There is always an abundance of innovative production techniques at Milan Design Week, though we saw few that rivaled the exquisite craftsmanship and unconventionality of Studio Thol's Bathtub. Dutch designer Thomas Linseen beautifully showcases the skeletal structure that gives the tub its shape, and the sculptural tub explores the...

Okolo has long been a favorite destination for great finds in Eastern Europe. One of their latest projects caught our attention when we ran into them in Milan during Design Week—a simply bound, spine-less book on the life and work of Carlo Mollino. "Okolo Mollino" represents the publisher's tribute...

"We wanted to show design in action, not on a pedestal," said Heineken's Global Head of Design Mark van Iterson as he walked us through "The Club", the first project of their Open Design Explorations, a pop up nightclub in the Tortona district during Milan's Design Week. He wasn't...

Herds of experimental chocolate makers have entered the game in recent years, while the crowd championing traditional American candy bars remains much more subdued. Brooklyn-based Liddabit Sweets is one of a few confectionaries aiming to reverse-engineer the classic bar with a heritage touch. While we've enjoyed their creative caramels...

With a welcome redesign, the 2013 Boxster is once again the sexy gateway model to the rush of owning a Porsche. The brand unveiled the car's most comprehensive design overhaul since its introduction in 1996 this week at the NY International Auto Show, showing off a 2013 that builds...

Prized for its silky mouth feel and distinct flavor, Karlssons began in 2001 when a group of Swedish potato farmers sought a way to improve their business. At the behest of Peter Ekelund—well-known as an entrepreneur who had helped launch Absolut in the 1970s—the group began working together as...

When we visited Ford back in September 2011 for an exclusive preview of their new "Police Interceptors", we felt the story wasn't complete without getting behind the wheel, which we finally had the opportunity to do. The Sedan and the first pursuit-rated Utility available represent a thoughtful and considered...

Joining Finealta and Sonnalta PX in Glenmorangie's Private Edition range, Artein is fantastic single malt that combines ripe fruit aromas with zesty notes of spearmint and citrus. Its unusual flavor profile received the thumbs up from everyone at CH HQ who had the opportunity to sample it. The first...

Besides their quiet companionship, cats offer a relatively low level of demand as a pet. Owners and their feline friends will enjoy the freedom of cat lover Philip Eu's cleverly named invention, the Gatefeeder. The minimally designed controlled-access home feeding system works with a collar-mounted Smart ID tag to...

Those looking to spend $100,000 on a car have many options—excellent performance, coddling comfort, strong styling and luxury hybrids. The Fisker Karma EVer appeals to those who seek all of those, but are willing to meet somewhere in the middle. It isn't the fastest or best performing in that...

As one of the few remaining whisky distilleries in the world still using manual mixing techniques during the production process, Monkey Shoulder makes a rich and uniquely flavorful blend. This hands-on turning of the barley was once known to cause a temporary ailment for which this whisky is named....

With additional reporting by James Thorne Realizing that competing with the popularity of smartphones and tablets is a game they've already lost, toy manufacturers are finding ways to incorporate apps and devices into their product experience. New options range from simple tactile cases to QR codes and elaborate augmented reality...

Developing an interest in music at a young age is tremendously important to a child's development. While toy versions of instruments have always been popular among parents, it can be difficult to parse the cheap imitators from the quality products. Coming out of this year's Toy Fair, there were a...

From design powerhouse Black + Blum comes a stellar new alternative to wasteful disposable water bottles. Eau Good uses Binchō-tan, a traditional Japanese charcoal, to naturally filter tap water over the course of six hours. The plastic bottle has a small indent to hold the charcoal in place while...

When we learned about The Bushcamp Company, the only safari operator in the southern part of Zambia's game-filled South Luanga National Park, we not only wanted to visit, we wanted to share it with our readers in a way that a story or video couldn't provide. We decided the...

A longstanding French tradition, almond water has been produced in small batches by nut lovers around the globe for hundreds of years. Bringing this all-natural treat to the masses is Victoria's Kitchen, a small, family-run company started by husband-and-wife duo David and Deborah Meniane to "honor the importance of...

One of the most exciting finds at the winter 2012 Fancy Food Show came in the form of a non-dairy milk made from oats. Oats? Milk? Yes—and the result outshines other alternatives like soy and almond because of its neutral taste and dairy milk consistency. Plus, Simpli Naked Oat...

