Arte Luise Kunsthotel. May 14, 2007

Luise Berlin Hotel

A gallery where you can spent the night. That is what a hotel in one of the Berlin’s most exciting neighborhoods is often called. The Arte Luise Kunsthotel offers almost 50 rooms, each one decorated by a renowned artist.

Check out the rooms to see all the individual room concepts. There’s some interesting themes going on.

If you ever find yourself in Berlin, it might be worth checking into the Arte Luise Kunsthotel.

Sleepless At The Great Eastern Hotel. May 9, 2007

Sleepless At The Great Eastern Hotel.

No sleeping at a five star hotel. Sleepless is a collaboration between The Great Eastern Hotel and fourteen students from the Royal College of Art’s acclaimed Design Products department led by Professor Ron Arad. Running from 19th May - 3rd June, the reactive installations and objects invite guests and visitors to take part in an experience and step into a hidden dimension where a hotel is more than just a place for the night.

I really like Tiago Da Fonseca’s ‘Bedtime Stories’ project. Each added layer of linen on your bed contains a “page” making up a traditional bedtime story.

Find out more at Sleepless.

Airplane Trolleys. May 8, 2007

Bordbar

You know those trolleys that Air Stewardesses push around? The ones that they keep all the fun-sized mini-bottles of vodka in? Ever fancied owning one of those? Because if you have, you’re in luck. Stephan Boltz, a 29 year old designer from Duesseldorf has created Bordbar. Bordbar take the trolleys that have travelled around the world (small bumps and scratches are proof of their service between the wings), then enhance them with individual designs.

So when your friends come round, you can wheel out your stylish drinks trolley and hand out miniature bottles of red wine!

Find out more at Bordbar.

“Green” Vodka from Iceland. May 4, 2007

Rekya Vodka

The world’s first “green” vodka. The boutique vodka market welcomes a new player with the launch of Reyka vodka (pronounced Ray kuh). The vodka has just hit American shelves and is the world’s first “green” vodka- distilled using sustainable and clean energy from geothermal heat (the spirit is passed over lava rock twice during distillation.)

It’s hot because it’s bottle come in 1 of 8 limited edition bottle top designs and the Actress in the ads and the website is Icelandic Singer/ Songwriter Hafdis Huld, formerly of the group GusGus (you can watch the adverts on YouTube: Water into Vodka, Vodka Flavored Vodka and Humping Puffin.)

Find out more at reykavodka.com.

Fulguro. May 2, 2007

Fulguro

More edible design. Following on from my previous post about Martí Guixé’s food design, I thought I’d mention Fulguro, which also mixes food with design.

How about a bread, such as a breaf-loaf birdhouse which can both shelter and feed the birds?

See more brilliant ideas by Fulguro.

British Hide by Jon Male.

British Hide by Jon Male

Is there such a thing as a Persian Bear? Jon Male has produced a humorous take on the old bearskin rug, by mixing it with a Persian-style patterned carpet for his British Hide design. You’ve got to appreciate the witty design.

See more work by Jon Male.

Voon Wong & Benson Saw.

Voon Wong and Benson Saw

I’m going through a “sharp-edges” phase. Voon Wong & Benson Saw do this style brilliantly with the bone china ranges Crease and Fragment.

Voon Wong & Benson Saw are a London based multi disciplinary design practice who draw upon their different backgrounds in architecture, engineering and product design to lend a unique perspective to furniture, lighting, product design, architecture and interior design.

What really blows me away is their Cubist mirror. A beautiful coupling of art with design.

See more work by Voon Benson.