Tag Archives: ZEN

How A Decorative Tray And Incense Holder Brings A Piece Of Korean History To Your Home

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Don’t we all want to be surrounded by tools that allow us to relax and revitalize mentally?

Aromatherapy is a concept widely adopted by the contemporary world which is why the Asian culture of incense sticks is gaining popularity in the West. It is highly valued by a broad cross-section of the traditional community. However, the younger section is still understanding and exploring its benefits. The tray and holder’s deliberately designed modern form and versatile nature make it a fantastic entry point for the younger generation as well.

Designer: Deric Jeon, Sohee Park of above.studio

This was built by the Songpa-gu in collaboration with the Seoul Design Foundation to portray the beauty of the Hanseong period of the Baekje Dynasty’s cultural legacy and the aroma of tradition. This beautiful tray and holder complements any sort of interior decor by preserving and exhibiting its roots through themes of coins, flowers, and tree branches that showcase Baekjeasty’s remarkable art and cultural features.

Incense sticks are associated with a serene and zen environment that promotes focus, concentration, and rejuvenation. The characteristics of minimalistic design contribute to this frame of mind. It motivates people to think, perceive, and behave positively. When these themes are combined with overlapping traits, the outcome is a full platter to attract younger consumers.

The rightly picked white finishes justify the zen and minimal aesthetic. Zen themes usually have neutral colors which are associated with nature and are pleasing to the eye. Not only does the minimal zen palette affect one’s mood, but it also affects one’s attention span allowing them to focus and work better if placed in workspaces. It gives a feeling of a clean, pure, and a fresh environment

Traditional Korean buildings have the most gorgeous roofs, with everything from bright beautiful paintings on the ceilings to graceful tiles, arching eaves, and intricate tile finishes. The traditional clay tiles used to construct these roofs are known as ‘giwa’. These roofs served as inspiration for the shape of this holder and tray. The tile ends are always embellished with a finely detailed motif, such as an animal, flower, or Chinese character just like the ones at the end of the tray.

These trays are excellent choices for creating a cozy and soothing ambiance at home after a long day at work or even in the office during breaks. This complements every type of interior design and can be used without fear of clashing. Because it mixes daily objects into one, such as a cardholder, pen holder, and, of course, our new favorite incense stick tray, it encourages minimalism in every location it is used! The modular design also allows room for creating a larger tray and use it to its maximum capacity, these can also be stacked for compact storing.

It was fantastic how the designs at the tile ends kept the authenticity. In contrast to a structure with a flat surface, the wavy design may restrict the types of objects it can hold while decreasing usability.

The post How A Decorative Tray And Incense Holder Brings A Piece Of Korean History To Your Home first appeared on Yanko Design.

A peaceful desk lamp concept evokes a feeling of Zen with its form and soft light

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Lamps come in all shapes and sizes depending on where they’re used. Some are more decorative than others because they are meant more to enhance ambiance rather than provide illumination critical for getting work done. Of course, that doesn’t mean that these utilitarian lighting can’t look good as well, though they also have to be careful in making sure that usability isn’t impacted for the sake of aesthetics. At the same, you don’t need to go overboard either just to make a lamp look pleasing and distinctive. This somewhat minimalist desk lamp, for example, barely has any notable part aside from its lampshade, but it’s precisely because of its simplicity and form that it looks like you were raising a Zen garden on your desk.

Designer: Jang Lee Jun

For some people, desk lamps are an essential piece of equipment to shed light on their work, literally and figuratively, but they also need to avoid getting in the way of your productivity. That’s the primary reason why most desk lamps are simple, minimalist, and sometimes even bare-bones, providing light without distracting you with their appearance or eating up too much of your precious desk space. Fortunately, you just need a bit of creative thinking to make even a simple design more meaningful, like what this bonsai-inspired lamp tries to prove.

The bonsai tree is one of the more popular symbols related to Zen Buddhism, meditation, and calmness. The real tree takes a lot of patience to grow and trim, but simply seeing one is enough to give our minds peaceful thoughts. Not everyone can afford to take care of the real thing, though, so the Bonsai Desk Lamp offers something similar through its shape. The flat conical lampshade held up by thin metal rods is reminiscent of those bonsai trees, especially the Korean pine tree used for these decorative plants. It may not look like a real bonsai tree with multiple branches, but it could still call to mind those lush, green plants that our brains immediately associate with a state of Zen.

