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The Dieline Package Design Awards 2013: Home, Garden, & Pet, 3rd Place …

SOURCE is the new carbonated water and soda machine for SodaStream, fully embodying 360-degree design and sustainability on an everyday level. With sustainability as central to SOURCE, the packaging needed to reflect this, making the choice and amount of materials key. “We started with a smaller footprint for the box overall, and with this the smaller form factor, more boxes fit on a shelf, ship more efficiently and, most importantly, we practice what we preach – less waste, more focus on what’s important. Additionally, we created a structure and packaging plan which eliminated additional packing materials, housing the water bottle in the back of the machine, aggregating all of the manual content into one book and affixing it to the front flap, using corrugated cardboard to hold it all in place.”

 

 

“While creating a design that emphasized sustainability attributes, we did not sacrifice on the out of box experience for the user. The packaging is the first opportunity for the consumer to interact with the product and thus needs to create a lasting impression. The product design is monolithic, introduced through the unique opening of the box. When the box is set on the counter, the entire front flap drops open to reveal the iconic face of SOURCE. A tray pulls out to reveal the entirety of the machine on your counter. Once the bottle is removed from the back of the machine and attached, SOURCE is ready to go. This simple, intuitive unboxing allows the user to get to easily access what they really want, to start using their new SOURCE.

As people take pride in their kitchens, the product was designed to be beautiful from every angle. The packaging needed to convey this detailed consideration. The box echoes the raw to refined message central to the product, using kraft paper on the sides, and focuses on beautiful product photography on the front and back surface. We kept the branding minimal, choosing to focus on the product. The sides of the box give additional information about the what’s included in the SOURCE kit, using simple messaging and fun graphics. High quality printing of the images with a UV spot coat contributed to a premium look and feel while still underscoring sustainability.

The SodaStream SOURCE packaging combines unique sustainability factors, iconic design and considered out of box experience to create a beautiful and exciting first impression of the product.”

 

Designed by fuseproject

Location: San Francisco, CA, United States

Placement: 3rd 

Category: Home, Garden, Pet

 

 

Special Thanks to inwork and MWV

The Dieline Package Design Awards 2013: Home, Garden, & Pet, 2nd Place …

 

The packaging concept for DAYs scented line is a part of the design program and communicative platform for DAY Birger et Mikkelsen, where brand book, labels, symbols, design, packaging and graphic manual has been included. DAY´s scented line, the competition entry, is part of the HOME collection and should to carry the brand.

 

 

The design celebrates diversity and is based on storytelling. DAY is the luxurious bohemian that collect experiences and have an aesthetic eye for detail and clear understanding of design. The idea are that the parts together form an exciting ensemble with a lot to discover. The names and illustrations is a way to build a story that triggers the imagination. Care in detail, mystery and discovery are key ingredients. The packaging sides is different to build a variety without a large series of products.

Different pages on the packaging can create still lifes with exciting visual variety and endless opportunities for promotions campaigns and communications. The packaging is both a product and an interior design element.

DAY Birger et Mikkelsen is a Danish fashion company with collections for women, men and home interior. They are represented in over 1,000 stores in 25 different countries.

Art Direction, Design, Original Art work: Erik Dolk
Photographer: Fabian Björnstjerna
Client Manager: Marianne Brandi
Copywriter: Marie Wollbeck
Creative Director: Marie Wollbeck

 

Designed by BAS

Location: Stockholm, Sweden

Placement: 2nd Place

Category: Home, Garden, Pet

    

 