While navigating the endless maze at the 2012 NY International Gift Fair, we came across this playful take on a home essential, the smoke detector. The Chick-a-Dee is, simply put, a smoke detector shaped like a bird; it brings a bit of life to a device designed to protect...

It's hard to turn down an invitation to experience a few days in Beijing while staying at one of its hippest hotels, so when the Opposite House extended an invitation to visit we jumped at the opportunity. The hotel, along with its sister hotel Upper House in Hong Kong,...

Honda's NC700X, the newest addition to the Japanese manufacturer's line, is a crossover bike designed to give riders the best of both worlds. Highlighting efficiency while retaining sports performance, the motorcycle is equal parts commuter, street racer and weekend warrior. The bike is what you make of it—an open...

Scaling back the general capabilities of all-purpose tablets, the French-made QOOQ (pronounced "cook") delivers a highly specialized kitchen assistant. The recently upgraded model is about to hit the U.S., and, while it doesn't set out to revolutionize the tablet market, QOOQ offers an easy-to-use interface with seemingly limitless options...

Giving her "little tube of magic" new meat-free appeal, London-based restaurateur and flavor specialist Laura Santtini recently teamed up with renowned chef Nobu Matsuhisa to create Taste #5 Umami Far Eastern Vegetarian. This savory, garlic-based puree is a follow-up to her popular Taste #5 Umami Paste—a blend that includes...

While most of our CES coverage has gone to the latest tech advancements for your wrist or camera, we've also set aside an assortment of our favorite accessories for improving life at home. From heated toilet seats with retractable bidet spouts to energy saving outlets, the following are seven...

Nestled among the many iPhone gadgets and advanced home accessories at this year's CES were a couple of companies taking a less conventional approach in the realm of outdoor activity. We spotted a pair of electric skateboards for those seeking the thrill of riding one without exerting the necessary...

The Ace Hotel has quickly become a beloved city hot spot, thanks in part to housing Opening Ceremony, the Breslin and Stumptown Coffee Roasters within its Roman and Williams-designed walls. Building on the tradition of channeling New York culture in their partnerships with respected brands, the Ace announced today...

A mammoth music library should inspire pride, not anxiety. The problem is, how do you begin to sort through tens of thousands of tracks? Shuffle functions are too dumbed down, and there's no time to create a custom playlist for every occasion. Enter HABU, the mood-based music app that...

You can't help but notice the 2013 Ford Fusion, a midsize category-busting car hell-bent on improving suburban driveways around the world. The new Fusion is the first car that very clearly articulates the ONE Ford mantra (cars designed for a global market) and the company's Kinetic design language (which...

As part of a New Year's resolution to up our music game, we're giving away a special-edition Sonos Play:5 speaker system to one of our readers. With a custom grill bearing music-inspired art, these speakers are the largest—and most powerful—of the Sonos line. The line made an impressive debut...

One of the highlights of a recent trip to Beijing was discovering the work of Xie Molin, a locally based artist who is currently part of the "Beijing Voice" group show at Pace Gallery Beijing. Xie's process involves three phases, which begins with the artist developing the pattern for...

After a successful decade designing womenswear under her eponymous label, Geren Ford, Geren Lockhart has opened a multi-use space housing all aspects of her brand, including her first retail outpost, called the Annex. The funky building also includes Geren's studio, showroom, a gallery and event space and a photo...

American made since 1905, Red Wing Shoe Company in Red Wing, Minnesota, has earned a worldwide following for their sturdy, durable boots built to last a lifetime. Not only do they make top notch (and increasingly fashionable) footwear, Red Wing firmly stands behind their product—offering repairs and modifications to...

There are times in life when the blank notebook page stays blank for far too long—even the most productive people occasionally get stuck. For moments like these there's Unstuck, a recently released iPad app to help you work through the situation at hand. Acting as a step-by-step troubleshooter and...

Given Hong Kong's tradition of amalgamating cultures and cuisines, it's no surprise that it's embracing the craft coffee movement. In the quirky residential neighborhood of Sheung Wan in the Central district, I happily stumbled upon one of the city's newest coffee shops, Knockbox Coffee Company—a three stool cafe with...

