Reflect

A mirror-and-showerhead-in-one eliminates fog for shaving-while-bathing needs

A simple idea easing a regular task, the new Reflect showerhead streams water from the attached mirror for a fog-free shave. Reflect initially debuted in New York at ICFF, but I got the chance to check it out up close recently at Dwell on Design. The patent-pending shower-mirror combo is a 2010 International Design Excellence Award Finalist for its ability to fend off condensation by …

Brinca Dada

Modern interpretations of the dollhouse with true-to-life, functional details

Shrinking Modernism to a micro scale, the sleek and minimal dollhouses by NYC-based Brinca Dada have kids and adults alike excited to play make believe. At the Dwell on Design show I got to hear about the toymaker’s recently-completed Bennett House (above and below), which takes its cues from a mix of aesthetic influences. With the overall simplicity of Rietveld’s Schröder House, Piet Mondrian’s geometric …

Levi’s Denim Insulation

Recycled jeans inside the walls, and a challenge to design the best line-drying solution

The Levi’s headquarters in San Francisco is currently under renovation and while there are many changes and improvements in the works, an innovation that caught our attention was the use of recycled denim for building insulation. Levi’s first endeavor in this clever re-use was in 2008 for the Renzo Piano-designed California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park, for which over 200,000 pairs of discarded …