Special Thanks to inwork and MWV

WAY BACK WHEN IN ONTARIO COUNTY: Glenwood has garden design

2nd Chance Dog Rescue

Email: secondchance002@yahoo.com

Website: www.2ndchancedogrescue.com

American Red Cross

Phone: (585) 241-4491

Website: www.redcross.org/ny/rochester/

Arc of Yates

Phone: Terry Freeman, 536-7447

Email: tfreeman@arcofyates.org

Website: www.arcofyates.org

Big Brothers Big Sisters

Phone: Jen Arelline, (585) 442-2250

Email: jarelline@bbbsr.org

Website: www.bbbsr.org

Camp Good Days and Special Times

Phone: Laura Osborn, 585-624-5555 ext. 315

Email: losborn@campgooddays.org

Website: www.campgooddays.org

Cobblestone Arts Center

Phone: Sue Benson or Collette Welch, (585) 398-0220

Email: cobblestoneartscenter@gmail.com

Compassionate Care

Phone: Mary Brady, (585) 394-0660

Email: bradymar@gmail.com

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Yates County

Master Forest Owner/Gardener Programs

Phone: 536-5123

Email: ejn22@cornell.edu

4-H Youth Development Program

Phone: 536-5123

Email: jls233@cornell.edu

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/4-H-Yates-County-New-York/222282994503465?ref=hl

 

Family Counseling of the Finger Lakes

Phone: Becky Emerson or Pam Raeman, 789-2613

Email: bemerson@fcsfl.org

Website: www.fcsfl.org

Finger Lakes Health

Phone: Christen Smith, 787-4065

Email: christen.smith@flhealth.org

Friendship House

Phone: (585) 554-6095

Email: friendshiphouse@frontier.com

Geneva Center of Concern/Geneva Food Pantry

Phone: Cheryl Toor, 789-1117

Email: genevacoc@gmail.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Geneva-Center-of-Concern/239266049466239

Geneva Community Lunch Program

Phone: Connie Sullivan, 521-6684

Email: csullivan@dor.org

Website: www.dor.org

Geneva Exchange TimeBanks

Website: http://geneva.timebanks.org/

Geneva Public Library

Phone: Theresa Osborne, 789-5303

Email: tosborne@pls-net.org

Habitat for Humanity of Ontario County

Phone: Dale Reed, (585) 396-3600

Website: www.hfhoc.org

House of John in Clifton Springs

Phone: Carole or Danese, 462-5646

Email: house@houseofjohn.org

Website: www.houseofjohn.org

Humane Society of Yates County

Phone: 536-6094

Website: www.yateshumane.org

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php? id=100003229426981ref=ts#!/pages/Humane-Society-of-Yates-County/58871338860

Keuka Comfort Care Home

Phone: Anne Kiefer, 536-1690

Website: keukacomfortcarehome.org

Literacy Volunteers of Cayuga County

Phone: Elisa Hunt, 253-5241

Website: www.human-services.org/program_detail.php?id=127

Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Literacy-Volunteers-of-Cayuga-County/171764249516283

Literacy Volunteers of Wayne County

Phone: Boyd Kimball, 946-5333

Email: lvwaynebl@rochester.rr.com

Website: www.lvwayne.org

Meals on Wheels

Northern Seneca County

Phone: Sarah Rowe, 568-9436

Email: Sarah.Rowe@redcross.org

Wayne County

Phone: Sue Buckley, 946-5623

Email: SBuckley@co.wayne.ny.us

Newark-Wayne Community Hospital DeMay Living Center

Phone: Marie Burnham, 332-2273

Email: marie.burnham@rochestergeneral.org

Website: www.rochestergeneral.org/about-us/newark-wayne-community-hospital/volunteering/

Ontario County Office for the Aging Meal Delivery

Phone: Tarah Shedenhelm, 781-1321 or (585) 396-4040

Website: www.co.ontario.ny.us/Aging

Ontario ARC

Phone: Donna Auria, (585) 919-2191

Email: dauria@ontarioarc.org

Website: www.ontarioarc.org/volunteer

Ontario-Yates Hospice

Phone: Max Bishop, 789-9821, ext. 3030, or (800) 253-4439

Phelps Arts Center

Phone: Edward Phillips, 548-2095

Email: pac@phelpsny.com

Website: www.phelpsartscenter.com

Phelps Community Historical Society

Phone: 548-4940

ProAction Yates Office for the Aging

Phone: Stephanie Bates, 536-5515

Email: BatesS@proactioninc.org

Website: www.proactioninc.org/

Real Christmas

Phone: Charlotte Carroll, 539-8242; Bonnie Hosford, 539-9240

Safe Harbors of the Finger Lakes Inc.

