Tag Archives: handcrafted

This stoneware lamp exudes an artistic yet playful character that livens up any desk

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The primary purpose of lamps is to bring us light, but they don’t have to be limited to that task only. This is especially true for fixtures that always stay within our vision, whether they’re hanging from ceilings, stuck to walls, or standing on our desks. Because we tend to always notice things that we always see, these lamps can have a significant effect on our mood and state of mind. A poorly designed lamp, no matter how bright, will end up annoying us, consciously or subconsciously. Conversely, a lamp with a delightful design will brighten not only your space but also your mood, just like these cute yet heavyweight desk lamps that almost make you want to play with them all day long.

Designer: J Schatz

Something doesn’t have to actually be a toy to inspire a playful mood. Bright colors, irregular or curved shapes, and unbalanced or asymmetrical arrangements can already have our minds immediately thinking fun thoughts, perhaps a ball game, a playground set, or toy blocks. The Spot On Desk Lamps have these elements in droves, and they create an almost whimsical atmosphere on any desk it stands on.

There are three distinct parts that make up this rather vibrant lamp, all simple shapes and all derived from a circle. The base is a thick disc and the stem that stands off-center is a simple cylinder. The lamp shade itself is a sphere that seems to stick precariously near the top of the stand. While many lamp designs aim for symmetry and a visual of harmony, the Spot On evokes a sense of action and dynamism, as if the lamp is ready to fall and roll at any moment. Of course, it’s all just in our minds, because the desk lamp is as steady and stable as a piece of stone.

The pieces are indeed made of stoneware, individually handcrafted, in fact. Each piece has a different color from the rest, and there are eight color combinations in total. Although different, the colors still produce a certain beauty and harmony, painting a character that is lively but not discordant. There’s an almost Bauhaus-like theme here as well, with the use of opposite or asymmetrical shapes and colors. Suffice it to say, it’s an attractive piece, no matter which way you look at it.

Of course, a desk lamp is not just a piece of decoration, and the Spot On lamp’s 5W LED bulb makes sure of that. It delivers the same brightness as a 60W standard bulb but at a fraction of the energy consumption. This bulb, along with the structural parts that keep the lamp pieces together, is invisible to the viewer who only sees the lamp itself and its cord. It’s a design that reaches a degree of simplicity and minimalism without looking drab or mundane. It’s definitely spot on, pun totally intended, for a lamp that can light up not just your desk but also your life.

The post This stoneware lamp exudes an artistic yet playful character that livens up any desk first appeared on Yanko Design.

This beautiful handmade chessboard makes it looks like you’re playing on water

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Chess is a game that dates more than 1,500 years ago, and while the basic structure of the game has remained the same, it has taken on different visual forms over the centuries. From wood to ivory to even purely digital pieces, you might think that you’ve seen all there is to see when it comes to chess design. That couldn’t be farther from the truth, of course, seeing as how there are so many beautiful but odd-looking chess sets that might even leave you scratching your head in bewilderment. This handmade set, however, doesn’t change how the pieces themselves look but instead gives the board a more mesmerizing appearance of seemingly floating on water, turning a tense chess match into something almost enchanting and relaxing.

Designer: Wood Season (RVRgroup)

Some say that chess is a game of strategy and critical thinking, but others would argue that it has become simply a matter of memorizing and replaying moves these days. Whatever the case might be, the fact is that the game has never changed for hundreds of years now, from the mechanics to the pieces themselves. What has changed is how those pieces are sometimes represented, deviating from the standard medieval theme of kings, queens, and knights to become sometimes unrecognizable pieces of steel, glass, or any other eye-catching material.

The chessboard, in contrast, has remained virtually frozen in time, 64 squares arranged in 8 rows of 8 columns of alternating colors. That almost leaves very little room for creativity, but the Floating Chess defies those expectations. Painstakingly crafted by hand from oak and different coatings of epoxy, this chess set gives the illusion of a tranquil game of chess being played over a pond, in contrast to the tense, nail-biting games you’d see in professional competitions.

What gives the Floating Chess set its almost ethereal visage is the different layers and colors of epoxy used. These range from the transparent liquid used to contrast with the “dark” wooden blocks to the green pigment that submerges dried pine cones to the pearlescent mix used as the base of all of these. An LED strip lies underneath the board, controlled by a phone to shine different intensities and hues of light to add an even more unearthly glow to the chess set. The chess pieces themselves are also made from epoxy to complete the theme.

The Floating Chess is definitely a head-turner, with or without the help of colorful lighting. The use of epoxy resin, though possibly less harmful than polyester resin, might raise a few concerns about sustainability but also leaves the door open for greener alternatives. Regardless, the set creates a completely different environment than what you might associate with the game, making the pieces look like floating on water while you float on air.

The post This beautiful handmade chessboard makes it looks like you’re playing on water first appeared on Yanko Design.

Traditional Czechoslovakian glassmakers handcraft these multifaceted glass crystal light fixtures

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Bomma implements the Czechoslovakian craft of glassmaking to produce whimsical, yet elegant displays of glass crystal light fixtures.