Combining western manufacturing with a bit of eastern flair, Italian leather-maker Stiibu launched today a collaboration with Hong Kong boutique Moustache. The appropriately timed line comes out before the biggest travel season of the year and has your needs covered from dopp kits and wallets to passport holders and...

One of the last remaining mysteries of the terrestrial world, the Transantarctic Mountains that abut the South Pole elicit the kind of exploratory giddiness typically reserved for 16th century seafarers. Scientist-explorer Edmund Stump has charted the courses of previous polar expeditions through this magnificent range, bringing to bear the...

Cellbag is a quirky new snack-and-water carrier for day-trippers looking for on-the-go sustenance. Created by designer Mathieu Lehanneur and Professor David Edwards for ArtScience Labs, the adorable futuristic design can be slung over the shoulder on your daily commute, and comes in four distinct colors. The compartmental disc design...

One of the best-known artists of the Edo period and famous for his ukiyo-e series 36 Views of Mount Fuji, which includes his ubiquitous wave print, Katsushika Hokusai greatly influenced artists from Monet and the Impressionists to Picasso. Hokusai began painting at age six, instigating a lifetime dedicated to...

Having survived WWII, the rise and fall of communism and the breakup of Yugoslavia, Bosnian furniture line Manulution has established an enduring legacy. Last spring, the company caused a stir at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF), and is now launching American operations from its Washington, D.C. headquarters. With...

How many times have you sat in the back of your Bentley Mulsanne and wished you could more easily get some work done? Fortunately, the clever engineers in Crewe have created the Bentley Executive Interior Concept (EIC), an orgy of Apple-powered gear surrounding one of the most beautiful rear...

Ricardo Cortés has a gift for charming us with the uncomfortable. Recent praise for his illustrations in the bedtime gem "Go the Fuck to Sleep" created quite the stir this past summer, and the author has now released the third edition of "It's Just a Plant," previously unavailable in...

We took CUE, (which stands for Cadillac User Experience) for a spin today and were impressed by the in-car tech system's ease of use and innovations. In short, it works just like your smartphone or tablet. This is underwhelming until you realize that you can now interact with your...

As the only U.S. state with the tropical conditions to cultivate cacao, Hawaii has been producing the sweet-yielding bean since the 1850s. In recent years the demand has raised chocolate production in the 50th State, bringing with it a new breed of chocolatiers focused on small-batch, sustainable processes. Central...

Fit for arduous travel schedules and lengthy commutes, the recently released luggage line from Powerbag features an on-board charging system to keep you on the grid no matter how far from an outlet you may be. Each bag's removable and rechargeable power source comes equipped with an Apple device...

One of the best things about electric razors is their low environmental impact. I love to shave in the shower but am always concerned about wasting water, and even though the indispensable Razor Pit extends the life of overpriced razor blades I cringe every time I throw a pack...

Founded in 2006, VandM (Vintage and Modern) is a membership-based online sales site with a passion for treasures from the past, specializing in unique and original furniture, household goods, jewelry and textiles. VandM provides insightful editorial notes to inspire and educate members about most pieces available for sale. While...

One of the great joys of eating a bowl of popcorn is picking out the half-popped kernels that settle to the bottom. Imagine the gluttonous excitement of finding Halfpops—a bag full of only half popped kernels. What it takes away from the satisfaction of the popcorn bowl search it...

We wrote about the Jawbone UP when it was announced in July, and spoke with designer Yves Behar about its many attributes. The stylish, rechargeable, accelerometer-powered device may not be revolutionary in its abilities, but like the iPhone it has brought everything together in a pretty impressive and accessible...

Whisky is a complex spirit with a range of flavors; often, people have an experience with one variety and dismiss the whole spirit. The Macallan recognizes that introducing whisky to some people requires a bit of eduction, and happened upon an idea that is really quite clever. Knowing that...

A year after French designer Ramdane Touhami moved his family and introduced Cire Trudon to New York with a whimsical boutique, he has since sold the company and moved on to his next venture—the eponymous store and house label Ramdane, characterized by classic garments for men and women updated...

Seeing the RED Epic camera drop was pretty exciting, but seeing how directors and photographers are putting it to use keeps us inspired. We spotted an innovative use in the WSJ Magazine's November "Innovator's Issue," with photographer Marcus Gaab's "Pump Up the Volume" neon fashion accessories story, which he...