Phone: Jill Koczent, 536-9654

Email: jill_k@safeharborsfl.org

Website: www.safeharborsfl.org

Seneca County Chamber of Commerce

Phone: Miranda Polmanteer, 568-2906

Email: mpolmanteer@senecachamber.com

Seneca County House of Concern

Phone: Diane Draheim, 568-2433

Email: hocseneca@gmail.com

Website: www.houseofconcern.org

Seneca County Workforce Development

Phone: LeeAnn Haust, 539-1884

Email: lhaust@co.seneca.ny.us

Website: www.co.seneca.ny.us/workforceyouth bureau.php

Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Seneca-County-Workforce-Development-Youth-Bureau/2473961 65290206

Smith Opera House

Phone: Jessica Allen, 781-5483

Email: jallen@thesmith.org

Soldiers Sailors Memorial Hospital

Phone: Loree MacKerchar, 531-2053

Email: loree.mackerchar@flhealth.org

Sonnenberg Gardens Mansion State Historic Park

Phone: Pamela Gangloff, (585) 394-4922

Email: volunteers@sonnenberg.org

Website: www.sonnenberg.org

Wayne CAP Foster Grandparent Program

Phone: Laurie Ten Eyck, 665-0131, ext. 190

Email: laurie.teneyck@waynecap.org

Wayne CAP Retired Senior Volunteer Program

Phone: Kim Bumpus, 665-0131, ext. 170

Email: kimberly.bumpus@waynecap.org

Website: www.waynecap.org

Yates County Habitat for Humanity

Phone: John Keenan, 536-9159

Website: www.yateshabitat.org/

 

Contact the individual organizations to find out about specific volunteer needs.

RTE film Amelia’s garden design work in Leixlip

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  • Urban designer Jeff Speck comes to Boise

    Who is Jeff Speck?

    He’s a city planner, architect and advocate for smart growth and sustainable urban design. He served as director of design at the National Endowment for the Arts from 2003 to 2007, where he ran the Mayors’ Institute on City Design and created the Governors’ Institute on Community Design, a federal program that helps governors fight sprawl. He’s the author of “Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America, One Step at a Time.”

    Why is he coming to Boise?

    Speck spoke at the Chamber of Commerce’s leadership conference in Sun Valley earlier this year. He was so engaging and insightful that the Capitol City Development Corporation board, the chamber and city of Boise invited him to town to consult about Downtown’s urban environment and current initiatives by the Ada County Highway District and the mayor’s office. Topics include a new conventional center, a multiuse stadium and the city’s walkability and traffic issues. CCDC is Downtown’s redevelopment agency, charged with revitalizing Downtown and its neighborhoods.

    What will he do here?

    Speck will give a free public talk at 4 p.m. Monday at the Egyptian Theatre, 700 W. Main St., Boise, followed by a QA and book-signing. His book will be on sale in the lobby. Over the next few days, he’ll meet with Mayor Bieter, ACHD directors, area developers and other Downtown stakeholders.

    Museo’s Steve Maturo discusses trends in contemporary design

    Museo, a store specializing in classic and contemporary furniture, lighting and accessories by leading international designers, recently celebrated its 20th anniversary. In 1987, Steve Maturo founded Steve Maturo Associates, a multi-line manufacturers representative group promoting products for corporate interiors, higher learning and health care, in Kansas City, Mo.

    Museo ( museousa.com) is his retail showroom, where he sells 25 lines including products from BB Italia, Kartell and Cassina.

    Maturo, just back from meeting with vendors and scouting new manufacturers at the Milan Furniture Fair in Italy, talked about his business and some of his discoveries abroad.

    Question: How did you get into this business?

    Answer: Twenty years ago, European design firms did not have distribution in the United States and were looking for channels of distribution. When they first came in, they went to New York, L.A., San Francisco, Dallas and Chicago. Beyond that, the Midwest was not a target, and the Midwest market didn’t have any resource for classic contemporary.