Bomma is a glassmaking company that specializes in the traditional Czechoslovakian craft of glassmaking to produce customized household fixtures and decorative interior elements. The tradition dates back centuries in the East Bohemia region of the Czech Republic. Bringing it into the contemporary world, modern technologies and bespoke machinery join arms with master craftsmen to deliver fixtures rooted in history built for today’s world.

Designer: Bomma, Dechem Studio, studio deFORM, rückl, Ota Svoboda

Hailing from Dechem Studio, studio deFORM, and rückl, the designers, including Ota Svoboda, behind Bomma’s recent line have been inspired by irregular shapes of the natural world. The craftsmen work with six tons of refined, extra-clear crystal each and every day to add to the company’s eighteen collections of light fixtures. Five different glass crystal compositions comprise Bomma’s Constellations project, which takes one of the five crystal compositions and configures them into bespoke lighting fixtures.

The Pyrite collection, inspired by the mineral of its namesake, is defined by and recognized for its cubic structure. “By blowing a molten organic substance into a precise cold form, the skilled hands of our glassmakers create a unique light fixture of [an] elemental, yet perfect shape,” the glassmakers at Bomma go on to describe, “The gleaming surface of this hand-blown crystal cube is enclosed from three sides by a polished metal component in either silver or gold tones.”

The Dark & Bright Star collection takes fun house lighting and gives it a touch of coordinated elegance to resemble the look of a starry night sky. “The light source is placed within each mouth-blown piece,” the craftsmen describe the textured glass covering as, “the shining center of a precisely cut crystal star.”

Keeping with the same whimsical personality, Bomma’s Soap Mini collection consists of an asymmetrical collection of raindrop-shaped glass light bulbs. When configured in a cluster together, the light bulbs are meant to take on the look of irregular, cartoon clouds of soap bubbles as the designers note, “Each piece is hand-blown without a mold, producing an original in both shape and color.”

Bomma describes the Lens collection as “hypnotic,” for its bulbous glass coverings and shaded color tones. Characterized by two convex lens coverings that encase the bulb’s light source, “two lenses harmoniously encapsulate their interior light source, playing a symphony of reflections.

In close collaboration with Bomma’s sister brand, Rückl, the Metamorphosis collection “combines the talents of these sister glassmaking brands – the breathtaking art of hand-cut crystal from Rückl, with exceptional technical solutions and the principle of light constellations typical for Bomma.”

The fixtures stand out for their snakeskin-like textures that form into the shapes of Chinese lanterns. Coated in muted tones of black, amber, and white, the Metamorphosis collection is all about the mood lighting.

Suspended from the ceiling, the collections of light fixtures create dazzling chandelier displays. 

The craftsmen work with heavy glass fixtures using only their hands and bespoke machinery. 

Requiring a team of builders, the light fixtures are handblown and molded into shape.

Each step of the process is delicate and requires the finest touch. 

The post Traditional Czechoslovakian glassmakers handcraft these multifaceted glass crystal light fixtures first appeared on Yanko Design.

Revisit the ancient art of woodturning with this line of furniture that gives a modern take to traditional design!

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“A different turn,” is a line of furniture pieces created by Koen Boersma from the art of woodturning, an ancient craft that’s Boersma revives through modern design and traditional tools.

The craft of woodturning has been around for centuries, but today, the art is slowly dying out. For as long as it’s been in use, the art of woodturning has varied in form over the years. Only requiring a few woodworking tools, like a lathe and cutters, woodturning can transform wood blocks into an array of different shapes and patterns. Returning to the ancient craft to design their new series of furniture, Koen Boersma created “A different turn,” a line of furniture produced from Boersma’s modern take on woodturning.

Starting out with a rectangular block of wood, Boersma spins each piece into alternating patterns of round and square shapes. Boersma describes the process, “When making this series, the rectangular shape of the starting piece was used, and patterns were developed from this shape.” Spurred by the Netherlands’ specific love for and connection to the craft of woodturning, Boersma turned to traditional tools and cultural building methods for the foundation of “A different turn.”

Beginning with a single, rectangular block of wood, Boersma creates undulating patterns to expose the wood block’s natural, unstained grooves and grains. In showcasing each block of wood’s natural grain, each piece of furniture is unique in its own light. Describing this in their own words, Boersma explains, “The patterns on the straight, black flat sides of the objects flow into the soft, round shapes of the turned away wood. A confluence of the designer’s signature, and the natural beauty of the wood itself.”

Designer: Koen Boersma

The post Revisit the ancient art of woodturning with this line of furniture that gives a modern take to traditional design! first appeared on Yanko Design.

This tiny cabin built from local trees incorporates a blend of Scandinavian and Japanese design elements!

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The Nook is a tiny cabin located in the woods of North Carolina’s Appalachia designed with Scandinavian, Japanese, and Appalachian handcrafted elements to weave local craftwork together with a personal history.

As summer draws to a close, winter is coming and so are the snowy getaways. While there’s something to be said about the slow summer days spent at a family cabin by the lake, cozying up beside a fireplace inside a log cabin somewhere in the woods where there’s snow and a hot cup of tea is still unmatched. In the Appalachian forest of Swannanoa, North Carolina, Mike Belleme, an established documentary photographer, felt inspired to devise his own wintry tiny cabin called The Nook.

