considered my own selection of essentials – technology, clothing, accessories – that have earned their place within my luggage whenever a passport is required, each valued because they’ve proved invaluable while working abroad.

This Is Ground Mod Laptop 3
As a devout adherent to “everything in place, a place for everything”, the Mod Laptop 3 is a dream come true to satiate my orderly inclinations, offering storage for my laptop, phone, tablet, plethora of charging cords, camera memory cards, business cards, pens, and notebook. The Mod Laptop 3’s combination of fine leather and

April 17, 2017

NOMAD Cuts the Strings For the Untethered Lifestyle

                                                <a href="http://design-milk.com/302165-2/nomad04/" data-wpel-link="internal"><img src="http://2.design-milk.com/images/2017/04/Nomad04-810x456.jpg" alt="NOMAD Cuts the Strings For the Untethered Lifestyle" /></a>
                                It was back in 1997 with the release of Tsugio Makimoto and David Manners’ book <a href="http://amzn.to/2owat8r"  data-wpel-link="external" rel="external noopener noreferrer">Digital Nomad</a> when speculation began percolating about how technological developments on the horizon would one day allow workers to “once again…live, work, and exist on the move”. The phrase evolved into a genuine lifestyle for the fortunate few – a subculture of global remote workers perpetually working, yet also concurrently vacationing at the same time. Digital nomadism has quietly grown into a thriving global subculture deserving of its own <a href="http://www.nomadsummit.com/" data-wpel-link="external"  rel="external noopener noreferrer">conference</a>, <a href="https://outsite.co/" data-wpel-link="external"  rel="external noopener noreferrer">travel/housing services</a>, and even <a href="https://www.nomadcruise.com/next-trips/" data-wpel-link="external"  rel="external noopener noreferrer">cruise</a> ships. Now we can also add a musical instrument designed with a moniker to match the idealized lifestyle: <a href="http://nomadyourmusic.com/" data-wpel-link="external"  rel="external noopener noreferrer">NOMAD</a>.

Designer Orit Dolev found inspiration to design her own minimalist digital instrument after a trip with her guitar in tow:

I thought to myself: this would be a great way to meet new people by bridging gaps of culture and language through music. but the experience of traveling

Continue reading "NOMAD Cuts the Strings For the Untethered Lifestyle"

April 14, 2017

Whyd Wants to Make Listening to Music a Matter of Asking

                                                <a href="http://design-milk.com/whyd-voice-command-speakers/whyd-wireless-speaker-3/" data-wpel-link="internal"><img src="http://3.design-milk.com/images/2017/04/WHYD-wireless-speaker-3-810x724.jpg" alt="Whyd Wants to Make Listening to Music a Matter of Asking" /></a>
                                Ask and you shall receive. That’s the core premise behind the <a href="https://whyd.com/"  data-wpel-link="external" rel="external noopener noreferrer">Whyd</a> speaker system, a pill-shaped audio device designed to always be listening for your next command.

What’s inside the pill-shaped enclosure? A 100mm subwoofer with long excursion suspension and ferrite magnet engineered to push out deep bass even with its compact dimensions, 4 x 40 mm full range drivers with neodymium magnet and aluminium diaphragm, and Class-D amplifiers powering them all. Whyd speakers are designed to work by themselves or paired up in the same room in left/right stereo sound output.

Additionally there are five microphones listening with advanced noise cancellation that allows the speaker to discern user voice commands even with background or ambient noise battling for its attention. In that sense, one could think of the Whyd as a better looking (but limited featured) version of the Amazon Echo specifically designed for music playback. The top of