    Q: So you saw a need. Was it a tough sell?

    A: From the beginning we had success. Kansas City and the Midwest are sometimes stereotyped as unsophisticated. Kansas City, especially, has a very vibrant community of arts and culture and is appreciative of fine design. It’s a very established community with a base of successful people.

    Q: And what did you carry?

    A: Primarily European design from Italy, Spain and the Netherlands and some companies from the U.S. and Canada. We’ve tried to curate a package of manufacturers that are regarded around the world as producing world-class design.

    Q: And who are some of those manufacturers?

    A: Kartell, hands down, is the leader in plastic manufacturing for well over 50 years. They started in kitchen and labware, and in the 1950s and ’60s they began experimenting with furniture and tables. They produced the iconic Philippe Starck Ghost Chair.

    Another iconic design is Ferruccio Laviani’s Bourgie Lamp, designed in a baroque style interpreted in plastic. It has a plastic base and an accordion-pleated plastic shade.

    Q: You have a number of designs by Starck.

    A: The Masters Chair is one of his newest. It combines elements from chair designs by masters Charles and Ray Eames, Arne Jacobsen and Eero Saarinen. Starck also designed the Bubble Club Armchair in the window. It’s made of polypropylene and can be used outdoors.

    Q: Can you give me an idea of prices?

    A: The Bourgie Lamp is $385. The Starck Masters Chair is $269. We are also expanding our line of home accessories. We now have Alessi’s Anna Gong folding cake stand. It’s a table-top sculpture. When open, it becomes a multi-tier cake stand that can be used at the table.

    Q: What are some other iconic designs that you carry?

    A: This LC4 chaise in chrome and cowhide by Le Corbusier is part of Cassina’s Masters Collection. Le Corbusier was regarded as a leader in new construction in the 1920s, when furniture design was coming out of the Victorian era. He was the first to envision the frame being exposed and an integral part of the design. This chaise sits in a cradle, and you can adjust it. You can use it as a chair and also recline in it.

    The story goes that Le Corbusier designed it for himself. He was fond of catnaps and didn’t want to sleep too long, so he made it so narrow that you have to cross your arms when you’re lying down. When your arms fall, you wake up.

    Q: And who are some of the new designers?

    A: The Dutch firm Moooi, founded by Marcel Wanders and Casper Vissers, is named for the Dutch word for beautiful, but it has an extra “o.” They’ve really taken a new approach to the vernacular. This sofa by Wanders is upholstered in their red and white Eyes of Strangers fabric patterned with monkey faces. Moooi also carries these big pendant lights that look like string wound around a balloon. They’re called Random.

    Moooi also has a Smoke Chair, designed by Maarten Baas. It’s one of many new things that we’re bringing in from Milan. The wood frame is charred by hand. He makes an antique-style frame and burns it. It’s upholstered in black leather with a tufted back. It has a Victorian silhouette with cabriole legs.

    Bocci is a new design firm based in Vancouver. The name alludes to a popular Italian ball sport. They did this chandelier, which features artisan glass molded into balls that are suspended from a canopy at different heights. You can customize how big you want it. You can have a fixture with a half dozen or more, or hang a single ball over a counter.

    Q: And the lighting element is …

    A: LED is the wave of the future. In Milan, we also went to the Euroluce lighting fair, and everybody is now moving to LED lamp sources. They’re energy-efficient, there’s less heat, you don’t have to replace them, and they give lighting designers more freedom. LED is now making great strides. They’re dimmable, and you can get different qualities of light from cool to very warm.

    Q: What do you think about Ikea coming into the local market?

    A: It’s fabulous for us. I love Ikea. I wish they were around when I was in my 20s. It exposes people to good design, and they have a unique approach to making it affordable. There’s room for as much good design as this city can handle.

    Q: Any pet peeves about the furniture market?