Brimming with artisanal goods and artwork of local craftsmen and artists, The Nook was designed to bring the handcrafted touch of the old world into the modern era. Described as a “collection of stories,” Belleme designed The Nook to link his personal history to the surrounding forest and architecture of the cabin.

The tiny cabin is constructed from a collection of locally felled trees that Belleme memorized during a five-year stint spent in the Appalachian woods, during which he learned primitive building skills like creating a path of hand-split logs that leads to The Nook’s front entrance.

The timber that gives rise to The Nook varies between white oak, red oak, black walnut, and black locust all to mirror the trees that surround the tiny cabin. The different gradients of woodwork distinguish the rooms of the cabin. Contained within a mere 400-square-meters, The Nook’s living areas are combined into one and present as a single open volume, with the different rooms demarcated by shifting shades of timber. Where the living room expresses dynamic energy with lofty ceilings and cherry wood paneling, the kitchen keeps a more subdued profile achieved with an intimate breakfast nook wainscot in black walnut.

Striking a balance between different interior design cues and movements, Belleme describes The Nook’s design as a marriage between Japanese, Scandinavian, and Appalachian aesthetics. Just above the stripped-back kitchen, Belleme included a Japanese-inspired tea loft in tribute to his parents’ own living period in Japan, who moved on to launch one of America’s first Miso companies.

Every element of the home embodies a sense of minimalism, craftwork, and earthiness, weaving together Belleme’s personal history that brought him from the tea rooms of Japan to the felled trees of North Carolina. Describing the tiny cabin in his own words, Belleme notes on The Nook’s Airbnb listing, “This house is a collection of stories. Stories of cultural and personal history, ecology, and craft. To celebrate this area’s incredible legacy of craft, we’ve collaborated with some of the most talented makers in the region.”

Designers: Mike Belleme

Darker wooden planks line the floors of The Nook while brighter timber coats the ceilings. 

The Nook’s rear deck was also built by hand. 

The Nook maintains an open interior space by incorporating elements like ladders that bring you from the ground-level living area to upstairs bedrooms. 

An outdoor semi-enclosed bath provides the perfect spot to unwind beneath the tree’s canopies. 

This cat-centered table design features a cavity and hidden shelf for your pets to perch while you WFH!

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Japanese furniture company Dinos designed a table with a center cavity and hidden perching shelf so your cat can poke its head through and spend the workday with you without climbing all over your keyboard.

If there’s one thing cats don’t do, it’s minding their business. Always lurking around the corner to find out which room we’re walking into or hopping onto the table while we’re eating dinner, cats are curious over just about everything–getting them off our tails can sometimes feel like a game of whack-a-mole. Dinos, a Japanese furniture company, took to the game of whack-a-mole and designed a table with a center opening for our cats to poke their heads through and sate their curiosity without dusting their fur all over our meals.

The table designed by Dinos for cat owners is handcrafted by local craftspeople from natural red oak wood to age well over time and remain a place where your cat can perch. The table’s rounded corners are also specially sanded down to ensure safe climbing and jumping for your cat. When you’d like your cats to join you while you work, the table features a center cavity through which they can poke their heads and see what you’re up to. In the center of the table, the craftspeople at Dinos carved a 16cm hole just above a circular shelf where your cat can rest. When your cat isn’t resting on the shelf, it can be used to store items like magazines or even cat toys. The table also comes with a matching lid for the center hole so when you’d like to enjoy your meal away from your cat, you can close the hole and revert the table back to one with a solid surface.

Additionally, Dinos sells accompanying table benches, chairs, and cushions separately for those who would like to have a complete dining set. In addition to all of the benches and chairs, Dinos sells a cat tree that will be sure to entertain your cat while you work or eat at the table.

Designer: Dinos

The cat table from Dinos features a center cavity where your cat can poke its head and watch while you eat or work. 

The center cavity can be closed when you need some time away from your cat to eat or get work done. 

Coming in an array of different wood stains, the cat table from Dinos can fit into most dining rooms or living spaces. 

Each table is handcrafted by craftspeople in Japan to ensure safe climbing for your cats. 

Available even in darker wood stains, Dinos combines feline playfulness with an elegant look. 

This handcrafted wooden dock+tray gives you an elegant spot to charge your Apple products

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There’s an undeniable simplicity and beauty to Yohann’s iPhone and Apple Watch charging dock+tray. Handcrafted from walnut wood (there’s a lighter, Oakwood variant too), the charging dock+tray takes into account the space it’s going to be kept in and adds a homely, classy touch to your wooden workdesk, bedside table, or coffee table.

The dock/stand’s choice of wood as a material gives it a classic appeal, making it look elegant even when it’s empty. The underlying tray provides a nice surface to keep your keys, USB sticks, and even AirPods; while channels running along its base you cleverly organize your charging cables. The stand’s waist provides the perfect place to stash/charge your Apple Watch, and the lightning port on the upper surface lets you easily dock your iPhone vertically, so you can charge it while you answer calls, view your calendar, attend conferences, or just browse through social media!

Designer: Yohann