April 12, 2017

10 More Designer Cannabis Goods For the Cannaseur

                                                <a href="http://design-milk.com/best-designer-cannabis-roundup/designer-cannabis-part2-top/" data-wpel-link="internal"><img src="http://1.design-milk.com/images/2017/04/designer-cannabis-part2-top-810x685.jpg" alt="10 More Designer Cannabis Goods For the Cannaseur" /></a>
                                It’s high times for high design when it comes to cannabis products and accessories for the <a href="http://design-milk.com/10-designer-cannabis-accessories-to-get-lit/" data-wpel-link="internal">creative set</a>. Aided by the legalization across the country for purposes beyond getting baked – therapeutic pain relief, insomnia, anxiety, social enjoyment – the industrial design, technology, packaging, and branding is evolving along with a market that’s more Whole Foods than High Times. Here are 10 of our current favorites of designer cannabis goods:

Slide Lighter by Tetra
We’ve got to hand it to Tetra – one of our favorite online purveyors of contemporary objects dedicated to the enjoyment of smoking herbs – they’ve got a knack for finding or designing paraphernalia we can appreciate on the basis of design alone. Case in point: these pocket-friendly USB rechargeable fuel-free lighters keep your habit on the downlow, using the same heated-coil mechanism that once lit up cigarette lighters inside cars. Slide and light. We think these are so very hot in the iridescent variation.

Monk Provisions

April 12, 2017

10 More Designer Cannabis Goods For the Cannaseur

                                                <a href="http://design-milk.com/best-designer-cannabis-roundup/designer-cannabis-part2-top/" data-wpel-link="internal"><img src="http://1.design-milk.com/images/2017/04/designer-cannabis-part2-top-810x685.jpg" alt="10 More Designer Cannabis Goods For the Cannaseur" /></a>
                                It’s high times for high design when it comes to cannabis products and accessories for the <a href="http://design-milk.com/10-designer-cannabis-accessories-to-get-lit/" data-wpel-link="internal">creative set</a>. Aided by the legalization across the country for purposes beyond getting baked – therapeutic pain relief, insomnia, anxiety, social enjoyment – the industrial design, technology, packaging, and branding is evolving along with a market that’s more Whole Foods than High Times. Here are 10 of our current favorites of designer cannabis goods:

Monk Provisions

April 10, 2017

Adidas Futurecraft 4D is the 3D Printed Sneaker Revolution Realized

                                                <a href="http://design-milk.com/adidas-futurecraft-4d/futurecraft4d_product_hero_black/" data-wpel-link="internal"><img src="http://1.design-milk.com/images/2017/04/FUTURECRAFT4D_PRODUCT_HERO_BLACK-810x523.jpg" alt="Adidas Futurecraft 4D is the 3D Printed Sneaker Revolution Realized" /></a>
                                Adidas has made their intentions evident <a href="http://design-milk.com/?s=adidas+3D"  data-wpel-link="internal">for some time</a>, previewing evolutionary iterations of 3D printed midsoles as the foundation of next generation athletic footwear. But until now their plans have been hampered by the foe of any innovation: scale. Thanks to a technical and manufacturing process called Digital Light Synthesis, the <a href="http://www.adidas.com/us/futurecraft"  data-wpel-link="external" rel="external noopener noreferrer">adidas Futurecraft 4D</a> is to become the harbinger of 3D printed midsole sneakers for the masses.

Adidas worked with Silicon Valley contiguous 3D printing technology specialists, Carbon, to utilize a manufacturing that forgoes traditional prototyping and moulding for a 3D printing process using digital light projection, oxygen-permeable optics, and programmable liquid polymer resin to generate high performance, durable polymeric products quickly - ideal for midsole manufacturing on a scale previously unrealizable. The manufacturing process is quite mesmerizing. The resulting latticed structure midsole structure is even more pliable and flexible than previous Futurecraft models, designed to accommodate the needs of athletic