    A: What bothers me is knockoffs. This Navy Chair was designed by Emeco in the 1940s for the U.S. Navy to be indestructible and lightweight. Emeco produced it in aluminum. Their tag line is, “First, let’s make things that last.”

    Companies like Target and Restoration Hardware have been knocking this off. The real Emecos come in brushed and polished aluminum and are always stamped.

    We also carry the Navy 111 chair. Emeco knocked itself off and collaborated with Coke to come up with a version of the Navy Chair made out of recycled plastic Coke bottles. The 111 refers to the fact that each chair uses at least 111 plastic bottles. It’s sustainable, recyclable and durable.

    Q: You carry a lot of leather furniture. What should people know about leather?

    A: With most finishing, the more you do the better. Leather is the opposite. Only 1 percent of the leather produced is of the best quality. The Montis firm is known for their leather furniture. It’s from healthy animals, with no scars from bugs or barbed wire. It’s colored with aniline dye, and the color penetrates the leather.

    Inferior leathers are sanded down to buff off the imperfections and sometimes reprinted with a grain pattern. Then they’re painted. But with a painted hide you can scratch through the paint. Also the leather can’t breathe. Leather that’s not painted can breathe. The open pores will develop a patina.

    Q: Do you have any guidelines for decorating?

    A: The design philosophy that I enjoy is very basic: good design works with good design. I live in a mid-century ranch house in Roeland Park. The interior is traditional, but it’s well-designed. I can put a product from 2008 or a Le Corbusier from 1928. Good design works with itself. It doesn’t all have to match.

    Garden of the week: Capel Manor provides inspiration with new Garden Media …

    Capel Manor Gardens is a 30-acre estate that is a wonderful place to visit if you want ideas for your own garden, whether you are starting from scratch or just want to tweak your flower beds or garden buildings.

    This is where the consumer magazine Which? Gardening has its trial and demonstration gardens and where you’ll find a recreation of the Australian Garden from RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2011.

    There is also an historic walled garden, Italianate maze and 17th century garden and themed gardens including a Japanese Garden and Le Jardin de Vincent.

    It hosts numerous gardening shows, including the Grand Bonsai Event on June 30 and a Fuchsia Festival on July 27 and 28, but this year it is launching a Sweet Pea Competition sponsored by Mr Fothergill’s Seeds.

    Two of the top 10 best-selling flower seeds sold by Mr Fothergill’s are sweet pea mixes, so the company is inviting the public to compete for prizes of £500, £300 and £200 for the best 10 sweet pea stems in several categories.

    The entries will be judged at Capel Manor on July 6, and you can either turn up on the day with your sweet peas, or post them.

    Mr Fothergill’s retail manager Ian Cross recommends posting the flowers encased in a fizzy drinks bottle with the neck cut off, packed with damp kitchen towels.

    For full details click here or, for information about Capel Manor Gardens go to www.capelmanorgardens.co.uk.

    Designer Phil Wood brings new life and light to Hawthorne Hills garden

    IT WAS LIKE cutting down a member of the family when it came time to remove the old dogwood with many trunks. An arborist advised that the aging giant shading Stephanie Doyle Scroggs’ back garden was thoroughly rotted. During the 17 years they’d lived in their Hawthorne Hills home, the family had spent lots of time trying to figure out what to do with the garden, but taking out their beloved shade tree was never part of the plan.

    Yet down it had to come, and with the help of designer Phil Wood, the family found there was space for raised beds and stone terraces in their newly sunny back garden. Now handsome stone walls and terraces, steps and gravel paths link the garden visually and make it easier to plant, care for and navigate. “With the steep slope at the side of the house, there was nowhere to entertain or to sit and enjoy the back garden,” says Wood. Now the circular terrace is a perfect place for a gathering. This larger of two terraces is ringed with a bench for extra seating. The smaller dining terrace is sheltered behind the house so the family can eat outdoors spring to fall.

    The kids still miss the grassy slope that was perfect for a Slip’N Slide, but Stephanie and her husband, John Scroggs, are delighted with the new structural elements, and beds filled with perennials and vegetables.