The lamp has one other unique feature that makes it more peaceful than most desk lamps. Instead of shining its light directly, it bounces it off the bottom of the lampshade. This creates a diffusing effect that generates a softer light without diminishing the lamp’s utility. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem possible to move the lamp head around to change its direction, limiting its movement to raising and lowering the arm.

If there’s one worrying thing about the bonsai desk lamp’s design is that it seems to be a bit unbalanced, with the lampshade carrying the visual weight of the object. It might not actually be lopsided, but even the impression of imbalance could make people worry that the lamp will topple over at the slightest nudge, nullifying the effect of whatever feelings of calm and peace the design is supposed to evoke.

The post A peaceful desk lamp concept evokes a feeling of Zen with its form and soft light first appeared on Yanko Design.

Meta.Zen playset lets adults calmly build their own miniature tranquil garden

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There are different objects and places that have been associated with feelings of peace and calmness, but one of the most iconic ones that span cultures and nations is the carefully designed minimalist Zen garden. Just seeing one, even in a picture, is enough to trigger mental images of peaceful meditation, whether by simply sitting on a spot or raking around sand. Of course, not everyone has space for a real Zen garden at home, and miniature kits can get problematic to maintain because of their use of real sand and, sometimes, real plants. If you’re fine with just the symbolic representations of the principles of Zen, then this sustainable playset for grownups not only gives you the creative freedom to design the Zen garden of your dreams, it even becomes a meditative practice in itself.

Designer: ILSA Yumeng Li and Zongheng Sun (PEAR & MULBERRY)

Puzzle toys and playsets have existed for decades, even centuries, and while the majority of these are designed for younger audiences, there are a few that require a more experienced mind to enjoy. Sometimes a puzzle could be too complicated, or a set might have intricate parts. Some kids might still have a bit of fun with this innovative playset, but it will be adults that will benefit from it the most because it evokes emotions and thoughts that only a stressed adult would be able to appreciate.

Meta.Zen, in a nutshell, lets you put together a Zen garden of your own design. You can make it as simple or as complicated as it can be, limited only by the number of pieces you have at hand. The hexagonal base pieces magnetically attach to one another, making them simple to use even for those with physical handicaps. The magnets are strong enough so that you can even stick the finished garden to a wall to serve as a calming piece of decoration. And since there’s no sand or plants involved, there’s no mess either.

It’s more than just a simple playset, though, and each and every piece is carefully designed with the same meticulous attention to detail that Zen gardeners use. The almost random ridges and valleys of the base tiles can be combined and connected in multiple ways, creating millions of Zen patterns that you can change as your heart desires. The pebbles, stone lamps, and structures that you can place on top also magnetically attach to the intersection of tiles, making it effortless to create any arrangement you could think of. More than just the final result, the process of putting together this playset can become a calming and meditative activity of its own.

And, of course, Meta.Zen also gives peace of mind that your serenity doesn’t come at the cost of the planet’s life. The parts are used using biodegradable PLA based on walnut wood, while only natural fibers like algae and bamboo are used to give the pieces their earthy colors. Each piece is designed to let you see and feel elements of nature on a smaller scale, giving you the freedom to take not only the playset but also your Zen bubble with you wherever you go.

The post Meta.Zen playset lets adults calmly build their own miniature tranquil garden first appeared on Yanko Design.

This stone-inspired mechanical keyboard turns typing into a meditative activity

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When you need to finish a story or program, this keyboard could help you to get into the zone with its appearance and sounds.

Conventional keyboards are pretty much made from plastic, giving them a bit of a cheap look and feel. Of course, there are mechanical keyboards that raise the bar higher in terms of materials as well as typing experience, and there are even all-metal variants that give the typing tool an industrial character. It is only recently that both designers and computer users have become a bit more interested in making their keyboards look more appealing or unique, but many of them tend to lean on the wild side of colors and design. Enter the Mason60- Zen Series of keyboards that give the most used and abused computer peripheral are more somber look and feel, inspired by the most stoic part of nature: a stone.

Designer: Brazen Studio

While many people will find it a bit annoying, there is also something almost hypnotic about the sound of keyboard typing, especially when using mechanical keyboards. Proof of that is how some ASMR videos or sounds make use of typing as part of these sometimes comical antics on the Web. Of course, when you’re frantically typing to meet a deadline, the sound coming from a keyboard will be similarly chaotic and stress-inducing, so it might sometimes help to have a visual reminder to slow down, stay still, and take a deep breath. Unsurprisingly, imagery related to Zen gardens is perfect for inducing such a calming mental state.

