Cool Thing We Want #286: Kuzuya Morita’s “Shelf Pod” For Design-Loving Bibliomaniacs

Just…wow. We’re pretty happy with the library set-up that we have now, but we’d happily trade for Osaka’s “Shelf Pod” designed by Japan’s Kuzuya Morita Architecture Studio. More shots that’ll make the book-lover in you quake after the jump… Read more

What Your Desk Says About You And Why You’ll Always Have It

I like that we can post to Scout using our phones; write articles for papers and magazines anywhere using Google Docs; and generally live a nomadic work life. But the bulk of the efforts that go into this website is sprung from pieces of furniture that are infused with deeper, more personal meaning than any other objects that we own. Our desks. Why? Because the traditional desk is still where most of us sit and think, create and communicate. A computer may sit upon it now, but it’s just another tool joining the stapler and pen jar. The desk remains our base of operations, and we dress their flat tops – with books, art and the things we hold most privately dear – to satisfy our need to reflect as human beings without losing our ability to concentrate on daily demands (both digital and analog). The “desktop” – as imagined by IBM and Apple – might often appear poised to make moot the seemingly archaic idea of “the old desk in Father’s study”, yet it’s still here; solid and purposefully weighted with personal history; the cockpit from which we navigate daily life. Thank goodness for that.

Cool Thing We Want #242: A Full Moon Every Night Of The Week

Absolutely loving these moon lamps from in-es.artdesign.

Smoke Break #711: The Coffee Table That Eats Your Junk Mail

Via Pigeontail Design: “The Papervore is hungry for all of your printed leftovers. With a turn of the crank you too can put that gas bill off until next month”.

The Puzzleboard Carry Tray Set From Dutch Design Firm “OOOMS”

I’d be stoked to come across one of these in the a restaurant.

The Puzzleboard by OOOMS can be used in more ways than one: each board can be used on its own as a cutting board or serving plate, or put some boards together and you have super-sized your workspace. It’s ideal for cutting those long baguettes! But the best thing is that any wineglass can be fitted into the blank spot of a board. Using the boards at parties allows guests to enjoy both wine & delicacies, while still having one hand free to greet other friends.

You mean “one hand free pile it high”. Even at $20 euros per board, yes please.

Bibliophile Porn: A Book Lover’s Tool For Getting Off On Stacks

I’ve been thinking a lot about the end of Duthie’s Books on 4th Ave. and the bookstore business in general. Opening a bookstore is something my wife and I have bounced around since the first week we met. Owning a good one, I think, would be up there with teaching in the pantheon of really awesome things to do with your life. Unfortunately (or rather, fortunately) I really like what I’m doing right now.

Thankfully, there’s bibliophile porn… Read more

Taiwan’s Convention Center Has A Solar Skin…What Can Ours Do?

One of the benefits of the greening of architecture is the global competition it inspires between cities. Take a good, hard look at what Taiwan’s upcoming Taichung Convention Center will look like. Sure, our own new convention center can boast its own living roof, but does it have a solar-powered skin that naturally ventilates the structure, thereby reducing overall energy consumption while also providing natural light unlike any building heretofore? I think not… Read more

Meet The Wooden Toy Block Set That I’d Never Give My Kids…

Oh man, but the kid in me still thinks it’s 84% awesome (that’s pretty kickass). It’s from Dutch designer Tomm Velthuis. See what it builds after the leap… Read more

The East Side Culture Crawl

I ran into an old friend at the East Side Culture Crawl this weekend who confided that he had returned to the crawl this year after a five year hiatus. “It started to be all the same” he said, “and I needed a bit of a break”. He’s an artist who lives in Strathcona and my guess is that he was so immersed in the scene the other 361 days of the year that this small window when the artists studios were thrown open to the public held nothing new for him.

As a comparative neophyte, I couldn’t imagine any way in which I could possibly see everything there is to see in a full week of touring the Crawl, let alone three days. I put in a solid effort this weekend, and only made it to a handful of studios.

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On Thursday night I went to 1000 Parker Street. It seemed to me that the high concentration of artist’s work spaces here must make a visit to this location the most efficient way to take in the Crawl. I wasn’t the only one thinking this. It was busy and hard to find space to linger anywhere, but that was fine. Neither my friend nor I could figure out a source for the wine and beer we saw floating past us in the hallways and the flow of the crowd kept us moving – a fate we happily accepted with the hope that we might stumble upon the magical wine room in our travels.

