Bloesem

Vest

At the Interior Design Show in Toronto I spoke with Jessica Lertvilai from Vest. Vest Collective is a group of 10 individual designers and craft practitioners based in Toronto. Jessica herself made this “Letraset” called Hush little baby. For this project, Jessica experimented with fonts. She collected passages form her sister’s diary, poems and nursery rhymes and transcribed them into a Morse code. The result is a pattern design as a communicative device.

Katy Chan’s Hanging Planter is ideal for apartment living and urban dwelling. I like this simple but fresh looking design very much. After seeing a lot of vintage ceramics lately I am happy that modern ceramics look so beautiful too. Sally McCubbin made this multifunctional Vanilla options server. The server can be used as a whole or each tier can be used individually. For more information about the products you can send Jessica at Vest an email. {At Mocoloco you can find more Vest designs like the ‘laser etched ASCII art mirror’ by Mathew Birtch or the ‘Grave Goods’ by Shannon Mcleod.}

Skinny Laminx

Maybe you have already visited Skinny laminx? The writer of this inspiring blog is Heather Moore from Cape Town, South Africa. I am very happy to introduce you to her work. Heather is a multi-talented woman. She is an illustrator, writer and designer.

Her illustrations of the skinny girls remind me a bit of my own illustrations. Heather recently had one of them published in Fair Lady Magazine. I love the stenciled acrylic paintings on blocks of wood. Heather also uses her illustrations for textiles like cute baby Tshirts and cushions. Hopefully Heather will be able to open her Etsy store this week where you will find her products. 

You probably will find her trays and the little purses, made from bits of misprinted tea-towel fabrics in her new Etsy store as well. You should check out her blog and see the very inviting pictures of the Neighbour Goods Market where Heather sells her products. Would you like to order something right know, just send Heather an email. As soon as her shop is up and running I will let you know!

IDS 2007

{Ceramic tea set by Jenna Perdrix}
Here are some pictures of the designs I found very inspiring at the Interior Design Show in Toronto last weekend. I will start with the very talented students from the University of Alberta, Ryerson University and the Ontario College of Art & Design. Unfortunately, only some of the students have a website, when possible I added their information.

Still life table by Andrea Chin.

Plywood / Concrete bench by Joel Pollock. His inspiration for the piece was derived from bridge design.

Gorgeous chairs by Willie Tsang and Erin McCutcheon.

Finally, the students from Ryerson University designed objects made from my favorite material: plywood. Table by Maia Roffey and the storage table by Kristine Rankine.

Beautiful wall system by Patrick Turner, founder of Thout Design. Thout designs clean and clever furniture. UtiliTILE is the name for this modular wall tile system. On the website you can find detailed information about this not only beautiful looking but also practical solution for all your clutter and small spaces. The red table is also a design from Thout and is called OldSchool. It is a collision of the old and new, made with simple materials and a traditional aesthetic.
Solmaz Eshraghi is the designer of the small chair.

At Mocoloco you can read and see more about the Toronto Interior Design Show.

Floor van Ast

Floor van Ast is a recent graduate from the School of Arts in Arnhem. Her passion for food obviously shows in her products. The collection consists of some great kitchen accessories, which I think are gorgeous! I love her bright, strong colored and practical designs. Floor believes (as do I) that eating and food is all about culture, rituals and are a reflection of your personality. Preparing and presenting your food is therefore very important. Floor is currently looking for a manufacturer. When Floor designed the accessories, an important consideration was to allow for easy manufacturing. Making sure that the collection is affordable for us all.

Maybe you recognized a familiar style in her designs. Her brother Jorre van Ast designed the Clampology collection. In the March issue of the Dutch magazine EigenHuis&interieur you can read a special interview with the van Ast family. But you can also send Floor an email for more information.

Bookhou at IDS

A special thanks to Arounna and John from Bookhou who invited me to the IDS. They had their own booth showing their great collection of handmade designs. You probably have seen some of their other designs before on Bloesem, but you definitely should take a look at their new products.

The new illustrations by Arounna are printed on a gorgeous wooden tray, which was handmade by John. Another collaborative piece is the red field stool. I love the combination of the wood materials and the nature inspired prints. Arouna also made an incredible linen patchwork blanket. I know how much work it is, but I sincerely hope she will produce more of them. As always you can order online or send an email.

IDS 2007

Last weekend I visited the Toronto Interior Design Show 2007. There were a lot of interesting new designs especially from a number of very talented students from Toronto. I am working on the pictures I made at the Show and should be able to show them to you tomorrow.

Also exhibiting at the Show were Bure & Linon with a very elegant textile collection. Roseline Vaillancourt and Marilyn Bernier are the founders of this Montreal based textile label. The simple but strong colored designs caught my eye immediately. All items in the collection, whether cushions, throws, table-cloths, napkins or table runners are made of natural materials, such as linen or wool and woven by hand in Bure & Lion’s Montreal workshop.

Rosaline and Marilyn also collaborate with other designers and offer customized services for both individuals and interior designers. So feel free to contact them for more in-formation or visit their website to see the complete wonderful collection.

Hayon Studio

The incredible Spanish designer Jaime Hayon doesn’t need much introduction. I am happy to let you know that he has an amazing exhibition called ‘Stage’ in the centre for design, Vivid, in Rotterdam. ‘Stage’ was previously shown in the Aram Gallery in London. Jaime started his career in 1997 as an industrial designer and also worked in the design department of Benetton. In 2004 he started his own business. Jaime designs toys, furniture and much more. ‘Stage’ is intended to be a window into Jaime Hayon’s world and looks into the future of design. It is experimental and daring.

Jaime is a true artist and his work is an inspiration to many I am sure. You can see Jaime Hayon’s work in Rotterdam until March 4 next, or check out his website to see more of his designs. You can buy his "Showtime Vases"' at the Vivid Online store. I love his designs!

Alexandra’s ceramics

Looking for more beautiful ceramics, I found Alexandra’s website. Alexandra actually has a degree in ceramics but postponed starting her own business after graduating to travel the world (sounds like a great idea…). When she lived in Bolivia her passion for ceramics was revived and when she came back to the UK she set up her own studio in London after having worked with a number of well-known potters.

Her current range of handmade tableware is inspired by plants and flowers. They are just gorgeous! Alexandra frequently exhibits and you can buy her work in a galleries and boutiques throughout London and online shops. But you can also send her an email for more information.

Fridge Magnets

Heart and star shaped fridge magnets from the finest porcelain. Jo Heckett makes these gorgeous accessories from her London studio. Fun, fresh and colourful. Jo uses vintage printing stamps as well as found objects. Everything is then finished with her signature soft and glossy or matt wash colours. If you don't find what you're after on the website, please contact Jo and she will do her best to supply what you need. You can buy them online at this great UK shop, Not on the High street!

Spring is in the air

Lisa sent me over some beautiful new designs. With Spring almost in the air Lisa wants to introduce the squirrel and the bird on a fence. Both cards are printed on 100% recycled French paper using vegetable-based inks. My favorite are the sticky notes set with these great chair illustrations.
Please visit Lisa’s website, Good on Paper Design.