    Stephanie, whose mother worked at Molbak’s Nursery in Woodinville, was knowledgeable about plants even before the garden renovation. Stephanie gave Wood lists of what she liked and photos of gardens ripped from magazines. Space to grow vegetables and strawberries was on the list. She wanted plenty of practical perennials to bloom through the seasons. And she hoped for a garden sturdy enough to stand up to kids’ play and Ringo, their lively Labradoodle. “Now with its strong shapes, the garden looks good year-round,” she says.

    Blues and yellows predominate, with Russian sage, lavender, asters and yellow cape fuchsias (Phygelius x rectus ‘Moonraker’) to attract the hummingbirds. A new, golden-tipped Japanese cedar, a stewartia and tall perennial grasses are planted around the perimeter of the garden as backdrop. Three dwarf ‘Miss Kim’ lilacs perfume the air in springtime, and a Japanese maple lends fiery fall color.

    Most of the plants have survived Ringo’s puppyhood, but Stephanie points out a few areas where she’s waiting to replace plants until the dog matures. The raised stone beds along the fence line help keep plants safe. Herbs, nasturtiums, vegetables and strawberries grow here along with sweet peas trained up a trellis.

    Low maintenance was important to the busy family, and they appreciate how easy it is to hose down the stone terraces. There’s no lawn to mow in the back garden. The front garden, designed years earlier by Dean Backholm, is mostly small shrubs, sedum and easy-care ornamental grasses. There’s a secluded terrace with two comfy chairs. “We wish we ever had time to sit there!” Stephanie says.

    In a raised bed near the dining terrace, the family has planted, in memory of their departed tree, an ‘Eddie’s White Wonder’ dogwood with teacup-sized blooms to make up in flower what it lacks in girth. And Stephanie’s nursery-savvy mother loves the garden so much she wants Phil Wood to design her garden, too.

    Valerie Easton is a Seattle freelance writer. Check out her blog at www.valeaston.com. Mike Siegel is a Seattle Times staff photographer.

    Museo’s Steve Maturo discusses trends in contemporary design

    Museo, a store specializing in classic and contemporary furniture, lighting and accessories by leading international designers, recently celebrated its 20th anniversary. In 1987, Steve Maturo founded Steve Maturo Associates, a multi-line manufacturers representative group promoting products for corporate interiors, higher learning and health care, in Kansas City, Mo.

    Museo ( museousa.com) is his retail showroom, where he sells 25 lines including products from BB Italia, Kartell and Cassina.

    Maturo, just back from meeting with vendors and scouting new manufacturers at the Milan Furniture Fair in Italy, talked about his business and some of his discoveries abroad.

    Question: How did you get into this business?

    Answer: Twenty years ago, European design firms did not have distribution in the United States and were looking for channels of distribution. When they first came in, they went to New York, L.A., San Francisco, Dallas and Chicago. Beyond that, the Midwest was not a target, and the Midwest market didn’t have any resource for classic contemporary.

    Q: So you saw a need. Was it a tough sell?

    A: From the beginning we had success. Kansas City and the Midwest are sometimes stereotyped as unsophisticated. Kansas City, especially, has a very vibrant community of arts and culture and is appreciative of fine design. It’s a very established community with a base of successful people.

    Q: And what did you carry?

    A: Primarily European design from Italy, Spain and the Netherlands and some companies from the U.S. and Canada. We’ve tried to curate a package of manufacturers that are regarded around the world as producing world-class design.

    Q: And who are some of those manufacturers?

    A: Kartell, hands down, is the leader in plastic manufacturing for well over 50 years. They started in kitchen and labware, and in the 1950s and ’60s they began experimenting with furniture and tables. They produced the iconic Philippe Starck Ghost Chair.

    Another iconic design is Ferruccio Laviani’s Bourgie Lamp, designed in a baroque style interpreted in plastic. It has a plastic base and an accordion-pleated plastic shade.

    Q: You have a number of designs by Starck.

