(Video link here.) We written before about the wonders of washi tape, Japan’s version of masking tape made of rice paper; it comes in many colors and sizes, with an adhesive that is very gentle to walls. It’s the perfect material for instant-decorating. MT is the company that started it all and has an extensive line of washi masking tapes
This video of an installation of MT’s tapes by designer Koji Iyama pushes the possibilities. We LOVE the rolls hanging from the ceiling. read more…
Of the many imaginary inventions in my head, a pop-up guest room has had many iterations. Living in a moderate-sized New York City apartment with only one bedroom, I’d love a separate, somewhat private space to offer guests who come to sleep in my big open livingroom/kitchen/workspace. My latest inspiration comes Fabrica, Benetton’s communication research center in Treviso, Ialy.’Next Cabane’ was a design exploration spurred by a foldable wooden structure found in a dark corner of an antique market in the south of Scotland. Fabrica’s designers viewed envisioned it as movable rooms that can be carried from place to place.
‘small, temporary spaces where we can set our boundaries, seek shelter or simply live a different life rediscovering the quality and simplicity of things.
personal, intimate havens in harmony with their surroundings; they reflect on subjects like work, pop-up culture, loneliness, games.
alternative settings were one can live in a better way with more awareness, where design is at the service of research into materials, forms and structures.’
All it would take to make the frame is a some drilled slats of hardwood, jointed with hex bolts and wing nuts* nut whose “wings” provide a grip for the thumb and finger. You tighten the wing nut to secure the form; untighten it to fold it up for storage. read more…
Curiously, this man in a bacon costume inspires us. He epitomizes the out-of-the-box, sometimes silly, sometimes outrageous, sometimes-even-embarassing creative thinking that we love so much. We could view this man as a fool or brilliant, and realize sometimes they are the same thing.
via Retronaut
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powerful words: devise, invent, create, change…
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The great DVDP devised a gif out of origami artist Jun Mitani’s flickr photostream: a lovely reminder of the possibilities inherent in simple sheets of paper…
…which reminded us of Between the Folds, a wondrous video clip we posted about origami’s cosmic potential.
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folded paper chopstick rest
With the holidays fast approaching, everyone we know is starting their annual scramble to find great gifts. We’ve always felt that books make the best children’s presents. Over the years we’ve posted some of our favorites, all of which encourage creative thinking. From surprising cookbooks to clever craft projects, we highly recommend these six books to inspire your child’s inner artist. Click through the links below to read our posts about each one and order from Amazon, starting with The Donut Chef by Bob Staake ( buy it here)… read more…
We forgot how great old-fashioned crepe paper streamers are for jazzing up a space until we stumbled pictures we clipped from Aesthetic Outburst ages ago: it’s an easy way to give a room charmingly festive atmosphere with a bit of “kid” in it. The magic is all in the colors you choose like this mix of hot pink
We’ve written before about how much we love Made By Joel’s, Joel Henrique’s website that features his charming handmade children’s toys. This October 11th will mark the release of Joel’s first book, Made to Play!: Handmade Toys and Crafts for Growing Imaginations
For a fat, liberating dose of inspiration, check out the long riff on Mondoblogo of chairs Italian Designer Gaetano Pesce painted in the nineties for his kids.
His “Open Sky” chairs are out-there, fun, wild, loose, and awesomely beautiful… read more…
Robert Picault
We have long loved to draw and write notes on our hands, but only occasionally have imagined the possibilities for drawing on the rest of our bodies. Then we found these two unattributed pictures from Under the Sun and really GOT IT, first with a charming Picasso-esque image (It IS Picasso) and then the wildly-liberated pint-sized artist’s scribblings below read more…
From Eloise by Kay Thompson (Drawing: Hilary Knight)
The other night a friend who was recuperating from an injury asked us to tell him a story as he fell asleep. A story, we wondered, h-mm-mm. Why not read a kid’s book for this exhausted, wounded grown-up. Looking through our library, an ancient copy of Kay Thompson’s Eloise 
This picture on Wary Meyers’ site stopped us dead with desire. Writes Wary:
“All kinds of awesomeness from Molly and Norman McGrath’s incredible 1978 book on interiors for kids, Children’s Spaces: 50 Architects and Designers Create Environments for the Young
Without a doubt the best book ever published about children’s design.”
We see this fab paint-spattered floor as a fine playground for adults we well.
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via Ouno
We recently came across our SWINGS file that lay forgotten on our computer. There we found all manner of swings hung INSIDE the house, mostly in the living room, where they become a thing of delight for both children and grown-ups: a kinetic sculpture-of-a-seat that gives the pleasure of being rocked, of air, and somehow, of outside. Traditional swings work best in big spaces with high ceilings and room to fly… read more…