April 7, 2017

The FUORIPISTA by Adriano Design Is One Wild Ride

                                                <a href="http://design-milk.com/fuoripista-adriano-design/fuoripista004/" data-wpel-link="internal"><img src="http://3.design-milk.com/images/2017/04/Fuoripista004-810x842.jpg" alt="The FUORIPISTA by Adriano Design Is One Wild Ride" /></a>
                                If you’ve ever attended <a href="http://design-milk.com/?s=Salone+del+Mobile" data-wpel-link="internal">Salone del Mobile</a> design fair in Milan, you know the real innovative finds are over at the concurrent <a href="http://www.salonemilano.it/en/manifestazioni/salone-satellite.html" data-wpel-link="external"  rel="external noopener noreferrer">SaloneSatellite</a>. This year, the offshoot satellite show is celebrating 20 years of showcasing young up-and-coming talent from around the globe, including the FUORIPISTA, a truly wild fitness machine by <a href="http://www.adrianodesign.it/" data-wpel-link="external"  rel="external noopener noreferrer">Adriano Design</a>.

The FUORIPISTA evokes the slim profile of a bull from nearly every angle: upright handlebars bear semblance to horns, its bowlegged stance parallel to its bovine counterpart, its center beam angled downward like the animal’s backend-heavy center of gravity. The designers even incorporated a built-in slot for an iPad upfront, intended to simulate “the most spectacular cycling routes in the world” and to record the rider’s vitals as they pedal furiously aboard this tamed fitness beast constructed from wood, tempered glass, leather, and polished metal.

This isn’t the first time Adriano Design has explored adding a veneer of luxury onto sports and fitness

April 5, 2017

The BeoSound Shape is a Modular Audio System Designed to Color Walls With Sound

                                                <a href="http://design-milk.com/beosound-shape-modular-audio/beosound_shape_lifestyle-7/" data-wpel-link="internal"><img src="http://0.design-milk.com/images/2017/04/Beosound_Shape_Lifestyle-7-810x591.jpg" alt="The BeoSound Shape is a Modular Audio System Designed to Color Walls With Sound" /></a>
                                If only founders Peter Bang and Svend Olufsen could see what their namesake company was up to today 92 years later after <a href="https://www.bang-olufsen.com/en" data-wpel-link="external"  rel="external noopener noreferrer">Bang & Olufsen</a> emerged from the attic of the Olufsen family manor near the bucolic town of Struer in Northwest Denmark. The company would go from its humble roots onto establish a storied lineage spanning a lifetime across the golden ages of radio, vinyl, hi-fi analog audio, television, and eventually into the digital age (a history on full display within their <a href="http://www.visitdenmark.com/denmark/struer-museum-bo-museum-gdk606559" data-wpel-link="external"  rel="external noopener noreferrer">very own museum</a>). Despite the evolution of how and what we listen to today, it’s not unreasonable to believe the two founders would recognize the intent of the company’s latest audio endeavor, the <a href="http://www.bang-olufsen.com/en/collection/wireless-speaker-systems/beosound-shape" data-wpel-link="external"  rel="external noopener noreferrer">Bang & Olufsen BeoSound Shape</a>, a modular hexagonal speaker system designed to integrate into the modern lives and homes of its listeners.

Bang & Olufsen BeoSound Shape takes a fashionable presence dressed in Kvadrat wool

April 3, 2017

The InstruMMents 01 Makes Measuring Immeasurably Easier

                                                <a href="http://design-milk.com/instrumments-01-measuring/instrumments-01-5/" data-wpel-link="internal"><img src="http://0.design-milk.com/images/2017/04/InstruMMents-01-5-810x742.jpg" alt="The InstruMMents 01 Makes Measuring Immeasurably Easier" /></a>
                                <a href="https://www.instrumments.com/"  data-wpel-link="external" rel="external noopener noreferrer">InstruMMents 01</a> is a magic wand of inches and millimeters – a clever combination of hardware and software that simplifies the onerous task of measuring distances between points A and B into a playfully effortless rolling motion.

Our first thought upon inspecting the 01 is it shares an uncanny resemblance to the laser pointer we use in our house to amuse/annoy our cats with. And like that same device, this handheld digital measuring tool is outfitted with a red laser at one end, this one engineered to determine the depth of any object rather than to antagonize felines into a frenzy.