    A: The Masters Chair is one of his newest. It combines elements from chair designs by masters Charles and Ray Eames, Arne Jacobsen and Eero Saarinen. Starck also designed the Bubble Club Armchair in the window. It’s made of polypropylene and can be used outdoors.

    Q: Can you give me an idea of prices?

    A: The Bourgie Lamp is $385. The Starck Masters Chair is $269. We are also expanding our line of home accessories. We now have Alessi’s Anna Gong folding cake stand. It’s a table-top sculpture. When open, it becomes a multi-tier cake stand that can be used at the table.

    Q: What are some other iconic designs that you carry?

    A: This LC4 chaise in chrome and cowhide by Le Corbusier is part of Cassina’s Masters Collection. Le Corbusier was regarded as a leader in new construction in the 1920s, when furniture design was coming out of the Victorian era. He was the first to envision the frame being exposed and an integral part of the design. This chaise sits in a cradle, and you can adjust it. You can use it as a chair and also recline in it.

    The story goes that Le Corbusier designed it for himself. He was fond of catnaps and didn’t want to sleep too long, so he made it so narrow that you have to cross your arms when you’re lying down. When your arms fall, you wake up.

    Q: And who are some of the new designers?

    A: The Dutch firm Moooi, founded by Marcel Wanders and Casper Vissers, is named for the Dutch word for beautiful, but it has an extra “o.” They’ve really taken a new approach to the vernacular. This sofa by Wanders is upholstered in their red and white Eyes of Strangers fabric patterned with monkey faces. Moooi also carries these big pendant lights that look like string wound around a balloon. They’re called Random.

    Moooi also has a Smoke Chair, designed by Maarten Baas. It’s one of many new things that we’re bringing in from Milan. The wood frame is charred by hand. He makes an antique-style frame and burns it. It’s upholstered in black leather with a tufted back. It has a Victorian silhouette with cabriole legs.

    Bocci is a new design firm based in Vancouver. The name alludes to a popular Italian ball sport. They did this chandelier, which features artisan glass molded into balls that are suspended from a canopy at different heights. You can customize how big you want it. You can have a fixture with a half dozen or more, or hang a single ball over a counter.

    Q: And the lighting element is …

    A: LED is the wave of the future. In Milan, we also went to the Euroluce lighting fair, and everybody is now moving to LED lamp sources. They’re energy-efficient, there’s less heat, you don’t have to replace them, and they give lighting designers more freedom. LED is now making great strides. They’re dimmable, and you can get different qualities of light from cool to very warm.

    Q: What do you think about Ikea coming into the local market?

    A: It’s fabulous for us. I love Ikea. I wish they were around when I was in my 20s. It exposes people to good design, and they have a unique approach to making it affordable. There’s room for as much good design as this city can handle.

    Q: Any pet peeves about the furniture market?

    A: What bothers me is knockoffs. This Navy Chair was designed by Emeco in the 1940s for the U.S. Navy to be indestructible and lightweight. Emeco produced it in aluminum. Their tag line is, “First, let’s make things that last.”

    Companies like Target and Restoration Hardware have been knocking this off. The real Emecos come in brushed and polished aluminum and are always stamped.

    We also carry the Navy 111 chair. Emeco knocked itself off and collaborated with Coke to come up with a version of the Navy Chair made out of recycled plastic Coke bottles. The 111 refers to the fact that each chair uses at least 111 plastic bottles. It’s sustainable, recyclable and durable.

    Q: You carry a lot of leather furniture. What should people know about leather?

    A: With most finishing, the more you do the better. Leather is the opposite. Only 1 percent of the leather produced is of the best quality. The Montis firm is known for their leather furniture. It’s from healthy animals, with no scars from bugs or barbed wire. It’s colored with aniline dye, and the color penetrates the leather.

    Inferior leathers are sanded down to buff off the imperfections and sometimes reprinted with a grain pattern. Then they’re painted. But with a painted hide you can scratch through the paint. Also the leather can’t breathe. Leather that’s not painted can breathe. The open pores will develop a patina.

