Cool Hunting

Disc Hub
Do you like to leave your current favorite CDs out for easy playback and quick visual reference? The Disc Hub lets you have a more controlled mess and less damage to your discs by gently holding them in neoprene lined slots. Alex de Rouvray designed this handy hub while still a student at Stanford-- now he's manufacturing and selling them. He even got a...

Ducati Monster 696: Interview with Designer Bart Janssen-Groesbeek
by Tamara Warren The Monster, originally released in 1993, is one of Ducati's more classic and successful models. Bart Janssen-Groesbeek was a Project Leader on the new Ducati Monster 696 (pictured) released this past April, and has already proved popular. During the upcoming Motorcycle Show in Cologne opening 8 October 2008, Ducati will unveil the Ducati Monster 1100 and 1100 S and we are...

Marcel Wanders: Mondrian South Beath Hotel Residences
by Tamara Warren It takes a fairytale to capture the imagination in Miami's over-blown hotel district. Hence, "Sleeping Beauty" stirs 4 December 2008 when the Mondrian South Beach Hotel Residences opens it doors. Conceived by Dutch designer Marcel Wanders, who nicknamed the property "Sleeping Beauty's castle," the one and two bedroom hotel residences overlook the Biscayne Bay, the Atlantic Ocean and the Miami skyline....

Quinta da Romaneira in Northern Portugal's Winelands
by Juliet Kinsman Cobbled and colonial but also contemporary and quirky, I recently had the chance to stay at the brand-new Douro Valley hotel, Quinta da Romaneira. From one look at the interior design it's clear that super-picky attention to detail is paramount. Thierry Teyssier, the creator of Quinta dos Sonhos (Romaneira's Portuguese name) considered every color, visualized every view, procured the highest spec...

Trove Wallcoverings
Recent tendencies toward decorative embellishments make it more acceptable to punctuate the room with a patterned wall and fortunately, a host of designers are readily filling the need. One such studio is Trove, a New York-based design duo comprised of Jee Levin and Randall Buck. Two accomplished artists, they set out to merge art, design, and craft in the wall coverings business. Founded in...

Graft: Kanera 1 E Sink
Slated to open Spring 2009, the new W New York Downtown Hotel and Residences brings a number of media-worthy gems (a $2,000 per square foot pricetag, for example), but this stunning sink by Graft, the building's award-winning interior designers, is what caught our attention. Looking at the bathroom as "a place of purification, relaxation, revitalization and timelessness, "Graft came up with the 1 E...