Diogo Aguiar is an architecture graduate from the Oporto School of Architecture in Portugal who created an ingenious temporary bar using TROFAST storage boxes from IKEA as the main building material.

Every year, the students of the school of architecture are invited to create a temporary bar to represent their institution and Diogo Aguiar came up with a great concept. Needless to say, he won the first prize!

VERSION 1

The first version was simply the concept. I love the way he presented his concept like an IKEA instruction booklet and his sense of humor. Notice the passed out IKEA character?

VERSION 2

The second version, which was built in only one week, was a bit taller and included LED light to give it a completely different look at night. I think he did a really great job!

source : Diogo Aguiar | ikea

I recently came across this really original artwork on Coffee on Paper by Brasilian designer, Dirceu Veiga who’s a coffee art artist: He makes art with coffee. What a neat concept! I like the idea of creating scenes of people in a coffee shop.

Of course, I think these art pieces would be very nice and appropriate in a little coffee shop, which inspired me to create inspiration boards.

The Hoppy pendant light (from Dark) reminds me of coffee beans, My Cuppa Tea and My Cuppa Coffee cups (from SUCK UK) link the artwork with the product, Pawn Stool, Richmond Chair, Tightback chair, Bishop Chair, Magazine Rack (from Gus Modern) add warmth and a richness to the space, and the floor tiles from the Weathered Concrete collection in Natural Grey (from LSI Floors) provide a nice contrast.

source : Dark | Suck UK | Gus Modern | LSI Floors | Droog | Coffee on Paper | Plushpod | Blomus

Finally a doll house based on modern architecture! Clearview, a modern doll house, was created by designer Elaine Shaw who also believes that traditional doll houses are out of fashion and it’s time for them to reflect the lifestyle of today. I love the level of detail in her work. It’s the first of several to come in the near future.

photo : metro uk

dmvA, an architectural firm from Belgium, recently created this really neat mobile pod for the office of Xfactor Agencies. The goal was to build an office in the backyard of a residence, but their plans kept being rejected by the local authorities due to restrictive building regulations. Blob VB3, an egg-shaped mobile pod, was their answer to the rejection of their concept. By making it a mobile art piece that could be used as an office, the architects were able to get around the local codes and didn’t even require a building permit.

This pod includes a bathroom in the back, a kitchen, a bed and a lot of storage spaces. I love that it looks like a giant egg. At 20 square meters (approx. 200 sq. ft.) it can be used as a office, a guest room, a modern take on a tree house, a camping shelter or a space within a space (like a conference room inside a loft office). Also, the fact that it’s mobile makes it useful as an emergency shelter. There are so many possibilities!

source : apartment therapy | designboom | dmvA | Brecht
photography: vercruysse frederik, mick couwenbergh/rini van beek

I love this chair by Richard Liddle from Cohda Design. Called the RD Legs (RD stands for Roughly Drawn), it is made from 100% molten plastic waste and it’s really a piece of art. It really does give the impression that someone just sketched the chair with a giant pencil and it came to life. These chairs are all hand made and there are only 25 chairs per color (which I guess explains their cost). Developed by Richard, the design uses no glues or additional fixings in its production.

Cohda Design Ltd is a British company founded in 2006 as an urban design brand with a mission: “to design, manufacture and supply innovative contemporary products that break down the pre-conceptions of what sustainable, innovative designs should be”.

When you look at products from Codha, they don’t scream “I’m eco-friendly”. Clever and thought-provoking, their designs engage the user in a story, allowing the products to be recognized for both their innovation and Eco credentials.

Limited editions of these chairs are available in Canada through galerie CO in Montreal for $1850. The video below shows how they are made.

Photos : Cohda Design | galerie CO

Suppose Design Office has created an original space for the Diesel Denim Gallery in Aoyama, Japan. It’s a place where where fashion, art, design and architecture interact with one another. The gallery supports emerging artists by providing free space for them to showcase their work.

Nature Factory is the title of the installation this year. It includes several white pipes imitating trees and growing branches, creating a stunning effect from inside and outside. It’s fascinating how a simple object like a plastic pipe can create such an innovative space and how plastic becomes “natural”. The lights placed above the pipes on the ceiling also create a very nice shadow effect, just like branches under the sun. The abundance of pipes on the ceiling also gives the effect of being under a vine.

There are currently only two locations for these avant-garde Diesel Denim Galleries : Tokyo and New York. Diesels stores are also rare in Canada, thereare currently only two Canadian stores : one in Montreal and the other one in Toronto and the only Canadian Flagship store is in Montreal. I think we could use a bit more in Canada.

source :archdaily
photos :archdaily & Grand Gallery Magazine

Isn’t this space just mind blowing? Recently completed in New York city, this is the home of an Armani store, designed by Doriana and Massimiliano Fuksas of Fuksas. I am just in awe with the design of the stairs, which is unmistakeably the focal point of the space. I just love the way it wraps around all floors in a very chaotic way and the various shapes the stairs seem to take depending on your point of view. It’s a very dynamic concept. Definitely a space I would love to experience. I wonder if some producer will think about using this in a sci-fi movie.

Source: contemporist