Let's talk about feelings. According to Dutch design house Demakersvan, it's a subject not often enough addressed in the contemporary design world, and their assertion just may be true. The vast majority of furnishings either look good or perform a function well, or, if you're lucky, both. They sit...

The Workshopped Design Expo, held annually in Sydney since 2001, is less like a competition and more like a career-builder for a select handful of emerging Australian designers. It was founded as a agency to connect young talent with manufacturers and suppliers, to help turn their ideas into commercial...

Featured earlier this week for its ReadyMade Store has a few other items that piqued our interest. One is their Clock Kit, which allows you to make your own unique timepiece from just about anything. Basically a box of parts, the kit includes everything you'll need except the clock...

Our latest addition to the "why didn't we think of that?" list is this package of subway maps for the iPod. It's a simple and genius concept: upload the maps into the iPod's photo albums for easy access in times of underground uncertainty. The maps work on all color-screen...

The craft-loving ReadyMade, a magazine once described to me as "Martha Stewart Living for hipsters," is offering a few great items from the lesser-known retail side of their operation. The customizable "Make-A-Sign" is a cheap and fun way to bring classic diner charm into the home. The menu board,...

Globe-trotting renegade artist Banksy has hit the Middle East, armed with only spray paint and his brazen political wit. The renowned graffitist chose the Palestinian side of Israel's "separation fence" as the target for his latest statement, a series of paintings that both mock the structure and peaceably inspire...

We've all long been warned not to judge a book by its cover, but seeing this delectable jacket by designers recent autobiography on spec. The team's online portfolio is a tour of handsomely au courant graphic design. Their works are both modern and organic, featuring a complementary mix of...

Another prototype from Promise Design, Phytoslim is a modular system for growing plants on walls. Its slim panels are made of coconut fibers and supported by a hidden plastic skeleton. The 2"-thick pieces supposedly attach to any surface, indoor or out, vertical or horizontal. Although we're absolutely smitten with...

The Little Fat Fridge is a fantastic and funky solution for refrigeration in temporary living spaces, small apartments and dormitories. The prototype, designed by Zev Perlmutter for Israel's Promise Design, is made from light, inexpensive materials-- PVC and styrofoam- -and runs on an electric cooling system. The highly-portable appliance...

When we stumbled upon Stencilry, what we found was not just a stencil website, but something like a community of D.I.Y. fanatics. This livejournal-based site serves as both a resource and a gallery for stenciling enthusiasts. Those looking to make shirts, stickers and street art will find a wealth...

We don't know much about the works of Aussie designer Brodie Neill except that his space-age furniture designs appeal to both our minds and behinds. Two low-lying lounges by the young RISD graduate particularly caught our attention: his curvaceous ML61K bench (above) and his plywood-based SKL seat (below). While...

New York art and fashion collective Nom de Guerre launched its new site just days ago in preparation for the release of its Fall/Winter '05 collection. Their first-ever foray into menswear will feature what the company calls "utilitarian luxury-basics," fashionably simple shirts, sweaters, scarves, and slacks. The subculture-obsessed group,...

After a year of holding out for the perfect wall coverings for my down-south bachelor pad, I've started to gain quite the reputation as a de facto minimalist. It's high time I clear my name with the these superb prints from Scott Hansen. Under the moniker ISO50 (after his...

As one might deduce from its name, Flexicomb is a new flexible, honeycomb-shaped material with a million possible uses. The design, conceptualized by PadLAb's Dan Gottleib while in architecture school, consists of thousands of synthetic polypropylene tubes melded into one of nature's most familiar and amazing forms. On its...

In an inspired change of pace from their constant re-tinkering of flavors and additives, Coca-Cola has instead chosen to focus on an evolution of their design. The soft drink giant recently comissioned five talented young design groups from five continents to rethink their packaging with an eye toward hip...

Fittingly in time for winter, Lapland's famed Icebar is making its way to London's decidedly fashionable Heddon Street later this year. Joining the ranks of the world's most absurdly ambitious clubs and lounges, this 1,000 square-foot space will be constructed almost entirely out of ice shipped from the River...