Each unit is rated for up to 6 months of battery life, and ships with one replaceable battery included.

Adjacent to the laser element is a rubberized wheel that permits users to roll across any smooth surface – including curvilinear objects – for an accurate distance reading between points. The laser determines

March 31, 2017

The Withings Steel HR is One Fine Looking Hybrid Fitness Smartwatch

                                                <a href="http://design-milk.com/the-withings-steel-hr-is-one-fine-looking-hybrid-fitness-smartwatch/withings-steel-hr-1/" data-wpel-link="internal"><img src="http://3.design-milk.com/images/2017/03/Withings-Steel-HR-1-810x614.jpg" alt="The Withings Steel HR is One Fine Looking Hybrid Fitness Smartwatch" /></a>
                                I used to be a fitness tracking junkie. A fitness tracker in the guise of a watch was strapped onto my wrist during workouts all throughout my twenties; eventually I switched to strapping myself with a Bluetooth heart rate monitor across the chest for more accurate readings while pounding the pavement or lifting weights. Alas, I’ve (long) fallen off that bandwagon, no longer quite as serious about improving my mile time, interval workout heart rate, or training for races – all activities where tracking incremental improvements can be important.

That said, I feel like there’s still a place for fitness tracking somewhere in my life, even with a less intense fitness regimen. The Steel HR by Withings might be the impetus for a return to keeping count of distance, intensity, and a caloric use on a daily basis automatically. A fitness tracker is only useful if you wear it. Previous fitness tracking devices

March 30, 2017

The UA ArchiTech Futurist Floats Atop 3D Printed Midsoles

                                                <a href="http://design-milk.com/ua-architech-futurist-3d-printed/5-underarmour-futurist-3d/" data-wpel-link="internal"><img src="http://3.design-milk.com/images/2017/03/5-underarmour-futurist-3D-810x539.jpg" alt="The UA ArchiTech Futurist Floats Atop 3D Printed Midsoles" /></a>
                                Get used to seeing “3D printed midsoles” as an increasingly advertised feature accompanying the announcement of new sneakers. Joining the likes of <a href="http://design-milk.com/adidas-3d-running-shoes/"  data-wpel-link="internal">adidas</a> and <a href="http://design-milk.com/new-balance-x-nervous-systems-adaptive-3d-printed-midsole-running-shoes/"  data-wpel-link="internal">New Balance</a>, both who’ve ventured into developing proprietary adaptive 3D printed midsoles, Under Armor recently unveiled the <a href="https://www.underarmour.com/en-us/3d-architech?avad=55097_ae2225bd&cid=AF%7Cskimlinks.com%7CAvantLink%7CUS"  data-wpel-link="external" rel="external noopener noreferrer">UA ArchiTech Futurist</a> – a limited edition 3D printed sneaker designed for the Crossfit demographic.

The ArchiTech Futurist is the evolutionary progeny of Under Armour’s UA Architech, a shoe concept that won the Advanced Concepts Technical Competition at last year’s AMUG Conference. Sporting a similar interlocking lattice structure as its predecessor, the ArchiTech Futurist TPU midsoles are also made possible using selective laser sintering (SLS), resulting in the characteristic lattice work. The 3D printed heel section is purported to return energy with every press toward the heel, catering to weight lifting exercises of Crossfitters.

