That’s it, I want to be Tammy Kanat when I grow up. I’m amazed that after 11 years of Design Crush I have yet to feature her incredible weavings – it’s clearly time to remedy that. Kanat is a Melbourne-based textile artist who is constantly practicing innovation through her designs. Each piece feels intuitive, organic, and original, and I can’t help but smile when I look at one.
I saw these Reality Hand Hooks in person at a museum gift shop earlier this year and fell for them hard. The series, designed by Harry Allen, is inspired by the beauty of everyday objects. Four casts of the his hand provide a unique take on the idea of a shelf, vase, and hook that can be used in any number of ways. Choose from Bestow, C’mere, Grab, and Offer.
There’s not a lot of information to be had about Evelyn Tannus, the talented artist behind these sculpted and tattooed hands and forearms, but wow do I love them. Anyone else think she needs to become a tattoo apprentice asap?!
Plover Organic was created to unite playful colors and ethical, sustainable fabrics in a line of 100% organic cotton bedding, pillows, curtains, and tabletop in a range of vibrant patterns. All of Plover’s dye and labor practices conform to the safest environmental and ethical standards. Plover also supports the nonprofit Save the Children, and helps donate blankets to vulnerable children. And in an effort to waste not a single scrap of fabric, they’ve created their One-of-a-Kind collection, which right now includes some gorgeous quilts with new products being added regularly. The Olive Plant napkins below have been in rotation at my place this summer and they’re only getting softer with use.
Luisa Riviera is a Chilean-born illustrator who now resides in London. Her subtly nostalgic work is created with water-based paints and inspired by nature, literature, and folk culture. You can find Riviera’s talents gracing books, magazines, newspapers, and exhibitions.
I rely on a plethora of good smells to balance out my five pet home, the latest of which is Otherland‘s candles. Founder Abigail Stone noticed a gap in the market between high end overpriced candles and lower priced ones that were dominating the market and set out to fill it with her new line. A master perfumer creates Otherland’s with scent notes ranging from classics like sandalwood to the more unique saffron. I’m especially into their summer collection, which is burning in my living room at this very moment. The three scents – Stone Fruit (plum, peach skin, brown sugar), Matchpoint (tennis ball, cut grass, cucumber), and Freshwater Pearl (sea crystal, salt water, crushed shells) – bring instant summer nostalgia and the 1980s to mind. Photographer Henry Hargreaves to shot the collection which was directly inspired by the wacky geometry, day-glo colors, and zig-zagging angles of the Memphis design movement that we can’t seem to get enough of.
Philadelphia-based artist Amber Cowan uses a process which involves flameworking, blowing, and hot-sculpting recycled, up-cycled, and second-life glass (usually American pressed glass from the 1940s to 1980s) to create incredibly detailed sculptures that are brimming with intrigue. She sometimes removes individual details from pieces to use on their own and other times create her own details by melting old pieces down. Talk about time-consuming, but man is the outcome worth it!
Janel Foo is an L.A.-based stained-glass artist with a real knack for mixing colors and shapes. She also incorporates different textures into her stained-glass pieces that effects the way sunlight dances across the surface. The *snap* of creating each piece must be so satisfying!
It’s August, officially the dog days of summer. If you have air conditioning you may think that’s enough, but a fan in the room you spend most time in will really help redistribute all of that cooler air and help save on your electric bill a bit as well. I really love this conceptual Conbox Fan that’s so visually appealing and well designed – it’s controlled by your smartphone and can be broken down for storage during cooler months.
Italian born, Canada-based artist Toni Hamel describes her work as “an illustrated commentary on human frailties.” She draws on both personal experiences and observations to create works that reflect on and interpret the psychological unease of the current day and age. Virtues and vices, holy and profane, good and bad all share equal space in her art.
