Cool Hunting

Electrolux Design Lab 2006
For the fourth year running, Electrolux presents their Design Lab Competition, an open call for submissions from students around the world to imagine the appliances of the future. This year's theme, "Healthy eating habits in 2016," tasks entrants with reinventing food preservation and preparation to inspire a more mindful approach to the way we eat. Judged by design luminaries (this year includes the Campana...

NatureMill Automatic Kitchen Compost Machine
The NatureMill automatic compost machine is designed to sit unobtrusively in your kitchen. Its aesthetic may be neutral, but it's a small price to pay for the huge benefits it provides—an estimated landfill savings of more than two tons during its lifetime in a home with a family of four. Plus it generates a large volume of compost automatically—no cultures, worms, fuss or muss—just...

Recycling Trash Can by Adriano Carvalho
We love the simple and effective design of this recycling trash can by Adriano Carvalho. It won first prize in Brazil's Centre for Enterprise Commitment with Recycling's (CEMPRE) first "+Design -Waste" competition. The three separate trash areas stack for maximum efficiency. A tap on the pedal opens the top to each of the three bags, easily allowing the user to place their trash in...

Ikea PS 2006
2 1/2 years, 28 designers, 42 pieces: The challenge Ikea set forth-- to produce socially and environmentally responsible products using simple (often reused, recycled, and repurposed) materials. By all accounts the designers succeeded, often brilliantly. Using fish nets, recyled packing crates, bamboo and Indian newspapers to mention a few sources, the designers have created a range of products that are functional (storage, seating, tables)...

RISD's New Digs
Known for alumni who consistently go on to shine in nearly every creative field from architecture to cinematography, it's only logical to apply the principles of good design taught at RISD to daily life in the dorms. It's even better still to use in-house talent like planners did when confronted with furnishing a new dorm. The housing director turned to DEZCO, a firm made...

Toaster Challenge
The household toaster serves a simple purpose, but some models do it better than others. At CH we take this responsibility very seriously, and in hopes of separating the best from the average, we recently pitted four models from different manufacturers in a head-to-heat toast-off and recorded our highly subjective results. The toasters we used were the Alessi SG68, Viking VT200, Breville Smart Toaster BTA820XL...