Interior Designers rejoice! Glidden has provided you and me with a dream come true: free paint. Just by signing up online with your address you’re eligible to receive a free quart of paint in any color you want. If you know a bunch of friends who don’t need paint, just send it to their address and pick it up. How often do painters and decorators get free paint?! If you want more details make sure to check out the original post on The Examiner.

Somewhere between found art, Picasso, and industrial design is where Object Factory’s newest US based installation takes place.

Object Factory: The Art of Industrial Ceramics is the first major U.S. museum exhibition to survey contemporary innovation in industrial ceramic production and the renaissance of ceramics in art and design today. The exhibition explores how artists and designers are reviving interest in ceramics through collaborations with industry that enhance and sometimes subvert the industrial process. Object Factory presents works created for leading manufacturers as well as artworks by independent artists and designers. Both non-functional and functional works are highlighted, as are important technological advances in ceramic material that allow for its use in electronic appliances, cutting implements, and other surprising products.

Object Factory has more than some 200 works by over fifty artists, designers, and industry manufacturers. This large collection features work by some of the greatest American, European, and Russian designers. The exhibit runs from May 6 to September 13th and it can be found at the Museum of Arts and Design

By train: A, B, C, D or No. 1 to Columbus Circle at 59th Street; N, R, Q or W to 57th Street and 7th Avenue F to 57th Street and 6th Avenue By bus: M5, M7, M10, M20, M30 and M104 to Columbus Circle at 59th Street or 57th Street and 8th Avenue

Museum Hours Tue. – Sun. 11:00 am to 6:00 pm Thurs. 11:00 am to 9:00 pm Closed Mon. and Major Holidays

SUMMER HOURS: Due to popular demand, the Museum will be open on Tuesdays from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm throughout the summer.

Located in both New York City (Creative Fluff’s base) and Buenos Aires, Concealed Lighting has managed to provide innovative solutions for creative problems posed by clients for lighting design.  The first, and possibly my most favorite examples are their display lighting examples.

Aside from the fact that I’m a sucker for anything that glows blue, I found their creative display lighting reminiscent of fibirous spider webs and it was an excellent example of using natura as the basis for a design concept.  What’s most interesting about this specific example is that it uses its subtle lighting to make impressive  shadow illustrations on plain walls getting rid of any need to spend money on creative wallpaper.

This second example is a completely lit bookcase / storage displace with built in LED’s that illuminate every compartment.  Concealed Lighting’s use of LED’s instead of lightbulbs offer them the ability to consume less energy, it allows for flexible/subtle lighting sources, and it is less likely to set anything on fire removing any and all health hazzards.  The bookcase remains minimal and fuctional while retaining the ability to qualify for something that would be displayed in the MoMA’s product design section.

The final piece from concealed lighting I want to discuss is the Nikon display.   The subtle lighting in the background is far from a neon sign with Nikon’s name on it.  Instead it is a warm, f uzzy, but recognizable version of the logo created by hundreds of golden LED’s.  Even though its a lighting display it manages to retain Nikon’s corporate branding while expressing it in a creative manner.

If you need lighting design done for you or just want to check out their portfolio make sure to see them here: concealedlighting.com

Chanukah Menorah!

Chanukah is the Jewish Festival of Lights which takes place every December and lasts for 8 days and nights. Chanukah celebrates the recapture and rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem by Judas Maccabaeus in 164 BC.

According to the Book of Maccabae once the Temple had been reclaimed a lamp was lit; this lamp according to Jewish law had to be kept lit and never put out! The only problem was that there was only enough oil to keep the lamp lit for one day. This of course is where the miracle comes in; the oil in the lamp lasted eight days, just enough time to aquire more oil.

To commemorate this miracle a lamp is lit during every night of Chanukah and placed in an eight-branched candlestick called a menorah. Here are some menorah examples:

Now this is an interesting Menorah, it is seems to be made out of nails!

Although this next one may not be religious none the less it is fairly interesting….especially if you are a cat lover like Fred is…

This one is very nice, I especially like the flame effects,

This one is also quite interesting,

And here I will leave you with what a typical Menorah may look like all lit up on Chanukah!

I hope you have all enjoyed this little menorah show. Hopefully you may have learned a little something about this Festive and fun holiday!

Happy Chanukah!

“Works on view will include papers illustrated with nursery rhymes and designs inspired by works of fiction and adventure, such as Peter Rabbit, Alice in Wonderland, and Cinderella. The exhibition also will trace the evolution of children’s books from instructional to fictional and include developments such as movable and pop-up books, which added an interactive element to children’s reading.”

For anyone interested in designing or illustrating, or writing children’s books this is a good exhibition to see. Read more about Wall Stories and get more exhibition information at http://cooperhewitt.org/EXHIBITIONS/wallstories/

Amazing I thought to myself, what a great idea to turn something from junk to Design Motif. Although their website and their ordering information may be a little hard to use and somewhat inconvienent, for any lover of Modern Art and/or Bikes be it motorcycle or bicycle, these pieces are a must have. The look turns out to be so modern and edgy.

A really great aspect of this business is the fact that they recycle the materials instead of throwing them on the scrap heap. It is a great way to really rethink and reuse our everyday items. It definitely makes me wonder about other material goods I may throw away and what other uses I could just have for them.

So in conclusion, if you want to turn your bike into a rocking chair, check out Bikefurniture.com.