Babees Honey

Hello and welcome back to our daily design updates! I am back from Poznań and arena design and both my head and camera are full of incredible pictures of the best Polish design. I need to unpack and get organised first though, so for now I'm going to leave you with another example of great package design by Ah&Oh Studio - their babees honey. I think it's pretty delicious.

Patka Smirnow - Eco Bags

My visit at arena design in Poznan is a fruitful one and I'm truly delighted to be here. The fair was opened by Karim Rashid, as I mentioned earlier on this week, and I have to tell you a few words about his lecture, but I need to come back home first and get hold of my own computer (rather than my brother's). Polish designers featured at arena design will pop up at the site for sure in the upcoming weeks so do come back to see it!

For now I'm going to leave you with another Polish designer, Patrycja Smirnow, also known as Patka Smirnow, who creates amazing hand bags out of used plastic bags. I was going to buy one of them at the recent Etnodizajn festival in Krakow, but unfortunately run out of money minutes before I reached Patka's stall. I'll make it up to myself next time I get to see her work!

Ouzo Package Design by Mousegraphics

Today I'm in Poznań at arena design 2010. I am looking forward to seeing all the best that Polish design has to offer. Obviously I will keep you up to date and publish some photos next week, once I return. So as not to leave you without any inspiration today, here's the latest package design in the portfolio of one of my favourite graphic studios in Europe - Mousegraphics from Greece. This time for the Greek speciality - ouzo. Raise your glasses and bottoms up!

Jakub Sobiepanek - Souvenir From Poland

Since I live in Krakow, which is definitely the Polish capital of tourism, I am constantly exposed to kitschy souvenirs sold all over the town. It always strikes me how ugly everything is and how rarely do you see anything classy in that department. At the recent Ethnodesign fair hosted in Krakow I have spotted something completely different. Souvenir concept by Jakub Sobiepanek - miniature chair, to be self assembled, representing traditional polish folk design (I think from Podhale, but I can't be sure. I'll get back to you with that). I wanted to buy it at the spot, but the idea isn't being produced yet. Looking forward to seeing it in the tourist souvenirs stalls!

Gravika Jewellery

Today I came to work with a big suitcase and as soon as I finish my hours, I'm off to Poznań for one of the biggest desing fairs in Poland - arena design 2010. It is opened tomorrow at noon by Karim Rashid himself and is followed by four days of shows and lectures by the best Polish designers. For now - some beautiful jewellery I saw at the last design fair in Krakow by Gravika.

Ah&Oh Studio for E.Wedel

I am always thrilled to see Polish graphic studios create something classy and worth showing in the world, especially when it comes to package design. It seems to me that the Polish market isn't quite ready to showcase minimalistic and stylish packaging on a large scale, but there's few producers who can push the graphic studios to come up with beautiful designs. One of them is E.Wedel, most renowned chocolate manufacturer, working with Warsaw based Ah&Oh Studio. Continue reading after the break to see the rest of their projects for Wedel published at Behance.

Packaging design for chocolate lounges co-owned by the biggest chocolate manufacturer in Poland E. Wedel, which is also one of the oldest and most recognizable polish brands. Our aim was to design series of packaging for several gourmet products, which were to be sold exclusively in E. Wedel Pijalnie Czekolady (chocolate lounges). Among them were hand-made chocolates, pralines, cookies, florentines and traditonal hot chocolate for self-preparation. Our first ideas dealed with the great company tradition but remixed in modern way. None the less further designs went in more conventional but still tasty direction.

Karim Rashid in Poland

This week I am going to be a little bit busy. Mostly beacause I'm setting off to Poznań for the design expo ARENA DESIGN, featuring best designers in Poland. This year the show has an extra treat for those attending - opening speach by Karim Rashid himself. I don't think I need to introduce Karim to anyone, who's interested in design, however I will show his latest work sometime soon, to build up the expectations.
I, myself, can't wait!

This year's show will be opened by one of the most creative and appreciated designers of this generation. Karim Rashid, the author of over 3,000 designs in mass production and the winner of over 300 awards has prepared a special presentation for arena DESIGN. It is entitled: "Design changes the world". The design legend will answer the participants' questions directly after the lecture and at a press conference.

Table ...with no table - Gosia Lipińska

When you think of home, you must think of a family table. It's the one place that organises a family life. Furniture piece that provides space not only for meals, but also discussions, gatherings, cosy evenings by the candle lights. So what do you say when you see a table, that's been stripped off its basic space? Polish designer Gosia Lipińska created a table leaving only the usibility acspect of it - holding plates and cutlery. Metal construction keeps the plates and vases in place, but there's no actual table surface. Dishware seems to be hanging in the air, people look like they're sittin around an invisible object. Is it still ...a table?