It’s easy enough to paint a keyboard case with a stone-like coating and call it a day, but that is a little boring and only addresses one of the two main senses. The Mason60- Zen keyboard, in contrast, uses a cement resin composite that gives it nearly the same substantial feeling and weight as stone, but without actually having to carve out the keyboard case from rock. It isn’t as heavy as stone either, but it’s no featherweight either at 1.65kg. While it does make moving the keyboard more taxing, it also makes it more stable and less likely to slide on your desk.

Brazen Studio goes beyond the looks, however, and makes sure your fingers can also feel the Zen. After being cast in a mold, the case is acid-etched to create a surface that closely mimics the texture of stone. Unfortunately, that does mean the process uses harmful chemicals that make the product less sustainable.

If those weren’t enough to set the Mason60- Zen keyboard apart from the crowd, the fact that each one is painstakingly finished by hand cements its status as an artisan piece, pun intended. That means that no two keyboards will exactly be identical, elevating their status beyond mere computer accessories. Those could be some of the thoughts and inspiration that go through your mind while you happily type on this beautiful mechanical keyboard, hopefully helping you to get into the mood and focus on the task at hand.

The post This stone-inspired mechanical keyboard turns typing into a meditative activity first appeared on Yanko Design.

Kreoo brings nature’s great art indoors as design objects you can sit on

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Zen gardens, whether actual gardens or miniature recreations, have become symbols of calm, relaxing spaces in today’s hectic world. It isn’t just the fine sand that conveys that imagery, and, in fact, the sand is more therapeutic and effective if you actively draw on them rather than just looking at their undulating patterns. A zen garden is almost like a microcosm symbolizing a miniature universe, at least the ideal one from monks’ minds. Every piece and part of that garden symbolizes nature’s true beauty, including the unhewn rocks and large smooth pebbles stacked on top of each other. It’s the latter’s beauty that Kreoo is bringing to homes, rooms, gardens, and poolsides to offer a piece of furniture that is both beautiful, calming, and thought-provoking, all at the same time.

Designer: Enzo Berti

There is something beautiful and also symbolic about smooth pebbles of different sizes stacked on each other. The pebbles themselves have been sculpted and polished by flowing river waters and blowing wind over the course of months and years, showcasing Mother Nature’s artistic talent. At the same time, the cairn, as it is sometimes called, is a man-made structure that is used to represent, among other things, higher aspirations as well as balance, attempting to find and create some semblance of balance in life.

Of course, these stacked pebbles are mostly only just for viewing, but Kreoo takes the concept and turns it into something you can both see and use every day. Its Pavé collection turns the concept of meditative stacked pebbles into furniture, especially ones that you can sit on. Rather than waiting for years for nature to take its course to create large, smooth pebbles, Kreoo employs modern techniques and materials to emulate Mother Nature as close as possible. And it’s not all just hard stone either, which would have made for an uncomfortable sitting and shipping experience.

Instead, the Pavé Stone seats use an oval marble base to deliver the sturdy foundations of this unique piece of furniture. It places a wooden seat on top, one that has been formed in the shape of a smooth pebble similar to its base. The lighter wood seat allows for rather visually unbalanced designs, with a top that’s twice as large as its base, something that would have been impossible using real rocks or marble. The design almost stands in defiance of nature while, at the same time, is a tribute to it.

At Salone del Mobile 2022, Kreoo introduced a new combination for its Pavé Stones. Normally just made of two pieces, a marble base and a wood seat, the furniture maker added another layer to increase the seat’s height and accommodate more people of varying heights and needs. There now exists an option to have two marble bases beneath the wooden seat, and the appearance of each piece can still be chosen as desired.

The Pavé collection also includes the Pavé Log bench, where a wooden board is made to overlap and overshoot two marble bases, and the Pavé Drink, a table that adds an element of metal in the stem that raises the round wooden top up high. These beautiful pieces of furniture are easily mistaken as design objects and can add a bit of Zen to any room, garden, or space while also offering something to sit on while you contemplate the meaning of life.

The post Kreoo brings nature’s great art indoors as design objects you can sit on first appeared on Yanko Design.

2020 put us on the edge of a processor revolution

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In this episode of our explainer show Upscaled, we took a look back at the year in CPUs. From one perspective 2020 feels like the new normal for CPUs. Intel put out another high-end chip, 10th-gen “Comet Lake”, which added a few cores but is still ba...

This zen lounger is the furniture you need for WFH days and weekend Netflix binge!

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This conceptual lounger is all you need for every mood – zen weekdays for WFH and books with wine on the weekends. After a long day of Skype/Zoom calls and speaking to people across meetings, a relaxing place where you can hear the water trickle is exactly what you need to unwind!

