Fresh herbs are integral to a well-prepared meal, and growing them right in your kitchen within arm’s reach of your prep counter couldn’t be more convenient. But let’s be honest. Most of us are a little too busy and distracted to keep up with a kitchen garden, and our efforts are likely to be wasted. That’s where smart design comes in. Few kitchen herb planters make the process of planting, growing and harvesting them easier than the Verdure, a wall-mounted planter which requires no more effort than a bit of water every now and then.

It doesn’t matter whether you have a black thumb or even a windowless kitchen; the Verdure makes indoor herb gardening as automatic as it can be. You simply plant seeds in the soil sponges, place them inside the designated trays, and add water. The plants grow upside-down.

A battery-powered halogen light helps the herbs thrive, and a transparent cover protects them from steam and oil while you’re cooking. Pour water into the reservoir, and the soil sponges will automatically soak it up as needed. A water level indicator on the front tells you when you need to add more.

When you’re ready to harvest, just pick up the included pair of scissors, trim away and your cuttings will fall into the removable tray at the base.

“As the exploded view shows, the upper area is built with one layer which features holes and five columns which works as a reservoir for the water,” the designers explain. “Water then goes under this layer and, the water slowly evaporates which then moisten the air that travels to the sponge through the holes. The sponge consists of five cuts from the bottom part. The users can then insert seeds into the cuts which then produces the seeds to grow downwards through the five columns.”

The post Grow Herbs in Your Kitchen with the Wall-Mounted Verdure Planter first appeared on Dornob.

The Watermark tile series from designer Deborah Osburn is a beautiful example of traditional Japanese textile dying techniques. Each tile is hand-formed and slow-fired, then carefully dyed in a traditional Japanese method.

Each tile is individual and embodies the name of the series: Watermark. Authentic indigo and gold verdigris pigments are used to dip, wash and stain each tile.

The series was inspired by Osburn’s experiments with unglazed porcelain tiles and cups of indigo pigment. She placed one end of the tiles into the cups, creating a lovely and natural ombré effect.

Each tile absorbs the pigment differently, making each its own individual work of art. The tiles can be used either indoors or out, and the different styles of dye patterns can be combined for an even more unique look.

The organic style of the tiles would look amazing on floors or on walls. Osburn’s watercolor tile creations can be intense or gentle, ethereal or solid. Regardless of how you choose to arrange them, the tiles create a stunning effect.

Here’s some more info from Osburn’s own company, Clé Tile:

“Deborah Osburn’s “watermark” was voted best of year 2014 by interior design magazine. Clé founder, Deborah Osburn, has spent her career producing tiles.  the act of tile making, along with an affection for art, fashion and design inform Deborah’s tile collections.”

“i enjoy melding opposites- creating historical themes using modern technologies or developing current styles made from archaic methods. for me, the process of making tiles is as significant as the finished product. i’m lucky. everyday i get to take those passions and figure out new ways to produce tile from the depths of my tile making inspirations. because i’ve been exploring this for some time, that well of inspiration runs deep. ” – deborah osburn

You can buy the whole collection at Clé Tile.

The post Traditional Dip-Dyed Porcelain Tiles first appeared on Dornob.

Communicating meaning or purpose in the most direct way possible is at the core of many a good design – objects this obvious are surprisingly (and unfortunately) elusive, showing how hard it can be to keep things simple. The wall-mounted ‘Here Hook’ from Robert Shed Studio speaks for itself, using a few angles to form a familiar shape directing guests to drape their coats, scarves and hats along the wall on the way in.

One part of the arrow provides a mounting surface and structural stability while the other two prongs are both hangable points shooting off at two angels, but taken together they form a universal symbol that spans between languages and cultures. Simply put: clever. Another variant on the theme by Nick Leigh is shown below – even easier to install, though a bit more visually complex.

“The Vertical Coat Hook is ideal for narrow small spaces and can carry several items effectively. Nick Leigh’s beautifully designed coat hook has been cleverly cut and folded from a single piece of metal. A Coat Hook is a fantastic combination of an aesthetically pleasing composition, subtle humour and efficient material use.”

About designer Nick Leigh: 

“’I always start with an idea to design something that I want or need. I like to develop products that are useful in day-to-day life and have lasting aesthetic value. Materials and proportion typically drive my ideas along with smart economical manufacturing – to me good design doesn’t have to be expensive.’ Nick launched ‘A Coat hook’ at 100% Design Tokyo 2007, a humorous spin on a very practical household object. Who knows what’ll appear next from his ‘shed’ under the house.’

About designer Richard Shed:

“I am a senior designer, researcher and strategist with 20 years experience in the fields of product, service and interaction design. Applying a human-centered and creative approach, I work with business to design and develop new products, services and experiences. I tend to work across a diverse range of industries including tourism, fmcg, airline, legal services, media and personal computing. My background is in product, spatial and interaction design, check out the archive section.”