Experiment trying to create "by the table" situation - without the table. 4 people sit by each other, everyone has their own dish, there is a vase, candlelight, glasses... just no table. The objects are "flying" on a wire frame. It's an interpretation of the table as space rather than surface - space between the the objects and the people sharing a meal.

Katie Thompson - Recycled Furniture

After i bought an apartment I became a furniture renovation fanatic. My friend graduated from Fine Arts Academy in Warsaw and she specializes in renovating art, so every now and then she gives me a few tips. Couple weeks ago she even organized little workshops in gilding for me, in the middle of her studio. Fascinating! I have to publish a couple of pics sometime. Anyways, Katie Thompson is a master in turning old pieces of junk into really stylish furniture. She's an incredible inspiration...

Using pieces of discarded junk, Katie recreates a unique, recycled range of furniture, lighting and interior accessories, each piece infused with its own previous character but with a new function. By blending South African craftsmanship, with high end finishes and her own eclectic perfectionist flair, Katie creates an original end product with a new integrity that epitomizes the very best of South African design.

Pleciuga - Dowry Chest

Last Saturday I attended the Ethnodesign / Etnodizajn festival in Krakow, which I really (really) enjoyed. Most of the teams featured at the fair presented objects inspired by folk culture or made out of sustainable materials. I will feature most of them when I finally have a bit more time to sit down and go through all the photos I made and check out the business cards I brought in a big bag. For now then a truly amazing standing chest by Proteindesign, woven out of used magazines strings. It's based on a dowry chest given to the bride in the traditional Polish villages, so you can order one if you're planning a weeding sometime soon... :)

Sweet Handbags by Not To Repeat

Beautiful collection of handmade handbags by Not To Repeat. via Stukupuku.

Iris Schieferstein - Craaaazy Animal Shoes

You might remember I'm a shoe fanatic and I have gathered a pretty diverse collection of shoes over the years, but nothing in my closet looks half as crazy as these - shoes with hoves and shooting guns... Iris Schieferstein managed to leave me in awe of her imagination for sure.

A Few Cool Chairs...

In February I featured a little post with some kick ass chairs. They were sent over to me in an email, from God knows where, so I don't know where they come from. But good things need to be shared nonetheless!

Joanna Figurniak Cube Lamp

Another great project by Joanna Figurniak from Moo Studio. This time Joanna explored the sustainability subject and created a lamp out of empty egg boxes. Cube lamp is part of the recycling project. Made of six eggs boxes, clip with 24 blinder clips. Simple construction let fold and unfold the lamp individually. Lamp set includes: six eggs boxes, 24 binder clips, metal construction, bulb holder, and cable.

Grupa WZOROWO - Broken Glass Lamp

I am pretty excited with an upcoming event in Krakow - ETNODIZAJN Festival 2010. Hosted by the Etnographic Museum, festival features both local folk artist as well as those inspired by the folk art. One of the design teams showing their projects will be Grupa WZOROWO and the three young women behind it: Agnieszka Bar, Agnieszka Kajper and Karina Marusińska. Picture above shows their lamp, made of shreds of glas and an old jar. Not really folk inspired - pretty clever nonetheless.

Bannerina Lamp

Bannerina Lamp by Katarzyna Okinczyc is made of used banners, changing the advertising patterns, printed on the banner-mesh fabric, into decorative wonders. The thing I like about the whole project is that every item is unique and it helps to recycle so many useless and otherwise poisonous for the enviroment banners that hang on the buildings for a short period of time, only to be trashed. Bannerina was the winner at 2008 Prodeco awards

PXL Lamp by Fredrik Mattson

To me PXL Lamp by Fredrik Mattson looks like it's made of LEGO and somehow reminds me of my childhood. First of all I loved LEGO, but we also had lamps similar in shape to the middle one in many public institutions. The difference is we never had many colours in the design and architecture in the past, while the bold colour combination of this lamp could brighten up any home space. As for the designer, Fredrik Mattson is trained as a cabinet maker. After studying carpentry he gained a master in design at Konstfack university of Arts, Craft and Design, in Stockholm. Since 2002 Fredrik Mattson is running his own design company with focus on furniture design in Malmö, Sweden. The lamp is made of steel and aluminium and is available for purchase at Zero.