The proprietary 3D heel structure was formulated by Lehmann & Voss & Co., a chemical engineering company specializing in

March 29, 2017

Get ‘Stoned’ With Buster + Punch’s LED Table Light

                                                <a href="http://design-milk.com/stoned-buster-punch-led/7buster_punch-stoned/" data-wpel-link="internal"><img src="http://3.design-milk.com/images/2017/03/7Buster_Punch-Stoned--810x691.jpeg" alt="Get ‘Stoned’ With Buster + Punch’s LED Table Light" /></a>
                                London-based interior design studio <a href="https://www.busterandpunch.com/" data-wpel-link="external"  rel="external noopener noreferrer">Buster + Punch’s</a> founder and creative director, Massimo Minale, has a thing for LED technology. He calls it an obsession, one clearly evident from his company’s catalog populated with <a href="http://design-milk.com/buster-punch-led-buster-bulbs-look-great-naked/" data-wpel-link="internal">sophisticated machined bulbs</a> that distinguish itself from the crowd. His latest creation, <a href="https://www.busterandpunch.com/featured/stoned-table-light"  data-wpel-link="external" rel="external noopener noreferrer">Stoned</a>, continues and evolves this compulsion for light-emitting diodes into a form factor harkening back to the simplicity of Victorian-era candles – a minimalist modern table light for the 21st century.

I have always been obsessed with new technologies in LED lighting, but when night falls it’s hard to beat the ambience of candlelight. STONED is my remedy, a Victorian night-light for the 21st Century. This table light is my statement of intent of where BUSTER + PUNCH light will head in the future – a combination of resilient materials, fashion styling and trailblazing technology whilst embracing the warmth of simpler times. - Massimo Minale

The knurled matt

March 27, 2017

Jiwoong Jung’s “Hidden Time” Watch Is a Minimalist Magic Act By the Hour

                                                <a href="http://design-milk.com/jiwoong-jung-hidden-time-watch/hiddentime-all_watches/" data-wpel-link="internal"><img src="http://0.design-milk.com/images/2017/03/HiddenTime-all_watches-810x539.jpg" alt="Jiwoong Jung’s “Hidden Time” Watch Is a Minimalist Magic Act By the Hour" /></a>
                                Jiwoong Joong’s gradient face timepiece <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/221213970/hidden-time-watch"  data-wpel-link="external" rel="external noopener noreferrer">Hidden Time</a> is the striking opening act in “The Trio of Time” series, a graphical magic act designed to make time seemingly disappear with the slow sweep of every passing hour, the spearhead of an evolving collaborative effort unveiled between global designers and Hong Kong based <a href="https://www.anicorn-watches.com/" data-wpel-link="external"  rel="external noopener noreferrer">Anicorn Watches</a>.

When designing the watch, I was thinking about how to naturally hide passing time. My research began with how hiding occurs in nature, which led me to one of the best known examples––the chameleon’s protective color. Their defense mechanism is a kind of optical illusion, but a simple and effective way to have two things together naturally when superimposed. - Jiwoong Jung

A clever take on the watch, the Seoul-based industrial designer utilizes an artful use of white-on-white circular UV-printed graphic gradient to deceive the eye into perceiving the passing of time – a metaphorical expression of the hours passing

March 23, 2017

Design Milk Travels to… Amsterdam

                                                <a href="http://design-milk.com/design-milk-travels-amsterdam/iamamsterdam/" data-wpel-link="internal"><img src="http://1.design-milk.com/images/2016/08/IAmAmsterdam-600x389.jpg" alt="Design Milk Travels to… Amsterdam" /></a>
                                Amsterdam is a city defined by diametric forces: land vs. water, preservation vs. progress, art vs. commerce, high vs. low culture. In between these opposing forces, the most populous city in the Netherlands finds itself enjoying a renaissance as an international art and design hub, bustling with activity…but never too hurriedly so. For Dutch citizens in Amsterdam embody a convivial spirit referred to as <em>gezellig – </em> in essence the pursuit and appreciation of creating a pleasing atmosphere. And indeed, I quickly discovered there is much to find pleasing about this city’s canal-laden curves and corners requiring hardly any effort except walking out the hotel door.