I was as captivated by the crowd and the building as I was by the art. We never did find the wine, so we just browsed and browsed. Studios that stood out included Arleigh Wood’s: an uncluttered space with a ‘gallery’ feel showcasing both old and new canvasses that gave a soft and dreamy voice to a wintry tree meets bird thing that the artist had going on. At the vast and obviously productive Wild Rose studio, Susan Setz and her charming husband (Joe?) were offering a wide range of clothing made of sheer nylon and printed with tattoo graphics. These, when worn, give the wearer elaborate multi-tats that look pretty hardcore.

On my way out I noticed the Utility Furniture design and production shop. Like all of the furniture that I saw at 1000 Parker, designer Derek Morton’s was beautifully crafted, but his pieces in particular had something more. Despite simple form and clean lines they emanated a wonderful warmth. If I were rolling in cash and looking to decorate, this would definately be one of my first stops.

On Sunday I took a different approach, visiting small work/live artist studios scattered throughout the Strathcona neighbourhood. More sidewalk between locations meant I could see fewer studios. Still, I enjoyed the wandering as much as the studios and the East Side Culture Crawl organizers made it ridiculously easy for me by marking each participating studio with a cluster of yellow balloons. On my mother’s urging I stopped in at Shannon Harvey’s Monkey100 studio – and I am so glad I did. Their motto: “Through t-shirt design, cards and community action Monkey100 seeks to inspire and be part of the movement for a better world”. Take a look.

I also popped in to Ouno (an online store worth a visit). They are known internationally for their use of vintage fur in, among other things, serene looking throws, pillows and scarves (made by hand in BC). During my too short visit, I adored the pillows with strong prints and the courier bags in their range of natural fabrics. On my way out, I eyed some Christmas stockings made from reclaimed material and trimmed with old fur remnants. If you’ve never heard of Ouno design before, visit their web site.

I am so proud of Vancouver when I see this kind of ability and vision supported by community.

We ended the day with a final cruise through 1000 Parker street. It had been impossible to take advantage of everything that the East Side Culture Crawl offered in the space of three short days, especially when one still has to stop to eat, drink, sleep, and finish the laundry. I took photographs that I hope will give an impression of my experience with more detail than this post covers with words. Have a look, I tried to title images with artist details wherever I could. If something you see interests you, leave a comment and I will try to provide you with information.

Exhibiting Very Little Restraint At The One Of A Kind Show

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I went out with the girls last night to the One of a Kind craft fair at BC Place. We browsed wares from more than 150 creators, artists and artisans (see an earlier Scout post for more details on this event). There were loads of interesting things. I especially loved the stunning necklaces from Lemon Park (see pictures above). The Buddha Bowls were cool too. I can’t figure out why I left without buying ten of the latter, as they would make such nice gifts. I plan on hunting some down before Christmas.

I also bought some beautiful wrapping paper at the Regional Assembly of Text booth. There is no chance I will be wrapping anything with it though – this stuff is going straight in to a frame in my house.

On to the Black Drop Design booth. Black Drop has clean and elegant images of winter trees set in cast resin pendants that sell at very reasonable prices ($30/$40 range). I don’t know of anywhere in Vancouver that carries Black Drop Design, but if you like this style of jewelry and can’t make it to the one of a kind show (ends tomorrow), Black Drop is available online.

I didn’t (but desperately wanted to) buy a cute charcoal grey sweater from Hold Your Ground. Ayla MacIninch is the textile artist and creator of this distinct ‘eco-couture’ line that fashions tired sweaters into sweeter sweaters. This particular one was too expensive for me to justify while “shopping for others” ($229), but I have bookmarked Ayla’s web site and will keep an eye open for her spring creations.

I was happy to see Abeego at the fair. I picked up a few of the smaller handcrafted all natural “snack packs” for Christmas stockings. If you are looking for an alternative to plastic bags, these are great (ideal for packed lunches). Check out Abeego at Etsy.

Just before we left I broke down and bought myself a necklace at the Billy Would booth. I couldn’t help but fall in love with a simple wooden cut with a tree design and I snatched it up before my more rational self had a chance to interject. Local designer Adea Chung had stunning necklaces and earrings made from reclaimed wood, and some pretty kick-ass belt buckles made from spent skateboard decks (my husband, a skater for over 20 years, totally approves). Billy Would is available in a few key Vancouver shops (for a full list, click (here), as well as on line at Lavish & Lime.

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