Next time you're asked to help a dear friend move, send over one of these handy toolboxes by Dina Bean in lieu of your presence and you may just find yourself completely off the hook. The red metal box contains the bare necessities for urban relocation: hammer, screwdriver, tape...

Teach your child a harsh but ultimately necessary lesson in mortality with this adorably insatiable plush sea mammal. Because of its vague description, we're not exactly sure what's up with the "Eating Whale Puppet," except that it's extremely cute and seemingly capable of devouring your young. As seen on...

"This is what happens when designers and connoisseurs meet for tea," says Gamila Design, creators of The Tea Stick. Touted as one of the most operative ways to brew a perfect cup, this stainless steel device beats out both paper tea bags and "pour-over" steeping systems in both ease...

If you're cramped in tight quarters and haven't much of a green thumb, Flowers In A Can provides a convenient solution for brightening up your home or office. A perfect companion to Uncommon Goods....

As the modern world speeds toward complete digital integration, we're silently mourning the fact that some of life's simplest pleasures are thrown out the window in the name of progress. Just last week, our copy of The Sunday Times was pointed out as "analog chic," and even the post...

Will Alsop has agreed to take on a new project that's likely to be as controversial as it is visionary. In Leicestershire, England, the esteemed architect will meet this autumn with long-term prisoners at Her Majesty's Prison Gartee to devise a new, more forward-thinking concept of incarceration. Alsop was enlisted...

Signals for $35....

More goodness abounds from Relish, online purveyors of fine design. This time it's Zippered Cosmetic Cases and Wallets from designers Chilewich. Made from durable woven vinyl, they're perfect for make-up, money or any other bits and bobs you're inclined to carry about. Both are available in black, bark and...

The new Float Pilsner Flute from Molo Design is an eye-catching way to enjoy your summer ale in style. Seemingly suspended in mid-air, beers and other potables are instantly transformed into conversation pieces as soon as they're poured. These glasses, individually handcrafted in the Czech Republic, are not only...

Following the warm reception and unexpected success of their art book LE GUN, its editors have assembled more of Europe's budding talent to publish a second edition. LE GUN 2 is a large-format collection of paintings, drawings, collage, comics and illustrated fiction that teeters somewhere between social criticism and...

The multi-format publication Visionaire, one of our perennial favorites, has teamed up with Distributed Art Publishers to create an ambitious bookstore with an expiration date. ARTBOOK AT VISIONAIRE will carry rare books from the fields of art and design in its New York showroom, but only until September 8,...

On a wave of rampant sneaker customization comes a clever and rather timely coloring book by Andrew Freeborn. The footwear fan has compiled his black-and-white drawings of classic kicks and is leaving it up to you to fill in the lines. If you can't quite afford to high-roll at...

From the Picture Wall Company comes sweet relief for one of the most frustrating tasks in interior design-- picture hanging. Their "Perfect Picture Wall" is a time-saving cheat that promises to spare a lot of the blood, sweat and tears involved in the traditional trial-and-error method. The system includes...

"We make the little shit better," say the watchmakers at Nixon. And after seeing their newest design, we can't help but agree. Stylish, water-resistant and precise, the Rotolog is one of our favorite new timepieces. The watch boasts impressive-sounding technology ("custom right-read Direct Time Japanese quartz with LED") and...

Artist Nicolas Touron’s new exhibit at the Virgil de Voldère Gallery in New York City uses most unlikely objects to tell his startling fables of global affairs. Armed primarily with sugar and ceramics, he has set out to portray the world as he sees it, a sphere where the...

From a brand ever-obsessed with celebrity consumption (and self-consumption), comes a line of luxury products "for the man who has absolutely everything." Ju$t Another Rich Kid has teamed up with super-conceptual designer Tobias Wong to create "Indulgences," the most expensive form of social commentary we've seen in ages. Dipped...

For those who prefer to lounge near the ground, the Long Low Table from Area Linens is a dream come true. It's dimensionally perfect for bed-front placement, but can work equally well as an occasional table in Eastern-influenced living rooms. Surround this walnut-veneered piece with a sea of floor...