As a first time visitor, my expectations of Amsterdam were woefully modest, attributed to a vague ignorance of what the city had to offer beyond the storied canals, a few notable museums, and of course, its storied red light district. But by the end of my first day, I had already decided Amsterdam was my new favorite European metropolis, an opinion only strengthened over the span of a few days exploring

The Conservatorium Hotel Rooftop Tower Suite. Photo: Conservatorium

March 22, 2017

Magic Calendar by Kosho Tsuboi Connects Paper With Your Phone

                                                <a href="http://design-milk.com/magic-calendar-kosho-tsuboi/magic-calendar-concept-1/" data-wpel-link="internal"><img src="http://1.design-milk.com/images/2017/03/Magic-Calendar-concept-1-810x477.jpg" alt="Magic Calendar by Kosho Tsuboi Connects Paper With Your Phone" /></a>
                                Product designer <a href="http://www.koshotsuboi.com/index.html"  data-wpel-link="external" rel="external noopener noreferrer">Kosho Tsuboi</a> once lived in a zen monastery temple. In the process, the young graduate became more profoundly aware of the relevance of time and the tactile in shaping and defining the human experience. An example of this realization manifests today in his team’s conceptual <a href="https://www.android.com/object/vote/magic-calendar/"  data-wpel-link="external" rel="external noopener noreferrer">Magic Calendar</a>, a hi-resolution electronic paper calendar display envisioning connecting the divide between our virtual calendars and the physical world around us.

Conceived as part of Google’s Android Experiments initiative, Magic Calendar is a response to the question, “What if there was a calendar that combines the merits of both paper and smartphone?”. The answer is an Android app partnered with an interconnected paper-thin e-ink color display. Everything on the mobile device’s calendar is mirrored physically on an always-on display designed for the wall or on the desk, making sharing events and schedules between people easier and more natural.

“The [Magic Calendar] inherits the characteristics of both smartphone and paper calendars,

March 22, 2017

An Artistic Escape Awaits in San Jose del Cabo’s Hotel El Ganzo

                                                <a href="http://design-milk.com/san-jose-del-cabos-hotel-el-ganzo/hotel-el-ganzo/" data-wpel-link="internal"><img src="http://1.design-milk.com/images/2017/03/Hotel-El-Ganzo-810x540.jpg" alt="An Artistic Escape Awaits in San Jose del Cabo’s Hotel El Ganzo" /></a>
                                Mexico’s Baja California peninsula’s reputation as a sordid spring break partying scene isn’t completely undeserved. It can get <em>wild</em> down in Cabo San Lucas. But those in the know steer the other direction toward San Jose del Cabo, the more low-key and luxurious Baja Peninsula lifestyle destination buoyed by a vibrant local art gallery scene. The <a href="http://elganzo.com/" data-wpel-link="external"  rel="external noopener noreferrer">Hotel El Ganzo</a> – a Preferred Hotels & Resorts property located at the mouth of Puerto Los Cabos – represents a Baja where art, design, and music play front and center.

The hotel’s front desk above and lobby below.

Guests entering the Hotel El Ganzo will immediately note a subterranean entry, stairs leading down into the hotel’s onsite recording studio, The Underground, where live musical performances are recorded and then shared online via Hotel El Ganzo’s YouTube channel.

Artists from around the globe are invited to participate in the hotel’s artist-in-resident program, offering a week’s stay in exchange for their creative imprints in their room and

March 20, 2017

Samsung’s ‘The Frame’ by Yves Béhar Displays Artful Content

                                                <a href="http://design-milk.com/samsung-yves-behar-theframe/4the-frame-samsung-yvesbehar/" data-wpel-link="internal"><img src="http://3.design-milk.com/images/2017/03/4The-Frame-Samsung-YvesBehar--810x608.jpg" alt="Samsung’s ‘The Frame’ by Yves Béhar Displays Artful Content" /></a>
                                The partnership between Korean electronics giant <a href="http://www.samsung.com/us/" data-wpel-link="external"  rel="external noopener noreferrer">Samsung</a> and <span class="s1">Yves Béhar’s design firm <a href="https://fuseproject.com/" data-wpel-link="external"  rel="external noopener noreferrer">fuseproject</a> continues to be a fruitful, if not unexpected creative outlet for envisioning the television beyond an electronic device. Their latest endeavor, <a href="https://fuseproject.com/work/samsung/the-frame/?focus=overview" data-wpel-link="external"  rel="external noopener noreferrer">The Frame</a>, takes a more artful approach to what we watch.</span>