Dhyan is a Sanskrit word which means focus, care, or meditation and rightly fits this lounger that has been designed to bring all of that to you. Inspired by the simplicity of the tree of buddha and intricate Japanese zen gardens, the lounger blends traditional eastern philosophies with minimal modern design. It embodies peace and stillness one feels when they connect with nature. Dhyan has three different modes to suit your needs — a standard mode, a water-pond mode, and garden mode.

Choose your zen is the new choose your avatar. The standard mode has a platform that doubles as a shelf along with storage compartments to help you get through the day. The water-pond mode is activated with an inboard pump that creates a waterfall behind the backrest to bring the most calming ambient sounds. The garden mode brings a little bit of the outdoors to the comfort of your home if you don’t have a backyard or are still in quarantine. The color green is known to reduce stress and coupled with the relaxed posture and water sounds, Dhyan is sure to become your absolute favorite lounger.

Designer: Sasank Gopinathan

Architectural Design Renders that inspire you to create your own minimal happy space

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Barcelona based Six N. Five is a renowned studio doing some magical work with 3D renders alone – from doing process and landscape exploration for Microsoft to creating movies for Samsung. Taking a step back from the extremely realistic renders, each of these settings creates an environment, a mood that almost flows from the image to you and filling you with the sense of tranquility implied in the render. Working usually with a muted color pallet and using textures to create a realistic image, this collection will transport you to that location and let it become your zen space!

Now while we dream of post-quarantine scenarios, this one quite fits the bill! Inspired by Japanese gardens, this render is a part of a series of designs that replicate the symmetry and balance found in these gardens. Adding a modern touch to this is the boat, which is actually a practice at Chidorigafuchi, a park next to the Imperial Gardens in Tokyo. During the sakura (cherry blossom) season, the petals from the trees float over the lake with boats swimming amidst the sea of pink, making it one of the most beautiful experiences in Tokyo.

As a part of their soothing series of 3D Renders, the team at Six N. Five decided to add a focal point to their design – the humble chair. Using a chair in this simple palette of pink, purples, and just a hint of blue with the sea adds a scale/proportionality to the design and we love the tranquility projected in this render. Just looking at this image makes us want to be there and soak in the calm.

Drinking tea is an integral part of Japanese culture. This Japanese room, lined with a tatami floor mat, sliding screens for walls, and overlooking a Japanese zen garden is fit for royalty! While witnessing this scene in real life, it was the aroma of the tatami mats that amplified the experience for me. Sitting in that room, sipping matcha, and witnessing the symmetry of nature, what more can we ask for?

Being the masters of 3D rendering, the team at Six N. Five was asked by T Singapore – the Style Magazine of The New York Times to visualize their version of their dream living room. And this is the answer they gave. Choosing an unusual green as the single color to rule the entire room, the only pops of color are the yellow orb-like lamps that provide secondary light after the abundance of natural light.

Merging the influence of bonsai and minimalism, this Japanese living room design lets life flow in from outside. Using a circular opening in the roof to allow the tree to come into the home creates an interesting visual focal point in the room. With a tatami mat floor and simple cushions that allow you to sit cross-legged, the opening in the roof is surrounded by heavy curtains to close off the outside influence when not needed.

When envisioning their ideal quarantine space, the team at Six N. Five designed this modern living room, set with their own furniture – the Holo-Scandinavian armchair and the Opposite chair and sofa, all in a space together with modern amenities like a swimming pool. A pop of greenery and a loft-life space gives a separate zone for those who want to quarantine in peace.

Minimal and escapism at its finest, this floating bedroom space is like an island of serenity. With 2020 making us all want to run away, this cocoon is the answer to social distancing and escaping needs. Now if only someone can tell us if there is any wi-fi connectivity there…

Designed to be the space you can unwind in at the end of the day, this bedroom concept features the studio’s Saturn lamp and Park Uno bed. What a refreshing way to help you visualize the products and get inspired at the same time!

Home is where the heart is, or in this case, the colors are! Six N. Five team’s home showcases a riot of colors, minimal seating, strategically placed rugs, and even a green false ceiling!

Going back to their love of Japanese Designs, this minimal bedroom boasts of a perfectly circular window overlooking a lush green gardens scene. Who wouldn’t want to wake up to such a view!

While the pandemic reigns around us, it is very important to have a happy space that is all yours to go and relax in when things around get too troublesome. So get inspired and create your happy place!