Orangin, Jaren Goh

heartlandsoldier — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 07:17:31 +0000

First he gave us the revolutionary toaster known as Rollertoaster. Earlier this year, his Vintage bookshelf design was brought to the international market by Munkii Singapore. Now Singaporean designer Jaren Goh has once again grace the design conscious with a juicer that is simply delightful to behold.

Award winning design in this year’s Red Dot Awards, the Orangin is a compact, adorable and fashionable way to get your daily fresh juice. And we believe it is going to be a really fun process with the built-in juicer crank.

The Orangin is not going to give you juice as fast as a modern fruit blender. It is not even going to juice anything more than your familiar oranges. But there is just an irresistible charm to designs like these that remind us to revisit our rudimentary past where the process of extracting juice only needs to be simple and plain. – AS

Interview: Jaren Goh

heartlandsoldier — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 18:49:42 +0000

We have caught up with one of the very exciting designers from Singapore who have been giving us an array of really cool products to admire at. Jaren speaks to us on his design perspective and the launch of the highly anticipated bookshelf – Vintage.

AS: You are from Singapore. Tell us something about your local design scene.

JG: In the last few years, our government and the related authorities have been very hyped about the local design quality and showcasing local works on the world stage. We are at the coming-of-age phase and I would say that I am proud and fortunate to be doing what I am doing at this time.

AS: Tell us what you think makes a designer different from other professions.

JG: There are no differences, I believe. Loving what you do for a living is the essence here.

AS: Tell us about the Vintage bookshelf you have designed for Munkii.

JG: The design was first conceptualized in 2007 and it was a long but meaningful journey from concept to prototype to perfecting the final product. I was fortunate that the people at Munkii share the same perspective and direction when it comes to design or in the process of production.

AS: What were you looking for when you designed Vintage?

JG: I designed Vintage with the purpose of blending the flamboyance of the baroque style with the simplicity of the contemporary approach. I hope the resulting product will be something our eyes can easily fall in love with.

AS: From your website, you have a series of lighting designs. Are there plans for LAMB and Alpha & Beta?

JG: LAMB is currently the showcase fixture in Klapson Hotel Singapore and it will most likely be exclusive to them. As for Alpha & Beta, I can only say that it is being manufactured but I am not allowed to disclose the vendors as of now.

AS: Everyone is inspired by somebody. Who is your inspiration in your work?

JG: Chris Bangle and Steve Jobs. They are amazing people with exceptional talent, commitment, insights and dedication.

AS: How do you define success in the design industry?

JG: I don’t think I am anywhere near that position to commend on that but I guess the day you admit to success is the day you stop coming up with good concepts.

Vintage Bookshelf, Munkii

heartlandsoldier — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 18:10:29 +0000

The concept of Vintage was first released in 2007 and had received riveting reviews. A prototype was displayed in Nhow Hotel Milan in the same year. According to Vintage’s designer, Jaren Goh (see interview above) Vintage is finally available through Munkii.

We adore how this elegant bookshelf harmoniously adopted both classic and modern aspects. Crafted entirely out of MDF, the white gloss exterior and dark matte interior should be able to complement any living space flawlessly and the simplistic and basic profile makes it a charm to set up against any walls or corners.

Mariposa Chair, Kate Rider

heartlandsoldier — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:21:13 +0000

The Mariposa chair is an ambitious design from Kate Rider, a recent graduate of the Edinburgh College of Art in Scotland. His concept of integrating the intricate art of lace craft with cold hard steal has created a seater that looks both generous and equally inviting. – AS

Jin Young Yu

heartlandsoldier — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 16:00:14 +0000

Just like what Josh Spear says, we have no idea what they are as well. We read a brief description from the Korean artist and other than family discord and estranged relatives, we still have no clue. We only know they don’t make these any spookier than what we see here. There is a strange allure wherever we stumble upon stuff like this, creepy yet irresistible at the same time. I guess we should take a hint from those horror flicks, bring them home and they may just come alive at night and some really bad things. Check out Jin Young Yu, they actually come in a family. – KG

The Edge Chandelier, Designliquid

heartlandsoldier — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:42:26 +0000

Scooped from Design Milk, the Edge Chandelier is indeed a true beauty and a masterful piece of art. Its octopussy (excuse us) structure is created entirely from decorated cardboard with purposefully exposed corrugated sides, in case we ever wonder what it is made of. Presumably light-weight, this baroque-style chandelier should be an amazing centrepiece in most homes or ballrooms. They should warn us from gazing at it too long to avoid stiff necks. – KG

Atilla Kuzu

heartlandsoldier — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 14:07:14 +0000

Atilla Kuzu’s obsession with using plywood in his designs is apparent. This year at Istanbul Design Week 2009, he has taken this passion to new heights. His clever use and methodical arrangement of the material creates an eye boggling and brain teasing new design.

Toaster History

heartlandsoldier — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 08:00:00 +0000

Way back in 1919, British inventor Charles Strite gave the world its first pop-up electrical toaster that comes complete with a timer. Since then, the toaster has become an irreplaceable mainstay on the kitchen table. Not only did Charles Strite create a bread toasting device, he gave mankind an opportunity to foster an everlasting interactive relationship with a common household appliance. Man invented cigarettes because we need to fulfil a human need to control fire and then we have the toaster that fulfils our need to finally be in control over the fate of a simple piece of bread.

Over the years, countless toaster designs have walked this earth and our kitchen tables, attempting to reinvent or replace the common toaster. However, the basic toast creating technique, roasting the sugar within the bread to give it its brown, crusty look had pretty much remained unchanged. We have catalogued just a few of these designs here at mermur – from vintage toasters that seem more suitable in a torture chamber to contemporary designs that makes you not recognise a toaster when you see one. – AS

Pelouze Percheramer/Amer Beauty Coil

Some amazingly weird contraptions that may double as your kitchen torture devices. Inventorsabout says these were toasters and we believe them.

Modern Toaster Designs/Concepts

Clockwise:

Zuse Toaster by Inseq, Rollertoaster by Jaren Goh, Split toaster by Craig Stragward, Swavtoaster from Russell Hobbs and the Nahamer toaster by Rob Penny. – AS

Reverse Salt and Pepper

heartlandsoldier — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 05:45:43 +0000

If you haven’t figured out the age-old paradox of the half-filled, half-empty glass, the reverse salt and pepper shakers sure aren’t going to help. Guaranteed to put a smile on your face at the breakfast table, these shakers are a rethink and reverse of an everyday object so familiar to us. – AS

PlanetG, Paul Sandip

heartlandsoldier — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 19:40:31 +0000

Count on Paul Sandi to give us workable yet delightful designs. PlanetG for GM Modular, India is fittingly inspired by the Planet Saturn, complete with its orangey hue and mysterious rings. The design cleverly allows you to conveniently scroll the orb to divert the its focus either towards or away from you. Most importantly, we adore it because it looked like something an extraterrestrial left behind.