    Q: Do you have any guidelines for decorating?

    A: The design philosophy that I enjoy is very basic: good design works with good design. I live in a mid-century ranch house in Roeland Park. The interior is traditional, but it’s well-designed. I can put a product from 2008 or a Le Corbusier from 1928. Good design works with itself. It doesn’t all have to match.

    First e-Book About the Japanese Garden Funda-in is Released

    On June 13th, the Japanese garden design team Keizo Hayano and Jenny Feuerpeil have released a digital book about the Zen temple garden Funda-in, which is also known as Sesshu-ji, a subtemple of the Tofukuji complex in Kyoto. To promote Japanese garden culture in the world, the design duo publishes artisanal books on their website “Real Japanese Gardens” (www.japanesegardens.jp), that highlight not only the beauty of Japanese gardens with impressive photographs, but also focus on Japanese architecture and the history and philosophy behind each garden.

    Funda-in, a small and quiet Zen temple in southern Kyoto, belongs to the favorite gardens of the Japanese garden designers Keizo Hayano and Jenny Feuerpeil. “The karesansui garden of Funda-in temple is one of Kyoto’s true secret gardens!” says Japanese garden writer Jenny Feuerpeil. “When I visited the beautiful gardens of Tofukuji in autumn 2012, I immediately fell in love with the calm, relaxing atmosphere of the Zen temple. The garden and architecture form a marvelous symbiosis. The Japanese design concepts of Framing the View and Borrowed Scenery have been employed by the old garden master Sesshu and modern re-constructor Shigemori to utmost perfection. Too bad most visitors of the Tofuku-ji temple complex just walk past it – we want to change that with our garden e-book!”

    “It is our goal to show our readers the secret Japanese gardens, the hidden gems in the bustling streets of Tokyo and Kyoto” says 40 year old Tokyo based garden designer Keizo Hayano. “Funda-in is such a garden – small in size, yet beautiful in its proportions and very quiet, even on the weekends. While most tourists visit Tofuku-ji’s Hojo, Kaisan-do or other temples like Ryogin-an and Komyo-ji, Fundain is often over-looked. With our platform, we would like to give foreign tourist also the opportunity to explore these lesser known beautiful gardens of Japan.”

    The e-book titled “Funda-in, sub-temple of Tofuku-ji” has 14 pages and 44 quality pictures of the historically important temple and garden. It introduces the Shoin architecture of the temple, the front garden, south garden and the tea house Tonan-tei and its adjacent tea garden (east garden), which was designed by Shigemori Mirei.

    The e-book is the first world-wide to be written and published about the Funda-in temple gardens.

    Note to editors:
    Currently the website www.japanesegardens.jp features basic information, pictures and directions to around 90 gardens in Japan. To date, 13 eBooks about famous, secret and private Japanese gardens have been published. Another 3 eBooks have been released about typical elements of a Japanese garden – traditional fences and gravel patterns. 2 more e-books about Japanese moss and Japanese bamboo have been published in the plant category.

    Providing reliable information to their readers is Real Japanese Gardens’ highest priority. Before writing an e-book, the team visits the garden and takes photos of the garden and its features. Up to 80% of the research is done using Japanese resources (books, journals and interviews) to stay as close to the Japanese garden tradition as possible.

    Keizo Hayano is the owner and head designer of the Japan garden design studio Niwashyu in Shibuya, Tokyo (www.niwashyu.jp). He studied the fine arts at the Kyoto City College of Arts and loves small intimate Kyoto gardens that soothe the soul. Member of the Japanese Association of Garden Designers.

    San Francisco based garden designer Jenny Feuerpeil came to Japan after leaving her job at a global IT company. From 2008 on, she studied garden design in Chelsea, London and founded the garden design label Dendron Exterior Design (www.dendronexteriordesign.com). In 2010, she decided to go to Japan to learn the Japanese garden tradition first hand as an apprentice in a garden maintenance company near Tokyo. She loves the rough texture of natural materials, the boldness of stone arrangements and karesansui gardens.