The post Here Hooks: Simple Arrow-Shaped, Wall-Mounted Hangers first appeared on Dornob.

Sometimes a minimalist designer object (such as a single-piece shoe shelf) can lead to an even simpler do-it-yourself idea. In this case, a brushed steel shoe rack inspired an ingenious alternative: a space-saving, wall-mounted, shoe-storage solution using just a pair of basic wooden boards and a few brackets to hold them in place.

Why was the original j-me such a good idea? in the words of this crafty DIYer at NotMarsha: “I love that it floats off the floor, I love that it doesn’t take up much space when no shoes are present, I love that it was the perfect shoe solution to my very cramped back entryway. So, I nearly cried when I found out it was about 5 inches too long to fit into said very cramped back entryway.”

First stop? The hardware store – but nothing in the realm of plastic pipes, metal plumbing or other prefabricated elements seemed to fit the bill. Second choice? Wood, plain and simple: a pair of boards sliced so the top one in narrower and the bottom one is wider. Add some metal L-brackets, drywall screws and a few coats of dark finish and a simple shoe shelving system is born.

Lessons to be learned: even the most easy of DIY projects takes some brainstorming, planning and time to purchase, finish and install materials – but if you have more time than money, it might just be a great way to go. Why not just by a free-standing rack? It takes up more space, can be knocked over and, well, it just isn’t as neat as hanging pairs of shoes from the wall.

If you love the idea but don’t have the time or inclination to DIY this project, you can get the original J-ME metal shoe rack at Amazon for $80. Whichever way you choose, it’s bound to be better than a pile of shoes at hte bottom of your closet.

The post DIY Space-Saving Wall Mounted Shoe Rack first appeared on Dornob.

The world sees us one way – and we see ourselves in reverse. This is the curious curse of classic mirrors, that by their nature reflect an inverted version of ourselves. Sure, there are high-tech ways to solve this problem, but this low-tech, frameless, rectangular metal wall mirror is anything but a high-tech gadget – it is just cleverly beveled to let you look at the ‘real’ you.

This so-called ‘Mirror of Truth’ is constructed of stainless steel and shaped such that it shows a reflected scene just as if you were viewing it from the point of view of the wall-hanging mirror – letters read forward, and your face may surprise you by looking ‘right’ for the first time outside of photographs. The non-decorative design lets you draw your own conclusions and form your own allusions to mirrors of myth and magic.

Hironao Tsuboi created this to be exhibited at the National Museum of Emerging Science of Innovation in Tokyo – it is a combination of simple art, design and science. The square shape is no accident: a round or oval mirror would not work with the required linear cuts, and a large version could only cast the right reflection within a very limited range.

It might not be an ideal bathroom makeup mirror in some ways due to these restrictions, but would give insight as to how you would look to others when you freshen up to go out at night!

Tsuboi used a similar concept for her Faceless LED Watch, a pretty cool design that appears to be nothing more than an empty watch band at first glance. But when you want to know the time, all you have to do is press a button and the clock face appears in the form of glowing LED lights hidden between the links of the band.

The post ‘Magic’ Wall Mirror Reflects the Real You first appeared on Dornob.

They look decorative hanging on a wall, like abstract oriental art of some forgotten kind. But looks can be deceiving. These innocent-looking wall hangings double as stylish, simple and sleek space-saving seats for any occasion.

This removes the need to store the chairs when they are not in use – they can be hung in plain sight – and makes for an interesting conversation when you take them off the wall to offer them to guests. It makes you wonder what other pieces of furniture you could design to fold up and hang on the wall.

More info on the Pick Chair from the designer, Dror Benshetrit,:

“I began my graduation project at the Design Academy Eindhoven by examining the characteristics of a common folding chair. Typically the spartan, unsightly seat is hidden away somewhere, only to be pulled out when company arrives. Why do we invite guests to sit on a piece of furniture we’re not proud of? What’s more, if we don’t have room to accommodate extra seating, we probably don’t have much storage space, either.”

“The opposite of an object you’re not proud of is one that you’re supremely delighted by, as with art. My solution for improving the standard seat plays with this duality; I saw an opportunity to make a chair that functioned as both a work of art and a place to sit. Its physical transformation needed to be seamless—otherwise, the conversion would unfold in a mechanical step-by-step process and detract from the allure of change.”

“The Pick Chair is a canvas with movable joints, where its flat surfaces double as a place for art. Its hinged metal framework comprises four panels, the top of which features a small hole. The chair can therefore be hung on a wall when not in use, and morphs into a seat with a single gesture: simply set it on the ground and its hinges pivot to form a sturdy base, seat, and back. What’s striking about the Pick Chair is its smooth transition from the 3D (an object) to 2D (an artwork). It stands at the intersection of these dimensions, and paved the way for the recurring theme of physical transformation in our studio’s work today.”

The post Wall Hanging Folds Up into Space-Saving Chair first appeared on Dornob.