With his "Milk Jug Vase," Jatta Lavi has taken one of the most familiar domestic designs and hand-cast it in fine porcelain, thereby celebrating the classic form and expanding its function. The multipurpose carton, available on MoMa's online store, is a charming way to house floral arrangements or replace...

The "Laidback" sofa, with its exaggerated proportions and skew angles, is a tricky new design from Belgian studio Das Ding. This oversized furnishing's super-high arm rests and upwardly-sloped seats make it both attractive and visually unique. Only the "two-seater" model is currently available, but, despite its name, this high-volume...

After completely selling out of their Visionaire has once again teamed up with toy specialists Kid Robot to produce ten new designer playthings: MORE TOYS. The publication's 45th issue is published in two editions, yellow and blue, each containing five plastic toys sprung from the minds at today's top...

It's true. The bounty never stops flowing here at Cool Hunting. These glasses showed up at CH HQ the other day. We laughed. We cried. Then we decided they were actually kinda great. The Glass Fox are purveyors of pub-style glassware who specialize in personalized mugs, pitchers and pint...

DLO's Flip Clip is by far the most useful accessory we've seen for the iPod Shuffle. With all due respect to the pint-sized player, it's always looked a tad silly when worn as a pendant necklace. The Flip Clip provides a worthy alternative; true to its name, it clips to...

Spell With Flickr, a fun tool from the script-savvy Kastner, allows you to piece together words in classic ransom-note style without the hassle of scissors and paste. The code scours the Flickr archives for photographs tagged as letters and then randomly reconstructs your desired text as a mixed-up montage....

Kudos to Mark Jenkins for making some of the most charmingly interesting street art I've seen in ages. With masterful craftsmanship, he's populated the streets of New York and D.C. with life-size babies made from nothing but tape. Jenkins fittingly calls the project Storker, the name he's also assigned...

In three years' time, when today's trend-conscious consumers are left mourning their dated collections of mid-decade orange objects, owners of products like the Swopit table will have the last laugh. This adaptable furnishing by Sweden's Form Us With Love has an evolutionary advantage; it's customizable from the get-go, so...

Although we here at Cool Hunting realize that stereotypes are so not cool, we also understand that sometimes they exist for a reason. My dad loves to grill, my friends' dads love to grill, and chances are yours does too. So, in observance of Father's Day 2005 (here in...

Because of Cool Hunting's unusually high Juicy Water by Innocent Drinks. The health-focused U.K. company is taking aim at the shortcomings of most juice drinks: they're either packed with preservatives or simply far too sweet. Innocent's solution is to start with spring water (about 70% of the mix) and...

Technologically speaking, the "On/Off Switch" by Tobias Wong may not be as advanced as its kitschy precursor The Clapper, but it's surely a hell of a lot classier. Wong has emancipated the familiar lightswitch from its predictable position on the wall, encased it in lucite and placed it literally...

OOOMS design. He describes their production as a "change of value" that brings new life into an otherwise insignificant object. Intended primarily as a form of jewelry, these luxury pieces can be applied to clothing (or just about anything) with the help of your average stapler. See the results, as...

"City Hideout," from Dutch design studio OOOMS, is a portable temporary dwelling made to fit one seated adult. The collapsable metal box resembles the kind of streetside sheds that commonly house electrical devices such as streetlight controls, new-age parking meters, and small generators. The hideout can be easily assembled...

Every year, within certain social circles, seasonal consumption patterns invariably emerge, lending a discrete, however intangible, identity to a fleeting moment in time. This is never truer than in the ever-idyllic summertime, when spirits (both human and liquid) run free with the annual tacit promise of carefree living and...

The Color Flash Holga, quietly released in late 2004, is the latest plastic wonder from the Lomographic Society International. Art schoolers and adventurous amateurs have long enjoyed Holga's beautiful and unpredictable results: vignetting, soft focus, and light leaks. The new model is a natural evolution of this primitive classic,...