A large SUHD display, The Frame is a television inhabited with a split personality. While on, The Frame is designed to operate like any other modern television for all binge-worthy content. It’s when The Frame is switched off and into “Art Mode” the set reveals its more unique feature (though not wholly unique when considering the crowding market of digital art displays by the likes of Electronic Objects and Meural). Noting most televisions are watched for only a few hours per day, Samsung and Béhar equipped their television to showcase over 100 paintings and artwork from 38 different artists, including artist Barry McGee and photographer Todd Eberle. Each piece was

March 17, 2017

The Wrensilva Loft: Mid-Century Style, This Century Technology

                                                <a href="http://design-milk.com/wrensilva-loft-mid-century-style/wrensilva-loft-monitors-stereo-console-3/" data-wpel-link="internal"><img src="http://0.design-milk.com/images/2017/03/Wrensilva-Loft-Monitors-stereo-console-3-810x592.jpg" alt="The Wrensilva Loft: Mid-Century Style, This Century Technology" /></a>
                                Memories of my parents late 60s/early 70s mid-century stereo console came flooding back upon laying eyes on the <a href="https://wrensilva.com/collections/products/products/loft"  data-wpel-link="external" rel="external noopener noreferrer">Wrensilva Loft</a> record console system. Combining the aesthetics of “then” with the technology of “now”, the Loft plays the part of tasteful throwback, one embellished by a list of wireless connectivity features that invites listeners to switch between the pleasures of analog to the convenience of digital streaming at the turn of a switch (or app).

Closed up, the Loft’s solid North American Walnut hardwood with gloss white acrylic detailing looks like a handsome side table.

The steel shelf below offers storage for up to 120 records; thoughtfully a capture tray is integrated for record brush, mobile device, and other small accessories.

Belying its compact size (28″W x 33″H x 18″D), the Loft is rated for 300 watts per channel delivered by the company’s own Wrensilva Class D output amp (featuring IcePower by Bang & Olufsen). The fully decoupled belt driven turntable

March 15, 2017

Bertazzoni Oven Ranges Are Painted Like Italian Sports Cars

                                                <a href="http://design-milk.com/bertazzoni-painted-italian-sports-cars/bertazzoni-tour-5/" data-wpel-link="internal"><img src="http://1.design-milk.com/images/2017/03/Bertazzoni-tour-5-810x545.jpg" alt="Bertazzoni Oven Ranges Are Painted Like Italian Sports Cars" /></a>
                                With 134 years under the belt, Italian kitchen appliance manufacturer <a href="http://us.bertazzoni.com/"  data-wpel-link="external" rel="external noopener noreferrer">Bertazzoni</a> represents six generations committed to the realm and requirements revolving around the pleasures of cooking. Today the heritage brand’s global reputation stakes claim to the largest induction range line, with a growing imprint amongst homeowners hungry for kitchen appliances finished with hallmark details representative of an eye for details, great and small. Bertazzoni invited Design Milk to tour Casa Bertazzoni, the company’s exquisitely curated showroom, test kitchen, and museum located in Guastalla, Italy. It was during our tour we discovered the Italian company shares an unexpected bit of DNA connecting their appliances with some of the world’s most storied automotive brands.

Director of Brand Management & Styling Valentina Bertazzoni (left) and CEO Paolo Bertazzoni (right) – a daughter and father team – greet visitors at the doors of Casa Bertazzoni.

Casa Bertazzoni was designed as much as a stage as a showroom, an architectural platform populated by the company’s