January 28th, 2010
The green movement has just gotten a boost from one of the most famous designers in the world. Philippe Starck has teamed up with the Italian manufacturing group PRAMAC to develop the first designer wind turbine designs for home use. The turbines come in two designs, and will produce 400 watts of power and 1 kilowatt of power. They will cost $3,495.25 (2,500 euros) for the smaller “quadrangular” turbine and $4,893.35 (3,500 euros) for the 1 kilowatt “helicoidal” turbine.
These designs comes on the heels of the ultra-famous designer denouncing design and his works and announcing his retirement saying that ‘Design is Dead’, and that he felt that ‘Everything I designed was unnecessary… and I am ashamed of this fact. When he unveiled his new turbine designs in Milan his tune had changed when he said:
“We have to help people to produce energy, to be part of the fight. Energy should not be a punishment, we should create a desire (among people to produce it).”
Philippe Starck Wind Turbines
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September 21st, 2009
In our travels we find all kinds of funky furniture designs, and lately many stylish chair designs. Here are just a few of our favorites, which we’ve seen recently:
- This i b pop chair is not only unique and chic, but sustainable too as it is made from 98% recycled materials to form a single sheet of recyclable plastic. It is made without the use of adhesives or glues, and it is perfect for indoor or outdoor use. The chair is made by Blue Marmalade Ltd and available for purchase on numerous UK retail websites.
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September 1st, 2009
Have you ever been surfing the Web, looking at new and interesting designs, and just been taken aback by something which forced you to look at nearly everything a designer has done? A few days ago I found myself looking at hundreds of designs by one of my favorite designers, Philippe Starck, when I found an amazing yacht that he had been working on recently (see below). I’m no stranger to Starck as I own his “Louis Ghost Chair” (see below), but his designs are so amazing and stylish that they take me by surprise every time. If you are curious where design is going and want a look into the future, then take a look at something Starck has done recently… or better yet, look at something he did in 1986!
As one of the most famous French designers in the world, he has a portfolio that spans nearly every facet of design imaginable. My favorite works of Philippe Starck are typically in his interior design and architectural designs, but even his commercial and industrial designs are quite intriguing and always interesting. When you have some hours to spare, take a look at his website and meander through the hundreds of pictures of his work: http://www.starck.com/
If you are interested in viewing the new line of bathroom products that he designed for Hansgrohe and Duravit, and are located near the Washington DC or Baltimore area, Union Hardware will be hosting an event called Starck Inspirations in which Nicolas Grohe, Director Product Planning & Development Hansgrohe North America, and Tim Schroeder, President and CEO of Duravit USA will speak on the topic. The event is being held on Thursday, September 10, 2009 from 6:00p.m. – 8:00p.m. Union Hardware is located at 7800 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20814. This is a free event, and hors d’oeuvres will be served. It is only open to members of the design community and the press. If you are interested in attending, you will need to RSVP by this Friday, September 4, 2009. To RSVP call: 818.981.8210.
Here is just a small sampling of Starck’s work, we apologize if we missed one of your favorites. For more please visit www.starck.com:
Motor Yacht A 2008
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