DesignMarch 2010

Furry chairs, sand bowls, and wildly-patterned knits at Iceland's second-annual design festival

While hauntingly beautiful landscapes, elusive fairies and mind-blowing music usually come to mind when thinking of Iceland, DesignMarch, the second annual weekend festival organized by the Iceland Design Center, aims to add design to that list. Following an economic collapse of epic proportions, the nation is now looking for ways to reinvent itself on the world stage. The event highlighted not only the tremendous can-do …

MicroGiardini

A miniature indoor garden-in-a-can

Packed in a small tin can, MicroGiardini plants make an easy way to grow herbs, vegetables and flowers in any indoor environment. Each can includes a set of hearty seeds or bulbs packed within a growing compound. With a little water and light, it transforms into a flowering plant after just a month of care. Created by seventy-year-old Northern Italian floriculture company Arnoldi Europe, the …

Pigeon Toe Ceramics Spring 2010

Charming modern pottery handmade from locally-sourced clay

A Portland, OR-based company, Pigeon Toe Ceramics produces high-quality ceramic pieces for the home. Fine artist and former graphic designer Lisa Jones takes the homegrown, local aesthetic to heart, hand throwing each piece from clay sourced and manufactured in the city of Portland, and firing them in a kiln powered by solar and wind energy. Jones’ Spring 2010 collection includes plant hangers, crockery and a …