Vinarþel

Beautifully intricate stencils embellish everything from cappuccinos to cakes

Australian illustrator Megan Herbert brings her sketches to coffee with a set of intricately laser-cut stencils intended for bedecking coffees and cakes, dubbed Vinarþel. With an image of knitting and a pastoral landscape, the Reykjavik-based designer enhances the Scandinavian custom of connecting over coffee and a nosh for a good—often juicy—heart to heart. The two designs speak to Iceland’s great landscape and heritage too and …

Furnibloom

Furniture that brings the green market right to your kitchen table

Designed by landscape architect Dagný Bjarnadóttir, beautifully functional Furnibloom plexiglass furniture cleverly houses plants of all sorts—spices, vegetables or flowers—for easy cultivation and a unique set of tables and stools. Initially created in 2007, the hybrid furniture has maintained a low profile despite its timely design. Included in Iceland’s forward-thinking festival DesignMarch, Furnibloom finally takes the international stage at Shanghai’s 2010 World Expo as part …

The Spanish Seating Renaissance

Broad innovations in material and form shape Spain into a furniture design leader

Advertorial Content To say that the Spanish furniture industry is in the midst of a renaissance is an understatement. Within the past two decades, the country’s furniture market has witnessed an astonishing transformation, from nascent industry to big-league all-star. Spanish companies are displaying their proficiency across a broad spectrum of materials—wood, metals, plastics, wovens and upholstery—for both indoor and outdoor furniture. From Konstantin Grcic and …